Autumn Kiss 💋🍁 || Criston Cole

025 • BITTER HEARTBREAK

The scene was chaos, shrieking and running and brawling. Northmen were restrained, knights scuffled with retainers, coins of wagers tossed about and snatched up from the muck.

Dowager Alicent, however, took no part and fell to her knees, shock arresting all speech. Criston himself staggered back a moment in shock. His heart sank, he had failed her.

As the guards struggled to reestablish order and servants raced to drag away Lord  Cregan's corpse, Alicent watched as her son was attended to and taken out of sight.

"The Prince is breathing! The Prince is breathing! The Prince is alive." Maester Orywell announced.

Alicent took some comfort in hearing that, but precious little. Her son, her boy, was wounded and bleeding, the last she saw of him he was bloodied and writhing in pain.

First he lost his eye as a boy, now he is stabbed by some heathen, vile enough to try to backstab him. This was worse than any nightmare to her, far worse.

Criston grabbed her and held her up "My Queen! My lady! We must get you back to the Red Keep, we must get you back!"

"NO! NO! NO! NO! LET ME GO! MY BOY! NO! AEMOND!" Alicent shrieked as Criston dragged her away and she struggled to get free.

Ser Criston escorts her with force. "We will go to him, we will! I'll get all your children together, I'll bring them to you! We just have to go! Let the maesters look to Aemond's wounds!" The entire way, she wailed and shrieked for her son.

When they had arrived back in Alicent's chamber, he let his grip loosen and let her go. She swung her arms to break free, then wheeled around and slapped him and then once again. "You promised me! You PROMISED! You promised me he would be alright!"

Lord Cregan now lying headless somewhere, Alicent saw no one to blame but him, someone who had gotten her son wounded so grievously.

"Alicent...Your Grace, I am-" he stammered out before getting hit again.

"It should have been you, it should have been you, you should have stood in his stead and taken that dagger, I wish it were. I wish you were DEAD, you hear me?!" Alicent spat bitterly.

Aghast. "My lady…" Criston reeled from her words.

"I mean it, I do! You were to protect him and you failed! You let his eye be taken and now you've let his life be taken! I would not trade your life for Aemond's in a million years, it's worthless. I would let you die a million times before my son, I hope you do. You are no knight, I was a fool to ever take you into my service, into my bed!." Alicent spat viciously.

Devastated, Ser Criston murmured "Alicent, I can't…please…I love you."

"I do not love you. How could I ever love such a pathetic wretch?! Your love is worthless to me! I regret any kindness I've ever shown you, you pathetic excuse for a knight." Alicent hissed, her chest rising and falling with anger.

She stared at him with scorn in her eyes, Criston looked back defeated.

"Get out of my fucking sight. Do not come back. You will follow me as my sworn protector, until I can replace you, but do not dare enter a room with me again. And when I do replace you, I want you to go back to wherever hole you came from and I don't ever want to see your face again. I do not even want to hear your name again, I'm going to forget you exist and I cannot wait." Alicent raged, eyes widened.

Criston stammered out "A-Alicent, please." He felt the air rush as she threw a cup an inch from his face.

Alicent's every feature was drowning in livid anguish. "GET OUT!"

Criston did as he was bid as Alicent slammed her fists against the bed and wailed. She could not stop herself from crying even as her voice faltered and her throat grew sore.

Nothing could stop the onslaught of torment. Criston himself walked slowly to a window and stared out at the city.

Alicent and he had watched the sunset one evening there and were so bored counted how many buildings they could see. Ser Criston remembered how joyful it was, how much he treasured the thought. He felt the tears start to fall as she stared out at King's Landing. He wept for his failure to protect Aemond. He wept because he failed Alicent. And now he had been discarded once again.

All was lost, his soul was shattered. He wept for his broken promise. He wept at her breaking his heart and casting him off. He could hear Alicent's sobs clear as day while Criston let the tears slip down his face silently, her cries only bringing forth more out of him.

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