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The Crimson Dragon- chapter 13: Making Moves
🕑 Added 2024-03-06 15:00:05 +0000 UTCChapter 13: Making Moves
A Few Days Later
Rhaenyra Targaryen had always prided herself on being a courageous, strong willed Valyrian dragonrider, but right now, she felt like nothing but a craven.
Within her mind the events of the other night continued to replay over and over, causing a mixture of embarrassment and anger to sweep over her.
And it was due to these feelings that Rhaenyra had been avoiding Alicent for the last few days, although this was proving to be a daunting task with small council meetings along with her children and her siblings wanting to do more ‘family activities.’
This was not helped with Laenor's constant japes at her expense. After she returned from Alicent’s chambers, Rhaenyra had told her husband what happened and since then Laenor would smirk and joke whenever he saw her purposely going out of her way to not be around the Queen for as long as possible.
“Mother, can you come to the Dragonpit with us?” Rhaenyra was taken out of her thoughts when she heard the voice of her eldest son.
“Of course, Jace. We can even leave right now.” Rhaenyra replied, returning the bright smile that Jacaerys had given her.
“Yay! We can show how much better we have gotten with Arrax and Vermax!” Lucerys added as he ran to Rhaenyra’s side.
“Will your uncles and aunts be joining us?” Rhaenyra asked.
“Don’t worry, lady wife, you know that the Queen hasn’t been to the pit in years.” Laenor smirked from his place next to the fireplace.
Laenor had always assumed that Rhaenyra and Alicent’s childhood friendship was far deeper and intense than most friendships between noblewomen, but it was not until he and Rhaenyra were married, and the two’s relationship had severed that it became clear to him.
Whether it was because Alicent had married Viserys or Alicent’s faith, or even Rhaenyra sleeping with Criston and lying about it that caused them to not come to terms with their feelings, to him Alicent was Rhaenyra’s first love, not Daemon like some assumed.
Laenor knew better than anyone what it was like to love someone that you were not supposed to love, reminded of the tragedy of him and Joffrey, and he would never judge Rhaenyra for having done the same.
And while he did not care for Alicent, not after she defended Criston Cole, he would not be angry at Rhaenyra for being unable to completely leave the woman behind. It just meant that Rhaenyra would now have to suffer being the butt of his jokes, it was not often that the Princess of Dragonstone had ever embarrassed herself in such a manner and he was not going to let this opportunity slip away.
Rhaenyra glared at Laenor, but the Velaryon had the gall to wink at her, clearly enjoying Rhaenyra’s fumbling.
“Aegon, Aemond, and Daeron will be. Helaena and Lilyanna said they were going to the sept with their mother.” Jacaerys answered, him and his brother both unaware of what their father was actually saying.
“Then we best go get your uncles then.” Rhaenyra said as she led Jacaerys and Lucerys out of her bedchambers, ignoring the sound of Laenor’s laughter as he followed them.
~X~
Alicent took a deep breath once she, her daughters, and Criston entered the sept within the Red Keep.
For years, the sept had always been a sanctuary for Alicent, allowing her to escape the burden and hardships first of her mother’s death, then having her father constantly loom over her, and being Queen.
She was able to find answers to many problems she faced whenever she prayed within its walls, praying to the Gods for their favor and blessings.
“Why did we have to come again?” Alicent looked down at Lilyanna, seeing the annoyed expression on her face.
“You two are here because it has been sometime since either of you have been to the sept, especially you, Lilyanna. I brought your brothers a few days ago so it is your turn.” Alicent replied, giving Lilyanna a chastising look as she knew her daughter along with her older brother usually went out of their way to avoid going to the sept for sermons and prayers.
Since they were young, Alicent had been raising her children to believe in the Faith of the Seven, wanting them to abide by its values as she did. So far, only Aemond took to the faith dutifully, Daeron had tried as well but Alicent knew that his immature age made it harder for him to take the religion seriously, Helaena would go the sept but was not entirely interested, and Aegon and Lilyanna rejected anything that had to do with religion, finding it all pointless.
Lilyanna glowered but did as she was told and kneeled at the altar, Helaena copied her twin, leaving enough space so that Alicent could sit in between them.
