In the year 103, King Jaehaerys Targaryen I passed peacefully in his sleep, passing the Iron Throne to his trueborn grandson, Viserys I Targaryen.
The young lords of the realm, who were born and raised in the era of peace carefully cultivated by the Old King, were glad of his passing. There had been no tourneys, no feasts, no public celebrations for the high or low born since the untimely passing of Princess Gael. The choking air of grief and mourning in the royal court was cleared with the arrival of the new king and his doting queen. Viserys was young and handsome enough, but it was Aemma and their cheerful daughter Princess Rhaenyra who truly revived the royal court of King’s Landing.
Riding a wave of youthful optimism about ‘fresh starts for the realm’ and ‘setting forth to start his own legacy’, King Viserys dismissed Otto Hightower from his position of Hand of the King. He elevated some insignificant cousin of his wife, a cold and frigid Vale knight that floundered in the position. Three years of inept ruling followed, as well as a minor farmer’s revolt in the Reach. And so the first Hand of Viserys I was quietly dismissed and returned to the snowy mountains of the Vale, where he belonged.
A dragon was dispatched to Oldtown with a handwritten message from the king to Ser Otto Hightower. Personally delivered by Prince Daemon, the king’s jilted, jealous younger brother, the letter was a polite but desperate plea for his immediate return to King’s Landing. Otto, ever the loyal servant to the crown, accepted immediately, and began preparations for his family’s journey.
Alerie Florent felt a sort of kinship with Viserys in that sense, as she was just as desperate for her husband to remain in Oldtown. The second that wretched dragon had been spotted on their horizon, her life as she knew it was over. She and her children would be dragged back to the putrid city and play polite at court. Otto would spend long days and nights away, tolling after the royal heretics while she remained a friendless and awkward wallflower. She screamed and cried and begged her husband to let her remain in Oldtown, for him to travel alone to the capitol. He was deaf to her pleas, only ceding that their son would remain at home with his brother. Alicent would join them in King’s Landing, where they could ‘arrange an advantageous match for her’, as if planning her six year old daughter’s wedding was supposed to cheer her spirits.
The children knew she was unhappy to leave. She sobbed as she said goodbye to her family at the docks, waiting to board a ship to take her far away. Her cousins wept with her, and her mother hugged her so hard that Alerie hoped she would leave bruises, squeezing tight because they both knew the sad truth; they would never see eachother again. Her mother looked so gray and withered on those docks, a fading crone soon to be called away to the Heavens.
The worst was saying good-bye to Gwayne, her little boy. He threw a tantrum as she boarded the ship, desperately begging her to stay. Otto reprimanded her later after they finally departed, lambasting the embarrassment of his only son sobbing and clutching to his mother’s skirts. Alerie had snapped at him in response, calling him coldhearted and cruel to make her leave their son, and that he must be such a wonderful father if Gwayne didn’t bother to shed tears over him at all. That had set Otto fuming, and the rest of their passage to King’s Landing was spent in bitter silence.
The journey by ship was long, miserable, and vomit-inducing, made only worse by her perpetual feud with Otto and Alicent’s incessant questions about the ugly city they were moving to. Daily, she would pray alone in her cabin for the winds to pick up and end their miserable journey already. Yet, when the crimson towers of the Red Keep were finally spotted, Alerie almost began to pray that a storm would come and drown them all. No such storm materialized, and they safely sailed into the stinking Blackwater Bay on a bright and sunny morning. Soon, the Hightowers of Oldtown were settled in the court of King Viserys, and it was just as miserable as Alerie had predicted. Her husband immediately began spending all his hours with the king and his advisors, having to work hard to rectify all the damage the previous Hand had wrought. She spent her time exclusively with the small group of Oldtown nobles that had made the journey with them, all Otto’s relatives which she had never been particularly close to. They would often speak as though she wasn’t even there, delighting in fashions and gossip of King’s Landing while Alerie remained sullen and withdrawn.
Two months after their arrival, she received an unexpected invitation from one of Queen Aemma’s ladies. The queen and princess would be returning from their visit to the Vale early, just in time for the princess’s seventh nameday; there would be a small gathering for the young girls of the court to celebrate. Normally, the king and queen would usually use any excuse to throw a big feast or even host a tourney. She rolled her eyes as Otto’s sisters gossiped about the reason behind such a muted celebration, as if a tea party wasn’t good enough for a Targaryen princess. The royals irritated her to no end, so she was glad to not have to watch tourney knights beat each other to death for the honor of gifting the king’s scrawny daughter a crown of flowers.
Despite the smaller size of the nameday celebrations, Alerie’s daughter was quite excited, the most excited Alerie had seen her since arriving at the capitol. The day of the party, Alicent gleefully ran toward her father’s solar, lifting the skirts of her new dress in a very unladylike manner in order to reach her destination faster. She ran right up to the door and began hopping in place in her eagerness. She looked over her shoulder at her much slower mother and called out, “Hurry!”
Seeing her daughter’s excited smiling face made Alerie glow, a sense of happiness that had been missing since their departure had finally returned, if only for a little bit. She purposely slowed her steps, theatrically complaining of fatigue, which set Alicent into a fit of giggles and begging for her mother to be faster.
She heard a voice call out ‘Enter’ from behind the door and Alicent rushed in to present herself. She lifted her green silk skirts in a perfect curtsey and smiled at the man behind the desk, “What do you think of my new dress, Father?”
Otto Hightower looked over his young daughter with a critical eye. “You can’t wear that to the celebrations. Change into something yellow, or lined with cloth of gold. If you don’t have anything, then check with Alysanne, your cousins might have something to borrow.” He then returned to scratching away at his parchment in a clear dismissal.
Alerie felt a flash of red hot angry pass over her entire being. How dare he? She glanced down at Alicent, who’s previously excited face had turned sad, her large brown eyes barely holding back tears before turning downward and staring at the floor, all her excitement completely crushed under her father’s uncaring remarks.
