Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Rhaenyra hates her life.

She hates the cold conference room; she hates the coffee she is drinking and how it is only making her headache worse; she hates the three men sitting in front of her and how their gazes are filled with disappointment; but above all, she hates how she brought this on herself. 

Just three days ago, Saturday night started just like any other weekend night in Rhaenyra's life. In a nightclub, wasting the hours away with booze and a dance with some hot girl or another. At some point, in the haze of sweaty bodies and loud music, Sunday's game slipped through her mind. An important game. A game where everyone was counting on their captain to be in her best form. And she had failed them.

Missing the game entirely, she woke up in her living room hours after the game had ended without any idea of how she even got home. Her phone was a mess of hundreds of texts, missed calls, and social media notifications. She had screwed up, for real this time, and now she had to face the consequences. She just didn't expect the consequences to be babysitting a bunch of six-year-olds.

“Targaryen, for the third time today, it is not babysitting .” Coach Harwin’s voice booms over her. “You will coach the students from the Foundation in their mini-tournament this month. And yes, you will attend every practice, not just the games.”

She rolls her eyes and runs her hands through her short blonde-silver hair. She had been beating herself up over this situation for the past three days, losing sleep, and feeling a pit in her stomach that refused to go away. Football was in her blood; there was nothing she loved more than playing and grinding her way to victory in every single game. She knew the Club would punish her somehow, but she expected some suspension or warming up the bench for a few games, not this.

Laenor, her best friend and PR manager, speaks before Coach Harwin can get more aggravated with her, his voice soft but serious. “Your reputation is in the gutter right now, darling. No one expected you to ever miss a game, especially like this. They were worried at first, but when the photos from the nightclub hit the press, they felt betrayed. Being seen helping the kids will do wonders for your image… ” He points to the Club’s crest painted on the wall, a red three-headed dragon, and continues. “... and for the Club’s”

Rhaenyra couldn't care less about her reputation right now. She saw the photos he talked about as soon as she woke up that day. She was completely hammered, falling on her knees on the sidewalk and crawling to a taxi. It was rock bottom.

Dragonstone FC is the heart of the city, and she is their queen – or was. The fans had supported her since her start as the youngest player ever in the pro league; they stood with her through wins and losses, through injuries and comebacks. They trusted her with their passion, and she let them down because she wanted to party. She is pathetic, and they have every right to be mad.

But they all know she’d do anything to help her Club, they are basically her family. She feels a tear sliding down her face and tries to wipe it off on her sleeve before they can see it – too late. 

Viserys, her dad, club legend, and ever the peacemaker, wraps her hand in both of his. “I'm sure, in time, you will realize this will be more beneficial to your soul than to your image.” He speaks softly, understanding erasing the disappointment in his eyes.

Rhaenyra scoffs, and her dad smiles at her antics, dropping her hand after a gentle squeeze. 

Of course she could see the PR of it all; the kids loved her, she always made sure to give autographs and take selfies for hours after games, always giving her jersey away to some lucky little fan. But she couldn’t see how trying to get a bunch of kids to kick a ball could help her soul or whatever. Although her dad's words have the strange — and annoying—  habit of becoming true.

“It’s not like I’ve been given much of a choice, but I’ll do it.” Rhaenyra says with a resigned sigh. Her legs ache from overworking herself at the gym earlier as she gets up from her chair and drops her coffee cup in the trash can near the door. “Send me the schedule.” She murmurs to no one in particular as she leaves.

Rhaenyra walks aimlessly, her hoodie up, so no one looks twice at her face. She feels the pit in her stomach growing as she walks by the beach, heading in the general direction of her home. She knows it’s the guilt eating her up inside, and she can't stop herself from wanting to go out and party until she forgets the past few days – until she forgets her own damn name.

She knows it will only make everything worse; the paparazzi will be swarming any nightclub she is seen in, waiting to snap a photo of her in the worst state possible. Everyone will hate her even more, she will hate herself more than all of them. The rational part of her brain wins this battle. It's going to be just her and a bottle of wine alone in her penthouse.

A ball of fluffy golden fur hits her as soon as she opens her door. The dog is always happy to see her, but today it seems she senses Rhaenyra needs a little more cheering up.

“Hey, Syrax girl, calm down.” Rhaenyra giggles a bit when the small golden retriever tries to lick her face.

She had spent many weeks, maybe even months, putting the penthouse decor together; her only goal was to make it as cozy as the house she grew up in, and she absolutely achieved it. The floor-to-ceiling windows had been the reason she got this place, and she loved seeing the sunlight coming through the windows during sunny mornings and watching the city lights before going to sleep. The living room, probably her favorite space in the apartment, had hardwood bookshelves filled with a variety of championship trophies and History books from ancient times where, supposedly, dragons roamed the skies above her. Dozens of picture frames were hung in the walls, photos of her family, her friends and herself during important games.

She races the dog to the kitchen and gives her a treat while she looks for a bottle of wine, not bothering to get a glass.

Opening the wine, Rhaenyra stares at the big, flat screen of her TV. She knows she has to watch the game, she needs to see how she made her team lose it. And still, she can’t bring herself to press play on the remote.

Out of all the people she let down, her teammates were the ones who took the worst of the fall. She apologized to them earlier, but the air in the locker room was still heavy, her betrayal weighting the mood down. She can’t afford another mistake in the next game and can't live with herself if she fails them again. They will win the second semifinal game and advance to the final to win it all. There’s simply no other option for her.

With  deep breaths and chugs of wine, she watches the game and sees all the moments where she could’ve made a difference. She knows her team can win without her; they’ve done it countless times when she was out because of an injury. But maybe… just maybe, if she was on that pitch, she could’ve rounded up the defenders on herself so Laena would be free to score. Rhaenyra is their tallest player, so, again, maybe she would've had the perfect chance for a header after one of Mysaria’s precise corners.

She cries, sobs wrecking her body. A part of her thinks she’s just being overdramatic, it was just one game, she just overslept. She should be allowed to fuck up sometimes, right? She had given so much to this sport, football has been her life since she remembers. Both her dad and her uncle played for the men’s team during their entire careers; she grew up watching practices and running around the pitch after every game. No one would give a second thought about this situation if it were her uncle. He’d just joke about it to the press, and all would be forgotten by the end of the week.

Syrax cuts her pity party short by finally managing to lick her face — and tears. "Okay, girl, let's play for a bit.” She reaches for the nearest toy and throws it across the living room. “At least someone in this place deserves to be happy.” She murmurs to herself.

The alarm pierces through Rhaenyra’s ears, and there’s nothing in the world she wants more than to stay in this bed, ignoring her life, but she needs to lock in for the semis.

She checks her schedule while eating breakfast. Gym session, team meeting, practice, and OH FUCK — the kids practice. She still can’t believe they’re making her do this. She curses under her breath.

Practice goes as well as Rhaenyra can hope. She puts in the work, going even for lost balls, and the tension seems to melt away as the team comes up with new set pieces. She has a good feeling they will be better than ever on Sunday.

“Hurry up, Nyra! No one likes when the babysitter is late!” She hears Leana yelling after her as she leaves the parking lot. There it is. Back to teasing each other again. She feels actually good for the first time today.

She turns around and gives her the finger before they both start laughing. Oh yes, they're so, so back.

The Foundation building is a massive construction from centuries ago. A couple years ago, it was completely restored to preserve the original features and renovated to get the best technology to accommodate the administration, one of the best schools in the country, and a modern sports complex to raise the next generation of athletes.

The football pitch is on the outside grounds, surrounded by well-maintained gardens. And right now it is pure and total chaos; about fifteen kids are running around, kicking balls in all directions, toppling over each other, and yelling without a care for who hears it. Rhaenyra would rather be anywhere else in the world; running laps all day long around the stadium would be better than this. Literally anything else. Although she has to admit they look adorable in a miniature version of her own uniform, complete with a cute version of the three-headed dragon crest and their names on their backs.

Her soft moment is over when a boy almost rams into her knees. There’s no way she can get them all under control to get a productive practice, but she tries anyway. She knows she has to start with one kid and the others will follow. Her gaze follows the wild boy, chubby face and chin-length hair almost as white as hers. She reads his name on his jersey.

“HIGHTOWER!! Pass the ball to me.” She forces herself to sound cheerful.

The boy halts in place and quickly kicks the ball in her direction. It’s a strong kick for a 6-year-old. She isn’t quite ready for it and, almost as a reflex, kicks the ball back to him a little bit too high.

“Try for a header!!” She encourages him before realizing her mistake: he’s too little for a header.

What was she thinking ?

Frozen in her spot, she sees it happening in slow motion. He jumps, and for a second it seems he got the timing right, but the ball hits him right in the face, making him fall to the ground. 

As if this week couldn't get any worse.

She starts running in his direction, but before she can get two steps in, the Hightower boy is back on his feet, squealing. “THAT WAS SO COOL!! DO IT AGAIN!!”

What? No cries, no painful screams? She almost had a heart attack just seconds ago, thinking she had killed this kid. And now he is running even faster than before towards her, as if he had actually scored and wants to celebrate.

A chorus of “ME NEXT” and “PLEASE COACH” hits her as all the kids follow him. There is no way she will let any of these kids’ heads anywhere near a ball again, but she fears they will probably bite her ankles if she says no.

"Alright, little dragons, everyone sit down.” Rhaenyra takes the opportunity to finally gather the kids and try to talk to them. She can’t believe her eyes when they all plop down on the ground around her. They finally calmed down and were willing to listen. She has to think fast.

“Let’s make a deal!” She starts, not really knowing where she is going with this. The little group nod seriously, big eyes staring at her. By the Seven, they are adorable. “Headers take a lot of time and work. So we will need to get very good at a lot of skills until we can try the headers again without anyone getting hurt, okay?”

“YEAH, COACH” The Hightower boy is the first to scream his agreement, and soon they’re all jumping up and down, echoing his words.

Well, it’s going to be a long month. And she still has no idea if children can even do that. But she is willing to do anything to keep them calm.

In the next hour, Rhaenyra has them running a few simple drills to get an idea of their skill level, and she is surprised to find out they’re a good group. She tries to make it as fun as possible for them, and soon their laughter and her encouraging shouts fill the pitch.

When it’s time for the kids to go home, they all seem a little bit sad that practice is over, but wave excited goodbyes to her as they leave one by one, well, except for the Hightower boy. He sits by the bleachers wearing a backpack almost as big as him, dozing off and hugging a stuffed golden dragon.

Rhaenyra doesn't know what to do; his sleeping position doesn't seem comfortable, but he must be exhausted from all the running, and she doesn't want to wake him up. She decides to just keep an eye on him while she replies to a few emails.

Forty minutes later, and there’s still no sign of the Hightower mom. All the jokes about babysitting turned out to be true. Rhaenyra starts getting angry; how can this woman just forget her son like this? She understands being late, but this is too much. And he is so little to get left behind.

Twenty more minutes pass, and Rhaenyra decides she will give his mom a piece of her mind when she shows up. If that ever happens. Like what this woman could even be doing to be so late?

Rhaenyra startles when a soft and nervous voice starts talking a mile a minute from somewhere behind her. “I'm so sorry. I know I’m super late, but my boss kept giving me more tasks, and I couldn't say no because I really need this job. He is… well.. he was still mad when I left anyway, so tomorrow is gonna be hell. And on top of that, my dad — nevermind, you don’t care. Again, I’m so sorry. I hope Aegon behaved, he has too much energy some —

Hearing his name, Aegon wakes up and cuts his mom’s monologue short. “MOMMY!!! You’re not gonna believe it!! Coach Targaryen kicked a ball at my head!” He tells her as if he just won the lottery.

What…

The woman is in front of Rhaenyra before she can fully process what Aegon (is that what she just called him)  said.

“WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY SON?” She is yelling, her face inches away from Rhaenyra.

…the fuck.

Big brown eyes stare into hers; auburn curls flow with the wind and brush both of their faces. Her hands reach for her hoodie’s collar. She’s the most beautiful woman Rhaenyra has ever seen. Her brain becomes a wasteland and can't form a single thought, and she’s pretty sure her mouth is just hanging open in the most ridiculous expression.

“I…I… it… the ball… ” She stutters, and she knows it doesn't make sense, but she just CAN’T . Rhaenyra never believed in gay panic. Since she can remember, she was always able to talk to any girl, anywhere; charisma and confidence dripped on her every word. Oh, but now she feels like a deer caught in headlights.

The woman shakes her a bit, as if she is a broken radio she is trying to fix by giving it a few taps. Suddenly, their faces get even closer, and Rhaenyra can’t breathe.

“WHAT?” Her anger sounds more like confusion now. Her eyes darting all over Rhaenyra’s face, looking for any sign she might answer – or that she was having a stroke, both are equally possible right now.

The taps seem to snap Rhaenyra out of it.

“I… I’ve begun badly.” She manages to croak out, and the woman hits her with a no-shit-sherlock look.

“Yes, the ball hit your son’s head when I was trying to help him score a header, and he fell.” The woman’s eyes wide, her hands tightening on her collar — out of all things she could be thinking, all her brain comes up with is that she could be a Renaissance painting — “NO, NOT LIKE THAT. He was okay! Got up really quickly, I swear!”

And at this moment, Aegon decides to get his mom's attention back so he can keep telling his story. “MOMMY! You’re not listening! It was so cool, everyone wanted to try for a header after me!”

Rhaenyra feels the woman’s hands leaving her hoodie as she realizes Aegon was watching them all along. It feels like she can finally breathe again. She fixes her hoodie and tries to stop her hands from shaking.

“That’s really cool! Are you okay, my sweet boy? Were you hurt?” She asks him in a soft voice as she kneels before him and checks his head.

“Yeah.” He replies, sounding confused about why on earth he would be hurt, and continues his retelling of the day. “And then Coach Targaryen said we can learn headers, and it’s so cool. But we have to practice our skills first, and that's also so cool, and she said it’s really important we work hard but have fun too.” He stops for a second, looking like he’s making sure he remembers everything. “Right, Coach?”

“Yeah, buddy! You got it all right! Can I talk to your mom for a second, please?” Her voice sounds a little more confident than she feels.

The woman gets up and walks slowly in her direction, mistrust still written in her eyes. Rhaenyra swallows the lump in her throat. Seven above, she was less nervous before the last penalty in the World Cup final than she is now. 

“Ms. Hightower, I just wanted to apologize." She clears her throat. “Aegon is such a good kid, and I promise he had fun for the rest of the practice.” She says sheepish now, willing to do anything to make this woman forgive her.

The woman sighs, her shoulders dropping forward. 

“He seems to be okay, and I haven’t seen him this excited about something in a good while, so huh… thanks for that.” She looks over at the boy, her eyes looking misty. Rhaenyra can only nod; she will be even more out of her depth if she starts crying for whatever reason. “Well, huh…Coach…? We have to go now, and, once again, I’m sorry for being late.”

“It’s Rhaenyra! You can call me…that.” She doesn't remember the last time she had to introduce herself; people always know who she is; her own name scares her when people yell it randomly when they see her somewhere. Oh fuck, she probably should’ve said only her last name, right? They’re not friends. She’s only her son’s coach, nothing else. Gods, she just made this even more weird. This day couldn't have gone worse, she curses Coach Harwin entire lineage for making her do this.

By the time she snaps out of it, Ms. Hightower is already walking away. Aegon is jumping up and down by her side. Rhaenyra waves goodbye, hoping she can get a last look at the woman, but neither of them look back.

Oh, she is so fucking screwed.

Chapter Text

Rhaenyra checks the time on her phone for the hundredth time that night. Her alarm would ring in about three hours, and she hasn't been able to sleep for more than a minute. The bedsheets are tangled up from her tossing and turning without stop. Even Syrax, who always claims a third of the bed for herself, has given up and left to sleep on the couch.

Every time Rhaneyra starts drifting away, shiny brown eyes stare back at her, and she jolts awake. The fight replayed in her head, her anxiety proudly pointing out everything she did wrong and how she embarrassed herself.

The angry and confused look in those eyes haunts Rhaenyra. How that melted away when she talked to the boy. And now she feels so guilty for being mad at the woman in that hour she was late. The whole interaction didn't last more than five minutes, but she knew there was nothing she wouldn't do for that boy. 

She mentally tries to make a list of everything else she knows about the woman and realizes she never asked her name. “What kind of loser doesn't ask a person's name after introducing yourself?” She mutters to herself, punching her pillow.

What had she said when she arrived at the pitch? Her boss made her late, and her dad did something. She can’t remember the details. Everything happened so fast. Aegon was getting her in trouble before the woman could finish talking.

Realization hits her like a punch in the stomach. Aegon is a Foundation kid.

Laena and Laenor’s mother, Rhaenys, took over the Dragonstone Foundation a few years ago, and since then, their main focus has been helping single moms going through struggles of all kinds. They provided free education and a safe place for their children to stay after class and learn lots of sports. She knew some older kids were already being hired to play for the Club and others had full scholarships to the best colleges in the country. Aegon has a great future ahead of him, but that also means he and his mom are struggling right now. And Rhaneyra knows neither of them deserve whatever is happening. 

And now she feels even worse about their whole interaction. She needs to talk to her and apologize again. Apologize a million times for adding more stress to this woman’s life. The kids have another practice in a couple days, before the game on Saturday. And Rhaenyra will have to make sure she behaves like a normal, functional human being if she gets the chance for another talk.

The days pass in a blur of gym sessions, practices, and team meetings. Rhaenyra arrives early and leaves after everyone has been gone for hours. 

She gives 100% of herself every practice, earning an approving nod from Coach Harwin and endless good-hearted teasing from her teammates. Even with all the hard work, she thinks she doesn't deserve to still be their captain, but they’re all willing to give her another chance.

“Oh, she got her eyes on a MILF.” Mysaria whispers to Laena besides her, when Rhaenyra asks to leave a team meeting a little early to go prepare for the kids practice.

How the fuck Mysaria clocked her?

“What? I don’t.” She practically squeaks, way too fast to be considered innocent. Fuck.

The two women look at each other and burst out laughing. Making the entire conference room look back at them. Including a very serious Coach Harwin.

“Oh, you do!!” They say it in unison, between giggles.

Rhaenyra is out of there before he can scold them, but most importantly before anyone can see how bad she is blushing.

“Go get her!” She can hear Laena yelling through the door.

All the kids run to her as soon as they are out of class. A chorus of greetings and her own name hitting her as soon as they reach her, some running straight to hug her legs. 

Rhaenyra doesn't realize Aegon is nowhere to be found until they’re lining up to take shots from outside the box. She looks around as if he could be just wildly running elsewhere and... nothing.

“Hey, little dragons, it seems we are one dragon short today. Did any of you see Aegon?”

A couple boys start talking over each other. “He wasn't at school.”

“Oh…okay.” Well, I’m sure we will see him at our game tomorrow.” Her voice is low with disappointment. The boys nod and continue talking to each other like nothing happened.

She wonders if the woman took Aegon out of football practice and if she doesn't want the boy anywhere near her or that pitch ever again. She knows it makes no sense; he wouldn't miss school because of this. She just hopes they’re both fine.

“Syrax, do you think she hates me?” Rhaenyra asks the dog, who is almost asleep besides her on the couch.

The TV is on, playing some game she stopped paying attention to hours ago. Instead, her mind is a looping of replays of their last meeting and a million possible and impossible scenarios for the next one. If she is lucky enough to get one.

“You didn’t see her that day, girl, the way she was looking at me. She hated me.” She stops petting Syrax for a minute to run her hand through her hair, and the dog barks in protest.

“Yes, she was mad like this. You get it.” She goes back to petting Syrax.

Gods, just when she thought her life couldn't hit a new low, here she is, talking to her dog about a girl that could a) hate her guts or b) have much bigger problems to worry about or c) be straight or d) all of the above.

On a Friday night, no less.

She doesn't remember the last time she was home and going to bed before midnight on a Friday night. Once again, she curses Coach Harwin for putting her in charge of the children.

The sun shines brightly on the Foundation pitch by the time Rhaenyra arrives. She woke up late and picked up a loose tank top and football shorts to wear, leaving her home without even eating breakfast.