In truth, Alicent had not come to the sept because of her daughters but because she needed guidance now more than ever.
She could not stop thinking about her former friend and declaration she had made to her nights earlier, all her could hear in her thoughts was sound of Rhaenyra’s voice as the princess said that she loved her, that she wanted her.
Alicent knew that feelings such as these were wrong, they were perverse and sinful, going against the teachings of the Faith, and yet she could not stop them from creeping into her heart.
It was as if Rhaenyra had caused cracks to form in the dam within soul that had been holding her emotions, not caring for the damage she left behind in her selfish pursuit in what she wanted.
So, the Queen prayed to her Gods, hoping to be given answers, a reprieve from the whirlwind of emotions that overwhelmed her very being.
“Your Grace. A letter from your father, Lord Otto, has arrived.” Talya announced as she entered the sept, holding the aforementioned letter in her hands.
Alicent immediately stood, taking the letter from Talya, and opening it. As the Queen read the letter, her face went through many different emotions, before she clenched the parchment in her hand, squeezing it tightly in her fist.
“How dare he?!” Alicent exclaimed as her expression finally settled on furious anger.
“What’s wrong, mother?” Helaena asked as she and Lilyanna stood up, watching as her mother’s temper started to flare.
Alicent soon schooled her features, forcibly relaxing her posture as she turned to face her daughters. “Everything is fine, sweetling. I just need to go write a letter to your grandfather. So, I will have to leave you here.” She then turned her gaze to Lilyanna, “And I expect you both to pray before leaving yourselves.”
With that Alicent left the sept, Criston quickly followed his Queen, but Talya stayed behind for a few moments, giving Lilyanna a telling look before following the other two.
“Do you know what that was about?” Helaena asked as soon as they were alone.
She knew about Talya being one of Mysaria’s spies and she did not miss the look that Talya had sent her twin's way.
“No, but I think I may know what Otto has written to our mother about.” Lilyanna answered, hoping that her inkling was wrong, thinking about what this letter could mean for her siblings.
“it’s nothing good, is it?” Helaena asked.
“Even if I’m wrong, based on how mother reacted, whatever he has told is most definitely bad.” Lilyanna said as she stared walking towards the exit.
“Mother said that we had to pray before we could leave. Do I have to tell mother about you disobeying her?” Helaena said playfully, she too did not find much stock in praying to the Gods but knew that it was better to do as their mother told them lest she find out.
Lilyanna scoffed, “And do I have to tell mother that you still keep your little spiders in the jewelry box she gave you? Because last I checked she specifically told you to stop doing that.”
“They like it in there.” Helaena muttered, knowing that the spiders she called her pets preferred to live in her jewelry box as opposed to anywhere else.
“So, it seems we’re in agreement on not telling mother about doing things she has told us not to.” Lilyanna smirked as she continued to leave the sept, her smirk growing wider as she heard Helaena follow her.
“You’re a manipulative bitch, Lily.” Helaena said annoyed.
Lilyanna playfully placed her hand over her hand and gasped, “Helaena! How unladylike of you and people say you are the sweet one out of us two.”
Helaena rolled her eyes but continued to think back on the letter that Otto had written to Alicent and the woman’s reaction to it.
It was times like this that Helaena wished that she had control over her dreams, that she could see what she wanted to see of the future.
It would make things easier instead of waiting for visions that were hard to decipher and relying on Lilyanna’s preexisting knowledge.
~X~
Alicent continued her trek through the Red Keep, ignoring everything around her as she headed towards her husband’s chambers.
Alicent was no fool, she knew that if Otto had written to her about having Daeron sent to Oldtown to squire for her cousin Ormund Hightower, eldest son and heir of her uncle Hobert, then he would have undoubtedly written a letter asking the same of Viserys.
Alicent knew that if this ‘request' had come at an earlier point, she would have agreed, she would have seen the benefits of having one of her sons in the Reach, of having them being the squire of a future high lord.
But now, after losing one of her children, just the thought of being separated from one of them now, made her want to scream, to lose the composure that she had been holding onto for over a decade.
