Chapter 129: Larys’ Intelligence

Larys wore a faint smile, his eyes melancholic, resembling a frustrated scholar unable to fulfill his ambitions.

Rhaegar walked forward with his hands behind his back and asked with a smile, "Oh? What intelligence do you have?"

He had met this man when he was a child and knew all too well that Larys would go to any lengths to gather information.

Larys leaned on his cane as he stood, limping a couple of steps forward before grinning awkwardly. "Shall we find a quiet place to talk?"

"Sure."

Rhaegar followed, curious to see what this man was up to.

With some effort, Larys led Rhaegar to an empty attic. 

"This place is quiet. No one comes here," Larys remarked as he waved his hand to clear the dust, speaking with a shy, self-deprecating chuckle.

Rhaegar casually sat by the balcony of the glass window and asked bluntly, "So, what kind of information requires dragging me here?"

To him, Larys was not the type to act without personal gain. For him to approach so suddenly, there was undoubtedly something in it for him.

Larys found a chair in the corner and sat down. After fidgeting uncomfortably for a moment, he adjusted his seat and smiled awkwardly under Rhaegar's unwavering gaze.

Clearing his throat, Larys began speaking just as Rhaegar's patience started to wane. "Your Highness, I've gathered intelligence from three different places. Which one would you like to hear first?"

"Which three places?" Rhaegar asked.

"Oldtown, the Vale, and Driftmark," Larys replied with a smile.

"Let's go in the order you mentioned."

Rhaegar became intrigued, interlacing his fingers across his chest.

Nodding knowingly, Larys composed his thoughts and said, "The former Hand of the King, Otto Hightower, has been making frequent visits to the Citadel and the High Septon of the Faith of the Seven. It's said that they've had long, lively discussions that stretch late into the night."

Rhaegar blinked in surprise and asked, "What's strange about that?"

Both the Citadel and the Great Sept of Baelor were based in Oldtown and had long-standing ties with the Hightower family. Their connections were hardly unusual.

Shaking his head with a sly smile, Larys continued, "Half a month ago, the Citadel sent a group of maesters to King's Landing to assume various official posts. Furthermore, more clergy have begun appearing in Flea Bottom's welfare shelters, distributing food and helping the poor."

"Winning hearts and minds?" Rhaegar immediately guessed.

"Exactly. Your plan to reform King's Landing has caught Otto's attention. He's determined to secure real power in this endeavor. Queen Alicent, on her part, has been lobbying the King privately," Larys replied with a hint of admiration.

"Hah. Such patriotism," Rhaegar remarked with a chuckle and a shake of his head before adding, "Go on, what's the next piece of intelligence?"

"Aren't you curious about Otto's schemes?"

"There's no need. I never take the so-called 'Green Party' seriously," Rhaegar said confidently.

At the succession council, Alicent had indeed stood out in her green gown, earning the factional nickname "the Greens." She garnered support from the Oldtown faction and secretly rallied some minor lords and disfavored knights. Meanwhile, Rhaegar and his sister, Rhaenyra, both known as the "Black Party," commanded overwhelming backing from loyal vassals.

Rhaegar always found these factional names ridiculous. As long as Alicent remained content as Queen, he couldn't care less about her "Greens." However, if she dared harbor ulterior motives, then King's Landing would no longer tolerate anything green.

"Well, you certainly have a magnanimous heart," Larys remarked, lowering his gaze as if drawn by Rhaegar's confidence. He shifted his weight slightly, adjusting his crooked foot beneath his heavy boots.

After a brief pause, Larys shared his intelligence on the Vale. "Lady Rhea Royce of Runestone has fallen in love with her cousin and plans to marry him next month."

"Rhea Royce?" Rhaegar was taken aback.

"Indeed, Daemon Targaryen's former wife," Larys confirmed.

