King's Landing, The Red Keep - 128 AC
I felt like shit. The last fortnight had been rough, a whirlwind of chaos and anxiety. The attempt on my nephew Orys' life had thrown the castle into an uproar, and I had been at the heart of the investigation alongside Lord Borros, trying to piece together how the assailants had managed to get so close to the royal nursery. The truth was more insidious than I had imagined: House Baratheon's maester had been a spy for the Hightowers, working to disrupt relations between the Baratheons and the Targaryens.
The maester's primary tactic had been to exploit Borros' illiteracy, manipulating him by feeding him lies and misinformation. He had nearly succeeded in swaying the trade treaty between the Reach and the Stormlands in favor of the Reach. However, he had underestimated Princess Rhaenys' influence. Taking her advice, Borros had learned his letters, reducing his reliance on the maester. This had forced the Hightowers to act more boldly, ordering the maester to smuggle Ser Myles and Ser Bryndon Hightower into the royal nursery.
Borros had been enraged when the plot was uncovered, killing the maester himself. Thankfully, I had managed to gather enough evidence to condemn House Hightower as a whole. I then sent Laenor on Seasmoke to bring back Lord Hobert's sons for questioning. They might have something planned on their own, as it was clear that no one in House Hightower was working together. What a mess! Otto wanting to crown Aemond and Hobert wanting to commit kinslaying. But amidst all the tension and bloodshed, I had promised to keep Aegon in the loop about the investigation, and I was determined to fulfill that promise.
As I searched for Aegon, I stumbled upon a scene that almost made me laugh despite the grim circumstances. All of my siblings were together, their bickering more entertaining than any play in Westeros.
Aegon was at the center, his voice booming. "Let's be clear, the Great Sept is mine. YOU KNIGHT…make sure Alicent watches! Even if you need to drag her by the hair all the way from King's Landing to Old Town!"
Helaena, with her usual calm, chimed in. "Since Dreamfyre is the biggest, I will take the tower then."
Aemond protested immediately, with a pout that was too adorable for his bloodthirsty words. "What are me and Arrax going to burn?!"
Daeron, the peacemaker, sighed. "Can we not fight, please? We can empty the Citadel from anything of worth and then you can burn the building, and I'll take the rest of the city."
Helaena was growing impatient. "Can we move on, please? I do not want to be away from my nephew for too long."
Daeron and Aemond echoed her sentiment, both exasperated. "You are not the only one."
Aegon, never one to be left out of the banter, retorted, "So fucking weird…."
Aemond glared at him. "What do you mean?! Between us, you're the only one without a nephew or niece."
Aegon shrugged, his usual nonchalance masking deeper feelings. "Even if I wanted one (and I fucking don't!) they are all spoken for. I could spend some time with them if you want…"
Instantly, his siblings rounded on him, their protectiveness flaring up. "TOUCH MY NEPHEW/NIECE AND I WILL FUCKING BURN YOU, AEGON!"
Aegon threw his hands up in mock surrender. "These damn Targaryens. Move on and stop with this bullshit, we have a city to burn!"
I couldn't help but smile at their antics. I could practically imagine Daemon turning to Otto and Alicent with a cruel grin, as he taunted the Hightowers: "Having you leech around was actually worth it! You gave me the opportunity to see your own blood destroy your wretched house and city!" It was tempting, incredibly tempting, to just let my siblings go and burn Old Town to the ground. But I knew that such a bloodbath would only reignite the Faith Militant and make the rest of the lords and ladies of Westeros wary of House Targaryen. We needed to be strategic, not impulsive.
So, despite the seething anger and the thirst for vengeance that simmered within me, I tried my best to quell my siblings' bloodlust. I needed to remind them that there were other ways to cut down the head of the snake without turning all of Westeros against us. My voice was steady, but my heart pounded with the effort of maintaining control, as I made my presence known.
"Aegon, Helaena, Aemond, Daeron," I began, meeting each of their gazes in turn. "I understand your anger. I share it. But we need to think beyond our immediate desire for revenge. If we unleash our dragons on Old Town, we will only make enemies of the realm. We cannot afford to alienate the other houses."
Aegon looked like he was about to argue, his hands clenched into fists. "They tried to kill my son," he said, his voice trembling with barely contained fury. "How can you ask me to hold back?"
I stepped closer to him, placing a hand on his arm. "I know, Aegon. And they will pay for what they've done. But not like this. We need to be smarter. We need to strike in a way that ensures our enemies are defeated without turning the realm against us."
Helaena, usually the calm and composed one, had tears in her eyes. "What if they come after us again? After the future children of House Targaryen?"
Her fear was palpable, and it echoed my own deepest worries. "We will protect our children, Helena. We will make sure they are safe. But we must also ensure that our actions do not provoke further attacks. If we act rashly, we risk everything."
Aemond, always the most hot-headed, seemed to struggle the most with this. He looked away, his jaw clenched. "So, what do we do? Just sit here and wait for them to try again?"
I shook my head. "No. We will move against them, but in a way that cripples their power without making us look like tyrants. We have the evidence against House Hightower. We will expose their treachery to the realm and let the other houses see them for what they truly are. And we will make sure that those responsible are brought to justice."
Daeron, the youngest, looked at me with a mixture of hope and doubt. "You really think that will work?"
I took a deep breath, steadying myself. "It has to. We have to be better than they are. Stronger, smarter. We are Targaryens. We are meant to rule, not destroy."
There was a long silence as my words sank in. I could see the conflict in their eyes, the struggle between their desire for immediate vengeance and the understanding that I was right. Finally, Aegon nodded, a reluctant acceptance in his gaze. "Fine. We do it your way. But if they come after us again…"
"If they come after us again," I interrupted, my voice firm, "we will be ready. And they will regret it."
