TRIGGER WARNING: Mentioned child abuse (for those who don't know: a whipping boy was a child who was beaten instead of a royal child during times when beatings were the usual punishment for them misbehaving, but people were not allowed to hit royalty, including the children)

The Whipping Boy 

121 AC

MAEKAR WAS EIGHT WHEN IT STARTED.

Septon Bayard had always complained about Aegon. He was too talkative, he was dismissive of the importance of his lessons, he preferred to socialize over listening. So, when Bayard came to her again, Alicent had explained another complaint about Aegon.

Alicent was surprised when it was about Maekar instead. He, at least, had always been studious.

"Forgive me, Your Grace, but the boy has no respect," Septon Bayard explained. "I'm starting to suspect he only listens to his lessons in an attempt to correct me."

Alicent assured Septon Bayard that she was not offended by his words, and in fact pleased he kept her updated on the boys' learnings. Even years into the marriage, she had not gotten used to how nervous people were to speak up to her. 

Likely, Alicent thought bitterly, because they were so quick to dismiss her otherwise.

But, while she was not upset with the septon, the situation did concern her. Alicent had personally chosen Bayard for her children. She needed it to work. 

It started with Maekar's resentment of Maester Mellos, the children's typical teacher. Alicent could not blame him. Mellos was talented at his job, but his demeanor around the boy was morbid to say the least. How could you expect a child to like you when you always spoke of his death?

Then, of course, there was the benefit of keeping them away from Rhaenyra's bastard. Aegon had really taken to them. Alicent wanted to curb any influence they might have.

Septon Bayard had been chosen specifically for his religiousness. Alicent knew the Targaryens weren't particularly tied to religion, but she wanted her children to have that connection.

That, at least, had been a success. Under Septon Bayard's care, the two had become well versed in the Seven (or at least memorized the seven faces of the gods, which was the most expected when they were only eight.)

Aegon was still insistent on talking with Rhaenyra's bastards, but Alicent had to admit that was a stretch. Her son adored interacting with others. It was impossible to keep him silent. And Alicent couldn't bear to do anything more to stop him.

He had been solemn as of recent, as Viserys had been slowly pulling away from him. Alicent couldn't take the little joys he had away from him.

Besides, she had found larger issues.

Alicent's first thought was to speak with Maekar herself. Though he had never shown much interest in his father, perhaps he had also been affected by Viserys's behavior. It would make a fair explanation for his behavior.

It failed. Maekar was unwilling to explain himself, only declaring Septon Bayard annoying and mean. Then he sulked about being lectured. Alicent eventually let him go. She had suspected there was something deeper going on, which an eight year old would be able to articulate.

Alicent had meant to tell Septon Bayard that Maekar was feeling disrespected as well, but by the time she got back to them he had already complained to Viserys.

"Septon Bayard believes the issue is his inability to punish the boy," the king explained.

What he meant was his inability to beat the boy. That was often how children were punished, Alicent knew that, but she could not stop the anger that welled up in her chest that the statement. Alicent almost snapped that they ought not enable someone's desire to harm their children, but stopped herself. She couldn't stop herself from picking at her nails, though.

Viserys missed it. Thankfully.

Now, Maekar's health had always been something they worked around. He was a sickly and fragile child. The slightest bump would cause a deep bruise, if not a fractured or broken bone. Everything, from walking to breathing, could suddenly become a struggle. He caught almost every illness that so much as touched King's Landing. Maester Mellos continued to theorize he would soon die from complications (though Alicent was comforted by the fact that his prediction kept getting pushed back.)

No one was not supposed to beat any royal child. It was considered a crime to do so. Now they considered Maekar, her son, her fragile little boy, worthy of breaking that rule? Alicent was incensed.

Yet Viserys agreed. He agreed that this – this inability to beat their son who wasn't even allowed to play with other children in fear he would hurt himself – was a real problem.

At the least he had not chosen to allow the boys to be hit. Alicent could be pleased with that. Instead he had gotten some peasant boy to be hit in Maekar's place (which she was less pleased with.)