Kids are already running around with way too much energy for 9am on a Saturday while parents are trying to find a place to sit on the bleachers. She swears her little team has a sensor for her presence because in a second she is surrounded by them, asking a million questions about the lineup. To her surprise, Aegon is there, smiling ear to ear. She is relieved to see that he seems to be okay, and her heart hopes his mom is around here somewhere. 

And of course she forgot to make a lineup list. “The first ones to the pitch, start! GO!” She suddenly yells, and they all scramble. She takes notes of the first four kids and watches them celebrate their little win.

“You're so good with them! Aegon hasn't stopped talking about you all week, you know?” A voice says right beside her. That voice.

She is here.

Rhaenyra looks at her in disbelief. Making sure she is not hearing voices now. Given her week, it wouldn’t surprise her.

But she’s there, standing next to Rhaenyra on the sidelines. Wearing a light blue sleveless summer dress and sneakers. Her hair is in a half-up-half-down style that her curls are trying to escape. The most beautiful woman Rhaenyra has even seen is right in front of her.

Looking at her. Not ignoring her.

Not screaming. But talking to her.

Just smiling — cheek dimples on full display for fucks sake — while waiting for Rhanenyra to answer.

“Oh.. huh…hi… Ms. Hightower!” Will she ever be able to say one word to this woman without stuttering? “Only good things, I hope?” She asks jokingly, but hoping that the boy hasn't put her in a tight spot again.

She laughs, and now for sure Rhaenyra is hearing things; there's no way laughter can sound so good. If she passes out, she can certainly blame the sun and lack of breakfast, right?

“The best things! And you can call me Alicent.” She reaches her hand out for Rhaenyra to shake.

Oh no. Rhaenyra’s already sweaty palms feel even more sticky now; she wipes them on her shorts before clasping the hand in front of her for a quick shake. 

“Football is…sweaty… and the sun…huh, my bad.” Just one normal sentence, please. She is 100% sure Alicent must think she is a loser, with disgusting hands, no less.

A giggle ends her spiral. Alicent shakes her head, her brown eyes shining brighter with amusement.

“Don’t worry, you’re fine! I just wanted to introduce myself properly; I didn’t leave a good first impression last time, and I apologize again for being late and for the way I reacted. It had been a stressful day, and I know that’s no excuse, but I just want to explain it.” Her expression is serious now, looking over at Aegon, who's getting ready for the game. “He’s all that I have. And I’m all that he has, so I tend to get very protective over him. I lost my mind when he said the ball had hit him, and I couldn't listen to anything else. I regretted it.”

“No, no, no. You shouldn't be the one apologizing! It was truly an accident, and I’m still so sorry for it. I should’ve explained what happened as soon as you arrived.” She’s so relieved she can finally apologize again; she will spend the rest of her life apologizing if Alicent allows her.

“Oh well, it's all fine now! He keeps retelling the story a million times a day! And says he can’t wait to try it again. He won’t give you peace, just a warning.” Alicent is smiling again.

“Warning received! I know he will work hard for it, though. Honestly, I was surprised he missed the last practice. A little worried too.” 

“Yeah… we had to sort a few things out, and it took longer than I thought it would. He wasn't happy about missing it, but there was nothing I could do about it.” There's concern in her voice and a worried look in her eyes.

The ref’s whistle pierces through the air, and Rhaenyra misses her chance to ask if Alicent is okay. If there’s anything she can do to help her out. Help Aegon out. She knows nothing about this woman, but she knows she’d go to the moon and back to make the sad look in her eyes go away.

“We can catch up after the game!” Rhaenyra shouts at her, already running to get the kids in the starting position.

The game is a quick affair. Children only play 20-minute games. And her little team does make those minutes count, going for every ball and putting all the drills they had run to good use. She tries to let every kid play for at least a couple minutes so they can all join in on the fun and feel part of the team. Yelling instructions is a fruitless effort; they yell and laugh at each other louder than she can scream; she gives up and settles for laughing at their unhinged plays and silly falls.

Aegon is the first to score — the poor goalkeeper never stood a chance against his strong kick — and his teammates go for a group hug with him in the middle. Once again, it’s adorable.

She looks over at Alicent on the bleachers, and she is celebrating like he just scored the winner in a World Cup final.

She can’t help but remember her own mother cheering for her when she was little like Aegon. She was gone way too soon and missed Rhaenyra’s professional career entirely. She’d give anything to play for her mom just one more time.

They end up winning 4-2, and as soon as the whistle blows, she has a horde of tiny humans jumping on her to celebrate. They overpower her, and she ends up on the bottom of a screaming hug pile, earning laughs from every single person on the bleachers. But she only has eyes for Alicent, tears in her eyes — hopefully from laughing too much. She lets herself bask in the moment.

A parent brought snacks for everyone, and the kids gather around the poor man like ants. She sees Alicent making her way over to her after failing to get Aegon's attention. Fixing her clothes and hair, she promises herself she won’t stutter this time. She got this.

“That was fun!” Alicent is grinning. “I can’t believe Aegon scored! He will be talking about this for a month.”

“As he should! He’s really good and has an insane potential, if I’m being honest.” Rhaenyra tells her, and she really means it. The boy is just like her when she was that age. “I’m glad you had a fun time! And oh, if you want more fun, then you both should come to the game tomorrow!” Her mouth is talking before her brain can catch up. Gods, she just invited this woman to one of the most stressful games of her career.

“Game? Which game?” Alicent’s eyebrows furrowed in confusion.

Oh right. Alicent didn’t even know her name; of course she has no idea which game she is talking about. Rhaenyra wonders how she was able to avoid hearing about this game at all since it's what everyone has been talking about all week. Her name has been trending on every social media since Sunday, with every fan blaming her for the loss. Which can be a blessing; there is no way for her to know what a mess Rhaenyra’s life is lately.

“I play it, you know?” Rhaenyra gestures broadly at the pitch. “Tomorrow is a big game, and you can come if you want! I can get you and Aegon good seats — front row seats even! Oh he’s going to love The Pit.”

A hint of recognition passes through Alicent’s confused eyes. The Dragonstone Stadium, nicknamed The Pit, is a city’s landmark, and every citizen recognizes the name.

“The stadium? But that’s for professionals, isn't it?”

Oh, this hurts a bit. Rhaenyra doesn't know how to explain her actual job without sounding like an entitled prick. If it was anyone else in front of her, she’d have no problem bragging about it, listing championships and MVP awards, but now she fears her own life can scare Alicent away.

"Hum, yeah, it is, and I’m a pro… for Dragonstone FC.” Another hint of recognition at the name; she probably saw one of the hundreds of billboards in the city. “I’ve been playing for them for years and I’m their captain now! And we've huh…won some important stuff before, and tomorrow we play a semifinal game.”

Alicent’s eyes go wide. Fuck, she knew talking about her career was the wrong move.

“GODS! Aegon has been watching your team’s games all week, but I didn’t realize… You play there?… I mean, you’re his coach !”

Rhaenyra is almost laughing at her connecting the dots in real time. She looks bewildered, her cheeks blushing a little. Truly the most beautiful woman she has even seen. 

“I am! Long story short, I screwed up in a game, and my coach decided to volunteer me for this job to teach me a lesson.” Rhaenyra realizes that might sound wrong. “Not that I don't like this job now! I do! The kids are wonderful!”

Alicent laughs — it is decided: that's her new favorite sound in the world. “Rhaenyra, you don’t have to lie; children are menaces. I can't believe you're here with them instead of training for your big game or something.”

“Oh no, don't worry about it; we usually take the day before a game for relaxing and having some team meetings.”

“Kids are kind of the opposite of relaxing.” She deadpans. “But I get it. Being outside is refreshing. Gods know I don’t usually get days like this.

“Tomorrow is a good day to be outside again!” Rhaenyra tries to lighten up the mood. “So, can I put the Hightower name on the list?”

Alicent smiles shily, looking down before replying. “Yes, if it’s not too much to ask. I’d love to see you playing.” Her cheeks are even more red now. “I mean, Aegon… he’d love to see you playing.”

Rhaenyra’s brain turns into an echo chamber of “ I’d love to see you playing." Stop. She has to stop; she can't even dare to overanalyze this.

“I - I -I will make sure to put on a show for you.” Now it's her turn to blush.

“Oh, I’m sure you will!” Alicent says with a smile and a little wink.

What? Did she… Fucking wink?

She can't catch her breath, her heart beating so fast that her smartwatch is vibrating on her wrist with a high-rate alarm. Yeah, she's going to overanalyse this over many sleepless nights — if she doesn't have a heart attack right here. Might even never sleep again with just this one moment replaying in her mind forever. She can hear Alicent is still talking, but not a single word pushes past the pulse beating in her ears.

“…he’s annoying that poor parent too much, I better go get him. We will be right back to say bye.”

She feels Alicent walking away and returning before she can catch a full breath. 

“COACH TARGARYEN! It’s so cool we won, right? I wanted to play more, but mommy says we have to go now! And she said she has a SURPRISE for me tomorrow!” Aegon’s loud voice brings her back to reality.

“That’s awesome, buddy.” She shares a knowing look with Alicent. “What do you think it will be?”

He thinks about it, eyebrows furrowed. “A Dragonstone jersey!” He looks back at his mom, anticipation written all over his little face. Alicent just smiles and shrugs her shoulders.

“A number 10 jersey, I hope!” Rhaenyra also looks back at Alicent, grinning and raising an eyebrow.

“Well, I guess you both will have to wait and see.”

That seems enough to convince Aegon. “OH MOMMY! When I get my jersey, we should send a photo to Coach Targaryen!”

Rhaenyra freezes mid-grinning, Alicent’s eyes go wide once again. She wanted to ask for Alicent’s number all day but didn’t know how. Gods bless Aegon Hightower.

“Sweet boy, I don’t have her number, and we really shouldn’t bother her for this.” Alicent says, kneeling before him so they're at eye level.

Oh no. She absolutely cannot miss this chance.

“It’s okay, Alicent!” Rhaenyra realizes it's the first time she says her name and decides right here and then that she wants to spend the rest of life calling Alicent’s name. “You can have my personal number, and Aegon can send whatever he wants!” The boy yells in happiness. “And huh… you too. Anytime.” It’s almost a pleading.

“If you’re sure. Don’t worry, I won’t let him bother you.” Alicent says almost apologetic as she hands Rhaneyra her phone.

Her hands are shaky and sweaty, but she quickly types the number only a handful of people are allowed to know. “It’s no bother, I swear!” She's almost on her knees, begging Alicent to text her. She gives back the phone.

“Thank you! You really didn’t have to.” Alicent clears her throat. “We should go now; I’m sure you have some meetings to attend.”

She, in fact, is late for her team meeting. But talking to Alicent was much better than hearing all the ways she fucked up last game. Even now, she is about to deny that and say they can talk a little more, but Aegon is already hugging her legs and yelling his goodbyes.

“Bye, buddy! And good job on your goal!” She hugs the boy again and looks at Alicent, wondering if they should hug or shake hands or just awkwardly wave at each other.

Alicent makes the decision for her by reaching out for a hug. She's shorter than Rhaenyra, so her head fits perfectly on the crook of her neck. If she only could stop time and stay like this forever. “Thank you for everything.”

The mix of Alicent’s voice being so close and her soft red curls brushing her cheeks is enough to make her knees go weak. It’s a quick hug; she barely has time to figure out if the other woman smells more of strawberry or vanilla shampoo, but it’s enough time to make Rhaenyra question if she ever felt at home in somebody else's arms like she just did. “You’re welcome. See you tomorrow!” She whispers so Aegon doesn't listen to it, as they let go.

Rhaenyra arrives late to the meeting, and Coach Harwin stops his speech to give her a lengthy lecture on responsibilities once again. She nods and promises to do better next time — they both know she won’t.

She sits down next to Laena and Mysaria, the two women grinning at her; she knows they will blast her with questions as soon as this meeting is over. And she plans to get out of there before that.

She retrieves her phone from her backpack to text Laenor, while Coach Harwin goes on and on about things they already know about their opponent.

Hey man, I need two front row tickets for tomorrow and all the merch you can find for a 6-year-old. Pleaseeeeeee :)

His answer comes a few minutes later in a series of texts.

Done and done. Just give their names to security tomorrow!

And I see we have a plan for the MILF! *devil emoji*

I’m all in ofc! Got her your jersey already

And yes Laena told me about her!

So be mad at her not me

She’s going to kill both of them. And Mysaria. They will be unbearable tomorrow when Alicent shows up. She curses herself for inviting Alicent; she should’ve waited until they were at least friends.

A new notification from an unsaved number shows up on her screen before she can reply to Laenor. With a deep breath, she opens it.

I can’t believe you saved your number as The Realm’s Delight. *eye-roll emoji*

Oh it’s on! Inviting Alicent is her best decision of this entire week. She can’t wait for the game.

Chapter Text

The game day routine — almost a ritual at this point — started on the day Rhaenyra played her first big final. After not being able to sleep for hours, she gave up and wandered to the beach.

And now, every home game since that day, she wakes up when it’s still a bit dark outside and goes for a walk to watch the sun rising over the ocean. The salt air on her skin, the sun on her face, and the cold water just above her ankles are enough to ground her and get her nerves ready for whatever the game brings.

Sometimes she talks to her mom, like the woman was in the wind or at some place just beyond the horizon where Rhaenyra’s eyes couldn't quite see. It wasn’t exactly a talk; it was more like a wish being repeated over and over again in head and in heart — please, let me hug you one more time. It was a simple but unattainable wish, it was the closest she got to a prayer of some kind.

Over the years, the routine changed, with more steps being added. Syrax was adopted and became the only witness to her beach walks. Once home, she’d call her dad and talk to him over breakfast, the conversations always turning back to some story from one of his games and ending with a quick “I love you and you don’t need luck, but I wish it for you all the same.”

Then she would take a nap, usually on the couch with Syrax, until it was time to get ready for the evening game. But today her routine was a little different; a notification showed up on her screen as soon as she ended the call with her dad.

From Alicent.

They had exchanged only a couple emojis after Alicent texted yesterday. Rhaenyra tried so hard to get her number, and now she had no idea what to do with it. What would she even text her? It was not like they were at the stage of telling each other about their day.

I think someone is happy with his surprise (even though it's not a jersey) :D

There’s a video attached. Aegon’s serious face and wild bed hair fill the screen as soon as she taps play. She can hear Alicent’s soft voice in the background. “Only the possibility of a surprise will get you out of bed early, my sweet boy.” He nods eagerly. “Well, would you like to watch the game in the stadium today?” His eyes go incredibly wide — a carbon copy of Alicent — and his mouth hangs open, frozen for a minute, and then he is yelling and jumping on his mom. Rhaenyra needs to lower the volume of her phone.

The image shakes while Alicent tries to hold her phone and hug her son. It’s impossible to understand what either of them is saying; Aegon is half yelling and half crying. Rhaenyra is almost crying tears of joy with him.

He lets go, and his face is back on screen, this time with the biggest smile she has even seen. “COACH TARGARYEN, I'M GONNA SEE YOU PLAY!!!” He yells, and his little body can't contain his excitement anymore, so he starts jumping on the couch. Alicent laughs and films him for a bit before turning the front camera on herself.

Rhaenyra’s heart stops, and she has to pause the video to catch her breath. Ridiculous. She is absolutely ridiculous.

“Rhaenyra, you have no idea how much this means to him. I can't thank you enough! I guess I will see you soon!” The video ends with Alicent smiling.

She watches it two more times before typing and retyping her answer. And ends up with the most generic text ever. Great, she can’t even be normal over text. 

No need to thank me!! I’m just glad he is happy :)

Can’t wait to see you!!

The reply comes quickly, and it’s a couple of heart emojis. She could frame that.

She watches the video a couple more times and can feel her heart bursting with joy at Aegon’s happiness over watching a game, something that she has always taken for granted her entire life. Alicent’s voice and the way she says Rhaenyra’s name with a smile on her face. She’d do anything to keep them that way.

The Pit is a massive construction of stone and glass on top of a hill, where once stood the Dragonstone castle and its watchtowers. An observation deck with glass floors wraps around the structure like a balcony, providing an impressive view of both the city and the beach. A huge dragon carved in stone is perched on top of the roof, wings spread out, and mouth open. Forever paying tribute to the city’s ancient history and keeping watch over fans and players.

Rhaenyra arrives at the stadium a couple hours before the starting time. Wearing a fine black suit and sunglasses, she stops to talk to the group of fans waiting for the doors to finally open. Photographers shoot a million pictures during the short walk to the locker room — with just a quick detour to give Alicent and Aegon’s names to security.

The familiar locker room is almost empty when she enters it; only Coach Harwin and Laena are there. Both look surprised to see her so early, but she needs the time to clear her head and focus on the huge task at hand. They leave her with her thoughts for a bit.

Conversations fill the room as her teammates arrive. Laena and Mysaria sit beside her, and soon they’re discussing last-minute strategies. For the first time in a week, Rhaenyra feels ready to do this and can't wait to take on the pitch and destroy the other team. 

Cheers, and unfortunately, some boos — guess some people are still mad at her — erupt from the 80k fans when they get out of the tunnel. The stadium is packed, and Rhaenyra sees her own last name and number in almost every jersey. They’re playing in the home kit today — black jersey with faded red dragon scales print, black shorts, and red socks — and pretty much every fan is matching with them. A mass of black against the cold gray of a few Iron Islands fans in their designated seats.

They line up for the anthem, and that's when Rhaenyra sees Alicent. Dressed in a simple Dragonstone t-shirt with her hair in a bun, she looks absolutely beautiful. They lock eyes, and Rhaenyra can’t do much more than smile and wave while Alicent mouths, “You got this!” to her. Oh, how she wishes she could run across the pitch, jump the low wall in front of her seat, and hug her. Beside her, Aegon is wearing every possible piece of merchandise, jumping up and down in his seat. A huge Dragonstone duffel bag is in front of him. She needs to send the biggest thank you to Laenor after this.

Their situation in this game is not bad, but it is also not ideal. They lost last week by 1:0, which means they now need at least two goals to win. Rhaenyra refuses to think of the possibility of penalties; they are ending this in 90 minutes, and that’s it.

Five minutes in, Rhaenyra has a great chance from a long pass from Mysaria, but the Iron Islands goalkeeper makes a great save. She doesn't know if the boos echoing around the stadium are for her or for the goalkeeper. Probably both. They’re already mad at her, and she shouldn’t have missed such a clear chance.

Minutes pass, and she can’t find a single opening in the Iron Islands defense; she has at least three defenders around her at all times. Mysaria and Laena are also struggling to complete passes without getting intercepted. It’s frustrating.

On the other hand, the Iron Islands already had at least two great chances but, thankfully, wasted them. This is not good — not good at all. They do not miss their third chance near the end of the first half, and soon the ball is sailing into the Dragonstone net after a corner.

Fuck .

Now they need three goals. And they only have stoppage time and the second half to score. They’re absolutely screwed. The disappointment hangs inside the stadium like a dark, oppressive cloud. She hates it, and she only has herself to blame.

Rhaenyra decides to take matters into her own hands and try a last counter-attack while she rushes across the pitch, leaving the opposite players behind, but doesn't notice the midfielder running after her, and suddenly she is on the ground with her right ankle throbbing.

Fuck, again.

Her teammates are yelling at the referee about a dirty tackle and asking for a red card for the Iron Islands player, while the medical team tries to assess the damage. She can't believe this is happening.

“Rhaenyra, it’s probably a mild sprain, but we will take a better look during halftime. It’s only a minute away.” Doctor Orwyle says, checking his watch to see how much is left of stoppage time. They help her limp off the pitch to wait for the whistle.

The Iron Islands player gets away with only a yellow card, but they get a free-kick near the box. The last play of the first half. Mysaria carefully positions the ball, takes a couple steps back, and sends the ball past the goalkeeper’s hand with a powerful kick.

Whistle. 1-1 on the scoreboard, only two more goals. And the medical team is rushing Rhaenyra to the locker room.

She manages a quick glance at Alicent before she is inside the tunnel and only sees worry in her eyes while she holds Aegon, who seems close to tears. She wants to go back and tell them it’s okay; it’s just a knock. She will be back for the second half.

Doctor Orwyle takes off her cleats and socks as soon as she lays down on the gurney. Turning her ankle in all directions and asking her how bad it hurts.

