#joffrey lonmouth lives | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

joyfulladywarrior · 10 months

Text

Naive Rhaenyra au (I love Rhaenyra but in this, she's a lot like Viserys)

Rhaenyra's POV

Rhaenyra had been feeling anxious over Alicent being late to her wedding. Alicent had been distant since the brothel incident. Rhaenyra had not lied to her friend but she was not honest with her. The guilt from that thin line had Rhaenyra worried if their friendship can survive this.

Upon Alicent's entrance to the hall, Rhaenyra felt a wave of relief. Alicent probably knows the truth. She called her "stepdaughter." Rhaenyra still hopes their friendship will survive. After all, their friendship survived Alicent sneaking to her father's rooms and supplanting her mother. It can survive an almost lie from Rhaenyra.

The wedding without a hitch at first but, in the truest fashion of any Westeros wedding, a fight broke. A lot of people were hurt. Only Ser Joffrey Lonmouth, who was Laenor's lover, was killed by Ser Criston. Alicent had sued for leniency towards Criston. Rhaenyra, wanting to appease her friend, did not speak against it. However, this had affected her relationship with Laenor. She had already confided in Laenor that she bedded Ser Criston and he believed that she should have punished her knight. Laenor could not bed her this night. Nor the following night. Or any other night truthfully.

Moons after the wedding, whispers started to get louder at her supposed inheritance of queen Aemma's infertility and why couldn't she be more like queen Alicent who gave the king two children with a third on the way. Alicent herself had started pressuring Rhaenyra into doing something. Anything. Eventually Rhaenyra bedded Ser Harwin Strong and got pregnant. Laenor started to soften towards her after hearing of her pregnancy. The birth of Jacaerys was the happiest moment of her and Laenor's life. However, Alicent took Rhaenyra to the side and discussed Jacaerys's options. Her friend was worried that the brown hair would weaken Rhaenyra's claim and urged her to have a child with Valyrian features. Rhaenyra had then told her the truth of the child's parentage. Alicent was very understanding and laid the blame on Laenor for not doing his duty.

Rhaenyra and Laenor had a discussion about their options in which Rhaenyra admitted to Laenor that she agrees with Alicent about Jacaerys. She decided to send Jacaerys away to live with his paternal uncle. Laenor had been very heartbroken. Rhaenyra reassured him that they could try for a child and this way she would fulfill the deal with Corlys.

Laenor and Rhaenyra had tried for moons to do their duty but nothing worked. This led Rhaenyra to seek Harwin again. Her logic was that Jacaerys was flawed. Jaehaerys and Alysamme were light-skinned with Valyrian features regardless of having a Velaryon mother. Rhaenyra's own mother had an Arryn father but inherited Valyrian features from her mother. This second child could have Valyrian looks.

Lucerys did not have her hair but his eyes were violet and he resembled her a lot.

His eyes were not enough.

Rhaenyra talked with Alicent again and Alicent agreed that if Laenor cannot bed Rhaenyra then she should find someone who will. She should continue doing what she has been doing until she begets a child with Valyrian features. Rhaenyra sent Lucerys to live with Larys Strong and his Jacaerys. Laenor stopped talking with Rhaenyra and stopped trying to bed her. Even though Rhaenyra lost two children and the love of her cousin, she knows that her claim is important and that she should ensure that nothing would compromise it.

Laenor's POV

Laenor had to endure a betrayal after the other in his short life. His parents betrayed him when they forced him to wed Rhaenyra. Laena betrayed him when she ran away with Daemon without keeping contact and with no care for him. Rhaenyra had betrayed him when she did not seek justice for Joffrey. Rhaenyra had also betrayed him when she sent their children away. His children. He did not sire Jacaerys and Lucerys but the moment he saw them, he knew. He knew he was their father and nothing would change that.

He knew he wants to leave Westeros. He cannot handle Rhaenyra sending away their children and his parents pressuring him to bed her. They knew his preferences. His father was upset over the children sent away since they have no heir to the iron throne and the driftmark throne. His mother was happy that the children were sent away but was upset that he was unable to bed his wife. Laenor had started planning his fake death and to bring his children with him. He tried to meet with Laena in Pentos in hopes of having a place of residence there before uprooting the children's lives but she refused to see him. She claimed that he is the same as their parents and is being punished for doing his duty towards them. She wanted nothing to do with their parents or him since their father refused to name Baela his heir.

Laenor was hesitating with his plans now that Rhaenyra is pregnant again. She told him that if the child is a boy, she would name him Joffrey in honor of his lost love. He knows that she wants to fix their relationship but she does not know yet that some things cannot be fixed. When Rhaenyra gave birth, he saw a familiar strands of dark hair and knew immediately what will happen.

Laenor had been very depressed from each loss he endured for a crown that won't even be for him. His only consolation was that the Hightower queen's children were unable to hatch or claim dragons while his children's eggs hatched. He made sure that the dragons would not be killed and smuggled them to dragonstone. He claimed that he needs a few days for himself away from Rhaenyra and his parents. There, he faked his death to free himself from the shackles of his family.

It was quite difficult tracking his children down. He knew that Rhaenyra sent letters to them regularly but he also knew that the highwhore and her lapdog wouldn't let any of those letters arrive. Rhaenyra had not allowed him to send the letters directly since she didn't trust he won't compromise her claim but she did tell him that they are with their paternal uncle. He also knew that a knight had sired them. He made a list of all the white cloaks and could not find his children with any of their families. He then made a list of all the gold cloaks and tried to find them. It didn't cross his mind that Ser Harwin Strong is the father of his children. He knew that Harwin is loyal to Daemon but he believed that this loyalty will stop him from pursuing anything with Rhaenyra.

The living conditions his boys had to endure were not decent even for cattle. Laenor was watching them closely and realized that no adult had visited them all day. Apparently that was the care fitting for the children of the heir to the throne, true Targaryens who hatched their eggs in their cradle. The entire ordeal sickened him. A boy of six namedays was trying to to feed a boy of three namedays. The bread looked stale and was the only thing the boys had. He didn't understand. Didn't Harwin visit them at all?

After two days of watching, Laenor approached the boys. They were terrified of him. They tried to run away but Lucerys fell and his brothers went back for him. Jacaerys was begging him to hurt him and not his brothers. Laenor's heart was breaking all over again.

It took time to earn their trust and for them to allow him to take care of them. Once they started opening up, they told him about their mistreatment at the hand of Larys Strong. How he visits them once a month to give them food. If they finished the food, they would starve for days. He would hit them with his cane and would play games with them. He would go to Jace and tell him that if he performed certain degrading acts, he would not hurt his siblings. Even when Jace does what he wants, he would go to Luke and say the same thing. Joffrey is too young to understand shame or feel degraded so he only opts to beat him up.

Finding out how horrifying his children's lives are, he tried to get them to come with him. He doesn't know where they will go. Laenor wanted to give his children the world but he can only give them stability for now. It is the least they deserve.

10 Years later

Laenor had been living the best life he can. He has a wonderful lover and three beautiful children. The boys are happy and thriving in the free cities. He loves his boys and he knows they love him back. Jacaerys is the perfect heir anyone would wish for. Lucerys is his little pearl. So sweet and brave. Joffrey is a menace but he would go to great lengths to protect his family. He truly loves each and every one of them but he cannot shake the feeling that they are hiding something from him. He had seen how Jacaerys and Lucerys would look at each other and he knows that they are twin flames. This is not what they are hiding. No. It is something else. Something that involves Joffrey too. He was thinking about following the boys and finding out but understands he cannot betray their trust. He has to wait for them.

Laenor has eyes and ears in kingslanding. His sister passed away from the childbirth bed as many women in their family had. Daemon married Rhaenyra before the mourning period ended. Their union had no yielded fruit despite Daemon siring children before and Rhaenyra's experience in childbirth. Rhaenyra is in dire need of an heir yet she has been unable to birth one. There had been whispers about Aegon being her heir. He is her brother. Daemon had been Viserys' heir for years. Other whispers mentioned about Baela being her heir. She is Rhaenyra's stepdaughter and a full Valyrian, unlike Aegon. She is also a dragon rider. Rhaenyra is stuck in the middle of her greatest two loves. Alicent and Daemon. She does not know who to choose. Ironic considering that neither would choose her if the other option was Otto Hightower or Viserys respectively. They had already done that. He wonders if Rhaenyra knows. He hopes she does.