The boy, named Leif, was the son of one of the maids. He was a sweet, small child, with fluffy black hair and big doe eyes. He trembled the moment anyone looked at him. His mother warned that he was very shy. So much so that he couldn't even speak with anyone other than her, and that was only when they were alone. He was well behaved, though, so they would have no problems with him.

At once Alicent was certain this was a mistake. Who could bring themselves to hurt such a child?

When the plan was being made, Alicent's biggest concern was how Maekar would take it. From a young age the boy had proven himself antisocial. He liked only Alicent, and tolerated only those he was required to. A whipping boy only worked if Maekar bonded with him, if he cared about the other child's well being enough to change his behavior to protect them. 

Otherwise, they would just be torturing the boy for nothing.

This worry was dispelled almost at once. It took only an introduction for Maekar to take to the boy. Soon enough Alicent could hardly see one without the other. In fact, once he had gotten in trouble for letting Leif stay in his rooms.

Apparently he had taken great offense to the fact that his friend did not have his own bed. It had been left to Alicent to explain that, while sweet, it was inappropriate. 

At least it improved Maekar's learnings. Not because they had beaten Leif, but because Maekar had turned his studying time into a time to teach his new friend. Alicent felt, to her surprise, things had actually worked. 

˱ 𓈒 𓈊 ┈ 𓈒 ˲

122 AC

WHEN HER SON CAME TO HER IN TEARS, ALICENT WAS TERRIFIED. Maekar was not one to cry. He became sullen at most, but she couldn't remember him crying since he was a babe. So to suddenly see him in near hysterics, Alicent's first thought was that someone had died. She braced herself for the worst.

It took effort to get to the source of Maekar's issue. He kept talking over himself. What Alicent could make out was without context and incomprehensible because of this.

Finally, she got the concept. They had been in lessons with Septon Bayard. Maekar hadn't paid attention, and Leif had been hit for it (that was the most Maekar would say. Later, Alicent would find out the Septon had rapped his knuckles, and then slapped him when he started crying.) At once Maekar went to complain to Viserys. Who didn't care. Finally, frustrated and indignant at what he believed was the ignoring of a great injustice, he had come to Alicent. Certainly she would do something, wouldn't she?

At first Alicent was confused. They had explained why Leif was there and what a whipping boy's job was when they introduced the two. But, she realized, that had been two years ago. Two years of nothing but friendship. It was likely that the boys had forgotten, making the realization that much harsher.

"It's only meant to be a punishment," Alicent explained. "As long as you behave, it won't happen."

Maekar scowled, but eventually relented.

Afterwards, there were no incidents as bad as the first. If Leif had issues he was not one to speak up and Maekar, while clearly displeased, had not made a fuss. Alicent assumed this meant that things had gotten through.

That was until Septon Bayard woke up with a pile of dead rats in his bed. Then tripped down a long flight of stairs, lucky to get away with bruises and a broken leg instead of a broken neck.

He was quick to accuse Maekar of causing it. "An attempt on his life" he called it. Viserys had been quick to dismiss the whole thing. Maekar was certainly not his favorite child, but between addressing an issue and not, he obviously chose the second option. This was a child, Viserys insisted, it was impossible the boy could be as malicious as Septon Bayard claimed he was.

Alicent...she wished not to say it, but Alicent questioned Viserys's reasoning.

It had been Maekar who found the Septon after his fall. That itself was not suspicious, but Alicent had seen the look on his face. It was one of pure spite, something she had never seen anyone show in her life. Let alone a child. 

In Alicent's mind, it was not a question of if Maekar had done it, but why. She hoped it had only been an attempt to scare Septon Bayard away, and not something worse.

At least their next teacher was less reluctant to hit Leif. No one did, in fact. By then they knew what happened if you did. 

Author's Note: You can tell Gael and Maeker are related because they refuse to be normal about their friends, ever. 

But jokes aside, Gael and Maekar are very much parallel on Team Black and Team Green respectively, being the most "typical" people for their sides. Keep an eye on that.