She could feel her hands shaking in anger, so she closed them into tight fists to hold off the urge to march over and slap the man. She took a deep breath and responded calmly to his callousness. “Husband, you requested this dress be tailored for the nameday gathering. In the latest fashion of Oldtown. We paid the dressmaker handsomely to finish it in time.”
Otto kept scratching away at his piece of parchment, not even bothering to look in the direction of his wife. “Yes, and it is good craftsmanship. But she shouldn’t wear green tonight, a yellow dress would be better to catch the young princess’s attention. I’ve been informed that it’s her favorite color, and Alicent needs to befriend her. Their introduction is long overdue, I won’t allow the queen to delay it any longer.”
Does he even know Alicent’s favorite color? Alerie thought. So he was learning the interests of the king’s daughter, while remaining ignorant of his own children’s lives. Otto was unaware about how she begged for a beautiful sky blue riding dress, and how she jumped with glee when the tailor had fashioned the fabric scraps into a matching dress for her doll. “I’d rather you left our daughter out of your desperate plotting.” She couldn’t keep her rage out of her voice, causing it to shake. Inwardly she couldn’t help but cringe, she wanted to sound powerful, but instead she seemed hysterical.
Otto looked up at her sharply. “Alicent is too shy. She’s attended half a dozen court events but has made no friends. It would make it easier to connect with others if she was made one of the princess’s ladies. Would you prefer she be sullen and alone?”
Like you. The words went unsaid but she heard them loud and clear.
Her shaking hands dug harshly into soft fabric and skin. “Yes, I am sure you have only the best interests of our daughter in mind and have no other motives.”
Otto signed and finally put down his stupid quill. It was made with a feather of some colorful bird from Pentos, a stupid, wasteful purchase. “I won’t deny it would be good to have another ear within the royal household.”
Alerie snorted, actually somewhat amused by his blatant admission.
“But, this is for Alicent’s own good. Princess Rhaenyra is very sociable and the daughters of several upstanding families will be present at the celebration today. Even if she doesn’t speak with the princess for long, it will be a good way for her to make at least one friend. I am worried she is becoming too withdrawn.”
“Do not pretend to care about our daughter. You barely ever see her.” Or me.
“Do not diminish my role as her father, I see her daily, and I make sure to sit in with at least one of her lessons each week. Everyday I ask her about socializing and she has little to report, she only ever sees her cousins and her septa. Maybe if you hadn’t spent so much time sulking you would notice how lonely she is and actually tend to her for once.”
Alerie bristled at the insults and faux concern. She decided to sidestep the questions of her mothering to get back to the true issue. “I hardly think enlisting her in service to the little princess will help her. The royal family lacks any true faith, they will only be a bad influence on her morals. Again I must remind you, it would be best to send Alicent to be educated at Br-”
“We are not sending her to Brightwater Keep, our daughter will stay in King’s Landing with us, where she belongs. And be careful how you speak of the royals. They are our rulers, divined by the gods to guide the Seven Kingdoms. We must bow to their power, but we can steer them in the right direction with the art of persuasion and influence. Ultimately, you must remember that we are their servants.”
Alerie clenched her jaw at her husband’s interruption and immediate dismissal of her desires. Her daughter deserved to be educated in faith and worship, like she had been. She heard herself snap at him, “You can’t go a minute without thinking about how to please these heretics, to beg for their favor like a dog. You are a Hightower of Oldtown, a supposed Defender of the Faith. Do you ever think for the interests of our family and our gods, instead of groveling at the feet of theirs?”
Glaring at her, Otto explained to her, in a tone he would’ve used in explaining something to a child. “It is dangerous here, we must secure our standing among the royal family. Once I firmly have the king’s ear, we can be more relaxed, but he already feels embarrassed by calling me back here. We must save face and appear grateful to the king, to assuage any doubts. We have already made missteps with Prince Daemon, we cannot afford any more mistakes.”
The sound of his voice was grating to her ears. Acting as if Viserys wouldn’t sign him ownership of all seven kingdoms if Otto advised him to.
“Which means no more judgment on their supposed indiscretions in the eyes of the Seven.”
There was only so much groveling she would tolerate. “Their indiscretions? Is that what you’re calling it now?” She spat out.
Otto signed and looked more and more annoyed at her presence.“Alerie, don’t -”
“They defile the gods, it is vile.” She cut him off. “The marriage of Alysanne and Jaehaerys should have never been tolerated. Nor the matches of their cursed children.”
“You blaspheme the High Septons with your insults.” Otto replied coldly. “Are you so arrogant in your supposed knowledge of the Seven that you contradict His High Holiness’s own rulings on the matter?”
“The High Septon is just a man, a coward who tainted the Faith the day he decreed those evil invaders would be our eternal rulers.”
Otto lurched to his feet, causing his desk chair to screech against the wooden floors on his still bare office. “We owe everything we have - everything! - to Jaehaerys and Viserys. I won’t tolerate any more disrespect to the ones that raised us so high!”
His raised voice only served to embolden her, she felt almost gleeful seeing his temper. “This is what gets a rise out of you, me bad mouthing your precious king? Viserys is an incestuous, sinful, beak nosed freak who will burn in the bottom of the seven hells!”
Otto reined his anger in, if only slightly. His voice still shook with emotion as he chastises her with another condescending lesson. “This is dangerous talk, Alerie. Anyone with sense would recognize it as treason.”
“I don’t care! I don’t want to be here! Let them send me away, I want to go home.”
“Don’t be a fool! Treasonous talk won’t send you back to Oldtown, it will send us straight to the belly of Caraxes. You, me, Alicent!”
