A/N
Repressed Lesbian Alicent Hightower enters the chat.
Alicent was luxuriating in the state between waking and dreaming when her father entered the king's chambers. "I apologize for the early hour, Your Grace," she heard. "I have, ah…discomforting news. I thought it best shared discreetely before the council convenes."
"The Sea Snake," her husband sighed.
"I'm afraid it concerns the Princess, my King."
Rhaenyra?Alicent thought, now wide awake. She lifted the sheets and slipped on a robe before quietly padding over to the gap in the curtains, peering at the men before her.
"Has she been harmed?" Viserys asked anxiously.
"It is no easy thing to tell a father of his daughter's exploits. I considered saying nothing, but…"
"What has she done?"
"The Princess was spied last evening, beyond the walls of the Keep…" Father trailed off.
"What of it?" Viserys asked.
What of it?Alicent thought, aghast. Rhaenyra had been sneaking out of the Keep, doing gods know what with gods know who, and the king's only response was 'What of it?'
"She was cavorting with her uncle. There are rumors that she has engaged in behaviors unbecoming of a maiden…of a Princess."
"What behaviors?" Viserys said impatiently.
"Well, must I say it, Your Grace?" Father said uncomfortably.
"You enter my bedchamber, accusing my daughter of something. Now speak it… plainly."
"The Princess was heard claiming she is…with child." Father sighed.
Alicent's blood became ice. Surely it wasn't true—Alicent would know! When Laena Velaryon had retreated to Driftmark with the rest of her kin, it was Alicent who had become Rhaenyra's chief lady-in-waiting. No matter which lady had clawed their way into the royal household, she made sure to be the first in Rhaenyra's heart, and though she was the princess's senior by six years, they had been confidants, almost sisters. There had been no secrets between them, and even with their recent estrangement, surely Rhaenyra would tell her something of such importance!
"Who is responsible for this gossip?" Her husband demanded. "Have this rumormonger brought before me at once, and I will take their eyes."
"As your Hand, I must maintain trusted sources of information." Father said reasonably. "And this one, as yet, has never led me astray. And several of the servants have now admitted to seeing her, the Princess…creeping through the gates from the Red Keep, disguised as a page during the hour of the owl."
It can't be true,Alicent thought, the chill creeping into her belly. There were a handful of serving girls from Dragonstone with the silver hair of Valyria; perhaps her father's sources had spied one of those wenches carrying on in the city! Yes, that had to be it—she would dismiss them at once for besmirching Rhaenyra's reputation and causing Alicent to doubt her.
"Are you so sick with ambition that you would have my daughter stalked?" Her husband asked dangerously. "Spied upon? Awaiting your best chance to destroy her reputation?"
"I have no such intent, Your Grace!" Father said placatingly.
"You think yourself a cunning man. Your designs are obvious. Do you wish you have your blood on the Iron Throne so badly that you are willing to destroy mine own?"
Are not my children yours?Alicent I not suffer your touch so you might have the son Aemma could not give you?
"Just get out," Viserys growled. "Leave me at once!"
Father hesitated for a moment before he bowed. "Your Grace."
"Fetch me Princess Rhaenyra," she ordered her maid as she slipped on her earrings, a wedding gift from Gwayne. "Bring her to the Godswood."
"At once, Your Grace." The maid bowed.
I shall get to the bottom of this at once,Alicent thought as she strode to the Godswood. She doubted the rumors were true, for Rhaenyra didn't carry herself as a spoiled maiden, but Alicent couldn't banish the thought of the princess lured to the bed of a handsome River-lord or bearing herself to the gaze of an unworthy guard. Alicent shook her head as she picked her nails anxiously.
"Your Grace, the Princess Rhaenyra," the maid announced.
Alicent carefully observed Rhaenyra—she did not look well, but that could be many things. Perhaps her breasts seemed swollen, but that could easily signal the arrival of moonblood as it did a babe. "What happened last night?" She finally asked.
"What do you mean?"
"My father has made some worrying allegations about you. Were you with your uncle?"
Rhaenyra rolled her eyes. "Demons work fast, but Otto Hightower works faster," she muttered. And then, more loudly, "I haven't seen Daemon in years. He took me into the city for some fun."
"Tell me the whole of it, Rhaenyra!" Alicent demanded.
"Otto accused me of something. That I ate shrimp? Left the castle after dark?"
"That you're with child, and that Daemon is the father."
Rhaenyra was silent, out of shock most like. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," she said at last.
"Is it? You Targaryens do have queer customs. And Daemon certainly knows no limit."
"He's spent the last few years burning the Stepstones to a crisp!" Rhaenyra said with exasperation. "How the hell is he supposed to get me pregnant when he isn't even on the continent? You cannot believe such gossip."
"My father is no gossip!" Alicent said.
"Well, either he's been mislead, or he's an idiot," Rhaenyra scoffed. "Even if Daemon fucked me—"
"And did he?"
"I just said he didn't!" Rhaenyra cried. "For the last time, nothing happened between us!"
"So you are not with child?" Alicent asked, hope sparking within her chest.
Rhaenyra smothered it with a few words. "I didn't say that."
What.
"What?" Alicent demanded.