Once she reached the doors, Alicent did not wait for Harrold Westerling to announce her presence, simply pushing past the Kingsguard and entering the room.
“Alicent?” Viserys asked as he watched his wife storm into his bedroom, he was confused by the anger that was evident on her face as he put down the dragon sculpture that he was holding down next to the rest of his model.
“Has my father written to you, husband?” Alicent asked.
“Witten to me? Oh—yes, he has. He wants Daeron to squire for his nephew in Oldtown.” Viserys answered, remembering the letter he had read that morning.
“You cannot send Daeron to Oldtown.” Alicent stated, quickly cutting off her husband, a tinge of fear laced in her tone.
Viserys stared at his wife blankly, “But why? I figured you would be happy for our son to grow up surrounded by your family. I have heard that Lord Ormund is quite accomplished, it would be a benefit for Daeron to learn from him.”
Ormund? Accomplished? Alicent thought to herself annoyed, knowing the type of person her cousin is.
Ormund Hightower was a man who was used to getting his way, as the eldest son of a ruling lord, he never had to work for anything, expecting things to be given to him. Alicent remembered her cousin as a bully turned womanizer, a man who caused his father to work hard to cover up his son’s dalliances and mistakes.
While she could acknowledge that he had some skill with a blade, as he was now the wielder of their house’s Valyrian steel blade, Vigilance, Alicent did not want that type of influence around her son.
“Otto has promised to look out for our son if that is what worries you. And I feel it would be best if Daeron can find himself with a proper mentor, he is a third son and the youngest of my children; what other opportunities is he going to have without relying on his older sister to give him prestige?” Viserys said.
As he spoke, he could not help but be reminded of him and Daemon, remembering how often he had to give Daemon positions and titles because as a second son he had no power of his own. He also remembered how his brother often took his generosity for granted, doing little to live up to those many responsibilities.
Alicent clenched her fists in anger, resisting the urge to rip the skin from her fingertips and tear them to shreds. But before she could argue with Viserys’ statement, the doors opened and the last person she wanted to see walked into the room.
“Father, am I interrupting?” Rhaenyra asked, looking between Viserys and Alicent.
“No.”
“Yes.” Viserys and Alicent said, respectively.
“That clears things up.” Rhaenyra quipped but glowered as she noticed that Alicent had made no move to even look in her direction, keeping her eyes on Viserys.
“Viserys, we cannot send Daeron to Oldtown. We cannot send any of our sons away.” Alicent said, continuing the conversation even with Rhaenyra’s presence.
“You are sending Daeron to Oldtown?” Rhaenyra asked but was ignored by her father and stepmother.
“Alicent-” Viserys started, once again wanting to list the reasons why sending Daeron to squire was a promising idea.
“Viserys, please!” Alicent exclaimed, her body tensing as she saw that shocked and surprised way that Viserys and Rhaenyra were now staring at her. The Queen’s head fell, losing the strength to look her husband in the eye as her embarrassment grew, “Please, I just.... I cannot lose any more of my children.”
The room immediately fell into a tense silence, all three inhabitants wishing that they could be anywhere else as the awkwardness of the Queen’s outburst began to settle.
“Alicent...” Viserys trailed off, he did not know how to respond to his wife's plight, hating being reminded of Elaera, but then he saw the way his eldest daughter was staring at him, he saw the despair that was now etched on his wife’s face.
“I will write to Ser Otto; Daeron will be staying here in King’s Landing with us.” The King finally said.
He had to fight the full body flinch that threatened to overtake him as Alicent lifted her head and stared at him with complete and utter shock, clearly not expecting him to give into her plea.
“I...I... thank you, husband.” Alicent said softly, unshed tears shining in her eyes as she smiled at him.
Alicent then pressed her lips against her husband’s cheek, giving him a chaste kiss as thanks. The Queen’s mode was vastly different as she left the bedchamber, leaving Viserys and Rhaenyra to stew with the emotional whiplash.
“Has everything been resolved, Your Grace?” Criston asked once they were a good distance away, asking the question as he noticed the relief and happiness that flowed off the woman in waves.
“Yes, Ser Criston, everything has been resolved.” Alicent replied with a large smile.