“Just a little! Tape it, and I’m good to go.” It’s not a lie; she really isn't feeling much pain because of the adrenaline. But both of them know it will hurt a lot more if she keeps playing. Doctor Orwyle, after years in this job, also knows that it is useless to tell her that.

He applies numbing spray, wraps her ankle with K-tape, and calls for a physical therapist. The guy works his magic, and before halftime is over, she is warming up again while Coach Harwin points out everything they need to improve.

Rhaenyra runs out of the tunnel and throws a thumbs up at Alicent, who looks even more worried than fifteen minutes ago. She seems to breathe a sigh of relief and yells at Rhaenyra to be careful. Which she can’t afford to be if they want to win.

Laena finds a long pass when Rhaenyra is running up head; she manages to lose the defenders, and it’s just her and the goalkeeper again. She doesn’t miss this time, with the ball going straight into the sweet spot on the top left corner. The stadium erupts in cheers. She runs to Laena and hugs the woman as their teammates jump on them.

She finds Alicent again, and the woman is smiling and yelling something she can't hear with all the noise. Feeling bold after scoring, she winks at her.

“Shut up and play!” She tells Laena, who is looking between her and Alicent with a grin on her face.

“Don’t worry, Cap, we're gonna make you look good for her.” Laena yells, running back to her position as the game restarts.

One goal and ten minutes left. If they don’t score, the game will go into overtime and a possible penalty shootout. Her ankle can’t handle all that. They need to win in regular time.

The same midfielder tackles her again. This time, the referee is fast and gives her a red card before Rhaenyra can even think about getting up and fighting her. The medical team is called once again.

“Rhaenyra, are you sure you want to keep going?” Doctor Orwyle asks while applying more numbing spray.

“I’m only leaving this pitch with one more goal, Doc.”

He nods and taps her shoulder as he leaves. 

Mysaria dribbles past two defenders, leaving one sitting on her ass, and crosses the ball into the box. Rhaenyra jumps with impeccable timing, heads the ball down and far away from the goalkeeper. Her ankle protests when she lands, but she ignores it.

Goal.

In the 89th minute.

The stadium is chanting her name; the noise is almost deafening. She is running and taking her jersey off, spinning it above her head as she climbs the low wall to celebrate with the fans. Oh, how she missed this. Suddenly she is face-to-face with Alicent, who is laughing and clapping, her face red from screaming. Aegon is almost jumping on the pitch. She points at them.

“FOR YOU!” Rhaenyra is going to regret this later, but right now she's on top of the world.

The referee gives her a yellow card for the jersey, a small price to pay for a celebration like that. The big screen shows four more minutes of stoppage time.

The Iron Islands team comes in full force to try to send the game to penalties. Every Dragonstone player turns into a defender, never letting the ball get near the box. Rhaenyra is begging the referee to end the game as soon as the clock hits the 94th minute, but they still have to endure a few more seconds of a desperate failed attempt.

The final whistle blows. The stadium erupts in shouts, singing, and chants. She swears it sounds like a dragon’s roar.

They did it.

The nightmare that started a week ago is over. She sits on the ground, both to give her ankle a rest and to take it all in. Laena and Mysaria reach her, and soon they’re a mess of hugs, cries, and curse words.

“Well, now introduce us to your friend.” Of course, Laena wouldn't let her peace last for more than five minutes.

Alicent is waving at them, yelling her congratulations. She can’t escape. “Fine! But don’t make it weird!” They cross the field to Alicent and Aegon and climb the low wall.

“These are Mysaria and Laena.” She mumbles and points at them. “And these are Aegon and Alicent!” Saying her name out loud still makes Rhaenyra's legs weak.

Alicent barely has time to say hi before Aegon is barreling into both Laena and Mysaria and asking for them to sign his Targaryen jersey. “Aegon! Don’t be rude!”

“He's good!” Laena says, and exchanges a look with Mysaria. Rhaenyra knows that look; she has seen it a thousand times when they have some sort of plan. “It’s okay if we take him to the pitch? The team’s kids always go down there after games; it’s totally safe!”

And there it is. They want to leave her alone with Alicent. Rhaenyra starts panicking, her hands shaky and sweaty.

“Oh, I guess it’s okay, but you really don’t have to.”

“YES, WE HAVE.” They both said it, already ushering Aegon towards some stairs. Rhaenyra doesn't know if she wants to thank them or kill them. Probably both.

“I think this is the happiest day of his life.” Alicent says as they both watch Aegon carefully step into the grass as if it were holy ground.

“I’m glad I could do this for him! For you too!” Rhaenyra turns to look at her and notices she still isn't wearing her jersey. “Didn’t Laenor get you my jersey?”

“Oh, Laenor, he’s such a dear! Yes, he did, along with the entire store for Aegon! Thank you to both of you." She reaches for Rhaenyra's arm and gives her a quick squeeze. "But I didn’t know who was gonna be my favorite player, so I didn’t wear it.” There’s a mischievous gleam in her eyes, and she is trying to hold a smile.

Oh.

“And you know now?”

“Not yet; I mean, this is my first game ever, and everyone played so well, so I guess it’s too early to pick up a favorite.” Alicent is fully smiling as she looks into her eyes.

Oh.

Don’t panic. Don’t embarrass yourself. DON’T STUTTER.

“I guess you need to come to the final to make sure then. I shall make my plea even more convincing.”

“I guess it is the only way indeed.” Her cheeks blushing.

“MOMMY! I'M GOING ON A STADIUM TOUR!” Aegon yells from below them, with Laena carrying him on her shoulders. Laenor is with them now. A chill goes down Rhaenyra's spine with them joining forces.

“We want to take him to have a look inside.” Mysaria points at the tunnel as she explains. Alicent seems unsure but looks at Rhaenyra, as if asking if that’s alright.

“They're gonna take good care of him, if that's what you’re worried about. Laena’s own kids must be inside already.”

Alicent seems to relax a bit. She nods her head at Mysaria. “Aegon, just behave and be nice to everyone inside, got it?”

The boy agrees, and suddenly Rhaenyra notices it’s just the two of them now, the stadium rapidly emptying as everyone tries to beat the traffic home. She already asked her to another game; what the fuck is she going to do now? The sunset light reflects on Alicent’s hair, and she has an idea.

They both start talking at the same time. Rhaenyra has given up on having one not-embarrassing conversation with this woman. “I wanna show you something!” “How is your ankle?” 

They both laugh a little. Rhaenyra scratches the back of her head, sweat still dripping from her hair. Oh gods, she must smell so bad right now; Alicent should be running away, actually. But she isn't. Once again, she is watching Rhaenyra, waiting for an answer with a shy smile on her face.

“My ankle — yes, it’s probably a sprain, but it’s fine! It will be alright in time for the final.”

“You played like that with a sprained ankle? Are you insane? What if you made it worse?” Alicent has the same worried look in her eyes from before halftime.

“Oh, so much worry for somebody who isn't even your favorite player.”

Alicent looks exasperated now. Her mouth opens and closes a couple of times without saying a word. Rhaenyra decides to put her out of her misery.

“It’s truly fine! Doctor Orwyle will fix it, he is probably looking for me right now with a pack of ice on his hands.”

Alicent is shaking her head in disbelief. “Rhaenyra, let him take care of it, please!”

“Later! The sunset is too pretty right now. Come, I wanna show you something!” Rhaenyra starts climbing the stairs and waves at Alicent to follow her. Which she does, but not without directing an eyeroll at Rhaenyra.

The observation deck is Rhaenyra’s favorite place to watch the sunsets after the games. The glass floor makes her feel like she is flying above the beach and into the horizon. Rhaenyra holds the door open for Alicent to pass, and she quickly follows her.

The view is breathtaking. The last rays of the sun turning the bright blue water into pure gold. Alicent gasps and charges to get closer to the glass windows. Rhaenyra can’t take her eyes off her; this view is even more breathtaking.

Rhaenyra walks a little behind her, trying to keep her weight off her ankle; the stairs did a number on it. She didn’t think this through at all. She’s almost reaching Alicent when it fails her. She feels her leg buckling underneath her, the glass floor getting closer and closer. She lets out a pathetic yelp.

Then she feels Alicent’s hand on her own, gripping her wrist to keep her up.

“RHAENYRA! Are you okay?”

“Yeah, yeah.” That’s all Rhaenyra manages as she looks down at their hands. Intertwined. Alicent’s thumb is gently stroking the back of her hand and pulling her closer to the safety of the handrail.

But even then, she doesn’t let go. Just gives Rhaenyra’s hand a couple squeezes. And there they are. Holding hands and watching the most beautiful sunset the city has to offer. It feels like a dream.

“Guess I almost fell for you there.” If bad pick-up lines were an Olympic sport, Rhaenyra would have a gold medal and a world record right now. She honestly can’t believe her mouth just uttered those words. Maybe the glass windows are not strong, and she can just jump and save herself the embarrassment.

“Oh, almost?” Alicent says, holding a laugh.

But Rhaenyra can feel her eyes burning the side of her head, and she looks back. Their faces are inches away from each other, their eyes locked, and the tension fills the air like a live breathing thing. A recreation of their first meeting, but this time there’s no anger in Alicent’s eyes as she glances at Rhaenyra’s lips.

Rhaenyra takes a shaky breath. “Can I…” and that’s as far as she gets before Alicent’s lips crash into hers.

Her lips are soft and desperate. It feels like if she lingers just for a second, she will regret this. Rhaenyra catches her bottom lip between her teeth, savoring the short moment of stillness, but Alicent doesn't let her stay for long, and soon they are slotting their lips together again. And it’s warm and sweet. And Rhaenyra doesn't want to stop. One more bite is not enough; one more tongue slip is not enough; she needs more. And more and more. She needs Alicent’s mouth to never leave hers. A moan escapes someone’s throat, and Rhaenyra is not sure who it is from. 

Rhaenyra’s hand reaches for Alicent’s waist — thank the gods for muscle memory because her brain is mush right now — and just as she is about to pull her closer, Alicent pulls away. Warmth gone. Rhaenyra uselessly chases after her for an instant. 

“I can’t…I’m sorry… I shouldn’t… I can’t…” Alicent whispers while she wipes her mouth. Lips a little swollen and red. “A mistake. This was a mistake. I have to...”

She turns to the door, and Rhanyra holds her waist, keeping her in place. “Wait, Alicent! This wasn’t a…mistake! I can’t be that bad, right?”

She tries to lighten the mood. Make Alicent look at her again, but she doesn't. Her eyes focused on their hands, still grasping each other. Anchoring them in the whirlwind that was the last few minutes.

“It’s not you! You just don’t understand the… My life… It’s not like this.”

“Alicent, look at me. Please.”

Alicent is biting her nails and taking short breaths that do little to help her actually breathe. But she looks up, and Rhaenyra sees her own future in those eyes, and it all depends on what she will do now.

She's fucked.

“My life is not like this either. And you’re right, I don’t understand yours. How could I understand what makes you, well, you? We have only known each other for less than a week.” She rubs gentle circles on the inside of Alicent’s wrist. “But I understand that I’m willing to spend a lifetime figuring it out. A dozen lifetimes telling you that you can and should do anything you want to. Making sure that every mistake is sweet as a kiss during the sunset.”

Rhaenyra has never been good with words, and she is pretty sure Alicent will run away from her and never look back. A tear runs down her cheek. Rhaenyra wants to wipe it off, but she doesn't dare to move, afraid she will scare Alicent away.

And for the second time that evening, Alicent's lips are crashing into hers.

Rhaenyra drops her hand to reach for her jaw, keeping her close.

Alicent’s tears have stopped, but her lips are salty. They pick up where they left off, as if the emotional intermission was nothing more than a gasp for air. Rhaenyra is more desperate now, knowing that the warmth and softness of Alicent’s lips can be gone without warning. But Alicent deepens the kiss, and Rhaenyra’s brain is short-circuiting again. A rush of emotions fuels her to keep going, to ignore everything but Alicent's mouth.

She smiles against Alicent’s lips. “You really made me think I was bad at this for a minute.”

Alicent giggles, and she wraps her arms around her waist, impossibly pulling her closer.

Chapter Text

We’re home! Thank you for everything!

I’m sorry if I made things weird, but I just want you to know you were the best part of my day :)

Rhaenyra almost misses the text. She is slipping in and out of sleep on the couch, her ankle propped up on a pile of pillows with an ice pack melting over it. Syrax, always by her side, barks when her phone lights up.

Relief washes over her upon reading the message. They barely had time to talk after the kiss. Alicent had to go home after Laenor brought an exhausted Aegon to her. Luckily, they were only holding hands and truly watching the now-darkened sky when Laenor opened the observation deck's door. Laenor grinned at them immediately, and she knew he would be texting everyone as soon as possible to relay the latest news.

She had helped Alicent carry all their stuff to her car. Aegon passed out as soon as she put him in his car seat, but they were still careful around him and only shared a hug. A part of Rhaenyra was scared that Alicent just didn’t want to kiss her. That they would never cross that line again. With a soft goodbye and Alicent promising she’d text to let her know they got home safe, they parted ways.

Frozen in her spot, she watched Alicent’s car leave the parking lot. She has no idea how to feel about what just happened. She could still taste Alicent’s lips on hers, and her skin was still tingling in every spot she had touched. But she was also worried about Alicent’s reaction — the haunted look in her eyes and the blood around her fingernails from biting them so hard. She had to figure out what was wrong, and soon.

She likes the first message and replies immediately.

You have nothing to be sorry for!

Best sunset ever :)

That night, she dreams about winning games and kissing Alicent over and over again.

Laenor is dragging her into his office before she has the chance to limp her way to the medical department. She had hoped to avoid her friends all day while she was in physical therapy, and they were training and having meetings.

“Nyra, you need to see this.” He hands her a tablet — photos of herself celebrating the third goal and pointing at Alicent and Aegon fill the screen. “The internet wants to know who the girl you were pointing at is.”

“WHAT?” Rhaenyra shouts, scrolling through the photos and screenshots from various social media sites where people are trying to find out anything about her. “What do they know?”

No, no, no. This can’t be happening. She was so content with Alicent having no idea who she is, and now they’re both a trending topic overnight, with everyone digging their lives for information. She dragged her into her messy world at the first opportunity. She pushes the tablet back into Laenor’s hands and nervously runs her hands through her hair.

“Nothing yet. It seems Alicent doesn’t have any social media, which explains her knowing nothing about you. But you know how the internet is; someone will find something sooner or later.”

He tries to calm her down and get her to sit down on his office couch. But nothing works; she wants to run away after Alicent and shield her from the world before the woman gets cold feet. He continues talking, but she has stopped listening, her own rapid pulse being the only sound in her ears.

“… you should call her and explain it, you know, just make sure she’s aware of it. I’m sure she will understand.”

She nods. Yeah, sure, the woman who doesn’t even have social media will understand that half the country wants to know her because they have a weird obsession with Rhaenyra’s life. Sure, she will be totally fine with that.

Good morning, Alicent!

Do you think we could talk later?

She wants to call her and apologize upfront, but Alicent is probably at work, and she doesn’t want to cause her problems — more problems.

Hours pass, and there is no reply from Alicent. She hasn't even seen the text. Rhaenyra’s mind is racing while she follows the instructions from the physical therapist for a series of exercises for her ankle. She barely feels the pain during the stretches and only asks for breaks to check her phone.

What if Alicent already saw the posts and would not even reply to her? Won’t ever look at her face again. Won’t bring Aegon to practice again.

“Rhaenyra!” Doctor Orwyle gets her attention back. “The tests show it’s nothing serious, and you will be able to play the final in two weeks. But you have to take it easy and come here every day.”

She nods. She knew all of that already; it’s not her first rodeo, but it’s good to have confirmation she will be healthy enough to play.

“I talked to Coach Harwin, and he will keep you off heavy training, but he wants you to be there for the team.”

She nods and murmurs a low “thank you”. Really, there’s nothing else she could say, and at this point, she is sure that if she tries to speak more, all her fears about Alicent leaving will just gush out of her.

“Hey Nyra! Did you get hit in the mouth yesterday? Your lip is a little swollen.” Mysaria yells across the pitch as soon as she enters the training grounds.

The entire team bursts out laughing. It’s an inside joke they make every time any of them go out with someone; she knew it was coming. She laughs with them, but they can tell her that her heart is not in it. She hopes they'll assume it’s because of her injury.

She checks the phone again and it still has no reply from Alicent.

Since they played yesterday, the team mostly just warms up while Rhaenyra sits by the sidelines with Harwin. They discuss some problems they had in the game and how they can fix them for the final. It helps pass the time until the evening, at least.

She’s almost at her apartment when her phone buzzes in her pocket.

I’m so sorry for not replying sooner! My boss kinda doesn't allow us to use our phones

I will call you once I put Aegon to sleep, okay?

Rhaenyra is ready to fight this unknown boss man. She replies with a quick okay. And now that the waiting begins, she tries to keep herself busy by eating dinner and tidying her place a bit. 

One hour later, a video call comes in. She wasn't ready for a video call; her hair is a mess, half wet and half dry after a shower, and her face shows the exhaustion she feels in her body. She picks it up anyway.

“Hi bab — Hi Alicent!” Great start.

“Rhaenyra! Hi! Are you okay? Your message left me worried.”

"Huh, yes, I’m all good! No need to worry!” Rhaenyra sounds more cheerful than she actually is. "Hum, I take it you didn’t check social media today?”

“Oh, no, I don't have the time for that. I barely have time to myself as it is.” She chuckles, and curiosity fills her voice. “Why? What’s going on?”

Rhaneyra sighs and tries to explain what Laenor had told her earlier. She grabs her laptop and shows her the photos of the celebration and some of the social media posts from her followers. Alicent is astonished while Rhaenyra talks, a frown on her face and her mouth hanging open.

“Oh, that’s a lot to take in. Why do they wanna know about me so bad? Did they find anything yet? Is this a problem for you?” Alicent shoots question after question, not giving time for Rhaenyra to answer any of them.

“No! It’s not a problem for me at all! I’m used to my life being everyone’s business, but you’re not, of course. So I just wanted you to be aware that people might figure out who you are. And I don’t like that Aegon’s face is visible in every photo.” She almost wants to tell her to run while there’s still time, while losing her won’t hurt as much. “So, huh, I wanted to apologize for all of this.”

“Rhaenyra, I can’t even begin to understand what it must be to have a public life like yours, but I know none of this is your fault.” She gives a soft smile, and Rhaenyra could cry right now. “Also…” a smirk “…you were shirtless, so I think people couldn’t care less about Aegon.”

Rhaenyra feels the heat spreading on her neck and face — damned be technology for making video calls possible. Alicent is laughing at her reaction now. She can’t even focus on how that’s, once again, the most wonderful sound in the world because she is trying — and failing — to not blush more.

“I’m glad you noticed, darling.” She winks at Alicent. And now they’re both laughing. Rhaenyra wants to freeze time and stay in the moment forever.

Talking about the kiss and that vulnerable moment feels almost forbidden on a call. There’s too much at stake for it not to be an in-person conversation.

“So I will see you tomorrow at practice?” Alicent asks hopefully.

Fuck.

She probably can’t go tomorrow because of her ankle. They’re just kids, though; she can sit down and have them run around and follow her instructions for an hour.

“Of course! I’m counting down the hours already.”

They say goodbye, and Rhaenyra stares at her phone screen for ten more minutes. Between all the scenarios she made up in her head all day long, none was as good as what just happened.

Rhaenyra hates to stay away from training and be stuck in the PT room because of an injury. She spends the whole day waiting for her turn to leave for the children's practice.

What a difference a week — and a redhead — make!

The kids are already waiting for her when she arrives at the Foundation pitch. She thanks their teacher for keeping an eye on them, and before she can even say hi, they’re all telling her stories about how they watched the Dragonstone FC game and how happy they were when she scored. Aegon, as always, is the loudest. He shares every detail on how it was to watch it at the stadium.

Soon, all of them are reenacting their favorite plays and switching between favorite players, and Rhaenyra can only scream to them to avoid the header; she’s still traumatized from last week.

She cries from laughing when Aegon, playing as Rhaenyra now, fake-falls to the ground with an injury, and all the other kids run around yelling about how they’re doomed before attempting to carry him. Of course, they all end up on the ground, giggling at each other. She realizes she’d do anything to keep them happy like that, especially Aegon.

