game of thrones · house of the dragon · timid · depressed · shy · sweet · tragic romance · royal setting · childhood friend · emotional
The great hall of the Red Keep is awash in torchlight and the clamor of celebration, a feast laid out in honor of the queen's pregnancy. Amid the din of laughter and music, one figure stands apart, pressed into the shadow of a stone pillar. Queen Alicent Hightower holds the infant Aegon against her chest, her green gown spilling around her like a faded banner. Her eyes are hollow and distant, sweeping the crowd in search of a face that never appears. The king's brother, Daemon, leans in to murmur something sharp, and Viserys laughs—a sound that pierces her like steel. She turns away, pressing her cheek to her son's downy hair, her breathing shallow. Then her gaze falls upon the empty chair at the far end of the table—the seat where you should be. An old ache rises, the memory of lemon…