Rhaegar wasn't particularly interested in his former aunt-by-marriage. Considering Daemon had already fathered children with Laena Velaryon, it seemed reasonable for Rhea to remarry.

"But the key isn't Runestone," Larys continued. "Six months ago, Lady Jeyne Arryn of the Eyrie had a heated argument with her cousin Arnold Arryn. He challenged her right to rule as a woman, claiming she was too weak to lead the Vale."

"And what happened?" Rhaegar asked.

"They parted on bad terms. Arnold fled the Eyrie and hasn't been seen since," Larys said with a wry smile.

"What's curious is that, within a month, the mountain clans of the Vale began raiding lowland villages more frequently, abducting villagers."

Frowning, Rhaegar asked, "Are you implying Arnold has colluded with the mountain clans to start a rebellion?"

"It's hard to say. On the surface, it seems Arnold has gone into hiding." 

Larys shrugged, clearly enjoying the sense of accomplishment that came from solving riddles. 

"What about the last piece of information?" 

The Vale was too far away, so Rhaegar was more interested in hearing news about Driftmark. 

Larys straightened up, speaking seriously: "According to reliable sources, Lady Laena Velaryon, the daughter of the Sea Snake, secretly returned to Driftmark under the cover of night. Lord Corlys Velaryon himself held a ceremony to name her twin granddaughters." 

Hearing this, Rhaegar's expression darkened. 

A few days ago, Rhaenyra had mentioned that Laena had written to her, pleading for help in returning to her homeland. 

Who could have guessed that Laena had already quietly gone back to Driftmark? 

She clearly didn't care about whether the Crown would hold her accountable. 

Rhaegar took a deep breath to calm himself and asked in a cold voice, "What about Daemon? Since his wife and daughters returned to Driftmark, did he go with them?" 

"I'm not sure. The spies only spotted Lady Laena and the two babies," Larys replied. 

He ventured a guess and analyzed: "Prince Daemon likely wouldn't return on his own initiative. After all, he's not a Velaryon by blood." 

"However, I assume you've already heard the news from the Three Daughters." 

"A war is imminent, and the Sea Snake is the best naval commander we have. He'll certainly work with the Crown." 

"When the time comes, if he requests the lifting of the warrants against his daughter and son-in-law, do you think His Majesty the King would agree?" 

Rhaegar glanced at Larys, aware that his speculation was very plausible. 

Larys, in turn, watched Rhaegar, a smile playing on his lips. 

He always took great care and effort with the things he excelled at, striving for perfection. 

He was confident that this gesture of goodwill would earn him the prince's favor. 

Rhaegar stood up and began walking toward the door. 

Waving a hand, he said lightly, "Thank you for the information, Lord Larys." 

He had heard all the intelligence he needed. 

What else was there to talk about? 

As the attic door closed, the smile on Larys' face disappeared, replaced by a blank look. 

After a moment, he came to his senses, gazing out of the window with a detached expression. A self-deprecating smile spread across his face. 

"Truly, a proud Targaryen," he muttered. 

--- 

Night fell. 

After bathing, Rhaegar lay shirtless on his bed. 

After parting ways with Larys, he had taken a walk around King's Landing. 

As expected, he noticed many Faith of the Seven followers appearing in Flea Bottom. 

"Allicent, Otto, the Sea Snake…" 

He softly murmured the names of those who had brought trouble to him, allowing his thoughts to gradually empty. 

As the crown prince, his responsibilities were immense. 

Rhaenyra, bound by her status as a woman, had been scarred and weighed down by the position. 

With his male and firstborn legitimacy, Rhaegar naturally enjoyed the favor of nobles across the realm. 

What remained unchanged, however, was the ambition of those scheming in the shadows. 

Larys was a formidable—or perhaps cunning—individual. 

Personally, Rhaegar believed Larys' interest in intelligence stemmed from his insecurity about his physical disability. 

He used it as a means to gamble for power, stealing authority from the highborn. 

(End of Chapter)