Suburban Legends / Alicent Hightower / Criston Cole

20. Storms

Alicent watched the storm roll in from her balcony. She worried with the thunder and lightning that the children would be nervous.

Daeron didnt seem to care he was fast asleep while ara was at the window reaching out catching raindrops in her little hand. Helaena smiled back at her little sister as they watched lightning crack across the sky.

Aemond was reading and said he found the rain soothing but the thunder distracting. Aegon hated the storm. Alicent pulled her eldest into her arms and held him.

"Im not scared," he told her as he shook.

"Of course not my big brave boy." Alicent agreed "you are protecting me."

"I am?" Aegon stared up at her still arms linked around her thin waist.

"I don't like the storm either. Can you stay with me tonight?" Aegon nodded jumping in bed.

"Luke!" Ara declared running towards her nephew. It was still silly to her that lule and jace were her nephews but rhaenyra was her sister. But they were her own age. It was weird. They were just her friends. "Whats wrong?"

"I dont like it." Luke shook his head shaking

"What?"  Ara questioned

"The storm." Luke answered.

"When im scared i find mama or ser criston." Ara told him. "Do you need to find my mama?"

"No." Luke countered

"Ser criston?"

"No," luke repeated. "I dont think they will make me feel better."

"Why not? They always make me feel better." Ara corrected.

"Its your mama and your guard." Luke clarified wiping at his eyes.

"How about your mama?"  Ara suggested

"I cant find her."

"Where did you look?" Ara questioned grabbing his little hand in her similarly small hand.

"I looked here and found you." He answered.

"You silly goose!" Ara laughed out. "Come on. Hela we will return- well not we but me. I will return!" Helaena nodded from the window watching dreamfyre soar over the capital.

"How many bones are in a dragon wing?" Helaena questioned herself as she watched the wings move like fluid through the sky.

"Rhaenyra!" Ara called out.

"Mama?" Luke whimpered as thunder shook the castle. He jumped eyes wide.

"Its okay. It cant hurt you luke." Ara assured

"It sounds like it can." Luke countered.

"No. Rain is great." Ara corrected. "Rain brings water to the plants and the streams and-"

"Thunder and lightning? Whats their purpose?"

"They go hand in hand like us." Ara answered. "See this isnt scary."

"What do you mean?" Luke countered.

"Thunder and lightning. Cant have one without the other."

For as little as ara went to lessons and cared for book learning she was very smart intuitively when it came to nature. All things wild and free.

"Look the lightning itsnt scary." She pulled him to the window. "Sunfyre chases it every time he sees it. Hes not scared."

"Hes a dragon. What does he have to be afraid of?"

"Rhaenyra! See not so scary when you see your mama right?" Ara questioned. Luke let go of aras hand and ran to rhaenyra.

"Baby whats wrong?" She questioned. Ara moved to harwin.

"What were you doing?" Ara questioned Harwin hesitated "is jace in there?"

"No. Hes not princess."

"Then What were you doing?" Ara asked.

"Umm..." harwin glanced back at rhaenyra.

"How about we find your mother?" He suggested hoping to find alicent in a similar situation so he could hold it against cole and shift aras mind from what she didnt know she saw.

"I have to get back to hela." Ara corrected. "Luke was scared. Is jace scared? Does me need me?"

"He always needs you."