Everytime Laenor hears of problems in kingslanding with Rhaenyra, something ugly in him feels satisfied. He heard of her attempts to find the boys too. Larys Strong claimed that a fire claimed the lives of the boys. The whispers claimed that Rhaenyra wailed like a real mother would. The conflict between the Hightowers and Daemon reached a great height that the Fourteen Flames had to intervene. Other than hearing of this, he could not discover what was discussed. Only that the Faith called the Fourteen Flames false idols and that the Hightowers are pushing for Aegon to be Rhaenyra's heir even more than before. Nothing had been heard about the reaction of the Targeryens or Velaryons.

Laenor had thought of taking the opportunity to gain support for Jacaerys and get him a crown. This was also an opportunity to reunite them with their dragons. He would also love to meet his nieces and reunite with Daemon. The future is looking bright. No matter how the Hightowers try to retaliate, Laenor knows him and his children are true dragons and he would give them their birthright with fire and blood.

#naive rhaenyra #alicent hightower bashing #stupid viserys #laenor velaryon #jacaerys x lucerys #jaceluke #jacaerys velaryon #lucerys velaryon #joffrey velaryon

57 notes · View notes

synchodai · 3 months

Text

Fire & Blood for HotD Viewers

Just realized a lot of people haven't read the book House of the Dragon is based on! For those who don't have the time or resources to read the book, here's a quick primer to Fire and Blood chapters which cover the first season of HotD. I'll be mostly covering what the show has discarded (—), changed (≈), or added (+).

HotD combines the two succession events of 92 AC and 101 AC

92 AC: Jaehaerys I personally declares Baelon (his second son) his heir over Rhaenys (granddaughter of his late eldest son Aemon).

— There were a lot of people who disagreed, most prominent being his wife Queen Alysanne, but unlike his would-be successor Viserys I, King Jaeherys I took the appropriate steps to designate and secure the claims of his heir.

Jaehaerys did not make his decision lightly; he is known to have discussed the matter with his small council. Undoubtedly he consulted Septon Barth, as he did on all important matters, and the views of Grand Maester Elysar were given much weight. All were in accord. Baelon, a seasoned knight of thirty-five, was better suited for rule than the eighteen-year-old Princess Rhaenys or her unborn babe (who might or might not be a boy, whereas Prince Baelon had already sired two healthy sons, Viserys and Daemon). The love of the commons for Baelon the Brave was also cited.

Jaehaerys's decision actually goes against the traditional rules of agnatic primogeniture, but the other factors stated above ultimately led him to pick Baelon over Rhaenys.

101 AC: Baelon's death once again raises the question of succession. The Council of Harrenhal is convened to decide who should be heir. The HBO show briefly depicts this but:

— cuts out the fact that Rhaenys, daughter of Aemon, and Viserys, son of Baelon, weren't the only claimants.

No fewer than fourteen claims were duly examined and considered by the lords assembled. From Essos came three rival competitors,grandsons of King Jaehaerys through his daughter Saera, each sired by a different father.

≈ changes the two claimants with the most support to be Viserys and Rhaenys when it was Viserys and Laenor in the book. Jaehaerys had already established the precedent in 92 AC that a woman can't be heir to the throne.

≈ has Jaehaerys taking part of the proceedings. At this point, he was too infirm to leave King's Landing.

(Now that you see the amount of effort Jaehaerys I went through to designate an heir, you'll understand what I mean when I keep saying that Viserys I did an awful job at this when he was king.)

Alicent Hightower

≈ Alicent was 15/16 when Viserys was 26.

≈ The ailing old king she took care of was Jaehaerys, not Viserys.

+ She and Rhaenyra did not have a close friendship as they would have a 10-year age difference.

≈ Alicent was the one to suggest to Viserys to marry Aegon to Rhaenyra. This shows she's politically savvy enough to anticipate a conflict of succession and preempt it before it began. In the show, it was Otto who suggested it.

— Asked Viserys to assign Criston Cole as her personal protector following the wedding where the Cole killed Joffrey Lonmouth.

≈ Never mistakenly thought Viserys wanted Aegon as his heir by misinterpreting a prophecy he told her on his deathbed.

Viserys I Targaryen

≈ Viserys is illustrated as a fat and jolly man to reflect how he was living in a time of wealth and peace.

≈ His defining characteristic was generosity with his festive tourneys and willingness to lavish people with gifts.

+ He was not known to have dragon dreams or be a scholar of Valyria. His main motivation was just wanting everyone to get along.

≈ He was only 28 when Aemma died and at that age, it would be reasonably expected for him to take a second wife.

+ He did not order Aemma's body to be cut for Baelon. There are no details of how the birth went in the book, save for the fact that Baelon only survived for a day.

≈ Threatened to disinherit Rhaenyra if she didn't agree to wed Laenor Velaryon. In the show, he negotiated with her, convincing her with prophecy and explaining the precarity of their relationship with House Velaryon.

— Almost died from an infected wound he had gotten from one of the blades of the Iron Throne. He only got better when Rhaenyra returned to King's Landing from Dragonstone and replaced the maester who was previously treating the king with her own.

+ Never outwardly hated Aegon II.

Daemon Targaryen

— Was good friends with Corlys Velaryon, especially following the campaign at the Stepstones.

≈ Was not in the Vale when his first wife, Rhea Royce, died.

≈ Battle of the Stepstones was an ongoing campaign that lasted for years. Daemon had to constantly defend that territory from Dorne and the Braavosi Triarchy.

Rhaenyra Targaryen

≈ Her handmaids were two sisters of Harwin Strong, not Alicent.

≈ The scandal wasn't that she was spotted in a pleasure house in Flea Bottom by Otto Hightower. It was that she had tried to seduce Ser Criston Cole, a story that was spread around by the fool Mushroom.

+ Never asked Otto Hightower to be removed as Hand of the King in order to marry Laenor. She only agreed to the betrothal because Viserys threatened to make Aegon heir instead of her if she didn't comply.

+ Never saw a white stag that confirmed she was the chosen one instead of her brother Aegon.

+ It is unclear whether she truly slept with either Criston or Harwin. While Harwin was there during the birth of her sons, he was also her personal champion and protector so he had reason to be there even if he wasn't the father.

≈ Was "stout and thick of waist" by the age of 20 because of her three pregnancies. This is important because the Greens and her other detractors often use her appearance against her.

— Always refered to Alicent's children as her "half-brothers" instead of her brothers (which could explain why Aegon II on the show thought she looked down on him).

— Looked over Laena while Laena was dying from childbirth.

≈ Didn't visit King's Landing to show Viserys her and Daemon's son prior Viserys's death. Viserys objected their union and of course wouldn't want to be presented with their children. It was Helaena and her children who visited Viserys on his deathbed.

Aegon II Targaryen

≈ He never mistakenly thought Viserys chose him instead like on the show.

Moreover, the prince at first refusedto be a part of his mother’s plans. “My sister is the heir, not me,” he says in Eustace’s account. “What sort of brother steals his sister’s birthright?” Only when Ser Criston convinced him that the princess must surely execute him and his brothers should she don the crown did Aegon waver. “Whilst any trueborn Targaryen yet lives, no Strong can ever hope to sit the Iron Throne,” Cole said. “Rhaenyra has no choice but to take your heads if she wishes her bastards to rule after her.” It was this, and only this, that persuaded Aegon to accept thecrown that the small council was offering him, insists our gentle septon.

(Note: Septon Eustace obviously has a bias as one of Aegon II's confidants; it's reasonable to assume that he would minimize Aegon's less savory habits. What is certain was Aegon did not initially want the crown and did indulge his sexual appetites, but whether his was more deviant than Rhaenyra's is up for debate.)

+ Was never caught masturbating in windows. He was, however, seen harassing servant girls and claimed to frequent the Flea Bottom child fighting pits. He was already very wanton and gluttonous in the books but the show ramped it to eleven, making his own bastard children fight and raping a servant girl.

