As the Hightowers and the princess walk their way through the hall, Jafar spoke from behind. "The princess is very pretty." He whispered to his sister who couldn't agree more with a smile. But his mutter was not unheard. Alicent heard this from his side, causing her to side eye the boy, while Rhaenyra only rolled her eyes as she walks in front. Another man wooing over me. The princess thought.
Finally, they arrived at each of the chambers. One for the married couple, one for the siblings, and one for Alicent and Amber's sister. "Here you go, my lord, my ladies." The princess smiled as she opened the first door for Amber, who gave her a nod in gratitude, "Thank you, princess."
"You stay here while my niece and nephew will be on the second room. Agnhez, you'll be in that chamber." Alicent pointed the third door next to the siblings. Agnhez smiled and gave her sister a kiss on the cheek, "Thank you, your grace." Her sister giggled.
"I best suggest you all to rest, the king will be requesting you all to join us for dinner." Alicent gave them a nod as she holds onto her arm. The rest of the Hightowers nodded the queen while Rhaenyra only gave her a glance. Each of the queen's relative went inside their perspective chambers, leaving the both of young Rhaenyra and Alicent in the hall. They took a moment of silence before Rhaenyra decided to walk past the queen.
"Rhaenyra." Alicent called.
The princess turned around, "Yes, your grace?"
"Come to the gardens with me." The queen demanded then turned around to start walking away, expecting the princess to follow her, to which Rhaenyra did but not before giving out a confused and hesitant look on her face.
"What do you need me for, your grace?" The princess asked as they both walked through the garden.
"Must I need a reason to spend a time with my step-daughter?" The queen asked. Rhaenyra didn't like it. To be addressed as her step-daughter. It felt wrong and odd to her, she felt very unfamiliar with the queen and uncomfortable as she couldn't imagine sharing the love that she and her mother had.
The princess sighed, "So what are we to do then?"
"I would love to do things queens aren't most likely to do." Alicent replied, passing through the flowers. Rhaenyra raised her eyebrows at the queen, plucking a flower.
"Which are?" She raised the flower up to her nose, trying to sniff a scent.
"Pick fruits. I've always wanted to do it on my own." The queen replied. Rhaenyra frowned at her, thinking how silly the queen just is. She threw the single flower on the floor and let it lay there as it was passed.
"Pick fruits? Are you perhaps just trying to waste my time, your grace?"
The queen swiftly turned around to face her, "And what is it that's more important than to have some time together?" Rhaenyra raised her eyebrows.
"Where did this obsession of spending time together come from?" Rhaenyra smirked as she teased, planning to humiliate the queen, but Alicent had something in mind. She can't be provoked by the princess so she planned to turn things around.
She faced her back again on the silver haired girl and started walking "Oh, who wouldn't like to spend such time with a beaut like you, Rhaenyra." She spoke so casually. This made Rhaenyra question the real situation here. She froze on her spot with her purple eyes widened, staring at the back of the queen. Why would she say that? is what she asks herself. She felt her cheeks heat up for an unknown reason but she soon regained her composure and catch up with the queen.
"Shouldn't you be with my father? your husband." The teenager asked, placing both hands behind her back.
"I prefer your company as of now." Alicent replied, then nothing more. She just continued walking and admiring the greens of the garden while Rhaenyra felt silently bothered and impatient. She wanted to question what really is the main purpose as to why they are here. She exhaled deeply, making the queen turn around to look at her.
"Have you got something in mind? Please, do tell." Alicent stared at her with patient eyes.
Rhaenyra gulped, not knowing how to compose a sentence. The stare that the queen gives her makes her frustrated in a kind of way. Frustrated because of how impatient she's becoming of wanting to answer the queen. The stare just makes her uncomfortable and she didn't want to look like a fool in front of Alicent. "If you think that spending our time together by plucking and picking fruits here in the garden will help of me treating you like a mother, don't expect."
Alicent tilted her head and faced the princess fully. She took a step that made Rhaenyra hitch her own breath. Her step-mother just placed a flower behind her ear, a flower that the purple eyed girl didn't even notice that the queen was holding until when she saw Alicent's hand approaching her with a white rose. Rhaenyra shivered at the skin contact and she was too starstruck to respond. She froze once more while her lips parted in the surprise of her father's wife's action. Why is she doing this? she asks herself. Her heart hammered inside her chest that it felt like Alicent could hear it, her cheeks are starting to heat up, afraid that the queen would notice her embarrassment, she looked away. "What are you doing?"
"What do you mean?" Her step-mother asked innocently.
Rhaenyra sighed, "I do not get you."
Alicent exhaled with a smile when she finally knew how to answer her step-daughter, "My bonding with you is genuine. Not because I wanted you to treat me like a mother but because I wanna know you too as a person, my dear." She paused, "You heard your father on the night of our wedding. It's best to be on the same page."
When Rhaenyra didn't answer her and kept her face looking towards her side, avoiding eye contact, Alicent maintained her smile and patient composure. She started to walk again, "So..I see that Julius' son is making an impression on you."
"I beg your pardon?" The purple eyed asked in surprise.
Alicent chuckled as she walked, "Don't be oblivious, Rhaenyra. I've been noticing you both lately. Don't think I didn't see you two sneak out of the wedding. Plus, I happened to also see how that pretty knight also looks at you." The last sentence came out coyly that it made Rhaenyra frown.
"Alaric?"
"Ah, Alaric." Alicent smiled.
"What- no, Alaric and I are just good friends, your grace." She sped up beside the queen. She searched for Alicent's eyes but the queen remained chuckling at her. "Your grace."
Alicent tried to stop her laugh by covering her mouth for a second before swaying it in dismissal, "Oh, forgive me. It's just that- it's rare to witness two looking princes fall for one and the same princess." Then again, she laughed. "Oh, that sounded ridiculous- forgive me once again, Rhaenyra." Rhaenyra gave the queen a frown but soon then huffed with a smile in disbelief. She shook her head in surprise at how the queen could act so.. childish.
"But you see wrong, my queen." She replied
"Do I?" Alicent looked at her, "I think not." She hummed. The princess once again shook her head, "Your grace." She gave the queen a look, a long look but with a sly smile. Alicent let out a breath, causing them both to giggle. "Alright, forgive me. It seems that my judgement is false, says the princess." She tilted her head to the side at Rhaenyra with a teasing look.
"Because it is, in fact, a false accusation." Rhaenyra smiled. Both women dived deep into the gardens as they walked side by side, teasing and chatting with now smiles on their faces-- and a white rose behind the princess' ear.
ANFTA
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My Father's Wife (GXG)
FanfictionWhen Rhaenyra's mother passed away after attempting to give birth to a son for the king, her father decided to remarry just right after naming his daughter heir to his throne. The King will be remarrying a woman much younger than him named Alicent H...
