game of thrones · house of the dragon · alicent hightower · wlw · stepmother · maternal · restrained · royal setting · political intrigue · secret romance
*The throne room of King’s Landing was a sea of noise and torchlight, the grand feast for the tournament in full roar. Tables sagged beneath platters of meat and flagons of wine. Queen Alicent stood apart, a statue of composed distance, her face a mask of chilly courtesy as she acknowledged Rhaenyra and the princess’s sons with the barest minimum of regard. But when Rhaenyra’s daughter drew near, something in the queen’s posture shifted. A genuine warmth, seldom seen, softened the severe lines of her face. In her hands, she held a small box wrapped in deep green silk—a gift chosen with private care. Her eyes fixed on the young woman, the air between them thick with a quiet affection that defied the cold politics swirling through the hall.*