Laena Targaryen nee Velaryon

— Had a close friendship with Rhaenyra.

≈ Was brought to her deathbed after childbirth. She died trying to walk to Vhagar, wishing to ride her one last time (much better than thhe self-immolation on the show imho, but your mileage may vary).

— Daemon carried her corpse back to bed.

≈ It was Laenor's funeral where Aemond claimed Vhagar, not Laena's.

Criston Cole

+ He was never confirmed to be Dornish, but it's not an impossibility. He was from Blackhaven which is situated at the edge of Dorne and the Stormlands.

≈ The tourney where he beat Daemon and won Rhaenyra's favor was not in celebration of the soon-to-be-born Baelon but was in celebration of Viserys having just ascended the throne.

≈ Killed Ser Joffrey Lonmouth in a tourney celebrating Rhaenyra and Laenor's wedding, not in the middle of the feast hall.

≈ Was the person who placed the crown on Aegon, not Otto. This is partially why he is called kingmaker.

Mysaria

≈ Had pale white skin typical of Lysene people.

≈ Actually got pregnant with Daemon's child but "lost her child during a storm on the narrow sea."

Miscellaneous character changes

≈ Rhaenys Targaryen had dark hair inherited from her Baratheon mother. This is important because it makes it more possible for her grandsons Jacaerys, Lucaerys, and Joffrey to have dark hair.

+ Otto Hightower didn't rat out Rhaenyra visiting the pleasure houses of Flea Bottom.

+ Helaena didn't have prophetic visions.

Though plumper and less striking than most Targaryens, Helaena was a pleasant, happy girl, and all agreed she would make a fine mother.

— Daeron was the most popular and handsome of Alicent's three sons.

≈ It was Rhaenys who was eager for battle and insisted they have the upper hand over the Greens with their dragonpower, and it was Daemon who told her that they needed to be cautious.

“Find riders to master Silverwing, Vermithor, and Seasmoke, and we will have nine dragons against Aegon’s four. Mount and fly their wild kin, and we will number twelve, even without Stormcloud,” Princess Rhaenys pointed out. “That is how we shall win this war.” [...] “At what cost?” Princess Rhaenyra wondered. “My sons would be riding three of those dragons, I remind you. [...] It will be five against four, and one of their four will be Vhagar. That is no advantage.” Surprisingly, Prince Daemon agreed with his wife. “ [...] I will not throw our dragons against the usurper’s unless I have no other choice. There are other ways to use them, better ways.” Then the prince laid his own strategies before the black council. [...] “We must fight this war with words before we go to battle,” the prince declared.

+ Melys bursting out of the Dragonpit during Aegon's coronation never happened.

≈ The maesters had a bigger role in the feud between the Blacks and the Greens. Maester Orwyle delivered the Greens' terms to the parley with Rhaenyra, not Otto. Alicent and Rhaenyra disagree which maester should be in charge of Viserys's treatments, each lobbying for their chosen maester to take care of him. (This is important when you remember that Oldtown is the seat of house Hightower and is also home to the Citadel, the institution where maesters are trained).

≈ The twin babes Jaehaerys and Jaehaera were clearly inbred, with Jaehaerys having 12 fingers and 12 toes and Jaehaera being small and simple-minded. Helaena and Aegon also had a second son called Maelor.

+ AEGON'S FRIGGIN' PROPHECY. Condal says in an interview that GRRM casually told the writers that Aegon had a dream about White Walkers sweeping the land, but surely it didn't mean Targaryen magical mandate passed down through generations because the Targ kings did absolutely NOTHING about the Wall. There was no dagger that only showed a message under fire.

#hotd #house of the dragon #long post #fire and blood #maester conspiracy #please remember that fire and blood is only semi-canon and is deliberately presented as not 100% reliable

14 notes · View notes

sihtryggr · 6 months

Text

I saw a comment saying Rhaenyra ‘uses her power/influence/being her father’s favourite’ or whatever to get away with anything while ‘Alicent can’t do anything despite being the Queen’ and it just absolutely irked me (referencing show only) -

Because of Alicent, Criston didn’t (or at least appeared not to) suffer consequences for beating Ser Joffrey Lonmouth to death at Rhaneyra and Laenor’s wedding party which he absolutely should have faced consequences - Joffrey was a knight and sworn sword for House Velaryon and he attended the wedding party as apart of the Velaryon household. Also, Guest Rights. Instead, Criston remains apart of the King’s Guard and becomes Alicent’s sworn shield.

Alicent instigated the bastard rumours. She’s been telling her children of this + putting the idea of usurping Rhaenyra in their heads from young which is evidenced by her conversation with Aegon about him becoming King + Aemond saying of Helaena to Aegon “She’s your future Queen.” All this without consequence other than being told to stop.

Alicent then escaped blame for being the instigator of the bastard rumours because Aemond blamed Aegon.

In the same night, Alicent directly disobeyed Viserys’s order and sought to seek her own version of ‘justice’ by ordering Criston to bring her the eye of 7-year-old Lucerys Velaryon and when Criston couldn’t, she attempted to attack and maim Luke herself!

When she can’t get to Luke because of Rhaenyra, she ends up slicing Rhaenyra’s (heir to the Iron Throne) wrist open - again, all of this without consequence.

Alicent and Otto also enabled Vaemond Velaryon to challenge the succession of Driftmark despite this matter already being clearly settled by Corlys Velaryon and Viserys. They both managed (again) to do this without consequence.

Maybe let’s stop pretending as though Alicent hasn’t gotten away with her own share if you’re going to start comparing and contrasting.

People who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.

#rhaenyra targaryen #pro rhaenyra targaryen #pro team black #anti alicent hightower #anti team green

18 notes · View notes

synkverv · 10 months

Text

the color violet never seemed to glow (until i saw it in your eyes)

Chapter One: fly with me Art by: @ewanmitchellcrumbs Pairing: Alicent/Rhaenyra (Rhaenicent), Laenor/Joffrey Lonmouth (mentioned) Rating: mature Tags & Warnings: alternate universe - 1980s, fluff and smut, angst and humor, period-typical homophobia, body dysmorphia, declarations of love, drinking Word Count: 6,460 AO3: link

Summary: (King's Landing, Westeros, August 1986). Alicent was devastated when Rhaenyra first told her she was moving to the Vale to attend university. So to try and cheer her friend up, Rhaenyra promised to make this the best summer ever. She doted on Alicent, treating her to any and every activity that crossed her mind. But as the date of Rhaenyra’s departure approached, Alicent couldn't help but sink into a depression. She struggled to admit the thoughts that plagued her whole existence: she was in love with Rhaenyra. Perhaps on their final outing together, during all the shopping, eating, sunbathing, drinking, and dancing, she will be brave and say what's always been on her mind. But unbeknownst to her, Rhaenyra has the same idea.

Notes: this is my submission for @hotd-bigbang. and a special thank you to ewanmitchellcrumbs for the header, moodboard, dividers, and for organizing this event so wonderfully!! this was my first big bang and it won’t be my last. it’s been such a fantastic experience. thank you again ewanmitchellcrumbs and it’s been so great working with you!

anyway, thanks for reading! this was initially a one-shot but it grew too long for my liking so i’ve decided to split it up into two chapters (or perhaps more but don’t hold me to that!) chapter two will be posted at a later date, hopefully sooner rather than later.

The Vale.

Once a place that rarely crossed her mind now burrows into her every waking thought. She hates the Vale. Rather, she hates what it will take from her. Stealing away the most prized person in her life and keeping her behind its walls was a worthy enough reason to hate anything. She thinks about the people there, and she hates them, too. She hates all the new individuals who threaten to invade her friend's life. She can’t help but think of those who will replace everyone she had here in King's Landing. A new friend group, a new boy toy, and worst of all, a new best friend. Everything Alicent knows and lives will be nothing but a distant memory to Rhaenyra. Fragments of an old life. Despite her moping, Alicent accepts nothing stays the same forever. It’s life’s impossibility. Change is inevitable. But truthfully, what nineteen-year-old understands that? It’s silly to blame a location for her distress, she knows, but Alicent needs something to take the brunt of her frustration. It helps to focus her attention on the wrong thing, or so she believes it does. She convinces herself it’s easier to despise a place that means little to her than to despise her friend's choices. Or worse, to despise her friend herself.

