Epiphany // Alicent Hightower

103. The Bear & The Brave Idiot

Drama Queen // Otto Hightower out now!

"Are you okay?" Lila called out. Criston gave her a thumbs up but he couldnt move from the ground. "He's okay." Lila agreed from Aemonds arms.

"Fucking hell." Taelon grumbled. "Someone mop Criston up." Criston stared up at him as Taelon extended a hand. "You are not the brightest." Taelon remarked.

"I dont know. I got second best to a confession." Criston offered. He groaned as Taelon pulled him.

"Got your fucking face bashed in." Taelon corrected

"You and the queen have been kind to me. I wanted to help."

"You know I was considering you for the position of commander of the noghts watch." Taelon remarked and Cristons eyes went wide. "Then you got pummeled to the dirt."

"Really?" Criston rasped.

"Then you got beat to the dirt and I dodnt see you fight back... that's pathetic." Taelon mused.

"B-b-but-" criston stammered out.

"Don't worry you're still in the running. Mainly because all of my other options are terrible and I don't want to kill you. And I do trust you most of the time." Taelon informed him honestly.

"Thank you, your grace. it means a lot." Criston remarked.

"Call me Taelon. You earned it after today."

+

''Princess... there's been an incident in the yard.''

''It fills me with unrelenting shame.' Lyonel remarked.

''So that's what this is about then? Your shame.'' Harwin countered

''Our shame, Harwin!'' Lyonel shouted back. ''Shame on the whole of House Strong.'

''Because I laid my hands on that insufferable Cole, the son of a steward?'' Harwin countered

''He is a Knight of the Kingsguard now, a defender of the crown.'' Lyonel corrected through an exasperated breath. "The king and queen trust him! Trust him with their children!"

''He assailed Prince Jacaerys, the princesses son which many seem to forget.'' they were both shouting to no avail, Harwin was going to protect his sons. No one else would.

''You have laid us open to accusations of an uglier treachery.'' Lyonel spat

''And what treachery is that?'' Harwin countered annoyed.

''Don't play the fool with me, boy. Your intimacy with the Princess Rhaenyra is an offense that would mean exile and death... for you, for her, for the children!'' Lyonel reminded him sternly.

''It is rumor only... spun by the Princess's rivals'' Harwin hissed.

''People have eyes, boy. This flimsy shield alone stands between you and the headsman." Lyonel told him ''now you have been beaten and bested by ser Cole and moons ago with the king.... The king protected his sister for so long because he loved her. The willful blindness he provided has run out. Do you not see that? Do you not see the kings temper and patience has faded. He wont turn a blind eye to you and her any longer.''

''I wish my father affected a similar blindness.'' Harwin muttered.

''Have I not these many years? And yet today, you publicly assaulted a Knight of the Kingsguard in the, in the defense of your...''

''You have your honor and I have mine.'' Harwin told him. "Which is why I ended things-"

"Ten years too late! Taelon wont care. You fathered three bastards with his little sister! You ruined the trust you had with him. You fucking ruined us! Heed to your brothers. They have been good and honorable. Its about time you do the same."

+

"Heavens!" Alicent declared when she saw Criston. "What happened? We were attacked?"

"Criston was." Tommen agreed.

"Mum, Harwin went apeshit crazy!" Maekar declared.

"Harwin deserved the beating. The way he grabbed me." Aegon muttered. "Ser criston was just trying to help."

"A bit aggressive in his helping." Davina added. "But a damn good show."

"I love my family but..." tommen hesitated.

"Is taelon alright?" Alicent questioned "the children?"

"Oh it was just Harwin the bear and Criston the brave idiot." Davina remarked.

+

  'Hello Beautiful's.' Taelon said coming up to his girls. Monster was clawing at the door wanting to join in on the fun but Avalon refused to let Gordon fall prey to Monster's bloodlust. Lila smiled mischievously up at Taelon before looking back at Emma and she nodded. 'What are you ladies up to after this morning endless fun?' Taelon questioned sitting beside them on the ground. Lila roared jumping up excitedly. 'So ferocious.' Taelon told her and Lila burst out laughing. 'But you best be careful my love I'm a dragon too,' Taelon reminded her.

'Roar.' Lila repeated laughing.

'Roar,' Taelon echoed and soon they were all roaring, Mouse and Gordon stared back at them confused from Avalon's lap. Aislynn giggled out reaching for Gordon, he ran into her hand and up her arm. 

'You are so cute,' Alicent declared as she came in. "Monster wants to-"

"NO!" Both AIslynn and Avalon declared. 

"Rude." Emma murmured. 

"Oh, hello Gordon." Alicent tapped a finger to Gordons little head as he blinked back at her. 

"We are being dragons mama." Lila told her as lila grabbed Alicent's hand. 

"I see that." Alicent agreed. Taelon pulled her down to him, wrapping his arms around her. She leaned into him smiling as her nose brushed his, he loved her smile her eyes her lips. They were nice. Very kissable. "You all are the cutest."

"You're cute." Taelon told Alicent, kissing her gently. Lila covered her face with her hands, shaking her head. "You don't like that?" Taelon mused. "Well I like kissing your mama, so I'm going to do it again." Taelon warned. Emma wanted to love someone that much one day. Avalon was content with her creatures and clearly boys were still icky in LIla's mind. Lila smiled back at them. "Close your eyes." Taelon instructed and LIla's hand flew to cover her eyes. Alicent laughed into him as he kissed her.

"Should we tell her we did a lot of kissing to make her?" Alicent mused bringing a hand to Taelon's face, fingers trailing over his jaw. 

"Lets just hope she never grows out of the boys are icky phase." Taelon offered hopefully. "Boys are icky right... for all of you?" Avalon nodded but Aislynn and Emma had to consider that. "I dont like that they hesitated." Taelon remarked. "Dont hesitate, boys are icky and I will beat any man that comes near you." Taelon told them. 

"Speaking of beating... I saw Ser Criston." Alicent whispered. "What happened in the courtyard?" 

"Truths were spoken. Rhaenyra is a ungrateful little- words not suitable for good little princesses-" Taelon offered. "And I have to release Harwin from his duties."