Fragile Things / Alicent Hightower / Criston Cole (2.1)

30. Endeavored

" All my life..." Alicent whispered. "I have endeavored to serve both my house and the realm. And somehow none of it matters. We are cast aside. Or hated."

"You'll have a scar... but... it will be easily hidden." The maester assured. It was too similar to the scar she had given rhaenyra years ago. Avalon thought the same. 

"Nothing is clean here." she realized seeing a rat as he finished cleaning the wound she got during the raid in the lower city.  Avalon kissed her temple getting her a cup of tea, while she was worried like crazy about criston, she focused on Alicent here with her now. 

"I wish to go out, Ser Rickard." Alicent remarked.

"Out?" Rickard Throne questioned.

"To the Kingswood, I think." She agreed.

"Then I'll have the stewards prepare a retinue."

"No retinue." Alicent countered.

"Queen Avalon?"

"No.... not Avalon this time." Alicent whispered. 

"Then your handmaidens..."

"No handmaidens." Alicent countered walking past him. "Just you."

"What do you mean?" Avalon questioned. 

"I need to do this alone." Alicent whispered. Avalon sighed leaning back against the table. 

"Alone with me?" Avalon questioned. 

"No, alone, alone my heart." Alicent corrected. 

"okay." Avalon whispered. "How long will you be gone?"

"I dont know yet my heart." Alicent countered. 

"Oh..." 

"Avalon," Alicent kissed her gently. "I need to clear my head." 

"Okay... just come back soon. I get into trouble when left alone." Avalon mused hugging her again. 

"I will. I promise." 

"Steady. Slowly." The maester requested trying to help Aegon walk the room. But he struggled to move.

"I can't." Aegon begged.

"You can. You must try, Your Grace." the maester countered as Aegon cried out. His cane snapped and he fell to the ground.

"I can't, I can't!" Aegon yelled.

"I'm sorry, Your Grace. I'm sorry, Your Grace."

"I was going to check on him but I wondered if you knew what was going on with Aemond..." Avalon remarked. 

"he is a secretive man." Larys countered. 

"Dont I know it." Avalon agreed. "How is he? He doesnt talk to me anymore." 

"I dont know he is... working hard but he's... he keeps himself apart from us."

"Because he is the king and being a pain in the butt." Avalon grumbled. "I have to talk to him." She muttered marching off. Larys glanced at aegons door hearing moans.

" Oh, God. Oh, God." He cried out as a knock sounded at the door and Aegon wailed in pain.

"A moment!" The maester countered but larys kept knocking. "A moment, please!" larys pushed forward.

"You really oughtn't to be doing that alone, Grand Maester." Larys remarked moving closer. "Allow me." Larys took Aegons opposite side helping him back to the bed.

" No, no, no, no, no, no, no." Aegon sobbed out.

"Forgive me, Your Grace." Larys agreed.

"Be careful." Orwyle begged.

"Wait, wait." Aegon begged yelling out.

"Your progress is impressive." larys remarked as he got back into bed. "But I'm afraid you must work harder. Your strength will return. There are... adjustments to the gait and so forth that you will learn now that you are... as you are." Larys added. "You should be more cautious." he told the maester.

"I, I should, Lord Larys. He-He needs rest. He should be abed. I push him on your instruction." He reminded Larys.

"I'll have the sentry give you more warning." Larys assured. "Let him try again in a few hours."

"He is spent." Orwyle countered.

" It will be long before he may rest again." Larys corrected, Orwyle stared back at him with a knowing look as Aegon groaned from the bed. 

"He's okay." Alyssa answered. 

"He is." Avalon repeated. 

"Yeah." Alyssa assured. 

"He talks to you?"

"Every day." Alyssa agreed. "Where is Ali?"

"She went out. What does aemond say?"

"That he wants to do good for me. For us." Alyssa answered. 

"Oh... thats nice." Avalon agreed. 

"Vaera wants to go back to winterfell." Alyssa added. "She was telling me about..." she giggled out. "Cregan stark, her husband to be." 

"They tell you everything." Avalon remembered when her children used to tell her everything, she supposed it was part of growing up, not telling your mother everything but sharing with your siblings instead. 

"Yeah." Alyssa agreed. "Hey mama?"

"Yeah baby girl?"

"Is Ser Criston coming home?"

"I hope so." 

"Lord Ormund Hightower makes slow progress. There is great concern that his host is threatened on two fronts by armies allied with House Beesbury." Jasper remarked in the council meeting. "However, in happier tidings, Prince Daeron's dragon, Tessarion, has at last taken to wing. Your brother expects to join the fight soon."

" Dragon!" was shouted from outside.

" And when he does, the Hightower host will be unstoppable." Jasper finished but Aemond rose up going outside to see what was going on.

" Dragon! Inside! Now!"

"Take positions!"

Aemond looked up at silverwing soaring over the city. He jumped on a horse slapping at the reigns.

"Open the gates!" Aemond demanded charging out and getting to Vhagar.

"AEMOND!" Alyssa shouted. "MAMA!" She demanded turning around. "Aemond is running off after dragons again!" 

Avalon ran out seeing Vhagar take flight after silverwing. she sighed looking to the pits, she wouldnt be fast enough to get mouse and go would she? She ran off pulling herself onto mouse as he took flight after Vhagar. 

He flew seeing that Rhaenyra had strengthened her arensal of dragons. Vermithor and Silverwing, Seasmoke...

Avalon flew beside him, Vhagar wasnt as fast as mouse. 

"AEMOND DONT!" Avalon demanded. 

"No vhagar no. Flee vhagar," aemond begged he knew she loved a fight but when he caught sight of Dragonstone he couldn't go up against four dragons. 

"Aemond you must hold mastery over Vhagar!" Avalon reminded him. "Dont give her control to lead you to your death!" She begged. Aemond knew she was right, he let Vhagar have too much control before. 

"Turn around." Aemond commanded in high valyrian. Rhaenyra's dragon army was strengthening.