Haunted // Aegon Targaryen

42. Maleficent

Sweet but psycho /HOTD / Harley Quinn out now!

So vaera took the long ass journey silently with criston to meet Maleficent for tea. Alicent. She had to stop calling her Maleficent if she was going to make a step in the right direction.

Criston grabbed her hand and she smiled softly back at him.

"You okay Vaera?"

"Yeah just... worried I suppose. She never wants to see me. Im not in the mood for a fight right now." Vaera offered.

"Lost that fire Vaera?" He teased.

"I married a younger man. You remember what its like to be young?" Vaera teased.

"Still so beautiful you are vaera." Criston whispered "and you are not old... im not old." He added.

"And I have three children that are constantly go go go." Vaera added. "

Alicent sat alone nursing a cup of tea when they got there. Vaera thanked Criston and moved forward silently. 

"Thank you for coming Vaera." Alicent offered not looking up from her cup. 

"Sure thing mother." Vaera agreed a smile tugging at her lips. "Why did you want to see me?" Vaera pondered and Alicent gestured for her to take a seat. 

"I had all of them and you took them all." Alicent remarked as Vaera took a seat.

"They were mind before they were yours, it was you that stole them from me." Vaera countered calmly. 

~

"You scare me being up there." Harwin remarked.

"I'm a dragon." Vaera reminded him. "I'm fine."

"You are so little," Harwin told her as she lead Calypso back following her sister. "I worry you are going to go flying off. Then I lose my job." Harwin teased.

"Ha. Ha' Vaera said dryly. "You would miss me if I was gone." Vaera told him confidently.

"Yes. I would.' Harwin agreed.

'I am relieved. Every time that golden beast brings you back unspoiled, it saves my head from a spike.' Westerling called after her but she ignored him as she always did when it came to his or anyone else's concerns with her dragons. As did Vaera.

'Syrax is growing quickly. She'll soon be as large as Caraxes.' Alicent remarked as Rhaenyra came back out.

'That's almost large enough to saddle two.' Rhaenyra told her closest friend. But Rhaenyra was the wild one and Alicent the tame. Vaera didn't like Alicent. She wanted to be Nyra's best friend and Alicent held that title currently. Vaera thought it was because she was younger and smaller than Nyra that she wanted elder friends but Alicent didn't like dragons so that was Rhaenyra and Vaera's time together uninterrupted.

'I believe I'm quite content as a spectator, thank you.' Alicent assured her as the dragon keeper Elder started speaking in High Valyrian talking to the dragon trying to get him calm and inside.

'Dohaeras.' Syrax grumbled and gave little roar of distaste of being stuck and not flying around with his master. 'Naejot!' he demanded and Syrax roared again as she was moved into her holding.

"Calypso is much better trained than Syrax." Vaera boasted walking past Rhaenyra.

"Shut up!" Rhaenyra hissed before realizing how later she was.

"Race you to mother!" Vaera declared and the girls took off. 

~

"You were everything and I was just me." Alicent remarked. Vaera didnt want to come here to be yelled at but Alicent wasnt yelling. "I wanted to thank you for being a good wife and mother and... taking care of my children too." Alicent whispered. 

"Oh, you're welcome." Vaera offered. "They are good kids."

"Aegon has loved you forever, everyone loves you Vaera." Alicent remarked. "I understood Rhaenyra's loathing of coming in second to you once I wed Viserys." 

"I'm his daughter, you can't replace me." Vaera remarked. 

"I know. I see that now." Alicent agreed. "I'm sorry I tried to." 

~

"Nrya's not mad at me." Vaera had informed Viserys.

"You thought she was mad?" Viserys questioned.

"Well not anymore." Vaera confirmed.

"My dear-'

'Are you mad at me?"

"What?"

"Did I kill mother?" Viserys couldn't breathe.

"no." he rasped. "It's my fault. Not yours." Viserys assured.

"But I didn't want him to have my name day. I was selfish and now-''

'Vaera love no." Viserys assured. "None of this, you did nothing wrong. Your words didn't do anything."

"That's what Nyra said too." Vaera admitted.

"She is right, love this is not your fault."

"Why is it your fault?" Vaera countered but there was a small knock on the door. Alicent was worried she knew what she was supposed to do but she didn't want to. Vaera found if funny when people knocked quietly as though they didn't want to disturb but they were by knocking anyways.

'The Lady Alicent Hightower, Your Grace.' She was announced.

'What is it, Alicent?' Viserys questioned turning to her, Vaera leaned into him annoyed. This girl was stealing her sister and now her father? Who was this bitch! Vaera thought bitterly.

'I thought I might come and look in on you, Your Grace. I brought a book.' Alicent offered holding it out.

'That's very kind, thank you.' Viserys said stiffly. He didn't want company he wanted to cry and he wanted Vaera to look at up him with those big eyes and tell him everything would be alright.

'It's a favorite of mine. I do know how passionate you are for the histories.' Alicent recalled.

'Yes... I am.' He admitted softly.

'When my mother died... people only ever spoke to me in riddles. All I wanted was for someone to say that they were sorry for what happened to me. I'm very sorry, Your Grace.' Alicent told him. "I'm sorry to you too Princess." Alicent added, Vaera tucked her head into Viserys chest.

"Goodnight Alicent." Viserys said stiffly as he put the book down and hugged Vaera tight. 

~

"I understood why Rhaenyra hated you for so many years when you stole the attention without even trying, little perfect Vaera." Alicent remarked. "I hated you too for it but now..." Vaera watched the tears fall from Alicent's eyes. Seemed like an awkward moment to hold Alicent's hand after she claimed to hate Vaera but Alicent was so broken that Vaera wanted to reach out. Another hesitation before she silently grabbed Alicent's hand. 

"I had all of them most of you some and now none of you. Take me back to the night we meet. I don't know what I'm supposed to do I'm haunted by the ghost of you. Take me back..." Alicent whispered.

"We have been enemies for years... We don't have to be." Vaera offered. "We could start fresh, you and I. A do over." Alicent nodded more tears slipping down her cheeks. "Hi I'm Vaera, known attention hog and in love with your son." Alicent choked out a laugh. 

"I'm Alicent, I'm known to not use my own brain and think for myself, pleasing all the wrong people and what they want." 

"Nice to meet you Alicent."

"You too Vaera."