Chapter 15 – The Hand's Game
Morning in the Red Keep came with silence.
Not peaceful silence.
Tense silence.
The kind that followed something unseen… something dangerous.
A spy had been killed inside the castle.
No witnesses.
No trace.
Only fear.
And that fear spread quickly.
A Summons
Aeryn was not surprised when the summons came.
"The Hand of the King requests your presence."
Of course he did.
Because men like
Otto Hightower
did not ignore threats.
They studied them.
Controlled them.
Or removed them.
Aeryn followed the servant through the stone corridors calmly.
No hesitation.
No fear.
Because fear showed weakness.
And weakness got you killed in places like this.
The Hand of the King
Otto stood by a tall window overlooking King's Landing when Aeryn entered.
Hands folded behind his back.
Still.
Patient.
Dangerous.
He didn't turn immediately.
"You move quietly," Otto said.
Aeryn didn't respond right away.
Then—
"I've been told that before."
Otto turned slowly.
His eyes studied Aeryn carefully.
Measuring.
Calculating.
"You are an unusual child."
Aeryn tilted his head slightly.
"I've been told that as well."
Otto smiled faintly.
"But not in a good way."
A Battle Without Blades
Silence filled the room.
Then Otto stepped closer.
"A spy was killed last night."
"Yes."
Otto's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You seem certain."
Aeryn shrugged.
"People are talking."
Otto watched him carefully.
"They are."
A pause.
Then—
"And yet, no one saw anything."
Aeryn met his gaze.
"Then whoever did it was very good."
Otto's smile returned.
Thin.
Sharp.
"Yes," he said quietly.
"Very good."
Testing the Prince
Otto walked slowly around him.
Like a man circling prey.
"You have a dragon," he said.
"Yes."
"A large one."
"Yes."
"A dangerous one."
Aeryn smiled faintly.
"All dragons are dangerous."
Otto stopped behind him.
"And yet some are more dangerous than others."
Aeryn turned slightly.
"Are you asking me a question… or making a statement?"
Otto's eyes sharpened.
"I am deciding what to do with you."
Aeryn didn't hesitate.
"That sounds like a mistake."
A Dangerous Realization
For a moment—
Just a moment—
Otto looked surprised.
Then he laughed softly.
"Confidence."
He nodded slowly.
"Yes… I see it now."
Aeryn said nothing.
Otto stepped back.
"You are not like the others."
"No."
"You think ahead."
"Yes."
"You understand power."
Aeryn crossed his arms.
"I understand survival."
Otto studied him one last time.
Then—
"You will be watched."
Aeryn smiled slightly.
"I already am."
Almost Exposed
That night, Aeryn moved again.
The Red Keep had become familiar now.
Predictable.
But something felt… off.
Too quiet.
Too still.
The system flickered.
[WARNING]
Detection Risk: HIGH
Possible Trap Detected
Aeryn froze.
Mid-step.
Listening.
Watching.
Then—
Movement.
Guards.
More than usual.
Waiting in shadows.
Ambush.
He smirked slightly.
"They learn fast."
He moved anyway.
But differently.
Higher.
Through walls.
Above them.
Invisible.
The trap closed on empty space.
Aeryn watched from the rafters.
Unseen.
Untouchable.
The Queen's Strategy
Elsewhere in the castle,
Alicent Hightower stood with Otto.
"He was there," she said quietly.
Otto nodded.
"Yes."
"And he escaped."
"Yes."
Alicent's expression hardened slightly.
"He's too dangerous to ignore."
Otto turned toward her.
"Agreed."
A pause.
Then—
"We escalate."
The Plan to Kill a Prince
Back in his chamber, the system activated again.
[CRITICAL ALERT]
Hostile Action Planned
Threat Level: EXTREME
Details:
Multiple agents deployed
Target: Aeryn Targaryen
New Objective:
Survive Assassination Attempt
Aeryn stared at the message.
Then slowly smiled.
"Finally…"
A real challenge.
The Calm Before the Storm
He walked to the window and looked out over King's Landing.
The city never slept.
Neither did danger.
Behind him, the hidden blade extended with a soft click.
Nyxarion was far away.
Daemon was not here.
No allies.
No safety.
Perfect.
Aeryn's eyes hardened.
"Come then…"
The shadows in the room seemed to grow deeper.
Darker.
Alive.
"…let's see what you've got."