Chapter 4

Alicents POV

Earlier in the week it got really late after having tea with the Queen and Princess, we talked about what excites us, the queen told us about how nervous she was before her wedding in order to help Taena after she confessed how nervous she has been since she knew she would marry the King, Taena is only five and twenty, 20 years younger than the King but only 10 years younger than the queen, it must be why they seem to really be enjoying each other's company, The queen also mention how great it is to have Taena and I here to have other women to talk to aside from the maids, she said the maids always agree with her on everything and it can get boring after a while, like either I or Taena would ever disagree with her.

The Wedding is in a week, so the queen and Taena haven been meeting early every day and spending most of the day doing wedding things, I've hardly seen them, I've spent my time embroidering the initials of everyone at the wedding table on napkins, it was my idea to do it, the queen insisted the maids could do it instead but I've always enjoyed it, its relaxing. While I'm relaxing in the warm water before bathing because I will be going through dress fitting most of the day, the dresses will only be used at the wedding and they will be made to fit our bodies perfectly, Taena will wear white as is custom but the wedding cape is the traditional black with the Red Targaryen sigil on it, just like it was in Rhaenyras dress but this one doesn't have her initials perfectly embroidered.

Rhaenyra, for some reason I cant stop thinking about her, she was nice enough to walk me to my room after the tea with the queen, not without mentioning, I said I would get lost soon, which I found very nice, she didn't had to, she could've easily sent a servant to take me but she did it herself, I don't know why I feel this way about her I've only felt something similar once, and it was for someone I knew for years not a girl I met for the first time a week ago.

Back home my friend Aleah, we were only 11 when we realized. She and I were really close we had known each other since little and we became really good friends but eventually we both started having weird feelings for each other, she left HighTower a year and a half ago because her father was moved, so she naturally had to go with him, like me, she had lost her mother to an illness when she was little so it was only her and her dad, wherever he went she did too.

The only person that knows about this is Ashten and only because when she left I was crying for days, then one day he decided to ask me what was wrong , I told him how I felt about her and explained nothing ever happened between us but we both knew we liked each other in a 'more than friends' way. The only place I've heard about this not being seen as an abomination is Dorne, and only because I read it in one of fathers books, I knew not to ask anyone about it, Ashten told me to not tell anyone else and forget about it or I would be in trouble, and now I find myself having these weird feelings about the princess, and the fact that she is so pleasant to look at doesn't help at all.

I did what Ashten told me and never talked about it again, I just acted like it never happened perhaps when would I ever see Aleah again even if she came back to HighTower, im in Kings Landing now and I don't think I'm leaving anytime soon, I'm sure the princess doesn't have these kind of thoughts for other girls, sometimes I wonder if any other girl ever had them besides me, it makes me feel weird like I'm defective, girls my age are already excited about having suitors and getting married but not me, in more than one occasion I wished the knights in the romantic novels I read were ladies and not knights, but that's only for me to know.

As I'm putting on my underclothes for fittings behind the dressing curtains, a maid comes in with a message for me, its in a perfectly cut out card so I know it must be from one of the royals, is not until she hands It to me that I realize its from Rhaenyra, it has just like her mothers card, her initials on the bottom right corner, perfectly traced RT, except hers has a tiny Targaryen sigil next to it.

"Since dress fitting isn't my favorite thing to do, I was wondering if you would like to come so we can go through it together. I'm sure you love these things, let the maid know so she can bring everything they need to my room, Mother and Taena went out earlier to see some jeweler so it would only be us" as I finish reading this I cant help the warm feeling growing in the pit of my belly, if she wants to spend time with me that can only mean she didn't dislike me, I'm sure she doesn't like me as I like her but I would really like to be friends with her and know all there is to know about Rhaenyra.

Rhaenyra POV

I just invited Alicent to come do dress fitting with me, I would've preferred going to her room myself to invite her but my maid insisted that wasn't necessary and she sent her sister instead with one of my cards, I hope eventually we don't need to have all of these people in between if we wish to do something, its unnecessary since she's living here.

While I wait for her response it gives me time to think.

Alicent has been nice, having someone my age around its definitely a good thing, mother is really welcoming Taena meaning she's been busy with her and I'm trying to do the same with Alicent, she seems like a sweet girl, a little shy but maybe with time she will open up. I haven't seen her much, only during meals, the last week she's been embroidering some napkins for the wedding and I've spend a lot of my time with syrax, we definitely are different but some times different is good and we are making progress, she's able to look at me while talking most of the time now.