Alicent texts to let her know she will be late and if she can stay with Aegon until she arrives. She lets him keep playing with the ball while they wait.

“Coach, can you play with me for a bit?” The biggest puppy eyes she has ever seen stare at her.

“Oh, buddy, I can’t today. I’m injured, remember?” She points at her ankle, wrapped in K-tape and a compression sock. It breaks her heart to say no to him.

He goes back to the pitch after a deflated “okay” and keeps shooting penalties by himself. She cheers for him every time he scores, and soon he is laughing and celebrating.

She hears a noise behind her, and for a moment, she thinks it’s Alicent. But when she turns, there’s a man standing near the pitch, looking between her and Aegon. Tall, red-grayish hair and a full beard. She doesn't like the energy radiating off him.

“Sir, can I help you?” Rhaneyra gets up and walks to him until she is covering Aegon from this man’s line of sight.

“So, you’re the famous Rhaenyra Targeryen, the one who put my daughter on the news as her latest pet.” The man speaks with venom in his voice.

What? Daughter? He can’t be Alicent’s father, right? A father wouldn’t be talking about her like this. RIGHT?

“Sir, I’m not following what you’re saying.” She’s going to give him one more chance to show some respect.

He continues as if she hadn't said anything. “What are they going to think of her? After being seen with your…kind.” He punctuates the last word like it’s a dagger.

And she knows that look on his face — the disgust, the hatred. She had her fair share of homophobia aimed at her throughout the years to know what he meant. She also had her fair share of fights over it. She gives one look at Aegon to make sure he is still distracted. She gets closer to the man and squares her shoulders.

“Look, man, if you came here to insult me, I suggest you leave before I start to get mad.” Her voice is low and matches his hatred.

Once again, he just continues talking, paying no attention to her. “And now she leaves my grandson in your violent hands while she is out doing gods know what.” He looks at Aegon and then back at her, a disgusting smirk on his face. “She might not care about who you are, but I know you; I’ve seen photos upon photos of your drunken ass leaving parties like a common whore.”

And now she's mad. Reason is thrown out of the window, and she just wants the man out of there. She shoves him, and he stumbles back a couple feet. The smirk never leaves his face.

A terrified scream pierces the air.

Aegon.

She leaves the man and runs to the boy as fast as she can before he starts to run away. 

“AEGON! Are you hurt? What happened?” She has no idea what triggered him, and she’s desperate.

“GET HIM OUT! I WANT MY MOMMY! TELL HIM TO STAY AWAY!” He cries out and latches on her leg, trying to hide away from the man walking in their direction. Rhaenyra has no idea what to do.

What the fuck is going on?

“Sir, I’m calling security if you don’t leave now.” She doesn't want to scream or shove the man again and scare Aegon even further.

“Don’t worry! I got everything that I needed already.” He tries to look at Aegon, but Rhaenyra turns her body around to hide him as much as she can. “And boy, say hi to your mother for me, will you?”

“GET OUT! I DON'T WANT YOU HERE! GO AWAY! I WANT MY MOMMY!” Aegon screams at him, fear and fury mixed in his little voice. It’s the saddest thing she's ever heard in her life and the most helpless she's ever felt.

The man puts his two arms up, as if surrendering, and turns to leave. Rhaenyra watches him like a hawk until he is out of sight.

Aegon doesn't want to let go of her leg, but she convinces him to sit on the ground, and he climbs on her lap. His face is red, and he’s almost out of breath from crying too much and screaming for his mom between sobs.

She has no idea how to calm him down; telling him to breathe is not helping at all, so she tries to call Alicent. She picks up almost on the last ring and doesn't give Rhaenyra any chance to talk.

“I’m sorry! I’m just leaving work. IS THAT AEGON?”

Fuck.

Of course Alicent would hear the cries; she curses herself for scaring her again.

“Humm, yeah, but he is okay. Your father was here, and Aegon got a little upset.”

“MY FATHER?” Alicent’s shriek makes Rhaenyra push the phone away from her ear. She sounds horrified.

Rhaenyra tells her everything — every word the man said and how he was looking at her and Aegon. She doesn't understand a lot of what just happened, and Alicent still offers no explanation. She is understandably more worried about her son than about making sense of things for Rhaenyra.

“Is there any way to help him until you arrive?” Rhaenyra asks while the boy clings to her neck. His cries have subsided, but sobs wreck his little body.

“Just hold him, please. And get his stuffed dragon in his backpack; it’s his favorite thing in the world.” Her voice returned to the soft tone she reserves for Aegon. “I have to drive now; be there in fifteen.”

Rhaenyra says a sad goodbye and gets up with Aegon still wrapped around her, her ankle protesting the added weight, but she ignores it. “Buddy, let’s go find your dragon. Come on!”

They sit by the bleachers, Aegon on her lap, clutching his dragon, rogue tears sliding down his cheeks. Rhaenyra tries to distract him, but he doesn't answer any of her questions, so she settles for rubbing his back. He only leaves her when Alicent arrives.

“My sweet boy, you’re safe now. I’m here, don't worry." Alicent picks him up, and he is quick to cling to her neck. He starts crying again while Alicent gives little kisses to the side of his head.

“You have to let me go so I can drive us home." She tries to negotiate with him, but he only holds on tighter, his little knuckles turning white. 

She looks at Rhaenyra with tears in her eyes. Rhaenyra has no idea what to do to help. She wants to apologize, but bringing up Alicent’s father now sounds like a bad idea.

“I…I can drive you home. If you want… I mean, you go with him in the backseat, and I drive your car home.” It's the only way she can help right now, seeing that Aegon refuses to let go.

“Mommy, I wanna go home.” Aegon sounds so exhausted that Alicent accepts the offer without much fuss.

Rhaenyra drives in silence, and Alicent gives directions from the backseat, where she finally managed to get Aegon in his car seat with the promise to hold his hand.

They enter a dimly lit street, far from downtown. Alicent tells her to park in front of an old, small building.

“Rhaenyra, hum, can you go upstairs so we can talk about what happened, please?” Alicent asks while trying to get a sleepy Aegon out of the car.

“Sure! Let me carry him, and you open the doors!” Rhaenyra offers.

Thank the gods, Alicent lives on the first floor; Rhaenyra's ankle couldn't handle another flight of stairs with Aegon. Alicent opens the door to her apartment and motions for Rhaenyra to take him inside, pointing at a bedroom at the end of a short hallway.

The bedroom is small, with a single bed under a window and a low kids’ bed on the opposite wall. Alicent’s stuff is all organized on various shelves, while Aegon’s toys are scattered on the floor. She is careful not to step on anything as puts him down on his bed, while Alicent covers him with a Dragonstone FC blanket and gives him a forehead kiss.

Rhaneyra can’t hold the tears anymore when they close the bedroom door and step into the small living room.

“Alicent, I’m so sorry! He was only there because of what I did in the game. I’m so sorry; Aegon was so scared, and I couldn’t do anything to help! It took me so long to realize what was happeni —

“Hey, Rhaenyra, breathe!” Alicent interrupts her spiral. “It’s not your fault; my father is just an asshole like that. And you protected Aegon!” 

Rhaenyra is taken by surprise by Alicent’s bluntness. I mean, she could see the guy is an asshole, but hearing Alicent say that is shocking.

What the fuck is going on?

“Come, I think I owe you an explanation for everything. Let me make some tea, and we can talk.” She sighs and walks to the open kitchen.

“You don’t owe me anything! If anything, I owe you an explanation of what happened today. It’s just… I want… I wanna help you… if you let me.” She scratches the back of her head.

Soon, the tea is ready, and they’re both sitting on a leather couch in the living room. Like the bedroom, it's a small room, but everything is clean, organized, and cozy. The warm lights, the fresh flowers on the coffee table, and the shelves with lots of photo frames make Rhaenyra feel at ease. She can feel the love Alicent puts in this space to make it nice for herself and Aegon.

Alicent takes a deep breath and picks at her nails, dried blood already covering her fingertips. Rhaenyra reaches out, slowly putting her hand above Alicent’s, who looks like she didn't realize she was hurting herself. She gently squeezes Alicent’s hand to let the woman know she is there with her and won't leave while she draws soothing circles on the back of her hand. Looking down, as if she were far away, Alicent starts speaking.

“Otto, my father… he gave me and my mom a comfortable life; I had everything growing up. But he is a difficult man... he’d get mad easily if we didn’t do exactly what he had planned for us. And so we did, for years,  until my mother passed away when I was a teenager. And I had a couple of rough months while dealing with that.”

Rhaenyra’s breath catches in her throat. She wants to comfort Alicent; tell her that she knows what it is like to lose a mother, but she doesn't want to interrupt her, not now when she is finally opening up. She squeezes Alicent’s hand, and the woman looks up at her, some form of understanding shining in her eyes when she gives a soft, sad smile to Rhaenyra.

“At the same time, I… huh… was figuring myself out, you know… And one day, he caught me kissing a girl behind the school, and that was it. He had that disgusting look you said you saw on his face today.” She clears her throat. Rhaenyra reaches for her cheek to wipe away a single tear. “He didn't speak or look at me for a few days, and then he informed me that he’d enrolled me in another high school and I was forbidden to leave the house for anything else.”

‘Alicent, I’m so sorry. I…” Rhaenyra doesn't even have words to express how heartbroken she is right now. Alicent squeezes her hand back for the first time. She sighs before continuing her story.

“And for three years, I really only left the house for school. He is a well-known and powerful man in Oldtown, so every time I tried to sneak out, someone would tell him. It wasn't like I had many friends to begin with, but I liked being outside, and he took that away from me. After a while, I just kinda gave up… I didn’t care about myself or what was happening to me; I became a ghost in my own life.”

Rhaenyra wraps her arms around her, the hug saying a thousand words she doesn't know how to speak, the pain of losing a mother at a young age, and the sorrow for everything Alicent had to endure. They let go of each other, but Rhaenyra still holds both of her hands.

With a soft, watery smile, Alicent keeps going. “The following day after I graduated high school, he took me to a man’s house, one of his friends. At first, I didn’t understand what was happening, but he had arranged a wedding for me. The guy was rich, and he wanted to use me to get his money.” She looks at Rhaenyra with shame written all over her face. “You probably think I’m an idiot now.”

“No, never! Alicent, you had no choice! I’m just…I don't know… shocked that you went through so much.” Rhaenyra has no idea how to begin to process everything Alicent has told her in the past few minutes, and she dreads it will only get worse.

“Yeah, well, I… tried to fight my dad, but it was too late already. I took comfort in knowing that at least I’d be away from him after we got married and moved to King’s Landing. I hated the man, but for the first time in years I could get out of the house without being scared, so it was worth it, I guess.”

“That’s Aegon’s father?” Rhaenyra tries to keep up with some sort of timeline in her brain.

“Yeah, I got pregnant after a couple years. And a little before Aegon was born, my husband got sick, and my limited freedom was gone.” Alicent cracks a humorless smile and sighs. “I don’t like talking about it… he became a really bitter man, and I think he has never looked twice at Aegon since he was born. If you ask him, he will say he doesn't have a father.”

Rhaenyra is ready to find this man, sick or not, and make him pay for not caring about Aegon.

“It was a hard and long illness; almost all his money went to medical bills. I took care of him every single day until the end, and then I took all the money we had left and moved as far away as I could from my dad.” Alicent gestures to the apartment as if to say that this is as far as possible. She clears her throat again.

“My husband’s lawyer found me and told us he had a change of heart in his final days and gave all his savings to Aegon without telling me. But the catch is that he can only access it when he’s eighteen. Which is fine with me; at least he remembered that Aegon exists. But that's also where my father comes in again.”

Rhaenyra frowns and thinks for a second. “What? He can’t have Aegon’s money, right?”

“He can, if he has his custody. Which he already filed for.”

“WHAT THE FUCK?” Rhaenyra jumps up from the couch, running her hands through her hair. “You’re his mom! He can’t do that!”

Alicent grabs her hand and tugs at her to sit again. Rhaneyra has no idea how she is so calm.

“Rhaenyra, I need you to let me finish, and I need you to keep calm so we don’t wake up Aegon, okay?”

Rhaenyra nods and holds both of Alicent’s hands in hers again.

“When I came here, I had no job and no way to support me and Aegon, so it was easy for him to ask for custody, and a judge ruled in his favor. Aegon had to live with him in Oldtown for two months until I finally got a job and asked for custody back."

Rhaenyra gasps, tears threatening to spill.

"That day he missed practice; it was our monthly meeting with social services so they can read my job's report and check Aegon up so he can keep living with me.” She looks at the bedroom door. “That's why he was so scared today. His worst fear is having to go back to Oldtown with my dad.”

“What a fucking asshole! We won’t let that happen again. I will do anything to keep him here.” Rhaenyra is seeing red.

Alicent puts both hands on the side of her face. “I’m gonna say something, and I want you to know that it’s not your fault in any way, got it?”

They lock eyes, Rhaenyra nods, and Alicent is almost whispering.

“Going by what you told me on the phone, my dad saw us at the game and went to check on you, right? And what he saw there was you taking care of Aegon because I was late. Do you get what I’m saying?”

Rhaenyra’s mind finally starts putting the pieces together — Otto mentioning her messy life and smirking the entire time as if he knew something she didn’t, Alicent’s life story, and issues with custody. It all comes crashing down on her in an awful realization.

“He’s going to try to get Aegon again… and he’s gonna use my fucking life. No , no, no.” She never felt worse in her entire life. “I’m so sorry, Alicent… I..." A sob stops her from saying more.

“Hey, remember I said it wasn't your fault? None of this would be happening if I wasn't late. But in the end, this is my father’s fault, no matter what.” Alicent’s voice is firm; she says the last part as some sort of mantra she has repeated to herself before.

Rhaenyra hugs her and hides her face in red hair. She feels Alicent’s tears dropping on her neck. Crying won’t fix the situation, but it’s the only thing they can do right now.

Tomorrow, they will figure out what to do to keep Aegon safe. But tonight, they will only comfort each other.

Chapter Text

Aegon’s screams and pleas echo in Rhaenyra’s head every time she closes her eyes. It’s too terrifying to even try to sleep.

Just a few hours ago, she was with Alicent. She held her close until she stopped crying and told Rhaenyra to go, take care of herself, and rest.

She didn’t have the heart to argue with her that she couldn't rest because she had an irrational fear that Otto would show up in the middle of the night like a movie villain and take Aegon away. So she agreed to go home and check on them later.

They kissed while they waited for her taxi, it was short and unexpected, but sweet, just like their first kiss.

For Rhaenyra, it was a promise.

A promise to stay, a promise to hold her, and a promise to fix the mess she brought to their lives.

She tosses and turns until it’s time to go to training. It doesn't hit the same when she has to sit by the sidelines and watch her teammates play without her. It only makes her more exhausted and anxious.

She helps her team the best way she can by handing water and setting up drills, but she can’t wait to be cleared by Doctor Orwyle to actually play again.

It’s useless to text Alicent because her boss won't let her pick up her phone, but she tries anyway just to ask how Aegon is feeling. Still, she spends the rest of the day checking her phone for an answer.

Laenor, Laena, and Mysaria ambush her in the locker room before she can try to sneak past them and go home in the evening.

“Spill it. What happened?” Laena crosses her arms in front of her, blocking the door.

“Nothing! I’m just tired.” Rhaenyra murmurs, trying to get past Laena.

“Tired? You don't get tired; we’ve seen you party for an entire weekend before and not even yawn at training. Come on, tell us why you look like a kicked puppy.” Mysaria always sees right through her.

Rhaenyra sighs and plops down on the nearest bench. Her friends look between her and themselves and sit around her, ready to hear whatever she's got to say.

“It’s Alicent…” She doesn’t know how to explain everything without telling Alicent’s secrets, which is something she’d never do.

“Don't tell me she's been ignoring you after the kiss.” Laenor tries to guess.

“NO! No, it’s not that! We both agree the kiss was great, but something bad happened during the children’s practice yesterday —

“Children’s practice? Is her boy okay?” Laena's worried voice interrupts her.

Rhaenyra is startled by the sudden question. She can’t help but wonder how it's endearing that they all care about this boy so much in such a short time. “Yeah, yeah. He got upset, but we were able to calm him down.” 

She gives them a weak smile. And they sigh in relief, but they’re still waiting for an explanation that she cannot give them.

“Well, anyway, after that, I ended up figuring out why she seems…you know… off sometimes.” Flashes of the conversation fill her mind, and she needs to stop to take a deep breath. “And it’s not good, guys. I don’t know how to help her.”

“We can’t help you if you don’t explain what is happening, but we understand that telling us might break Alicent’s trust.” Laena says softly, and they all nod in agreement.

Laenor picks up his sister’s thought process. “And we’re here for you whenever Alicent feels comfortable sharing with us.” He places his hand above hers. “In the meantime, I think we all agree that we never saw you so worried about anyone before, and that only shows how much you care. And, darling, I think that’s what anyone needs. To know someone truly cares about them.”

“And after being your friends for decades, we know you can show how much you care. How far you go for the people you lov — …you like. So go on, and show her that you got her no matter what.” Mysaria finishes, her hand rubbing Rhaenyra’s arm.

“But what if…” What if I make her lose Aegon? What if he gets hurt because of me? What if I ruin both of their lives forever? What if she finally realizes it’s actually my fault? What if I lose her before I even get the chance to love her? “…what if I make things worse?” It’s the only way to express her fears without saying much.

“Oh, sweetheart, caring about people will never make things worse.” Laena gives her a soft smile, the same one she gives to her kids when she is trying to reassure them. “She seems to trust you, so you have to trust yourself that you will try your best for her without being scared of making things worse, okay?”

The lump in her throat doesn't allow her to speak, but she nods and hugs her friends. They can’t even begin to imagine how serious the situation is, but just knowing they have her back is enough to set her head straight and start thinking about how she can help Alicent.

As expected, Alicent only replied to her text late in the evening. 

Hey, Rhaenyra, how are you doing?

Aegon is fine and had a nice day at school! He says he has a surprise for you at the next practice :)

She breathes a sigh of relief at the news.

I’m good! Slowly back to training *ball emoji*

I’m glad he is doing okay!

A surprise?

Alicent's reply comes fast.

Rhaenyra, you can’t ask what a surprise is! It ruins the SURPRISE

(But warning: he had art class today)

Rhaenyra laughs at the message, what could a 6-year-old be doing in art class that requires a warning?

Thanks for the warning, ma’am

I will be prepared for anything!

Also, do you think we can talk there?

Alicent’s positive reply is the last thing she sees before falling asleep.

The days pass and her ankle heals as Doctor Orwyle slowly lets Rhaenyra go back to training.

With the final only ten days away, she is glad her first training back goes smoothly. She is happy that she can keep up with her teammates on all the plays and that the pain is almost entirely gone.

They spent the afternoon testing out new plays to try and beat Casterly Lions’ strong defense. Coach Harwin is still not satisfied with the results, but they still have time to perfect their moves before the trip to King’s Landing.

She knows her team got this. They have everything they need to win. All she needs to do is find a way to focus and not screw up again.

The training ends up being a blessing; she goes hours without thinking about Alicent and the conversation they're supposed to have later. But when they’re done and she is back in the locker room, getting ready to leave, all the pent-up anxiety hits her in full force. Her stomach is in knots, and her hands are clammy.

“Nyra, just breathe and remember we are here for you both.” Laena softly whispers to her so no one else hears and squeezes her shoulder.

Surprisingly, her friend’s voice really grounds her for a bit, and she is able to finish tying up her sneakers and picking up her gear. She thanks Laena on her way out and promises to keep her updated, if possible.

Aegon runs to hug Rhaenyra as soon as he is out of class. She kneels down to properly hug him, and a line of kids waiting for a hug starts forming in front of her. Her anxiety dissipates as soon as she starts talking to them and hearing a million different stories about their day. 

“Little dragons, last practice we were just messing around, and it was really fun! But we have a game to win tomorrow, so we now need to lock in and put together some plays, okay?” She says this after gathering them in a circle.

They all nod and scramble to get to the cones she had set up earlier. The practice is chaotic as always, but they’re getting better at following instructions and waiting for their turn during a drill. She encourages them to share their thoughts on the last game and come up with ideas on how to get better.

They’re all happy with their progress by the time practice ends. Rhaenyra makes sure to say how proud she is of each of them before they leave to go home. She is quite sad to see them go; if they all had it their way, they’d be playing for one more hour.

