Chapter Text
Alicent shielded her eyes from the brilliance of the sun as the sound of dragon wings thundered across the air. She held a book to her chest, knowing her blessed moments of reading that did not require studying would soon be over.
It was an epic poem lamenting the destruction of the Southron weirwood trees. It broke Alicent’s heart to think of all the faces destroyed. Even though she was a faithful follower of the Seven, she could not imagine the sorrow of the worshippers seeing their holy sights ruined. She shuddered to think of what it would be like to come upon the great sept and find the statues of the Seven as rubble.
Syrax landed gracefully on the ground as the dragon keepers ushered her to settle, Princess Rhaenyra still upon the beast’s back.
Alicent shuddered. She could not imagine riding a dragon. For all their beauty and intrigue, they were still beasts that could snap a person in half.
Beautiful and terrifying, made of fire and blood.
That is what the Targaryens were too. Her father often told her she must be careful as the Targaryens are quick to make decisions, but slow to forgive any injustice seemingly brought to their person.
However, Alicent did not see it that way at all.
“Syrax is growing quickly,” she said as she made her way partially down the steps of the iron carriage as Rhaenyra reached the bottom steps. “She’ll soon be as large as Caraxes.”
“That’s almost large enough to settle two,” Rhaenyra said with an easy smile upon her lips.
“I believe I am quite content as a spectator,” Alicent replied, returning her friend’s smile. The princess raised an eyebrow and Alicent laughed. “Thank you,” she said before turning away to enter the carriage.
Rhaenyra followed behind her and the two girls settled in the carriage ride back into the city.
Alicent has known the princess since they were both very young girls. While they were both fourteen now, they had met when they were both only ten. Alicent had only just lost her mother and her father thought it pertinent that she be brought to King’s Landing to be under his watchful gaze and to serve as Rhaenyra’s companion as the princess’ cousins resided at Driftmark more often than they did the Red Keep.
“Are you sure I can’t convince you to ride with me when Syrax is big enough?” the princess asked.
“I told you I do not think I could stomach it. I am a Hightower, not a drop of Valyrian blood in me. I do not think I was meant to fly at all.”
Rhaenyra crossed her arms and rolled her eyes. “You simply have to try it. Once you fly, every other form of travel is completely boring.”
“Your flying time is the only time I am able to read for my enjoyment.”
“ Bleh ,” the princess said. “A bookworm through and through.”
“There is nothing wrong with enjoying books, Rhaenyra,” she sighed. “My brother said that if I were a boy, I would become the Grand Maester in a matter of days.”
“I am glad you are not a boy then,” Rhaenyra said. “For that would only make you more boring and I doubt I would have given you the time of day if you had asked me to be your friend.”
“I believe it was you that begged me to be your friend,” Alicent giggled.
“I don’t think I begged. I simply told you that you were my friend and that was the end of any discussion about it.”
Alicent smiled. “Regardless, I will not fly with you.”
“You are no fun at all.”
“One of us has to be the mature one, Rhaenyra.”
Her friend laughed. “I’m glad it’s you then.”
—
The two girls made their way to the Queen’s chambers, walking through the crowds of servants that naturally parted for them due to Rhaenyra’s presence. It wasn’t the princess’ silver hair that gave her away, but rather the smell of singed hair and sulfur that permeated the air as she walked.
Alicent had hated the smell when she had first come to know of it, but she had found that breathing through her mouth helped her persevere through the stench until she had grown used to it.
“Ah, Rhaenyra,” the queen called as the two entered the room. She was surrounded by servants and the smoke of sweet incense to soothe her in her later stages of pregnancy. Alicent stayed back as Rhaenyra continued forward to her mother. “You know I don’t like you to go flying when I’m in this condition.”
Rhaenyra huffed. “You don’t like me flying when you’re in any condition.”
“Your grace,” Alicent said gently.
“Good morrow, Alicent,” the queen replied.
Alicent smiled. The queen had taken her under her wing when she arrived at the keep. Truly a mother to her people, she could not stand the thought of Alicent without a motherly hand to guide her. Even when Alicent’s father had protested the need for it, the queen had bullied her husband’s Hand into relenting. Alicent had never seen her father bullied by anyone, but it seemed he had a large amount of respect for the queen and seemed pleased to see how much Alicent blossomed under the queen’s instruction.
“Did you sleep?” Rhaenyra asked as Alicent went to prepare the queen tea. Alicent was wonderful at making tea. Even the king’s brother was said to calm down after having some of her chamomile tea.
“I slept,” the queen replied
“How long?” Rhaenyra insisted. Both knew the queen always wished to alleviate everyone’s worries, but they also knew that she would tell them if they insisted upon it.
“I don’t need mothering, Rhaenyra,” the queen said. Alicent brought the cup and saucer over and Queen Aemma looked at her with a gentle smile.
“Here you are, surrounded by attendants all focused on the babe,” Rhaenyra insisted. “Someone has to attend you.”
Alicent sat down by the maester filling out charts and guesses for when the babe would be due while Rhaenyra sat on a chair beside her mother’s lounge.
“You,” the queen said, knocking Rhaenyra’s knee with her heel. “Either of you will be lying in this bed soon enough. This discomfort is how we serve the realm.”
“I’d rather serve as a knight and ride to battle and glory,” Rhaenyra replied.
Alicent hid her smile behind her hand, but the queen gave her a slight look and she knew she had been seen. However, the queen laughed as well.
