You lean back against the marble bench in the inner garden, letting the cool night air brush your neck still burning from your father's shout. Maekar’s voice is heavy, and his hands heavier still. It wasn’t the first time he reprimanded you… but it was the first time he did so with such sharp words, with such public disappointment. All because of Brynden Rivers.

Always lurking in the shadows, always watching for your every misstep. And this time, he caught you between silks and sighs in Chataya’s brothel.

You don’t deny it. The bodies were warm, the laughter easy, and the wine tasted like forgetting. But it wasn’t his place to call you out. Not him.

He slithers through the castle’s corridors as if everything belongs to him. And your father listens to him more than to his own sons. Follows him as if dragon’s blood flowed in the bastard’s veins too. But you know what he is. A loyal dog, yes, but one that bites hard when he smells weakness. And you… you gave it to him.

Was it carelessness? Rebellion? Maybe you just wanted to feel far from the weight of your name.

What a spectacle, he said. Reprimanded by daddy…