She’s lying on her back atop her bed’s grey-green duvet. Her ankles are crossed and her fingers are laced together resting limply on her stomach. Her steady breathing conceals the torrent of thoughts racing behind her eyes. The shades are drawn, keeping the otherwise cheerful room as dark as her mood.

Alicent grimaces.

What kind of person would she be if she hated Rhaenyra for pursuing her dreams and goals in life? As her best friend, she should support her in all her endeavors. Even if it hurts. Rhaenyra wants to attend the same university as her mother. So, what? Alicent understands the need to feel close again to one’s late mother if nothing else.

Alicent hadn’t seen her mother in four years before her sudden illness last year. Her father had split up the family when he took up his current job working alongside Rhaenyra’s father in the capital. At his insistence, Alicent and her brothers came to live in King’s Landing to study and make important connections to aid their careers. Grayce, however, refused to move and remained in Oldtown with her brother-in-law, Hobert, and his sweet wife with whom she was close. Otto and Viserys had been friends for longer than either were married but it still shocked the whole family when he chose Viserys over Grayce.

Alicent wishes she asked her mother why she stayed behind. Four years is a long time to spend away from your husband and your children. Why not come? Father avoids the question when I ask , she thinks, I doubt I’ll ever know why now .

Yet though it seemed their marriage was strained for reasons unaddressed, Alicent watched her father become ever-dutiful and caring for his wife when she fell ill. Alicent, her brothers, and her father flew back to Oldtown the second they found out Grayce was sick. They lived at the hospital and Hobert’s home for nearly a full year. Grayce’s funeral was attended by hundreds of mourners from both the Hightower and Redwyne families. Alicent and her siblings stayed under their uncle’s roof for another week after Grayce’s passing before flying home to King’s Landing. It still surprises Alicent that they lasted that long. Otto had grown noticeably aimless and restless following the funeral, annoying his brother, his sister-in-law, his nieces and nephews, everyone. Gwayne later told her he suspected that their father disliked being around the family without being the center of attention, but Alicent, at the time, just believed he struggled to express his grief properly. Losing a mother was hard enough, she couldn’t imagine losing a life partner, the second half of one’s being.

" Allie, door! " her brother calls from downstairs.

She glances at the alarm clock to her right on her bedside table. Half nine , it reads. She’s late, as usual . But Alicent doesn’t care. She never does. Not on the first day of summer or today, the last. Rhaenyra promised to make this the best summer ever, and so far, it had been just that. Yet the thought of it ending lingered in the back of Alicent's mind the whole time, spoiling even the best moments. She’ll never let Nyra know though. She knows her friend feels guilty enough about moving away and she doesn’t want to make it worse on either of them. They avoid the subject.

"Be down in a second!" she shouts. She hears her brother respond but can’t make out what he said. Not that it matters. Gwayne makes snide comments all the time, and they’re so often meaningless. She checks herself out in the mirror on the back of her door, never one to leave the house unmade or underdressed. She brushes the wrinkles out of her light jean shorts and straightens her loose, sleeveless white top. Her crimped auburn hair is full and teased out. It’s almost hard to the touch from the layers and layers of hairspray, just the way she likes it. She grabs a couple of makeup products from her organized desktop and returns to the mirror, leaning almost close enough to brush her nose against it. She quickly slathers her favorite shade of pink lipstick over her lips. Next, she applies a modest amount of black mascara to her lashes, gently accentuating their natural length. Father hates if I wear too much makeup… or any , she thinks as she stares at her reflection. At least he’s not here to see it . She looks down at her hands and frowns. The skin around her fingers is red and angry, sporting more than a few scabs. She used to wear nail polish to distract the eye but she couldn’t keep from picking at the pastel colors. She grew tired of reapplying the polish day after day, so she stopped. Her picking has never been worse, never been so obvious. She hopes Rhaenyra doesn’t mention it.

Alicent snatches her crossbody purse from the hook by her door and all but runs downstairs. She expects to find her friend inside by the backdoor, like usual, but when she gets there, nobody is there. Garage . Rhaenyra never knocks at the front door, not since it got Alicent in trouble for ‘bothering’ her father. Father hates it when Rhaenyra stops by unannounced, or even when it’s planned. Despite Rhaenyra’s father being his best, if not only friend, Otto disliked her. It seems she was ever the thorn in his side, much to the confusion of both girls. He refused to elaborate on his distaste for Rhaenyra no matter how often Alicent would ask. So, the two girls agreed to keep their rendezvous and plans hidden from Otto. Alicent only ever tells her Gwayne, the only brother who still lives with her, where she is going and who she is going with (it’s always Rhaenyra).

Alicent turns from the back door and crosses the house to the kitchen. She finds Gwayne sitting at the kitchen island, a math textbook and notebook splayed open before him. Across the room is the door leading to the garage, cracked open just a hair.

Without looking up, he says, "Father won't be home until late again. Make sure you're back before then ‘cause I can’t cover for you." She nods, knowing Gwayne has plans to see his girlfriend that night. Alicent turns to leave but Gwayne speaks up again. "Hey." She looks back at him, her hand on the garage door handle.

"Yeah?"

"Have fun."

"Thanks," Alicent says, flashing a soft grin. “You, too.” She pushes the door aside and sees Rhaenyra leaning casually against her bike, parked inside the open garage. With her back to Alicent, she doesn’t immediately acknowledge her presence. Her friend’s eyes are locked on the empty driveway and road. Alicent smiles as she regards Rhaenyra. Ever the rebel, she wears a bulky leather jacket over an all too familiar, clearly favored purple tube top romper. Her long silver-gold hair runs down her jacket like a calm waterfall. She cradles a black helmet under her left arm and rests her dominant hand on top of a secondary helmet sitting on the motorcycle’s seat.

“Does it work now?” Alicent asks as she closes the door behind her, breaking the silence and announcing herself. Rhaenyra whips around, grinning.

"Of course. I made it here didn’t I?”

“You made it all the way to Harwin’s last time, too.” Rhaenyra flushed, playfully rolling her eyes.

“Daemon helped me fix it up after it broke down. It's not gonna fall apart again." She glanced at the yellow motorcycle and made a face. "Probably. Anyway, let's go." She jumps away from her bike, dropping the helmet beside the other, and takes Alicent’s hands in her own. "Fly with me," she says, a fox-like smirk pulling at the left corner of her mouth. Mischief flickers in her violet eyes.

"Why is it such a secret this time, Rhaenyra? What have you planned?"

"And spoil everything? You trust me, right?"

"Yes, of course I do..."

"So, hop on." Rhaenyra pulls Alicent to the motorcycle and drops her hands. She swings a leg over the seat and plops down onto the fabric seat. She yanks one of the helmets down over her head and holds out the second for Alicent. Alicent takes the helmet, puts it on, and sits behind Rhaenyra. The seat isn’t the largest, but neither of the girls is particularly big. They fit, but just barely. Alicent clasps her hands together around her friend’s waist as Rhaenyra fires up the engine. She held onto Rhaenyra a little tighter than was necessary, but Rhaenyra didn’t complain. Alicent hates motorcycles, especially this beat-up old thing, but Rhaenyra was proud of her tinkering skills. So, she ignores her fears. If it makes Nyra happy, it makes her happy ( it gives her an excuse to hold on to Rhaenyra ).

Rhaenyra speeds out of the garage and barrels down Alicent's neighborhood street. Anxious, Alicent leans her body against Nyra for support. She can’t help but close her eyes as they drive through the claustrophobic streets of King's Landing. She feels the wind tugging at her hair, the red mess flying behind her like a flag. Her hairspray fights back as best it can, but she knows the style is ruined. Oh, well . It isn’t something she didn’t anticipate. Rhaenyra’s antics have ruined more than a few hairdos and outfits. What’s one more?

Alicent feels Rhaenyra steering them further and further south, and then the realization comes to her. She knows exactly where they are going even without looking. She had lived here long enough. If she wasn't so terrified, she would smile.

