Otto had been reviewing documents when a servant came into his chamber and told him that his daughter was barren. It had been confirmed by the Keep's Chief Midwife and Grand Maester Mellos, Otto's dear friend and accomplis. Upon hearing this, Otto burst into a rage! Eighteen months without bleeding and this is the first time he's heard about it!? How dare his daughter keep such a thing from him.
Otto knew his plans were in peril if he couldn't figure out something and fast but what could he do if his daughter literally could not birth a child? Surely the Citadel had some way to reactivate a womb that had gone dry? Oh, he had to keep the news from reaching Viserys, and quickly. The rumors of all the plots against House Targaryen had been gaining strength and soon the King would have to confront them unless Otto and Alicent managed to stop them. If Alicent had fallen pregnant, then they could have used that to at least buy them some time but now, only a miracle seemed to be able to save them.
Before Otto could summon Mellos to inquire about ways that could be used to return fertility to the barren, he heard a great commotion in the halls.
One of the first things Otto was to discover made him pale. Alicent had confessed before a large crowd that they, the Maesters and the Faith had been working for generations to bring down the dragons.
Otto knew that this time there was no hiding it, the King would know the truth and soon. He could not believe that his daughter could be so stupid and publicly announced that, especially right outside the Great Sept where so many people, commoners and nobles alike, went to worship and pray. Alicent had all but signed their death warrants.
Trying to hide his panic and ignoring all else, Otto stormed through the Red Keep to his daughter's apartments.
"GET OUT OF MY WAY! I MUST SPEAK TO MY DAUGHTER!" Otto roared at the servants, nobles and guards that congregated in front of the Queen's chambers.
Once he entered, he quickly took note of blood stained rags and Grand Maester Mellos' presence in the chamber.
"Lord Otto," Mellos began, "the Queen was stabbed in the womb outside the Great Sept six times by an unknown assailant whose identity has yet to be discovered. I'm afraid that the damage to her womb is too severe for her to ever recover from it. There is no chance it will ever quicken again. I was just about to send a servant to inform you of this."
"My daughter got herself stabbed because she ran her mouth. She PUBLICLY admitted to our conspiracy to destroy House Targaryen and apparently admitted to her part in the ruin of Viserys' daughter and that she tried to murder said daughter and daughter's family while in Mercia. She did this to herself, however, we may just be able to spin this in a way that saves us."
"Lord, if the King and Council get wind of her confession, how are we going to be able to use it to save us?"
"Alicent is nothing but a stupid, weak woman prone to hysterics and over exaggerations. Plus, she is a very devoted member of the Faith. There's no way that she could commit such crimes nor would any man entrust such knowledge to a mere female even if there was such a conspiracy. The crowd grew angry over mere rumors started by the angry Velaryons before they fled the Realm due to their long standing hatred and jealousy of the power House Hightower and Old Town have. Power they've always wanted but could never have."
"I pray that it will be enough, my Lord or otherwise we may all meet the executioner's ax."
Even as the drama was unfolding in the Queen's chamber, Viserys was starting to list houses that he knew had unmarried daughters between the ages of 10-25 as well as which Lord's whose wives he knew were between the ages of 15-30. Perhaps once all of his lovely ladies arrived in court, he could insist that they all dress in beautiful gowns and jewels the colors of fresh flowers. Yes, these ladies would be his flowers. He would have a court of flowers.
It took two days before Mellos informed Otto that Alicent had recovered enough for Otto to speak to her.
"You STUPID girl! It is a miracle that we haven't already met with the executioner's ax or the hangman's noose. Your outburst outside of the Great Sept may STILL DOOM US ALL! Mellos and I are trying to play up the stupidity of your sex and your devotion to the Faith but its possible that it still won't be enough. Even with word of your injury spreading throughout the court, the rumors are growing deafening about your own words that You spoke, outside the Great Sept before an enormous crowd of nobles and commoners. I don't know if there is a way to fix this. YOU ARE A HIDEOUS MONSTROSITY! YOUR BEAUTY HAS BEEN RUINED! YOUR CURSED WOMB HAS BEEN RUINED! WHAT WORTH DO YOU ACTUALLY HAVE?! WHAT GOOD HAVE YOU EVER DONE WITH THE TITLE AND STATUS I WORKED SO HARD TO GET FOR YOU?! YOU MAY HAVE JUST RUINED EVERYTHING!"
Alicent cried, "But Father, its not my fault. Its Rhaenyra's fault. She cursed me Father. She's the reason why I have not been able to bring a healthy child to term. My courses became irregular right after my marriage to the King was announced which I know displeased Rhaenyra greatly. She must have placed a curse on me then. My last moon blood came the moon before Lord Corlys announced that Rhaenyra was alive and had delivered ten healthy children to her heathen bastard. We have to find a way to break the curse Father and when we do, we will be saved! Please, send assassin's to Mercia, hire the Faceless men, do whatever it takes to kill her and her children and end whatever dark magics she's used against me!"
"Even if we knew it was a curse caused by Rhaenyra, it WOULD NOT FIX your womb. Your words caused you to be STABBED SIX TIMES in the womb which will prevent you from ever being able to carry a child. Your pride and desire to see Rhaenyra suffer and die in Mercia led to your capture there and have caused you to lose your eyes, hands and be burned. Honestly I should hold a pillow over your face until you stop breathing and be all the better for it. If your words and deeds do lead to our destruction, my daughter, then I will no longer claim you and will curse your very soul to the deepest regions of the Seven Hells for eternity. Pray to the Seven that the Gods' will protect us and that the other Councilors are not able to make the King take action against us."
Otto's harsh words made Alicent sob and cry ugly tears from her empty eyes.
"I will Father! I have been Father! Why haven't the Gods' been answering and protecting us Father?"
"I think you still hold some fondness for Rhaenyra, Aemma and Laena in your deepest heart and the Gods' are judging you for that. They also know about your youthful admiration and desire for Daemon. You know all of them are sin made flesh and so the Gods' are punishing you for having any feelings for them beyond that of pure hatred and disgust. If we fall, it will be all your fault!"
With that said, Otto stormed out of Alicent's chambers to try to do whatever damage control that he could.