Alicent would prefer to be anywhere else in the world than here.

The atmosphere in the King's solar was the most uncomfortable thing she had experienced in all her seventeen years. Viserys sat behind his desk, a tortured look on his face; he kept glancing at her with both a pleading guilt and awful pity, which made Alicent's shame curdle into sparks of anger. He looked at the Queen with the same guilt, though with apprehension instead of pity. 

Daena Targaryen was beside Alicent. An empty chair was on her other side; they sat in silence, awaiting its occupant. If looking at the King made her angry, looking at his sister - his wife - scared her half to death.

Her father's disdain for Queen Daena had been no secret to her. "The woman is hateful," He had told Alicent, when first sharing his plans. "His Grace puts up with her only because she is his sister - any other wife who acted in such an unseemly way would have been sent away in disgrace long ago. Daena rejects her duties as both Queen and wife, refuses to bear any more children despite only having one heir - who, mind, is likely to die before his tenth birthday due to inheriting his mother's cursed idiocy - cavorts with drunken common men and whores in taverns, names brutal and untempered violence as justice, makes enemies as easily as breathing, and insists on not only training with a sword like a man, but also sharing her bed with other women as some sort of sick fantasy,"

"But the King allows it," Alicent had replied, her voice small. "He cannot mind it so much," Her father's words were truly shocking - how could any godly woman act in such a way? - but surely if the King hated his wife so greatly, he would be able to stop it? Princess Gael adored her niece, besides. Surely she could not be all bad? The woman's lack of care for the opinions of others was something that Alicent (very secretly) admired, at times (or was it envy, instead?). Or perhaps Gael was indeed a little slow, as unkind people muttered.

"Daena has a dragon," Her father said with gritted teeth. "As does her young, impressionable daughter who admires her mother greatly. The only two dragons Viserys has, against the Velaryons' three. That, unfortunately, gives her power. I have the King's ear, Alicent. I hear his woes with regard to the Queen every day. It is a shame, when a great man is forced to live in the shadow of his wife. He will be receptive to you - a good, chaste, proper young lady, who pays him the respect and care that he is due,"

"But Father," Alicent's voice had become choked. "It isn't proper, for me to visit a married man - any man - without a chaperone. As you always taught me. Even just to talk - "

She had broken off, at the look on her father's face.

"The King will not be married for very long," He said, and his words chilled her. "The only thing supported the Queen's position is that wretched dragon. You work on His Grace, Alicent, and I will work on that particular problem. Daena soon flies to Driftmark for at least a moon's turn - I have given you time to plant the seeds," He smiled, and it was not at all kind. "You will be Queen one day, my daughter, and all this unpleasantness will be behind us. If the King wishes just to talk, then you talk. If the King wishes for anything more, then I am sure you will oblige him?"

Alicent had not been able to meet his gaze, her cheeks flushing hot, though heard the threat in his voice. "Of course, Father,"

His tone softened. "I know it does not seem like it, my dear, but I am doing what is best for you,"

And because he was her father, she believed him, wanted to please him. 

The King had been more than receptive to her. Had been eager to talk, and have someone listen, offering gentle words of support and interest. He was not a bad man. In fact, he seemed rather lonely. Alicent felt sorry for him, in a strange sort of way. And he was not bad-looking; the Targaryen colouring was always striking, and he was only ten years older than she was herself, far from an old man. King Viserys was not exactly what young girls dreamed of - his body was soft instead of muscled, he was no warrior - but he was kind to her in their conversations, kinder than her father had ever been. 

Though Alicent was not blind to the way he looked at her. Nor what it meant when his supposedly-innocent touches to her arm, her hands, the small of her back, lingered a little longer than was proper. Nor when his hand rested on her upper thigh and he told her to call him Viserys, not Your Grace, with a warm smile. Everything her septa had drilled into her from a young age came flooding back, and Alicent froze at first, but her father had told her to allow him what he wanted. He would be dreadfully disappointed in her if she displeased the King. 

Viserys had been gentle with her, in the end. Laying with a man had not been the awful, painful experience her septas had warned of. It simply felt strange, in truth. Throughout, he had caressed her hair, her body, told her how beautiful she was, how well she was doing, which was... nice. Alicent was always hungry for praise, which came so rarely from anyone else. 

