The Queen in Green

Wails could be heard across the hallways, a situation even worse than a pregnant lady. A man's voice was carried through the air of the red keep.

The maids rushed around with expressions of despair while helping the panic-stricken maesters near the prince who was screaming at the top of his lungs.

Mellos rushed to the prince's room. Yes, he had injected poison into the young prince's body but he never expected such a reaction... the poison was supposed to kill him in his sleep peacefully.

"Maester Orwyle. What is the situation like?" The black-skinned boy did not reply, sweat trickled down his shoulders as he placed a needle on Prince Baelon's back neck, exactly where the spinal cord and skull intersect.

Wiping off the grime, he looked at Mellos.

"We do not know grandmaester. The young prince simply began to scream in the middle of the night, attracting the attention of the guards. No cause has been found yet."

Mellos nodded, looking skeptically at Orwyle. Meanwhile, Maester Mickon by the side pointed towards the needle and asked.

"-And what is that?"

Orwyle looked towards the neck Mickon pointed towards and spoke, albeit a little nervously.

"I call it acupuncture."

Mellos touched the prince's veins and then the jaw before nodding.

"Good work."

The moans and the wailing had lessened by a lot since the needle had been placed. Mickon looked at this with interest as he asked Orwyle.

"What is the science behind this?"

Orwyle nodded as he clutched Prince Baelon's body and a few symmetrical points.

"After much research and help from colleagues from the Citadel, we have found out that each human body has specific points that release blood flow making it smoother... or simply block it instead."

Realization dawned upon Mellos as he nodded.

"I see. So you blocked blood flow towards the brain or at least slowed it down so that it is unable to signal the rest of the receptors."

Orwyle nodded as Mickon looked at it amazed. Acupuncture could open up the world to many new possibilities.

Before they could chat a little more, a voice distracted them.

"Grandmaester Mellos. How is his prince doing now?"

The maids and maesters all bowed lightly and Mellos instantly began to speak.

"Your grace, you did not need to come on your own... this matter is not much of attention.... as, for the Prince, he is a little better than before."

Allicent nodded. Her visage, the absolute epitome of coldness. She walked towards the sickly prince and examined his body.

It was quite delicate and pale as marble, she let her finger roam across his skin, it was smooth but filled with sweat.

The boy was huffing and panting barely able to breathe, the cloth below was completely wet. Allicent had heard his screams before while coming to his chambers but she did not expect his condition to be this devastating.

A part of her felt shame for ostracizing against a sick man. However, that still did not dwindle his threat toward her children and family.

Another part felt nostalgia, she clearly remembered the days she cooed the baby boy in her arms upon the loss of his mother... and now here he was, ill as he had ever been.

Her arm reached out to his forehead but then she remembered the incident that afternoon. Prince Baelon with a dagger inside her oldest child, Aegon's room.

Her face grimaced as the palm lowered from his forehead to the neck instead. She stared at the sleeping prince, broken out of daze by the maesters observing her.

"Your grace, maybe it is time to let the prince rest for a bit." Allicent backed her hand away instantly, slowly turning to look at Orwyle who spoke.

A fake smile forced onto her visage as she nodded.

"I will stay here for a little longer."

Orwyle nodded hesitantly before leaving the room with the other maesters and a few of the maids. Mellos looked at Allicent, one last time before exiting the same.

Prince Baelon by the side had now completely stopped screaming. It seemed like the needle had done its job.

Allicent sighed, taking a seat next to the bed. She sat in silence, staring at the boy as he breathed heavily.

She gestured towards a maid.

"Change his bedsheets with new ones."

The maid nodded and left the room as she muttered under her breath.

"...and also get me some water."

The maid nodded once again and started to leave the room.

As soon as she was far enough away, Allicent quickly moved towards the prince's side.

She took his hand in hers and began to whisper words of comfort.

Allicent had no idea how to calm Baelon down but the only thing that came to mind was to talk about something pleasant.

Something about a mother and son.

It had been a long time since she even entered Baelon's room or saw him, she could not even be called a stepmother in this matter, a complete stranger.

For a moment, it felt that time flew in the blink of an eye and all her hard work to place Aegon on the throne, and recruit followers was naught.

It felt like yesterday that she held Baelon in her arms. He had grown a lot since then. If groomed and healthy, he had the potential to be the heartthrob of the seven kingdoms just like his uncle- Daemon Targaryen in the past.

However, that would never be a possibility. Her maternal instincts were screaming. She could feel it, Prince Baelon was close to his end. He would be dead and Aegon would succeed him.

Allicent saw his eyes open slightly and whispered as she stroked his cheek.

"Everything will be okay."

Baelon closed his eyes. His breathing became slower as his consciousness slipped away.

Allicent half fell to her knees and sobbed quietly.

"Your grace." The maid entered the room, bringing with her, a new bed sheet and a chalice of water.

Allicent reigned her tears back inside, sniffing lightly before her expression was replaced with a stoic one.

"Thank you."

The maid bowed before heading towards Baelon's bed, changing the sheets that were dripping with sweat.

Allicent drank the water in a single gulp before standing. She was refreshed and it had cooled her head a little, enabling her to think clearly.

Her eyes wandered around the room for a moment, taking note of every detail. Few other things needed to be done...

Her eyes stopped when she spotted a quill and ink. She stood straight and walked over to the desk, grabbing them swiftly and hurriedly writing a will.

The maid nodded and left the room as Allicent penned a quick note in a handwriting different than her usual, more shaky and hard to decipher.

It was addressed to the king and read:

'Dear Father, I wished to visit my brother, Aegon but it seems my condition did not allow me. Darkness is slowly embracing me. Upon my death, I wish for my loving brother to be King.'

It was simple and similar to the prince's attitude toward those close to him. Viserys would not suspect, she believed. Even if he did, he would not be foolish enough to start a war.

Viserys would do no matter what to fulfill his heir's wish. In the end, it's a win for everyone. The Targaryens still sit on the throne, the realm is happy and her children are safe from at least one competitor.

She stamped it off with Baelon's seal and placed the letter on the side, placing the quill back on the table.

Allicent then turned back towards Baelon's bed.

His eyes were shut, his breaths becoming softer and softer. With a deep sigh, she grabbed his hand and pulled it towards herself.

"Sleep well, my sweet child..."