The Realm's Fright | HOTD S1 | Fem!OC x Aemond Targaryen Fanfiction

Chapter Fifteen

Later in the eve, Alysanne was invited to sup with the Queen Alicent Hightower in her chambers. There were only two chairs sitting opposite of the table, which gladdened the brown-haired princess for she did not want to eat in front of the Queen's children after how they had nearly fought with her brothers a few nights ago.

Her mind wanders off to the happenings of the recent night, in which she has made attempts of forgetting, but the soreness between her thighs remain to remind her like an ill-tempered septa.

You must accept that you are now his until the end of your days.

Until he annuls our marriage, she corrected herself. That is where almost all of my hope lies.

"Princess Alysanne, is something bothering you?"

Hearing the Queen's authoritative voice, Alysanne straightens her back and looks down her plate, seeing she has shoved half of its contents of corn on the table. "Apologies, Your Grace. I've not been feeling well since leaving Dragonstone." She said, begrudgingly. It was still some getting used to, acknowledging that Alicent and her mother have reconciled and were back to being amicable. As a child, she was intimidated by the auburn-haired Queen and always hid behind her mother's skirt whenever she was around, and if her mother was not around she would say her Your Grace's and scurry off.

Tonight, there is a different energy surrounding the Queen, who was wearing not a dress of green, but black. Meanwhile, her smiles radiate the same warmth as candlelight. It is genuine, Alysanne can tell. At first she thought her only drunk of wine until Alicent spoke how happy she was of her reconciliation with Princess Rhaenyra.

She heard they used to be good companions to each other when they were her age. It use to be hard to believe, seeing how each of them were proud when the court named them Greens and Blacks, dividing them into two factions and warring in whispers among the king's peace, and the kinship of their children being affected the most.

"I was told Aemond took you at Dragonstone." Alicent said, changing the topic at discussion. Alysanne nods, and when she replays the Queen's words in her mind, she looks down on her plate. "I assume he had been gentle?"

Alysanne puts her hand against her mouth full of food, stifling a laugh. The memory of fighting him on the floor overpowers the memory of the bedding.

"You are an honorable woman, Alys, can I call you that? Our names are somewhat similar." Alicent said as she munches on an apple, making the brown-haired princess shrug. "Thus you were a clever girl for agreeing to the betrothal in the first place, and how old were you then, six, seven? You have made us all proud."

"And I have you to thank for that, Your Grace." Alysanne responded, softly, despite her desire to be satire.

Alicent's smile cracks as if she was taken back to the wake of Laena Velaryon at Driftmark. "It seems I am, yes." She murmured as she chews on her lips, deep in her thoughts. Alysanne observes how she shares the same habit with her second son. "Everyone is counting for this marriage to work, Aly, not just your mother and I, and for that we will make it so that you live happily here in King's Landing. And slowly, House Targaryen is becoming whole once more."

Alysanne smiles, agreeing. "It is, Your Grace."

The queen was loquacious. Talking with her seemed everlasting that Alysanne lost count of how many times she had emptied her plate and had filled it again. When they were eating the last course of supper which was dessert, she could not tell whether it was past her bedtime as well.

"This feels nice." Alicent said. "It's like I'm talking to a younger Rhaenyra. Expect me to sup with you more often, then, that is if you don't mind."

"Not at all, Your Grace."