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123 AC, King's Landing
Alicent Hightower stood in her chambers, dreading what awaited her. It was strange. The last few moons were utterly wonderful. To her shame, sending her father away made her feel strong, like a true queen. Even during the Small Council meetings, she felt like she had a true voice, the ability to voice her own opinion without her father glaring at her as if she were a foolish girl, or Rhaenyra opposing it just because of their falling out.
As much as she disliked it, Rhaenys proved herself to be a competent Hand of the King. Aside from the small pushback due to her gender, as well as the fear of the Velaryons' influence, things had gone well, especially after Lord Corlys showed that he had no plans on going to the citadel and had trusted his wife enough to not even send any other Velaryon to assist her. Truly, Rhaenys seemed to govern in her capacity as a daughter of House Targaryen, and that seemed to work well enough.
She also always ensured to give Alicent's opinion weight when making decisions, and it had been strangely wonderful. She did not know how that happened, but over time, she held herself differently. Her children seemed to like it. Aemond seemed oddly respectful of her, especially after her father's unspoken banishment and very real humiliation.
While she regretted letting her anger get the best of her, she would not deny that small spark of vindication at seeing a man who had sent her second son to his death speak of the affair without any regrets. Aemond had seemed almost appreciative of her efforts, more obedient whenever she asked something of him. It was truly strange that her son's respect for her grew so highly by betraying her own father. A part of her was very concerned by this, but she was simply glad that the fraying bond between her and her boy had solidified once more.
As for Aegon and Helaena, they seemed to do well. Her daughter seemed full of life, smiling widely to everyone around her, though she still spoke nonsense sometimes. Nevertheless, Alicent cherished the day Helaena just gave her a hug and then told her that her tower shone brightly. It must have been the joy of motherhood finally catching up to her. Or perhaps, it was the fact that her sickly children had been healed. Vile sorcery it might have been, but it had helped her family immensely, and now Aegon's succession was secured, making him a much more attractive option than Rhaenyra and her endless horde of bastards.
Speaking of Aegon, he seemed almost completely taken with his children. He spent hours playing with them despite it not being his duty, and he had not touched a drop of wine since. He and Helaena had seemed closer, but to Alicent's chagrin, the boy had returned to his whoring, though it was far more subtle and not quite as frequent as it once was. She had hoped that parenthood would bring them closer, but she was fine with her eldest simply behaving himself.
Nevertheless, the court loved Aegon's newfound behaviour, often claiming that fatherhood suited him. Oh, she was waiting for the twins' first nameday to finally host another great tourney in their honour, much like the great hunt during Aegon's second nameday.
It was all well in hand until Viserys decided to throw his Grand Tourney. If she were honest, she and the rest of the Small Council had been working day and night arranging for the King's desire, of the greatest tourney that this realm would ever see. She understood the need for grandstanding, for the King of the Seven Kingdoms had been healed from the very brink of death and claimed the Conciliator's dragon afterwards. The Lords of the Realm needed to see their ruler at his greatest strength, and in many ways quell any rumours that the Iron Throne was weakened.
He had invited everyone, every lord in Westeros and even the free cities. She had decided to use this to show the world that Aegon was obviously the correct king to choose after his father. Though halfway through the planning, that freakish winter storm appeared. She had thought it was the wrath of the gods, perhaps angry at the Seven Kingdoms for their Queen's lack of faith. To her shame, Alicent had not gone praying as much as she had before. She found that prayer to the Seven Who Are One did not give her the comfort that it once had, and perhaps out of tiredness or simply because she was so busy, she forgot to pray.
During that horrible night, she prayed and prayed, hoping for the forgiveness of the Seven, though it still lacked her mother's warmth, which she felt during her normal prayers. The world regained its light, and the cold was wiped away by the Seven's mercy, for they must have answered her and forgiven her.
