Come Back To Me

Chapter 47

With a slam of the door behind her, Rhaenyra stood dumbfounded as she looked at Alicent.

"Explain to me, Alicent, why my own daughter seems to now vouch for you?" Rhaenyra's eyes narrowed at the former queen.

Alicent smiled to herself. Even if she was to lose her head right then and there, she knew she at least had mended things for Daena and her son. Now she stood before the worst of her regrets. "You were right."

"What?" Rhaenyra scrunched her nose as she eyed the woman skeptically.

"You...Daemon...seven hells, your own daughter could see it. It was always my father pulling the strings and I was foolish enough to let him." Alicent bowed her head with a gulp, finally freeing herself of Otto's hold over her.

"And yet you still chose to serve him! All those years you were his pet before his queen!" Rhaenyra raised her voice, stepping towards her.

"Because he was all I had left!" Alicent shouted at the top of her lungs, tears streaming down her face as she took a step closer. Rhaenyra went silent, having rarely seen such aggression from her in all their years. "You left me! From the moment your father decided to declare he would marry me, you left me! I had no choice in the matter, I was a girl and the only person I needed more than ever hated me more than anything!"

"You could've said n-." But Alicent cut her off.

"I am not a fucking princess, Nyra! I am not a Targaryen! I do not get the luxury of having any say in what my life will be! I don't have the authority to tell the fucking king of the seven kingdoms no!" Alicent was hysterical while Rhaenyra just took everything in.

"And the worst..." Alicent sniffled, taking a breath to calm herself down. "The worst part...is now I'd say yes if I had to go back."

"Why?" Rhaenyra finally spoke up with a crack in her voice.

"Because two of your children are at the very least happy with two of the children your father and I had." She smiled while shaking her head. "And if there was any good to come from that day, then I am at least happy something came from it. Even if it wasn't my own happiness."

"Alicent." Rhaenyra went to grab her hands, but then Alicent reached over and grabbed the dagger she'd stolen from her son the night before. The black queen remained still, cautious of what the green queen had in mind. But instead, Alicent handed the blade over.

"I should've never listened to your father about Aegon and I'm sorry...it should've been you." Alicent nodded.

Rhaenyra eyed the blade, remembering the last time she'd seen it. Just an hour before she fled from King's Landing with the remainder of her family. When she spoke to him of a prophecy. "No...I believe my father's words were quite clear on who was promised."

"Rhaenyra? You can't mean after everything, you would acknowledge Aegon-."

"I am not, Alicent...my father and I spoke of something before his passing about the line of succession. And he was of sound mind, that I am sure." She gripped the handle and looked back up at Alicent with a softer expression. "Can I trust your son to protect my daughter, Alicent?"

"With his life, Rhaenyra. I swear it."

"You had best hope others see it that way."

Daena was forced to leave Aemond when the sun came up. Her mother summoned her to get ready for the hearing and meet with Jace, who'd been frantic since dawn.

She found him pacing outside by the Godswood, chewing at his nails and muttering under his breath. "Is there another battle to come, brother?"

Jace nearly jumped out of his skin before shaking it off. "It's Helaena...she was last seen on Dreamfyre with Aemond and now Jaehaera and Maelor are on Dragonstone, while Helaena is nowhere to be found."