Alerie felt her daughter flinch under her hands. It was like a bucket of cold water poured over her, quenching her outrage. Alerie had forgotten entirely she was even in the room, and realized how tightly she was gripping the little girl’s shoulders. She didn’t even remember grabbing them in the first place, the contact between them had kept her grounded while she yelled at her husband. She quickly released her and wrung her hands instead. She could see the indents of her nails left on cloth.
Alicent continued as she had throughout their entire argument, standing quietly and obediently with her head down and her small fingers fidgeting nervously.
Otto glanced at their little girl, just realizing her continued presence as well. He signed and looked away from their anxious mouse. “Alicent, out. Join your cousins.”
She bolted from her spot between her parents without so much as a glance toward her poor mother.
Traitor.
Her husband continued to glare at her after watching their young daughter flee their presence.“What if she repeated that talk? We don’t know who could be listening, who could be working against us.”
Paranoia was common in Otto’s thoughts nowadays, another development that Alerie despised. She didn’t want to control her speech for potential spies, she didn’t want any of this.
You used to be funny, she thought, you used to make me cry from laughing too hard.
She suddenly felt so drained and tired. The day had only just begun and already she wanted nothing more than to crawl into bed and sleep forever. Alerie ignored the personified irritation currently glaring at her and glanced towards the window of the room. It was a beautiful day, and she could see clearly over Blackwater Bay. It haunted her to know she couldn’t even look to the ocean for an imagined escape because she knew in the far off distance, guarding the bay like a jailer, was the hellish island of Dragonstone. She thought, as she had many times before, of breaking the glass window and just tossing herself out of this damned keep already.
She pulled away from the opening to the outside world and looked back at her husband. He was still staring at her, but now his eyes were tinged with some other emotion she couldn’t read.
“Well? Nothing witty to say? You’ve made our little girl frightened of the very people that prot-”
“I feel dirty.” she said plainly. She couldn’t look in his direction anymore but heard him approach from his writing desk, finally passing that boundary she could never reach across.
“Just existing here; sleeping in their castle, eating their food, breathing their air. It’s like the Father is pressing down on me, squeezing the air out of my lungs in punishment. I can’t stand to walk the halls of this bloody keep with their disgusting and vulgar tapestries on every wall! I’m suffocating everyday I am away from my baby boy, everyday I’m alone in prayer. I miss my parents, my family, my friends. The sept is so sad here, there is no true faith among these- these dragon worshipers! ”
She squeezed her eyes closed tightly in a vain attempt to stop the tears from coming. The loneliness of her being away from her family and friends was crushing. She felt Otto wrap his arms around her, squeezing tight and warming her heart. She naturally tucked her head into his shoulder and continued to cry as he tried to sooth her. Otto pressed a small kiss to the top of her head and spoke, “I know it has been hard to be away from home, from Gwayne.”
She let out a small sob at the mention of her son.
He continued talking while rubbing gentle circles on her back. “King’s Landing is inferior to Oldtown in many ways. But we are not mice here, we have influence, power to shape the city into something better. This place will never be home.” He pulled away slightly from their embrace to look her in the eyes. “But we can start to rectify its more glaring flaws.The faith has been neglected here, maybe this is a project you can herald. You are the Hand’s wife, your words carry weight in this court.”
She tried to speak, but the words couldn’t claw out of her throat. She didn’t want influence, she didn’t want to shape the court, or the city. Alerie Florent wanted a quiet household, to be near her family and a well-loved sept. A simple life of prayer and raising her children.
But Otto took her silence for deference, and continued. “Queen Aemma has suffered a recent loss during her visit to the Eyrie. It was not yet announced to the court, but Her Grace was with child, and now… It was early on, but the king and queen were devastated. This could be an opportunity to befriend her, sway the queen to take comfort from her loss in prayer.”
She shoved him off. Of course he would ruin any gentle moment between them with his politicking. Otto looked disappointed and sad as she pushed him away. They stared at each other in silence; Alerie glaring, and Otto just observing her like he would an unruly animal.
How dare this stranger she called a husband judge her. She had reached her boiling point and screamed at him, “You used to love me , you used to adore me! Before you became Hand of the King, I thought it was you and me against the whole world. Then an old and ugly man chose you to do all his work and you worshiped him for it! Now his incompetent grandson asked you back to do the same, and you continue to wait on him, hand and foot. Tell me, have you crawled into Viserys’s bed, since you have shunned mine for so lo-”
An open palm hand slapped over across the cheek, silencing her biting remark.
It wasn’t a strong or particularly painful slap, but it shocked Alerie to her core. Otto had never raised a hand to her, not ever. If it wasn’t for the slight sting to her cheek, she would almost think she imagined it. She turned to look at her husband with wide eyes in complete shock. Otto looked just as surprised as she felt, his mouth agape in disbelief at what he had just done. They stared at each other in stunned silence.
Otto recovered first. “Alerie-”
She didn’t want to hear it. She was sick of his voice. She had been sick of his voice for years. She turned and fled from his solar, marching back to her rooms in a blind rage, ignoring all that passed her by in the halls, her tears blinding her the whole journey.
In her room waiting was Alicent, waiting prim and proper in a black velvet dress with golden buttons and lining. She opened her mouth to speak but closed again once she saw the state of her mother. Alerie felt embarrassed, humiliated at crying in front of her young daughter. And crying over what? A pathetic, unmanly slap from her pathetic, unmanly husband?
Alerie ignored her daughter. Instead she sat in front of her vanity and looked at her image in the small looking glass. A sad, miserable, mousy woman who was past her prime and little to show for it. Her left cheek was visibly red, though very unlikely to bruise. The pathetic sight of herself was too much and she burst into fresh tears. She buried her face in her hands, unable to look any longer.
Alicent hesitantly put a small hand on her shoulder, and rubbed it back and forth. It felt awkward and unsure, and she never felt so disconnected from her daughter.
“Mother, may we go to the sept? Before the party? I have been memorizing the songs. We can sing, like in the big sept at our old home.”
