THE SOUL'S EXCHANGE

The Queen's Resolve

Alicent/Sitara stared out from her chamber window, the sun setting over the rooftops of King’s Landing, casting an orange hue over the city. The warmth of the light did little to banish the chill that settled in her bones. It had only been two days since her reunion with Daemon, filled with the sweet promise of love and the delight of their shared pregnancy, yet here she was, grappling with the pain of his absence as he rode off to war in the Stepstones. The cold nights were particularly unbearable, where she missed the heat of his body and the comforting warmth of Caraxes, their dragon, which had always made her feel safe.

Three days after Daemon’s departure, a moment of mischief had stirred within her. With Hermione’s help, Alicent had devised a plan to confound her husband, Viserys, convincing him that they had consummated their marriage once more, finally three months after the birth of their twins. The absurdity of it provided a brief distraction from her grief, yet she still found herself hating every moment of the celebrations that came a month later when her two-month pregnancy was announced.

The festivities were grand, adorned with laughter and blessings, but they felt hollow. She was praised by her supposed father, Otto Hightower, for her ability to produce more heirs for the king, a comment that stung deeply. The idea that her value rested solely on her ability to bear children grated against her spirit. In that moment, she nearly scoffed at the notion that she was merely a vessel for royal blood. Cunt,
Daemon had named him accurately.

Each day of separation from Daemon felt like a dagger piercing her heart. Though Hermione, Sirius, and Regulus provided companionship and warmth, their hidden talks and shared moments could not fill the void left by her dragonlord. However, the sweet moments with her children helped alleviate her sorrow. To her utter delight, Aegon had cast his first accidental magic, making his toy float in the air, while Sirion, with a concern-filled look, had summoned a rose from the garden and sent it floating to her when he sensed her tears. His small gesture brought a smile to her face as she kissed her four-month-old, grateful for the light they brought into her life.

As her pregnancy advanced, the war in the Stepstones escalated, its grip tightening around her heart. She could feel it in her bones—each day she sensed new scars forming on Daemon’s body as if their bond allowed her to share in his pain. The ache she felt was a mere fraction of what he endured, but that knowledge only made her heart clench tighter. Late at night, when the silence echoed in her chambers, she wept for him, but she remained resolute for the sake of her unborn children and for Aegon and Sirion, who deserved their mother’s love.

In her heartache, Alicent threw herself into her duties as the Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. After much persuasion, Viserys granted her the responsibility of overseeing the orphanages. With renewed determination, she set to work revamping their conditions. She prioritized improving the living spaces for the children, ensuring that they had at least four to five sets of clothes and providing warm, nutritious meals three times a day.

During one of her visits, Alicent’s heart sank as she discovered that some of the children were malnourished. Determined to help, she began discreetly adding nutritional potions to their meals, disguising them as tonics rather than revealing their true nature. Under her care, the orphanages began to flourish. She hired six capable maesters to educate the children and six septas to teach the girls, all funded from her own purse.

Viserys noticed her charitable works, and they warmed his heart. Pleased with her efforts, he increased her allowance, enabling her to expand her outreach further. As her reputation grew, so did the admiration from the people of King’s Landing, who began to compare her to the good Queen Alysanne, a legacy Alicent was both proud and apprehensive to inherit.

One of Alicent’s pressing concerns was the fighting pits that forced young children into brutal matches for the amusement of the elite. While she dreamt of closing them down, she knew that she did not yet wield the power necessary to enact such a significant change. It would have to wait until Daemon returned from war. In the meantime, she focused on another pressing task: making the Fleabottom hygienic for the children.