A day at the beach, so it is , she thinks when they finally stop. Rhaenyra had parked along a residential street behind the Conqueror's Boardwalk, sandwiching them in between a gold sedan and a black SUV. The girls dismount and Alicent looks around at the buildings lining the boardwalk. She spies countless other people walking about in their swimsuits, coverups, and regular day clothes. It’s a superbly pleasant day to Alicent. There isn’t a cloud in the sky but a cool ocean breeze offers some relief from the summer heat.

“The beach then?” Alicent asks, giggling softly. “Why was this a secret?”

“It’s not just the beach.”

“What else?”

“You’ll see,” Rhaenyra says, flashing a white grin. “Let’s go!” And without another word, she dashes off towards the boardwalk.

“Wait, Nyra!” Alicent calls after her, jogging after her as quickly as she can.

“Come on! Hurry up!”

“I’m trying!” She struggles to keep up since running isn’t her strong suit. Westerosi people don’t exercise as much as they should. When she catches up, she finds Rhaenyra waiting outside a cute shop on the boardwalk. Just Seahorsing Around , reads the sign above the building. Seahorse decals cover the windows, accompanying numerous more seahorse puns. She can’t help but smile at the ridiculous place. From the exterior, she isn’t sure what they sell inside. Aside from jokes, anyway. Her friend, however, seems familiar with the shop. Just as Alicent opens her mouth to ask, Rhaenyra takes Alicent by the wrist and guides her inside the store.

Though a modest building size, she can’t say the owners don’t utilize the space efficiently. She eyes the circular racks at the front stuffed with hanging bathing suits of all shapes, sizes, and colors. Flip-flops, beach bags, coolers, towels, sunscreen lotion, umbrellas, volleyballs, and sandcastle toys for little ones occupy the numerous free-standing shelves and display tables that dot the floor. By the register, there are various snacks like bagged chips, soda, fruity hard candy, and individually wrapped Twinkies for customers. She notes that they don’t sell anything that can significantly melt in the summer heat like chocolates and cold treats. It was anything and everything a beachgoer could possibly want, and Alicent was almost awestruck.

“We’ll obviously need to change,” Rhaenyra says, still pulling Alicent along as if worrying she might get lost in the store. “Unless you prefer your underwear.” She winks with an open smile.

“No!” Alicent says. “How absurd!” She giggles as she pictures herself wading in the ocean water in her bra and panties. “You know, I have a perfectly good bathing suit at home I could have brought?”

“That old blue and cream thing? Nah, you desperately need something new. Something from this decade.” Rhaenyra drops Alicent’s arm and stops at a large rack packed with countless hanging suits, one and two-piece alike.

“It’s only two years old,” Alicent says.

“Whatever. It screams Yucksville ‘75, dude. Now,” Rhaenyra says as she begins fingering through the available options, “treat yourself to 1986. See, now these are bitchin’.” She pulls out two hangers and grins. “Here, hold these a sec’,” she says, shoving the swimsuits at Alicent. She returns her attention to the rack and grabs a few more choices. Rhaenyra looks around the store and says, “Ah!” when she spots a changing area at the back. “I’m gonna try these on real quick.” Alicent hands back the suits and watches her practically skip into one of the changing room stalls.

She laughs to herself and begins to skim through the rack herself. She wants something that isn’t too revealing nor too prudish like her old blue one-piece. Yet, she has trouble finding the one . She isn’t as confident in her body as Rhaenyra is with her perfect figure and curves in all the right places. Alicent is stick-thin by comparison. She worries that her bones are too visible, that her veins show through her skin too much, that she’s too tall, and other such silly things. Still, she wants to be confident in front of her friend. Even if she has to pretend. She shakes her head. She’s supposed to enjoy this day, the last day she’ll have with Rhaenyra, and she can’t let body image issues take any enjoyment away from her.

Alicent picks out three different swimsuits, three she would never normally wear. She thinks they would look stunning on Rhaenyra, so why not on her, too?

“So, what do you think?” Alicent didn’t hear Rhaenyra behind her until she spoke. She turns around to see Rhaenyra posing in one of the suits, barefoot. She is holding one hand on her hip while the other frames one side of her round face. Her grin is infectious as she shows off a deep red bikini with high-cut bottoms and a twisted bandeau top. Of course, that’s what she picked .

“I think it’s very you.” Rhaenyra’s brows shoot up and her grin widens.

“Good, ‘cause this is what I liked best.” Rhaenyra’s eyes drift to the swimsuits Alicent had draped over one arm. “Those look cute,” she says, that mischievous sparkle returning to her eyes. Before she says anything, Rhaenyra once more attaches herself to Alicent. Still grinning, she pulls them over to the changing rooms. Rhaenyra opens a stall and squeezes the both of them inside, latching the thin wooden door behind her. Alicent doesn’t protest, at least, not much.

“Won’t we get in trouble?” Alicent whispers.

“For what? We’re not doing anything. Mothers take their little kiddos in with them all the time, what’s the harm?” She thinks about mentioning that they are two fully grown girls, not a mother-and-daughter duo, but she gives up. Although Alicent trembles at the mere thought of getting in trouble with authority, Rhaenyra has an oddly calming effect on her. If she knows about that power, Alicent thinks she could encourage her to do anything she wants. Hmph, perhaps she already does , she thinks, looking at her friend in the stall with her. She’s a terrible influence but I wouldn’t change a thing .

“Fine, I hope you’re right.” She’ll keep her voice down all the same. Alicent slings the swimsuits over the top of the door as there are no hooks or anywhere to sit in the tiny stall.

Despite her personal issues with her body, she never is shy to change in front of Rhaenyra. Perhaps she’s a little coy, but Nyra doesn’t have anything different… down there . She’s seen her friend naked more times than she can count, and vice versa. Flesh is flesh. Alicent shrugs off her white blouse, kicks off her black flats, and steps out of her jeans. She throws the clothes over the door before unclasping her bra and pulling down her panties. Rhaenyra offers to hold them instead of adding them to the crowd of clothing. Alicent thanks her, handing them over, and takes one of the suits down to try on.

She looks at herself in the mirror hanging on the back wall and huffs. It’s not to her liking. Rhaenyra agrees, so Alicent tries the second one on. She likes it better, but the bottom sags and makes her butt look strange. Not an ideal look. She grabs the third which, out of the three, is far superior. The flounced top and skirted bottom suit her more girlish style while highlighting her bosom and ass. She loves the rich green shade against her pale skin. She shakes her head, raking her fingers through her hair to bring it all forward over her shoulders. Rhaenyra peers into the mirror from behind Alicent, smirking.

“I have an idea,” she says. “Switch tops with me.”

“Why?”

“We’ll match. Or we’ll mismatch together. C’mon, please?” Rhaenyra pouts, batting her long white lashes at Alicent. As always, she can’t seem to say no. Alicent signs and pulls off her top, Rhaenyra doing the same. They swap and admire themselves in the mirror, Rhaenyra wearing green up top and red on the bottom and Alicent the reverse. Rhaenyra shakes her breasts back and forth, making the flounced top flutter. Alicent feels her cheeks warming and averts her eyes to her own chest. The red top flatters her figure as well as the other, but the cut wasn’t something she would choose herself. The top threatens to slip down to her waist any minute. At least, that’s how it feels. It isn’t as tight and secure as the tops she typically wears. Father would despise me in this , she thinks. And suddenly a thought comes to her. She wonders if it’s always been her father’s voice in her head that says unflattering and negative things about her body. Bravely, she pushes the negativity aside. Father would never allow me to wear this . But he isn’t here . She looks at her pink lips and black eyelashes, and a soft smile comes to her mouth. What harm is one more little secret? She sighs, pulling the top up as far as she can without showing the underside of her breasts. But she’ll make do if it makes her friend happy. And she does seem so happy.

They gather up the rejected suits and their clothes then exit the changing room in their new swimsuits. Alicent tries her best to look inconspicuous while Rhaenyra does not care either way. Both are barefoot as they carry their shoes in one hand with their outfits resting over an arm.