A few days later, Viserys had woken up, claiming to have dreamed something or another, and decided that the tourney would be in celebration of that dreaded day. The Small Council had tried to dissuade him, but he would not be convinced, despite the fact that it was in bad taste.
Though looking back, the Citadel claimed that the weather was heating up in a very similar manner to the start of spring, though they knew very little as the event was unprecedented. If that optimistic idea were true, then she supposed that Viserys's celebrations were warranted. However, she was doubtful, just as many Maesters were, but one could not defy the King's will.
Nevertheless, not many people were deterred by the chance of another storm, not when the price was disobeying their king's order. Most Kingdoms' delegation had arrived, even that of the Iron Islands, though calling them that was an overstatement. Only a few houses remained, and the strongest, by far, had been House Harlaw, who had sat out their civil war entirely. Ironically, after the previous day's negotiations, Lord Harlaw would be sworn in as the newest Lord Paramount of the Iron Islands.
Of course, there had been concessions, like the stopping of ravaging and the abolition of thralls or any kind of slavery there. Alicent had personally ensured that the practice of having 'Salt Wives' was abolished. They also spoke with Jason Lannister regarding a partnership to help rebuild the Iron Islands. Jason Lannister had been somewhat disinterested, so Tyland had been the one to do it in his stead, agreeing to open tin and iron mines over the Iron Isles.
It was a good resolution. The Iron Islands, in exchange, would help create a fleet in Lannisport in a joint partnership with the Lannisters. The Ironborn would act like sailors, protecting the Westerlander traders, while they would be compensated with every voyage.
Privately, she disliked the idea of Lannisport growing as a trading port, as it would indirectly compete with Oldtown and the Redwyne fleet. However, it was a much better resolution than letting the Ironborn savages return to their reaving ways.
It still grated on her that Jason Lannister didn't seem to care about the fact that his kingdom would likely benefit the most out of the Iron Islands' civil war. After all, the kingdom would depend almost entirely on the Westerlands, as its sailors would sail Lannister ships, with Lannister merchants. And in a way, the mines on the islands, while plentiful, were not in demand in the Westerlands, which meant that they would only be able to trade them in the North, which was not a wealthy kingdom, and the Reach. Even then, the Westerlands could easily undercut the price of their goods, making the Iron Islands even more dependent on the Lannisters.
The idea of the Lannisters essentially having the sway of two kingdoms worried her. Jason Lannister was an arrogant man, one not quite interested in trade and 'counting coppers', even if he seemed excited about making some sort of grand announcement during the feast. Given his arrogant, almost giddy, smirk and the way he pranced around, it was something he was exceedingly proud of.
However, his wife, Johanna, obviously was not as uninterested in his kingdom's affairs. Alicent had seen the pleased gleam in the woman's eyes after the agreement was put in place, which meant that Jason's heir would likely understand the opportunity before him. Hopefully, by then, the Harlaws would have managed to escape the maw of the lion, and if not, then the crown would need to intervene in some way, perhaps through some form of sanctions. Then again, it would likely be Aegon's burden to bear, so she would need to inform him of the issue when the time comes.
A voice broke her from her thoughts, "Mother. You are needed in the Throne Room."
She turned to look at its source, forcing a smile on her face to hide her troubled mind, for it was Aemond who came to greet her, "Is it Rhaenyra?"
A loud roar almost shook the Red Keep, and Alicent couldn't help but stiffen in shock at the sound. Even after all this time, she still feared the great beasts of House Targaryen, and the fact that half of their riders would relish seeing her dead did not help her fear in any way.
Nevertheless, her question had been answered, as she expected Rhaenyra would try to show off her factions' dragons to the rest of the realm. It was likely why she arrived too late despite riding a dragon and Dragonstone being less than a day's flight away.
She turned to her son, whose smile had disappeared with the sound of the dragon and nodded, "Very well. Let us go, Aemond."
As they made their way to the Throne Room, with only the Kingsguard following them, Alicent broke the silence as she spoke up, "I wish for you not to antagonise the bastard boys."