Alerie felt crushed. There was nothing more that she wanted than to go and sing at the sept. She always had a beautiful singing voice, so everyone told her. But worship in King’s Landing was quiet. The septas and septons didn’t sing here, only soft murmured prayers. Jaehaerys and Alysanne had banned any sort of beautiful worship, so miserable had their sinful lives become that they had to take beauty away from their subjects as well.
She let herself have one more loud sigh before wiping her tears and turning to her precious daughter with a wide smile. “Yes, I think that would be lovely, my dear.”
King’s Landing maintained a large sept on Visenya’s Hill, but it was a pale shadow to the places of worship in Oldtown, especially the otherworldly beauty of the Starry Sept. The crown refused to contribute to its upkeep, so the septons and septas relied on donations of the high and lowborn followers of the city, as well as aid discreetly sent from Oldtown to keep the flame of the true faith lit. Despite its shortcomings, the Sept on Visenya’s Hill was still better than the small sept attached to the Red Keep. Maegor the Cruel had not ordered its construction, the faithless blight that he was; it was hastily added by Jaehaerys after Princess Magelle was promised to the Faith. Since there would be no time before the nameday celebration to trek across the stinking city to the larger sept, so they would have to make do with Magelle’s.
The mother and daughter entered the small sept and began their rotation of prayers before each aspect of the Seven, represented in this sept by detailed paintings in golden frames. Once Alerie saw there was a septon and septa sharing the space with them, she told a disappointed Alicent that they could only softly hum their prayers, as it would be rude to disrupt the quiet with singing. They started in front of the Father, reciting the god’s associated hymn seven times before moving to the next painting.
They continued quietly and methodically until they knelt in front of the Maiden. Her painting was of a rosy-cheeked girl with an assortment of flowers in her golden hair. Alerie absentmindedly wondered if the art was based off of some dead Targaryen princess when she heard Alicent suddenly ask, “Mother, why did you marry Father?”
She looked down at her daughter, who stared back with curiosity. Alerie couldn’t believe the young girl’s audacity to ask such a thing. The innocent question reignited her furnace of rage towards Otto, causing her to snap at Alicent in response. “I married your father because he asked for my hand, and my lord father accepted. The bride’s wants do not matter. Now be silent!” She turned and looked directly into the Maiden’s innocent eyes, and she felt only hatred in her heart for the innocent young girl painted before her, mirroring the hatred and impatience she felt towards her own maiden daughter.
That hatred was immediately followed by horror and guilt. Alerie was aghast at her own blasphemous thoughts, how could she feel such horrible things towards the holy Maiden? She quickly apologized to the godly figure in seven silent and remorseful prayers. Shame bubbled inside her as she and Alicent dutifully moved on to the next painting.
They continued without another disturbance, and ended their rotation in front of the Mother. The painting of Her was beautiful, Alerie’s favorite out of the sept. It depicted a lovely and modest looking woman, her hair covered with a plain wimble and deep lines on her face. She had a babe swaddled in her arms, and it looked as though she was singing a lullaby to him. Sitting in Her presence filled Alerie with deep shame for her impatience with her own child. She had no right to take out her disappointment with Otto onto their daughter.
After they finished their seven hymns to the Mother, she softly spoke, “I am sorry, Alicent. I should not have snapped at you like that, especially in front of the Maiden. But… why would you ask such a thing?”
Alicent remained silent. And then spoke, “Aunt Maris said you and Father were a love match, what does that mean?”
Alerie dreamed of one day wrapping her small pale hands around the neck of Maris Hightower.
“It means your father and I…well we um.” Alerie took a second to collect herself before continuing, “We married for love, and not for finances or politics like most marriages. Normally, a lord will select his daughter’s husband, but I chose without my father’s input.” She answered hesitantly, not wanting to lie and also not wanting to tell the whole truth. “It is not the correct way to start a marriage, love matches are not as romantic as the singers portray them. That is why your father and I will choose your husband one day, Alicent. He will be a kind and gentle man, rich enough to provide a comfortable life for you.”
Alicent looked like she wanted to know more, but was unsure how to ask. So Alerie decided to share a little more detail, just to indulge her.
“My family sent me to Oldtown to serve in the Starry Sept. I wanted to be a septa, but your father charmed me away. Can you believe I used to think he was charming?” She chuckled softly, turning her eyes up to the small painting of the Mother and away from looking at Alicent so she wouldn’t see the tears forming in her eyes. Alerie didn’t want to think about those happier days of giddy youth, it just made her current reality sting that much more.
“Alicent.”
Mother and daughter both looked up in shock at the figure standing just a few feet from them. Otto Hightower stood with his back straight and hands folded behind him. He refused to meet Alerie’s eyes, but swiftly stepped towards the pair.
“Leave us.”
For the second time that day, their young daughter was dismissed and quickly fled from the presence of her parents. Otto knelt beside his wife without a groan or complaint, impressive given the state of his knees. Still, Alerie refused to look in his direction, instead keeping her hands clasped in prayer and staring ahead at the Mother’s image.
“Husband, I desire you to leave.”
He ignored her clearly stated request. “I come to ask for the Mother’s forgiveness, and to ask the mother of my children for forgiveness. A man should not hurt a woman, especially his own wife. My actions earlier bring me deep shame, it was juvenile and wrong.” Otto finally looked into his wife’s watery eyes. “I am sorry, Alerie. Please forgive me.”
The feeling of suffocation deepend again and tears swarmed her eyes. She didn’t want to forgive this stranger. If I forgive you, will you change back to the man I loved? Will they dance like they used to? Kiss under the stairs like the smitten couple they once were? Can they be young again?
She looked over at the man she married. In his late 30s, gray was starting to touch his hair. His eyes were tired and sad, nothing like the mischievous boy who charmed her away from a life of chastity and prayer.