“We have royal wombs, you and I, Rhaenyra. The childbed is our battlefield. We must learn to face it with a stiff lip. Now take a bath. Alicent, I have no doubt you attempted to persuade her?”
“Yes, your grace,” Alicent replied. “But she was insistent upon seeing you.”
“Traitor,” Rhaenyra muttered, but that got the queen to laugh again and Alicent knew that seeing her mother filled with such joy in her discomfort lightened her burden of worry.
“You stink of dragon and I fear I cannot enjoy my tea with such a stench.”
Rhaenyra stood and Alicent followed. Alicent dipped into a curtsy and followed Rhaenyra out of the queen’s chambers. Rhaenyra had to ready for her duties as her father’s cupbearer after all.
—
“You are Otto’s daughter, are you not?” a familiar voice came, although she could not place it until she turned around.
She had been on her way to the library where she was to fetch a book from the septa to test Rhaenyra on her knowledge of history. The last person she had expected to see was Prince Daemon Targaryen.
She knew hardly anything about him as their paths so rarely crossed. However, there were not many silver haired lords that would be allowed to get away with wearing Darksister at his hip. She knew very little about him aside from the conflicting accounts of her father and Rhaenyra.
If her father was to be believed, Prince Daemon was nothing but a blight upon the royal family. He caused nothing but trouble and shirked his duties onto other people. A pitiful excuse for the king’s current heir. From what Alicent had been told, the dislike was mutual.
If the princess was to be believed, Prince Daemon was simply misunderstood. He was a good uncle and cared deeply for Rhaenyra and her freedoms. He brought her gifts constantly from his travels and her dreams of exploring were largely rooted in the stories he brought back to her.
Alicent curtsied. “Yes, your grace. Alicent Hightower, at your service.”
“I do not think your father would be pleased with you offering your services to me,” he said dryly.
She blinked, unsure of how to reply to such a comment. She wasn’t even truly sure of what he meant. “You are the King’s current heir and you are still a prince of the realm,” she said. “Should everyone not offer you their service based on your title alone?”
“I can see what my good sister said about you being a pretty bird,” the prince said. “I am surprised that Otto has not raised you to have more bite than this.”
“Is there a reason to bite, your grace?”
He laughed at that. “No, I suppose not.” He paused. “Tell me, where might I find my brother and niece?”
“I believe they are still in the small council meeting,” she said.
“Then I shall make my way to the throne room,” he said.
“The throne room? But why?”
“It is not for you to know, little bird. Get along with whatever you were doing. I require no services from you. None that you could offer and none you might be willing to do.”
He walked away, leaving Alicent more confused than ever.
—
“Did you read it?” Alicent asked as they sat beneath one of the few remaining weirwood trees of the south. The book was open in Alicent’s lap and Rhaenyra’s head rested on one of her thighs.
“Of course I read it,” the princess replied.
“ When Princess Nymeria arrived in Dorne ,” Alicent read. “Who did she take to husband?”
“A man,” Rhaenyra replied.
“What was his name?”
“Lord Something. ”
“If you answer Lord Something Septa Marlo will be furious,” Alicent warned.
“She’s funny when she’s furious,” Rhaenyra muttered, playing with one of the red leaves.
Alicent looked down at her friend in concern. “You’re always like this when you’re worried.”
“Like what?”
“Disagreeable.” Rhaenyra glanced up at Alicent from her position and Alicent attempted to mimic one of the looks the queen often gave her daughter in reprimand. “You’re worried,” she continued. “That your father is about to overshadow you with a son.”
“I only worry for my mother,” Rhaenyra said with a wave of her hand, batting away Alicent’s concern. “I hope for my father that he gets a son. As long as I can recall, it’s all he’s ever wanted.”
Alicent narrowed her eyes in confusion. “You want him to have a son?”
“I want to fly with you on dragonback, see the great wonders across the Narrow Sea, and eat only cake.”
Alicent sighed and looked away. “I’m being serious. ”
“I never jest about cake ,” Rhaenyra said sweetly.
Alicent looked back down at the princess. “You’re not worried about your position?”
“I like this position,” Rhaenyra said from her place in Alicent’s lap. “It’s quite comfortable.”
Alicent sighed and shut the book and stood, dislodging the princess from her comfortable position.
Rhaenyra sighed as Alicent began to walk away. “Where are you going?”
“Home,” Alicent replied. She turned back to look at Rhaenyra, who still rested upon the ground. “The hour has grown late.”
Rhaenyra stood and dusted off her skirt and began to make her way towards Alicent, her hands behind her back. “Princess Nymeria led her Rhoynar across the Narrow Sea on ten thousand ships to flee their Valyrian pursuers.” Alicent began to frantically open the book and search for the proper page. “She took Lord Mors Martell of Dorne to husband and burned her entire fleet off Sunspear to show her people they were finished running.”
Alicent looked up at Rhaenyra and smiled, but it instantly disappeared as Rhaenyra stepped forward and ripped the page out of the beautifully illuminated text. “What are you doing?”
Rhaenyra handed the paper to her and let it fall back onto the book. “So you remember.”
“If the septa sees this book then the septa—” she tried to realign the page uselessly.
“Fuck the septa,” the princess said plainly.
“ Rhaenyra ,” gasped. However, the two girls dissolved into a fit of giggles as they made their way back to the Red Keep.