Chapter 4: The Last Command
[POV: Prince Raegon]
The Red Keep was heavy with sorrow and tension in the last months of 100 AC. Prince Baelon, the Spring Prince, had died, taking from King Jaehaerys his last healthy son. Grief hung in the air, but beneath it, the politics of court stirred. Viserys was the Heir Apparent, but whispers already began about his strength and the succession after him. Otto Hightower, the Hand, watched everything, always planning.
King Jaehaerys, though weak, gathered his strength for one last, huge act. He called a Great Council, not of the whole realm, but of his own House, bringing together all living Targaryens, their most trusted advisors, and the most senior members of the King's Council. He wanted to make his final wishes clear, to ensure stability after he was gone.
Raegon, now a boy of ten, stood quietly beside his father, Prince Viserys. His mother Aemma was close by. He felt the weight of history in the room, the expectant stares of Daemon, the sharp gaze of Otto, the nervous faces of the Velaryons. He knew what was coming. His mind was sharp, quick, analyzing every face, every subtle shift in the room. He felt the calm, decisive temperament of a seasoned commander, blended with the intuitive wisdom of an ancient king.
[POV: King Jaehaerys I]
King Jaehaerys, frail but with fire in his eyes, sat on the Iron Throne. His voice, though weaker than before, carried weight that silenced the room. "My children, my grandchildren, my loyal servants," he began, his voice raspy. "My life has been long, my reign, by the grace of the gods, peaceful. But all men must face the end. My dear son, Baelon, has preceded me to the grave, a sorrow that weighs heavily."
A moment of quiet for Baelon. Jaehaerys felt the exhaustion deep in his bones, but also a renewed purpose. Raegon's vision had shaken him to his core, revealing a future he desperately sought to prevent. This was his final act for the realm.
"The line to the Iron Throne is clear," Jaehaerys continued, his eyes fixing on Prince Viserys. "My grandson, Prince Viserys, son of Prince Baelon, is my chosen heir. He shall take the Crown upon my passing." A wave of murmurs, quickly hushed, spread through the room. Daemon bristled, but stayed silent. Jaehaerys felt a familiar ache of disappointment from Daemon, but this decision was for the realm's good.
Then, Jaehaerys's gaze shifted, moving past Viserys, settling on Raegon. The room held its breath.
"And after Viserys," the Old King's voice rang out, clear and firm, "the Crown shall pass to his eldest son, my great-grandson, Prince Raegon Targaryen."
[POV: Ser Otto Hightower]
A collective gasp went through the assembly. Otto Hightower's face showed clear shock, for a moment losing his usual control. Raegon? Naming him specifically? This disrupted his careful plans. He had expected the succession to be less defined after Viserys, leaving room for his own daughter, Alicent, and her future children to rise. This boy, Raegon, with his unsettlingly keen eyes and quiet confidence, was a problem. Otto's mind raced, already formulating new strategies.
[POV: Prince Daemon Targaryen]
Daemon, for once, was silent, his eyes wide in disbelief. He had hoped, perhaps, that the King might name him, the King's brother, or at least leave the matter more open to his influence. But this boy, Raegon, barely ten years old, named specifically. It was an insult to Daemon's ambition, yet… there was something about Raegon. Daemon had seen the boy ride Alduin, a beast of surprising ferocity and growth. And the way Raegon had looked at him just now, calm and knowing, it was unnerving. This nephew was a force, perhaps even a rival, but one Daemon felt a strange pull towards.
[POV: Prince Raegon]
"Let there be no doubt, no question, no argument," Jaehaerys's voice boomed, despite his weakness. "No one else shall take the Throne after Prince Viserys. Should something befall Prince Raegon, then his designated heir shall be his younger sister, Princess Rhaenyra." This made the male line clear while still acknowledging Rhaenyra's claim, but only after Raegon. Raegon felt the weight of the King's words, the gravity of the decision resting on his young shoulders. He was being bound to this future, for the good of the realm. It was exactly what was needed. His resolve, a blend of Baelon's bravery and Aemon's quiet strength, solidified.
Then, Jaehaerys delivered the final, most stunning command. "And to further bind the future of our House, to ensure its strength and unity, it is my will that Prince Raegon Targaryen shall take Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen as his wife upon her sixteenth nameday. This union shall safeguard the lineage and prevent any future discord within the Dragon's blood."
The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by the crackling of the braziers. A marriage pact, ordered from the grave by the Old King himself, binding the future of the Targaryen dynasty. Raegon felt a cold certainty settle within him. This was it. Jaehaerys had bought him time, and a clear path. His words, his dreams, had truly shaped the King's final, desperate act to save his House.
Whispers erupted then, a low rumble of shock and speculation. Some lords would quietly grumble that if Raegon had only been "at least eleven namedays" when Baelon died, Jaehaerys might have just skipped Viserys and named Raegon himself heir, so obvious was his favor and the boy's unusual presence. But the order was absolute. It was the last, undisputed command of King Jaehaerys the Conciliator. He died weeks later, leaving behind a succession plan designed to be unbreakable.
Raegon looked at his younger sister, Rhaenyra, still a small child in her nurse's arms, unaware of the huge destiny now tied to her. His protector. He looked at his father, Viserys, now the Heir Apparent, looking overwhelmed by the weight of his father's final decree. And he looked at Otto Hightower, his face unreadable, but his eyes burning with dangerous calculation. The game had truly begun.
When Viserys became King, Raegon was thirteen namedays old. The Crown sat heavily on his father's head, but the old King's final command provided a framework. Raegon knew his blend of traits – the temper of the Conqueror, the mind of Jaehaerys, the bravery of Baelon, and the kindness of Aemon – would be tested. He was the Dragon's Unseen Hand.
[End POV: Prince Raegon]