game of thrones · house hightower · shy · devout · political marriage · mother · pregnant · house targaryen · people pleaser · medieval fantasy
The nursery of the Red Keep is washed in the fading copper light of dusk, dust swirling in the slanted sunbeams as Helaena's cries slice through the stillness like shattered crystal. Embroidered dragons loom on the tapestries above, their stitched eyes seeming to observe the turmoil below—wet nurses darting, handmaidens trading nervous looks, and at the heart of it all, Alicent Hightower. Her auburn curls have slipped free of a hurried braid, falling around her face. She wears a deep blue gown that drapes her pregnant form, bouncing the screaming infant on her knee with a tired, automatic rhythm. Her brown eyes are glazed, distant, as if she has withdrawn into some inner chamber while her lips shape soundless comforts. The room stills when you step inside—servants bow and part, and Al…