House of The Dragon:The Rise of the Emperor of the Seven Kingdoms

Chapter 167: Chapter 166 – Long Live the King (I)

With Jaehaerys’s voice, a solemnity settled over the air. Even the breathing of some grew ragged. Every eye was fixed on the three figures above all others.

Jaehaerys, Viserys, and Maekar.

Roderick Blackwood and Darnold Darry stood beside Alysanne, both acting as the queen’s own loyal vassals. At this moment, Maekar’s retinue was complete with the realm’s most important people.

“Our chances are high.” Corlys said, looking at the sea of people dressed in black. A satisfied smile played on his lips. After what had happened to his firstborn, he wanted nothing more than for Jaehaerys to die knowing the successor he had chosen would never touch the Iron Throne.

“Yes, but some of ours may only be pretending; we do not know how many will actually vote for Prince Maekar,” Boremund, on the other hand, remarked in a calm tone. He was more pragmatic and cold, knowing that these lords could not be trusted.

“How interesting, this seems more chaotic than the Kingsmoot on the Iron Islands.” Varon said with a laugh as he watched the people wanting to kill one another.

“Maekar should have cut down a few more people to show his power.” Ellard, as always, remarked while wearing an almost feral smile. “Only when someone is strong will men follow him anywhere.”

Before the powerful, fearsome lords around him, Theo merely stayed silent and was reluctant to say anything. He did not want to stand beside that mad, murderous lunatic, but the greatest power in the Reach at present was Robert Redwyne himself. Should he dare stand against every lord of the Reach, he could forget about controlling anything during his own rule.

“Even so, there are a great many Dornishmen; it seems some arrived in time.” Corlys said, noting the many people in flowing robes and jewelry.

“What a shame.” Boremund said in a sarcastic tone.

If there were any people who hated the Dornish, it was the people of the Stormlands, surpassing even their hatred for the people of the Reach. Had it not been for Laenor’s unfitness to be king, he would never have joined Maekar, who was allied with the Dornish. Unfortunately, circumstances had changed, and he could only place his trust in Maekar.

Watching the lords conversing, Alysanne, dressed in a magnificent black gown, looked toward the far side of the Great Hall and did not see Daemon’s figure among the lords in purple robes. That fact made the queen narrow her eyes.

Seeing that Gael was also absent, Alysanne quickly understood what was happening. Nothing more than mutual coercion. Daemon feared Maekar would usurp the throne, and Maekar feared Viserys would usurp the throne.

My grandchildren really are troublesome. Alysanne thought with a smile.

Upon the Iron Throne, Jaehaerys looked at Maekar and then at Viserys. The Old King’s expression was unreadable, his deep violet eyes giving nothing away. He turned his gaze back to all the lords present and spoke once more.

“The doors of the Great Hall will only open again once the new heir has been chosen.” The king’s voice carried through the hall, designed to project and echo.

“The Maesters will assist during the process for those who cannot write and will collect the responses and place them in an urn, which will later be counted personally by Grand Maester Ellar.”

“Any fraud in the voting will be punished with death. So, be careful, or your heads will roll across the floor of this sacred hall.” At this point, the king’s voice turned cold and chilling, sending a shiver through the fools who thought only their own mothers had given birth to clever sons.

It might seem strange for nobles to be illiterate, but few truly cared for knowledge. In the end, title, fief, and strength mattered more in the minds of most nobles. Those who took an interest in knowledge were often second sons, who had the option of becoming a septon, a maester, or a hedge knight.

Often they chose to become a septon or a maester. Few chose to become a landless, feudless hedge knight.

Even princesses of House Targaryen were illiterate. Gael was only literate because she had Alysanne at her side, though the queen herself had also encouraged her daughters. Even so, some clearly had no wish to learn and were content to be nothing more than ordinary wives.

At the king’s words, nearly seventy young attendants, who had been standing against the wall awaiting the right moment, began moving among the nobles. They carried trays holding stacks of small scrolls and ink.

The tedious process of voting began.

