Fragile Things / Alicent Hightower / Criston Cole (2.1)

33. Make Westeros Great Again

1 year later

"Rhaenyra is dead. Aegon was poisoned." Avalon remarked calmly. After all their hard work keeping aegon alive larys had secured a good life for them all quite graciously but it was to no victory. "I ruled with Alicent for years while my husband viserys was sick and bed ridden." she reminded them. "Could we all come together and rule under a queen?" Avalon pondered.

"Daemon-"

"My brother was never viserys choice. I love daemon but viserys knew he wouldn't be a good king unfortunately and unfortunately again rhaenyra didn't listen to him when laenor passed."

"Was murdered!" Was shouted out.

Yes well rhaenyra had that coming. May she rest in pieces.  Aegons dragon ate most of her. Avalon hated how victorious aegon felt but he told her what rhaenyra had said.

~
Rhaenyra laughed when she beheld the ruin of Sunfyre the Golden.

"Whose work is this?" Rhaenyra questioned.  "We must thank him."

"Sister," Aegon called down from a balcony. Unable to walk, or even stand, he had been carried there in a chair. The hip shattered at Rook's Rest had left Aegon bent and twisted, his once-handsome features had grown puffy from milk of the poppy, and burn scars covered half his body yet he was still fighting to stay on top. Rhaenyra knew him at once, she looked up at him, twisted grin on her face. Rhaenyra scowled up at him

"Dear brother. I had hoped that you were dead." Rhaenyra called up.

"After you," Aegon answered. "You are the elder." he countered.

"I am pleased to know that you remember that," Rhaenyra answered moving forward. " when this all started, I swore to the guards that I would kill you and your brother and I can't wait to deliver on that promise."

~

Avalon should've felt something. Rhaenyra was her niece, but she was trying to kill her children and that just wouldn't do.

But aegon didn't sit the throne very long. Poisoned by his own men no doubt. Avalon knew he wasn't beloved by the but to be killed... he was still a child  he would always be a child in her eyes 

"We need a king. "

Avalon looked to aemond he proved to be lacking in sense when it came to power.

But he was the next obvious choice just not the right one. Same as aegon wasnt. Same as rhaenyra wasnt. Jace was more boy, broken, and confused looking to his aunt for solace and safety.

"My son is not ready just yet". Avalon countered. "On his 21st name day he will be a man and he will be more ready... but as his temporary reign proved he doesn't know what he is doing yet." Avalon reminded them. "His actions have proven that ." she added. Aemond knew that she was right, but it hurt all the same, but he had done this. He had pushed her away  he became someone that he wasn't proud of all in the name of the crown

"We do." Avalon went on "He is a child still and he needs to learn before he is given the realms. I am not a child. We have ruled in viserys name and you all thrived. But Viserys was king so you praised him. I loved my brother but he didn't rule for years and you all know it." Avalon reminded them. The realms debated that. "In the meantime however alicent and I will continue to rule and get the realms back in order so that when it is my sons time he shall have peace. The realms- all of you deserve peace. Let us give him his best chance at being a great ruler. Lets make westeros great again."

When the time came for a new king, they didn't want to replace their queens realms saw peace, and they didn't want to jeopardize that to put a man on the throne.

It was many years before Avalon passed on the beloved Crown to her son. She was proud of the man he had become and fatherhood had changed him, made his heart soft. Alyssa Was absolutely in love with her brother, following her mother's footsteps, marrying an older man and her brother at that. Knew her daughter would be a good queen because she changed people for the better 

As for alicent and criston They were married to avalon in a less Targaryen matter than before but the love was still there. Thriving. Not a fragile thing.