Chapter Seventeen: Alicent III

"M'lady, what gown should Jocelyn wear today, the red one or the blue one?" the handmaiden asked.

There are other matters that are of more importance now than my niece's bloody gown.

"Either should do fine, Betha." Alicent said to her.

"I think the red one would match with the bonnet, while the blue one-"

"Gods, Betha, I said either shall do fine!" Alicent snapped.

"Y-Yes, M-M'lady. E-Either."

Gods, why am I taking out my frustrations on handmaidens?

"No, no." Alicent said, realising what she had done. "I did not... sorry Betha, I should not have snapped at you. Please, forgive me. The... the blue one, I'd prefer."

"Absolutely, m'lady." Betha replied, calmer than before.

Alicent had been more and more stressed as of late, more so than she normally had. Though she no longer had the duty of visiting the King every night, she now had the duty of looking after Jocelyn, and now it seemed as though her past five years of defending Rhaenyra to the King and her father was of little use, based on what she had just heard.

The King had summoned Alicent earlier in the day to ask for her advice regarding a delicate matter. Alicent assumed that it would be the usual; His Grace would ask Alicent if she thinks Rhaenyra will eventually agree to marry and whether he made the right choice entrusting her to be his heir. Alicent would then defend Rhaenyra and reaffirm His Grace's choice and they would go their separate ways. Alicent was used to it. But this time, the King asked about something much worse.

With her uncle? In a brothel?

Alicent could hardly believe such a thing and insisted to him that it must have been a lie. She defended Rhaenyra, as she always had done, and told the King that Rhaenyra was not capable of committing such things. That whoever made the accusation was trying to discredit the Princess. The King then replied it was her father who was the accuser.

No, my father would not lie about such a thing.

Alicent then said so to the King and that surely it must have been a misunderstanding. Alicent defended Rhaenyra some more, saying her father was misled until the King thanked her for her words and dismissed her.

However, Alicent knew that the King likely did not believe Alicent's defence of his daughter this time, because he commanded Alicent to ask Rhaenyra herself.

Why would he believe me? When she constantly evades her duties. Even I do not believe my own words. Yet I still defend her, again and again.

Alicent waited in the godswood, standing patiently by the heart tree.

I remember when me and Rhaenyra used to sit by the heart tree, how I wish I could go back to those days.

Rhaenyra arrived after a while, wearing a white and yellow gown decorated with flowers shaped into a dragon's face.

"Is it true?" Alicent said, bluntly.

"What... what do you mean?" she replied, confused.

"There have been some... worrying allegations levied against you, Rhaenyra. Were you with your uncle?"

Rhaenyra looked down and smiled. "Oh... I had not seen Daemon in years, he took me into the city for a bit of fun."

"Tell me the whole truth of it, Rhaenyra."

"What... whole truth? That I drank wine and left the castle after dark?" she laughed, petulantly.

Alicent lowered her voice, as if the Gods could not hear her whisper. "That you fucked your uncle in a... pleasure house."

Rhaenyra gasped. "That is a vile accusation!"

"Is it? We all know your uncle is not above such a thing. And my father would never lie-"

"Your father? Surely, he must have been hoodwinked! I would never... you cannot believe such... calumnies!"

"My father is not a liar, Rhaenyra."

"Then he must have been lied to! How can he be of witness of such thing?" she said, exasperatedly.

"He was told-"

"He was told?" she asked, taking a step back. "Who would make such horrific claims towards me? I am the Princess. It is treason to question my virtue."

"I do not know what my father exactly-"

"Then how have you heard of this… topic?"

"He reported it to your father, then His Grace asked me for my counsel."

"My father summoned you to his chambers?"

Many a times.

Alicent snapped. "He summoned me because I constantly have to defend your image to him! It is me who insists to His Grace that you are a dutiful Princess, that you are fulfilling your duties as heir. I have convinced him and mine own father too numerous times that you should remain heir over your brother! I only want to help you, Rhaenyra! If these… rumours-"

"I... we went to a tavern... and we drank some wine... I wished to leave... so he went off and fucked some whore... and I returned to the Red Keep. That is all Alicent, you must believe me!" she said, much calmer than before.

"So... you did not..."

"No, not at all! I shouldn't have gone with him, but nothing of unholy nature took place… truly!"

"Truly, Rhaenyra, you are not… sullied?"

"I swear it, by the memory of mine own mother!" she said, standing in front of the heart tree.

Standing in front of the sight of the Gods.

"Rhaenyra… I should have... not... we must have been misled. But you should not have put yourself in this position in the first place! Your father and my father have worked tirelessly to find you a husband, should it all be ruined..."

"I know that Alicent, I… regret even going out that night, it was foolish of me to."

Alicent took a deep breath. "I... am... sorry, Rhaenyra... I should not have even questioned your virtue... I shall... tell your father... of your innocence."

"Thank you, sister, for your understanding." Rhaenyra said, with a small smile on her face.

I sincerely hope you tell the truth, Rhaenyra, and I hope even more that your father believes you.

Later that afternoon, she went to the King's bedchambers.

I remember when I used to visit the King every night.

It was so long since then, when she went to comfort His Grace and talk to him about his strange model of Valyria. Even though Alicent did not do anything… perverse with the King, she still did not enjoy visiting him. It made her feel... dirty afterwards, being alone with King every night.

What if he missed his old wife's company so much one of those nights?

And that was not mentioning that the King was so much older than Alicent was. Marrying a man the same age as her father made her shudder.

"The Lady Alicent Hightower." Announced Ser Rickard Thorne, the Kingsguard posted outside of the door.

"Enter." King Viserys replied, and Alicent did.

Inside, he was looking over King's Landing with a pitcher of wine in his hand.

"Have... you... spoken with Rhaenyra yet, Y-Your Grace?"

"No, Alicent. Neither have I with my brother. What did my daughter say of... it?" he asked, laughing nervously.

"S-She admitted to going out... with Prince Daemon last night, b-but there was n-no... nothing of the..."

"The rumours are false, then?"

"Y-Yes, she swore t-that she is still... untarnished."

"And you believe her?"

She swore to me, who would be so brazen to lie in front of a heart tree?

"Whatever happened, it is not in Rhaenyra's nature to be... deceitful. Yes, Y-Your Grace, do forgive me, but Prince Daemon may not have had... pleasant intentions, b-but I can vouch for Rhaenyra's… innocence."

The King, stood there for a moment, contemplating Alicent's words. He stood silent for a minute, watching the city of King's Landing bathe under the afternoon sun.

The same city that your daughter was gallivanting around in last night.

He took a long swig of the wine. "If... I... you do believe in her innocence... and she swore that she was… it seems… there must have been... a misunderstanding. Thank you for your time Alicent. You may take your leave."

Alicent left the King's chambers.

I sure do hope the King believes in Rhaenyra's innocence. Because I scarcely do myself.