hotmtlnovel Chapter 209: Alicent’s Bitter Plea
Chapter 209: Alicent’s Bitter Plea
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'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.