No, they could never be that happy couple again. Sadness was a condition of motherhood, Otto had cursed her with it when he planted his son in her and stole her away from the Faith. Alerie had to make do with the life she had chosen with this man, her man, regardless of how joyless her existence was to all those around her.
“What is Alicent’s favorite color?” She asked him.
If he seemed confused, Otto did not show it. “Blue, like a clear afternoon sky. Did you remember her on the journey to the city? She would sit on the deck for hours and stare at the sky and clouds.”
Alerie hummed, satisfied by his answer. He could be a harsh husband, but she knew he loved her, loved their children. She had to believe that.
“I forgive you.”
Alerie exited the sept hand in hand with Otto, husband and wife reunited again, at least for now. She returned to her chambers to prepare properly for the afternoon party, feeling nothing and thinking nothing as she went through the motions of dressing and doing her hair. It was better to be numb than to be sad, she found. She called Alicent in and reevaluated her appearance. The gold-lined black velvet dress felt too dreary for a nameday celebration, but it had to do considering Otto’s ridiculous stipulation that she wear something yellow. She sent away her handmaid to do Alicent’s hair herself, wrassling her beautiful auburn curls into twin braids intertwined with golden ribbons. She even let her dust her cheeks with a bit of blush, Alicent sitting on her vanity chair swinging her little legs back and forth as she rambled on about sea shanties she heard from her cousins.
The time for the tea party arrived too quickly, and a nervous feeling threatened to take over her numbness. Group gatherings and parties were never a very comfortable setting for her, and now she had to mingle with the other noble mothers while watching their weans chase each other. Worst of all, all the nobles would be fawning over the young princess and sucking up to Queen Aemma.
Alerie herself held no ill will towards the young queen, despite Otto’s grumbling that she disliked Reachers. Over the several years she and Otto had been at court, Aemma had only spoken to her a handful of times, and their conversations were always formal and stilted, never finding the same chemistry their husbands had with one another. But Alerie could see Aemma was a devoted wife and mother, and she could sympathize with her fertility struggles. Alerie herself had suffered two miscarriages; it was no easy thing to lose a babe. It was unfair for a lady as devoted and seemingly pious as Aemma to be forced to continue a bloodline as cursed and wretched as House Targaryen.
She and Alicent joined with Otto’s sisters Alysanne and Maris, and their collection of daughters. The eldest of Maris immediately teased Alicent for her dark colored outfit, causing Alicent’s face to grow bright red in embarrassment. Alerie almost slapped the young girl, but her mother immediately tugged on her little ear and reprimanded her for her rudeness. Still, the small remark against her daughter darkened Alerie’s mood dramatically.
The invitation from Aemma’s lady said only to meet in the royal gardens. Once gathered, the large group of noblewomen were directed further into gardens than Alerie had ever explored before. Alarm bells went off in Alerie’s head as she realized exactly where this celebration was going to take place. She halted before the gate entrance to the godswood, stopping so suddenly that she yanked Alicent while holding her hand.
Maris noticed her hesitation. She whispered something to her younger sister, who glanced back with concern. The two whispered more, to her irritation. She tugged her daughter along as she forced them to march past her good-sisters and towards the red-brick gates of the godswood. The older called out as she passed them, “Alerie, if you’d like to retire, I do not mind watching-”
“I can look after my own daughter, thank you.” She said icily without looking back, entering the overgrown, godless-wood. She couldn’t help but shiver as they walked in the shade of the dark forest. She said a silent prayer to the Warrior for strength; she refused to be afraid in some untended garden just because the unwashed Northern heretics think they can talk to rocks and leaves here.
Thankfully, they did not have to traverse too far into the godswood to see the prepared tea party. Despite the invitation’s description of a small gathering, an elaborate lunch feast had been prepared, complete with lace tablecloths for both the guest and head table, garlands and strange lights wrapped around the nearby trees. It was a sight to behold, a glowing party in the darkness of the godswood. Several noble girls and their lady mothers had already arrived, although no sign of the little princess or her queen mother.
Alerie told Alicent to go join her cousins and play, although her young daughter was hesitant to leave her side, and looked back twice after stepping away to join the others. Inwardly, Alerie couldn’t help but wince. Gods, Otto was right, Alicent has been too sheltered at court. She was forced to watch as her pathetically shy daughter reluctantly sat with the other girls at the guest table, although she didn’t have much to say to any of them. She had to look away at her object failure in mothering and again cursed her husband for bringing them to the capitol and this situation at all.
Instead Alerie decided to focus on the miserable task of socializing with the other mothers, as her husband would want her to. She never thought herself as a very talented conversationalist with those she didn’t feel comfortable with, such as strangers and overly-ambitious wives of courtiers. But since she was the Hand’s wife, the third highest-standing woman of the realm, noble ladies naturally flocked to her in the absence of the royal mother and daughter.
Families of the Vale seemed to dominate the court, Alerie realized. She inquired after which girls were the official ladies in the princess’s service, several of which were already sitted at the head table, and discovered that all but two hailed from the Vale of Arryn. Clearly the king was easily influenced by his wife’s house.
All conversations came to a halt when Queen Aemma entered the garden. The guard at the entrance had barely finished announcing her when she stormed in with a clearly unhappy look on her face, her shorter ladies lifting their skirts to keep up with her fast pace. Everyone bowed in her presence. She addressed the gathered women and girls and announced, “Princess Rhaenyra will be along shortly. Young ladies, let’s all take our places and the servants will bring refreshments.”
Alerie politely dismissed herself from the large group around her and made her way towards where the queen sat at the head table, flanked by two ladies-in-waiting. She looked pale and had a deep frown, but welcomed Alerie politely as she approached and curtsied. “Lady Alerie, I’m so glad you could join us.”
“Thank you for hosting such a beautiful celebration, your grace. My daughter Alicent and I were so honored to receive an invitation.”