One by one, my siblings nodded in agreement, though none of them looked particularly happy about it. It was a small victory, but it was a victory, nonetheless. We had a plan, and we would follow it. House Hightower would fall, and we would ensure that House Targaryen remained strong and respected.
As I looked around at my family, I felt a surge of determination. We were united in this, despite our differences. And together, we would overcome any threat that came our way.
I sighed deeply and left the room, feeling somewhat calmer knowing that my siblings wouldn't be going on a killing spree anytime soon. I walked to the queen's chamber, the corridor feeling longer and heavier with each step. The Golden Cloaks, loyal only to me, stood stoically at the door. I nodded at them, and they silently opened the door, revealing the dim, chaotic interior of the room.
The once-grand room was a mess, with shattered vases and scattered clothes lying around. The heavy curtains were drawn tightly, blocking out any hint of daylight, leaving the room in a dreary gloom. The sight that met my eyes was heartbreaking. Proud and righteous Alicent was gone, replaced by a disheveled, broken woman. Her dress was torn, her hair a tangled mess, her face streaked with dried tears, and her hands… her hands were red and raw, cuticles torn from incessant picking.
When had the sweet Ali who used to tend to me and dream of a simple life with a knight disappeared? I hadn't realized how deeply she had fallen into the dark pit of Westerosi politics until it was too late. It had almost consumed me as well. It took years and the unwavering support of House Velaryon to make me see that I was turning into a monster unworthy of the throne. Watching my siblings be a true family with my children had been a wake-up call. I had to do better. Otherwise, I would end up like Alicent, a shell of her former self.
Alicent had been like this since she found out that her uncle had tried to kill Orys. The shock had broken her. We had to dose her with milk of the poppy to stop her from doing something reckless. I sighed and sat down on the floor before her. She was so still, as if she had turned into a broken doll. Despite all the years of hurt and betrayal, I couldn't stop loving her, my Ali, my childhood friend.
I told her about the trial against House Hightower, set to happen in three days. The king had given me regency to oversee the matter, even if he had been mostly dosed in milk of the poppy to know what he was consenting to. I assured Alicent that she wouldn't be held accountable for the sins of her house. But Alicent didn't react. She didn't even blink. My words seemed to bounce off her like they meant nothing.
Sighing, I got up and walked to the door. But then I heard it, a hoarse, barely audible voice. "Sorry…" she said, before breaking into heart-wrenching sobs.
I hesitated, my hand hovering over the door handle. Every instinct told me to turn around, to comfort my old friend. But in the end, I left the room, leaving Alicent alone with her grief. It was too little, too late. As I left the room, Alicent's sobs echoed in my ears, pulling at the strings of my heart. Each step away felt heavier than the last, my mind swirling with memories of the girl she used to be.
I could almost see us, two young girls, running through the halls of the Red Keep, our laughter ringing out like a melody. Back then, Alicent had been full of life and dreams, her eyes sparkling with hope and innocence. We would spend hours in the gardens, whispering secrets and planning futures that seemed so simple and bright. She had always been the gentler of us, her kindness and warmth a balm to my fiery spirit.
I remembered the nights we'd stay up late, talking about our hopes and fears. Alicent used to brush my hair, her touch light and soothing, as we confided in each other about our dreams of love and adventure. She dreamed of marrying a knight, someone brave and honorable, who would love her for who she was, not for what she could bring him. I dreamed of traveling through Essos with Syrax, someone who would make my ancestors proud.
When did it all change? When did the laughter turn into silence, and the dreams into nightmares? The first fracture had been my father's remarriage. I was hurt and angry, feeling replaced and forgotten. Alicent, too, was caught in a web of her making. She tried to reach out to me, but my pride and anger had built walls between us. I pushed her away, blaming her for things even beyond her control.
Then came the demands of court, the whispers and machinations that slowly poisoned our hearts. I saw her less as a friend and more as a rival, someone to outmaneuver and outthink. The world of Westerosi politics is a harsh teacher, stripping away naivety and replacing it with suspicion and strategy. The Alicent I saw now, broken and lost, was a product of that world, as much as I was.
Alicent's trying to usurp me was the final blow. Our friendship, once unbreakable, shattered into pieces. We became strangers, bound by duty and torn apart by ambition. I had my own children to worry about, and she had hers. Our paths, once so intertwined, diverged completely.
Walking through the darkened corridors of the Red Keep now, I could still feel the ghost of her hand in mine, a reminder of simpler times. But those days were gone, replaced by the harsh reality of power and politics. Seeing her in such a state, I couldn't help but wonder if things could have been different. Could we have found a way to hold onto our friendship amidst the chaos? Or were we always destined to become enemies in this game of thrones?
I had to believe that I could be better, that I could learn from the mistakes that had torn us apart. For the sake of my children, for the realm, I had to be strong. But as much as I tried to harden my heart, the memory of Alicent's tears lingered.
When I finally reached the end of the corridor, I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself. The weight of the crown was heavy, and the responsibilities that came with it were even heavier. But I couldn't let myself be consumed by regret. The realm needed a ruler, not a mourner.
Turning a corner, I saw my beloved Harwin waiting for me, his expression a mix of concern and determination. He had been my rock through so much and seeing him reminded me that I wasn't alone in this. Together, we would face whatever came next, and I would do my best to be the queen my father had always believed I could be.
But deep down, in the quiet corners of my heart, I would always carry the memory of Alicent Hightower. The girl who had once been my closest friend, and who had become a casualty of the relentless pursuit of power.