The sickening guilt had come afterwards. Her father had caught her scurrying back to the Tower of the Hand, that first time, and had smiled despite the look on her face. He knew. Of course he knew, but the sickening shame still bubbled up inside her. 

"You're a good girl, Alicent," He said, pulling her into an embrace. "I knew you would do your duty to your house,"

She stepped back abruptly as his hand caressed the back of her head, unable to stand it. "I would like to take a bath, Father,"

As she sent the maids away and scrubbed herself raw in the bath, the words of Princess Gael and her friends from only a few weeks ago returned to her, how they felt sorry for any woman who dared try to usurp Queen Daena. The Queen might be hated by her father, but she terrified Alicent. Nothing like her soft, gentle brother; Alicent had seen her from the upper floors, training in the yard, fiercely quick and more than able to keep up with that huge Strong knight she was often seen with. Daena Targaryen was all sharp smiles and hot temper, sweeping red and black gowns, Dark Sister alive and bloody in her hands, daring anyone to challenge her, hoping they would. 

Her dreams that night were full of punishing fire, and the Queen's laugh as she fed her to Caraxes. But she was away for now, she wasn't even in King's Landing, and wouldn't be for at least a few more weeks.

Then she had come back early. 

It was, perhaps, the worst moment in Alicent's life - possibly excepting the day her mother died - when the Queen burst into Viserys' chambers to find them in bed together. For the first time, she saw Daena Targaryen looked entirely caught off guard. Only for a split second, however. The shock on her face had twisted into mocking revulsion, which made Alicent want to curl up in shame. 

She fought to cover her naked body, as the two royals yelled at each other, trying to draw as little attention to herself as possible. They argued like brother and sister, not husband and wife, throwing childish insults and wearing their heart's on their sleeves. But Alicent's heart sank, as she saw then that her father was wrong; Viserys did not hate his wife. He looked at her in a way he had never looked at Alicent, and Queen Daena knew it.

Then came the fateful words from the King's mouth. That he would not set his wife aside. And Alicent's world came crashing down even more than it already had.

That led them to where they were now. Uncomfortably sat together around a desk, waiting for her father to join them. 

"Your Grace, the Hand of the King," The Kingsguard knight at the door announced.

"You know, this is the first time I've ever been glad to hear that," The Queen said with a nasty smile.

Viserys sighed. "He may enter,"

Her father knew what had happened the moment he saw the three of them sat there, of course, though made a good show of ignorance. "Your Graces," He lowered his head, brow furrowed. "And... Alicent? What are you doing here?"

"What hasn't she done here?" The Queen muttered, lounging back in her chair, the innuendo evident in her voice.

Alicent could not find the words, merely closed her eyes for a moment, wishing she could melt through the floor. 

"Take a seat, if you would be so kind, Lord Otto," Viserys gestured to the empty chair, ignoring the mutter of 'Ser Otto' from his wife. "It is a... delicate situation that we find ourselves in," His brow was damp with sweat. 

Her father sat. Absurdly, Alicent found she was almost glad that the Queen was between them. 

"And how do matters of state concern my daughter, an unwed girl of seven-and-ten, Your Grace?" 

"You are a poor actor, Otto," The Queen scoffed. "Viserys might believe that the sun shines out of your arse, but I know that you were the one to whore out your daughter to my husband's bed,"

That word was like a knife through Alicent's skin. She looked up, furious at every single person in the room. Her father had all but whored her out to the King. The King had been the one to act upon his desires, assuming she wanted him, or not caring that she didn't. And the Queen had voiced it for everyone to hear.

She was not expecting Queen Daena to be looking at her, not her father or the King, meeting her angry stare with an amused look. 

"Daena!" Viserys said, angry himself now.

Her father was well into the act, however, tone icy cold. "I would appreciate if, for once, you refrained from speaking such filth, Your Grace. My daughter is an innocent, pious girl, and salacious rumours like that can ruin a young lady,"

The Queen merely laughed, turning to her husband. "I have never met such a bare-faced liar, not in the slums of Flea Bottom nor the Red Keep itself. Viserys, surely you can see it,"

Alicent was wondering that herself. However, the King remained blissfully unaware.

