selcouth | aegon targaryen (ii)

chapter six

Alicent saw herself in the girl as she watcher her niece slide the rings through her thin fingers. With her green eyes and puffy pink lips, she reminded herself of what would have happened to the girl if they hadn't make that deal years ago. Maybe she would be happy, living in Highgarden with her friends and father. Instead, she was being raised to in King's Landing to marry a prince, her own cousin.

Her eyes were not as bright as they should be, for a person of her age. Her expression did not hold back the missing adventures and the chastity in her life. Just like herself, she sold herself to duty when she was still young.

"Hyacinth, sweet girl." The Queen, sitting in her bed, called her, just to see her turning around with those willing and obedient eyes, "Are you ready for your journey?"

She smiled, "Yes, aunt. I doubt travelling on dragon back could be worse than spending a fortnight in a carriage."

"Are you sure you wish to this?" Alicent raised from the bed and took slow steps towards the girl, taking her young face between her trembling hands, "I could never forgive myself if something was to happen to you."

"Worry not, aunt. Everything will go accordingly to the plan. Aegon will do his duty and I will be by his side to assist him."

She sighed and let go of her niece's face after giving her a soft kiss on her warm cheek, "I am very proud of you, Hyacinth. You have grown to become a fine woman and I only wish for you to be happy."

"I am happy and I will always be happy as long as I stay with you, and grandfather, and my cousins," she answered. Alicent shook her head slowly, worried because the girl was being honest. After all, what did she know about happiness? She lived her whole life in the shadows of her cousins, but still doing her best to accompanying them, just to make her family proud. Her sweet little girl, would she ever be happy?

Hyacinth stood in front of the mirror to examine her reflection one more time. Her hair was braided meticulously, blue jewels placed carefully between the strands of her hair. She had spent almost the whole afternoon getting ready. The mais bathed her, dressed her, arranged her hair, and all that time, Hyacinth endured it patiently.

Meanwhile, the Queen thought, her son was probably fucking some servant.

"Have you ever been to the North, aunt?"

"I don't regret saying I have not, niece."

Hyacinth was wearing a long-sleeved dark blue dress, heavier than the ones she was used to wear, while the brown fur coat she was meant to wear was dropped on a chair, "I'm afraid I will be cold. I have heard people saying some people die frozen in the North. Can you imagine such a thing?"

Alicent made a small smile and before she could answer there was a knock on the door, "Your Grace," a member of the King's Guard opened the door and spoke to the Queen, even though they were in Hyacinth's quarters, "The prince is here."

"Come in, Aegon," Hyacinth acknowledged.

Aegon was not the one entering the room. Instead, it was Aemond, with a small frown on his face, "Cousin, I wish to accompany you to the Dragon Pit. My brother is already there waiting for you or so I have been told."

She nodded her head and turned to the Queen again, who did not waste time on embracing her and kissing the top of her head, "Be careful, sweet girl, trust no one."

"I promise, aunt," she made a small smile and curtsied, walking towards Aemond to leave the room, but not without sparing another insecure glance at her aunt.

•

"You have to be careful, Hyacinth. My brother is reckless and so is his dragon," Aemond insisted, feeling his cousin's hand tightening around his elbow, "He can't be trusted and you shouldn't forget that."