Alicent and Clarysse laid under the God's Tree, looking at the red leaves. Clarysse was playing with her nails, in the same manner that Alicent often did when she was nervous, which Clarysse was, in a way.
She was always nervous around Alicent, even when she didn't need to be, her heart was always thumping as violently as the waters around Storm's End crashed against the rocks that held up her Family castle.
"Has your Lord Father planned your Tour for Suitors yet?" Alicent questioned, being the first to break their silence, sounding so innocent and lovely as she turned her head to the side on the blanket beneath them, a pale blue and yellow blanket.
Clarysse turned her head to the side, to face Alicent, attempting to hide the fact that every time she looked at Alicent's sweet smile and gentle and caring eyes, her breath seemingly vanished from her lungs.
It took a few moments for her head to catch up with the moment, to stop admiring Alicent and her beauty, to ignore how Alicent looked like a Saint with her auburn hair sprawled on the blanket around her, her hazel-green eyes shining ever so greener as the sun beamed off of them.
"He-" Clarysse started, straining to focus for a moment, before furrowing her eyes and clearing her throat, as she looked back up to the red leaves of the GodsTree. "He has not, I told him not to plan anything until the babe was born as I wanted to be here to aid Aunt Aemma with the labours, and my father has always been helpless to my requests."
Alicent hummed slightly, keeping her eyes trained on Clarysse's profile, admiring it, drinking in the calming presence of the only other person in the Red Keep that she felt completely comfortable and safe in.
Most times, even with Rhaenyra in the Keep, Alicent would still often spend her time, when Rhaenyra was busy with the Small Council or flying Syrax, in the room that Clarysse usually stayed in, reading books or merely looking out the window, enjoying the scent of the calming perfume that Clarysse wore.
The same rosemary, raspberry and sea water scent that was soothing her own thundering heart. Alicent didn't know what it was that made her pay utter attention when Clarysse was around her, but she knew that it was Clarysse's fault.
"Yours?"
The way the questioned returned to Alicent made her blink slowly, as if she'd been slapped, the way they were speaking so casually of Tours for Suitors as if it was something that they would have for dinner, when in reality, they were asking if their fathers had arranged for them to be paraded like pigs in a market.
They had each bleed for the first time, and many moons had passed since, since the year prior, along with Rhaenyra and all three knew, or rather were somewhat aware when the others would soon bleed once more, their moon cycles often matching up when Clarysse was in King's Landing. According to each of their Septas.
Not to mention the fact that they had already been presented to Court, long before having their moon cycles.
"He has not, I believe he has the same worries you do, the birth of the new babe." Alicent replied, pulling her eyes, with much difficulty, from Clarysse's profile and looking at the red leaves above them as well. "Although I've read some of the ravens that my uncle Hobert sent to Father, my Tour will most likely will be back home, in the Citadel."
Clarysse pursed her lips as she heard Alicent tell her what she had read without having permission.
"Mine will most likely be in Storm's End, or in Winterfell." Clarysse replied, her voice trailing off and leading the two girls to silence, neither comfortable nor uncomfortable.
"How have your studies been?" Clarysse questioned gently, grabbing Alicent's hand in her and prying it away from the cuticle picking habit that the young Hightower had, and rested it, in her grasp, on her stomach.
The little air that had been residing in Alicent's lungs escaped at Clarysse's actions, making her reply come off as breathy "Septa Marlow is having Nyra and I memorize Princess Nymeria's pages in the book."
Clarysse turned her head to her closest friend, watching as she stared at her with parted lips and a heaving chest.
"Princess Nymeria of Ny Sar led her Rhoynar across the Narrow Sea on 10 thousand ships to flee their Valyrian pursuers. Upon arriving in Dorne, she took Lord Mors Martell of Dorne to husband, with whom she had four daughter. She burned her own fleet off Sunspear to show her people that they were finished running." Clarysse recited from memory.
"After Lord Mors Martell died, she married a Lord Uller of Hellholt with whom she had no children, and after he died, she married Ser Davos Dayne, with whom she had one son."
Alicent knew that unlike Rhaenyra, who cared little about her studies with the Septa's, Clarysse never missed a lesson, no matter what they would be teaching her. So despite knowing that her closest friend knew the Book half-by-heart, it still shocked her.
"Don't look so shocked, I read that book to fall asleep when I don't have you and Nyra to gossip with." Clarysse laughed, clutching Alicent's hand in hers and drawing shapes on the back of her hand with her other hand.
