They danced through the day and into the night - Daemon I
"Mushroom used to say that Daemon Targaryen fathered at least one of Queen Alicent's children, I think my sister took to the only friend she had in King's Landing, for our father sent all of us, the Queen's four brothers, back home and left her as isolated as he could, and however much of an ally Princess Rhaenyra was, she was still a girl of ten and one name day."
- Leyton "the Brother" Hightower, the writer of "The Queens Not Targaryen" from 145 AC
Lady Alicent had more guts on her two feet than Viserys had on his whole half-fat belly.
That was one of the main reasons why Daemon liked her, despite whose daughter she was, Lady Alicent was a pure savage on a horse, she liked swords, spoke freely, ran through the streets of Flea Bottom as if they were part of her.
Moreover, she wasn't afraid of him, which was a little strange, and unlike all the Lords of the Reach, Lady Alicent had no disgust, pity or dislike for Daemon, she said what she wanted to his face and he showed her displeasure willingly and fearlessly.
She openly contradicted him, expressed her emotions, disgusted by his mistakes and smiled when she thought Daemon was in the right, it was an unsettling feeling, it seemed like it had been so long since anyone had expressed a liking for him that it was a bit awkward when she smiled in appreciation for his dirty jokes or laughed at the disgusted faces of others.
Best of all, Lady Alicent made Aemma smile, she made his brothers' wife happy in a way Daemon hadn't seen since they were young, when Aemma's dreams were to ride to Essos and free slaves with a dragon like Balerion, honoring the family legacy with Fire and Blood.
Then Viserys happened and Aemma laughed no more and she didn't play knight and she didn't ride a horse and she didn't want a dragon, and the more babies Aemma had the grayer she seemed to grow until she was a colorless wraith in the world of red and black that Viserys lived.
And then Aemma dies, Baelon follows shortly after, Rhaenyra is crying, Viserys is a nasty drunk who wants to blame his mediocre mistakes on someone else, and Alicent looks so empty and cold that Damon wonders if it is she and not Aemma who is dead.
Not that Daemon has much voice to criticize Viserys, after all, he was the one exiled after calling Baelon “heir for a day” in front of so many people, it was dumb, said it in the heat of the moment and he can almost remember Alicent whispering that we each deal with pain differently, Viserys gets drunk, you act like an ogre.
He did not expect to return, hoping to enjoy his exile with some bad news from his brother, retrieve a gift or two for his niece, and perhaps return in a few years when Viserys was calmer.
Now, the letter that the messenger brings, inviting him to the wedding of King Viserys I and Lady Alicent Hightower is a surprise, for of course he always thought that Alicent would rather kill Viserys than sleep with him.
Apparently, Rhaenyra is still too young for Viserys to die, and isn't it interesting, how did Alicent know this information before anyone else?
Daemon wasn't stupid, he knew that Viserys would have to marry again, after all, Rhaenyra was just a girl, Otto Hightower lived in the same place as his niece, and children died all the time.
Daemon also knew that Otto Hightower would kill each of his brother's wives until Viserys was forced to wed Lady Alicent, after all, why did a lady of twenty name days remain unmarried and childless?
By all means - and Daemon knows that Viserys doesn't want him there, after he became King, every little thing that went wrong in his life was his younger brother's fault - and Daemon knows better than to go, that the invitation must have been a formality Viserys performed to keep the peace.
On the other hand, Lady Alicent is perhaps his only friend at court, and he didn't even have to sleep with her for that to happen, she is his friend entirely because she likes his bratty personality and lack of consideration of other people's lives.
So he goes back, gets his gifts for Rhaenyra, a fitting wedding present for Lady Alicent - a bottle of the best wine he's found in the free cities, because if Daemon knows his friend, and he does, Alicent won't leave the wedding feast without being totally drunk - he also gets Viserys a sack of potatoes, after all, he is still mad at his brother.
Caraxes is positively thrilled to return to the Dragonpit, not to be trapped, but to see Syrax, who is a pretty little thing and golden and so shiny that Daemon is frankly in awe. If the dragon's beauty matches that of his human, Rhaenyra, then she is going to be dazzling.
The Red Keep is teeming with people, the servants are like headless chickens, scurrying about, and Daemon swallows down the stab of hurt he feels for his brother once more, as usual, Viserys saw fit to invite him to the wedding at the last possible moment.
