Their Saving Grace

Chapter 11

Alicent and Rhaenyra went to the throne room after giving the kids to their nurse before making their way to the throne room. Many of the lords and ladies of the court have already gathered there as Viserys held the court to hear petitions. They made their way to the king and stood on the right side of King Viserys where he was sitting on the Iron Throne. Alicent looked at her father who was standing the opposite of the King, And by the look on his face, she knew that the news of Prince Daemon's arrival had already reached them.

Alicent does not hold any love toward the Prince. She used to be quite jealous of him when she was a kid for stealing Rhaenyra's attention from her and that jealousy turned into hate when he took her to the brothel then when he married Rhaenyra, she still remembers the rage she felt when she heard the news of their wedding. She wanted to claim a dragon for herself and burn him, at that time she had tried to justify those feelings as wanting to keep her children safe. Despite all this, there is one thing that she knows for sure, Daemon is more useful to her as her friend rather than her foe.

Alicent has her reasons to believe that Daemon would help her. One he is loyal to Rhaenyra and as she told her father if there is anyone in this realm that Daemon Targaryen would listen to that is Rhaenyra (and Laena but that is beside the point) and she knows that he would support Rhaenyra especially if it means defeating her father. Two the hatred he holds for my father. If there is anyone in this realm that Daemon Targaryen hates more than anything it's Otto Hightower and she knows that he would gladly help her in getting her father exiled from the Red Keep, he might be skeptical in believing her but having Rhaenyra by her side would surely help her.

Unlike her father who would not care if his family has to suffer or even die in his pursuit of power, Daemon cares about the people he considers his family (even though he doesn't show it at all) and would do anything to protect them and avenge them even if his methods are reckless and dangerous most of the time. She has seen the man behind the rogue mask, the man who would lay his life down for his brother and his niece, the man who grew resentment towards his brother and hatred toward her father every time he was sent away from his brother at the suggestion of her father. That man, that prince Daemon would help her, maybe not for her but for his brother and niece, and to rid the red keep of her father, he will help her. He might not be a good man but compared to her father he won't back down from protecting his family.

The Rogue Prince came into the throne room with a crown on his head. His eyes drifted towards Rhaenyra and Alicent before looking back to his brother. He made his towards the throne but the Kingsguard stopped him before he came too close. "Add it to the chair." Daemon threw the sword on the ground before the King.

"You wear a crown, do you also call yourself King?" Viserys asked his brother with a guarded look.

"Once we smashed the triarchy, they named me 'King of the narrow sea'. But I know that there is only one true King, Your Grace." Daemon bends the knee before removing the crown from his head. "My crown and Stepstones are yours."

Viserys smiled at his brother before looking back at the door. "Well, Where is Lord Corlys"

"He sailed home to Driftmark."

"Who holds the Stepstones?"

"The tides. The crabs."

Viserys walks over to his brother, takes the crown from him, and takes a look at it. Daemon looks at Otto giving him a small smirk knowing very well that his return must have pissed off the hand. "Rise" Viserys hugged his brother while the throne room broke into applause.

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Everyone moved to the courtyard to celebrate Prince Daemon's victory in the stepstones much to the dismay of Otto who skipped the celebrations in the name of work, he couldn't stand there and watch everyone sing praises of Daemon on his victory.