"Your dislike of each other clouds your judgement," He addressed both his Queen and his Hand, though his tone now grew a little sheepish. "Though Otto, I must apologise. Myself and your daughter have found... companionship, over the past weeks. It is no reflection on the Lady Alicent. She is a charming young lady, and I will do my best to provide for her and her reputation,"

A silence. Her father did look convincingly furious, as though he was struggling to hold back his anger in the face of the King. No matter what the Queen said, he was, in fact, a good actor.

"Alicent, is this true?" He turned to her.

She nodded miserably, hating the injustice of it all, that all of the blame was to be on her, not the man who sent her to the King's bed. "It is, Father,"

Another silence.

"I am willing to offer Lady Alicent the position of official court mistress," The King said. "She will want for nothing, and may even take on some of the duties of a queen that my wife refuses to engage in - "

"Like sharing the King's bed," The Queen muttered. 

The look on her father's face was almost worth the shame of it. Alicent took a vicious satisfaction in seeing the hints of smugness in his demeanour come crashing down at Viserys' words. Even if it meant the ruining of her own reputation, she was surprised at the vindication within her towards her own flesh and blood. 

"Alicent is a highborn lady," The fury in Otto Hightower's voice was unmistakably genuine now, any show of deference towards the King evaporated. "You mean to keep her as a glorified whore for the realm to scorn? You would willingly shame me, my daughter, my entire house and your own in one fell swoop?"

The Queen laughed. "For once I agree with you, Hightower,"

Her father rounded on the woman. "And what would you have me do, Your Grace?" The title was snarled. "Send my only daughter to a motherhouse? Marry her off to whichever lowly landed knight would have her? Turn her out onto the streets? Things that perhaps your own father should have done with you. The King's adultery is nothing compared to your own. His Grace thinks too highly of his wife, who makes no secret of her sinful affairs with other women, and has no doubt entertained half of the City Watch on her back in the halls of Flea Bottom brothels!"

"Father!" Alicent jumped to her feet the same time as the Queen did, and the Hand, shocked by the crude words that came from his mouth.

"Who the fuck do you think you are?" The Queen snarled into Alicent's father's face. "If you confess to having me watched, then you will know for a fact that the only man I have ever shared a bed with is my husband. I have nothing to hide, unlike a scheming, grasping wretch like you," She continued with savage relish. "And at least spread rumours that are halfway believable - I've not been on my back since the Prince and Princess' conception, as Viserys can attest to," 

Despite herself, Alicent's brow furrowed, trying to work out how else coupling would work, if she was not on her back. But then again, how would two women share a bed? She wondered if her father said such things only to be crude and insult the Queen.

"Enough!" The King bellowed loud enough to silence the pair of them. To everyone's surprise, for once it was the Hand who he turned on in anger, no less than completely enraged. "You dare accuse my wife, your Queen, of false charges!" He roared. "You ask me to throw her to the wolves? I understand you are angry for your daughter's virtue, but I will not turn my back on my own flesh and blood for the sake of my Hand's pride, now hold your blasted tongue, Otto! Any more filth from your mouth and I will have it removed,"

Even the Queen looked surprised at this, unaccustomed to her husband taking her side, though that quickly turned into a self-satisfied smirk. 

Losing his temper had cost him - both of them - dearly. After that, he had no choice but to back down at the normally genial King's rage. 

*

"All will be well," Her father paced around his solar in the Tower of the Hand, Alicent sat down wearing a blank expression as she stared into the fire. "You are in a perfect position to wed the King, once Daena falls out of favour,"

She had held her tongue long enough.

"And when will that be?" Alicent raised her voice sharply enough for her father to stop pacing and look at her, s. "When the sun rises in the west? You heard him, Father, he will not set her aside. Any more claims of adultery you bring to him will be discredited, after today. Her dragon still lives,"

"She was not supposed to return so soon," He glared at her. "Watch your tongue, girl. If you had not been caught by the Queen - "

Alicent laughed hollowly, a foreign sound to her ears. "None of this was my idea. None of this was my fault. You just can't admit your plan didn't work. Now my life has been ruined, for the sake of your ambitions. I will be known as a whore from Dorne to the Wall," Tears were in her eyes and she furiously blinked them away. "Any friends I have made at court are friends of the Princess Gael. She adores her niece, she will turn me away in disgust,"

Her father had had enough of her newfound rage. He marched across the room and she hurried to her feet, backing away from him, but he caught her wrist in a bruising grip.

