Chapter Text
I want you only for myself, no matter what I have to do to have you.
—
‧₊˚✧[chapter 1]✧˚₊‧
When a heart beats for someone, we often listen and accept our feelings. But this was not the case for Alicent Hightower. With each passing day, her heart beat faster whenever she saw Rhaenyra Targaryen, her best friend.
Alicent loved Rhaenyra. She loved how her platinum hair shimmered under the sun. She adored the way her violet eyes sparkled every time she spoke of her dragon, her father, her mother, or even—at times—at times when she looked at her.
Her friendship with Rhaenyra was the best thing that had ever happened to her. With Rhaenyra, she could escape the constant demands of her father. But everything she had was ripped away the moment King Viserys announced he would marry her.
The betrayal in Rhaenyra’s eyes when she looked at her shattered Alicent completely. She didn’t want to marry the king; she didn’t want the crown, nor did she crave power. The only thing she wanted was Rhaenyra... and now, she had lost her.
In just a matter of seconds, she lost the one person she loved and she didn't have the courage to tell her she loved her.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
The second birthday of Aegon II Targaryen, the first son of Queen Alicent Hightower and King Viserys Targaryen, had arrived.
Despite Alicent’s many attempts to mend her relationship with Rhaenyra, the princess continued to ignore her. When Alicent sought her out to invite her to the hunt being held in honor of her son, she noticed the way Rhaenyra’s gaze lingered on her swollen belly, carrying the second child of her and Viserys. Rhaenyra reluctantly agreed to attend, but that only made Alicent long to tell her how much she wished these children were hers instead of their father’s.
The conversation between King Viserys and Princess Rhaenyra was heard by all the guests, but someone had paid special attention to it.
Alicent was furious to hear her husband talk about handing Rhaenyra over to Lord Lannister on a silver platter. He was doing the same thing her father had done to her. But Alicent wouldn’t allow Rhaenyra to be married off so easily. First, she would mend their friendship, ensuring that no future husband could drive her further away. She wouldn’t let anyone take away the one person who truly belonged to her.
Rhaenyra denied having any romantic involvement with her uncle, and Alicent believed her. She had asked Rhaenyra herself and trusted her answer. She knew how much Daemon desired the Iron Throne and how far he was willing to go to claim it.
The matter was resolved, and Alicent trusted Rhaenyra’s word. She was relieved when Viserys refused his brother’s request and overjoyed that Rhaenyra remained unmarried. Their friendship had been restored, as Rhaenyra came to understand that Alicent hadn’t married her father out of love, but out of duty—that she was seen merely as a tool to bear the king’s children and as a pawn in Otto Hightower’s game for power.
What Rhaenyra still didn’t know, however, was that Alicent continued to harbor deep feelings for her.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
She felt betrayed.
Rhaenyra had told her the truth about having no relations with her uncle, but she had lied about still being a maiden. Ser Criston Cole had revealed to her that it was he who had been with the princess.
That day, she cried so much that she had no more tears left to shed. She felt angry, betrayed, and used.
It was the day of Rhaenyra’s engagement celebration to Laenor Velaryon. Though Alicent didn’t want to see her at all, one thing was clear: Rhaenyra was hers, and today, she would send a message to her betrothed.
─── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───
The entire hall fell into an uncomfortable silence when Queen Alicent appeared. Everyone rose and bowed to her, but what truly caused a stir was the absence of Targaryen colors in her attire. She wore a stunning green gown, the color of House Hightower.
In doing so, she marked the emergence of two future factions in the war for the Iron Throne: the Greens and the Blacks. The two sides that would fight for the throne. The green signaled House Hightower to prepare for a future war.
Many believed it would be to place Aegon II Targaryen on the Iron Throne instead of Rhaenyra. But the true battle Alicent was calling for wasn’t over the throne, nor was it a subtle challenge to Laenor Velaryon. The war was aimed at Daemon Targaryen, who had kissed Rhaenyra right in front of Alicent. This was a declaration of Alicent’s personal battle—to reclaim what was truly hers, the one thing she had a right to for so long. Rhaenyra would be hers.
And very soon, a war for love would escalate, as Alicent's children inherited their mother's obsession. However, their eyes would not be on Rhaenyra, but on her children. Gradually, they would develop the same fixation their mother had for her half-sister.