The pair then began making their way towards Lilyanna’s bedroom as the Queen knew her daughters would be there, knowing that despite telling her to pray in the sept, Lilyanna would ignore her and leave as soon as she was gone with Helaena following suit.
As the pair walled through the Holdfast, they came across her sons, each boy covered in dirt and smelling of smoke and ash, denoting their time spent in the Dragonpit.
“Mother-” Aemond began to say but was interrupted by Alicent pulling him and his brothers into a tight embrace.
“Mother?” Aemond repeated, confused by the action.
“Is something wrong?” Aegon asked as Alicent hugged them tighter.
It was not the showing of affection that confused him but how sudden it was and the fact their poised and graceful mother was hugging them in the middle of a public hallway.
“Nothing, nothing is wrong. Everything is fine now.” Alicent answered as she kissed Daeron’s forehead.
Daeron smiled in response, leaning more into their mother’s embrace. “Mother, you missed it. The keepers said I’m getting better at commanding Tessarion!”
Alicent smiled, finally releasing her sons as she stands up, “That is great, my darling. Tell me about it as we go to your sister’s room.”
Daeron grinned and began to excitedly tell the Queen about their day in the Dragonpit, Alicent continued to smile at her son, running her fingers through his hair as he spoke.
Both failed to see the look that Aegon and Aemond shared with each other; both knew that Alicent disliked dragons, so her asking to be told more about them was shocking to them.
And it made the two brothers wonder even more about what had happened to their mother to cause such an uncharacteristic action on her part.
~X~
Days Later
The Hightower, Oldtown
Otto Hightower sat at his desk, staring into the fire, the letter from King still crumpled within his hands.
It may have been written by the King, but Otto knew it was the Queen’s words as he read the refusal to have Daeron fostered in Oldtown.
The former Hand was conflicted between feeling proud of his daughter’s manipulation of Viserys and angered that she had gone against him and their family's interests.
As Otto continued to ponder his daughter’s actions, the door to his room swung open and his older brother sauntered inside.
Or at least he tried to, his once confident stride appearing more as heavy hobbling. Over the last few years, Hobert Hightower had begun to age faster than ever before; his skin growing paler, his body growing fatter, and more of his hair thinning and falling out.
“Well? Are we preparing for your grandson’s arrival?” Hobert asked impatiently.
“No, the King has refused to have Daeron squire for Ormund.” Otto answered, his eyes still focused on the fire.
“Has the King gone mad?! Having a third-born son sent to squire for a future high lord is an immense honor, and yet he is squandering it!” Hobert yelled, feeling offended by the rejection.
Otto did not respond knowing that his brother would continue to rant and rave until he could no longer.
“I swear this has Princess Rhaenyra written all over it! That whore has no doubt whispered her treachery into her father’s ears to keep her false position of heir. She is trying to reduce our house!” Hobert exclaimed, before a vicious cough began to ravage him.
Otto pulled out a handkerchief, handing it to his brother.
Otto's right eye twitched slightly as Hobert coughed into the handkerchief, thoroughly wetting it before he threw it carelessly onto his brother's desk.
“You need to write to your daughter, have her change the King's mind.” Hobert exclaimed.
Writing to Alicent is what led to the King changing his mind… Otto thought.
“Writing to Alicent would be pointless, brother. The King has already made his decision, and knowing Viserys he will not change it.” Otto replied.
“Why is this always your response?” Hobert asked, staring down at his brother from his place in front of him. “What was the point of having your daughter become Queen if not to advance our house's standing? But so far, we have three trueborn sons of a King that refuses to adhere to proper traditions as he continues this farce of a woman being his heir!”
“Aegon will be King, Hobert.” Otto said as he stood up, “And with my grandson's ascension, our family will rise as well, but trying to force the issue right now will not end well for us. Let Daeron stay in King’s Landing, there will be other opportunities for us.”
Hobert continued to glare at his younger brother, “Fine, we will leave the issue. For Now. But you must still write to Alicent and the others that you have in your pocket, the princess and her party have been having too much say for far too long.”
“Of course.” Otto said, already having planned on writing to his allies on the small council.