"What is done is done. Are you going to weep and moan and resign yourself to a life of misery?" He snarled at her. "Or are you going to play the game? You can be the King's listening ear, the one to soothe his sorrows, where the Queen causes him nothing but grief. More time is all we need. Bear a few whispers, a few insults, and rise above them with your head high. Make friends and allies - many of the nobles would rejoice to see a different kind of Queen. As I told you, Daena will not have a dragon for very long. Without the Blood Wyrm, her power is nothing,"

Alicent had nothing more to say to her father after that. For the first time in her life, she wanted to behave like a spoiled brat of a girl, to scream and kick and throw things and hit him. Instead, she did not even have to try to make her face blank and cold.

"I am going to go to my chambers," She told him. "I want to be alone,"

She left without offering another word. He did not stop her.

*

Daena watched her son's sword lessons from afar, not wanting him to be mocked as a mother's boy if she hung around on the sidelines. Baelon was eager to learn and was making good progress. His lack of a dragon compared to his sister made him more determined, and she had to admire her boy, for each time he was knocked down, he got back up and kept at it, not a tear or whinge in sight. The wound on his face was not fully healed - his opponents were careful to avoid the area - and would not be for a while yet, though was not near as raw as before.

She glanced from the window at the sounds of footsteps at the end of the otherwise deserted corridor.

"Your Grace," Alicent Hightower hovered there, attempting poise but clearly nervous. "I - I would speak with you, if you permit it,"

The girl was more beautiful, when she was not naked in her husband's bed. It had been two days since that incident, and Alicent had made herself scarce ever since. That was for the best. After returning to her chambers that day, Daena had found herself unexpectedly... hurt. She cared little that her brother sought his pleasure elsewhere with whores; she did exactly the same. This was different, however. He had chosen someone who highlighted all of Daena's flaws in his eyes, someone so vastly opposite to everything she was, a noblewoman whom he would have to take seriously, whom he would keep on in court to fill the gaps where she was lacking, the daughter of her greatest enemy. 

The boundaries between hurt and anger were so easily blurred. 

Daena raised an eyebrow at the girl. "And what do you hope to say?"

"I would apologise,"

The words did surprise her, for there was no chance of them coming from Otto; the time for friendship between the two of them was long past. "For?" No need to make this easy.

"For my father's insulting words. And for - for causing the King to break his wedding vows to you,"

Daena considered her, stepping closer. "I couldn't care less about Viserys' wedding vows. He was my brother before he was my husband. Besides, you didn't tie him to the bed and have your way with him - it's his fault as much as yours. Your father's more than anyone's,"

"Then why is there such bad blood between us?" The girl's voice raised a little, though faltered.

She laughed. "So you do have a hint of a spine,"

Daena stepped closer, close enough to reach out and cup Alicent's jaw. The girl stiffened at her touch; Alicent was only an inch shorter, or thereabouts, though Daena very much looked down at her, with a condescending smile.

"You are beyond my notice or caring. Your father, on the other hand, would delight in my downfall, and set you up to cause it. Ah!" She cut off the protest, pressing a finger to Alicent's lips. "The King is not here, there's no need to pretend you are deeply besotted with him,"

"I care for His Grace dearly - " Her chest heaved in indignation, or perhaps it was nerves. Either way, Daena was close enough to feel it.

"Yes, yes," She waved a hand. Closer. "I may almost feel sorry for you, if you were anyone else's daughter. Forced by your father to ruin your reputation and chances at marriage, for the sake of becoming a fat king's mistress,"

"I have come to apologise," The girl pressed, unshed tears shining in her eyes. "Must you be so - so awful?"

