The White Dragon

WANT OR DUTY

THE WHITE DRAGON CHAPTER 41 : WANT OR DUTY

A FANFICTION ON HBO'S HOUSE OF THE DRAGON

ALICENT HIGHTOWER

Spreading blackberry jam onto a slice of warm bread Alicent glances to watch Helaena bounce Baelon on her knee while Aemon sneaks another tart onto his plate and Naerys follows her grandmother's example even reaching across the table to reach for the blackberry jam and Arianne cut into her charred bacon and scrambled eggs eating small bites, her eyes darting between her aunt and her cousin's wife most likely sensing the slight tension in the room.

"I had hoped that after breakfast that we might take part in working the soup kitchens and mayhaps even visit a few motherhouses to read to the children." Alicent says before taking a sip of her sweet lavender tea and Helaena stops her knee making Baelon grumble reaching up to tug at his mother's silver necklace only for Aemon to smack his hand away "I do not want to see them. They make me sad."

"No one chooses to perform public service but in times like this the public will need a figure to turn to and will want to draw closer to us." Alicent states calmly and Helaena shakes her head softly "I don't want them closer. I could do without their horrid staring at me." Alicent takes Helaena's hand ignoring how the girl flinches at the touch and gently explains "Then you can use this time to let them see the real you. Let them see the kind mother your children see and the loving wife Jaehaerys sees." Helaena blinks rapidly trying to hide her discomfort and her tears no doubt and Alicent grinds her teeth like her husband would and bites her tongue to hold back a response but reminds herself that there were days of course when she did not want to be strong. When she wanted to stay abed and weep for the safety of her own children but tears do not make strong women nor do they help in war.

"Perhaps we can start small and go out to the Sept to pray. Let them see that you are just as worried for your own husband as they are for theirs." Arianne suggests and Helaena wrings her hands together before nodding sadly and before Alicent can thank her niece, Maester Beocca rushes into the gardens with quick strides and wide eyes "Your Grace, princesses. There has been news."

"Speak it then." Alicent commands turning her gaze to Beocca and the Maester pulls the scroll from his sleeve "News from the Vale." Alicent's heart drops at that for unlike her other children Maekar had the smallest army supporting him and despite his arguments Maekar had a quick temper and an incorrigible sense of duty, no matter how grim "Is he safe?"

"He is well but... I fear for his mind..." Beocca states before hesitating to continue and Alicent rolls her eyes "Speak Maester." Beocca licks at his lips before sighing "He's armed the mountain clansmen and sent them after villages in the Vale. The reports differ but what we do know is that over twenty villages have been burnt to the ground and it's men slaughtered, women and children enslaved as prisoners."

Alicent's heart thumps at that with the single most haunting thought ran wild in her mind 'Is he so desperate for glory that he would turn to butchers to enact his war?' Alicent stands on shaky legs and walks towards the maester "Prepare for a raven to be sent. I wish to write to my son."

"A blinded dragon will lash at all that moves; friend or foe even of the hand that feeds it." Helaena states picking at her nails and Alicent stops in her track and glances down at the glinting pin on the collar of her teal green gown that had an intricate design on bronze colored scales that lined up the long sleeves and down her bodice but Alicent simply shakes her head before continuing her path back to the keep with the maester following behind her "If Prince Maekar is not dissuaded from this immoral and rather brutish way of war then it will reflect on your husband's claim."