Suddenly, it’s just her and Aegon again. And as much as she wants to see Alicent, she dreads the moment she will arrive and the conversation they will have. A little hand tugging at her shirt drags her out of her thoughts.

“COACH TARGARYEN, I HAVE A SURPRISE FOR YOU!” Aegon is holding a sheet of paper and smiling brightly at her.

“You do? Let me see it!” She kneels to get at eye level with him.

He hands her the paper, and Rhaenyra can see it’s a drawing. A very simple but quite colorful one. She has no idea if it’s good or not for a child of his age, but she can see a blue sky and a green pitch with a few lines on the horizon of what must be the bleachers. On the pitch, there’s a stick figure of a boy with blonde hair, and he seems to be kicking a ball into an open goal. Sitting on the bleachers is a stick figure of a woman with similar hair, a Dragonstone FC uniform, and a big smile on her face.

He drew their latest practice, when she couldn't play with him while they waited for Alicent. She was sad to say no to him, but now she can see how much it mattered to him that she kept cheering him on.

She gets lots of drawings from lots of kids after games, — and she makes sure to keep them all safe in boxes. But never did a drawing feel this important. She can see the work he puts into every line, and it warms her heart to the point where she is fighting to cry in front of him. She fails, of course.

She looks at Aegon with tears in her eyes, and his smile drops a little. She is quick to wipe her cheeks and hold his hand. “Buddy, I think that’s the best surprise ever.”

He is smiling widely again. “Really? Do you like it? Are the colors cool? It’s not ugly? Mommy always likes my drawings, but it's the first time I’m giving one to someone else.” He says it as a way to explain his questions.

“Buddy, I love it so much that I think I will get a frame for it! Would you think it would look cool on a wall?” She puts up the drawing at arm's length in front of them both, hanging it on an imaginary wall.

“YEAH!! So, so cool!” He is yelling and hugging her; the drawing is almost getting crumpled. 

“It’s a deal, then! I will get a frame, and then I will send a picture of it to your mom so you can see, okay?”

“Okay! Mommy gets happy when you text.” He starts running in the direction of a ball behind her. “Can you play with me?”

What did he fucking say?

Alicent gets happy…when she texts…

She should have assumed so, but hearing it like this? Out of nowhere? It’s enough to knock the air out of her lungs.

She looks at him and notices Alicent watching them from a distance with a watery smile. She waves and walks in their direction. Aegon turns to see what she is looking at, drops the ball, and runs in Alicent’s direction.

She struggles to pick him up, and he wraps his legs around her waist as she continues walking. “Sweet boy, you’re getting so strong!”

Suddenly, they’re face-to-face. Alicent looks breathtaking in a short-sleeve green work dress and low heels. The contrast to Rhaenyra’s old gray hoodie with a sweat stain and mismatched football shorts is embarrassing, to say the least.

But Alicent doesn’t seem to mind and half-hugs her while still holding Aegon. “Aegon, darling, do you think you can play by yourself for a bit while I talk to Coach Targeryen?”

The boy groans and murmurs something Rhaenyra doesn’t understand, but he gets down and goes to play with the ball he had dropped.

“Come on, we can sit on the bleachers to talk and keep an eye on him.” Rhaenyra holds Alicent’s hand and guides her to a partially hidden spot. Alicent doesn’t drop her hand after they sit. “You were there the whole time?”

“Yes, I made sure to arrive on time, even if it pissed off my boss.” She rolls her eyes at her boss' mention. “I can’t believe you will hang his drawing on your wall, though!”

“Well, I need new artwork, and he might be an artist in the making for all I know.”

“If you say so.” And they both burst out laughing. “No, really, it’s a super sweet thing to do. Thank you.” 

Alicent leans in for a quick peck on her lips, which has her smiling like a high schooler with a crush for the first time. Wasting no time, she checks if Aegon is distracted and kisses her properly. She can feel Alicent’s smile against her lips, a mirror of her own smile.

“Are you okay?” Rhaenyra asks as they let go of each other, and she quickly reaches for Alicent’s hand.

She sighs and plays with Rhaenyra’s thumb for a little while before replying. “As well as I can be with everything going on. I’m just glad Aegon is safe… for now, at least.”

“About that, huh, I want to help you. And… gods, I’m gonna sound like a prick when I say this. But, huh, I have money and I know lots of people, which means I can find a good lawyer to fix this." She had rehearsed a whole speech, but now it seems like she doesn’t know how to speak.

“Rhaenyra, I don’t want your money! This is my problem to solve!” Alicent is outraged, her voice rising with each word. She drops Rhaenyra’s hand.

Of course Rhaenyra knew this could happen, she knew she’d have to convince Alicent to let her help. If their places were switched, she’d be saying the same thing.

“I know that! But, please, Alicent, just hear me out. I, huh… it’s the only way I know how to help, and, huh, we can make this so much easier for you and Aegon. This whole situation is my fault, in a way, and if I can do —”

“YOU CAN’T!” Alicent interrupts her with a shout that turns into a shuddering breath. “It’s too late now.” She whispers now, trying to keep the tears at bay.

“Too late? What do you mean?”

Alicent’s shoulders slump forward, and she starts to pick her nails more aggressively than ever, with silent tears sliding down her face. Rhaenyra can’t believe how lost and hopeless she looks. “My father… he, huh, must have talked to social services or the judge, I don’t know.” She rubs her forehead and pinches her nose. “There will be an emergency custody hearing next week… and it’s not… looking good… for me.” Sobs break out of her, cutting off her last words.

Rhaenyra assumed Otto would try something, but she didn’t think it would be so soon. She thought she had more time to convince Alicent and then to plan things out. But next week is too close. Alicent is right; it might be too late.

And on top of that, she needs to fly with the team to King’s Landing a few days before the game; there’s a chance she won’t be there for Alicent at all. Her stomach churns at the thought of leaving both of them when they need her the most.

She holds Alicent’s shoulders, trying to steady her. “Please look at me. I promise we can end this nightmare next week, but you have to let me help you. Alicent, please, I know who to talk to! You just have to let me do it.”

“Gods… just let me…” Alicent takes a couple of deep breaths. “It’s not easy to accept help like this, Rhaenyra. It’s awful to know that the money from someone I’ve known for only a few weeks can help my son when I can’t do anything… when I’ve put him in this situation in the first place. It's disheartening.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to overstep. I was just trying…”

“To help.” She lets out a sad and humorless laugh. “I know. It’s the first time in my life anyone has ever tried to help me, which makes this even worse.”

“Again, I’m sorry. I won’t push it anymore, and I’ll be by your side every step of the way, if you let me.”

“Thank you.” Alicent reaches for her hand.

For five long minutes, they sit there, watching Aegon play. Rhaenyra draws soft circles with her thumb around Alicent’s hands and wrist; she can feel her quickened pulse slowing to a normal rhythm. They both have tears in their eyes.

Her mind, on the other hand, is a mess; she can’t see a good outcome to this. Instead of bringing them to King’s Landing with her, she will be there alone, probably getting a call from Alicent telling her they will never see Aegon again. And that will break Alicent’s soul and Rhaenyra’s heart; it will ruin any possibility of a future for all of them. And she doesn't even want to imagine what might happen to Aegon in Otto's hands.

She feels terrible for screwing up the only chance she had to help.

“How, huh, would you do it?” Alicent startles her, her voice lower than a whisper at this point. “You have a plan to help; what is it?”

Rhaenyra feels relief wash over her. They still have a chance. “Laenor and Laena’s father is a big-shot lawyer. He’d help you in a blink of an eye. Especially because his wife, Rhaenys, runs the Foundation.”

“Oh? I met her when Aegon started studying here.”

“Yeah, she’s very nice! And I assure you that Corlys is the same way. We just need to explain everything to him, and he'll find a way to keep Aegon safe.”

“Rhaenyra, it seems nice, but I can’t let you pay for this. And I guess that it would take me at least three lifetimes to pay you back.” Alicent smiles sadly at her.

“You know you don’t have to pay me back.” Rhaenyra sighs. She understands where Alicent is coming from, but they simply don’t have time to fight over that. “Just let me call him so we can get this started as soon as possible, please?

Alicent still looks unsure. She closes her eyes and wipes a few tears with her free hand. Rhaenyra squeezes her hand to try to keep her grounded and to show that she is there for her. She can only imagine how Alicent must be struggling with herself right now, and she feels that for a moment she might say no, and that would be final.

"Or, like, just for a consultation, okay? No strings attached!” Rhaenyra offers as a last resort, she has no ideas left.

Alicent opens her eyes and actually seems to be considering this option. They look into each other's eyes, and Rhaenyra hopes that Alicent can see the understanding in her eyes. She knows this is not an easy decision, and she will support her anyway.

Alicent gives her the tiniest nod. “Okay, I think a consultation might help.”

“Thank you for hearing me out.” Rhaenyra hugs her and whispers between tears.

Alicent refuses to let go after that, so Rhaenyra wraps an arm around her back and holds her close to her rest.

“He deserves the best possible chance, thank you for offering it.” Alicent says it in a soft voice after a while. Rhaenyra rubs her arm and kisses the top of her head.

They watch Aegon wildly running around the pitch and narrating goals like he is playing a final game. They don’t want to cut his happiness short, so they wait until he gets tired, climbs the bleachers on his own will, and asks to go home.

Chapter Text

Just a few weeks ago, Saturday mornings were for sleeping off a hangover. Everyone knew Rhaenyra wouldn't be seen until late in the afternoon — except if you checked some gossip outlet, then you could see her in all her glory in a nightclub well into the morning.

Now, she has to fight the hangover by taking some painkillers for her headache and taking an ice cold shower before heading out to the children’s game.

Last night, after calling Corlys and setting up a meeting without explaining much to him, she wanted to go out and drink her weight in booze until she could no longer remember why she felt like living a nightmare.

She couldn't do it, though. Being out meant being seen, and she couldn’t afford to give Otto Hightower more ammo against Alicent. She would never do that. So she settled for too many wine glasses in her living room.

The bright sun hurts her eyes, and the loud and happy shouts from the kids are like daggers in her brain. She knows she has to get over herself and be her best self for her little team before anyone notices that she is barely hanging on.

“Coach Targaryen, you’re late! Our game is about to begin!” One of the kids yells at her and drags her to the sidelines. At least Aegon is there with them, Alicent must be around here somewhere.

She channels all her energy into a smile. “Little dragons! I’m sorry for being late, but we’re all here now!” She has no idea if they’re all there; she had time for a head count, but they seem to nod in agreement. “I know that the minutes before a game can be scary, so what we need to do is take a deep breath and think about our training this week!” She takes a deep breath with them. “And the only thing we can’t forget is to...”

“…HAVE FUN!” They all yell in unison, making Rhaenyra wince in pain as they run to the pitch.

Looking around, she finds Alicent sitting by the bleachers; she looks beautiful in a white tee and jeans, her hair in a braid. But the dark bags under her eyes show she also didn’t have a great night. How could she?

They wave at each other, a shy smile on her face.

The other team scores as soon as the game starts. It’s always hard to concede early in a game, and the heartbroken look on the kids faces makes her feel even worse.

“Come on guys, we can turn this around!” She shouts across the pitch, even though her head is pounding with each word. “Just remember our pass and shoot drill!”

Against all odds, that seems to help, and they start completing more passes instead of just running around losing the ball. Aegon makes a good pass near the box, leaving a teammate in front of the goal; he shoots, and they tie the game just before halftime. Their moods are significantly better now that they aren’t losing anymore.

The second half starts, and both teams play well but lose too many chances. Rhaenyra takes a mental note to give them more finishing exercises. Before they can try anything else, the referee is blowing the final whistle.

It’s a tie, which for them means everyone won and they all celebrate together.

Alicent is walking to the sidelines as soon as the game is over. Aegon runs straight to her to give her a quick hug before going back to chaos, laughing the whole time. Rhaenyra wishes she could freeze time.

“Hi! How are..." Alicent gives one good look at her for the first time today. “You don’t look well. Are you okay?”

“Yeah, huh, just an annoying headache. How are you?” She doesn’t want to admit that she feels as bad as she probably looks.

“Do I even have to say?” Alicent’s voice is almost a whisper.

The anxiety and dread radiating from both of them is almost palpable. A black hole in the middle of this lovely sunny day filled with children’s laughter and happiness.

Rhaenyra decides to go straight to business; there’s no point in delaying the inevitable. “So, huh, I called Corlys yesterday, and he said he would be at the office with Rhaenys today.” She points at the top of the Foundation building. “We can go meet him if you want!”

Alicent looks a little taken aback. “Oh, that's soon. I’m not… huh, I would need to go back home and find someone to babysit Aegon and then get ready to explain everything to him and..."

“Hey, look at me! Take a deep breath, okay?” Rhaenyra puts her hands on both of Alicent’s shoulders and waits for her to try and take a breath.

“I’m sure Rhaenys can find a place for Aegon to stay while we talk; after all, that’s his school, and he is used to being around here all day.” Alicent nods at her. “But if you need more time to get ready, then we can go later or I can talk to him and ask about his schedule tomorrow, okay?”

Alicent seems to relax with every word she says and shakes her head before replying. “No, the sooner we do this, the better.” She clears her throat. “And, huh, thank you for doing this. You really didn’t have to, but I’m grateful you did.”

“Don’t worry about it! I’m just making sure I will get more artwork for my living room.” The dumb joke gets a chuckle out of Alicent. “Honestly, I just wish I could do more. You two deserve the world.” 

“Rhaenyra…” She can see Alicent’s eyes getting misty.

“I know, I know. Let’s get Aegon and get to work, shall we?” Rhaenyra reaches for Alicent’s hand.

Rhaenys' office doesn't look like an office. The wooden walls, comfy armchairs, and colorful rugs make the place look like a cozy living room. Adjacent to it is a playroom with dozens of toys and craft supplies. It’s clear that Rhaenys really tried to make the place as welcoming as possible for meetings with mothers and children.

“Rhaenyra!” Corlys crosses the room to hug her. “I saw the game through the window, and your kids are excellent!” His booming voice is a contrast to his kind words.

“And you must be Alicent and Aegon! Please call me Corlys.” He says as he shakes Alicent’s hands and ruffles the boy’s hair, making him laugh. “That was an incredible assist, little man.”

“Thank you, sir!” It’s the first time Rhaenyra sees Aegon turning a bit shy.

Rhaenys also greets them by hugging them both. And Rhaenyra is so thankful they’re doing everything they can to make Alicent feel at home, despite the circumstances.

“Aegon can stay in the playroom while we talk, Alicent. Don’t worry, he won’t listen to anything, but we can still keep an eye on him through the glass doors.” Rhaenys explains to Alicent as she points to the room. “Please feel free to sit anywhere here! And let me know if you want me to stay or if you want to talk with Corlys only, okay?”

With Aegon busy with toy cars and race tracks, their meeting actually begins, and the air in the room gets heavy. Alicent and Rhaenyra sit on a big couch together, while Corlys and Rhaenys sit in armchairs.

“Alicent, I wish we could be meeting for different reasons, of course, but I’m pleased to meet you all the same. When Rhaenyra called me, she didn’t explain much; she only said you didn’t deserve what was happening.” Corlys starts, his attention fully directed at Alicent.

"First, I want to thank you so much for agreeing to this meeting. Rhaenyra was very kind to offer to call you, and I hope I didn’t disrupt your schedule today.” Alicent's voice is soft but firm.

“Don’t worry, sweetie. Just tell us what is happening.” Rhaenys says.

“Well, my father is trying to get Aegon’s custody. The hearing is happening next Thursday…” Alicent’s voice cracks a little bit, and she takes a breath. Rhaenyra reaches for her hand. “I can’t lose him, please.”

“Alright, we have five days to find a way to win this. It’s totally possible, but you need to give me more information about your father and what his claims are, okay?” Corlys tries to keep her calm.

Alicent squeezes Rhaenyra’s hands and launches herself on a retelling of everything she told her that night in the apartment. She doesn't leave a single detail out while Corlys takes notes of everything he deems necessary.

Rhaenyra thought that hearing everything for the second time would be easier, but oh, she was so very wrong. Her soul dies a little every time Alicent’s voice cracks, and she squeezes her hand harder in an attempt not to break down crying.

She only speaks when Corlys asks her to describe exactly what happened in her encounter with Otto. Her anger makes her see red when she repeats the awful things he said to her. Alicent’s hand in hers is the only thing tethering her to this moment. 

He asks a couple complementary questions before directly speaking to Alicent again in a serious tone. “I’m really sorry you had to go through all that; it’s really unfair.” He shuffles through his notes before continuing. “I’m seeing your father's biggest claim is that you can’t balance your work and Aegon. So sometimes you leave your son with strangers, like Rhaenyra, for example, who doesn’t have the best track record, is that right?”

“HEY!” Rhaenyra defends herself before Corlys gives her a look. He has helped her out of many problems throughout the years; if anyone knows her track record, it is him. She never hated herself as much as she does now.

“It’s not Rhaenyra’s fault. But yes, that seems right, unfortunately.”

Corlys nods, deep in thought. “It’s not the strongest claim, but he can make this bigger than it is and cause trouble by doubling down on Rhaenyra’s past, which can also discredit her as a witness to Aegon’s meltdown upon seeing him.”

Fuck. Fuck. Fuck.

He frowns at some of his notes. “You mentioned Aegon was not himself after the temporary custody Otto got. Can you tell me more about that?”

Alicent looks at her with a sad expression. “I didn’t tell you this that day. It was too much, I think.”

Rhaenyra feels a chill going down her spine.

She turns to Corlys as she continues. “Aegon is a very loud kid; just ask Rhaenyra, but he wouldn’t speak when he came back from Oldtown. He would just follow me around without making a sound. It was so scary to see him like that.”

Rhaenyra can’t believe what she is hearing. She looks through the glass doors at the happy boy making car sounds as he races them, and she can’t imagine him quiet, not even for a second.

“I took him to a couple of doctors, and they said there was nothing physically wrong with him. He was completely healthy, so they said it was probably the stress from moving back and forth. They suggested giving him some time, and if nothing changed, then I should look for a therapist. But it was around this time he started studying here, and he seemed more like himself every day after class…” She fully turns to Rhaenyra with a small smile on her face. “That first football practice with you was the first time he was Aegon again. I was thrown so off-guard by him yelling what he did that I... you know…” She trails off, not wanting to also tell the story of their first meeting to Rhaenys and Corlys.

Flashes of that day run through her mind, Aegon trying the header and yelling at Alicent as soon as she arrives to pick him up, Alicent's quick reaction to protect her son, and then the sad look in her eyes. The thought of scaring Alicent like that when she was already worrying about Aegon makes her feel even more sick.

She just wants to run away and come back when this nightmare is over, so they can have a little peace, but she can’t do that. She needs to be strong for Alicent and be the support system for her and Aegon to fall on.

“We can use that!” Corlys and Rhaenys talk together before he continues to explain how they can show the medical records to the court and show them that staying with Otto had a bad effect on Aegon’s mental health.

Rhaenyra completely tuned the conversation off at this point, her head spinning and her stomach in knots. She closes her eyes and takes a few deep breaths that do little to help her nerves. Rhaenys is staring worriedly at her when she opens her eyes again. She mouths a weak I'm okay to her and turns her attention back to what Corlys is saying.

“... our best chance is to present the court with the fact that Otto doesn’t care about his grandson’s wellbeing, only his future money. We can show them that you’ve been taking really good care of Aegon since he was born without any help and that the people you put in his life are there for a reason. We can even try to show another side of Rhaenyra…"

“WAIT, WHAT?” Rhaenyra interrupts him. “I will do whatever it takes, please.”

“Whatever Otto tries to paint you as, we can show this other side where parents trust you’re responsible for their children during practices and kids run to hug you every chance they get during the games. Prove to them that you’re more than the clickbait stories about you.” Corlys explains in simple terms to her.

“I really care about that little team, but do you really think it can help?”

It’s Rhaenys who answers now. Her voice is soft and maternal, like the way she used to reassure Rhaenyra when she was younger. “Sweetheart, you’re a good soul, and if we can show them that, then it will help. I’m sure of it.”

