-4-

The evening sun cast a warm glow through the heavy curtains of Alicent's chambers, illuminating the elegant furnishings and the delicate embroidery that adorned the walls. The room felt both comforting and suffocating, an oasis of luxury that belied the turmoil brewing within its walls. Alicent sat at her ornate vanity, carefully arranging her hair, but her mind was elsewhere. Aegon paced restlessly in front of her, his brow furrowed and his hands clenched at his sides.

"Aegon," Alicent said, finally breaking the silence, "you're wearing a path into the floor. Sit down and speak with me."

He stopped abruptly, turning to face her with an intensity that sent a shiver down her spine. "How can I sit when my heart is heavy, Mother? Aelora is to be wed to Jacaerys, and I am trapped in this farce of a marriage with Helaena. Do you not see the injustice in this?"

Alicent's expression hardened, her fingers pausing in their task. "Aegon, you must understand the complexities of our situation. Rhaenyra's children, especially Aelora, hold significant power in the realm. Their betrothal strengthens our position, and you must not think of your own desires above the good of our family."

"Family?" Aegon spat, his voice rising. "What about my happiness? What about what I want? You know I have feelings for Aelora. I have always had feelings for her. But instead, you married me to my sister, shackling me to Helaena while my heart longs for someone else."

Alicent's eyes flashed with anger, her hands gripping the edge of the vanity. "I did what I thought was best for our family, Aegon! You think I wanted this? You think I wanted to see you wed to your own sister? It was the only way to maintain our power, to secure our bloodline against Rhaenyra's ambitions!"

"Power? Is that all you care about?" Aegon shot back, his voice laced with bitterness. "You've sacrificed my happiness for a game of thrones! You've turned my life into a political maneuver, and now Aelora is to be lost to me forever."

Alicent stood, her patience wearing thin. "You speak as if you have no responsibilities, Aegon. As if your position means nothing. You are a prince of the realm, and your choices affect not just you, but the entire kingdom."

"And what about Aelora?" he countered, his eyes blazing with frustration. "What about what she wants? She deserves to choose who she loves, not be used as a pawn in your schemes! I cannot bear the thought of her with Jacaerys. It drives me mad!"

"Aegon, this is not the time for childish fantasies," Alicent snapped, her voice sharp. "You cannot just wish for things to be different. You are married to Helaena, and that is your duty. You must honor it."

"Honor?" Aegon laughed bitterly, the sound harsh and hollow. "What honor is there in a marriage that was forced upon me? I cannot love Helaena, and I do not desire her. My heart belongs to Aelora, and I would rather be with her, even if it means leaving everything behind."

Alicent took a step closer, her eyes narrowing. "You would abandon your wife and children for a fleeting infatuation? You would throw away your responsibilities for a girl who is already promised to another man?"

"It's not just an infatuation!" Aegon shouted, his voice echoing in the room. "I love Aelora! I have loved her for years! I cannot simply turn that off because you decided to play matchmaker with my life!"

At his words, Alicent felt a wave of anger wash over her, and she stepped forward, her hand raising instinctively. In a swift motion, she slapped him across the face, the sound reverberating through the room like thunder.

"How dare you speak to me like that?" she hissed, her voice low and dangerous. "I am your mother, and I did what I believed was necessary for our family's future!"

Aegon's hand flew to his cheek, shock mingling with anger as he stared at her, disbelief etched across his face. "You think slapping me will make me see reason? You think this is about you? It's about my heart, my life! You have no idea what you're asking of me!"

"I know exactly what I'm asking!" Alicent replied, her voice trembling with emotion. "I'm asking you to grow up! To stop thinking only of your desires and start considering the weight of the crown you bear! You are not a child anymore; you are a king-in-training, and you must act like one!"

"King-in-training?" Aegon scoffed, the bitterness returning to his voice. "You think this is about training? This is about my life! You have trapped me in a cage, and now you want me to accept it with a smile on my face?"

