Work Text:
Alicent always thought the Seven had damned her second son enough. Sweet and docile as Aemond was in his youth, he held on unto his indignities poorly. Even before the cursed dragon and Lucerys Velaryon had taken his eye in childhood, being the second son wasn’t enough. He knew he could do it better than Aegon, better than Rhaenyra or even his own father. Great was his potential and ambition but scarce was expected of him, and Aemond has never forgiven the Realm for not caring.
He saw clearly her rage at Rhaenyra with dagger in hand back in Driftmark, her rage that she sees now has never left him ever since. Though whatever rage was left to Alicent now, Aemond inherits through what he believes is his birthright. Her boy claims that it was his beast he could not control which killed Lucerys but she finds herself knowing that Vhagar would not have lost control as he says if the beast felt that Aemond truly wanted the bastard dead. So when the boy who took his eye fell above Shipbreakers Bay and his elder brother who so often tormented him met his demise in Rooks Rest, she had thought it might have been enough to satisfy Aemond’s need of retribution. For that little boy in Driftmark never truly died but became taller and colder.
Aemond wears the conqueror’s crown now, but proudly wasn’t the word. It was her brother Gwayne who told her of Aegon’s passing, burned by the flames of his own brother’s dragon. She blames herself for the most part, telling him to do nothing had only stoked the fires of Aegon’s defiance. Aemond tells her that Aegon dug his own grave when Alicent confronted him with tears of grief and ire, she just provided the shovel. It was the first time she slapped Aemond and she would not speak to him again until Helaena had thrown herself off the castle upon hearing the death of little Maelor.
Then her Daeron burned in Tumbleton and she was left with only her second son and only granddaughter. Aemond had managed to defeat Daemon above God's Eye and brought his head to Rhaenyra in Dragonstone where he burned her once and for all. Her last exchange with Rhaenyra had been bitter as she said her goodbye to Viserys’ daughter and she returned it by speaking of the irony of her eldest and youngest son perishing in fire. In truth, Alicent believed that it was Viserys who condemned her to such a fate for naming her heir in the first place. Rhaenyra’s last words were recorded by the maesters as a curse on Aemond as she called him a wretched kinslayer and usurper, the crown of Jaehaerys burned with her. Alicent did not need the maesters to remind her. She had lived long enough to see prophecy fulfilled.
The crown had devoured them all.
As for Rhaenyra’s children, Alicent hoped that he might at least have mercy; even if it was just to show that he was a merciful king. Daemon’s daughters along with Corlys Velaryon had been executed, Viserys the second was known to be dead, and Aegon the third ‘threw himself off Maegor’s Steadfast’ the one time he spoke with Aemond. Those who swore to Rhaenyra were forced to kneel before him lest he burned their castles using Vhagar. Aemond crowned a Strong witch bastard as his queen who she disapproved of but it wasn’t like any had something to say about what Aemond wished. He had Vhagar and the crown after all, and Alicent couldn’t bear to hold hour-long conversations with him after he murdered his elder brother.
She was removed from council but she didn’t fight to get her position back as Alicent didn’t see the point, she spent most of her time with Jaehaera whilst Aemond did as he pleased with the Realm. It was three years into Aemond’s reign did Alicent have a grandson again, Maegon Targaryen had mismatched eyes of purple and green with his hair was silver with the dark streaks of his mother Alys. Aemond had promised his own son to Jaehaera even before Maegon could have his first name day, Alys did not seem to oppose the match. And ten year old Jaehaera just seemed to be relieved that she was not to be sent away from Alicent, she just hoped that the girl would take it well the day she finds out that the king was the murderer of her father. All though Alicent would not blame the poor girl if she didn’t.
Maegon was named as Aemond’s official heir at seven, Jaehaera was seventeen at the time, a lady who had finally learned to smile after Alicent’s countless attempts. Some say it was because Jaehaera was starting to forget the family she once had, Alicent envied her for she herself could not forget the children lost to her. Even as Alicent managed to maintain a thriving connection with her grandson, she and Aemond were never on good terms again. Every meal was taken individually ever since what the people now call ‘the dance of dragons’, Maegon with his parents and Jaehaera with her. Those were the times she had missed family dinners where Helaena’s insects would be crawling on the table and she would be shouting at drunk Aegon to have the decency to compose himself.
