Chapter 209: Alicent’s Bitter Plea

When Rhaegar raised his head, his expression was dark and solemn.

"Prince, has something happened in King's Landing?" Robb asked, his voice tinged with concern.

Rhaegar's tone turned sarcastic. "Dorne has meddled in the War for the Stepstones and now has the audacity to send a marriage proposal to my father."

At the beginning of the war, the realm had sent envoys to Dorne to make peace with Qoren Martell. The Dornish had evaded and even imprisoned the kingdom's envoys. It wasn't until Dorne's forces attacked Bloodstone Island alongside the Triarchy that the envoys were released.

Now, in the midst of the battle, Qoren sends a proposal of marriage. According to the letter, the Dornish envoy arrived in King's Landing just as Tyland and the Kingdom's forces were defeated and Bloodstone Island was lost. This was clearly an attempt to humiliate the realm.

"Qoren Martell, you double-crossing rat," Rhaegar spat, tearing the letter to shreds and scattering the pieces in the wind.

"Prince, are you going back to King's Landing?" Tormund asked quietly.

Rhaegar nodded. "Yes, I must return. I'll talk to Aunt Rhaenys first."

The victory at the Stepstones meant they had to transport the remains of the fallen soldiers back to King's Landing. The Sea Snake was gravely injured and needed immediate care at Driftmark.

Having said that, he walked down the cliff.

...

A few days earlier

The Red Keep, King's Landing

Alicent knocked on Rhaenyra's door.

"Come in," came Rhaenyra's voice from inside.

Alicent entered, her face beaming with anticipation. Inside, Rhaenyra sat at her dressing table, gently combing her long, loose hair. Helaena was at a nearby table, fiddling with a dragon sculpture.

"Mother?" Helaena said, surprised to see Alicent.

Alicent, equally surprised, asked, "Helaena, what are you doing here?"

Rhaenyra looked at Alicent, a hint of annoyance in her tone. "When she's not with me, she's hiding somewhere, playing with bugs."

Ever since Rhaegar had arranged for Helaena to stay with Rhaenyra one night, the young girl had been a constant presence. Rhaenyra tolerated her, let her be.

Alicent smiled awkwardly, understanding. "Helaena, your sister and I need to talk. Go to your room and rest."

"Yes, Mother," Helaena said obediently. She put down the dragon sculpture and reluctantly left the room.

Silence filled the room as Rhaenyra hunched her shoulders and ruffled her hair. "Say what you must. I'll be going to bed soon."

She ran her fingers through her silky hair, content. Rhaegar loved the smell of her hair and often complimented its texture, so she took great care of it.

Gathering her courage, Alicent said nervously, "Rhaenyra, I need your help."

Rhaenyra continued to comb her hair, her expression flat. "I know what you're going to say, but I can't help you."

Alicent had arrived late, and Rhaenyra knew her purpose. But with her own marriage prospects in play, she was in no position to help Helaena.

"Rhaenyra, you can help me. Only you can help me," Alicent pleaded, lowering her head. "Your father cares most about you and Rhaegar. If you support Helaena, he will reject the marriage proposal."

Rhaenyra's brows furrowed. "Alicent, our relationship is complicated enough without involving Rhaegar."

Rhaegar, her brother and soulmate, was leading an army for their family's honor and the kingdom's safety. Rhaenyra didn't want any events to affect him, not even slightly.

"Rhaenyra, you know how damaging a marriage to Dorne would be. Helaena is only nine; she won't survive it," Alicent wept, appealing emotionally. "Helaena is closest to Rhaegar. He dotes on her."

Alicent vividly remembered when Rhaegar, at six, fiercely protected Helaena on their way to Dragonstone Island, even fighting Aegon for her.

At the time, she had only seen Aegon's tears and blamed Rhaegar, but Helaena later revealed the truth. Alicent had never forgotten about it.

Rhaenyra looked at Alicent with indifference, unmoved.

Of course, she knew that Rhaegar favored Helaena. That was precisely why she disliked Helaena.

Yes, she didn't like Helaena.

Helaena shared the same Dreamer gift as Rhaegar, a gift that Rhaenyra lacked. Rhaenyra felt overshadowed by Helaena's talents, especially since Rhaegar often praised Helaena in front of her, sometimes even comparing the two.

It was only for Rhaegar's sake that she tolerated Helaena more than her other siblings.

Alicent's heart sank when she saw Rhaenyra's unchanged demeanor. She had hoped that allowing Helaena to stay in Rhaenyra's room would have fostered a better relationship between the two sisters. But Rhaenyra's cold response suggested otherwise.

Alicent closed her eyes and sighed deeply, recalling Larys's advice on seeking help. When she reopened her eyes, she had wiped away her tears and approached Rhaenyra.