Alicent ordered the Grand Maester to examine Rhaenyra, and watched the procedure carefully.
"Well?" She asked, ignoring Rhaenyra's blank face as Mellos lowered her skirts. "Is it true?"
"Your Grace," he began, and fiddled with his chain as if that would get him out of answering. "It is true. The Princess is three moons gone with child, or thereabouts."
The door swung open. "His Grace, the King!" Ser Arryk—or was it Ser Erryk? Alicent could never tell the two apart—announced.
"Alicent," her husband acknowledged as he strode into the room. He waved a hand at the kingsguard, who shut the door behind him. "I recieved word that you called for me. What is it?"
"Tell him," Alicent hissed at Rhaenyra, who stared at the floor.
"Tell me what?" Viserys asked, suspicion coloring his tone. "What is the meaning of this?"
Rhaenyra kept those violet eyes lowered, no doubt shamed by her slatternly behavior. "I'm pregnant."
Viserys laughed, but the sound died off when no one joined him. "You're what?"
"Pregnant. About three moons along."
There was a moment of silence as the king stared at his daughter in horror. "How can you be with child?" He asked helplessly. Rhaenyra dragged her eyes from the ground and squared her shoulders. "I'd hope a man who wed two wives and fathered seven babes knows how children are made," she said coldly.
"You—COLE!" Viserys roared.
Ser Crison hurried into the room. "Your Grace?"
"How could you have let this happen?" He shouted gesturing at his daughter.
"My King, I don't—"
"She is—" Viserys lowered his voice. "—with child. You were to protect her virtue as well as defend her from threats! Tell me, how could my daughter be with child if you did your duty?"
"Leave him alone!" Rhaenyra burst, and everyone turned to stare at her. Her cheeks flushed at the attention, but she pressed forward. "He couldn't look after me all the time, and even the Kingsguard need to sleep."
"How could you do this?" The king asked his daughter, his face a work of heartbreak and rage. "You are my heir! You are supposed to comport yourself as a princess, not as a tavern wench!"
"You were hardly living like a septon when you were heir," Rhaenyra shot back. "Were I a man, I could comport myself however I wanted. I could father a dozen bastards, and no one in your court would blink an eye."
"But you were born a woman!" Viserys said. "Jaehaerys would have disinherited you!"
"Jaehaerys would never have made me heir in the first place, or we'd be living under the reign of Queen Rhaenys, First of Her Name."
"You—"
"Do it," Rhaenyra dared. "I know you want to. You've been dying for a male heir ever since I can remember. Strip me of my titles and name Aegon in my stead."
He should,Alicent thought venemously. The only reason Rhaenyra had been named heir was to keep Daemon away from the throne, and she should have been dismissed the moment Aegon had been born. Viserys flouted centuries of tradition and precedent for this flight of fancy, but surely this would make him see reason.
"You did this on purpose, didn't you?" Viserys asked. "You've done this to punish me."
Rhaenyra scoffed. "Have you done anything worthy of punishment, Your Grace?"
"You've had your time for rebellion. It is time to repair what you have broken."
"Nothing can repair this!" Alicent cried. "She is ruined!"
"Silence!"Viserys said harshly. He turned back to his daughter. "Your courtship is at an end. You will wed Ser Laenor Velaryon, and you will do so without protest."
Rhaenyra laughed bitterly. "You think they're going to take me like this?" She asked as she waved over her belly.
"They will know nothing of this," Viserys replied. "In the eyes of the realm, you are a maiden. I will make it so." He glanced at the Grand Maester. "Prepare some moontea."
"No."
"Yes," Viserys said. "You are my heir, Rhaenyra. The responsibility I have handed to you, the legacy we carry…It is larger than you and your desires."
"But not yours, right?" Rhaenyra snarled in a voice that promised fire and blood. "You wanted a son, and that's why you murdered my mother—"
"How dare you?"
"I dare!" Rhaenyra shouted, and she never looked more like a dragon than in this moment, clutching her stomach and spitting fire. "I dare because I have done everything to be a worthy heir, and you've done nothing but undermine me at every turn!"
"And such a worthy heir you are," Viserys said poisonously. "Even with all the dishonor Saera heaped upon her name, she didn't bear a bastard."
"No, she bore three," Rhaenyra said sarcastically. "It's good you became king, because you never would have succeeded as a historian."
"Who is the father?" Viserys demanded, ignoring the blatant insolence.
Rhaenyra remained silent.
"Who is the father?Tell me, or I'll have moontea forced down your throat."
"You do that and see what happens!" Rhaenyra shrieked. "This is my baby, and I'll raise the seven hells before I let you kill them!"
"Get out, then!" Viserys roared. "Get out of my sight and rot on Dragonstone, for all I care!"
"I will!" She roared back, savage as Syrax. "I'll have this baby, and I'll love them more than you've loved anybody! Andyou—"She spun towards Alicent. "Go mbrise an diabhal cnámh do dhroma!"With that, she flounced out of the room.
"What in the name of the gods did she say?" Ser Criston asked, stupefied.
"I believe it was the Old Tongue, and I've no idea." said Maester Mellos.
A/N
Go mbrise an diabhal cnámh do dhroma-May the Devil break your spine, or more literally, may the devil break the bone in your back.