The maid with honey - Viserys I
“King Viserys I was the man who ruled the realm, Queen Alicent was the woman who ruled the King.”
- Maester Pycelle to Prince Jaehaerys “Jon” Targaryen in 291 AC
Every noble lady in the Kingdom wanted to marry the king.
Viserys learned this at a young age, even before he knew he would be king, it was a lesson his parents pressed into his head and let it prevail, being a prince was a tricky thing, people wanted the title, not the person behind it.
Apparently, his parents were wrong, because not all the ladies in the realm wanted to be with the king, well, Viserys thought, perhaps Lady Alicent would prefer to marry the Queen, but that was a topic for another time.
If to be honest, Viserys would rather not marry again, he has an heiress, the kingdom is peaceful, and if to be honest, Rhaenyra won't take over the kingdom until after his death, so all the problems the lords will have with a woman on the throne will belong entirely to his little girl.
He doesn't think there is a woman as good as his beautiful Aemma, or as sweet and kind and caring, there really isn't a woman who is as good as Aemma anywhere in all the seven kingdoms, but then Rhaenyra was asking so kindly if he was going to marry muna's mistress and he couldn't think of saying no - even though now Aemma is dead and Lady Alicent looks at him as if he were a very fat cucumber.
Considering that all of Aemma's other ladies-in-waiting had not hesitated to try to enter his chambers less than two moons after Aemma was burned, Viserys didn't think he would have any difficulty convincing a noble lady to marry him.
Apparently, Lady Alicent remains a surprise, as her first response when Viserys and Otto ask, - well, not ask, because the wedding is pretty much set and all it really needs to happen is a willing bride, and Alicent isn't at all willing - it was like a snap you are kidding, right?
And then Otto has practically dragged her to his private chambers and they are in a screaming match and Viserys is pretty sure he hears shattering glass and screams of pain and endless curses and at some point, Viserys could have sworn he heard a guard scream as well.
Viserys flinches as more glass breaking is heard, followed by Otto's loud voice, and another scream of rage from Lady Alicent.
Honestly, as things went, Viserys was starting to think it best to drop the whole idea of marriage before he got married, slept with his future wife and never woke up, because that was a valid fear.
He's heard Daemon's stories and to be honest, he really liked Aemma when she was younger because she wasn't afraid to pinch him when she thought he was rude and Alicent seemed like a much rougher version of Aemma, a version that knew how to use a sword.
The door opens a few moments later and Lady Alicent comes out, she is, as she is every other day, in black riding breeches, knee-high riding boots, button-up shirt that best suits the smallfolk who sail with Corlys.
Her hair remains in this weird hairstyle that she calls a ponytail, with loose strands framing her face, her eyes are very, very angry and her mouth is twisted into a thin line of disgust.
Lady Alicent looks stunning.
Just like Aemma.
Not that it's nice to compare his maybe-wife-to-be to his late wife, but he can't help but compare them, because Aemma, sweet, kind, charitable, loving Aemma saw something in Alicent Hightower that was enough to make her have a lover right under his nose.
— So…? — he asks, not knowing how to continue this conversation, it's not something he knows what to do, to be honest, Viserys has never been rejected before and the possibility hurts his ego.
— I'm goning to marry you. — says Lady Alicent, a scowl of disgust takes over her features and Viserys feels a little hope rise in his chest, perhaps someone, after Aemma, would like him. — With conditions.
— Alicent. — says Lord Otto, and he looks scandalized, which is not unlike his normal face when talking about his only daughter, Lady Alicent looks back, her face set in pure fury, her mouth twisted in disgust and her eyes are gleaming with rage, anger.
Otto, a wise man that he is, decides to turn back down the corridor at a brisk pace that Viserys knows is more desperate running than haste.
— Walk with me. — Lady Alicent says, and starts walking at a brisk pace as well, Ser Criston - separated from Rhaenyra by a force of fate - follows behind them, keeping his distance for a sense of privacy that doesn't really exist.
— What are your conditions, my lady? — Viserys asks, and he is amused, what can she demand of the King of the Seven Kingdoms, he doesn't know, but it will be fun to deal with her.
— The first thing you're going to do after we're betrothed is start a rigorous workout session. — And isn't that the last thing he expected to come out of her mouth? — You are a fat King and I will not marry a man who will die at the wedding or…— Viserys is, for the first time in a long time, speechless, no one has ever called him fat, at least not in his face and definitely not so directly. — You won't be man enough to give me pleasure.
He is definitely gaping, behind them, Ser Criston gasps and Viserys would berate him for being rude if he wasn't gaping at his wife-to-be himself.
— Second condition, we will marry only if Rhaenyra allows it, and if she says no, there will be no marriage, no betrothal, no promises, not even the mere idea of lovers. — Viserys is still a little dazed, because she simply gave him orders as if he were a common subject. — Any objections, your grace?
— N-no. — Viserys stammers, and that isn’t shameful, Daemon would laugh it off until his stomach hurts.
— Third condition. — Lady Alicent stops her hurried walk and looks at him, eyes serious and hard. — After we're married, you have two weeks to send my father away and find a new Hand, I don't care if you have to kill him to get him back to his lair in the Reach, but he won't be a part of the small council anymore.
And that's not an interesting prospect, Aemma was, from the moment they took the Iron Throne, urging him to send Lord Otto away and he never complied, perhaps it's some kind of divine warning, and he should thank his late wife for it.
— Yes ma'am. — Viserys replies, embarrassingly, and Lady Alicent smiles, she looks about to pat him on the back and call him a good boy and isn't the idea exciting?
— Excellent. — She turns and resumes her hurried walk again, stopping a few seconds later and looking over her shoulder at him. — If Rhaenyra accepts the marriage, which I hope she won't, we will.
Viserys thinks that if any of the servants saw him now, they would send for the maester, for he is still frozen in place, mouth slightly open, a little surprised, a little shocked.
— Ser Criston, send for Rhaenyra. — orders Viserys, when he has recovered from his shock.
Rhaenyra is positively thrilled about the wedding and screams so loudly that Viserys thinks he is now deaf in one ear.