Alicent Hightower, daughter and youngest child of the Lord Hand Otto Hightower. Faithful friend and caregiver to the Princess Rhaenyra and was a caregiver to the late King Jarhaerys. She read to the late king during his final days and during this time Alicent was constantly called Saera, the king's late daughter, but she never had the heart to tell him the truth knowing that he had peace towards his end.
Now she cares for the Queen Aemma Arryn during her first trimester of another pregnancy. The now King Viserys was sure that this pregnancy would last and would produce a son, but after losing five babies in twice as many years, the king and queen were waiting to share the news with anyone besides the maester and family. How did Alicent know then, the little Princess Rhaenyra. Alicent was there while the queen was on bed rest during her pregnancies. The young Targaryen princess, whom just turned ten and four, has always looked up to the Hightower lady, with her grace and elegance and all that Alicent embodies to the court, hoping to be like her one day. There are certain things known about the Hand's daughter that seem as just basic knowledge, such as; the Lady Alicent loves to wear blue, to represent her mother's house and the lesser known color of House Hightower, She detests the color green and when she has to wear it. She loves to sit in the garden and read and do her embroidery, and she loves watching dragons soar in the air. Though afraid of the creatures, she does admires them all, from afar.
The reputation of the daughter of the Lord Hand, Otto Hightower, was nothing but perfect; she followed the Seven, going to the Sept to pray every morning, she read her histories, attended her lessons and always was loyal to her father. Or that's what the keep and the Seven Kingdoms thought.
The Lord Otto Hightower wants one thing in life, power, and he will do anything to achieve that.
Alicent knew that and she was punished for it.
Alicent's father pushed her constantly to go to the king while his wife was on bed rest and every time she would refuse, she was punished. One time she had been talking to a lord around her age, but as he was a third son of a very small house in the Stormlands, her father quickly ended that idea by almost strangling Alicent later that night, when the lord requested to officially court and possibly marry her. But that cruel punishment would be the thing that would bring down the ever power hungry Otto Hightower and bring together the dragon and the tower.
The next day:
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Trying to hide her bruising Alicent wore a shawl to cover and hide her neck from the views of the court and maids. Alicent was on her way to the Sept when the Prince Daemon was coming into the court yard after what many would guess a very long night on the Street of Silk. Daemon paid her no mind as he passed, though he did take note to her wearing a long shawl in an especially hot summer, but as the wind was picking up as the summer breeze coming from the Blackwater Bay, causing the shawl Alicent was wearing to fly away. Trying and failing to run after it caused Alicent to trip on a stray rock, closing her eyes ready to make impact with the ground, only to be caught by the elusive Rouge Prince, Daemon Targaryen. But he did not only catch her but her shawl as well. "Lady Hightower, it seems that you are losing quite a lot this morning? First your shawl and then your balance." That was when the Rouge Prince looked at the Lady Hightower and saw the bruising on her neck in the shape of a hand. The prince's eyes instantly narrowed in on the bruising and held the lady's waist tighter. "My Prince, I am stable now, you may let me go now," The Prince did not loosen his grip on the lady. "My Prince, can you please let me go. People will talk." The Prince the realized his hold on the lady. He quickly handed the shawl back as well. As Alicent quickly wrapped it around her head and neck once again. She did a small curtsy and quickly walked over to her carriage so that it may take her to the Sept.
Daemon could not move from the spot. He knew all about Alicent from not only Rhaenyra but Aemma as well, for always taking care of herself and Rhaenyra when Aemma was abed. Daemon knew that Alicent was kind, pious, and loyal. So who would hurt her, and get away with it. Then it struck him all at once. Otto fucking Hightower. The power hungry cunt that whispers lies and deception into his brother's ears. Otto had to be the one to hurt the Lady Alicent, but why?
So Daemon being Daemon called upon a horse and headed towards the Sept. Not to pray to the Seven, but to see what had caused the Hand of the King to hurt his only daughter.
Once arriving to the Sept, Daemon quickly took note of his surroundings and notice that only Alicent was in attendance of morning prayer, but as he got closer he noticed two things: Alicent was in fact not praying, she was no where near the temples but in fact on a bench to the side and she had tears trailing down her face as she picked at the bed of her nails. Something that Rhaenyra once said that she does when upset or nervous.
Daemon knew the pain she must have been in. For he had felt it before, not from a parent no, but the bruises he received from training and tourneys were horrific and painful, and the usually hurt to move whenever he had some. The poor Lady Alicent had the bruise on her neck, where is was constantly moving. He for once felt pity and pain for another person, one not within his own family, and that person happened to be a Hightower.
Who would have ever thought? Certainly not himself.
"My lady are you alright?" Alicent jumped in shock and gasped at the voice of another, let alone the voice of the Rouge Prince. "My Prince, you frightened me, but I am well." "You do know that you do not have to lie, my lady, I have seen the mark in your neck, I know you are in pain." Alicent looked at the Prince in shock once more, "I just have two questions my lady, then I will leave you be." Alicent looked into Daemon's eyes and saw the concern in them. A look that she had never been given, but has seen somewhere in her life. She nodded her head lightly so that she might not hurt herself. "Did your father give you that bruise?" Alicent quickly looked down to her hand and quickly started picking at her skin around her nails once again. "Yes." Daemon grabbed her hand causing her to gasp once more at the contact. "Why would your father hurt you so." "A third son of a low house had asked for a courtship." "Did you wish for it?" "No, I had one conversation with him at a feast last night when the Baratheons came to visit, and I guess he enjoyed the conversation enough to ask my father to court me." "So he hurt you, because another lord wished to court you." Alicent nodded her head lightly.
"He wants power, and he will do anything to achieve that. I'm afraid I shall pay for that until I am wed to someone that will achieve that for him." "I am sorry you had to deal with that my lady. Though, do you not pray? I know that you come every morning to the Sept but, when I arrived only moments after you, you were not praying." "I gave up praying to the Seven a long time ago, my Prince, I now come here to be alone and to have peace." The princes hand not once leaving hers. "Then I must ask you two more questions my lady." Alicent once again nodded lightly. "Who do you pray to?" "Would you believe me if I said the Fourteen Flames?", Daemon's eyes widened, for he knew that not even the few Targaryens that were left prayed to them, only believing himself to pray to the fourteen, "I read about them in my lessons with the princess and grew to appreciate the values that they held," Daemon nodded his head in understanding, "and what is your second question my prince?" "Would you like to spend your quiet time with me tomorrow?" Alicent looked in shock towards Daemon, the same man who had repeatedly put down her father and her house in public many times in just as many of years. "Why, my Prince?" "I believe that we could both use some happiness, and I believe that we can help each other." Alicent thought about it for a moment. "Alight I shall meet you my Prince, same time and place and we may leave from here." With that Alicent rose and left the Sept and headed back to the Keep where she would stay in her chambers for the day hoping that bruising would go down enough for it not to be noticeable the next day.
Later that night:
There was a knock at Alicent' chamber doors in the late evening time right before dinner. "My lady may I come in?" A maid called through the door. Alicent quickly rose and through on a robe around her nightgown. "Of course enter." The maid walked in and placed the pot that she was holding onto the vanity. "My lady the maester has prepared this for you." The maid started to walk out of the doors when Alicent called out for her. "What is it?" "A paste that help heal bruises. The Prince Daemon told the maester he saw the mark in the court yard and only wished to help." With that the maid left Alicent's chambers but the smile on the maids face grew when, for the first time in months, the maid saw the young lady smile a truly happy smile at thought that someone finally saw her.
