Chapter 130: King’s Landing Darkness

A soft knock at the door interrupted Rhaegar's thoughts.

"Who is it?" he called out, frowning at the late-night disturbance.

"It's me, your sister," came Rhaenyra's voice from the other side.

"Rhaenyra?" he repeated, slightly stunned. Climbing out of bed, he said, "Come in."

The door creaked open, and Rhaenyra entered, carrying a dinner tray.

"Rhaenyra, what are you doing here?" Rhaegar asked, confused.

"I heard you've taken on a big mission and wanted to check on you," she replied, walking over to the bed and sitting down. She placed the dinner tray on a nearby table, revealing a glass of milk.

"I brought you some milk to help you sleep," Rhaenyra said with a playful smile.

"Thanks," Rhaegar replied, taking the glass and sipping the milk. Suddenly, he noticed her attire—a formal dress in an unusual shade of green, rather than her usual black or red.

"Why does that dress look familiar?" Rhaegar asked casually.

Rhaenyra giggled and tugged at the hem of her skirt. "You finally noticed. Last time, you were talking in your sleep, mumbling about your stepmother's dress, so I borrowed one from Alicent."

Rhaegar choked, spewing milk as he tried to catch his breath. "What?"

Rhaenyra rolled her eyes and patted his back. "Why are you reacting like that? I've been debating for days whether to wear this dress."

Rhaegar's face flushed red. "It was just a dream. It had nothing to do with Alicent."

He felt a wave of embarrassment wash over him. His dreams were often a jumble of images, and any resemblance to reality was purely coincidental.

"Rhaenyra, you really should return Alicent's dress," Rhaegar said, feeling a twinge of guilt.

"What? You don't think it looks good?" Rhaenyra stood up excitedly and spun around to show off.

Rhaegar averted his eyes and covered his face with his hand. "You and Alicent have different figures. She's... slimmer than you."

Despite having four kids, Alicent still had the slim figure of a teenager, which had helped her keep Viserys interested for years. By contrast, both Rhaegar and Rhaenyra inherited their mother's sturdier, more robust build.

Rhaenyra's attempt to fit into Alicent's green dress had the waist straining and the fabric barely containing her form, which looked a bit off. It was no surprise that Rhaegar had noticed right away.

"Rhaegar, do you dare say that again?" Rhaenyra's mood shifted abruptly, her eyes narrowing at her brother.

Rhaegar hesitated, sensing danger. "What I meant was that the dress doesn't fit you properly. It's not your size."

"How dare you!" Rhaenyra took his words to mean that he thought she was overweight, which made her feel insulted.

She'd put a lot of effort into wearing the dress, and instead of a compliment, she felt like she was being insulted. She felt a surge of anger.

Her chest was heaving with indignation, and the dress seemed to be strained to its limits. Before Rhaegar could explain further, Rhaenyra lunged at him, reaching for his neck.

Despite her intensity, she was no match for Rhaegar in a physical confrontation. Laughing, he caught her around the waist, thinking it was just another one of their playful scuffles. As a child, Rhaenyra often tried to show her dominance by roughing him up a bit.

Rhaenyra pinched and scratched with all her might, but to no avail. "Rhaegar, if you dare talk nonsense again, I'll pull out your tongue!"

"Hehe, you said it," Rhaegar teased, still not grasping the seriousness of her anger. He opened his mouth wide in a provocative gesture.

"Owww!" Rhaenyra's rage reached its peak, and she bit him on the shoulder.

"Rhaenyra, it hurts! Let go!" Rhaegar cried out, pain flaring up.

"Nice try, you brat. You just don't want to be disciplined," Rhaenyra muttered through gritted teeth, maintaining her bite and attempting to wrestle him into submission.

Rhaegar, wincing from the pain, suddenly rolled over, pinning her beneath him. Rhaenyra still clung to his shoulder, her eyes blazing with anger.

Outside the window, the moon was shining brightly, bathing the bedroom in its light. The evening breeze rustled through the garden, making the leaves whisper.

Rhaegar looked down at Rhaenyra, who had just bitten him, and paused for a moment. Eventually, Rhaenyra's mouth, which was stained with blood, slowly released its grip.

"Ouch, that hurts!" Rhaegar let out a cry and quickly pulled away, covering his bleeding shoulder.

Rhaenyra, who was now lying on the bed, said in a sullen tone, "I'll go with you to Driftmark."

"Who told you that?" Rhaegar leaned back on the bed, wiping the drool off his shoulder, and looked at her in surprise.

"Is there any secret in King's Landing that stays hidden, except for your Dragonpit?" Rhaenyra's words carried a hint of mockery.

Rhaegar nodded, not bothering to refute. As the political center of the continent, King's Landing was constantly under scrutiny.

"I can go to Driftmark by myself. The Sea Snake wouldn't dare to make a move," Rhaegar said confidently. "Besides, I'm going to celebrate the naming day, and Aunt Rhaenys will be there."

"And what about Laena and Daemon?" Rhaenyra lifted her head, her face serious.

Rhaegar froze, not expecting her to know about that.

"Unfortunately, you've been the heir for many years, but you're still too self-righteous," Rhaenyra sighed, her tone helpless.

Under Rhaegar's puzzled gaze, she kicked off her boots, lay back on the bed, and cuddled him in her arms. Rhaegar put his head on her shoulder and felt his frustration melt away.

"Rhaegar, I was also chosen by our father to be his heir," she began. "But because I'm not a man, the bannermen who swore allegiance to me despised me and spoke against me."

"King's Landing is the world's biggest sewer, full of snakes, rats, and ants," she continued. "Every preference, every decision you make, becomes a target for these bedbugs."

Rhaenyra kissed Rhaegar's forehead and admonished, "Don't trust anyone. They only covet your flesh and blood, and mine."

Her warning was genuine; she wanted her brother to be more cautious, to avoid being used as a pawn.

Rhaegar gently cupped her slender waist, rubbing his cheek against hers, and said emotionally, "I understand, I know everything."

"You don't understand," Rhaenyra replied, pressing her hand harder on his. "I know firsthand what it's like to be isolated, while you've been living in the sunshine."

Rhaenyra looked him in the eye as she continued, "You don't have any roots in the small council, and Father's ears have always been pretty easy to bend."

(Word count: 1,095)