After their exchange of the expected pleasantries, there was an awkward air between them, as it happened whenever they spoke. It seemed they just could not connect with one another. Alerie tried to quickly think of something to say before it became too awkward.
“Will the king be joining us?’ she asked.
“Ah, no. My dear husband and I will have a private dinner to celebrate with Rhaenyra, this afternoon is for just women.” Aemma replied offhandedly. She appeared to be deep in thought, far away from the godswood they currently stood in.
“How kind of your grace to be so generous. Your kindness to all the wives and daughters reminds me of old Queen Alysanne and her devotion to protect all the women of the court.”
The air between them immediately turned cold and Aemma’s ladies exchanged covert looks with one another. Alerie sensed acutely she had made a grave error of some kind, although she didn’t understand how. Aemma’s frown deepened and to Alerie’s shock, the poor queen suddenly looked close to tears. “Thank you, Lady Alerie.” she softly responded.
Unsure of how to continue with offending her again, Alerie decided to not pry into the princess’s whereabouts from the clearly unhappy queen, and said her goodbyes. She curtsied again and said, “I will rejoin my good-sisters, your Grace. If there is anything I can do to assist with the festivities, please let me know.”
Aemma nodded, but her eyes were far away. Alerie noticed her staring at the entrance of the godswood from which they all entered. ‘Does she not know where the princess is?’ she thought worriedly. There was nothing to be done for now, so she retired to her own gaggle of ladies and continued making polite conversation and entertaining gossip.
It would be another half hour before the princess arrived on the shoulders of her uncle Prince Daemon. Maris and Alysanne jaws dropped at the unladylike entrance of the princess. Queen Aemma looked as though she might murder her good brother on the spot. Daemon ignored the clear outrage of his queen and dropped off the little princess at the head of the table. She protested as he put her down, shouting in her strange language, “Daor, kepa! Sovēs! ”
With the princess finally present, the tea party could truly begin. Servants began serving a great display of fruits and nuts, followed by beautifully crafted pastries and cakes. Queen Aemma sat by her daughter and chatted with her with a happy grin, but her smile would sour whenever her goodbrother Daemon added to their conversation. Alerie glanced at the trio whenever she could, sensing the growing tension and frustration from the queen.
The party invitation stated no gifts were expected from the guests, but it appears that did not deter the rogue prince. Daemon bestowed upon his young niece such expensive gifts that Alerie felt scandalized. The girl was seven, not coming of age. He gifted her a giant hunting falcon, a jade tiara supposedly from a royal court of the Far East, and a diamond ring. Alerie felt deeply uncomfortable watching the prince chat with his niece. He leaned too close, hugged too long, stared too intensely. Alerie felt the unexpected urge to march over there and yank the little princess from his arms, but it would be far out of place for her to say anything to the pair of royals. She watched helplessly as the prince slipped the little diamond ring onto the young princess’s finger as the gathering of noble girls watched and cheered, Alicent included.
Alerie couldn’t help but glance in the direction of the queen, who sat next to Rhaenyra. Her face was as cold as the peak of the Vale’s tallest mountain, glaring daggers into Prince Daemon.
The prince’s overstayed presence was a clear offence to the queen and made Alerie’s blood boil. She had already despised the prince for his vile behavior during his visit in Oldtown and Otto’s near daily rants about his inept governance as Master of Law. As the queen said to her earlier, this afternoon was supposed to be a celebration for just ladies and this revolting prince invaded it to spend an inappropriate amount of time with the princess. His own niece. A child. A fucking child!
If the situation were different, Alerie might not think too much about his relationship with his clearly beloved niece. Prince Daemon had no children, and if rumors were to be believed, he and his wife wouldn’t be making any anytime soon. Princess Rhaenyra might be his only chance to experience a fatherly connection, but Alerie knew the true nature of Targaryen relationships. Sacred familial bonds meant nothing to them, so she couldn’t help but feel the princess was not safe in the presence of her oh-so-caring uncle.
The gods heard Alerie’s, and likely Aemma’s, silent pleas and Daemon stepped away from the gathering with a final hug and kiss to the top of the princess’s silver hair. She waved goodbye to her uncle before finally socializing with her ladies-in-waiting seated closest to her at the head table. Alicent was placed much further down the guest table, with her cousins and other noble girls of the Reach, far out of sight of the little princess. Alerie could see her daughter laughing along with the Beesbury twins and enjoying the cake and fruits served to the guests. Well, their introduction need not happen today.
Games for the children quickly followed, and a round of hide and seek formed. It was entertaining to see the flurry of skirts as the young girls tried to find hiding spots in the nearby area, but were given strict instructions to not wander too far into the surrounding woods.
She continued to mingle with the other various highborn mothers of the court while their little girls played. She was pretending to be fascinated with the droll conversation about bird watching in the woods outside Bitterbridge when they were interrupted.
“My prince!” All of the ladies of their talking circle curtseyed as Daemon Targaryen strolled over to them. He stopped right before Alerie and offered a lazy half-bow to her. She responded with a proper curtsy and said, “My prince, you grace us with your presence. I thought you had departed from the woods.”
“Lady Hightower, I was just leaving when I remembered a request from my dear friend Otto. I was hoping you could give a message along to your husband for me.” The prince said in a light tone and a shit eating grin, setting her on edge.
She had to play this properly, with all the courtesies expected of a noblewoman. There could be no repeats like the incident during Prince Daemon’s last visit to Oldtown. She could feel the eyes of all the gathered ladies on her back, eagerly waiting to snatch up any gossip they could grasp regarding the Rogue Prince. If she messed up here, then word would certainly reach Otto within the hour, and she’d have to deal with another lecture from him about the intricacies of court conversations and rants about Daemon’s obscene behaviors.
She bowed her head to the prince and replied firmly, “Of course, your Highness. I am ever the crown’s servant. What would you like to pass along?”