"Is there anything else you want to say?" Rhaenyra asked calmly, her dislike for Alicent evident. They were no longer teenage friends who shared everything; they were now bitter stepmother and stepdaughter.

Without a word, Alicent walked over to Rhaenyra and slowly knelt down.

"What do you mean by that?" Rhaenyra said in disbelief.

Alicent placed her hand on Rhaenyra's leg, looking up at her with sincerity. "Rhaenyra, help me, and I'll make it up to you."

Rhaenyra's voice dripped with disdain. "What can you do to make it up to me? I've already got the best."

She had fought for her freedom after losing her heir status, and Rhaegar, who had grown up under her care, held her in his heart and eyes. She couldn't think of anything else she needed.

"I will give up unrealistic ideas," Alicent said. "When the Battle of Stepstones is over, I will ask your father to partition Aegon away from King's Landing. Aemond and Daeron too—they will never stay in King's Landing to get in your and Rhaegar's way."

Rhaenyra's eyes twinkled, but she refused, "No need. They would never threaten Rhaegar."

There was something in her heart, but she didn't trust Alicent enough to believe she would follow through. After all, Alicent had once climbed into her own father's bed behind her back.

"Rhaenyra, give me some trust. All I want is to protect my children, and there will be no more green in King's Landing," Alicent pleaded, grabbing Rhaenyra's hand.

Rhaenyra glanced at Alicent's green dress. If Alicent truly intended to dissolve and quit the race, she wouldn't have worn green to this meeting.

Alicent noticed the glance and abruptly reacted. She reached for a pair of scissors from the dresser and began cutting at the sleeves and corners of her dress.

"Enough, don't play games with me here," Rhaenyra shuddered, stopping her.

"Hightower is a family name that speaks of honor, and I'm not going to entertain any more illusions," Alicent said, dropping the scissors. She then removed a folded page from her sleeve.

Rhaenyra's eyes widened at the inexplicably familiar page. She took it and unfolded it, revealing the words and illustrations inside.

It described the marriage between Nymeria and her first husband, Mors Martell. There was even an illustration of the wedding scene.

It was the missing page from the Voyage of the Ten Thousand Ships.

Rhaenyra stared unblinkingly at the page, her voice tinged with disbelief. "You still have this page?"

This was from before she was named heir. Her mother was still alive, and Rhaegar hadn't even been born yet. She and Alicent had shared a book, a relic of their once close friendship. Alicent had always struggled to remember what she read, so Rhaenyra, in moments of frustration, had torn out pages to reinforce Alicent's memory.

Thirteen years had passed since then.

Rhaenyra rubbed the page with a reassuring frown. "When I look at this page, it seems like it was yesterday."

Alicent's eyes reddened as she choked out, "Rhaenyra, I know you hate me, and I've done many things wrong to you. But I had no choice. I was a victim of my family."

Rhaenyra shifted her gaze from the page to Alicent.

"In my heart, you've always been a good friend, just like this page I've kept." Alicent clutched Rhaenyra's hand, her voice laden with genuine emotion. "Help my daughter. Don't let her repeat my life."

Rhaenyra pursed her lips, her gaze falling back to the page in her hand. After a moment of contemplation, she softly said, "Let me think about it. You can go now."

"Rhaenyra..." Alicent began to plead.

"Out!" Rhaenyra interrupted, her tone intensifying. She wanted to preserve the image of the best friend she once had, not taint it with the present's bitterness.

"Fine, take your time," Alicent conceded, standing up and walking out of the bedroom one step at a time.

The door closed with a bang.

Alicent leaned against the door, taking a deep breath to ease the shame and powerlessness that spread through her body.

Inside the bedroom, Rhaenyra held the page, scrutinizing it over and over again.

Half a minute later, Rhaenyra sighed, set down the page, and took out a pen and paper. She wasn't doing this for Alicent or even for Helaena. She was reminiscing about the beauty of the past.

...

Time moved forward.

Two days later, on the Narrow Sea, several large ships drifted, their sails adorned with three red dragons and seahorses.

At the door of one of the ship's cabins, Rhaegar and Rhaenys spoke softly.

"Aunt, has Lord Corlys not recovered yet?" Rhaegar asked.

Rhaenys shook her head and sighed. "The fever is high, and the doctor said it's an inflammation of the wound."

"Don't worry too much. Lord Corlys is strong; he will get better," Rhaegar gently reassured her. "I will come back to see him later."

Rhaenys nodded and turned to walk into the cabin. How could she not be worried? She and her husband had shared children and decades of life together. In this era of poor medical care, high fever and wound inflammation were often fatal.

Rhaegar turned away, deep in thought. He considered whether to use the serpent rune to treat Corlys.

(Word count: 1,656)