𝐁𝐔𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒.

𝟕

                                      𝟏𝟐𝟕 𝐀𝐂.
-☆-

"𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐍𝐒𝐔𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐓."

The room goes eerily quiet, the crackling of the fireplace echoing off the walls.

"Aemond has been damaged permanently, My King. Good will cannot make him whole." Alicent breathes, the sound sharp and quivering.

"I cannot restore his eye." The king says with a firm tone."

"No, because it has been taken!"

"What would you have me do?"

"There is a debt to be paid," Alicent nods, turning and staring at Rhaenyra. "I shall have one of her son's eyes in return."

"My dear wife-" Viserys starts.

"He is your son, Viserys," Alicent says, "Your blood!"

"Do not allow your temper to guide your judgment."

Aemond stares at his mother, and then the horrified look on Astraea's face. He didn't know what he could do to salvage the damage he'd inflicted to their relationship—but he knew that she loved those boys.

"The debt has been paid at Rhaena's expense."
He tries, but Alicent prevailed in her anger.

"If the King will not seek justice, the Queen will," The auburn haired woman's shrill voice echoed, "Ser Criston, bring me the eye of Lucerys Velaryon."

"Mother—" Luke whimpered, hiding behind Rhaenyra . Astraea wanted nothing more than to hold the boy, but the maester kept prodding at her face, regardless of the situation unfolding in front of the crowd.

"He can choose which eye to keep, a privilege he did not grant my son," The queen continued.

Looking at Criston, Astraea silently prayed he kept the blade sheathed.

"You will do no such thing," Rhaenyra grit out.

"Stay your hand, Sir Criston." The king said, waving his hand dismissively at the knight.

"You are sworn to me!" Alicent shrieked as she points a finger to her chest.

"This matter is finished," Viserys tells Alicent, tone refuting any argument, "Do you understand me? And let it be known that anyone whose tongue dares to question the birth of Princess Rhaenyra's sons should have it removed."

"Thank you, Father." The princess says, chin high.

Alicent stares at the king, her eyes blown wide. Astraea gasps as the queen grabs Viserys's dagger when he turns away from her, rushing toward Lucerys.

"No!" The Hawthorne girl jumped up from the cushion, trying to get to the queen before she got to Luke only to be lifted easily into Criston's arms.

Kicking and squirming, she looked up to see Rhaenyra holding Alicent back from attacking Lucerys, hand tight around the queen's wrist.

"You've gone too far!" Rhaenyra says, exasperated.

"I?" Alicent asks, breath labored, "What have I done but what was expected of me? Forever upholding the kingdom, the family, the law.
While you flout all to do as you please,"

"Alicent!" Viserys yells.

"Where is duty? Where is sacrifice? It's trampled under your pretty foot again," Alicent exclaimed.

"Release the blade, Alicent," Otto orders.

"And now you take my son's eye, and to that, you feel entitled." Alicent's hand shakes in its grip around the hilt.

"Exhausting, wasn't it?" Rhaenyra asks, "Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness... But now they see you as you are."

She shoves Alicent away, falling back into the lord of the tides. Blood trickles down onto the floor from Rhaenyra's wrist. The woman in green stares at what she'd done, dropping the knife to the stone floor, the clattering loud in the once again silent room.

Astraea didn't notice when she'd been lowered to the floor, only feeling her father's unforgiving hand wrap around her arm with bruising force, tugging her close to him. She knew what came next, and her stomach churned.

Jacaerys notices the tremble that has started in his companion from across the room, tugging his mother's hand. Rhaenyra squeezed her son's hand in turn, feeling a pang in her chest at the sight.

"It will be okay. Soon enough." She whispered, turning her gaze back to Alicent.

Astraea watched as Aemond made his way to his own mother's arm, nuzzling into her embrace. She focused herself on trying to cease her tremors, imagining her own mother holding her the way Jace and Aemond were—gently.

"...Father?" The girl said, attempting to get his grip to loosen, tears pricking her eyes as the initial shock fades. Paul ignored her pleading tone, pulling her with him as the room began to empty at the king's command.

He stopped at her chambers, harshly nudging her into the doorway, slamming it behind him.

"An embarrassment!" He shouted. Astraea flinched, certain the servants could hear. But it didn't matter. No one dared walk in.

"Father—"

"Running at your queen in hopes of preventing her from dealing her will in fair? Are you stupid, girl?!"

"She was going to hurt Luke!" Astraea exclaimed, hiccuping through tears.

"And you will not speak to or of those bastards if preventing it is the last damned thing I do, Astraea."

"Father—"

"Am I understood?"

Astraea blinked, looking down at the specs of blood on her nightgown. She knew that her father meant his word, and she would lose Luke and Jace. But what was worse; She would lose Rhaenyra: the only person who had the power to keep her sheltered from Alicent and her father, the only mother she had.