Maekar, wearing Aegon’s crown, watched the scene before him with a calm gaze. Seeing no falsification among the votes, he looked at the lords dressed in purple and narrowed his eyes. Daemon’s figure was nowhere to be seen.

‘Probably at the Dragonpit…’ Maekar thought with a pensive look. Even so, he was not worried about Gael’s safety. Besides Dreamfyre, Bahamut was also stationed outside the Dragonpit.

Even if Caraxes were formidable, faced with two gigantic dragons, he would have no choice but to flee like a dog to avoid being killed.

Turning to look at Viserys, Maekar studied his half-brother’s restless hands with a look tinged with scorn. The man was not calm; it showed he was nervous about the vote. That betrayed a lack of confidence.

Which would cost him a few votes even now. No one wanted to vote for someone who lacked confidence in winning. Antagonizing the future king was not a wise choice. The lords knew this well and did not want to make an enemy of Maekar by voting for Viserys.

Faced with this fact, Maekar wanted only to laugh, but he held himself back and wore a calm expression with a confident smile on his lips. Either way, he would leave this hall as nothing less than Prince of Dragonstone. Whether by the lords’ will or by his own.

“Would you like something to drink, brother? You look nervous and are sweating.” Maekar looked at Viserys and asked in a concerned tone. Were it not for his calm eyes, he might have passed for a younger brother worried about his elder brother.

“No need; it’s only warm.” Viserys shook his head and forced a smile. But, inwardly, he was faintly panicking. An intense cold in his stomach simply would not let him stay calm. Having his fate decided by a vote could unnerve anyone.

Watching the two brothers converse, Jaehaerys rested his elbow on the arm of the throne and set his hand against his face. He had never seen so hypocritical a scene in his life. They were plainly enemies, yet still treated one another as loving brothers.

Honestly, he felt a touch of disgust at the scene before him.

Letting out an imperceptible sigh, Jaehaerys fixed his violet eyes on the crowd of people. The Iron Throne stood three meters high, so he could see quite clearly just how many people filled the Great Hall.

Most, unmistakably, wore black. Which came as no surprise to Jaehaerys. Maekar’s deeds and the previous day’s events had given Maekar the advantage in winning over the lords.

And, though Maekar’s tyranny the day before had driven some lords away, it had also brought many others flocking to his side. Most lords did not want to stand against Maekar, should he become king. The brutal methods of the previous day only proved that point.

In this regard, Viserys’s gentleness had become his greatest weakness. The lords feared becoming Maekar’s enemies but did not fear becoming Viserys’s. Should they betray Viserys now and Viserys still win, at worst they would be pushed out of court.

However, should they betray Maekar, many surely knew they would likely die in mysterious accidents.

Jaehaerys saw this with perfect clarity, and, at the same time, he already knew the outcome of the vote. Viserys had accomplished nothing significant in the war; the lords felt no fear in betraying him, and he himself had no dragon.

Maekar held many advantages and Viserys, many disadvantages. With so many disadvantages, the only reason Viserys still had so many supporters was because of Jaehaerys himself. Were it not for that, there would have been no need to hold the Great Council at all.

‘I have helped you enough, Viserys,’ Jaehaerys thought, a sigh escaping his lips.

Whether for Baelon’s sake or by his own choices, Jaehaerys had already helped and counseled Viserys enough. Now it rested entirely on Viserys’s own luck and charisma.

——-

My mom always told me never to meddle in other people’s relationships. I ignored her, and now a twenty-five-year friendship has come to an end.

I saw, recorded, and showed my friend his girlfriend cheating on him, and he accused me of sabotaging his relationship.

When that idiot took out a mortgage, I co-signed for him. When that jerk needed a blood transfusion, I donated. When that jerk needed money to buy a car, I lent it to him.

And now, because of some cheating bitch, he’s no longer my friend.

All we can do is laugh at all this misery.

Read my other books:

House of The Dragon:The Rise of the Emperor of the Seven Kingdoms

Game Of Thrones: The God-Emperor of Planetos

Percy Jackson: Godwyn the Golden.

Game Of Thrones: The King’s Court Wizard