Til the walls did crumble and fall - Viserys II
"Evil tongues have always said that King Viserys I was controlled by his drinking and his thirst for tournaments, I say he was controlled by women, especially those with strong tempers and pretty faces, or those who didn't like him very much."
- Mushroom, after King Viserys I's marriage to Queen Alicent
Lady Alicent is positively stunning on her wedding day.
In a white dress that hugs her waist, and a crown that mimics a thousand suns, dark curly hair down her back and earrings that look like a hoop in her ear, Alicent looks radiant, even if her expression is cold and her smile a little stretched.
She walks the halls of Red Keep as if she belongs there, looking like the maiden reborn, a ray of sunlight hits her face and her crown of thorns shines, she looks dazzling, as if tiny diamonds float on her skin.
Viserys is positively enchanted, she's pretty, kind, a little rough, too sincere, and her glares are more terrifying than his grandfather's were when he and Daemon went down to the Street of Silk.
Strangest of all, she enters alone, without her maiden's cloak around her shoulders, without her father at her side, Lord Otto's face contorted in fury as he looks at his only daughter, and Viserys can only wonder what has conspired between them.
Another shouting match, probably.
She enters, confident, as if she doesn't hear the scandalized whispers of Lords who see two breaches of tradition in one wedding, well, Viserys thinks, at least she's wearing white.
Lady Alicent stands in front of the statue of the Mother and Father, right where Viserys and the Septon - whose face is an interesting shade of purple - are standing, she glares at him with hard eyes, looking ready for battle.
The Septon clears his throat, as if he had swallowed a frog, and then begins his sermon about the Seven, Viserys has heard thousands of them, first as a Prince, then as a King.
The lore is so boring, they say the vows, invoke the blessings, exchange seven promises over the eyes of the gods and it's all so dull and boring, he can't help wanting a Valyrian wedding where all it took was one priest, fire and blood, just as the words of his house say.
On the other hand, Viserys is not worthy of it, he was married in a Valyrian marriage to Aemma, who barely reached his chin and looked at him with lilac eyes so fierce and her mouth twisted in stubbornness and Daemon was on her side and the two of them together have always been a force of nature.
He wed Aemma, in a Valyrian marriage, on the promise of protection and love, of joy and sorrow, of health and sickness, of fire and blood, and look where that got them, a dead wife, a baby who can't even breathe and a marriage to his wife's mistress.
Again, Viserys wonders what would have happened if Baelon was alive and if Aemma was a whole woman again and not just a bunch of memories that are fading from him day by day.
He doesn't want to think about the past, but he can't stop thinking about it either. Aemma has been such a big part of his life that living without her feels like being stabbed in the stomach.
— Does anyone have anything to say against this marriage? — the septon asks and Viserys wants to laugh when he hears the phrase.
No, there is no one who has a grudge against this marriage, even if Rhaenys has a grudge, no one would be stupid enough to antagonize the King, he thinks, letting out a weary sigh.
He's tired of staying here, worshiping the Seven, lighting candles and calling down blessings on gods he tolerates because he doesn't want to be another Maegor.
But Viserys is also tired of praying to the Valyrian gods for answers that never come, he's tired of keeping faith with gods that don't answer, and he's tired of begging for blessings that are really curses.
— With this kiss I pledge my love… — Viserys whispers, lightly kissing Lady Alicent's lips, she has full, soft lips and Viserys wants to kiss her again. — And take you for my lady and wife.
It's done, the Lords are clapping and Rhaenyra looks so happy Viserys doesn't know what to feel, even when she sees Daemon with a possessive hand on her shoulder.
They head to the wedding feast shortly after, the cake is filled with nightingales and Viserys can only think that at his first wedding, the cake had small sparrows that flapped their wings so fast and Aemma was delighted.
Viserys talks to so many people that his tongue seems to fall out of his mouth.
— You chose well, brother. — Daemon whispers, holding a glass of wine, eyes locked on the shape of his new wife, or Rhaenyra, Viserys never knows with Daemon. — Aemma would have liked her, I think more than you would know.
— She liked her. — Viserys replies, a little damp with emotion, it is apparent that everyone know that Lady Alicent was the Queen's lover before him.
He looks at Alicent, for the fourth time, she is dancing with Rhaenyra, the two of them twirling around the hall in time with the music, his little girl has a face so openly happy Viserys's heart aches, his wife too, she looks the picture of happiness, laughing eyes, disheveled hair and cheeks flushed with laughter.
Tonight alone, she danced with Rhaenyra, twice with each of her four brothers, with Daemon and with Viserys himself, she even pulled her dress up over her ankles, showing off her small feet in white slippers and Viserys had to take a drink to keep himself from laughing at Lady Tyrell who nearly fainted.
And then there are those annoying taps a fork makes when connecting with a goblet and Viserys is a little irritated, his wedding party looking so much fun he could have sworn he saw Uthon Hightower in excited conversation with Rhaenys, who looked openly interested.
— My King, my Queen. — Otto Hightower begins, and Viserys hides an eye roll, Otto as usual, being the straight-laced one, the follower of tradition, and the first to stress the importance of duty and honor. — Time for the bedding.
From there it's madness, Viserys doesn't pay much attention to the whispers of the court, but he listens to the people he wants to hear, and he knows that many of those people wouldn't pass up an opportunity to see Lady Alicent naked.
He is led down a long corridor of women and some even slap his ass, some rip his shirt and one is bold enough to pull his smallclothes down and to be honest Viserys is a little embarrassed, even if a little flattered.
Viserys is delivered to his quarters with nothing but the remnants of his smallclothes.
Lady Alicent enters through another door, surprisingly, the only thing missing from her outfit is her cloak and one of her shoes and Viserys is gaping little because he wants to know but at the same time he doesn't.
She smiles at him, cheeks flushed and dark eyes almost black, as if she's drunk on the night.
Alicent removes the crown of thorns from her head, leaving her curls even messier, then she opens one of the bureau drawers and pulls out a bottle of Dornish wine, followed by a small flask of oil.
— I thought we could have a toast. — Lady Alicent says, sitting slumped in the armchair in the room, Viserys wants to ask for who, if it's just the two of them in the room. For Queen Aemma.
And Viserys is… he doesn't even know how he is, he just knows that it hurts, because one day, many years ago it was he and Aemma in these very rooms, locked in a passion so fiery that their first child would come nine moons later.
— The late Queen Aemma, and may she find peace wherever she is. — says Lady Alicent, lifting her bottle of wine, her voice thick, dull with emotion and Viserys understands her, even nearly two and a half years after Aemma's death, it still hurts, and as it hurts, Viserys doesn't think he'll ever have the words for it, to describe this pain.
Viserys doesn't think he loves Lady Alicent, but they both loved Aemma enough to remember her even in death.
Maybe it's enough for the two to love each other, even if it's to honor Aemma's memory.