“We just need a few more things,” Rhaenyra says, “then we can properly enjoy ourselves.” I’m already enjoying myself plenty , Alicent thinks, just being with you . She nods and follows as Rhaenyra approaches a long shelving unit that almost runs the whole length of the store. They each pick out a cheap towel and a pair of flip-flops before heading to the front where they browse a rack of sunglasses. Rhaenyra chooses a pair of traditional black aviators but Alicent picks a gold-framed pair with thin, pink rectangle lenses. They aren’t ideal for fighting off the sunlight, however, they are simply too cute to resist.

“Any snacks?” Rhaenyra says as they near the cashier’s counter. Alicent glances at the options again and shakes her head.

“I should limit my bad habits,” she answers, eyeing the chips and soda. They each place their towels, flip-flops, and glasses on the counter. The cashier welcomes them and begins calculating their items on the cash register. They take turns showing the tags on their swimwear for him to total as well. He’s a tall boy around their age, in his mid-teens Alicent guesses. He has silver dreadlocks that dust the shoulders of his teal t-shirt and an otherwise dark complexion. He smells both spicy and sweet, like gardenias or freshly cut grass. He’s nothing like the average beach bum, looking out of place and uncomfortable behind the store’s counter. She senses a longing from him. He’s familiar to her but she can’t place where they might have met before. School, probably. Her eyes lock on the lanyard around his neck clasping a white name card that reads Laenor . Hm .

“Y’know, if you’re hungry, there’s an ice cream shop a little way down the boardwalk,” Laenor suggests. His voice is calm and quiet; Alicent has to stain her ears just to hear him. “Just head towards the pier and you’ll see it on the way. Wylde Flavors. They specialize in all sorts of unique tastes… if you’re interested in that kinda thing.” The girls shoot each other a look before Rhaenyra tells him that sounds like a fine idea. She thanks him and flashes a tight smile. “Need a bag?” Rhaenyra nods her head, avoiding eye contact as she takes a tote bag from Laenor. He smiles awkwardly in return as she packs their towels, her romper, jacket, and shoes inside. Alicent shoves her own clothes in the bag and puts on her pair of flip-flops. Fiddling with her sunglasses, she looks back and forth between the other two, her brows furrowing. What’s their damage?

“So,” Rhaenyra says after clearing her throat, “how’s Laena doing?”

“Oh, she’s fine, yeah. Fine, she’s good. She’s been, uh, overseas all summer but she calls me every night.”

“Yeah? What’s she doing over…?”

“Um, in Pentos, yeah. It’s some horse racing thing. She competes now. Her mare is this beast of a thing. Scares Papa but you know how he dotes on her.” Rhaenyra nods.

“I remember her saying something about wanting to own a horse a few times,” Rhaenyra says with a genuine smile. “Glad she’s doing that for herself.”

“Yeah, yeah, we’re all very proud of her.”

“I expect she’ll be bringing the gold home.”

“Without a doubt, yeah. She’d spend all day every day on that horse if she could.”

“When does she come back home?”

“Oh, uh, two weeks from Thursday?”

“Nice. Well, give my love to her and hope you’re doing good, too.”

“I am, yeah, thanks.”

“Good! Good. See you ‘round then.” Rhaenyra throws the tote back over a shoulder, slides on her flip-flops and glasses, and takes Alicent by the arm. Laenor waves goodbye to Alicent as Rhaenyra all but drags her outside. All she can do is offer a confused expression in return before.

Sunlight splashes off Rhaenyra’s pale skin as they stand on the busy boardwalk, half-blinding Alicent. She breaks away from her friend’s grasp with a jerk of her arm. Rhaenyra turns back and Alicent says with a short laugh,

“What the hell was all that?” She poses the question in a friendly way but doesn’t hide her bewilderment from the odd interaction. She had never seen such an awkward, stiff conversation from Rhaenyra before.

“We… dated for a couple of months,” Rhaenyra admits. “But it wasn’t a serious thing.”

“What, when was this?” Rhaenyra tells me everything . Why would she keep him a secret?

“While you were back in Oldtown.” Oh . Alicent’s expression sours. Mama . She feels a knot forming in her stomach, weighing her down as her thoughts put words in Rhaenyra’s mouth. She wants to puke.

“Why didn’t you mention it when I came back? Boyfriends are usually worth mentioning,” she says. The friendliness is notably gone from her tone now.

“I don’t know… Slipped my mind?” Alicent gives her a disbelieving expression, tilting her head. Rhaenyra sighs. “He’s a nice boy and we were hanging out a lot anyway; his dad is friends with mine, yeah? I thought there was a spark, but… we weren’t the fit I thought we were.”

“That’s it?” It can’t be. A flurry of images crosses her mind and she shivers with disgust. She pictures Laenor’s soft hands all over Rhaenyra, and hers on him. Their lips touching, her head resting on his chest. I can’t stand to think of you in the arms of anyone else. To think their fingers brushed against your flawless skin and got tangled in your white hair, it’s torture. Boys always lick their lips like hungry beasts when they look at you. But you’re more than a lamb to the slaughter to me. I wish you’d take me, feed me, eat me . Rhaenyra looks ashamed, embarrassed, and a different thought grows in Alicent’s mind. Did he hurt her? But before she could ponder it anymore, Rhaenyra speaks up.

“He’s… a queer, all right? I realized maybe two months in that he was in love with his ‘best friend’ and not me. I wasn’t going to be his beard. It wasn’t fair to me and it’s not fair to him.”

“I see,” Alicent says, relief washing over her in an instant. “That was probably the best thing.”

“Yeah,” Rhaenyra says. “Don’t, like, tell people. He really is a nice boy and I’m not sure he’s… comfortable with himself yet. It’s not exactly cool to be like that, y’know?” Yeah, I know .

“My lips are sealed.” Alicent pinches two fingers together and drags them across her lips. Changing the topic, she says, “So how about that ice cream place?” Rhaenyra brightens in an instant.

“It’s a brilliant idea for such a hot day! Come.” And with that, Rhaenyra has her hand around Alicent’s wrist again and pulls her along. There’s something desperate in the way Rhaenyra clings to Alicent.

Laenor had been right, the ice cream shop wasn’t terribly far away. But although Alicent expected to stop in a similar-sized building to Just Seahorsing Around, they instead find themselves at a small stand on the boardwalk. An older woman greets them, telling them to take their time deciding what they want. The girls thank her. Alicent squints at the stand’s menu, frowning as she reads through the ‘unique’ options. Peanut butter and chocolate chip? Mint pistachio? Cookies and cream and strawberry? Lazy creativity, she thinks. She glances at Rhaenyra who seems more delighted with the choices.�� She rolls her eyes, smiling. At least there are still normal flavors for me.

After a few minutes, Alicent orders a medium cup of regular mint chocolate chip. She thanks the woman again when she is handed the food and a plastic spoon. Rhaenyra hums, still eyeing the menu as Alicent takes a small bite. It’s frigid! She nearly spits her bite out, worrying it will aggravate her sensitive molar. She holds the bite on her tongue, letting it melt and run down her throat. I’ll let it warm a little before I have another bite, she thinks.

“I’ll have, uh, a peanut butter— wait, no. How about a… Actually, just a double scoop of the cookie dough. In a waffle cone, please,” Rhaenyra says.

“Sure thing, kiddo,” the woman replies. She passes the cone to Rhaenyra and plops two generous scoops of ice cream on top. They pay separately and walk further down the boardwalk. Their chatter is nothing special.

Did you hear the Triarchy’s new song?

Yeah! It was on the radio last night. Even Gwayne said he liked it.

It was bitchin’. I wish Whyte Wyrm would come around, I’d kill to see ‘em live.

Maybe I’ll visit and take you to the concert when they come to the Vale.

I’d love that.

As they talk, Rhaenyra begins to scout out an area on the beach for them to set up. Their arms are interlocked, the two girls now walking side-by-side without care in the world. All the morose thoughts, all the negativity, had vanished. She’s in a true state of bliss… until she hears it. Alicent’s chest tightens as a wolf whistle pierces through the air behind them. She wishes she could drop her food and cover herself up. She wants to run away and hide from predatory eyes. She never shows so much of her body, she knows it was a mistake.