Rhaenyra nods and looks back at Alicent, who seems overwhelmed by the entire conversation, so she takes over. “What else can we do?”

“Right now, nothing.” Corlys looks between her and Alicent before getting Alicent’s attention back. “If you want me on the case, I can start preparing right away, and we can schedule some other meetings until Thursday." If not, then I can refer you to some colleagues.”

“I do; I’d like to have you on the case.” Alicent looks down. Rhaenyra rubs soothing circles on the back of her hand. “But I can’t pay you right now…”

“Alicent! I —“ Rhaenyra tries to speak over her, but she just waves her hand.

“Rhaenyra kindly offered to pay for everything, but I can’t allow her to do that when she is already doing so much for us. So I can’t…”

“Alicent. I’m sorry for interrupting, and I’m even more sorry for not telling you upfront that I’m not charging anything from you. I never do, for custody cases like yours.” Corlys says this as Alicent gasps.

“Are you sure? I know I can find a way to pay you!” 

“Of course I’m sure! Rhaenys calls me for a lot of pro-bono work here. I mean, I will still charge Rhaenyra for all the headaches she gave me throughout the years, but you don’t need to worry, okay?” He jokes while pointing at Rhaenyra.

“Hey! It’s Laenor and Laena’s fault most of the time!” She tries to defend herself, and it's the first time in the last hour she feels a little like herself.

Alicent agrees to have Corlys on the case, and he brings out the paperwork. Rhaenys pulls her aside while Alicent signs everything.

“You really care about her, huh?” The older woman asks with a proud look in her eyes.

“More than I ever cared about anyone before.” She plays with the hem of her shirt. “And it scares me.”

Rhaenys cups her cheek. “Oh, I guess it wouldn’t be love if it wasn’t a little scary in a good way, right?”

Love.

Yeah, Rhaenyra is definitely scared now. She really thought she was doing a good job in pretending she wasn't falling for Alicent.

Rhaenys hugs her before she has a chance to reply.

Rhaenyra is not ready to say goodbye to Alicent as they leave the building. They walk through the parking lot, holding hands and listening to Aegon describe all the cool toys he played with.

A small part of her dares to dream that this could be their life one day. Just the three of them going home — hopefully — together. The kind of life she never thought she could want.

Their time seems so limited with everything possibly crashing down in five days that she wants to spend every waking second with Alicent. She decides to buy herself just a little more time.

“Alicent, do you wanna go grab lunch?” She checks her watch; it would be a late lunch. “It’s okay if you wanna just go home and rest, though!”

“That sounds nice, actually. Do you know someplace around here?” 

She does, but fans also do. It would turn into chaos pretty fast, especially if word that she is with the mystery woman from the game gets around.

“Oh, huh, yeah, but we shouldn't go there because, you know, people would find us. And they would take pictures and ask a million questions about you. Don’t get me wrong; I don’t mind it when it's just me, but I don’t want that for you and Aegon.” She rambles while walking.

Only now she notices that Alicent stopped by her car, and now she smirks at her. “It’s endearing how much you blush when you talk about being famous.”

She didn’t realize she was blushing. And fuck, now she’s blushing more. “You can admit I sound like a douchebag.”

“No, you don’t! I can’t even imagine what it's like to have strangers take pictures while you have lunch. Sounds insane.” Alicent shudders a bit.

“Yeah, I guess, but I’m used to it by now.” She really doesn’t want to discuss her world right now. “Well, it’s the curse of being everyone’s favorite player.” She jokes and winks at Alicent.

“Not everyone! I still haven't picked a favorite player, remember?” She winks back at Rhaenyra.

Rhaenyra closes the distance between them. “We’ll see about that next Sunday, I guess.” And gives her a quick kiss. “In the meantime, we can order something at my place.” Another kiss.

“EW!” Aegon’s shout followed by a giggle interrupts them.

Honestly, Rhaenyra had forgotten the boy could be watching them. She pulls back quickly, ready to apologize to Alicent, but she’s laughing at Aegon’s reaction and telling him to get in the car.

“Go ahead; I will follow you.” Alicent tells her as she walks to her own car.

Once again, she wishes they didn’t have a dark cloud looming above their heads and casting a shadow on every moment of happiness they manage to find.

The drive to her penthouse is quick, and soon they’re all standing in front of her door as she begs them to excuse the mess. She doesn’t have enough time to warn them about Syrax, though.

“YOU HAVE A DOG?!” Aegon screams when a golden ball of fluffy fur crashes on their legs.

“Syrax, oh my gods, behave like the lady you are and let me introduce you first!” Rhaenyra exclaims.

“HER NAME IS SYRAX?!” Aegon screams while rolling on the floor with the dog. And as he screams her name, the dog licks his entire face and he squeaks.

”Alicent, I’m so sorry about that! Syrax won’t hurt him, I promise.”

“It's okay; he always wanted a dog! Syrax is the one who should be worried.” She jokes, because Aegon is trying to carry the dog like a puppy.

“Buddy, her toys are in there.” She points to a plastic box in the hallway. “You can play with her until our food gets here!”

“And then you have to wash up! Without complaining, got it?” Alicent waits in the hallway until he agrees.

Sitting on the couch, they decide to order pasta from the closest restaurant.

“You have a nice place!” Alicent says, looking at her bookshelves.

“Thank you! Come on, let me show you around!” She grabs her hand and starts the tour on the balcony, explaining that the windows were the reason she got this place.

Alicent’s attention is drawn to the wall filled with photo frames. She takes her time looking at each photo and smiling at them.

“You really won all those trophies at once?” She points at the picture of Rhaenyra, where she is holding three trophies, almost dropping one. With tears in her eyes and a big smile on her face.

“Yeah, it was last year’s World Cup! The big one is given to the winning team, and the others are for best player and top goal scorer." She scratches the back of her head and realizes she is probably blushing again. “I had just gotten back from a big knee surgery and all that, so just being there was a miracle in itself. I still can’t believe that was real!”

“By the gods, Rhaenyra! It’s very impressive, but you need to stop getting hurt!” Alicent looks worriedly at her knee.

“Tell that to defenders that use my legs as a kicking target.”

Alicent keeps browsing the photos, asking about the family and friends in them and pointing at the ones she met, like Laenor and Laena.

“You look like her.” Alicent points at a photo of Rhaenyra and her mom, both smiling at the camera with chocolate ice cream stains on their chins.

“It’s my mom. She passed away a few days after this photo; I was fourteen. I wish she could have seen all of this.” She gestures at the photos.

“She’s very beautiful. And I get it; every day I wish my mom could meet Aegon; she’d spoil him so much. She was so different from my father.” Alicent gives her a sad smile.

They hold each other for a little while, the pain of the past and the fear for the future keeping them frozen in this moment. Syrax barks and Aegon’s excited squeaks are the only sounds in the apartment. Rhaenyra knows the emptiness and the silence will hurt her when they leave.

They only let go to get the food and detangle Aegon from Syrax. Rhaenyra lets him fill Syrax’s food bowl so they can all have lunch at the same time. The food is delicious, but it just doesn't taste right. Nothing feels right right now, and she senses that Alicent probably feels the same way as she barely eats the pasta on her plate.

She can’t believe that their first meal together is tinged by this dreadful feeling, so she tries to lighten up the mood after she loads the dishwasher. “Hey buddy, I went to the store last night and bought a frame! Do you think you can help me put your drawing in it?”

Aegon immediately jumps from his chair. “YES, I CAN DO THAT.” Alicent shakes her head as she looks at both of them with a small smile.

She retrieves the drawing and the frame from her duffel bag, Aegon tearing up the wrapping plastic in one swoop. They’re sitting on the floor around the coffee table, while Alicent watches them from the couch.

“Careful with glass!” Alicent warns them as they remove the backing board.

“Okay, mom!” Aegon’s serious voice and Rhaenyra's mocking voice mix as they speak at the same time, making them all look at each other for a second and burst out laughing.

Rhaenyra guides Aegon’s hand throughout the entire process; she notices Alicent pointing her phone at them and gives her a silly smile for the photo. The thought of this possibly being their first and only photo in the penthouse together makes her feel sick.

“Now, we just have to hang it! What about there?” She points at an open space beside the photo frames.

“Yeah! Can I hammer the nail?” He asks, looking at her with big, lost puppy eyes, and she is almost telling him that they can try to find a way to do it safely when Alicent interrupts them.

“ABSOLUTELY NOT! She hammers the nail, and you hang the frame.” She says this, and both Rhaenyra and Aegon nod their heads and scramble to do as she says.

Rhaenyra needs to pick up Aegon so he can reach the nail and hang the frame. “It looks perfect! Good job, buddy!”

Rhaenyra turns to ask Alicent what she thought, but the woman is close to tears as she tells them to stand in front of the wall so she can take a picture.

Aegon asks to play with Syrax a little more before they go home, Alicent agrees and goes to sit with Rhaenyra on the couch. Once again, Rhaenyra sends a silent thank you to the boy, because she was nowhere ready to say goodbye to them, and now she has Alicent hugging her and laying her head on her shoulder.

“Thank you for today.” Alicent murmurs, voice almost breaking.

They finally get to share a proper kiss. Just like their first one is a little bit desperate, like it might never happen again. But at the same time it is life-saving, Alicent’s lips are the only thing that manages to calm her down all day. Her headache and fears are gone as long as she keeps Alicent in her arms.

Chapter Text

Rhaenyra’s life has become a series of countdowns. Five days until the Championship final. Two days until the custody hearing.

Time seems to be mocking her, moving at light speed when she is trying to squeeze in as much training and PT sessions as possible during the day, and not moving at all when she is lying awake at night imagining all the ways the hearing could go wrong.

She has never hated anyone as much as she hates Otto Hightower.

She will go insane if she dares to think about the opposite of that. She has never loved anyone as much as she loves Alicent.

During practice, everyone can see that she looks drained. Yet she plays her very best during every scrimmage and stays after hours shooting penalties, but the joy and peace she once felt on the pitch is gone.

Coach Harwin is tired of asking her what is happening, if she feels alright, and if he can do anything to help. She never gives him a straight answer, always blaming her mood on the anxiety for the game. He knows it's a lie, but he lets her be; after all, her performance is still great.

Her friends, on the other hand, see right through her when Alicent shows up at lunch time, and they overhear them talking about Corlys.

“Rhaenyra, why do you need our dad?” Laena and Laenor ask almost together. “Why does Alicent need him?” Laena continues with a worried voice.

“Oh, huh, he’s helping us with something.” She can’t say anything, and Alicent is almost shaking with anxiety beside her.

“Rhaenyra…it’s okay.” Alicent turns to the three friends sitting in front of them in the cafeteria, with worried looks on their faces. “He’s helping me keep Aegon safe.” She tells them in a low voice, squeezing Rhaenyra’s hand under the table.

“WHAT?”

“WHY?”

“HOW”?

Laena, Mysaria, and Laenor all yell at the same time. Eyes looking betweenAlicent and Rhaenyra, waiting for any sort of explanation.

Alicent tells them a short version of what Otto is trying to do. Only sharing the necessary information they need to understand what is happening. Rhaenyra thinks she couldn’t survive hearing everything for a third time.

“Sweetie, I’m so sorry!” Laena says softly. “How can we help?”

“You know, if you need to get rid of him…I know a guy…” Mysaria offers, joking to lighten up the mood.

“You think she is kidding, but she really knows a guy for everything.” Laenor winks at Alicent. “Seriously, darling, just name what you need and we will get it done.”

Alicent chuckles a bit. “I wish we could just get rid of him that easily. Corlys is doing everything he can so we can be ready on Thursday. And that's all we can do for now, but thank you for offering.”

Rhaenyra can feel tears threatening to fall from her eyes. Seeing her friends being so supportive of Alicent just because she is important to Rhaenyra, makes her heart melt. “Just you guys being here for us is enough.” She looks at Laena and Mysaria. “And if, huh, the hearing, you know… I don't know how I will be able to play on Sunday, so I’m gonna need you guys to do what I can’t.”

“Hey, none of this talk!” Mysaria points a finger in her direction. “You will play, and Alicent will be there with Aegon to watch us win, okay!?”

Rhaenyra nods and looks at Alicent with a small smile. “We hope you’re right.”

Rhaenyra knew she would see Alicent again that evening after Aegon’s practice. But still, it hurt to say goodbye to her; she wishes she could spend every moment until the hearing holding her hand. Not only to keep herself calm, but to stop Alicent from picking at her nails.

Her friends kept teasing her during the afternoon, and at least that felt normal. But they also offered help a million times and came up with dozens of — not so legal — ways to make Otto disappear. If Corlys could hear them, he’d be locking them in a room until Friday, at least.

Her practice ended, and she headed to the Foundation. It was supposedly her last day coaching the children. Harwin thought she had suffered enough, and the team was happy with the good PR it generated. But she wasn’t anywhere near ready to say goodbye to the kids for good, and becoming the reason for their sad faces.

The kids run out of the class to the pitch, and immediately Rhaenyra knows something is off. Aegon is just trailing behind his friends, slumping his shoulders and dragging his feet.

She explains today’s exercises while demonstrating what they should do. Once again, their eyes are glued on her, following her every movement like their lives depend on it, but she can't keep her eyes off Aegon. He looks lost and barely pays attention to her. She pulls him aside while they all form a line.

“Hey buddy, are you feeling okay?” She asks while trying to get him to look at her. Shouldn't she be checking his temperature or something? Isn't this what people do when kids don’t look well?

“Yeah. I’m just tired.” He scratches his eyes.

“If you don’t want to do the drills, you can sit on the bleachers; it’s alright.” She offers, and when he looks at her, he does look exhausted.

“No, I wanna try to play.” And he drags his feet to the end of the line.

Rhaenyra can’t keep her eyes off him, checking for signs he isn’t feeling well. Halfway through it, he gives up and goes to sit on the bleachers, holding tight to his dragon. Rhaenyra’s heart sinks in her chest. She knows Alicent didn’t tell him anything yet, but he clearly can feel that something is going on.

Practice ends, and once again she has a line of little dragons to hug and parents telling her that she needs to keep this job or else their kids will drive them insane. She says she can’t promise anything, but she will try.

She climbs the bleachers and sits beside Aegon. “Buddy, are you feeling better?”

He only shakes his head no.

“Wanna tell me what is happening?”

Another head shake. Another no.

She tries a dozen variations of the same questions, all resulting in a head shake and him clutching the dragon tighter and tighter. She’s at a loss for what to do, and she has no idea what time Alicent will arrive.

Aegon lets her rub his back, soothing movements that make him almost drift off to sleep. She is so lost in her own thoughts that she startles when he puts his little hand above hers, playing with one of her rings.

“I saw mommy crying last night.” He whispers, almost like he is confessing something.

Oh. Oh no.

How the fuck is she going to handle this ?

“Oh buddy, that sucks.” She’s so bad at this. “Do you know why she was crying?”

He shakes his head again. “Mommy never cries.” He sighs. “Only when I went away.”

Her heart breaks into a million pieces and the lump in her throat threatens to choke her. 

She wants to tell him that there's nothing bad going on, but she can’t lie to him right now. He will never trust her again.

“Your mom is a bit stressed, that’s it.” It's the best she can come up with on the spot.

He nods and plays with her fingers. “You always make mommy happy. Can't you do it again?”

Big teary eyes stare at her before he jumps on her lap and wraps his arms around her neck, the stuffed dragon pressed between them. She hugs him back, as tight as she can. As if she could make him stay and be safe just by holding him. “I’m gonna try my best, okay?” She feels him nodding his head against her neck. 

Aegon ends up falling asleep on her with his head on her shoulder, only waking up to hug his dragon with one arm again. She keeps rubbing soothing circles on his back until Alicent arrives some time later.

“He is a little tired.” Rhaenyra says while she carries him to Alicent’s car.

She doesn’t risk saying more while he can wake up and hear her. But of course Alicent knows something else is wrong and is asking her what happened as soon as Aegon is in the car seat. She watches as Alicent’s heart breaks when she explains what he told her.

“I’m so sorry, Alicent. I didn’t know what to say, and I didn't want to straight up lie to him either.” Rhaenyra runs her hand through her hair.

“You did just fine; don’t worry. I will tell him everything the morning before the hearing, or else he won’t sleep until then.” Alicent says with a sigh.

Rhaenyra closes the distance between them and hugs Alicent, peppering the side of her head with little kisses. “It’s gonna be okay, it will be over soon, and we're gonna be okay.” She whispers in her ear, more to reassure herself than anything else.

It's Thursday.

Already.

Finally.

Rhaenyra can’t tell if time is going fast or slow. Sometimes she feels like they need more time to figure out a way to stop Otto for good, but sometimes she feels like if he has more time, he will just end up digging more dirt on her. Either way, she just wants this agony to end before it sends her to an early grave.

The only thing keeping her somewhat sane is that Corlys is confident they can win. Still, Alicent and her have spent every moment of free time in his office in the past couple of days reviewing every single detail that can help or doom them.

And the worst part is that she can’t even be inside the courtroom with Alicent. She will have to sit outside while Alicent faces her asshole of a father alone.

Seven fucking hells.

She never really went to bed last night; the idea of lying there with her own thoughts haunting her makes her sick. 

As soon as the rain slows to a drizzle, she leaves the penthouse and walks to the beach. It’s almost like her game day ritual, but instead of excitement for the day ahead, she only feels fear. A kind of despair she never felt in her entire life. And she knows it’s not a fraction of what Alicent must be feeling.

The ocean is angry, and dark clouds cover the rising sun when she sits on the wet sand. And for the first time ever, the place does nothing to ground her.

Even talking to her mom feels useless. She wishes for the same thing she always does, but it feels wrong. Her heart is too heavy for it, and without thinking, she realizes her only wish for years has turned into a new one.

Let Alicent live her life without her past chasing her. Let us hug Aegon again without being afraid it’s the last time.

She cries until her tears mix with the rain and the sea spray hitting her face.

Alicent texts her while she is trying out a dozen shirts to see which one makes her look like a responsible human being, for once.

I talked to Aegon. You can imagine how much he is freaking out.

Gonna try to calm him down enough so I can drive

Rhaenyra hopes Corlys can free her from a murder charge because she’s going to choke Otto when she sees him.

Don’t worry, I will pick you up so you can stay with him in the car

Alicent thanks her, and now she has no more time to ponder over an outfit. She throws a suit jacket over her shirt, picks up her keys, and leaves Syrax sleeping on her bed. They can’t be late.

When she arrives at the old building, Alicent is already waiting for her at the door, the rain mercifully stopping for a few minutes. Aegon wrapped around her body, crying his little heart out. She picks up the car seat from Alicent’s car and helps her and Aegon into her own car. 

The drive to the courtroom is filled with Aegon’s sobs and Alicent’s attempts at calming him down. It’s a literal nightmare.

They had decided Aegon would wait outside the courtroom with Rhaenyra and Rhaenys. But when they arrive there, he doesn’t want to let go of Alicent. No matter how much Rhaenyra pulls him away or how much Corlys promises they will be out there again soon, he just screams and hugs her tighter, almost out of breath from crying too much. Rhaenyra feels like her head will explode while she tries to keep her tears at bay.

Corlys suddenly stops trying to convince Aegon. Rhaenyra feels a shift in his posture and sees him looking somewhere over her shoulder. “Judge Strong, good morning!” He says to an old man that’s walking in the direction of the courtroom.

“Mr. Velaryon, can I ask what this fuss is about?” Judge Strong asks, pointing at Alicent and Aegon.

“I apologize for the commotion, Your Honor. But young Aegon here doesn’t want to stay away from his mother, not even for a minute.” Corlys says in his best lawyer tone.

Rhaenyra is used to him talking like that only when he is getting her out of trouble. And that’s when she realizes what he is doing. She doesn’t think that it was his plan from the beginning, but he saw an opportunity and took it.

Aegon is too young to be allowed to speak to the court, but Corlys just managed to first-handedly show the judge who the boy wants to stay with and how scared he is of Otto. She knows the judge has to be impartial, but no one can deny the reality of Aegon’s feelings right now.

They all wait with baited breath for the judge to say something, but he takes a second analyzing the scene in front of him. His expression is unreadable when he finally speaks in a serious voice. “We can wait a few minutes for him to calm down, but please, don’t take too long.” And he leaves them without waiting for an answer.

