Alicent Hightower raised a bastard - The Stranger's Child.
Except she didn't.
Naenyra looked nothing like the Targaryen beauty that her father expected. She was, as her mother always wished, a Hightower at heart, and how she looked only proved it...
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Nyra had happened to hear from the grapevine - or most honestly, Rickard - that Aemond and Aegon had been spending more time together than ever before, something that was causing waves through the castle. And Nyra couldn't help but be a little proud of herself, a smile toying at her lips as she crossed through the Keep.
Her daily walks had been changing as of late, and instead, she had picked up her previous habit of heading to the Sept. It was an excuse to get out into the streets, to take a battalion of guards and handmaidens with her as she walked amongst the people of King's Landing to talk and understand what the people needed. She could assign a small purse to be given to various charities set up in the city, to support local business with stopping for food and drink or encouraging prayer in the Sept.
Nyra was making herself familiar, reintroducing her to the people of King's Landing. It made her feel at home, especially when they'd clasp her hands and tell her how much she'd grown, how much they had missed her presence. It also allowed her to lose her hood, to allow the dark curls to tumble along her back and rustle in the wind as she closed her eyes and just experienced the day.
She missed her girls, she missed how they would join her in the Reach and do it alongside her. She was lonely, that was certain. Nyra couldn't help but pick at her thumb, brows furrowed as she nestled within her chair at breakfast. It was quiet, the scrape of knives against bread or a fork on the fine china. No birds stirred outside and conversation was quiet.
Nyra could see Alicent at the head, her eyes fluttering between each one of her children as she calculated each of their expressions. Daeron was buried in a book, a pencil scratching noisily in the margin of the pages as he lazily sipped at a glass of juice. Helaena sat opposite him, her light eyes focused on the bright sun outside of the window, Aemond muttering lowly beside her as they conversed.
It was Aegon that held her attention, the brazen boy toying with the slither of meat on his plate but his eyes were kept solely on his sister. It wasn't often that she held his attention, at least not that Nyra had noticed, so to see his purple eyes so intent on her had unnerved her. She raised a dark brow, Aegon lifting his chin before smirking. "So," Alicent began, the only one brave enough to speak in the room. "What are you all doing today?"
The low chatter stopped, five sets of eyes turning towards Alicent. She looked on expectantly. "I will be heading to the Citadel, there's someone there that I wish to speak to." Daeron said, finally putting his goblet back to the table and looking away from his book.
Alicent raised a brow. "The citadel, Daeron?"
"They've granted me access to the library. I may not be able to become one of them but they see my intentions as pure, and they're letting me into their knowledge." He stated almost matter of factly. The words sent a jolt through Nyra, her head turning towards her shadow. She didn't know he wanted to be a Maester.
