Otto blows on the wax he had been melting over the flame onto the parchment to seal it.

"Send a raven to Oldtown. Straight away." He instructs Maester Mellos. The older man gives a curt nod and heads for the door as Henley and Alicent enter.

"My Lady, My Lady." Mellos bows his head to each of them. Henley smiles smally as Alicent keeps walking straight to their father.

Otto stands as Alicent's lip starts trembling and she begins to cry.

"My darling." Otto pulls her into his embrace. Henley simply stands back resisting the urge to roll her eyes as Alicent was perfectly fine and more worried about Rhaenyra's appearance earlier rather than how she was feeling.

"How's Rhaenyra?" Otto asks seemingly only to Alicent.

"She lost her mother." Alicent simply answers.

"She's grieving." Henley answers, crossing her arms. As if their father actually gives a damn about their friend.

"The Queen was well-loved by all." Otto responds, stroking Alicent's cheek. "I found myself thinking of your own mother today." This causes Henley to raise a brow curiously. He hasn't spoken of her since she passed.

"How is His Grace?" Alicent asks in return.

"Very low."

Henley scoffs to herself. And that is why he thought it would be a good idea to have the 'next heir' talk?

"I need to speak with your sister for a moment please." He says. Henley nods going to leave. "Henley, I meant you." He corrects. Her shoulders drop, heart racing at what he could possibly want. Did he know of her eavesdropping? Heard her noise of disapproval?

Henley sighs as she turns back around and Alicent gives her a sharp look as she leaves.

"Am I in trouble, father?" The girl questions. Might as well not beat around the bush.

Otto looks at his daughter unamused. "For once, no. I sent for you for the matter we just discussed." He starts, returning to his seat.

Henley furrows her eyebrows. "Rhaenyra?"

Otto sighs, clearly impatient. "No, not Rhaenyra. His Grace."

"What about him?" Henley asks, still not understanding the need for this conversation.

"I want you to go to him." Otto says. "Offer him... comfort."

Henley's jaw slacks for a moment before tightening. She cannot believe what her father is implying.

She clears her throat. "I will gladly do so, once again," She emphasizes that she already gave her condolences at the funeral. "Tomorrow."

"Offer him comfort tonight."

Henley's nostrils flair. "In his chambers, father?" She raises her brows challengingly.

Otto smile causing Henley's stomach to churn. "He would be happy to have a visitor." He says, picking up his feather.

"Well, he can find one in someone else." The girl stands up to her father, crossing her arms.

He snaps his head back to his defiant daughter before softly slamming the quill back down and stands once again.

"You continue to defy and disobey me, Henley Hightower." He slowly makes his way towards her. "But I am not requesting you do this task, I am telling."

"And I am not obliging." She challenges. Her entire life her father has demanded her to do things and act a certain way, but this is crossing a line, one she is not willing to step over.

Otto grabs her face roughly and forces her to look at him as he pulls her in. "Listen to me, you disobedient child!" She fights against his grip, straining to look away. His voice calms to an eerie tone. "You are not a fool, Henley. This Kingdom will crumble without an heir, and as The Hand I will see to it that doesn't happen." Henley's nostrils flare once more as she looks her father angrily in the eye. "The King is vulnerable as is this Kingdom. He needs guidance, a shoulder to cry on. A woman to bear a son to be the next heir."

Henley was furious! No she was sick. She knows of age gaps, they aren't uncommon around here, but King Viserys is her father's friend! He is around her father's age, he is her best friends father!!!! The thought disturbs her. And she refuses to marry or bare children to a man she does not love. She has made that vow ever since she was a young girl that she will not fall prey to arrangements.

"And why didn't you ask Alicent do it." She seethes. She is his precious angel, he could've asked her... Oh God. Is this punishment? Is he punishing her? He's always made clear she was not the one to marry King's. She was not born to be high royalty. But now the change of heart?

"You are my eldest, the strongest." He releases her face which is now sore and tries to stroke her cheek as he did Alicent but she recoils before letting out a bitter laugh.

A compliment? Now? She was only born 4 minutes before, but eldest all the same. Although she never felt like it. She's always been the rambunctious, ignored sibling quite like Daemon.

"That mean's nothing to you. No, I will not be visiting the King, or marrying him, or baring his children." Henley puts her foot down.

Her father doesn't look as angry as she thought he would be, but as he opens his mouth she understands why.

"That's fine. Then I hope you are fine having that with no one." He threatens.

She holds her head high. "What do you mean?"

"If you refuse to visit the King, then I can promise you no other man will ever marry. You will be but of waste, unmarriable, indesirable." Her father claims.

And suddenly Henley's world comes crashing down as her ears begin to ring. Her father will make sure the entire Kingdom is warned that Henley will no longer be 'of innocence'. Therefore, no Lord, or any man of that matter, will want to marry or bare children with a woman who is impure. Her eyes begin to well with tears as her entire future burns before them.

"You are a monster. You supposed to be my father!" She cries out.

"I am being a father! I am trying to secure you a future that you are so ignorantly throwing away!" He shouts.

"No, you are ripping my future away from me!" She screams, not caring how loud she is or who might hear. "And I am not going to let you." She takes a deep, rigid breath before storming out of the room.

"You could be Queen, you foolish girl!" Otto yells at his fleeting daughter. "Your son could sit upon the throne. You could go down in history."

Henley laughs, pausing in the doorway. "Don't act like you have ever wanted me to be Queen." She smirks, narrowing her eyes. "Daemon is to sit upon the throne if something that you so desperately are trying to conjure up were to happen."

"Not after tonight he won't be." Her father gloats matter-of-factly.

She scoffs. Guess she isn't the only one who's future is being ruined by her father. "I will make my own history." She concludes, shooting Otto one last glare before she leaves, rushing by Alicent, who she doesn't notice has been listening the entire time.

♔♔♔

As Alicent follows through with the plans her father set out for Henley, Henley finally makes it to the sole comfort of her room, slamming the door shut and scraping down it before letting it all out.

First comes the choking sobs as she continuously wipes the snot from touching her lip. Next is the throat ache from trying to stop the tears which turned silent. But then comes the rage. The burning in her eyes. The bubbling in her chest. Henley screams at the top of her lungs before she stands and shoves all of he books off the table into the floor. She picks up her chair and throws it across the room, shoves her table over, then breaks down into sobs all over again.

Rhaenyra will have a line of Lord's lined up for her choosing, Daemon can have any woman he desires, and Alicent will choose Henley's path while Henley is now stuck, forever and utterly alone.

♔♔♔

Author's Note: FEMALE RAGEEEEE>>>>>>

And don't worry, it only grows.

Hope y'all enjoyed this chapter even though it was horrible for Henley.

FUCK OTTO HIGHTOWER!