"Careful," Daena said, her hand moving to the back of Alicent's neck, roughly tilting it back and hissing into her face. "Fucking my brother does not mean I am not your Queen, no matter what your father told you. You are only apologising because it did not go your way. You would not have given me a second thought, had I been set aside, sent away to rot, and you were given a crown,"

Alicent, it seemed, had nothing to say to that, shaking her head in dismay.

Daena drew back ever-so-slightly, letting the girl go. She smiled. "He must leave you dreadfully unsatisfied,"

"Wha - what do you mean?" Her eyes were wide.

"Viserys beds with whores. Paid whores," She added, at Alicent's swell of anger. "Paid to pretend to enjoy it. He has no idea of how to satisfy a woman, not without me to wring it out of him,"

The girl swallowed, looking her in the eye in an effort to stand up for herself. "And do you, Your Grace? Know how to satisfy a woman?"

It was meant as an insult, of that she had no doubt, though the delivery was off. Not quite insulting, almost... embarrassed. Curious.

Daena laughed. "You've been listening too much to your father," She paused. "Though if you ever need some womanly advice, wife to mistress," She smirked at the look on Alicent's face. "Or if you ever admit you're furious with your father for setting you up to fail, and furious at Viserys for letting him - my door is always open,"

She meant to make the girl uncomfortable, disgusted even, but Alicent's eyes merely widened and her cheeks flushed red. Daena might have laughed at her, though for whatever reason did not. She left the offer - which had been intended in jest, though had somehow become something else - hanging in the air, and the girl standing gawping in the corridor, as she went to meet her son after his lesson was finished.

*

Her talk with the Queen had left Alicent distinctly ruffled. She had expected her to be mocking and cruel, to throw her apology back in her face - almost welcomed it, for the anger it inspired was a balm to the crushing despair that lingered over her otherwise - but had not expected the manhandling of her person, and the blatant proposition at the end. Surely she was joking?

Joking or not, her words had gotten into her head, no doubt as they were intended. That night, Alicent dreamed again of fire and dying a horrible death, but she also dreamed of things that she could barely acknowledge herself when she awoke in the morning. One moment it was Viserys on top of her, the next it was his sister, the King's sweet caresses and warm smiles melting away into rough hands that left her skin tingling, and that sinful grin on a familiar but sharper face.

She was supposed to be writing a letter, though had been staring out of the window instead, trying not to think about what depravity her sleeping mind had come out with. Unsatisfied? If, according to the Queen, she was so unsatisfied, what did satisfied mean?

"The Princess Gael to see you, my lady," Her father's guard at her door announced.

Alicent hastened to rise from her chair, alarmed that the Princess had deigned to pay her a visit. Before, Gael had been her friend. Now, she surely despised her. She had spent the past few days largely in the Tower of the Hand aside from when the King summoned her, unwilling to suffer the stares and whispers of the court, nor the mercurial tempers of the Queen. Her place of solace was usually the sept, though the judgement she felt radiating from the septons and septas was truly unbearable. 

"Princess," She curtseyed politely, glad that she had not sent the maids away when they tried to clean her chambers earlier, despite the looks they eyed each other with when they thought she wasn't looking. 

Gael was visibly upset, hurrying into the room and shutting the door behind you. "Daena said I shouldn't bother to speak to you, but I had to hear for myself. What happened, Alicent? I thought that Viserys was a good man, but even men who seem good can be awful in secret and I wanted to make sure no one made you do anything you didn't want to, and - "

Alicent burst into tears. It was the first time that anyone had shown any amount of care of concern for her, and it was too much to take, even as she bore the cold disappointment of her father and the scorn of everyone else. 

"You're too kind," She sat on her bed and wept, hiding her face from Gael's wide eyes. "You're far too kind to me,"

The Princess hesitantly sat beside her, her tiny form barely denting the sheets. She was a year older than the Queen, and seven years older than Alicent; for a moment, it was almost like what Alicent imagined having an older sister would be, as Gael's small hand found her shoulder. 

"It will be alright," The woman said. "Tell me,"

Alicent should not have trusted her. She didn't, in truth; Gael might not mean any harm, but the moment the Queen asked, the words would spill from her lips regardless. Alicent simply did not care about keeping her father's secrets any longer. Better that she was married off to some lowly landed knight, better that she was sent away, far from all the hateful people here.