Aemond stiffened, his eyes turned to her in betrayal, with some anger storming within. Alicent turned to him, trying to convey their meaning, "There is a reason why I insisted that all of 'House Targaryen' be requested to come to your father's tourney."
Confusion appeared in Aemond's eyes before they widened slightly in realisation, and then glee, "You wished for the realm to see what they are."
"Rhaenyra might think herself above the whispers of the realm, but her supporters will see her as she truly is. The realm is not blind, nor are its lords foolish. They will see them all as they are, realise the Strong boys' nature without any prompting on your part. The presence of a succession crisis, should Rhaenyra be queen, would deter many of her supporters alone. You need not sink to their level, Aemond, for you are trueborn, while they are not. From this day, whispers will follow them all their lives, their story about maiming a true prince of the blood would spread all over the realm, their true nature revealed for all to see."
The smile on Aemond's face was not a kind one, but the warmth in his eyes was. Alicent was not blind to the hatred her second son had for Rhaenyra's bastards. It was justified, and a hatred that she shared. She had once thought them innocent, despite their parentage, but their true nature showed when they took her son's eye that dreadful day in the Driftmark.
Strangely enough, that plan had been concocted alongside Rhaenys. They already had certain agents ready to spread the rumours across King's Landing, from the poorest district to the Red Keep itself. Rhaenys wished to make Rhaenyra's children seem unsuitable for the Throne, but if she had to guess, her motivations likely originated with the unofficial betrothals between her granddaughters and Rhaenyra's bastards. It was obviously the price for Daemon's support, for while his son would not be king, his daughter would be queen.
Alicent could sympathise with Rhaenys's plight, for she did not wish to be in her position, forced to wed her grandchildren to bastards of all things. It did not help that the woman still seemed fond of the Strong bastards and obviously did not enjoy what she did to them. However, her granddaughters came first, and if this would free them from such horrific fates of marrying bastards.
Inwardly, she hoped that this would also push Rhaenyra to do something reckless or foolish, just as she was prone to do. It would all start later that day, and all of the Seven Kingdoms would witness the truth of the so-called Realm's Delight.
Well, perhaps not the full Seven Kingdoms. The North's delegation would come later. They claimed that there were issues near the Wall that required most of their attention. She was sure that it was a lie, but Alicent did not care for the savages much.
As for the rest of the Kingdoms, most of the lords of the Crownlands and Riverlands had come, though it was after the delegations of the Westerlands and Iron Islands. Jeyne Arryn had come with a few dozen lords of the Vale, though the woman had the gall to bring her lover with her, Jessamyn Redford. So far, only the lords of the Stormlands and the Reach had not come, though it was the latter that left her with such dread, for she was sure that her father would come.
Alicent shook her head. No, this was her moment of triumph, the day that most of the realm would see Rhaenyra Targaryen for who she truly was.
Swallowing a smirk, she stood at the right of the Iron Throne, watching as her husband, the King, looked visibly pleased by his daughter's impending arrival. Alicent quickly squeezed Aemond's hand, and he smiled, joining his siblings, almost shaking in anticipation of what was to come. She wished Daeron had been there to make a further contrast with the Strong bastards. Oh, how she missed her dear boy. He had been the only one who seemed to love their time in the Sept. She dearly wished to see him soon. If only her father's impending arrival wouldn't inevitably sour their coming reunion.
Finally, the throne's doors opened, and Rhaenyra pranced inside while wearing an almost scandalous dress, Daemon walking beside her. Then the children followed them, with Daemon's daughters walking side by side towards the Iron Throne. To her surprise, Aegon and Viserys, Daemon's children with Rhaenyra, walked slowly, accompanied by the Sea Snake. They had grown well, though they should have likely been sent to a nursemaid alongside Jaehaerys and Jaehaera.
