At The Beginning With You

Chapter 18

Rhaenyra meets Alicent. Baelon talks to Daemon about Aemma. I hope you guys like it. 🥰

Something was happening with her family, everyone was acting strange and they would not tell her why. Her mother watched her more closely than before and she was not allowed to go anywhere without guards and her nursemaid unless she was with her mother, uncle, or grandsire. Her mother was nervous and could barely stand still and Rhaenyra had not seen her father since he had hurt her. Her grandsire had told her that her father would not be approaching her until his anger had passed. She also had not seen her mother and father together for a while, but her mother did not seem too sad about it so she did not think there was a problem.

Rhaenyra had been able to get away from her guards and nursemaid, she was surprised she had gotten to the gardens without people seeing her. She was happy that she would be able to play for a little while without her guards glaring at people who walked by. She had barely been there for a few minutes when she heard some sniffles coming from behind the thicker bushes. It sounded like someone crying and she was curious. She made her way around the bushes and stopped when she saw a pretty girl with brown reddish hair. She just stood there for a moment watching as tears ran down the girl's face. She wondered what had made her sad that she had decided to hide in the gardens.

"Are you hurt?" The girl was startled at her voice and her eyes widened when she saw Rhaenyra standing there. "I can call for a maester."

"Princess." The girl wiped her tears away. "I apologize, I did not know there was anyone here. I will leave."

"You do not have to go." Maybe someone was after her and that is why she was hiding. "Are you hiding from someone? Did someone hurt you?"

"No," Rhaenyra frowned at the girl's denial until the other girl let out a sigh. "I received some news today."

"Were they bad news?" She wanted to know.

"I do not know yet." The other girl shrugged. "They were not the news I was expecting."

Rhaenyra was not sure why that would make the other girl cry.

"What is your name?" Rhaenyra sat across from the girl, her back to the brush. "I am Rhaenyra."

"I am aware, everyone knows who you are, princess." The girl's comment made her smile. Rhaenyra liked people and she was happy that people liked her too. "I am Alicent Hightower."

"Do you live here now?"

"Yes, my father works with the king." Alicent still did not look very happy. "He is making me wed someone."

"And you do not like the man he is forcing you to wed?" Rhaenyra's eyes were wide as she stared at Alicent, she could understand why Alicent would be crying if her father was forcing her to be with someone she did not want to be with. "Are you in love with someone else?"

"What? No, of course not." Alicent looked scared now like it would be an incredible sin for her to fall in love.

Rhaenyra was not sure why Alicent would be afraid to love someone. Rhaenyra loved her uncle and she would wed him one day, there was nothing wrong with loving him. Nyra loved her uncle-husband and seemed very happy with him. Maybe Alicent needed to find a handsome knight to fall in love with or a prince. Rhaenyra frowned at the thought and shook her head, not a prince. The only prince was her uncle and she would not share him, he was already wed to another woman and Rhaenyra did not want to have Syrax eat two people. What would happen if her dragon was too full after eating the first one? She did not want to wait an extra day to wed her uncle. No, she would help Alicent find a handsome knight to love.