Autumn Kiss 💋🍁 || Criston Cole

011 • THE GREEN COUNCIL

Ser Criston stood guard by the door, listening in on the dreaded small council meeting. Maybe it was the fact that the sun has not fully come up yet, but there was an eeriness looming over this morning and it makes you uneasy.

"What was so important that it could not wait another hour?" Ser Tyland says, taking his seat at the table. But he's met with a stony silence."Was Dorne invaded?" He jests and you grimace. His sheer inability to read a room was astounding.

More silence before the Hand finally speaks.

"The King is dead." Otto announced.

Ser Tyland slumps back into his seat, his grin quickly dissipates as if it were never there to begin with.

Another chill goes down Ser Criston's spine.
He watched as Alicent puts her face in her hands, she had managed to get a few hours of sleep but it was hardly enough rest for something as demanding as today.

The men of the small council sat about the table, Alicent sitting silently at the head of the table, beside her father.

"We grieve for King Viserys the peaceful, our sovereign, our friend.." Otto was good enough to with praise and the bestowing of titles to the king before launching his plot in earnest.

Ser Criston detected a real sadness behind the Hand's words. For a moment he wonder if he actually did possess the capacity to care for another but he didn't leave him much room to ponder as Otto Hightower continues to speak again.

"With his last breath, he impressed upon the Queen his final wish. That his son, Prince Aegon should succeed him as Lord of The Seven Kingdoms." The Hand says and Alicent looks petrified.

"Then we must proceed now with the full assurance of his blessing on our long laid plans." Ser Tyland states after a long silence.

Not only has Otto been plotting Aegon's succession behind the Queen's back he was now hiding behind her word. Acting as if it was not all apart of his plan to begin with.

"Yes, there is much to be done as we've previously discussed." Otto states, taking his seat.

Alicent stares at you bewildered. Even if she could keep focus on the proceedings, she could not bear another word of her father's conspiracy. She had heard enough for a hundred lifetimes.

The words did not matter, she had heard his plans in every phrasing they could be said in. As his daughter, as a woman, she had to listen in silence and call it "counsel".

It was strange how little she thought of Viserys' dying, yet not strange at all. They were married and yet little better than strangers, partners working some long task which took up dusk until dawn.

They had precious little in common, even their children were sometimes not even a point of common interest. There was not the affection that came with matrimony, they clearly both knew it.

How could there be? Viserys lost his beloved wife and took her in marriage after, still a child. What love was meant to be present or even be given grounds to grow? Partners, that is all. They did their parts, perhaps spoke idly together when there was no work to be done, on and on for years until his expiration.

The minimum of everything not required. It only was heightened by how slow he passed, he had lingered closer and closer to death for months now. The wait for his breath to yield was long, though Alicent do not necessarily welcome his death or wish for it as it happened.

Now, there was the future to consider. Her father wished to set Aegon on the throne in his sister's place and what lords could not be talked into compliance would need to be removed.