That did not matter, for the moment they arrived, whispers spread across the throne room, the Strong boys' features naked for most of the realm to see. Alicent's heart hammered in her chest, almost increasing with every mention of the word 'bastard' in the Throne Room.
It had been some time since Rhaenyra had seemed to tense. It was likely not something that she had entertained. After all, her children's parentage was often considered a rumour, one that the King, himself, threatened to cut the tongue of whoever spread it. Now, the rest of the realm witnessed with their own eyes the truth, and there was nothing that anyone, not even Viserys, could stop it.
Speaking of the King, he must have noticed what had happened, given the fact that his smile suddenly turned forced, and the sound of the Bronze Fury's roar shook the Throne Room, stopping any murmuring.
Alicent wondered what he would do. Would he threaten his lords? Would he finally address his daughter's actions?
Her hopes were dashed when he simply raised his hands and spoke up, "Daughter. I am glad that you have arrived safely. Come forward."
That was it.
Alicent wished to grit her teeth in frustration, but she would admit that she knew her husband. Perhaps addressing the issue would have benefited Aegon's claim, but she would take his wilful ignorance, for she would use it to her advantage.
Rhaenyra inclined her head politely. "Thank you, Father. We made all haste from Dragonstone when your summons reached us."
The Queen of the Seven Kingdoms wished to scoff at that, for even the Vale's delegation had arrived before her, and they were much further away and had no dragons to fly on.
Viserys nodded, ignoring the obvious falsehood, seemingly pleased to see just her and her children. "Good, good. The realm gathers for the tourney, and I wish all of House Targaryen to…"
The King's words drifted away as he seemingly stared into the distance, focused on a single spot in the Throne Room. Alicent had followed his gaze, likely half of the court doing the same. She froze when she recognised who Viserys was staring at. She hadn't believed they would come when her husband mentioned inviting them. Gods, she had hoped they wouldn't.
"Harry Potter."
It was Viserys who spoke these words. Although his voice was soft, it echoed across the Throne Room, and she noticed Daemon and the Sea Snake stiffening, with Rhaenyra turning in surprise, looking paler than usual. Had they not known that the sorcerer and his wife had come?
However, the rest of the attendants were mostly confused. After all, while there had been rumours of a sorcerer in Dragonstone, no one knew his name. Most would likely assume them to be some sort of hermit with boils on his face and clawed hands, not this, a strangely dressed man and his beautiful wife. She could already hear the confused murmuring of most people asking who this man was and why the King had asked to speak to him directly.
Speaking of which, the sorcerer smiled and walked forward, and nodded, "King Viserys."
"I hoped that you would have accepted my invitation."
The man smiled, "How could I not? Daphne and I were curious about King's Landing."
"And… Does it match the tales?"
"The Red Keep is certainly majestic. The tourney seems interesting, though. We've never been to one. They're not exactly common back home."
"Truly? Then I am afraid that this grand tourney would do you a disservice, for you will likely be disappointed with any that you witness after it."
The sorcerer laughed, but then slowly took out something from his strange coat, "Oh, right. I almost forgot. I brought you a small gift for the invitation."
When Alicent looked at it carefully, it was a cylinder. Her eyes widened when she recognised what it was. After all, Grand Maester Mellos had spent over a moon trying to understand the strange device that made music that the sorcerer had gifted the king. He did agree that it did not have any magic in it, though he called it a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
What the sorcerer held in his hand was a component that held the 'song' that the device played. Viserys walked down the Iron Throne and enthusiastically grabbed the cylinder, despite the obvious discomfort of the Kingsguard.
He then gave it another look before asking, "Another song?"
"Yes, but one from my home this time."
If anything, Viserys seemed even more excited and quickly spoke to one of the servants, "Bring me the music box. I wish to share it with my lords." He then turned towards Potter, "What is it called?"
"Given the circumstances, I chose a very good one. It is called Spring, by Antonio Vivaldi, a quarter of the masterpiece of one of the greatest composers in history. Given the circumstances, I believe that it fits quite well."