As if sensing Alicent’s distress, or acting out of her own fury, Rhaenyra whips around to face the whistler.

“Hey!” Nyra shouts. Alicent musters up the courage to look back, too. She’s shocked to see two boys significantly younger than herself perched on the wooden rail of the boardwalk. Their backs are to the beach, feet swinging below them. They are an odd couple, to be sure. She first eyes the one with dark, greased-back hair and a yellow button-down shirt. He is a large person, comically so compared to his friend. His friend, the closer of the two and the whistler if his smirk was any giveaway, is easily a third of his weight. He had sandy hair that was in desperate need of trimming as the bangs were more like curtains for his eyes. Neither looks old enough to be in high school, but people seem to retain their youth longer nowadays. Gwayne is almost seventeen, she thinks, and he still has baby fat in his cheeks. Regardless of their age, they’re too young to be acting like creepy old men.

Rhaenyra smirks at Alicent, mischief sparkling in her eyes yet again, and chucks her ice cream cone at the closest boy. It hits him square in the face, covering his face, hair, and the collar of his tee. Ice cream drips from his bangs onto his pants and shoes. He blinks through the food before wiping the rest out of his eyes. Alicent’s mouth drops open as the second boy guffaws, slapping his friend’s back. The first boy, his clothes now saturated in Rhaenyra’s frozen treat, growls at the other. He lunges for the dark-haired boy, tackling him to the ground. Alicent watches as he drives his fists into his gut over and over again. Left, right . Left, right . Left, right . The boy on the ground tries his best to block the hits with his arms, grunting as he fights off his small attacker. She can’t help but compare them to a pissed-off Chihuahua on top of an adult Pittie.

“Willie, knock it off! Willie! Stop!” the bigger boy says between punches.

“Don’t call me Willie, Jerry !”

“Fuck you! You know that’s my dog’s name!”

“Aw, named after the dog, boo hoo hoo.”

Rhaenyra cackles, invariably proud of the chaos she causes. She takes Alicent’s wrist and draws her away from the ridiculous scene. They jump off the boardwalk, landing on the sand of the crowded beach. Rhaenyra doesn’t let go until they find a spot far enough away that neither girl can still see the boys.

Giggling, Alicent says, “I can’t believe you did that!”

“Can’t you?” Her smile falters a bit, seeing a strange glint in Rhaenyra’s violet eyes. She pushes the subconscious question aside and laughs again.

“Of course. It would be unlike you not to cause a mess.” The strangeness vanishes from her friend’s features as she laughs. “But now you’ve wasted your ice cream.”

“It’s all right,” Rhaenyra says, but Alicent knows Rhaenyra wanted the food more than she did.

“Here.” Alicent holds out her cup. “I’ve got more than I can eat.” Rhaenyra grabs the spoon and takes a modest bite. “Have more than that,” Alicent says with a small laugh. They take turns with the spoon, Alicent eating much less than her friend. Before long the girls empty the paper cup, both satisfied. Alicent tosses the trash in a nearby garbage can like she had seen the guys at high school practice do a thousand times before. Rhaenyra holds up ten fingers.

“A perfect score!” she says.

“You’re not playing favorites, are you?” Alicent asks with a smug grin.

“Absolutely not. I can’t help that the cutest player is also the best.” Another smile. Rhaenyra suggests they find a spot on the beach to sunbathe for a while. As they start scouting, Alicent stops.

“Shit.”

“What?”

“We forgot to buy sunscreen. I’ll run back —”

“Nah, we don’t need it.”

“You sure?”

“Fire cannot kill a dragon.” Rhaenyra winks. But I’m not a dragon, Alicent thinks. Rhaenyra touches her arm, turns, and takes off further down the beach. Sand kicks up behind her feet like fireworks. “C’mon!” she calls back. Alicent watches the sunlight bounce off Rhaenyra’s blonde hair as it dances after her in the wind. Such impossible beauty. Her hair must be spun from a spool of silver-gold thread. Alicent shakes herself out of her daze and follows after Rhaenyra. When she finally stops running, Alicent realizes how isolated they are. She can’t see anybody else around, just the sand and the splashing waves. It’s their private piece of land, for all intents and purposes. She smiles.

“Here?” Rhaenyra asks.

“Sure, why not?” It’ll be nice to have the privacy , she thinks. Rhaenyra drops the tote bag down on the ground and pulls out their towels. Alicent takes her black and gold striped towel and lays it down over the hot sand. Rhaenyra does the same, setting hers hardly an inch from Alicent’s. Sitting down on the towel, she pops off her flip-flops and sets them next to her in the sand. Both girls lie down on their backs, adjusting to achieve maximum comfort. Alicent stretches her arms over her head, resting one arm on her forehead and the other on the towel. She crosses one ankle over the other and steals a quick glance at Rhaenyra. Her arms are lying still by her sides and her legs are positioned like thin, white mountains, knees to the sky. Alicent closes her eyes, focusing on her breathing. If she’s lucky, she’ll get a little nap.

She isn’t sure how much time has passed when Rhaenyra’s voice startles her awake.

“This is really pleasant,” Rhaenyra says with a sigh. “We needed this. It’s not too long now before I leave.” Alicent’s eyes crack open and she moves her arms down beside her.

“Do we have to think about you leaving?” she asks, her voice low. My whole world will change when I can’t see you every day.

“You’re right, it’s not a happy subject.” Rhaenyra turns her head to look at Alicent. “Hey, I’m sorry I brought it up.” She goes quiet but only for a second. “Want me to make it up to you?”

“Is that not what today is?” Rhaenyra smiles.

“Partly,” she says as she rolls onto her side, propping her head up with an arm.

“Oh? How else will you make it up to me?” Alicent asks, smirking.

“Like… this …” Alicent feels Rhaenyra’s hand sneak across her bare stomach and slip under the hem of her swim bottoms. She freezes and so does Nyra’s hand. The two girls make eye contact, and a silent agreement is made. Is this real? Alicent thinks as Rhaenyra’s middle finger glides over her soft, dry clit. It rubs back and forth, massaging gently. Alicent’s breathing starts to deepen and she speads her legs. She watches her breasts rise and fall as Rhaenyra’s movements grow in intensity.

“I love a shaved pussy,” Rhaenyra says under her breath. Her thumb rubs against the hairless mons venus as her index and middle finger continue to work Alicent’s swollen clit. Moisture spreads over her lips and spills down her cheeks, collecting at the bottom of her swimsuit. Never had she been so thankful for dark clothes before. She can feel the burning pressure building inside of her, the heat promising an explosive orgasm. Her right leg quivers and she rolls her hips as Rhaenyra plays her like an instrument. She hears the panting and the moans coming from her own mouth. Rhaenyra kisses her flat stomach and she cums.

If she could think coherently, she might have been embarrassed she came so quickly. She might have worried someone might see them. But she can’t think straight, not when it started and certainly not now. Her head is empty as her body buzzes with pleasure. Rhaenyra leaves another kiss on her stomach and pulls her hand out of Alicent’s swimsuit. Nyra smiles, staring up at Alicent, and sucks on her fingers.

“Delicious,” she says. Both giggle softly. Alicent turns on her side to face Rhaenyra. They stay like that for a time, Alicent isn’t sure how long, just looking at each other. Rhaenyra’s violet eyes seem to glow, saying everything her mouth isn’t. But what was the ultimate experience, the very thing Alicent secretly dreamed about every night, makes their situation that much harder. Rhaenyra will leave for the Vale and leave Alicent behind. She’ll cry and pray to see her at every possible opportunity. Yet, it can’t soften the sting of separation.

Rhaenyra’s eyebrows press together. “Hey,” she says. “I hate to see you in this mood. Why not liven up and party? Just the two of us, right here.”

“Okay,” Alicent agrees, smiling. As long as she’s here, she knows Rhaenyra will care for her. She has to treasure and make the most of the limited time they have left.

“I’m gonna get us some booze.” Alicent nods and Rhaenyra takes off towards the boardwalk. She lies back down on her towel, closes her eyes, and waits.

