Fetish / Larys Strong

63. Bitter

VIsery had a fall. It might as well have been the end of the world the way people were shouting but Larys assumed the king fell regularly. 

"Your grace!" Someone shouted out behind them, Alicent quickly pulled her hand away from Blyana's and turned towards the voice. Alicent could not remember the name of the young boy but she recalled he served as Viserys' cup bearer for a time. The boy was running down the stairs.

"Oh no." Blyana murmured.

 "What is it? What's the matter?" Alicent asked the boy once he came shuffling to stop in front of her. 

"It is the King your grace, he's fallen down, he's not moving and I couldn't arouse him." the boy said  nervously his eyes darting anywhere but Alicent's face. Blyana grabbed ALicent's hand and Alicent felt her blood run cold, no, not now, not yet. She held tightly to Blyana. Viserys couldnt die until he came to his senses about Aegon being king and not Rhaenyra. Viserys most certainly couldn't be dead yet, Alicent released Blyana's hand and rushed past the boy, away from where Blyana stood unmoving, she would check on the kids, her place wasnt near the king. ALicent ran up the stairs taking two steps at a time.

Alicent fell to her knees beside him, her previous bitter anger towards him forgotten in that moment and replaced with tender concern for him. She had tended to him for years, and although she hated him, she hated some days, most days she didnt want him dead... not really. She moved to turn him over, cradling his head in her lap.

"Well?" Blyana questioned as she tended to a pregnant Helaena. 

"Well what my love?" Larys countered. 

"Come now, you know things." Blyana remarked. Helaena looked between them confused. 

"What happened?" Helaena questioned. 

"Your father had a fall my dear, nothing to worry about." Blyana answered. Helaena shrugged laying back down, she was more concerned with her pregnancy than her fathers many falls. 

"He yet lives, and the Maester does not fear for his life anymore" Larys answered, sitting beside her as Blyana stroked Helaena's hair.  "What fortune, we were truly lucky to have such good and competent maesters." larys went on. 

 "Indeed" Blyana agreed softly. "Helaena I am going to get you some more tea, I will be right back." Helaena nodded. Larys offered Blyana a hand which she accepted. "Tell me." 

"They think he was given too much of one of his medications, he felt good, he asked for more and it made him sick instead of better." Larys whispered once outside. 

"They should really keep better track, the maesters could have killed him." BLyana tsked. 

"Like I said competent maesters." Larys whisper laughed into her. 

"Oh, you!" Blyana swatted a hand at him. 

 "I want you to stay with him for now, inform me if anything changes" Alicent was telling Criston as Blyana and Larys approached. 

 "But your grace, my place is with you I.." Criston countered but as soon as he began to speak she cut him off shaking her head. 

 "I do not see how this command should besmirch your honor Ser Cole, now do as I tell you." ALicent demanded and Criston bowed before her heading to viserys chambers. 

"She just nervous is all." Blyana offered patting Cristons arm. "Aegon is not ready to be king and Rhaenyra is not ready to take over, I mean look at Rhaenyra she ran away from her father... Alicent doesnt mean to shout at you" Blyana assured. "She just trusts you most." Criston offered her a small smile as he headed on his way. "He is a sweet man Ali, dont push him away. He adores you." 

"And he can adore me from afar." Alicent grumbled. 

"Today scared you, didnt it?" Blyana realized. 

"I hated him at first, for years but... I dont know the way that boy was speaking, made me think he was gone for good this time... It really hit different." Blyana hugged her sister silently. 

"You are a good queen, a good mother, a good wife." Blyana whispered after a moment. "Come on, lets get your mind off of this, have some cake with Helaena." Blyana suggested. "Cake makes everything better." 

And for a few hours cake made everything better. Alicent hugged her daughter as Lucia gave Larys a frosting mustache only for Blyana to kiss it away. 

"How fares the king?" Aegon asked, Alicent sighed, for a moment she had forgotten about Viserys' current condition, she had forgotten about her husband completely her mind too occupied by cake. Blyana noticed how Alicents children always called Viserys the king, not father, maybe it was a sign of honor and respect but maybe it was a sign of distance between them. Blyana was sure that if her and Larys ruled, their children would still call Larys father.

 "Wavering the Maester claims, though he seems steadier now that he's had some water, flushed out the toxins." Blyana answered once she realized Alicent wasnt going to speak. Aegon nodded sitting between Blyana's legs like he was child. She ran a hand through his hair and he smiled up at her. "You are going to be a father soon enough." Blyana remarked. "THe both of you." Aegon would gladly wait a hundred years for that to come.