The King's smile froze in its tracks, and for the first time, he looked utterly serious, "I had hoped… Is it true?"
"The song has ended. I have ensured that myself. Spring has come."
If the smile that Viserys held before was a happy one, then it paled to the sheer joy that was on his face. For some reason, he looked younger, and he started to laugh. It was not the laugh of amusement, but of relief, of joy and pure elation.
The entire court watched in silence as their King laughed like a madman, while holding a cylinder, at the nonsensical words of a sorcerer. By the gods, the man had not even been happy when she birthed his firstborn son.
"WHAT!"
A voice broke Viserys's laughter, as everyone turned to look at Rhaenyra's horrified face. Did she know of what they spoke of? Even Daemon had looked surprised by this and turned to his wife with a questioning look that she did not answer.
The King had finally realised what had happened and how he had acted outside the realm. He turned to them all and spoke up, "You are all dismissed. There are private matters that I need to attend to."
Alicent forced herself to keep her expression neutral as the courtiers bowed and retreated in a rush of murmurs. The Throne Room emptied quickly; no lord wished to be caught lingering when the King dismissed them in that tone.
She prepared to ask Viserys about what happened, but he looked at her and spoke up, "I remember dismissing you all."
The Queen suppressed her anger at the way he had treated her, but nodded, taking her children before they could protest, and guided them out of the Throne Room. It was only when she heard Viserys doing the same to Rhaenyra that she realised that this was not meant as a slight, but something else entirely, that he couldn't even trust his favoured child with.
Deciding to avoid the chance at a confrontation between her children and Rhaenyra's brood, she quickly guided them to her wing of the Red Keep, hoping to truly understand what happened. Her children seemed like they wanted to protest, but she stopped it with a glare, leaving her alone with her thoughts.
She walked to her empty chambers and took a deep breath, trying to understand what Viserys could have wished to speak with the sorcerer about that he would need to dismiss all of his lords for. Most would take it as a clear insult, though, the fact that the Royal Family was asked to leave as well, likely would lessen the extent of it all.
She did not have the time to contemplate more on the matter, as a familiar voice spoke up behind her, "You did well in my absence, Alicent."
She knew who it was, for she had dreaded and missed that voice sorely, that of her father, Otto Hightower. Alicent stiffened and turned around, ready to retort. She did not really know what she planned to say. Would she apologise for getting him banished? Would she ask him why he chose to confront her in her own chambers, of all places? Would she tell him that even though she missed him, his absence made her feel free and more powerful in a way that she hadn't felt before?
However, the moment she turned, whatever words she prepared were caught in her throat. While her father was there, just as she predicted, so was a woman. She was young, wore a scandalous red dress that matched her crimson hair and almost glowing eyes.
At a deeper look, her father also looked… different. She did not know exactly what it was, perhaps his posture, or perhaps the small warmth in his eyes that was missing, but there was something wrong. She couldn't help but wonder what happened to him after he left King's Landing, and where this woman came from, yet she knew that he would not answer. She would need to ask Gwayne or Daeron about what happened. They would surely tell her, wouldn't they? For now, all she knew was that her father had returned, and she no longer understood the man who stood before her.
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AN: I know that it's not exactly the most exciting chapter, but things should pick up from here. I'm just setting up what comes next, which was the main goal of this chapter, as well as summarising a bit the state of the Seven Kingdoms after a few of Harry's 'adventures'. Trust me, I'm planning something really cool with Otto and Melisandre, and it'll be pretty different from anything I've written so far in this story, so don't worry about it being similar to earlier arcs. As usual, please let me know what you think and if you have any suggestions.
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If you want to support me, check out my patréon at https://www.patréon.com/athassprkr
I tend to upload drafts of early chapters on there to get people's opinions on them, so you can read up to 20 chapters ahead as a bonus.
Thank you guys for your support in these hard times.