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THE MOTHER OBSERVED her son closely, Robert stood in the dark, candle lit room with the rest of the people and the Queen at the head of the table with his back against the wall — looking at the floor in thought.
He thought about war. If they went to war it meant that his family could die. That he could die. His lover could die. And all he could think was that he would be okay with dying if it meant he died for a purpose, a reason beyond just fighting. Dying for something good.
And he determined that this was a good thing. His Uncle desired Rhaenyra to have the throne and it was taken from her. And he didn't blame her or anyone else in the room for wanting to take it back. It was true that Aegon had an equal claim, but it wasn't about claim it was the fact that Rhaenyra was a woman and that didn't sit right with him.
The fact that they chose Aegon just because he had a cock — a small cock — didn't sit right with him. And so he would fight.
But he was also scared.
"Are you well, my son?", Roseva asked him quietly and the boy nodded — the woman looking him over but turned when her husband began speaking to Rhaenyra.
"It's no easy thing for a man to be a dragonslayer, but dragons can kill dragons. And have. The simple truth is this: we have more dragons than Aegon", he told her, everyone gathered themselves in the room awaiting the Queen's decision on whether she would accept the former Queen's and Aegon's terms or if she would take them all to war.
"Viserys spoke often of the Valyrian histories. I know them well. When dragons flew to war . . . everything burned. I do not wish to rule over a kingdom of ash and bone", Rhaenyra spoke, and Roseva nodded her head silently, understanding the position that she was in. She had too many people begging her to go to war but they didn't understand.
"Are you considering the Hightowers' terms, Your Grace?".
Rhaenyra licked her lips before speaking, "As Queen, what is my true duty to the realm, Lord Bartimos? Ensuring peace and unity? Or that I sit the Iron Throne, no matter the cost?".
