M-A-M-A. G-I-R-L.
Mamas Girl.
Alicent Hightower loved all her children.
She did, and no one could deny that.
But she has and always will love her youngest daughter Aemma Targaryen just that little bit more.
Aemma didn't look or act like any of her...
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Seated in his chambers dwelling in his failure of today, Otto rolled up a parchment, picking up the tiny metal bowl that had been held over a flame and poured the melted wax inside down onto where the rolled page closed, stamping it with the Hightower seal.
Picking it up he brought it close toward his mouth and blew on it, fastening up the time of the wax hardening, then placing it down to the side to send off later on.
Just as he expected would happen soon, his chamber door opened, him not even having. to look up to see who it was. His daughter, Alicent, the Queen, later to be the Queen Mother or even Queen Regent after tomorrow.
"We'll played", he greeted, seeming to be hurt hurt.
"None of this is a game", she huffed, rolling her eyes at his childishness.
"And yet you treat it as one", he disagreed with that, his pride seeming to be hurt. "A charming contest, the prize, a pouch of silver!"
Raising from his seat he stood as tall as he could, trying to gain back some of his power, though Alicent stood tall, her posture great as she just looked up at him.
Taking in her unamused gaze on him and realizing that she was not goi to answer to his little outburst Otto continued.
"We have relied on one another these many years and now it is the good of the family we both desire", he came closer to her, trying to sway her with the words of family, knowing she held her family close and dear. "Whatever our differences our hearts remain as one"
When he heard her slight scoff, Otto froze now seeing that he could no longer sway Alicent with his meaningless words as he once did, how else would he have got her to become Queen?
"Our hearts were never one", she said to him with an emotionless tone, looking up to him with a small frown. "I see that now", she nodded to her own realization sadly. "Rather, i've been a piece that you've moved about the board", she said it with such venom.
"If that is true, then i made you Queen of the Seven Kingdoms", Otto tried to manipulate her opinion on him and his actions over the years. "Would you have desired it otherwise?"
"How could I know?", she nearly laughed at it, finding humor in the sadness of it, looking out towards the night sky. "I wanted whatever you impressed upon me to want", she turned back as she looked directly to his eyes, her anger slightly coming through. "And now the debt comes due. A debt you were happy enough to pay."
"A sacrifice", he reworded debt into his own twisted way of his thought process. "A sacrifice made for the stability of the realm."
Turning around from her he locked his gaze into the fire as he let his mind run on what to reply, what he could say to change her mind.
Turning back to her once more as he had more to say. "No King has ever lived that's hasn't had to forfeit the lives of a few to protect the many", he then paused on what he had to say next, not knowing how she'd react though taking the chance. "Though i understand your squeamishness."
Eyebrows dropping, frown going back in anger, her hand pointing to herself as she yelled to him. "Reluctance to murder is not a weakness!", she stressed to him, and it wasn't a weakness.
This is why she was a good Queen, she didn't rule with cruelty or favoritism, no matter what, she ruled peacefully and rightly to the Realm.
"I have Aegon", she gestures to herself, pouring salt in his failure wound. "We'll proceed now as i see fit", she wasn't putting this up for question, it was proceeding as she saw fit, he had no say in the matter.
Thinking she was done she began to walk out of the room to leave him on his own, thinking of more to say she turned back to him.
"We will send terms to Rhaenyra on Dragonstone. True terms, such that she may except without shame-"
"If she lives, her allies will mass behind her banners, looking for her return", Otto argued with the idea.
"Then she must not return", Alicent told him, knowing that the Ex Heir would not be able to return, but that did not mean she and her family had to be killed. "My husband would have desired this mercy to be shown to his daughter!"
"Your husband?", he taunted, trying out the word on his tongue. "Or you? His daughters childhood companion?"
A tense silence filled the room at his accusation, Alicent breathing in deeply to calm herself from lashing out, he would only find joy in gaining a reaction from her.
"Criston Cole will be named Lord Commander of the Kingsguard", she continued on of informing him on her plans, ignoring his taunts, not letting them get to her, at least not that she would show to him.
"My son will be anointed tomorrow at dawn. The whole of Kings Landing must witness his ascent. He will assume authority. There will be no more dithering. My son will take the crown of his namesake, the Conqueror, and carry Blackfyre, his sword. Let the people remember the ancient strength of House Targaryen."
She held a serious tone as she discussed with him their plans for tomorrow, letting him know that there was no room for his meddling.
"My daughter will stand by his side tall, she will be in the most elegant gown and her crown will glisten among the light, making sure everyone will remember her beauty on this special day as she's crowned beside him as the Queen."
Alicent slightly smiled as she imagined her Flower tomorrow, how the girl will shine among the people, Aemma didn't need Targaryen hair or eyes to stand out, she beamed brighter just the way she was.
"I have many crowns being made down with the blacksmith for Aemma making it sure that the common folk see her as Queen, no room up for questions with them at her new status."
It was true, Alicent had been with one of the best blacksmiths creating designs for many different shapes of crowns, diadems and tiaras all for Aemma.
Her daughter deserved the best jewels moneys could buy, and the recognition of who their new Queen was would be ingraved in people's memories for century's on.
"You look so much like your mother in certain lights", he said, not having much to say or correct on her terms for tomorrow, that being the only thing he agreed on.
His words didn't sway, soothe or affect her the way he wanted them to, Alicent once again rolling her eyes before she exited the room gracefully.
Leaving Otto behind to write his letters to all the great houses to swear their allegiances to their new King, leaving him with that job, his failure and his slight loss of power.
He was still the Hand of the King, though he no longer controlled Alicent in the way that he'd like, which means that he would have little to no control on her children, all of them adoring her.
They were all their mothers children, all of them, even if they didn't sometimes show it or their faults covered it up, they idolized Alicent in everything she did.
Having been one of the only people to ever truly stick up for them and love them in their lives.
Challenging, threatening people above her station in order to protect them, she would do anything to protect them, anything.