A few minutes later she's walking in my room with the maid I sent next to her and her own maid behind with her hands full, I notice Alicent is carrying some of the stuff too so I go to help her "thank you, but its fine nothing is heavy" she says trying to move her hands away from me "nonsense, let me help you" before we start getting measured, I offer her a cup of tea, this one is one of my favorites I've had it since I was little and I'm hoping she likes it too.

"what is this? it tastes amazing" she says as she's adding more sugar to it, too much if you ask me but that's her cup and I'm guessing she likes it very sweet.

"it's a mixture of different herbs, mother used to make it for me when I was little", I say as I watch her clearly enjoy her very sweet tea.

"Mmmm, I could get used to this princess treatment" I cant help the smile that comes to my face, princess treatment? Its just tea.

"its hardly princess treatment , its just tea, that I'm glad you like, I wasn't sure what you like to drink so I went with what I like and hoped for the best" I say with a questioning look.

"well you nailed it, I love tea" she says as the maids are calling us to get to our spots to start fittings.

We have been measured every way possible already and we are almost done, we've been talking most of the time, and Alicent even told a joke, I'm sure the maids are tired of us, but it has been really nice. We decided to have dinner in my room or rather I decided and Alicent agreed.

While Dinner is being served we both change into some sleeping clothes, I made Alicent borrow some of mine, which was not an easy job, I had to say that I would be offended if she didn't take them because she kept saying the fabrics were too soft and she didn't want to damage them, sleeping clothes, she didn't want to damage sleeping clothes, how can she be so considerate, when she says things like those I want to give her all of the nice things.

"See, it looks like you were born to wear them" I say as she finishes changing, and I'm not lying Alicent is pretty, but not only that, she has a certain Prescence to her, warm and welcoming, it makes me want to keep spending time with her, after all she seems to start seeing the Rhaenyra behind the title, with her it seems like I can be me, she's still a little nervous around me but only at the beginning of conversations once we start talking she gets better.

"How are you feeling about the wedding?" she asks as we both sit down to have dinner.

"About the celebration? Of the idea of my father remarrying?" I say without thinking and she notices "I'm sorry I didn't mean to offend you or Taena" I say with an apologetic smile in my face.

"Both, if you want to talk about it and I'm not offended, Im not sure how I would feel if I was in your place" she says while giving me a pretty smile.

"Well, I know mother is fine with it, its all to keep her in good health anyways, but we can talk about that another day, I think she likes having Taena around I haven't seen her this excited to plan anything in a while, she loves celebrations that's the only reason why I like them, I don't love the protocols we have to follow during them, they just take time away from the celebration and I like seeing everyone enjoy themselves" I notice she stopped eating when I started talking , giving me her full attention.

"I haven't seen you follow any of those protocols but I'm sure you are great at them and everyone probably likes watching you do them" she says finally eating again.

"You almost sounded mad there" I say pointing out the obvious, even her tone changed.

"Mad? No I couldn't be mad at you, what are these protocols you have to follow?" she asks

"Believe me Alicent, you could be mad at me, I'm not as nice as you and it many protocols, the one I like the least is shaking hands with all of the lords, some are fine but some of them look at me in a way that makes my skin itch, I don't think I've ever told anyone that before" again talking without thinking, I'm usually not this bad I'm actually great at thinking before speaking but with her its different I don't feel like I have to act or talk a certain way.

"You don't have to worry, I wouldn't tell anyone, but I get it, sometimes when father had lords or knights over, I also felt those kind of looks, I could get away from them by going into my room, I'm sorry you have to deal with them I really am" she says grabbing my hand in a comforting way, which gives me a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach, one I've never felt before.

"Lets go i will walk you to your chambers, i wouldn't want you to get lost in my huge castle" i say jokingly standing up without letting her hand go, but she does when she stands up.

We are walking to her chambers, no one knows the Castle better than me, maybe only father, so I will be fine walking back to my room alone after.

"Thank you for coming to do the fittings with me, I usually don't like the process I find It really tedious but today I actually enjoyed it, thanks to you" She really made it better, usually by the end of fittings I have a huge headache but not today.

"Princess, it was my pleasure to bless your day with my prescence" she says while bowing.

"Look at you, where is the girl that couldn't stop looking at the floor?" I say with as I raise my eyebrows.

"im sorry I was just….i didn't…." she starts apologizing and I cut her off before she thinks im serious.

"I was just joking, I like this girl better anyways" I say as I turn around to leave with a smile in my face, I do like this version of her.