"It wasn't the King's fault," She said. "He was not cruel to me, even if he did wrong the Queen. It - my father, he - he sent me. Everyone always told me to keep my maidenhood for my husband, and to obey my father until I am married, but what do you do when he tells you to - to - and I didn't want to displease him and now everything is ruined, I am ruined, I - "

She broke off into sobs again.

"I was ruined too," Gael said, startling Alicent into meeting her lilac eyes. The same as the Queen, lighter than the King's. 

"You - you were?" 

The woman's hands were shaking somewhat, and she did not meet her eyes. "It was a singer who came to court. He was very nice at first, and told me I was pretty and clever, which no one ever said. But then he - he cornered me alone and did awful, awful things. I didn't know what had happened at first. No one had told me. I didn't know what to do, I was in such a state as you are now,"

"What did you do?" Alicent's voice was barely a whisper. 

"I went to Daena," Gael said. "She was kind. I know you won't believe me, but she was. She sent for her maid to draw me a bath, let me sleep in her bed, and said he would never hurt me again,"

"How could she know that?" Alicent did not remember this ever becoming a scandal. King Jaehaerys was not known for leniency with his daughters; likely the elder Targaryens had hushed it up. Or perhaps they never found out.

"It was most peculiar," The Princess smiled. "The next morning the man was found dead in his bed. The Gods must have struck him down for his crimes," 

The look in her eye made Alicent remember that Gael was still the blood of the dragon, no matter how soft she might be. Information like that was something her father would kill for, but Alicent would take it to her grave. No wonder Gael's loyalty ran so deep.

"The Queen would hardly kill a man for me," 

"She would kill your father,"

"I don't want him to die," She said, but the words came out hollow. 

Three months ago, Alicent would have been shocked that she even questioned such a thing. Of course her father wanted what was best for her! He was not the most loving man, but she cared for him, especially since her mother had died, and he had her best interests at heart. Now, though, she was not so sure. He had been infallible, strong, clever, and now he was not. A sad, grasping man, the Queen's voice hissed in her ear.

A sudden burst of rage ran through her. "Your family loves you enough to leave you be. No one told you to get married, you live a happy little life in King's Landing doing whatever you please! All I ever wanted was to be a good wife and have lots of children. I don't think anyone in my family cares about me more than what I can do for them,"

"I care for you," Gael said, so easily that Alicent blinked in surprise. "And whispers always pass. They might be hurtful, but give it a moon's turn and Daena will have done something outrageous to catch everyone's attention again. Your father has said such hateful things about her, you know, things that people believe, and she no longer pays it any mind,"

"I am not Daena Targaryen!" Alicent said. "I am not a Queen, I don't ride a dragon, I can't fight with a sword, I'm not the mother of the heir to the throne, and I can't laugh in people's faces like no one can harm me,"

"Daena used to be none of those things too," The Princess said. "And there was a time when I cried every time someone called me slow or lackwitted, ran away each time my father said a harsh word, shrank behind my mother at every turn. You cannot wait for happiness to find you, Alicent, you must fight for it every day," 

Gael's eyes were wide and earnest, and somehow that last part struck Alicent as one of the wisest things she had heard anyone say in a long time.

It was with mixed emotions that she found herself alone once more. She was grateful that Gael had come to hear her out, to speak with her, to try to comfort her. At least she was not entirely alone, even if the Princess' loyalty was to her niece first and foremost. 

That evening, Alicent ignored her father's summons for dinner and went to visit the King.

"Your Grace," She curtseyed. "I wanted to come to apologise for causing any strife between you and the Queen - "

"Nonsense," A gentle hand pulled her upright. "Those actions were mine, not yours, my dear. I care for you greatly, I would not see you worry about matters that are not your fault. And I have told you before to call me Viserys,"

His smile was warm, kind, and he looked at her like he wanted her company.

She smiled back. "Of course, Viserys. Thank you,"

Perhaps she would never be Queen, or anyone's wife at all, but being beholden to the King was much better than being beholden to her father. Alicent would make the best life for herself that she could, given the rotten hand she had been dealt by those who were supposed to care for her. 