Most people are too distracted by the arrival of all sorts of important families to notice that Daemon is making his way into the castle and disappearing through one of Maegor's secret passageways.
He goes through his room first, still the same, with the bed perfectly made and his trinkets scattered and covered in dust, left to chance as if Daemon wasn't a prince of the realm perfectly capable of returning home.
Daemon goes back to the secret passages, at least there he doesn't have to think that Viserys is mean enough to let his room become a pigsty, as if he weren't a prince of the realm.
He makes his way to Lady Alicent's rooms, and yes, he knows what people will talk about if anyone even imagines he's in a maiden lady's room on her wedding day to the King.
Oh, how scandalous.
He waits until the voices have died down and Alicent's weary sigh is heard before opening the passage - the same passage he opened in the days after Aemma's death and his heart stopped at the thought that Viserys was dead, because he knew that Alicent would kill him, not today, and maybe not tomorrow, but one day.
— Well…— he says and Alicent looks at him from the mirror, which reflects the two of them, her face contorted into a bloodthirsty frown. — If she isn't the most beautiful bride in the Seven Kingdoms.
— If he isn't the dumbest asshole in the Seven Kingdoms. — she retorts, now smiling, Alicent turns in large strides and walks to him, hugging him tightly. — I've missed you, Daemon, terribly, you don't know how dull it is to horrify proper Lords without a partner.
— I imagine. — Daemon makes an exaggerated grimace. —Viserys got terribly bored after he became King, don't do this, Daemon, don't do that either, you're banished, Daemon. — he mutters, in a poor imitation of his brother, even so, Alicent laughs.
They are silent for a few moments, Alicent looks stunning in her white silk dress - a material Daemon always thought was reserved for nightwear - her crown of thorns makes her beautiful yet dangerous, and her earrings it's two silver bows that look heavy on her curly hair.
And yet, beautiful as she is, Alicent looks terribly sad.
— How are you? — he asks, after a few moments of silence.
— I'm marrying the man who killed the most brilliant woman I've ever known. — Alicent replies, her eyes watery, and Daemon understands the sentiment, he was never really married - forget Bronze Bitch- but he loved Alicent and she loved him when there was nothing to love. — I don't know how I'm going to look at him, I don't know how I'm going to lie in his bed and sleep next to him like he didn't kill my love, I don't know how I'm going to have sex with the man who got Aemma pregnant and then killed her when a perfect heiress was already there.
Daemon doesn't know what to say for the first time in years.
— We can take Rhaenyra, escape to Essos and sell oranges. — he proposes, half jokingly, half seriously, Daemon could never live on the run with Caraxes, it wouldn't be practical, but he'd try to keep the two of them safe for as long as he could.
— In another life, Daemon, in another life. — she says and smiles, a little shaky, a little broken.
In another life, Daemon thinks, you would be so happy with Aemma that Viserys would be a forgotten note in a love story, but he doesn't say it, because Alicent has been hurt enough, by Aemma's death, by Viserys' shabby love, and by a father who has sold her.
One of the maids knocks on the door, a quick sound that waits for Alicent's approval to enter. Daemon smiles slightly at Alicent.
— If you need to get away, — he whispers, seconds before passing through the secret passageway. - I will be waiting.
The last thing Daemon sees is Lady Alicent Hightower's shaky smile before she is strutted by more maids who pull her hair and adjust her already fitted gown.
He goes to Viserys' rooms next, following the hidden corridors he knows as the back of his hand and stopping just behind Viserys's fireplace, he hears him talking to Aemma, as if she would forgive him for being open as he was. a pig.
— Brother. — Daemon says, stepping out of the passages, Viserys gives a startled jump.
His brother hasn't changed much in the time Daemon has been exiled, he just looks a little fatter, his mustache thicker and his face rounder, otherwise Viserys is the same man he was when Aemma died.
— Daemon. — replies the brother, with a grimace of disgust. — You smell like a dragon.
Daemon resists a disgusted sigh and leans against the fireplace with a tired smile.
You can love someone, Daemon, and still not like them, Alicent whispers in his ear and Daemon thinks he finally understands, he loves Viserys, he loves his older brother with all the fervor of an admired younger brother, he loves his chuckled, his lame jokes and ridiculous fashion sense doesn't mean he necessarily likes Viserys.
And for now, that's fine.