It’s only when Laenor, Laena, and Mysaria arrive and start distracting Aegon with a bunch of new toys that he agrees to stay outside with all of them, wrapping himself around Rhaenyra. Alicent thanks all of them before following Corlys to the courtroom, with one last look to Rhaenyra.

Rhaenyra swears her heart stops beating as soon as the heavy wooden doors close behind them. She hugs Aegon a little closer, the boy silently sobbing on her neck.

“You guys didn’t need to be here, but thank you.” She tells her friends.

“You’re insane if you thought that we'd leave you and Alicent go through this alone! Come on.” Laena says, motioning for her to sit beside them on the long hallway bench.

“We’d have arrived sooner if Laenor hadn’t stopped at the toy store to buy every single cute dragon.” Mysaria tells her and slaps Laenor’s arm.

“You being late is probably what saved us.” Rhaenyra says while helping Aegon open a package with a bunch of plastic dragons. And Rhaenys explains to them what Corlys had done just minutes before they arrived.

“Dad is one sneaky motherfucker, that's for sure.” Laenor says, smirking.

“LANGUAGE!” They all yell at Laenor, making Aegon giggle a little bit.

After that, they all get quiet. Rhaenyra tries to listen for any sound inside the courtroom, but the doors block it all out. Aegon goes from playing with his new toys to asking about when Alicent is coming back to crying every five minutes. She hugs him every time, and at this point she doesn’t even know if she is trying to calm him or herself.

“Rhaenyra.” Rhaenys lightly touches her arm. “Whatever happens later, I just want you to know that I’m proud of you for standing up for them, okay?”

She knows that if she tries to speak, she will break down, and she doesn’t want to do that in front of Aegon, so she nods and squeezes Rhaenys' hand.

Time doesn’t pass; she swears hours have gone by, but when she looks at the watch, it’s been only half an hour. Corlys said these things can take more than one hour. She can’t survive another minute of the waiting, another minute of not knowing what is happening, let alone an hour. And suddenly she can't breathe.

Is Alicent okay? Is she picking her nails? Is she crying? Did Otto have anything else on them? Is he hurting Alicent even further? What did he even do to Aegon last time? Did they miss an important detail that can fuck them over? Is there anything else she could have done to help Alicent? She should’ve stayed away, right? Can they really win at this point? Will Alicent finally realize it’s all her fault? Will Aegon hate her for the rest of his life? Will he even remember her? How could she keep going after this?

She doesn’t realize she is almost having a panic attack until Aegon is in front of her holding his favorite dragon. “Hug Sunfyre! He will make you feel okay!”

She probably looks worse than she feels for Aegon to notice she isn’t well. She blinks several times at the boy, trying to get rid of the spots in her vision, and she can faintly hear her friends asking if she is okay, but nothing gets past the ringing in her ears. It takes all her strength to pick the dragon and muster a small smile for Aegon. “T-thanks, buddy.”

Mysaria brings her a glass of water, and Laena distracts her by telling the latest adventures of her children. And it helps, if only for a moment. Her breathing starts coming easier, and her hands stop shaking. Aegon comes back for his dragon and sits on her lap, playing with her rings and tracing the scar on her left arm with his little fingers.

One hour goes by; the hearing should end at any minute now. Their future is being decided on the other side of the wall, and all she can do is stare at the doors, willing them to open.

She closes her eyes, trying to control her breathing after another twenty minutes go by without the doors moving. Suddenly, she feels Aegon squirming to get away from her arms.

“MOMMY!” He screams so loudly that his voice echoes in the long hallway.

Rhaenyra’s eyes shoot open, and the first thing she sees is Alicent crying and kneeling down to hug Aegon. She has no idea if it’s a good or bad cry until she sees Corlys exiting the room with a smug smile on his face. They fucking did it.

“Alicent! Alicent, what happened?” She runs in her direction, embracing both Alicent and Aegon.

“It's over! I got full custody!” She answers her, between sobs and kisses to Aegon’s head.

She helps Alicent to the long bench, just to sit for a bit and catch their breaths before they can leave this place for good. 

“Otto tried to paint Alicent as a bad mother and Rhaenyra as a bad influence in their lives, but he never really stood a chance. All he got today was a restraining order.” Corlys explains, standing tall in front of them.

“Restraining order? How?” Rhaenyra asks, looking between Corlys and Alicent.

Corlys clears his throat. “In simple terms, Judge Strong was already worried about what he saw here in the hallway, so when Otto started to raise his voice to Alicent and called both of you all kinds of names, he had no other choice.”

“Otto can’t get near them now?” Laenor asks, clarifying what his father is saying.

“He can try, but he will end up in jail!” Corlys replies with a smirk.

Rhaenyra almost wants him to try it, just for once. The vision of Otto rotting in a cell is too good to be true. 

They got so much more than what they bargained for, she can’t help but laugh and kiss Alicent, earning another ew from Aegon and whistles from her friends. They will give her hell now that they’re free to do it.

They’re both blushing when they let go of each other. Rhaenyra grabs Alicent’s hand and cleans the fresh blood off her nails, placing a gentle kiss on top of her fingers. “Let’s go home, baby.”

She feels on top of the world as she walks away to the parking lot holding Alicent’s hand, with Aegon running ahead of them holding all his new toys, and her friends laughing and joking around.

“What is he doing there?” The anger in Alicent’s voice snaps Rhaenyra out of her momentary happiness.

Before she can ask what is happening, she notices Alicent looking ahead, terrified. She follows her line of vision, and her heart stops. The conversation behind them instantly dies.

Otto.

Standing right in front of her car.

Everything happens so fast. But for Rhaenyra, it is almost in slow motion.

Aegon notices his grandfather standing before him and turns to run to Alicent, who’s already yelling for him to get away. In his rush to run as fast as possible, he steps on his shoelace and falls on his knees, Sunfyre rolling away from his hands in Otto’s direction. Aegon immediately starts crying when Otto picks it up.

And Rhaenyra sees red.

Some part of her knows she should make sure Aegon is okay first, but she can’t focus on anything else except Otto.

The things he must have said to Alicent in that courtroom.

Aegon’s loud cries.

The way he is holding the thing that Aegon loves the most in the world.

And telling the boy to go get it or he will rip it apart.

It's all too much for her. She runs without realizing that her legs are moving, her breathing is hard, and her hand is opening and closing in a fist. 

Otto doesn’t even notice her approach; he's too busy being a pathetic loser and terrifying a child. But when he feels her getting closer, it’s already too late.

Her fist hits him square on the jaw; he yells out in pain — music to her ears — and drops Sunfyre in a weak attempt to defend himself.

Rhaenyra is ready to throw another punch — maybe hit him in the middle of his face —  when she feels arms grabbing her, pulling her away. Corlys’ booming voice in her ear telling her to stand down. Rhaenys is holding her arm back. Her friends are cheering her up for another punch.

“Sir, I suggest you leave before I call the police.” Corlys says, struggling to keep holding her.

“And I suggest you leave before we let her loose again.” Rhaenys threatens.

And Otto finally starts running away, blood dripping from his mouth, creating a trail to his car. Tires squealing as he drives off.

And only then, Corlys and Rhaenys let her go.

“THAT WAS SO COOL!” Aegon yells, earning a laugh from her friends and an exasperated sigh from Alicent. He dusts off his scraped knees and runs to pick Sunfyre from the ground.

Leave it to Aegon to find everything so cool . It’s almost a deja vu of that first practice.

“Alicent, I -  I didn’t mean to.” Rhaenyra looks at her own knuckles. “I saw Aegon falling and I… I stopped thinking… I just wanted Otto gone! I’m so s…”

“Hey! Slow down!” Alicent is in front of her, cupping her cheek to try and get her attention back. “He had it coming for a long time.”

“I know, but I didn’t even help Aegon! I should’ve stopped for him instead of running straight to Otto!” Rhaenyra tries to explain.

“Aegon is fine, don’t worry! It’s not his first or last scraped knee, and you helped his stuffed dragon, which for him is far more important.” She chuckles, and they look at Aegon, who is sitting on the ground, making sure that his dragon is okay.

“And I have to admit that it was good to see my father afraid for the first time in his life.” Alicent continues, grinning. Rhaenyra laughs back at her, holding her hand.

“Come on, Alicent, you can admit it was fucking hot too!” Mysaria teases them as she walks to Laenor’s car with her friends.

Gods, her friends will never let her live this down.

They start walking to Rhaenyra’s car, Aegon following close behind. Alicent hugs her waist and leans her head into her shoulder. “It was fucking hot, honey.” She whispers in her ear.

Oh, fuck.

She stops in her tracks, while Alicent barks out a laugh and pulls her arm to get her moving again.

Evil. She is evil for doing this in the middle of a parking lot when Rhaenyra only has a couple hours before her flight. And they have to get lunch with her friends and family.

The sun is finally breaking through the clouds when pulls Alicent into her arms and kisses her. Savoring the taste of Alicent’s lips, the warmth of her breath and the possibility of an entire life together.

Chapter Text

“ Rhaenyra, why is there a limousine outside my apartment?” Alicent says before Rhaenyra even has the chance to greet her on a video call.

She smirks, knowing Alicent would be exasperated when she saw what she planned for the game weekend. “That’s step one!”

“ Of what?”

If looks could kill, Rhaenyra would be dead right now. But fortunately for her, she can laugh about it when Alicent is still 400 miles away from her. “Of my plan to be your favorite player, baby.”

“Rhaenyra, getting a limo to get to an airport isn’t a plan!”

“Well, as I said, the limo is only step one!” She balances her phone on the nightstand while she looks for her training gear around the team’s hotel room. “You have to get inside to find out part two; isn’t it fun?”

“Ugh, you’re impossible!” Alicent sighs at her. “I’m only accepting the ride because my Uber just canceled and we can’t be late.” 

“Mission accomplished then!” She winks at Alicent while Coach Harwin yells at her from the hallway to hurry up to catch the team’s bus. “Gotta go now! But I’m sure you’ll be calling soon.”

Alicent frowns, suspicious of her, but she only grins back as she ends the call before Harwin kicks her door down.

It’s Saturday and they have a little over 24 hours to the game. Their day is filled with a morning practice and press conferences in the afternoon.

After the hearing on Thursday, her friends and family took Alicent for a celebration lunch. They were all drained from the morning’s tension and fear, but the lunch was a fun affair.

Conversation flowed easily while they all got to know Alicent a little better and her friends recounted Rhaenyra’s wildest adventures from her youth—or rather, from a month ago. Rhaenyra didn’t stop blushing for a single second.

They didn’t even notice that time was passing by fast until Rhaenyra, Laena, and Mysaria got calls from the team asking why they weren’t at the airport yet. Rhaenyra cursed the bad timing of this trip. She didn’t even get one moment alone with Alicent the entire day, and they’d only be seeing each other on Saturday since Alicent couldn’t skip work.

Alicent had kissed her goodbye and thanked her for all the help. For the first time ever, they were shedding happy tears. Rhaenyra still made sure to wipe all of them, and Alicent kissed her slightly bruised knuckles before they let go.

Aegon begged to go with her and the team. He just couldn’t wait two more days to see Rhaenyra again, and he was devastated she’d have to miss practice. He only settled down after she promised to call him as many times as she could. He was calling her from Laenor’s phone before she even made it to the airport to tell her he was missing her.

And she had lied to Alicent twice.

First by telling her that the team gave away a few plane tickets for friends and family, so she was sending those to her and Aegon. In reality, she had bought cheap tickets to distract Alicent from the fact that she got her a private jet.

And second, by telling her that they’d be staying in the team hotel. That was partly true; Rhaenyra had to stay with the team until the game on Sunday evening, but she had booked the Royal Suite — complete with a living room, two bedrooms, and a balcony with an infinity pool — at The Red Keep Hotel for Alicent. She’d hoped they could finally get some alone time after the game.

She knew Alicent was going to be fuming at her, but it had to be done. After everything she had been through, she deserved only the best life could offer and Rhaenyra would make sure she got it.

“ A FUCKING PRIVATE PLANE?” Alicent's shout can be heard through her phone's speakers as soon as she picks it up, making her teammates laugh at her. She moves back to the empty locker room as they all run up to the pitch. They will survive five minutes without her.

“I see you’ve reached step two!” Rhaenyra answers with a smirk in her voice.

“This isn't funny, Rhaenyra! There’s no reason to do all this!” 

“I think being my favorite person’s favorite player is reason enough.” Rhaenyra says in a serious voice.

“Favorite person…” Alicent’s tone is soft now, and Rhaenyra can feel her resolve melting away. “You don’t mean that…”

“I do! I swear I do.” She sighs, so close to saying that she has been falling in love since the first time they met. “Of course I’m talking about Aegon; he’s getting way too comfortable with Mysaria and Laena! I feared he might abandon me, so I had to act fast! And, you know, he can’t travel alone, so you have to go along with him.” She jokes instead.

“Gods, you’re insufferable! Now go; I know you’re missing practice!” Alicent almost pulls the mom-voice on her.

“I’d tell you to text me when you land, but I know I’ll be getting another call like this.” Rhaenyra giggles.

“Rhaenyra, what else have you —“

“Step three, baby, step three! And have a safe flight! Gotta go, bye!” Rhaneyra interrupts her and hangs up before Alicent can freak out more with her.

It’s a light practice. No one wants to risk an unnecessary injury today, but they still need to run some last-minute changes on a few plays.

Rhaenyra finds out that she is enjoying the game again. The weight has been lifted from her back, and she feels light again, speeding through the pitch, teasing her slower teammates. Honestly, she hasn't had this much fun in months.

After a team lunch with everyone from watergirls to the team's owners, Rhaenyra is whisked away to a press conference.

She barely has time to switch her training jersey to a Dragonstone polo shirt before she is put in front of a sea of reporters.

And again, for the first time in months, she is happy to be there — even though she knows some questions will get on her nerves later. She is happy to share a little bit of insight with fans watching at home and laugh at their social media comments later.

Halfway through it, her phone buzzes in her pocket with a series of texts. She waits until Harwin is giving a long answer to a kind reporter and peeks at her phone.

THE ROYAL SUITE?? ARE YOU INSANE?? WHAT HAPPENED TO THE TEAM’S HOTEL?

THE ROOM IS BIGGER THAN MY ENTIRE BUILDING, RHAENYRA, THIS IS INSANITY!!

She chuckles at Alicent’s attempt to be mad at her. She tries to type her answer while making a poor attempt to hide her phone under the long table in front of her. Before she can do anything, another text comes in.

You’re blushing

What? How does she know?

She frantically looks around, trying to find Alicent in the press room. She must look ridiculous.

Stop looking around! You’re live on every TV in this country, your idiot

Oh, right.

For a second, she forgot that there’s a bunch of cameras recording her every movement. She blushes even harder knowing Alicent has a front seat — along with the rest of the country — to her smiling like a fool at her phone.

She winks at the nearest camera. And doesn’t even bother to hide her phone anymore.

So you’re lying down in bed all by yourself in this big room and watching me…

Harwin finishes his answer, and a reporter yells his question at her from the back of the room. “So, Rhaenyra, will we be seeing the mysterious redhead cheering you up again?”

She knew it was coming, though. Harwin and her have been answering questions about strategies and their adversary for too long. She knows those answers won’t generate as many clicks as her personal life, especially when no one could find anything about Alicent since the last game.

“Well, if she’s in town, then she is welcome to attend! She gave us good luck last time!” The best neutral answer she can give right now, but she looks straight at the camera. Straight at Alicent.

“ Who is she?” “Can you tell us her name?” “Are you two dating?” A cacophony of questions erupts as soon as they realize she isn’t saying anything more. She smirks as she watches them fighting for any crumb of an answer she can give.

“You guys know we have to keep secrets before a game.” She winks at them, but making sure that's her final comment on the topic.

Her answer only makes them yell more questions at her, but Laenor and some other PR assistants wrap things up before it can go any further. And she and Harwin are free to go. Finally.

Rhaenyra had a couple hours of free time before the 8 p.m. curfew that the team imposed. It was a rule she broke many times for parties or simply hanging out with her friends in some town or another. But today she wished to break it for Alicent.

They planned to go sightseeing around Alicent’s hotel. Between the trip and being stuck in the room, Aegon was driving Alicent mad. They had to tire him out so he could sleep until tomorrow.

Rhaenyra meets them at the hotel lobby, a cap low on her head and sunglasses on; she doesn't want people recognizing her and taking photos of Alicent and Aegon. They share a quick kiss when no one seems to be paying attention to them and while Aegon tries to climb on her back for a piggyback ride.

“I’m mad at you!” Alicent says, trying to hide a smile, when they separate from the kiss. “You lied about the tickets and the hotel!

“You wouldn't accept it otherwise!! It was just a white lie to get the best for you, milady.” Rhaenyra holds her hand and kisses her knuckles lightly. “Please forgive me.”

Aegon, now fully hugged to her neck like a koala, hums in agreement at his mom. “You said the plane was nice, mommy!”

“Oh? Really?” Rhaenyra grins and raises her eyebrows at Alicent, who looks like Aegon just committed the ultimate betrayal.

“Okay, fine! It was nice! But it was the pool that convinced me, not the plane, alright?” Alicent says, not even trying to hide her smile now. “Now let's go!”

After walking around for a while, following some street signs, they end up on some old ruins. It’s almost night, so the place is not crowded, but a few tourists linger around taking pictures in the dying sunset light. Rhaenyra tries to avoid them, only to turn around and see Alicent holding a film camera and taking pictures of her still carrying Aegon.

A plaque besides huge locked bronze doors explains they are standing on the collapsed dome of the Dragonpit. According to historians, the place was once filled with dragons, but they perished during the riot that collapsed the structure.

Aegon jumps from her back when she and Alicent explain where they are. He runs around the place showing everything to Sunfyre, balancing the stuffed dragon on every dirty surface and asking them to take photos. It’s adorable, really. Rhaenyra fears she will run out of storage on her phone by the end of their little adventure.

“How are you doing?” Rhaenyra finally has time and space to question Alicent while Aegon is playing, and they sit on a bench watching him.

“Good, I think.” Alicent sighs. “I know I’m supposed to feel great, but I… I don’t know.” She points at Aegon, who is swinging his arms like he is a dragon. “I’m happy to see him happy and being himself again, so there’s that.”

“Alicent, you’re not supposed to feel anything other than what you are feeling.” Rhaenyra cleans her throat and holds Alicent’s hand. “You can be happy for him, but still have a hard time trying to sort out your own emotions about everything you went through.”

Alicent looks at her with a frown. “When did you become so wise?” She chuckles a bit without humor.

It’s a rhetorical question; Rhaenyra knows this. Everyone in her life makes the same face at her when she says something serious out of the blue. It’s kind of funny, honestly. But after a few minutes of tense silence, with Alicent clearly trying to avoid the conversation, she decides to actually answer it.

“Hum… Of course it’s not the same situation, but well… Remember that knee surgery I told you about?” She waits for Alicent to nod before continuing.

“It was a really bad injury; in the best-case scenario, I’d be in pain for the rest of my life and would only be able to walk short distances. So when I decided to risk everything for a small chance that a big surgery would fix it and I got back to the pitch after working my ass off in PT, everyone kept assuming I was thrilled to play again — and I was — but I wasn't feeling as great as they said I was supposed to. There was this… fear, you know…” She pauses for a second, looking for the right words.

“That you were so close to losing everything and your mind is still stuck in that awful place and you fear you might never move on?” Alicent continues her thoughts, whispering.

“Yes, that.” Rhaenyra agrees, glad that Alicent finished it for her. “The good news is you just need some time to get used to not having everything try to slip through your fingers all the time. For me, it was almost a year, and it only really clicked on that photo you saw.” She cups Alicent’s cheeks and looks into those big brown eyes she fell in love with the first time she saw them. “And for you, it will take as long as you need, but I will be here for every second of it, okay?”

Alicent covers her hands with her own and nods. Rhaenyra wipes off a single rogue tear before Alicent is kissing her.

“Thank you for being you.” Alicent whispers to her while their foreheads touch after they let go of each other's lips.

They walk back to The Red Keep after it gets darker, holding hands the entire time. Aegon runs ahead of them, pointing out every cool thing he sees — which is everything.