Alicent’s morning usually consisted of brushing Jaehaera’s hair as she once did with her children before they outgrew it. Then she’d watch Jaehaera depart with Aemond while they took their morning flights with their dragons; she was thankful enough that Jaehaera enjoyed Aemond’s company. The same could not be said for Aemond, he’d only begun to fly with Jaehaera when Morghul got big enough. She could not tell if he did it for Helaena who he seemed to still speak fondly of according to Alys or if it was out of the guilt of robbing Jaehaera in regards to her father, but he had taken the liberty to converse and smile at her. Her morning would end in walking little Maegon to his lessons and exchanging glances with Alys.
Sometimes, she would entertain Maegon with tales of Aemond’s childhood, fragments of what he was like before he was king. Before Driftmark, Aemon would accompany her to the Sept and kneel beside him. Maegon would not believe her, saying that his wilful father would not appease himself in such things. When he used to linger around Aegon’s presence, hoping for recognition, Maegon refused to picture it. Seemed like he could never depict his father as a boy once like him or with two eyes. Alicent found it endearing.
One day, the little heir got curious. Said that one of his friends at court went to visit their favorite uncle, and that one was close to their aunt. Maegon appeared to be aware of the lack of uncles and aunts succeeding the dance, with only his cousin Jaehaera and Alicent as his grandmother. The number of kin was reduced to something so small that Maegon had asked for a brother from Alys and Aemond at one council meeting and proceeded to remind Aemond that he too, once had brothers. Why would he deny his son the experience of brotherhood?
The very same day, Maegon snuck into Alicent’s solar, wishing to escape dragon riding with his father. Maegon may be Aemond’s son and a Targaryen, but it never really chased away his fear of dragons and heights. While it was expected of him to act as if he was closer to gods than to men, he was scared of common things like many before him and he was shamed by others for it. She let him lay his head on her lap as they waited for Jaehaera to finish her dancing lessons, but they both knew it was going to be a long wait for the princess delighted in music so much that she’d ask her instructor to extend their lessons occasionally.
In the silence of waiting, Maegon spoke. “What were my uncles like?”
It made her halt in brushing the prince’s hair, her hand instinctively went up to reach the ghost of her seven-pointed pendant. She’d forgotten that she ceased wearing it the same hour Helaena died.
“Daeron was a good boy.” She answered, recalling how he indulged in dancing with all his siblings during his seldom visits. How he brought her flowers that somehow survived from Old Town and the eight year old who openly told his eldest brother that teasing Aemond was cruel. It was as though it wasn’t painful enough that her youngest child had been sent away, the son who was furthest away from her turned to be the kindest.
“Aegon tried.” She added, tucking a few strands of the boy’s hair behind his ear. Alicent may not have few pleasant memories about Aegon, but he was the most memorable. Being the first child she had borne and the first child she had lost certainly earned him the privilege. Aegon wasn’t the hardest child to handle, it was when he got older did he get difficult. Supposed that he began to understand that love was never his birthright but duty. Everything that doomed them all. Or perhaps it was just her?
“Aemond is different.” Maegon only asked about his uncles but Alicent could not help it. Before Maegon, Aemond had been so angry at the world. After being the last sibling standing and the throne’s winner, many assumed that he’d wear the privilege as a proud victor.
Instead, he ordered all mirrors in the Keep to be covered and proclaimed to her that he had no regrets nor remorse for the fates that his siblings suffered. Everything Aegon and Rhaenyra owned, he demanded to be burned. The people obeyed of course, nobody wanted to defy or anger the man who had the largest dragon alive. The Velaryons were on thin ice in his rule and so were the Starks, the Baratheons bitter that he had not married Floris as he promised. Alicent’s most trusted servant even confessed to hearing Aemond and Alys argue, that he had thrown one of Alys’ vials on the wall and demanded that she stop with the illusions of his brother. Alys, in return, was said to have strutted towards him and had taken off his eye patch. Saying that she had nothing to do with it.