Chapter 28: Viserys's Decline
The collapse happened during a small council meeting.
I wasn't there—guards didn't attend council sessions. But the aftermath reached every corner of the Keep within minutes.
"The king fell!" A servant, running through the halls. "Maesters to the royal chambers! Now!"
I was escorting Helaena through the library when we heard. She froze mid-step.
"It's happening," she whispered. "The crown begins to drown."
I pulled her into an alcove. Private. "What did you see?"
"Fever. Delirium. Father won't recover this time. And when he dies—" Her voice broke. "Everything breaks with him."
"How long?"
"Days. Maybe a week. The dreams aren't precise."
Days. The Dance is days away.
I took her hands. "Listen to me. When it starts, you stay close to me. You and the children. I don't care what Otto orders, what Aegon demands. You stay within my sight."
"Ulf—"
"Promise me."
She nodded. Trembling. "I promise."
The Keep transformed overnight.
Maesters swarmed Viserys's chambers. Leeches. Poultices. Prayers. Nothing worked. The king burned with fever, delirious, calling for his dead wife.
Alicent took effective control. I saw her moving through the halls with Otto, whispering urgently. Making decisions. Preparing.
Ravens flew to Dragonstone. Summoning Rhaenyra.
The court fractured visibly.
Green faction: Otto, Alicent, Criston Cole. They gathered in private chambers, voices low. Planning.
Black faction: What few supporters Rhaenyra had in King's Landing. They huddled together, nervous. Outnumbered.
Neutral parties: Corlys arrived from Driftmark. House Velaryon walking a careful line between both sides.
And me? I stayed with Helaena. Doubled her guard shifts. Slept in four-hour increments outside her door.
Day 130. Otto summoned Aegon.
I only knew because I was stationed outside the Tower of the Hand when the prince arrived. Drunk. Mid-afternoon.
"Father wants to talk," Otto's voice carried through the cracked door. "About your future."
"My future's in a wine cup. Leave me alone."
"Aegon. Your father the king is dying. That makes you—"
"Nothing. It makes me nothing. Rhaenyra's the heir. Everyone knows it."
"The law says otherwise. Eldest son inherits."
"The law can fuck itself."
Silence. Then Otto's voice, colder: "You will be king. Whether you want it or not. The realm needs stability, and a woman on the throne invites chaos."
"Then let it have chaos. I never wanted this."
"Your wants are irrelevant."
I heard Aegon storm out. Moments later, he stumbled past me, reeking of wine, eyes red.
Didn't even notice I was there.
Day 133. Helaena's vision came during dinner.
We were alone in her chambers. The children already asleep. She'd barely touched her food, staring at nothing.
Then she spoke.
"The crown drowns in blood. Brother kills brother. Mother buries her children. The white stands alone in fire."
Her eyes weren't seeing this room. They were seeing something else. Something terrible.
"Helaena—"
"It's coming. The Dance. Dragons burning. Cities falling. Everyone dies. Everyone." She turned to me, tears streaming. "And I can't stop it. I see it all and I can't stop any of it."
I pulled her close. She collapsed against me, sobbing.
"You don't have to stop it alone," I said quietly. "We'll face it together."
"How? How do we fight dragons? How do we stop a war?"
"We don't stop the war. We protect what matters. Your children. You. That's enough."
She pulled back, gripping my shirt. "Promise me. When it begins—when the dragons dance—you'll protect my children. Not Aegon. Not the throne. Them."
"I swear it. On my life. On my soul. On everything I am."
"Not just swear. Promise that you'll live. That you'll survive. Because if you die—" Her voice broke. "If you die, there's nothing left."
I wiped her tears. "I'll live. I'll fight. I'll survive. For you. For them. For however long it takes."
She kissed me. Desperate. Frightened. Clinging to me like I was the only solid thing in a crumbling world.
Maybe I was.
That night, I couldn't sleep.
I lay on my bed, staring at the ceiling, cataloging what needed to be done.
Tomorrow: visit the armorer. Commission fire-resistant armor. Treated leather that could withstand dragonfire long enough to escape.
The nursery: map every escape route. Make sure Helaena knew them all. Practice evacuations with the children. Make it a game so they wouldn't panic.
The undercroft: I'd already eliminated Blood and Cheese. But there were other passages. Other threats. I needed to watch them all.
My weapons: sharpen my knife. Practice Shigan until my fingers could punch through plate armor. Master Rankyaku so I could cut from a distance.
Silverwing: return to her. Build the bond stronger. I needed to be able to ride her reliably when the time came.
The list went on. And on.
So much to do. So little time.
I stood. Strapped on my weighted gear. Began another training session.
Soru bursts. Tekkai holds. Rankyaku kicks. Geppo jumps.
Building strength. Building speed. Building the capability to stand against dragons and armies and whatever else the Dance threw at us.
Because Helaena was right. The Dance was coming.
Days away. Maybe hours.
And when it arrived, I'd be ready.
Not to stop it. Not to win it.
Just to protect the people who mattered.
That was enough.
It had to be.
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