Suburban Legends / Alicent Hightower / Criston Cole

8. Drink Wine

My Problem / Larys strong / Davina Targaryen out now!

When aemond was born criston was there for alicent. When alicent was sinking into depression criston was there to hold her. When alicent cried it was cristons shoulder she leaned on.

It only made sense that after her miracle baby was born she continued to lean on criston. To hold him close and savor the feel of him against her. Within her.

"You are going to be late." Criston remarked.

"Not like they care for my opinion." alicent countered fixing her dress.

"You are wiser than you know." Criston countered

"You are just saying that." Alicent whispered.

"The king choose you for a reason. Not just your beauty but surely he saw your mind. Heeded your advice?"

"He does on occasion when we are alone. He doesnt like others to know he uses me as counsel." Alicent informed him slipping on her heels before moving to fix his cloak. White. A symbol of purity. Ha.

No one was surprised when ara started walking. She didnt care for crawling she seemed to propel herself off the ground and onto her feet. She laughed running and stumbling forward only to hoist herself back up.

Alicent could watch aranyani for hours. Her big smile and shriek of delight as she chased after her older siblings or jace. Jace. She loved that boy so much.

" well that is his loss and his fault not your own." he reminded her

" it feels like my fault." she admitted softly. She hated to admit it, but she felt at fault. Her whole life had been to serve others She served her father and her brothers after her mother died  when her mother died, she lost her greatest advocate, and she was just a child so young that day that passed she felt like she couldn't remember her mother her smile, her laugh the way she sung songs to her at night.

She didn't want to be that type of mother to her children   The one that could just fade away. The one children would forget. she wanted to be seen as this brave bold brilliant person and yet she wasn't brave she wasn't bold. She was smart though. That was how she survived this long.

She had served the king when he was sick and dying, and now she was serving her new husband because it was her father's will   And her father's way

She never got a say in her life . So when things went wrong, she felt like she needed to fix things. Be the one to solve things. Even though no one would listen to her.

" I can't understand helaena." Alicent whispered " she speaks in riddles... she speaks of faces and trees and people buried in stones. She's a child and she's having these dreams I suppose... I want to be there for my children. I don't know how to. I don't know how to be there for my husband because he doesn't want me there. He thinks of me as a woman and nothing more my place is not wanted or needed at the small council.  I think he hopes I will move onto more domestic qualities and hobbies."

" then why don't you?" Criston pondered. " Skip a few meetings they don't respect you anyways. Show them that they need your reasoning voice." Criston suggested. " hang out with your precious little girl and me." Alicent didn't take long to debate that.

" that sounds absolutely amazing." Alicent agreed.

" where is the queen?"

Rhaenyra was glad that alicent didnt show up.

" she was tending to the children, I believe." Viserys offered.

"Good it's where women should be."

Rhaenyra didnt like that.

"Ja!" Ara squealed crawling off at high speeds towards Jace.

"Ahhh!" He declared wrapping his arms around her. Alicent faltered watching them.

" she loves him. She has a little friend may the next generations of Hightower and Targaryen be joined as one." Criston suggested. Ara waved back at them before clinging to jace.

" I suppose you're right, but it still irks me to my core." Alicent admitted. " I can't move on."

" she treated you like a monster for years. But we don't have to talk about her just enjoy the moment away from the council away from the monster... what do you wanna do?" Criston questioned offering his arm.

" You're right and I need to let go and I'm very grateful that you keep reminding me to like go because my brain can be so clouded with this pain..." alicent admitted. " I don't know what I want to do besides you I can't remember the last person that ever asked me what I wanted." She admitted.

" what do you want to do?"

"Watch aranyani and drink wine."