Game of Survival

Chapter 9

Now that the dragon had calmed, the keepers (who seemed the only people capable of movement) helped Aliraeon down to the pedestal so that he could be fed. They brought him a plate of cooked meat and Alicent guessed that it was goat from the smell. Aliraeon attacked it with vigor. He had eaten everything but a few small morsels. These, he pushed toward Alicent before stepping back and staring at her, squawking when she did not move. Alicent turned to one of the keepers, the only female among them, and the confusion and panic must have been evident on her face because the woman gave her a gentle smile.

"He wants you to eat the meat, My Queen. Aliraeon is trying to show you that even though he is young, he can still protect and provide. Eating it will help to strengthen the bond by showing Aliraeon that you trust him. There is no need to worry, Your Grace. The food is perfectly safe for human consumption even though it will be incredibly bland."

Alicent nodded to her and then turned to the little creature that she had bonded with. His slitted eyes of gold followed her every move as she reached down for a piece of the meat and brought it to her lips. Aliraeon watched until she had taken every bite and only then did he look away. No longer locked in place by the dragon's piercing gaze, Alicent turned to face the other occupants of the chamber. She saw Viserys whispering in the corner with one of the senior keepers. Her husband was upset. Alicent could tell by the movement of his hands, they fluttered about as though he wished to strike something. Daemon stood with Aemond in his arms, his face blank save for the slight downward tug of his lips. His eyes roved her figure as though she were a mystery that he could not solve, an anomaly that should not exist.

Alicent's hands started to shake and she brought them behind her back so that the others would not see them tremble. She could panic later. Right now, Alicent had to be the queen she proclaimed she was and hold her head high. She just needed to keep it together until she reached the privacy of her room.

"What is to be done now that I have claimed him?" Alicent asked, and the keeper who had helped her was the one to answer.

"We will help you to strengthen the bond, Your Grace. We will teach you the commands and how to communicate with him, as well as control him in the air. When Aliraeon is old enough, he will be fitted with a saddle for you to fly. You should come to the dragon pit as often as possible within the next few moons. We have never had a dragon claimed by a member not born to the royal family so we must monitor your progress more closely than others. But he sleeps for now, so you should return to the Red Keep so that you can also rest. The connection can be quite exhausting for the rider and you almost fainted."

If Alicent had thought that the ride to the pit was uncomfortable, nothing could compare to the returning trip. Neither of her silver-haired companions said a word and Alicent could not bring herself to speak. If she did, Alicent was certain that she would begin pleading, but for what, she did not know. Viserys stared out the window, refusing to look at her. His brother, on the other hand, was quite content to bore holes in the side of Alicent's head. His silence unnerved her. She had been prepared for his rage, for his denial. They would have been more tolerable than his stillness.

They may have become used to each other, and Alicent would even see that they were acquaintances (if one could be an acquaintance with their good brother), but she knew that it did not mean that he would be happy about the situation. Daemon valued blood above all and Alicent had not a drop to speak of. He had given her the egg to mock her, for Seven's sake, because he knew it would never hatch. But hatch it did and Alicent wondered what he would do now that a girl with no Valyrian ancestry had claimed a symbol of his house. The thought made her shudder. The wheelhouse stopped in front of the stairs of the keep and Viserys was on his feet before the doors had even opened.