The door was locked, this time. Alicent lay underneath Viserys in the King's enormous bed, did her best to please him, made all the right noises, and tried not to picture his sister.

*

"Are you not furious?"Her old friend Leona Strong asked Daena, when the sisters visited court from their respective husbands' keeps in the Riverlands, having heard the news and come to offer comfort. "I was sure we would return to find the Red Keep in ruins,"

"I'm almost disappointed we did not," Perianne said with a grin.

Daena smiled darkly. "It was a close thing. I am furious at Viserys, but more so at his fucking Hand. For years, Ser Otto has whispered lies in Viserys' ear, telling him to put me aside, though this time he managed to anger even my soft-hearted brother,"

"His Grace would never cast you out, not for some twig of a Hightower girl," Leona scoffed. "Though what was he thinking? A tavern wench is one thing, his Hand's daughter quite another,"

"I don't think Viserys visits many taverns," Daena said. "And the little wretch made herself readily available,"

"How can you even bear to look at her?" Perianne said with sympathy. "If my husband ever dared... Well, I'd pack my things and come to King's Landing,"

"It's quite easy," Daena said. "Alicent is terrified of me. I hardly even have to try to be cruel," She paused. "The girl is not without friends, though. For a mistress, she is not as scorned as she might be. I've hardly ever tried to endear myself to the court, and my sources tell me there are many who would welcome a different kind of queen,"

"You are not without friends, either," Leona said. "For every person who dislikes you, there is another who admires you. You are not so hateful as you believe, Daena,"

For the first time, part of her cared enough to hope that was true.

"Well, there is a silver lining," She said, with false optimism. "The girl keeps Viserys occupied, leaving me free to do as I like. And he feels too guilty to deny me anything at the moment,"

*

Alicent cried, months later, when she realised she was pregnant. Not to the King, of course, nor her father, nor anyone else, but alone in her chambers after her maids were sent away. She had new chambers now, away from the King's - and thus, away from the rest of the royal family - and far from the Tower of the Hand. Her wardrobe was new, filled with more womanly gowns; people laughed behind their hands and called her the most modest whore that ever lived, for her high necklines and demure clothing, her stubborn insistence in visiting the sept, ignoring the judgement and scorn. 

She had always pictured her children growing up happy, safe. Now her son and daughter would be forever tainted with the stain of bastardy, despised by their half-siblings and aunt. Viserys was delighted when he heard the news - he had always wanted more children, which Daena refused to give him - as was her father, seeing it as another way to prove the Queen lacking.

"And when will you tell her, Viserys?" Alicent asked.

His smile faded. "Daena does not have to know just yet,"

Cowards, all the men in her life.

She considered moon tea. Considered surrendering herself to the sept. Instead, for once, Alicent did something entirely selfish. 

*

Mysaria came to Daena with the final straw.

"The Hightower girl is with child," Lady Misery said. "I thought you should know,"

The whole affair had been a great storm brewing, which all came to a head at this news.

"Daena," Viserys looked nervous to find her waiting in his chambers. "I meant to tell you, but - "

Instead of shouting, this time Daena was quiet, vicious. "Father would turn in his grave if he could see you now. He liked me the best, you know he did. I never wanted you, Viserys, and never wanted children, but you were all forced upon me regardless when I was still a child myself. For once, I am going to do whatever the fuck I like, just as you have been doing all this time - "

"You have been doing as you like, this whole time,"

"And have had to fight you every step of the way! You can't keep both your wife and your mistress happy, no matter how you delude yourself. I am going to Driftmark, with Rhaenyra and Baelon, and will see you in a year, mayhaps longer,"

Ignoring his spluttering response, she stormed from the room, not bothering to shut the door behind her. It was late in the evening, too late to leave now. She would go in the morning, as soon as the sun came up. For now, she would give the servants orders to pack.

No sooner had the last of the maids left, however, there came a small, hesitant knock on the door. 

"Enter," Daena thought someone had forgotten something. 

Imagine her surprise, when Alicent Hightower stepped through the door, closing it with a small click. 

"You should be clever enough to realise," Daena started, setting down her cup of wine. "That this is the worst place in the castle for you, at this moment,"

The wine stood next to where Dark Sister lay sheathed on the table.

