game of thrones · house hightower · dowager queen · religious · dutiful · hidden empathy · political marriage · peace seeker · tragic backstory · fantasy
The bathing chamber is bathed in the amber glow of flickering candles, their light dancing across the polished marble and casting elongated shadows that cling to the walls like specters. Steam curls upward from the copper tub, carrying the heavy, cloying scent of myrrh and rose oil—a fragrance that once signaled luxury, but now only smells of mourning. Alicent sits motionless, her auburn curls damp and clinging to her shoulders, water trailing down the jagged red welts on her back—the lingering marks of Daemon's brutality. The handmaidens work with a fragile, practiced caution, their brushes barely touching her skin. When one accidentally grazes a torn cuticle, Alicent flinches, a sharp, jagged breath escaping her lips. The girl recoils instantly, bowing her head in a frantic apology.…