“Good.” Hobert said, turning to leave the room before he paused, looking back at Otto. “Remember, brother, over a hundred years of planning and sacrifice have gone into getting us this far. We cannot afford to fail now, not when we are so close to seeing this all through.”
“And we won't.” Otto said plainly.
Hobert took his leave, saying nothing else to Otto.
Otto released a damning breath, gracefully sitting back down as he thought over his brother’s words.
It annoyed him that Hobert of all people was telling him about remembering the duty that they shared. As if implying that it was Otto who was not pulling his weight instead of the other way around.
It was him who had gone further than most second sons and became the Hand to not one but two Kings, it was him who had ensured that a Hightower woman had become Queen, a Queen who had given the King five children, most importantly; three able-bodied sons.
Otto has done everything that was required of him and then some, and what did he have to show for it?
Being removed from his position as Hand of the King, having to once again be reliant on his elder brother, loss of control over his daughter?
But these problems were merely small obstacles in his path. Minuscule issues that he would overcome just like all the others.
I only need to remain patient, everything will fall back into place, I will ensure it.
~X~
Lilyanna rolled her eyes as she listened to the new Grand Maester going on about the different ‘humors' that affected the human body.
The young girl had hoped that with the death of Mellos her lessons would also end, but she was proven wrong. Viserys simply told his third daughter that she had been given a small break from classes in order to properly morn her former teacher.
Lilyanna wanted to laugh at the idea that she would ever morn the man who ignored her advice because he believed he knew better and led to the death of one of her precious siblings.
If she could have, Lilyanna would have thrown Mellos' corpse into the nearest ditch and left it to rot.
Instead, she was told by the King that Orwyle would take on all of Mellos' duties as the new Grand Maester, including her education.
Lilyanna wanted to refuse, to tell her father that he was an idiot if he believed that the maesters of the Citadel knew anything and were not just quacks in the pocket of the Faith and the Hightowers, to tell him that he was a terrible father and King.
But she could not, not just because she had worked so hard to get where she is now and could not risk anything setting her back but because she knew that yelling and saying how she truly felt would change nothing.
So, Lilyanna had bitten her tongue and swallowed her pride, throwing a fake smile on her face as she followed Orwyle.
At least Orwyle is not as condescending and full of himself as Mellos was. Lilyanna thought to herself.
But this still did not change the fact that she was a young girl and so not taken seriously by the older man.
The only real benefit she could find sitting here was that she could work on her journal without interruption while Orwyle droned on and on.
Little did Lilyanna know that Orwyle was far more observant than she gave him credit for.
~X~
While the maester was lecturing the princess, he was watching her, taking note of how she reacted to the information given and the book she was writing in.
Orwyle had always known that Lilyanna Targaryen was not a normal child, all it took was one look to know this fact, one look into her steely and intelligent gaze to know that she was far more than meets the eye.
Even his predecessor had to acknowledge that despite her immature age, Lilyanna was one of the smartest students he ever had.
She would be unstoppable, if only she were born a man. Well, a real man... Mellos once told him, a rare moment of emotional honesty from the older man.
Orwyle thought back to the letter he had received earlier in the day from the princess’ grandfather, within the note Otto had asked the maester to keep a closer eye on his family than Mellos had, to given him notes on his daughter’s actions and his grandchildren’s progress.
It was clear to him that Otto did not want another situation where he was unaware of what was going on with his family. While the former Hand and the Queen were on the same side, they were obviously not aligned on the same things.
“Is there something more important than our lesson, princess?” Orwyle asked, watching passively as Lilyanna jumped at the sound of his voice.
“No, there’s not, Grand Maester.” Lilyanna responded, but they both knew she was lying.
Before Orwyle could question the princess again the door opened and the Queen entered the room, her attention focused on her daughter.
The change within the princess was evident; no longer did Lilyanna sit bored and unimpressed in her seat, now she was sitting up straight, and a large smile appeared on her face as Alicent made her way into the room.
“Mother.” Lilyanna said.
“I have to see how your lesson has been progressing.” Alicent said aloud, her gaze moving from her daughter to the maester.
Before Lilyanna could answer, Orwyle cut her off, “My teachings have fallen on deaf ears as the princess' attention has been occupied with her own writings.”