“He had asked me for a… recommendation. He was looking for the best place to unwind near Rhaenys’s Hill after a long day’s work.”
Blood was pumping in her ears and face as she felt abject embarrassment. Did he dare imply what Alerie thought he did? Flea Bottom and the Street of Silk were both located at the base Rhaenys’s Hill, vulgar places that her lord husband would never dare visit. Daemon, or Lord Flea Bottom as some smallfolk would call him, would be intimately familiar with the area. There was a tremor in her hands.
“Well, I’ve given it some thought, you see. If you could let him know about Mistress Dayna’s inn, I would be oh so grateful. Or-” The prince broke off into laughter, doubling over in his disgusting amusement over her mockery, “Ha, please excuse me my lady, I just thought of another. There is an amazing house called the Hole-ly Maid, it has my full endorsement. I know how he just loves the Faith’s servants.”
She heard a collection of small gasps and murmurs behind her. Dozens of eyes were aimed at her back, each one feeling like an arrowhead buried too deep in flesh. ‘Do not ruin this.’ She had to remind herself, ‘Do not snap. ’
“Thank you, my prince.” She managed to grit out, her trembling hands clasped tightly in front of her so she didn’t give into the desire to strangle him to death. “I will ensure my husband hears your very important message.”
He just smirked at her unenthusiastic deference to his insults. He bowed again to the crowd and before he could begin his farewells, she had to cut him off. “Oh, and let me extend my congratulations. My husband the Lord Hand informed me that you would be assisting Lord Beesbury in some capacity. Co-master of Coin, I believe. I must admit I had never heard that position on the Small Council before. I will pray to the Father Above to guide you.”
Daemon glared at her, angry at the reminder that he was not Hand of the King and Otto was. He spat his jealous rebuke to her,“Your husband is a desperate blood-sucking leech on my brother and I will rid him of his pests soon enough.”
“Good-brother.”
Alerie jumped out of her skin at the sudden appearance of Queen Aemma. She could tell the acute distress coming off the young woman in waves, despite her polite smile and beautiful appearance. Alerie was immediately concerned.
Daemon, it seems, was not. “Ah, my lovely cousin.” He replied in his disgusting, condescending tone. He leaned down to kiss the queen on both cheeks, lingering just a touch too long in her space. “I was just having a riveti-
“Where is Rhaenyra?” Aemma interrupted bluntly. Daemon and Alerie both stood straighter at her obvious distress, Daemon’s ugly smirk disappearing.
“I do not know. Are you accusing me of something, cousin?” Daemon spat out. Alerie felt alarmed, the very last place she wanted to be was in the middle of some sad, Targaryen feud.
A beat of silence passed, and just as she was going to take the opportunity to announce that her husband needed her or some other obvious excuse, Aemma addressed Alerie and her talking circle, “The princess is missing.”
The sun was starting to dip in the sky when she heard the laughter.
An army of guards, servants, and courtiers were searching the castle and godswood for the little princess. The king had rushed from hearing petitions to support his queen, but they both retreated inside after the first hour. Alysanne had retired with all the girls after the kingsguard ordered the guests to clear the godswood, but Maris had volunteered herself and Alerie to assist the outside search.
Together they trekked deeper into the godswood, much to her displeasure and fear. Ruining her favorite slippers in the mud looking for a hiding Targaryen was just another reason to despise her husband’s sister. They walked and called out for the princess until they reached the central grove, stopping when they spotted the bright red leafs of the weirwood tree.
She complained out loud to Maris, “We should turn back. We’ve ventured too far away from the others, and it is getting dark.”
Maris holds up a finger, signaling her to be quiet. “Shh, did you hear that?” Alerie quietened and listened to sounds of the woods. There! She heard the sound of a young girl’s laughter coming from the weirwood tree.
She approached the unsettling heart tree, the one place in the godswood she hoped she wouldn’t have to see. Like the few other weirwoods she had seen, it had a strange face carved into it that leaked bright red sap. Alerie couldn’t believe people of the North would kneel in the mud to pray before such a disturbing sight. She wanted to get out of here quickly, and called out, “Princess? Are you here?”
Her question prompted more laughter but no response, so she and Maris approached the ugly tree and looked up. The princess sat grinning on one of its giant white branches, her golden dress and silver hair was streaked with dirt. Beside her, clinging to one of the ghostly pale branches for dear life but still giggling away, was Alicent.
Alerie hadn’t even noticed her daughter was missing, so caught up in the drama of the princess's disappearance. At first guilt suffocated her. What kind of mother didn’t notice her child, her only child now with Gwayne across the continent, was gone? Then irritation took over that feeling. She could have sworn Alicent left with her aunt; Alysanne said she would gather the children, the incompetent shrill that she was couldn’t even do that.
She would regret it later, but Alerie reacted to this discovery with blinding anger. Maris immediately took off to inform the closest guard, leaving Alerie alone with the two girls. She waited for her daughter and the little princess to scramble down from the great heart tree with her trembling hands clasped tightly in front of her and with a pinched expression. It made her skin crawl seeing her daughter so close to its weeping face.
Alicent immediately picked up her skirts and ran to her, a massive smile on her face. The princess followed close behind. As they approached Alerie could spot the numerous leafs in their hair, too many were poking out of their braids for them to not have been intentionally placed there.
“Lady Mother, you found us!” She halted before Alerie, vibrating with energy and joy in a way Alerie has never seen her.
But it was not enough to prevent the black mood Alerie had fallen into. She glared daggers at her daughter, cutting off any more remarks and causing her excited smile to disappear.
Nestled in Alicent’s auburn curls was the gold and jade tiara gifted to the princess. Horrified, Alerie’s hand moved without thinking, tearing it off from Alicent’s head before anyone else could see and let it land in the grass beside them. The young girl yelped in pain as some curls got stuck and were ripped out in the process.
