The King's Solar was unusually silent, the only sounds the faint crackle of the hearth and the distant calls of servants echoing through the stone corridors.
Viserys sat solemnly in his high-backed chair, his posture rigid, shoulders tense. Lines of fatigue traced his face as he looked at the three children before him, speechless.
Alicent stood to his side, hands clasped tightly, her brow furrowed in irritation and worry. She shifted from foot to foot, clearly impatient with the mess that had reached her family.
Before the pair, knelt Aegon. Bruises mottled his cheeks and forehead, a split lip and a swollen eye marked him as thoroughly bested.
Baelon himself sported a bruised cheek with dirt streaked across his face, but otherwise, he seemed unharmed.
Helaena, in contrast, was merely smudged with grime, her violet eyes wide but calm, as though the scolding of kings and queens was of little consequence to her.
"So, due to Helaena's words, you thought it would be reasonable to strike your younger siblings?" Viserys' voice was low at first, but it cut like a blade as he rose from his chair, towering over Aegon. "HAVE YOU NO SHAME!"
Aegon opened his mouth to protest. "B-but—"
"Silence!" Viserys spoke, sternness evident in his tone. "Do you truly think your actions are without consequence? Do you think I will allow this insolence to continue?"
"He's injured as it is! Let him be!" Alicent's disapproving voice cut through his words.
Viserys scoffed, running a hand through his silver hair, his gaze narrowing on both Aegon and Alicent.
"Let him be?" He took another step forward, voice low and dangerous. "Do you think this would be all he got if it weren't for his injury? Do you think I'm unaware of what he has been doing with his maids? If he keeps this up, we'll have a litter of bastards running around the Keep in a few years."
Alicent's face flushed. She knelt beside Aegon, her hands on his shoulders, murmuring soothing words as he pressed his head into her bosom.
Baelon fought to suppress a chuckle at his father's outburst, immediately stiffening as Viserys' gaze swept over him.
"And you," Viserys said, slumping back in his chair, eyes narrowing. "Don't make yourself look innocent. A simple punch would have sufficed. Was it necessary to thrash your older brother like that?"
Baelon let his gaze wander the room in mock wonder, ignoring the accusations. His feigned ignorance only irritated Viserys further.
Finally, Viserys turned to Helaena, who remained seated on the floor, dirt-smeared and lost in her own thoughts.
He leaned his head on one hand and sighed. "What in the Seven Hells have I done to deserve this?"
He shook his head slowly, looking to Alicent and Aegon.
"Take him with you," he said, gesturing toward Aegon. "I want no more fighting in this home. Go, the both of you. Leave me with these two."
Alicent shot a final glance at Viserys before leaving, before looking at her other two children. She opened her mouth, words on the tip of her tongue, before she shook her head, dragging Aegon away from the solar.
Aegon muttered protests, rubbing his sore jaw, but did not disobey as the pair disappeared from view.
Once the door closed behind them, only Baelon and Helaena remained.
With a helpless look, Viserys turned to his youngest daughter. "Helaena, how many times have I told you to be careful with what you say and do?"
Helaena hummed softly in response. "It's not like I knew what I was saying. Who told him to punch my brother?"
Viserys leaned forward, a teasing glint in his eyes. "Aegon is your brother, too; you shouldn't be so biased."
"Like you are with Rhaenyra?" Helaena asked, eyes wide with innocent curiosity.
There was no malice in her words, yet Viserys felt his eyelids twitch. He coughed, shifting his gaze toward Baelon, who stood beside his sister.
"I've heard you've managed to read this?" Viserys gestured to a book resting on the table, its familiar leather cover drawing Baelon's attention.
It was the same book he had been studying moments before the debacle with Aegon.
"Yes, Father," Baelon replied, straightening and nodding.
Viserys' eyes gleamed with pride. "Most children are only able to read books like that by their twelfth Name Day."
"You've done well," Viserys continued. "Are there any rewards you would like?"
Baelon's eyes brightened at the offer. He leaned forward, palms rubbing together in anticipation. "Well, Father… you see, I haven't exactly left the Keep much…"
Viserys raised a brow at the mercantile enthusiasm in his son's demeanour. "Out with it. As long as it isn't too ridiculous, I can allow you a bit of freedom."
Baelon's gaze darted around before he spoke. "The books in the library… they don't quite suit me. Most of them are historical records, politics, and the like. All pertaining to Westeros or our family. I've heard the Citadel in Oldtown has the largest library in the world…"
"So you wish to become a maester?" Viserys asked, arching an eyebrow.
Baelon shook his head, a small rattle of denial. "No, no, no. I have no desire to become a maester. I simply wish to learn some knowledge."
"And what knowledge is that exactly?" Viserys pressed, his curiosity piqued.
Baelon merely shook his head, answering softly, "It's a secret."
"Very well, then," Viserys said, nodding. "So be it. As long as you keep up your studies, I will allow it."
Baelon's face lit up. "Is that all?"
Viserys chuckled. "These 'studies' include swordsmanship."
Baelon's excitement wilted instantly, like a flower drooping under too much sun.
Seeing this, Viserys laughed heartily, his cheeks ruddy with amusement. "Don't be like that. Surely you want to protect little Helaena?"
Baelon looked down at his sister, who stared up at him with wide, expectant eyes. Conflict flickered across his face.
He really didn't want to bother with training to be a knight. All that pain and suffering, when the same problem could be solved with a bit of dragon fire.
Still, those bright eyes kept appearing in his field of view and as he remembered what he had seen her do in that dream… his refusal died down.
With a heavy sigh and a resigned nod to his father, Baelon murmured, "Let it be then."
***
Having left the Solar, Baelon and Helaena made their way down a winding hallway of Maegor's Holdfast.
"Brother, is what you said true? Will you protect me?" She asked, her voice filled with open curiosity.
Baelon, thinking ahead to the long hours of gruelling training that awaited him, gave a reluctant nod. Helaena bounced with joy like a silver rabbit, her excitement practically lifting her off the floor.
But after a moment, she slowed, falling into step beside him. "But…" she pouted, her small lips curling. "If you're out there studying, does that mean I won't be able to see you?"
Baelon paused, furrowing his brows as he looked down at her. "You're right," he admitted softly. "I could always ask Father…" His eyes widened suddenly as an idea struck him, a mischievous spark lighting his gaze.
He beckoned Helaena closer and leaned toward her ear, lowering his voice to a whisper. Her eyes grew wide with interest, then gradually lit up with excitement as she nodded repeatedly.
Thus, the walls of the Red Keep, a pair of siblings whispered to each other. Whatever plan they concocted, it was enough to stamp out the melancholy of separation.