Dragon Princess || Aegon II Targaryen

𝖢𝗁𝖺𝗉𝗍𝖾𝗋 1

Alicent never dreamt of becoming queen.

No.

She was content with her role at court, with her friendship, which seemed unassailable, with Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen, and with her father serving as the Hand of the King. She was satisfied with her station, comfortable with the idea of one day following the path that all women were expected to tread. To honor her duties as the daughter of a lord from a noble house. To honor her name.

Yet, she knew well that her lord father desired more. More lands. More coins. More influence. More power. She also knew that the only way he could achieve this was by using his most valuable piece, his most well-hidden weapon: Alicent herself. However, even Otto could not have forged such an opportunity to finally grasp all he had ever desired. He never thought his opportunity would be the death of Queen Aemma Arryn.

This was his chance.

His displeasure at seeing Rhaenyra upon the Iron Throne was no secret to anyone, not even to the King. A woman? No. No one would ever accept being ruled by a woman. From the lords to the smallfolk, how could they accept such a thing? To Otto, it was unthinkable. Women were too emotional. Lacked reason. Lacked the natural attributes a man had. How could they rule an entire realm?

To him, King Viserys was a fool. A pacifist, a man who placed love above all else. Who put love before reason. Who prioritized the whims of his daughter and his brother over duty, over what was best for the realm.

This was his chance. This was the chance for his daughter. A chance she had never asked for, never dreamt of, never desired. A chance that would change her life forever. That would make her lose everything.

However, she had to admit: it could have been worse.

She had married Viserys, a respectful man, who had never raised his voice at her or dishonored her in any way, always attentive and who had done everything to make her feel comfortable during their wedding night, including giving her the option to postpone the consummation of their marriage. After all, no one needed to know.

Indeed, today, though she had never fallen in love, Alicent could even say that she had loved him.

And the birth of their first child only seemed to improve her spirits. A boy. The boy Viserys had always wanted, the one whose birth had cost Aemma her life. A boy with silver hair and amethyst eyes. Truly Valyrian features. A boy who had everything needed to be the heir to the Iron Throne. A boy who fulfilled all of Otto Hightower's ambitions. Yet, even this boy could not displace Rhaenyra.

Fifty perfect boys with the most Valyrian traits could not take the title of heir from their sister.

But that did not stop Otto and Alicent from instilling the idea into young Aegon's mind. Whispering it to him since he was in her mothers womb.

However, the young Aegon had a different priority: gaining his father's attention and love. A task proving more difficult than anticipated, much to Alicent's frustration. No, her husband was way more focused on his obsession over his model of Old Valyria and with setting his daughter on the right path.

How could it be? How could Viserys even consider Rhaenyra to rule the Seven Kingdoms? How? She respected nothing and no one. She disregarded her father's commands. She disregarded the King's commands. She did not respect Alicent as queen. She did not respect her as a stepmother. She cared nothing for her as a former best friend. She did not respect traditions. She did not respect her own duties or her own honor.

How could she become queen when she refused to understand her place in the world?

What about sacrifice? What about honor? What about duty?

How could Viserys not see what was right in front of him? How could he not see that Aegon was the obvious choice? The chance to start anew, to train him to be everything his half-sister was not? How could he not see this perfect boy?

Why did he not care?

Why could he only see his daughter?

Months passed, moons changed, Aegon grew, and his father cared less and less. It was heartbreaking. He missed the first smile, the first laugh, the first crawl, the first step, the first word. Everything. All because he had to chase after his daughter, talk to her, bring her to reason, convince the lords that having her as heir was a good decision, searching for her when she disappeared, serve her moon tea as if no one knew, convince her to marry.

Alicent didn't have her husband, she had no support. Aegon had no father. And it was all because of her.

How could she not be affected by this? How could she not be enraged?

Otto's whispers only worsened the situation. Whispering, planting in her mind that she, her son, and her future children were in danger. "They are a threat, daughter. The realm will be against her, they will ask for the king they deserve. The only way to secure the throne is to eliminate all threats. When the time comes, Rhaenyra will kill Aegon and any brothers he may have."

She knew he was right. Alicent no longer recognized the girl who had once been her best friend. She didn't recognize this Rhaenyra, bitter because she had married her father. This Rhaenyra who never willingly spoke to her brothers. This Rhaenyra who only acted this way because she felt her throne was threatened.

Perhaps the idea had already taken root in her mind. Perhaps she was already thinking about it. About how she would have to kill Alicent's children the moment Viserys closed his eyes.

No. Alicent had to convince Viserys that Aegon was the perfect heir.

Her paranoia only grew heavier with time. She no longer needed to hear her father's whispers. No. She took on that role herself. Every time she looked at young Aegon and her days-old daughter Helaena, she could only see the threat. See the lifeless eyes of her children. This filled her with such intense feelings that her fingers were often stained with blood, this dark feeling corroding her from within.

"What do I do, father?" she asked, sitting in her father's chambers, while he continued sipping on his cup.

Honestly, she didn't know how she had ended up there. The last thing Alicent remembered was leaving Helaena with her wetnurse and hearing the laughter of Rhaenyra and Viserys, who looked at her with the most prideful gaze in the world.

Pride... Pride in dishonoring her House, in dishonoring the family, in dishonoring all that Viserys and all the kings and queens before him had achieved and conquered. The truth was, Alicent did not share her father's thoughts and convictions. She did not mind seeing a woman on the throne, but Rhaenyra was not the right person for it. Neither now nor ever.

"Aegon will be king, daughter. Continue securing the lineage. I have everything under control," he replied, continuing to drink his wine, showing little concern and dismissing Alicent's feelings.

To Alicent, Otto Hightower had always been this cold and calculating person. His position as Hand of the King was important to him, but having a king he could completely control was something he dreamed of. She knew he would do anything to help her. No, she knew he would force her to do anything to achieve his goals.

And so it went. Nine moons later, the queen's screams echoed throughout the castle. Indeed, probably all of King's Landing heard Alicent giving birth to the new royal children.

The first was a beautiful prince named Aemond. But the second... was the most beautiful thing Alicent had ever set her eyes on. A lovely little girl who stole Alicent's heart as long as the hearts of everyone present in that birthing room.

A beautiful baby who turned the rainy afternoon into one of the most beautiful days Westeros had ever seen. Where the torrential rains gave way to the brightest sun, the bluest skies. The greatest treasure of the realm. The most beautiful of all newborns. Alicent would never admit it, but it was obvious that none of her children had stolen her heart the way this little girl had.

A little girl who she could swear was born smiling.

The lovely Rhaenys who would conquer the world just as she had conquered her mother's heart.