#synwrites #hotd big bang #house of the dragon big bang #alicent hightower #rhaenyra targaryen #rhaenicent #alicent x rhaenyra #rhaenyra x alicent #laenor velaryon #hotd #hotd fanfic #hotd fic #i really can't thank ewanmitchellcrumbs enough 🙌🙏💜#everybody needs to shower her with love for organizing this event bc she did an incredible job #and yes i turned syrax into a jankey motorcycle lmfao

20 notes · View notes

lya-dustin · 10 months

Text

Shock and Delight

Chapter 7

Aemond knows exactly at what Helaena is hinting.

Subtlety has never been a skill she knows.

“She beat a man for burning down her school last I went to Dragonstone.” His sister said as she combed his hair like he was one of her children.

“I know why Rhaenyra wants me to wed her daughter, but why are you shoving her my way, sister.” He sat still for her but did make his displeasure known with a huff.

Had to be obvious with Helaena or she wouldn’t capture the meaning of it.

Oftentimes insults would be lost on her until someone explained it plainly and it was always Aemond who had the misfortune of explaining it to her.

“You are lonely, and you see her as Aemma and not the future queen of the realm.” His sister answered as if it had been obvious.

“I am not lonely, I like being alone, which is utterly different.” He says in his defense and ignoring the second part all together.

Helaena and Aemma had always been friends. Inseparable when they all lived in the Red Keep and always butting heads with mother and the septas in charge of their lessons.

Aemma and Aemond had bonded over their lack of dragons until the Pink Dread happened and she was taken to her grandmother for asking why Criston was still a Kingsguard after killing Ser Joffrey Lonmouth. She had been Aemee to him, Aemee who liked books just as much as he did, Aemee who claimed Silverwing the same day she turned eleven.

“Just give it a chance, for me.” Helaena looked at him with her dreamy and slightly misty eyes knowing he’d agree to anything because no one could ever say no to her.

Despite her naivety, Helaena could manipulate you to do her bidding. Often people forgot she was an adult and not a child stuck in her own world.

“Fine, but if it goes to hell, I need your word you won’t try again.” Aemond agrees and throws in his condition knowing his sister will keep her word.

Shouldn’t be that difficult, Aemond is the king of being rude and off-putting.

Sweet Aemma will end the night as disappointed as all the ladies before her.

It's almost mocking.

No, its actual mocking and Rhaena hates that she’s getting the best seat in the house for this wheelhouse wreck and having to water it down to prevent getting caught.

“When in Dorne do as the Dornish do.” Aemma said with an impish grin and twirled in her green satin dress.

Baela had chosen a teal too close to green and Rhaena had been bribed into wearing the matching one.

“I think Ser Criston might take offense at that.” Rhaena comments as she found the emerald earrings that matched her brooch.

“Oh, it’s just harmless fun, Rhae. Besides Rhaenyra said as part of these celebrations we may be forced to wear their colors and they ours. If we start now, we get the advantage.” Baela approached this as a battle strategy, a hobby of hers now that Jace is grandfather’s first mate aboard the Sea Snake. “As the Yi-Tish general Sun Tzu said, to know your enemy you must become them.”

The Stepstones were also Baela and Rhaena’s dowry, so it was in their best interest that they be completely under Velaryon control. A paltry excuse Jace gave as he joined grandfather’s latest campaign that did not work as intended.

For now, everyone believes he is doing it to gain an advantage over the Queen’s sons by being a warrior in the true sense of the word and not because he intends to wed Baela on their next name day.

“Aemma called the queen tacky for it.” She points out as if she hadn’t transcribed Aemma word for word that night.

“Yes, I did say that because it’s the truth. I merely want to fuck up her evening for sending Lyonel my way.” Aemma clarified as they left her rooms. “Who knows we might gain some ground by showing green is merely a color.”

“You’re playing with fire, Aem.” Rhaena cautioned.

“Oh, sweet sister, fire doesn’t burn a dragon.” The heiress dismissed her worries with a wave of a hand.

Green had become her armor since that night.

A safe and meaningful color that said she wasn’t the weak little girl wearing a crown too big for her. A color that said she wasn’t just Alicent, she was Queen Alicent.

A color that told you she would fight tooth and nail for her son’s rightful crown.

“That color suits you so well, niece.” She hears Helaena say sweetly with no malice whatsoever.

Queen Alicent chokes on her water when she sees her enemies’ children wearing her color.

“Lady Grandmother, are you well?” The doe eyed little snake has the audacity to ask as comes in as green as a honeydew.

A rotten honeydew.

“I am, thank you for asking, your highness.” Alicent hides her irritation well enough. This evening can’t end soon enough. “I don’t think I recall you ever wearing green.”

“Well, it’s such a nice color, I don’t see any reason for me to pass up the opportunity to wear it.” The princess had already ended the fashion of ostrich feathers for girls coming out into society, now she came to end the fashion of wearing your factions’ colors to show your loyalty with a polite smile and gossip sheets.

Rhaenyra and Rhaenys did well. Had she been a boy or become a warrior like Princess Alyssa, she would have been unstoppable.

But the crown was Aegon’s right because of his birth, even if Aemma was Alysanne reborn as her mother’s faction has claimed, she couldn’t steal her son’s rightful inheritance.

Or your place in the order, a voice whispers in her ear.

Alicent resolves to put that out of her mind until she sees Helaena’s placements at the table.

On the outside they looked perfect together, the rider of the largest dragon, the prodigy who mastered all he could be taught by maesters and masters-at-arms alike, the worthier son sat beside the heiress, the girl who rides Queen Alysanne's dragon, the young woman who is more than capable enough to rule and knows it.

But they cannot. Not when they lose everything because what mother can choose which son dies?

No, Helaena must’ve not thought this through. Yes, it must have been a coincidence, there was no way her sweet daughter would encourage anything between Aemond and Aemma.

Aemma was meant to become their hostage by marrying Lyonel, Aemma couldn’t marry anyone else, least of all, her second eldest son.

Despite the tension and their attempts to lighten things up dinner is rather boring.

Aemma is made to sit next to Aemond, and he is not in the mood to humor her in the least. Speaks when spoken to and save for, could you pass me the bread rolls, he has not supplied conversation.

A very dull evening.

“Is the evening not to your liking, Aemee?” he asks mocking her with the childhood nickname she’d almost forgotten. If the question hadn’t been intended to aggravate her, she would’ve been touched by him remembering it.

And because Aemma has lived with Daemon for nearly eight years, she knows the best way to make him shut up is by ignoring him.

They thrive on provoking people and if she denies him his sport, he will look elsewhere for it.

“My sister has thrown this dinner for the sole purpose of sitting me beside you, I would think you’d be pleased about it.” He begins again, assuming she’d been part of this scheme.

“Well, you thought wrong.” Aemma said simply and helping herself to the simple but fine fare Helaena had put out.

He was the perfect suitor, a dragon rider, high enough in rank and in his mother’s faction to give them a good advantage, but unfortunately, he is Aemond.

Aemond who lost his eye to her younger brother, Aemond who calls her mother a whore and Aemond who loves his mother beyond anyone else save Helaena.

He was as unsuitable as Lyonel Hightower.

What the fuck was Helaena thinking?

“I’m surprised to know you aren’t part of my sister’s scheme.” He admits wanting to keep the conversation going despite her not wanting to. The tables have turned and Aemma is not liking this one bit.

When she wanted to talk to him, he barely gave her two worded answers. She should repay him with the same coin, but she is annoyed. It’s not like there is anything else to speak about other than the gossip sheet Daeron is so interested in or Daemon’s new campaign on the Stepstones.

“Are you so full of yourself you think every lady in court desires you?” Aemma asks, looking to hurt him and feeling some triumph when his eye shows she hit her mark. “Believe it or not, I still think you are the second to last man I’d ever consider for a husband.”

“Glad to know Cousin Lyonel is still dead last.” He remarks dryly.

#aemma velaryon #aemond targaryen x velaryon!oc #ocappreciationtag #aemond targaryen #shock and delight fic #bridgerton!au #ewan mitchell #aemond targaryen x ofc #aemond targaryen x oc

14 notes · View notes