Alicent smiled faintly, hesitant. "I require some womanly advice, Your Grace, which you so kindly offered before. I am angry with my father. I am angry with Viserys. And I am angry with you,"

"Because?" Daena raised an eyebrow. 

"Because you can do whatever you like," The girl said. "And no one seems able to stop you,"

She laughed. "Why Alicent, you are far more free than ever before. Your reputation is already ruined - what does it matter anymore?"

To her surprise, that wrung a pained laugh from the girl. "That was what I told myself, when I came here," A pause. "You make me so very angry. Perhaps that is wrong of me, after what I did, but you are cruel, and enjoy being cruel. I find anger is sweeter than everything else, of late - so I suppose you're the only one who makes me feel anything worth feeling at all,"

Daena let out a breath; she had not expected the girl to be so... enticing. "Come closer,"

The habit of obedience ran deep. Alicent stepped closer, closer, close enough that Daena could cup her face in her hand.

"Your hands are rough," The girl said. "Like a man's,"

"My lips are soft," She reminded, "Like a woman's," and kissed her.

Before, the girl had been uptight, dutiful and pious. Now she was bitter and angry, her girlhood dreams in tatters. She was hesitant under Daena's touch at first, but beautifully eager to please, those doe-brown eyes widening at how she could make her feel like no one else had before. Daena could understand Viserys' attraction. Though her brother wanted a pretty talking doll to make him feel good about himself. Daena, on the other hand...

"Not so - " The girl said, but broke off.

She paused. "If I am too rough, then say so," 

Alicent flushed, shaking her head. "That's not - I mean - " She got a hold of herself, looking her in the eye and clenching her jaw, as though daring her to laugh. "I was going to say you do not have to be so gentle,"

Daena did laugh, though not to mock her, lips curling into a teasing smirk. "Alicent Hightower, I did not think you would be so delightful to corrupt," 

She hoped Viserys heard.

*

It was with no small amount of smugness that Daena left the Red Keep for the Dragonpit the next morning, her children in tow. Rhaenyra was nine years old - only four years younger than she had been when she got married, an unthinkable reality - whilst Baelon was newly seven. They both thought it was a grand adventure. Her daughter would ride Syrax, whilst Baelon would sit on Caraxes behind Daena. She would not keep her children away forever - Baelon was heir to the throne, after all - but they would experience the world in a way she never had, before suffocating responsibilities choked them.

Her brother had humiliated her, so she had made a cuckhold out of him. Alicent would be thinking of Daena, as her brother rutted on top of her, when she lay alone bed at night and her fingers wandered south. Viserys would never make her gasp and moan, not the same way his sister had.

And if the wine she offered to Alicent late in the evening contained a healthy dose of a poison with similar effects to moon tea, well, she would be far away from her brother's anger when he found out.

Though taking off into the afternoon sun, all of that suddenly became irrelevant. Daena felt the weight of King's Landing and every rotten person in it melt from her shoulders, the higher they climbed. The sun was warm on her face and the spring breeze was refreshingly cool. Rhaenyra flew on Syrax beside Caraxes, and Baelon sat behind her.

First, Driftmark, as she had told Viserys, so he would not follow her. And then, wherever she so chose. The whole world was laid about before them, up here. Pentos, Myr, Tyrosh, Lys, the lands beyond, Qohor, Mantarys, Volantis, Ghiscar, places she had only read about before and longed to see with her own eyes, a foolish dream lost to girlhood.

But Daena was a dragonrider before she was a queen, and she could go anywhere she bloody well liked.

*

...

Thoughts?

I get that not everyone will be happy with some choices I made for this chapter but it's my story and I greatly enjoyed writing this hahaha. Daemon/Alicent is a criminally underrated pairing. For anyone saying Alicent is acting out of character, in this world she did not get what she wanted and her father quite literally ruined her life. She has a lot of built up anger, to everyone really, and we know she acts rashly when she is angry. Of course she is not entirely blameless, but I always have felt for her (at least at this stage, when she has done nothing too heinous and is just a young girl whose caregiver really let her down).

Also, yes, Daena's decision to leave court with the children was not at all politically smart, and yes it will be taken advantage of.