Now that she doesn’t have sunglasses covering half her face, a few people look at her for a little too long, trying to decide if The Rhaenyra Targaryen would be walking some random street the night before a game. A couple of them even approach her to say hi and ask for a photo. She doesn’t mind since it doesn’t seem to bother Alicent and Aegon, and she is glad this side of her life is not a problem for them.

Unfortunately, Alicent doesn’t let her miss curfew, using her best mom-voice to make her call a cab to her own hotel. Even Coach Harwin is surprised when she walks through the doors on time.

“She’s a family guy, now! Always on time for work after kissing the wife and kid goodbye!” Mysaria and Laena tease her during the entire dinner with the team. She laughs along with them, knowing it’s the happiest she has even been and that they’re all proud of her.

The King’s Stadium is a wonder of glass and steel sitting in the middle of the city. The modern structure has capacity for 100k fans and it is the largest stadium in Westeros. Today it is completely sold out — half the fans wearing Casterly Lions colors and the other half wearing Dragonstone colors. The team bus is surrounded by fans with huge flags and fireworks. She couldn't be more hyped to play today.

The locker room is totally chaotic; loud music flows from at least three different speakers while they all get changed into their black uniforms. Mysaria pulls Laena and Rhaenyra to record some new TikTok dances that she will post if they win. They spend at least ten minutes trying to get the choreography right, just for Mysaria to realize they should try to do it again, but shirtless this time, so she can get more likes.

Coach Harwin gives his usual pep talk, this time a little more emotional since it's a final and they all start to go out into the tunnel.

She only notices Alicent texted her when she goes to put her phone in her duffel bag.

We’re here!

Better yet, I’m here! Laenor took Aegon somewhere for a surprise?? 

Anyway, good luck!! I know you can do this <3

She sends a couple heart emojis back and doesn't bother to explain where Aegon is. Alicent will find out soon enough.

She’s the last one to arrive at the tunnel, greeting everyone on her way to the front of the line, where Aegon is jumping up and down waiting for her. She kneels down and gives him a hug.

She practically begged Laenor yesterday to get Aegon on the mascot list, which wasn’t hard because most of the kids come from football programs just like him, but it was so last minute she couldn’t do it by herself.

The referee in front of her tells them to get ready to go out, and she fixes Aegon’s uniform and holds his hand.

“It’s gonna be really loud outside, buddy. But you’re safe with me, okay?” She tells him.

He nods and puts his best game face on. Adorable.

The noise is deafening; she feels Aegon holding tight to her hand, and she smiles at him while they walk to the center of the stadium.

She knows Alicent is sitting with her friends and family on the first row — her dad would never accept to sit in a fancy box when he could be close to the action. She finds them as soon as they stand on the midfield for the anthems.

Her uncle, her dad, Laena’s children, Corlys and Rhaenys, sit side by side with Alicent, with an empty seat for Aegon in the middle of them. All of them wearing Dragonstone FC jerseys with Rhaenyra or Laena’s numbers. Except for Alicent, who still wears her simple black Dragonstone t-shirt.

She taps Aegon’s shoulder and points in Alicent’s direction; he smiles and starts waving at her. Alicent is quick to get her camera and snap a photo of them.

After the kids all run out of the pitch, Rhaenyra catches Alicent’s eyes and points at her own jersey. Alicent understands the question without her even needing to ask. With a teasing smile on her face, Alicent just shrugs her shoulders and winks at her.

Oh, it’s so on.

The referee blows the whistle to start the game, and everything else disappears from Rhaenyra’s mind. It’s just her and the ball, just like when she was a kid playing in her backyard.

A few minutes in, she nutmegs a Lions’ midfielder — earning cheers from half the stadium — and finds a great pass that leaves Laena face to face with the goalkeeper. She shoots and hits the crossbar. Gods be damned.

“It’s fine! We will get it next time!” She yells at Leana, who looks in disbelief that she missed the chance.

The missed goal feels like a bad omen for the rest of the first half. Casterly Lions start putting pressure on them, getting two good chances that are miraculously saved by their goalkeeper. Both teams are committing fouls left and right, and it’s a matter of time before someone gets a card.

They’re losing control of the game fast.

It’s Rhaenyra’s job as captain to keep their players focused on the game and not on petty fights with the adversary. But when a Lions’ defender tackles Mysaria inside the box and the referee signals that it wasn’t a penalty, Rhaenyra has no other choice but to fight for her team.

“WHAT THE FUCK WAS THAT?” She’s yelling as she approaches the referee. “SHE WENT FOR HER LEG!”

“Watch your tone, Targaryen!” The man holds an arm out to keep her at a distance. “I was close to them and didn’t see any danger on the play.”

“Well, you must be blind then!” She knows she went too far as the referee threatens to reach for the yellow card in his pocket. “Okay, my bad! Can you please check the video?”

“VAR checked, and they agreed with my decision.” He says, still holding the card in his pocket. “And let this be your warning to stop complaining.” He keeps the card in his pocket and walks away to resume the game.

FUCKING ASSHOLE.

Mysaria is limping a little, but gives Rhaenyra a thumbs up. At least they didn’t lose her to an injury.

Rhaenyra misses another great chance from an outside the box kick just as the first half is about to end. The ball passing an inch away from the post.

What a horrible 45 minutes. She looks at Alicent on her way to the locker room and can see she is just as stressed as anyone on the pitch. Alicent gives her an encouraging smile and two thumbs up; she thanks her before vanishing into the tunnel.

If anything, at least Alicent is turning into a true football fan – constantly stressed out.

Halftime allows them to breathe and calm down a bit. Coach Harwin agrees that they were robbed of a penalty, but they need to let it go in order to focus on the next 45 minutes — with the possibility of overtime and a penalty shootout.

Rhaenyra holds a pack of ice to the back of her neck, the cold sensation grounding her again. They won't get anywhere if she lets her temper win. She gets everyone into a huddle before they leave for the pitch again.

She can feel the energy is different in the second half when they get three good chances, not even five minutes in. Their passes are flowing better, and they’re evading defenses with ease; it's just a matter of time until they get a goal.

And it happens at the 16th minute.

Laena leaves a midfielder on her ass after an insane play and finds Rhaenyra right inside the box with only one defender on her. She easily loses the defender and shoots with her left foot, making the goalkeeper stretch all the way,but still letting the ball sail through her hands.

Rhaenyra runs to celebrate with Laena as Dragonstone’s side of the stadium erupts in cheers and chants with her and Laena’s names.

She glances at Alicent, who is jumping up and down holding Aegon’s hand. She gets as close as she can to the stands after the celebration, points at herself, and mouths, “Favorite player?”. Alicent laughs and shakes her head no, mischief written in her eyes. Their little interaction was caught by the sideline cameraman for all to see on the big screen, earning her even more cheers.

The game restarts with the Lions pressing for a fast goal to leave it all equal again. They get close to the box once or twice, but since Dragonstone is entirely on defense mode, they get easily blocked away.

However, with only ten minutes left, the Lions get a free-kick — unfair in Rhaenyra’s opinion, but the referee shuts her down again when she complains — the box is chaos with every player fighting for space. The ball flies past their goalkeeper's hands after ricocheting on at least three players.

Rhaenyra doesn't even know who actually scored, but now it’s a draw.

The cheers from Lions fans are almost deafening, and they weigh on Rhaenyra’s shoulders. They were so close, but that fucking ref...

The last few minutes are filled with tension as neither team wants to risk getting scored on; right now their best bet is to play safe and end the game in overtime. Rhaenyra’s mind is already on making sure they all stay safe and rested to play thirty more minutes.

The entire team is mad at the referee. Rhaenyra wants to march up to the man and demand he watch every video from each play where he made a mistake that could cost them the win. But she knows that letting her nerves get the best of her won't do any good.

She and Harwin put their own complaints aside in order to calm down the rest of the team; they just need to keep focusing on what they had practiced. “Come on guys, this isn't our first overtime; all of us know what to do; we just need to keep our heads clear, alright? WE FUCKING GOT THIS!”

They all high-five each other as they take the pitch again. The tension from the end of the game dissipates after the first few minutes, both teams trying to get an early score and taking every chance they get.

It’s the Lions that get lucky right at the end of the first half. Rhaenyra is on the ground after a tackle — she lost count how many times they aimed for the ankles today — the Lions midfielder shoots from outside the box, the ball sailing past the goalkeeper's hands.

Half the stadium erupts in cheers, and right now it’s the worst sound in the world for her. She lays on the ground, catching her breath, while the other team celebrates around her and the referee signals for the end of the first half.

Fifteen more minutes is all they have to secure a draw and send the game to a penalty shootout. And right now, it seems impossible. They’re all tired; all the energy they had seems to be gone, and Rhaenyra is sure that the referee will fuck them once more.

She risks a quick glance at her family. Her uncle has a disappointed look on his face, her dad and Corlys seem to be talking about the game as they point to the pitch and gesture with their hands, Rhaenys is off somewhere with Laena’s children. Rhaenyra almost dreads to look at Alicent; if she sees the slight hint of disappointment in her eyes, it might break what little is left of her determination.

So she is surprised when she looks at her and sees Alicent smiling. She is holding Aegon’s hand, who seems worried, but breaks into a wide grin when he notices Rhaenyra looking their way.

He and Alicent wave at her; he is yelling something she cannot understand, but she approaches the stands and at least catches what Alicent is saying. “You stopped trying to be my favorite player?” She raises an eyebrow as Rhaenyra gives her a small nod.

And she can’t believe this dumb inside joke is what gets life back in her eyes, and she runs back to the pitch after the water break. “COME ON, GUYS! WE’VE COME BACK FROM WORSE BEFORE!” She tries to cheer her team up.

It partially works; a mix of energy and anxiety helps them get some good plays going, but they all get stopped by the Lions defense. And as each minute passes without them scoring, the little hope and burst of energy they had is almost entirely gone. 

With one minute left, the Lions get a corner kick and waste as much time as possible to get their play ready. It’s a bad shot, the ball being headed away from the goal by a Dragonstone defender and landing right on Rhaenyra’s feet. She looks forward and sees an open path to the goal, it’s their final chance.

And she runs.

Her thighs burn and her ankles threaten to give up underneath her, but she doesn’t stop until she has outrun every single Lions’ player and she is face to face with their goalkeeper. She feints to the left and shoots.

Goal.

Her lungs struggle to catch her breath after the sprint across the pitch, but she doesn't care. She runs even faster to meet her teammates and hug them. She has no idea how they end on the ground, but she is laughing and crying at the same time, without any idea of what they’re saying to her because the noise from the fans is louder than anything she has ever heard.

They get up, and she wants to run to Alicent so badly, but the referee is demanding they go back into position so he can properly end overtime and start preparing for the shootout. Now, it’s the Lions that seem to be lacking energy to keep going.

She locks eyes with Alicent as she gets a little closer to the stands, wide smiles on both of their faces.

“Impressive!” Alicent yells and points at the big screen showing “R. TARGARYEN” besides both Dragonstone goals. 

Rhaenyra winks at her and takes a bow. Alicent laughs and wishes her good luck.

Aegon fully joined the men, and now they all try to get her attention and point to which side she must choose for her penalty. All of the yelling instructions and observations about the Lions goalkeeper. It’s driving her insane, but she shoots them a thumbs up and a quick thanks.

Coach Harwin puts together the list for the shootout, starting with Mysaria and ending with Rhaenyra. More often than not, she ends up with the game winner, and she likes it that way. 

The coin toss decides that the Lions get the first shot. Their strikes has no problems scoring in a strong shot that leaves the Dragonstone goalkeeper without options.

One side boos Mysaria as she walks to the box, and the other yells her name as if they can help her score. With a short run, she sends the ball to the back of the net while the goalkeeper dives to the opposite side.

1-1

The Dragonstone goalkeeper touches the ball, but not enough to save it.

2-2

One powerful kick for each side. No chance of defense.

3-3

Going into the fourth penalty, the tension inside the stadium is a palpable, living thing that sucks the air out of everyone's lungs. The Lions defender has no trouble scoring after taking five big steps. And then it’s Laena’s turn, who walks confidently to the box. Rhaenyra forces herself to look, she always thought it’s more nerve-wracking to watch her friends than taking the PK herself. But Laena has no issue in tricking the goalkeeper into jumping right while she lightly taps the ball to the left side.

4-4

A cocky Lions striker asks for the Lions fans to be louder as she walks to the penalty mark. Rhaenyra sees it almost in slow motion as she delivers a powerful kick that goes a bit too much to the left and hits the goalpost.

Rhaenyra barely has time to celebrate before she walks to the penalty mark, fully concentrated on the task ahead. If she scores, they win; if she misses, they go to a sudden-death round. Her ears are ringing so much that she can barely hear the fans both booing and cheering on her. Strong and high , it’s the advice that her father drilled into her head ever since she started playing, and it’s what she repeats as a mantra while she takes three steps back.

One look to the goalkeeper, who looks absolutely terrified.

A deep breath.

Eyes on the top left corner as she runs and shoots the ball exactly where she wanted with such a powerful kick that the goalkeeper doesn't even move from her spot in the center of the goal.

4-5. They won. They’re Westeros champions.

She runs to her teammates, taking off her jersey and spinning it in the air. Laena reaches her first, jumping on her back as Mysaria hugs them both. Soon they’re being toppled over by all their teammates joining the celebration.

“WE FUCKING DID IT!” someone screams, and they all echo their words between laughter and tears.

When Rhaenyra finally manages to crawl out and get up, she runs straight to Alicent.She is the only person she wants to share her happiness with right now. She jumps over the low wall in front of the stands – her exhaustion from playing for more than two hours completely forgotten – and climbs to Alicent´s seat, enveloping her in a sweaty hug, jersey thrown over her shoulder.

“Did it work? You have a favorite player now?” She whispers in Alicent’s ear, earning a chuckle from her.

Pulling away from the hug, Alicent puts both of her hands on Rhaenyra’s cheeks, wiping away a little bit of the sweat and tears before brushing her thumb against her lips and kissing her.

Time stops.

Alicent is kissing her in front of 100k people plus the millions watching at home. She is so shocked that it takes her a second to reach for Alicent’s waist and pull her closer. She can feel Alicent’s smiling against her lips before they part ways to breathe.

“Is that a yes?” Rhaenyra asks, a smug smile crossing her face.

Alicent nods and reaches for her shoulder. “I just need her jersey now.”

Rhaenyra is pretty sure the entire country can see her blushing when Alicent’s fingers touch her bare skin.

“It’s… huh, sweaty and well, dirty... I can, huh, get you a new one?” How the fuck she managed to win a championship and still be the most pathetic person in the world right now?

“This one is just fine, honey!” Alicent whispers in her ear while they hug one more time.

She’s going to fucking collapse on national television.

Her family congratulates her when she finally lets go of Alicent and gets herself together. Rhaenys reminds her of how proud she is while Corly gives a few taps on her shoulder. Daemon gives her a quick hug, mumbling something about how dramatic the game was.

Her dad hugs her in the same way he has since her first game – winning or losing – he always hugs her like she safe is everything that matters. “I told you what happened would be good for you!” He glances at Alicent helping Aegon take photos on her phone and smiles at them. Rhaenyra still has no idea how he could’ve predicted this , but she thanks him anyway.

And soon, Aegon is jumping on her back and yelling straight into her ear. “WE WON! RHAENYRA, WE DID IT! IT WAS SO COOL!”

“YES! WE DID IT!” She yells back, making him laugh.

“Can I go to the pitch with you now? Pretty pretty, please?” Big puppy eyes stare at her. As if she’d ever say no to him again.

“AEGON! I told you to behave!” Alicent’s firm mom-voice interrupts their little conversation.

Rhaenyra laughs at the oops-I’m-in-trouble face he makes. “It’s okay, Alicent! I’d bring him down anyway.” She tells her and kneels to get on eye level with him. “Buddy, you just gotta wait until after the awards ceremony, okay?”

He gives her an eager nod, but his shoulders slump a bit. She points at the stage already being assembled. “Look, it’s almost time! I’ll go get a shiny medal, and then I’ll come back for you, I promise!”

He nods and gives her a hug before she jumps the low wall to the pitch again.

The stage is a blue platform with some stairs built on the side. A golden trophy stands on a column in front of a “WINNERS” panel. 

Someone hands her a shirt when she joins the team in the back of the line beside the stage. Laena and Mysaria endlessly tease her by showing all the memes the internet is already providing while the bronze and silver medals are being handed to the other teams.

Soon it’s her turn to climb the little stairs and shake hands with the Football Federation’s president while he puts a golden medal on her neck. She stops for a couple pictures before getting the trophy and running to her team so they can lift it together. Fireworks go off around the stadium, and a rain of confetti falls around them.

Rhaenyra has lifted many trophies throughout her career, and every one of them has been special in its own way. But this time it feels different; it feels like she has more to celebrate than just a championship. The photographers make them take a million pictures, the trophy getting passed around so much that by the time Rhaenyra runs back to the stands, she has lost track of it.

“Stay still!” Alicent asks her when she approaches her.

She is holding her film camera, and Rhaenyra gives her a big smile and shows off her medal for the photo. Alicent gives her a thumbs up so she can move again.

Aegon is already jumping up and down, waiting for her to keep her promise. She helps him over the low wall into the pitch, and he immediately reaches to see her medal. Wasting no time, she takes it off and hangs it around his neck.

“THAT'S SO COOL! LOOK MOMMY!” He holds the medal like it's the most precious thing ever and shows it off to Alicent, who already has her camera in her hands.

Aegon grabs her hands and drags her to the pitch, following Laena’s girls. Rhaenyra finds a ball for them to play, and she can’t say no to three pairs of puppy eyes staring at her and asking if she can play with them.

They play while the stadium empties out. Rhaenyra stops a few times to greet fans that manage to get close to the pitch. Her teammates celebrate around them and oftentimes join their little game to help the kids beat her. Alicent sits closer to them, cheering on Aegon every time Rhaenyra lets him score.

“Alicent!” Rhaenyra approaches her when her teammates start to leave the pitch. “We always celebrate in the locker room, so I have to go with them now. But I can meet you at your hotel in a bit, maybe?”

Please say yes.

“Sounds good, honey!” Alicent says with a quick peck on her lips. “Now go have fun, you deserve it!” She pushes her away a bit.

Rhaenyra says goodbye to Aegon and lets him keep her medal, which almost brings him to tears. And with another quick kiss on Alicent, she is running to catch up with Laena, who just left her girls with Rhaenys.

If the locker room was chaotic before the game, now it is completely wild. Loud music plays from a big speaker set up in a corner, and champagne bottles are laid out on every available surface. Rhaenyra grabs one and opens it with a loud pop, champagne dripping on her hand.

“Say hi to the world!” Mysaria yells at her over the music and points her phone at her. “We’re live on TikTok! And they loved seeing you open that bottle!”

By the gods.

She says hi and chugs a third of the bottle. Earning a thumbs up from Mysaria before she points the phone at Laena.

They’re only allowed to stay there for an hour, but Rhaenyra makes the most out of the short time. She sings and dances with her friends and takes a million pictures with the trophy and the funny props that someone got for them.

At some point she finds herself wearing goggles and wrapped in a Dragonstone pride flag while pouring champagne into the trophy and attempting to drink it — but only managing to spill it all over herself. She knows a video of this will end up on the internet, and she thanks the Seven Heavens that Alicent doesn’t have social media.

Coach Harwin gives a speech before the party wraps, thanking them for the amazing season and saying that he expects to see everyone back after vacations. They still have a gala and a ticker tape parade to attend when they get back to Dragonstone during the week, but today is really the end of the season for them.

Rhaenyra doesn't even bother to get back to the hotel where the team is staying until tomorrow, instead, she heads straight to The Red Keep. She can’t wait to finally take a shower to get rid of the sticky feeling of sweat and champagne on her skin and finally spend some time with Alicent.

“Babe!” she yells as soon as she opens the door to the Royal Suite, but Alicent doesn't reply. 

The living room is quiet, but she can hear some children’s cartoon songs coming from Aegon’s room. She heads to the master bedroom and knocks on the door a couple times.

“Come in!” Alicent finally replies to her.

She opens the door and stops in her tracks. Alicent is sitting in a big bed, back against the headboard. Her hair loosely falling around her shoulders, wearing only Rhaenyra’s sweaty and grass-stained jersey and nothing else.

Oh.

Rhaenyra loves her life.