Lilyanna gave the man a fierce glare before softening her features as her mother turned to face her.
“Lilyanna, you are supposed to be taking these lessons seriously. Grand Maester Orwyle is taking time out of his day to teach you.” Alicent admonished.
She had hoped that Lilyanna would learn to let go of her prejudice against maesters, but it only grew worse especially in the months after Elaera.
“Sorry, mother.” Lilyanna muttered as she shrunk in on herself.
Alicent gaze continued to pierce her daughter’s form, knowing the apology was entirely empty and that Lilyanna would disregard her words soon enough. “Lilyanna-”
“Your Grace if I may; perhaps we can see Princess Lilyanna’s writing so we can have an idea on what is causing her to be so distracted.” Orwyle suggested.
“I don’t think that is necessary. I will start taking my lessons more seriously; I promise.” Lilyanna quickly spoke, slowly moving her notebook closer to her body.
Alicent stared pointedly at Lilyanna, holding her hand out towards her. Lilyanna sighed as she begrudgingly gave her writing over to her mother and the Grand Maester.
Alicent placed the book down on the table in front of her, Orwyle moved next to the Queen and the pair began skimming through the pages.
There were some topics that made no sense to them; things like ‘audits,’ or ‘double-entry booking,’ but there were ideas that seemed crazy but were ingenious more they thought about them.
“You have written out plans for a royal bank?” Alicent asked as she reread the pages.
Lilyanna nodded her head, “Because there are so few banks, they have the potential to make significant profits. Running a bank carries certain financial risks. As the royal family, we do, however, minimize such risks. That difficulty is limited by the King's power to raise banners, dispatching a dragon, and administering the King's Justice. The Iron Bank needs to invest a lot of money to make sure that people pay up, but for us, that wouldn't be necessary."
“Won’t a royal bank create animosity between the crown and existing banking institutions? With the nations that own these institutions?” Orwyle asked, but he could already see that the benefits that the princess had written and said would outweigh the possible blow back.
“The relations between Westeros and Essos are already poor after my uncle and Lord Corlys’ war in the Stepstones. While it may anger the Iron Bank to lose business in Westeros, it won’t be enough for Braavos to go to war and trying to add tariffs or sever trade would harm them just as much as it would us.” Lilyanna shrugged.
Besides, if things haven’t changed too much then the Iron Bank would be too busy dealing with a threat closer to home; the Rogare Bank of Lys. Lilyanna thought.
“Why have you never brought up any of the ideas you have?” The maester asked, genuinely curious.
“My opinions have never been important before, I’m just a girl who doesn’t know better.” Lilyanna answered.
It was clear that she was referring to Mellos and Viserys as she spoke, Alicent had to fight her body from curling in on itself.
Orwyle began to think, “We could ask Lord Beesbury to go over your idea, see if it is truly feasible and bring it to the council.”
Neither Lilyanna nor Alicent spoke, watching passively as the maester quickly bowed to the pair and left the room. Both knew he was going to be writing to Otto long before he mentioned this topic to Lyman.
“So, I guess my lesson for today is over?” Lilyanna asked aloud.
“Lilyanna.” Alicent breathed, not in the mood for her daughter’s usual brand of sarcasm.
“It's a reasonable question!” Lilyanna exclaimed.
Alicent stared at Lilyanna for a moment before pulling her into a hug. “I am sorry.”
Lilyanna knew that her mother was not apologizing for her annoyance but because Lilyanna felt the need to hide things because she would not be believed or taken seriously. It was how young girls and women were treated in this, how they were broken down.
It was the reason Lilyanna had been holding onto her ideas from her pervious life, wanting to wait until Rhaenyra took the throne, when the climate in government would be more favorable towards her.
Lilyanna still held her doubts that Viserys and the men of the small council would be willing to implement anything she thought of, even with Alicent, Orwyle, and most likely Rhaenyra, advocating for her.
But with Orwyle contacting Otto and discussing this with the small council at least I’ll know for sure... Lilyanna thought.
Lilyanna returned the hug just as fiercely, “I’m sorry too, mother.”
