HOTD SI: The Bloody Prince (OC x Rhaenyra)(OC x Alicent)

Part 19

Chapter 19

ALICENT HIGHTOWER

The Sun had set, and the darkness of the night had begun to spread its wings. Nearly two days since the Queen's passing, and even now, the whole castle was in a somber mood, especially the Princess, who had recused herself to her room after the short funeral proceedings.

However, now, apart from sorrow, weariness had begun to creep in as everyone found their festive moods to turn into this sad affair, and the mourning had made everyone weary, including herself.

Though she doubted the same could be said of her father, who still sat there in his chambers, working tirelessly into the night, performing his duties as the Hand rather callously.

"How is the Princess?" he asked her as he put down his quill and looked at her with those daunting eyes of his.

She should have guessed he would ask about her and try to gather information for his own little plots.

"She is fine, weary after everything that has happened in the last few days, so she went to bed a bit early," she replied, despite her own fists balling with every word.

"Good. And what of the Prince Aegon? How is he?" he asked, and she was surprised by the directness of his question.

"I cannot say I have not met with him after the funeral," she replied. Aegon had been rather preoccupied for the day, especially after he had received that missive from the Vale in the evening. They had only met briefly during the evening meal. But even then, he seemed rather caught up with something else.

And at that, she saw his eyes narrow as he looked up and down.

"I want you to keep an eye on the Prince for the next few days," he asked and this was not the first time he had asked something like this of her, and yet she was rather tired of being a party to his games.

"Am I not doing that already?" she retorted and saw him raise a brow.

"I am not oblivious to your lies, Alicent. But this is no time for rebellion. I want you to do your duty to your House and family," he chastised her sharply before he rubbed his eyes.

"You are smart, so you are not blind to the political upheaval set to envelop the capital in the near future," he lectured her as she sat there, eyes locked onto the edge of the table as he continued.

"And in these perilous times, each of us must do their part for our family, our House, and the Crown," he finished. However, he did not mention the most important part. For you. Everyone must do their part for you and your desires.

"And keeping an eye on Prince Aegon is a part of that, how?" she asked, her tone submissive and inquisitive, hiding the anger and snide deeply enough that even he could not feel it or reprimand her for it.

"Because he is dangerous," he answered after a minute of silence.

"I have already told you that in what little time I have gotten to know him, the Prince is nothing like his fat..."

"And that is why he is dangerous," her father cut in, surprising her with his comments.

"He lacks Daemon's impulsiveness and wields his influence like a fine blade. His grandfather has trained him well in the art of politics, and all of us at court have been underestimating him," he commented before he leaned forward and looked her in the eye.

"But let me warn you. Underneath that mask of civility is a boy even more ruthless than his own father. The Prince is no friend of ours, no matter how many times he may pray with you in the sept or how many favors you may grant him," he chastised her, mentioning the two very things she had kept hidden from him.