𝙺𝙰𝙻𝙾𝙽 ° aemond targaryen

Act One, Scene Twelve

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"𝙲𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝙰𝚜 𝙳𝚊𝚢"
𝟷𝟸𝟾 𝙰𝙲 - 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝚁𝚎𝚍 𝙺𝚎𝚎𝚙
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THE ROOM WAS QUIET AS the early morning sun shone in through the open windows. The girl had just dressed for the day, and had sat down at her small table to break her fast when a knock came at her door. Not looking up from the book she was reading, she called for whoever it was to enter.

    The sound of the door opening was heard throughout the small room. "The queen, princess," A knight spoke up, causing the girl to turn her head and rise when the woman walked into the room.

    "Your Grace," Vaella greeted with a small bow of her head, giving her tilted smile to the woman.

    "Sit, my dear." Her voice was warm, her own smile gracing her beautifully aging features.

Not arguing with her, the young girl of ten and six lowered herself back into her chair. The book that she had once been reading was closed and sat on the table beside her half eaten plate. Alicent sat across from her, looking softly her good-niece.

    "How are you this morning, Vaella?" She spoke, her hands folding neatly in her lap.

"I'm alright," The girl responded, picking up a strawberry from her plate. "I've been reading this book about dragons, but not anything too exciting I'm afraid."

Silence followed as the two women sat, waiting for the other to speak first. It was abnormal for the queen to come to the girl's chambers; usually Vaella would be summoned.

"What, exactly, are you doing here this early?" She finally spoke her thoughts, setting down the fruit stem and turning her full attention to the woman she saw as a mother. "Not that I do not appreciate your company; I'm merely confused on why I wasn't summoned to your chambers instead, as usual."

    A sigh left Alicent's lips as she leaned forwards, taking one of the girl's hands in her own and softly brushing her knuckles with the pad of her thumb. Her dark eyes met the purple ones of the Targaryen girl.

    "I'm sure you are well aware of your duties as a woman. A princess, nonetheless." She said in a soft tone, though the seriousness behind her words masked any comfort she might be trying to give the girl.

    She nodded slowly, not looking away from the queen's face. "Of course. I'm to marry a man of high status and produce heirs."

    "Yes, my dear." Alicent said, squeezing her hand. "You are a woman grown now. It is well past time that the king and myself started discussing arrangements for a betrothal for you."

    The girl's breath hitched. Despite expecting those words to come from the woman's lips, she still couldn't help it as her heart raced. Her mind was swirling, thinking about all the ways her betrothal could end up.

    It could become like the king and queen's, where they married out of duty to their respective houses, holding the upmost respect for one another.

    Maybe it would be like the one between her sire and the Princess Rhaenyra. They had married out of love, from what she had heard, all those years ago on Driftmark.

    Or, Gods forbid, it ended up like her cousins'. Aegon barely spoke to his wife, much less held any love towards her. Instead of staying loyally by her side, he was constantly stumbling drunk through the city, looking for a whore to share his bed.