Time travel Valarr au. He dies of the Sickness in the Red Keep and opens his eyes unbelievably back in Ashford, watching Egg go rushing past him with Ser Duncan. He realises, somehow, that this is the night of the Puppet show, where everything went wrong and goes rushing after his cousin and his father's sworn man. He's hoping to get there in time to be the one to hit Aerion, but he's too late. He needs a way to save his father salvage this and so he acts like he commanded Ser Duncan to stop Aerion, and he prays that Ser Duncan goes along with the ruse.
In the keep, he refuses to be separated from Egg or Ser Duncan, because that's how things start to spread beyond what he can control. So, instead, his father and uncle are brought to the hall, where Aerion immediately launches in to telling them about how he was attacked. Valarr asks Aerion to explain why he was attacked and Aerion dismissively says he was disciplining a puppeteer who thought to mock their house. Valarr asks how a story about a dragon killed thousands upon thousands of years before the Valyrian empire rose could be an insult to their house? Aerion says that's not the point, the point is that he was attacked!! Valarr declares that Ser Duncan attacked Aerion on his orders and so if any punishment for the attack on Aerion should fall upon anyone, then it should be him, for giving the command.
Baelor interrupts to ask Valarr why he would ever give that command. Valarr answers like "I swore oaths, father, to protect all women, to defend the innocent. Ser Duncan swore these oaths. You have sworn these oaths. Seven Hells, father, Aerion has sworn these oaths. He may choose to so proudly forswear himself, but not I!"
Baelor asks why Valarr did not stop Aerion himself. Valarr answers that Ser Duncan was simply faster than he, and Valarr knew he would get there sooner. Baelor can smell something rotten, but he's willing to follow his son's play in this, so when Maekar starts demanding punishment for Dunk, Baelor just sighs.
"This is an internal matter for House Targaryen. Ser Duncan acted under the command of Prince Valarr to stop Prince Aerion's senseless assault of an innocent woman. I see no reason this should devolve further," he says.
"Baelor, my son-"
"Has admitted to forswearing himself. As Hand of the King, I strip from him the title of Knight and all the rights and accolades that go with such title. He shall not be knighted again except by my will or that of the King," Baelor says, turning to give Aerion a dark look. "Ser Wylde, I command you to see to the degradation." Aerion sputters, demanding to know why, even as Ser Wylde steps forward to hack the spurs from his heels, take his sword, and shield, and his coat of arms.
Baelor just dismisses everyone, except Valarr who he commands to follow him to the study. The moment the door is shut he demands to know why Valarr has lied on Dunk's behalf.
"I've never been a dreamer, father, but I understand my cousin's oddities a lot more now than I ever have before. If I did not intercede, by noon tomorrow, you would be dead by Uncle Maekar's hand."
"Valarr-"
"I know it sounds like madness, father. But it is the truth. You caution Ser Duncan to ask for Trial by Combat, but Aerion is a coward and he demands a Trial of Seven. You borrow my armour and ride on one side, uncle, Aerion, Daeron, and the Kingsguard ride on the other. And when all is said and done... I watch you burn on a pyre, the back of your skull smashed out by uncle's mace. If I must lie to save you, then I will do it, father. I never swore any oaths to be honest, just brave and just, and there is nothing just about how this would have been handled."
"Valarr-"
"And Ser Duncan never kidnapped Egg, either. Daeron was too drunk to notice when Egg pretend to be an orphan and snuck away to squire for the first knight he could find. We're lucky he found Ser Duncan and not a knight just like Aerion or I have to think uncle would been returning even now with his body. I don't know what's wrong with Uncle Maekar's children, father, and-" Valarr's really struggling to just... fucking stop talking. Baelor pulls him into a hug and Valarr just breaks... clutching at his clothes and sobbing 'you were gone. You were gone. You were fine and then you were gone!'