Alicent stepped back, her breath coming in quick bursts as she struggled to contain her own anger and hurt. "You think I wanted this? You think I wanted to see my sons burdened with the weight of our family's legacy? I wanted better for you, Aegon! I wanted you to be happy, and I thought that marrying you to Helaena would bring stability."

"Stability?" Aegon laughed bitterly, shaking his head. "You've given me nothing but a gilded prison! Helaena may be my wife, but my heart is elsewhere. You've taken away my chance at true happiness, and for what? To protect your precious legacy?"

Alicent's expression softened for a brief moment, the pain in her heart visible. "Aegon, I am trying to safeguard our family. I am trying to ensure that you have a future, that our house remains strong. Aelora is a beautiful girl, but she is not meant for you. She is to be a Targaryen by marriage, and that is how it must be."

"And what about my feelings?" Aegon shot back, his voice trembling with a mix of anger and despair. "What about what I want? You've taken everything from me, and now you expect me to simply accept it? I cannot do that, Mother. I will not do that."

Alicent's expression hardened once more, her protective instincts flaring. "You think you have the right to dictate your own happiness? You are part of a greater game, Aegon. You cannot just think of yourself. You are a prince, and your actions have consequences."

"I do not care about the consequences!" he shouted, his frustration boiling over. "I care about Aelora! I care about what could have been! And you… you are the reason I will never have her."

"Enough!" Alicent's voice rang out, filled with a fierce authority that silenced Aegon for a moment. "You will not speak to me like that. I have sacrificed so much for this family, and I will not let you throw it all away for a girl who is not yours to have."

"Sacrificed?" Aegon echoed, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "You sacrificed my happiness for your ambitions! You made decisions for me without considering what I wanted. You played puppet master with our lives, and now you expect me to be grateful?"

"Do not twist my words, Aegon!" Alicent snapped, her patience wearing thin. "I did what I thought was best for you, for our family. You may not understand it now, but one day you will see the wisdom in my choices."

"Wisdom?" Aegon laughed bitterly again, shaking his head. "You call this wisdom? You've trapped me in a loveless marriage while my heart aches for someone else. I will not stand for it!"

"Then what do you propose, Aegon?" Alicent challenged, her voice rising. "You want to divorce Helaena? You want to throw away your marriage, your children, for a girl who is already promised to another? You want to risk everything for a fleeting desire?"

"It is not fleeting!" Aegon shouted, his voice desperate. "It is real! Aelora and I have a connection that you cannot understand. I will not let your decisions dictate my life any longer."

The air in the room grew thick with tension, each word exchanged a sword drawn, each glance a challenge. Alicent's heart raced as she faced her son, her frustration mingling with a deep sense of sorrow for the path they found themselves on.

"Aegon, please," she said, her voice softer now, almost pleading. "I only want what is best for you. You must not let your emotions cloud your judgment. Aelora is a lovely girl, but she is not meant for you. You must accept that."

"Accept it?" Aegon repeated, incredulity in his voice. "How can I accept a life of misery? A life without love? I refuse to let your decisions dictate my happiness any longer."

With that declaration hanging in the air, Aegon turned away, his heart pounding with frustration and pain. He felt as if he were trapped in a cage of his mother's making, each bar a decision she had made for him, each lock a consequence of her ambition.

Alicent watched him go, her heart heavy with the weight of their tumultuous conversation. She had tried to guide him, to protect him, but she could sense the distance growing between them, an unbridgeable chasm filled with unspoken words and unresolved feelings.

"Aegon," she called after him, her voice tinged with desperation. "Please, just think about what I've said. You are my son, and I only want what is best for you."

But he did not turn back. Instead, he walked away, the door slamming shut behind him with a finality that echoed through the chamber. Alicent stood alone, her heart aching, uncertain of how to mend the rift that had formed between them.

In that moment, she realized that their lives were not just intertwined by blood, but by choices—choices that had led them to this moment of conflict, and choices that would shape their futures in ways she could not yet comprehend. The weight of her decisions pressed heavily upon her, and she could only hope that one day, Aegon would understand the sacrifices she had made for their family, even if it meant sacrificing his happiness in the process.