Alicent pulled her eyes away from her closest friend, and moved them to the red leaves above them. Both girls could tell that the hour was growing late, by the fact that the sun no longer shun above them but rather looked like it was preparing to set.
"Where, do you think, Rhaenyra is? The Council must have dispersed ages ago." Clarysse questioned, sitting up and looking towards the entrance of the area of the Heart Tree.
Alicent sat up as well, following Clarysse's actions, her brows furrowed and curiosity alight in them. "I haven't the faintest idea, mayhaps she's talking with her father, the King?"
Clarysse pursed her lips, looking from the entrance back at Alicent, "She knows that we are waiting for her, mayhaps she's with Aunt Aemma awaiting us?" Clarysse offered, a hint of worry in her tone.
"Then lest us return to the Queen's side." Alicent replied promptly, despite knowing that the Queen wasn't overly fond of her and her father.
The two Ladies left the Heart Tree garden and made their way back inside the the Keep with each, smiling when someone bowed to them or bowing when they passed someone of a higher rank than them.
The search for the Princess was in vain, as she was neither in the birthing chambers, nor in the Council chamber, it wasn't until the two Highborn ladies return to Clarysse's chambers that they found the princess lounging next to the window, playing with her necklace.
"Rhaenyra we've been searching for you!" Alicent chastised as she approached the Princess first, unhooking her arm from Clarysse in order to do so. "Did you forget that you were to meet with us when the council dispersed?"
Rhaenyra turned her head to her friends, her lilac eyes watching as they approached her at different paces. Alicent seemed to be the most worried as she kneeled besides Rhaenyra, Clarysse merely gazed at her, her eyes stopping by the necklace that was new on the Princess's neck.
Unlike many people, Clarysse didn't comment when the Rogue Prince showered his niece with the finest presents, exotic gifts from his trips across the narrow sea, be it jewelry or materials to have dresses made. She knew that the Princess had been enamored by the Rogue Prince from a young age, and Clarysse didn't judge her, for if one were to take Prince Daemon's ambition for the throne away, he would make a wonderful option for a marriage suitor.
"My uncle summoned for me." Rhaenyra told the two girls, watching their reactions carefully, she knew that whatever she told either girl would not leave their lips, not even during torture.
Alicent looked positively horrified that the Rogue Targaryen Prince would summon an audience with his niece without her Ladies present, knowing very well how rumours started. Clarysse merely let a small smile grace her lips as she took a seat before the Princess.
"Am I correct to assume that the necklace was a gift from him? It is not the necklace you were wearing this morning." Clarysse questioned, placing a hand on her the seat by the window and leaning forward to get a better look at it.
Rhaenyra nodded and gently took the necklace off, placing it on the palm of her hand so that her friends could look at it. It wasn't overly eye-catchy but those that had a bit of knowledge about the Targaryens and their customs, could tell that the material with which the necklace was made was not from Westeros.
"Valyrian steel?" Alicent questioned as the gently touched the pendant of the necklace.
Rhaenyra nodded and gently put the necklace back on, resuming her fidgeting.
The Baratheon and Hightower Ladies shared yet another look before Alicent took one of Rhaenyra's hands into hers and stated "You are always like this when you're worried."
"Like what?" Rhaenyra questioned, feigning confusion.
"A recluse and disagreeable." Clarysse replied as she nudged her cousin's legs, her reply made Rhaenyra laugh gently before Alicent continued.
"You're worried that your father is about to overshadow you with a son."
"I only worry for my mother, I hope for my father that he gets a son. As long as I can recall it is all he's ever wanted." Rhaenyra told the two girls as she turned her head back to the window.
"You want him to have a son?" Alicent questioned, confused, squeezing Rhaenyra's hand in order to have her look at either her or Clarysse once more.
"I want to fly on dragonback, see the great wonders across the Narrow Sea and eat only cake." Rhaenyra replied, her tone tired, as if she'd been saying those words for years.
"You aren't worried about your position?" Alicent quizzed, puzzled and confused by Rhaenyra's lack of worry about her position in Court.
"I like this position, it's quite comfortable." Rhaenyra replied with a dry yet teasing tone.
Alicent looked horrified by Rhaenyra's words and actions, as if she couldn't understand where she was coming from, which in reality she couldn't. Neither her, nor Clarysse had been born first and lived without brothers for many years, instead they were born after the Heirs to their families were born, hence all they needed to worry about was finding a match for themselves.
"Nyra, we're being serious, we are worried for you, of what might happen to you when and if Aunt Aemma has a son." Clarysse started, nudging Rhaenyra's leg once more.