♔ ♔ ♔

Alicent, Rhaenyra, and I enter the candle lit room, I dragging my feet behind them.

"It's only been half a year since my mother died, and already they tried to marry my father off and replace me as heir." Rhaenyra whispers her

The hairs on my neck stand as I narrow my eyes at the back of my sister's head. It's disgusting for her to go behind Rhaenyra's back to seduce the King whilst Rhaenyra morn for her mother. Whilst our monster of a 'Father' runs my name into the ground and moves his pieces across the chess board.

"I know those men and how they plot in their secret councils when I've been sent away." She continues.

"You cannot worry at the matters of lords and kings, Rhaenyra." Alicent sighs.

"Shouldn't she?" I speak up, extending my stride. Rhaenyra pauses at Alicent's careless words and I wrap my arm around her.

"What if your father were to remarry?" Alicent poses as she proceeds. To you. Rhaenyra stares at her with glassy eyes before turning to the candles. "Your father loves you. He chose you for his heir."

Foolishly, without doing anything of the sorts to proceed with his decision or back it up since.

"He didn't choose me. He spurns Daemon." She corrects.

Daemon does have a long way to go if he were to be King, but he has years on Rhaenyra that can do him well to get there. Will he ever get there?

Daemon's impulsive nature leads him to make immature decisions on a whim that cost him things, such as his precedence. I am aware enough to admit that.

Alicent kneels, grabbing a stick she holds it over one of the flames, bringing it up to her lips she blows it out before placing it back down and folding her hands together.

"Kneel with me." She says.

I sigh as Rhaenyra leads us over and we kneel.

"I find this is a way to be with our mother." Alicent admits. "Here in the quiet of the Sept... I feel close to her."

Wish I could say the same. I feel her when I look out upon King's landing at night, staring up at the moon in prayers, silently crying for the Gods to bring her back. Back to me.

She was all I had in this miserable family.

"I know it sounds foolish." Alicent brings me out of my thoughts as she bows her head down.

"I don't think it's foolish." Rhaenyra says. "I don't."

"Good." Alicent smiles. "Because I thought you might try." She looks at me, nodding subtly for encouragement.

"I..." Rhaenyra trails off.

I sigh, pushing my thoughts and feelings to the side. If this will help Rhaenyra, then I will.

"Wouldn't hurt." I nudge Rhaenyra's arm gently.

"If not for me, or Henley, then, perhaps for them." Alicent she motions around the room, holding out the stick for Rhaenyra.

Rhaenyra glances over at me and I nod towards the stick. She sighs, taking it. She lights it and then slowly blows it out, same as Alicent. She hurriedly puts it down, exhale she folds her hands together.

I squeeze her arm for support.

"What do I say?" She asks.

"Whatever you wish." Alicent tells her, looking up lost in thought. "It's only for you and the gods to know."

That doesn't seem as guiding as I'm sure Rhaenyra would've liked.

Rhaenyra blinks at her before her eyes meet mine. Her face so broken as she looks at me helplessly.

Say whatever's on your heart." I tell her softly.

After a minute or so of silence she begins to cry. Alicent puts her hand on Rhaenyra's arm as I rub her back.

"I want him to me as more than his little girl." Rhaenyra sniffs.

"Our own father does not know the language of girls either." Alicent smiles at her causing me to swallow harshly.

Rhaenyra chuckles as I drag my finger across the rock, the rough rooves scraping my skin, but not cutting it.

"When I wish to talk with him... I know that I must make the effort." Alicent says. I scoff. She gives me a pointed look but doesn't say anything.

"Thank you." Rhaenyra looks to both of us, placing her hands over each of ours.

I wish everything could be as simple as it is in Alicent's mind...

But even though we were born several minutes apart, and raised in the same castle, our lives could truly not be different.

♔ ♔ ♔

I roam through my garden now that it is nightfall, finding I like its beauty the most at this time. My hand mindlessly plays with the bracelet Daemon gifted me months ago, as I find myself doing quite often.

It's been such a bore here without him, I'm afraid.

I move to sit on my bench, and close my eyes to relish in the moments of peace that have become rarer and rarer these days.

At first, I see nothing. Only the black abyss that lies behind my eyelids...

But then I see red. A dark red, that's almost Scarlett- it's beautiful. As it reaches closer and closer I can see what looks like scales...

I gasp as suddenly I'm touching them. Running my hand up and down the body until something, somebody, lifts me up onto the saddle.

"This is our girl, Caraxes." A voice speaks and the Blood Wyrm turns his neck to look back at me as I stare in awe.

I gasp for air as my eyes burst open and I stumble forward, catching myself on the marbled-seat before I crash into the dirt.

My chest heaves up and down as I frantically take in my surroundings, realizing I'm still in my garden, and try to calm my breathing down.

I need to rest...

As I slowly rise to my feet, still looking around at all the trees and flowers oddly-

What was that?

♔ ♔ ♔

0𝒷𝓊𝓉𝓉𝑒𝓇𝒷𝒾𝓈𝒸𝓊𝒾𝓉7 𝓈𝓅𝑒𝒶𝓀𝓈!

Hello, hellooo!! And welcome back Scarletted Persuasion readers <3

Happy belated S2 finale!! I'm gonna be so fr with y'all... idk how I feel about S2 lmao. But nontheless, this book will carry on to S2... & 3!!

Although I would've liked to update this book more during S2, it just did not work out that way, BUT this book will keep going obviously even tho S2 is over & we'll have to wait forever for S3 lol.

I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! I know Henley didn't say a lot, but homegirl didn't really have much to say as she was not very happy & would've started a cat fight if she did open her mouth haha. I would've continued on to Rhaenyra and Rhaenys's convo but I thought I'd leave something for y'all to look forward to ;)

And WE JUST HIT 4K+ READS!! THANK Y'ALL SO MUCH!! AHHHH!!! I can't thank y'all enough, this story is just getting started!! So until next time, mwauh!!