“What evil force has possessed you to make you act like this? The irresponsibility you displayed today is unacceptable, Alicent. You do not wear the royal’s personal effects, you do not wear a crown! Apologize to her highness!” She said in a raised voice. Alicent immediately teared up and started to stammer out an apology when the princess interjected.
“No! I gave it to her, it’s my present and I can do what I want with it, and I want Alicent to have it! How dare you yell at her!” The seven year old princess shot back at her. Alerie gaped at the ferociousness of the little princess, who stepped between the mother and daughter pair, clearly trying to stand taller than she was to hide Alerie’s daughter behind her back.
Do not snap. Alerie forced herself to smile politely at Rhaenyra, although she probably had veins popping out of her forehead from anger. She tried to speak in a calm, motherly voice and said, “I meant no insult to your Highness. The tiara is a beautiful thing, and should be secured to the jewel house. Will you please carry it for now?”
The little girl frowned at her but followed her direction and picked up the tiara from the grass.
“Now we will wait here for Lady Maris to bring the king and queen. They were very worried when we couldn’t find you, Princess.”
The princess looked at her angrily before turning her eyes downward, staring at the grass with what Alerie hoped was some feeling of guilt. Alicent looked back and forth between her mother and the princess before standing by Rhaenyra’s side and linking elbows with her. Alerie heard her daughter whisper softly to her companion, “I had a lot of fun with you today. Can we play again tomorrow?”
“That’s enough, Alicent.” Alerie said firmly, annoyed and wanting this whole ordeal to be over. “Come here and leave the princess be. We will wait quietly for the others.”
The king and queen came running to receive their daughter. Aemma burst into tears at the sight of her dirty but otherwise safe girl, and the king, ever the strong masculine figure that he was, looked close to follow. Rhaenyra wrapped her arms around her weeping mother, the little girl also crying at the sight of her parents’ tears. “I’m sorry mother! I didn’t mean to make you cry, I’m sorry please don’t be upset with me!”
The king and queen immediately began reassuring their daughter that they weren’t angry, just scared because they love her so much.
Such a spoiled child, Alerie felt repulsed. The king and queen indulged their daughter far too much. To have purposely caused such a panic, only to be coddled and protected from any consequences, it was pathetic parenting.
She was just about to sneak out with Alicent when the princess loudly proclaimed to her royal parents, “I was playing hide and seek, and then the prettiest girl I have ever seen decided to hide in the same spot as me!”
Alerie very much wanted to die on the spot. What did Alicent say to her? She stood off to the side awkwardly as Rhaenyra grabbed Alicent’s hand and tugged her forward to meet her parents. Alicent had briefly been introduced to the royal couple before, but both acted with courtesy and gave her rapt attention as if meeting for the first time.
“I was playing knights and ladies with Alicent. I was the knight and she was the lady, she and I freed the dragons and slayed the Ironborn and the Others and also we met the emperor of Yi Ti and then-” the girl continued to ramble nonsensically about all the imaginary adventures she and Alicent accomplished in a single afternoon. Cold dread poured over her as she further listened and processed the princess’s sudden obsession with Alicent.
“I love her dress so much, I wish I had one just like it!” She said while giving her parents an expected wide eyed look. King Viserys exclaimed they would summon the best dressmaker in the capitol at once, and oh wouldn’t it be lovely if they commissioned a new dress for Alicent as well?
Aemma wandered over to Alerie as their daughters continued to recount their adventures to the king, who indulged their strange fantasies and listened as eagerly as a child. The queen’s unhappy mood and tears from earlier had completely disappeared and she cheerfully spoke to the other woman, “Oh, they get along so well, isn’t it adorable Lady Alerie? Little Alicent must join Rhaenyra’s ladies so they can spend more time together.”
“..Yes, my daughter and house would be so honored, your Grace.” Alerie replied unenthusiastically, which Queen Aemma took no note of and just smiled happily in response. “Lovely! She can tell my daughter all about Oldtown before our next progress in the Reach.” She lowered her voice so only Alerie could hear, “Truthfully my Lady, I have been worried Rhaenyra doesn’t socialize enough with other girls her age. She avoids her ladies-in-waiting, and.. well I think she spends too much time with her uncle. Lady Alicent seems kind and patient, she will be a good influence on her.”
I don’t want my child to have to teach your little monster morals . She simply smiled and nodded. Alerie did not wish to stay any longer here.“We should be retiring, your Grace. My husband will be wondering where we’ve gone.”
“Of course, of course. Rhaenyra, let Alicent go now, she has to dine with her family.”
Princess hugged Alicent goodbye. Alerie quickly grabbed her daughter’s hand and forcefully tugged her towards the keep, practically dragging Alicent as she turned to the royal family to wave goodbye. Alerie's grip on Alicent’s hand tightened and she forced her along at a too fast pace, but she wanted out of these cursed woods.
“Lady Hightower!”
She halted, the loud high-pitched voice of the princess stopping her escape once again. Alerie cursed her under her breath.
The queen tried to shush her daughter, but Rhaenyra still stepped forward and shouted, “I plan to go to the Dragonpit tomorrow to ride Syrax. Could Alicent join me?
“You want Alicent to ride with you?” She knew her grip on Alicent’s hand was probably painful at this point, but the princess’s request only made her squeeze tighter. The idea of her innocent daughter around those vicious beasts petrified her, and she floundered on how to decline in a way that didn’t make her absolute hatred of the princess apparent.
“I will have to check with my lord father, your Highness. But I am most flattered at your invitation!” Alicent replied for her, the word rushing out of her mouth in a sort of nervous and excited energy.
The mention of Otto was too much; he probably will be overjoyed at all the developments of today. Just what he wanted, another ear to listen and serve the royals. She jerked Alicent's arm forward to force her to walk,“Enough, we are leaving. And you will not spend any time near those demons.”
But it was too late, the dragon had sunk its claws deep into her poor daughter and trapped her to their sad dynasty.