บท 60: mor
Seven and ninety dragons," her uncle said, and was met with an affirmative from the guard inside before the door was opened and Alyssa slipped inside the dark nursery.
Yet she was not blessed with solitude, her old adversary was also in the room. The clearly pregnant white-haired bitch was sat comfortably on Alyssa's preferred rocking chair. With what must have been her son Baelon cradled in her arms.
"Good evening, Lady Alyssa," Shiera said quietly. 'Is her brat asleep?' Alyssa thought before she steadied herself. She was being watched after all. She would be the picture of grace.
"Good evening, Lady Shiera. How are you feeling?" Alyssa offered easily as she moved toward the cradle of her son Viserys. She smiled easily as she stared down at her silver-haired bundle of joy, almost able to tune out what the white-haired bitch had to say.
"Oh I am alright, simply bidding goodnight to my sons, that's all," Shiera said tiredly, it was big news on the island when it broke that Shiera was with child. 'Even more attention on her, of course,' Alyssa thought with a frown as she leaned down to place a chaste kiss on her son's head.
"What a coincidence, I was just here to do the same," Alyssa said quickly, moving to leave the room before she stopped at the entrance.
Why was she fleeing? Why was it her that had to tread lightly around this guest of theirs? She had deliberately been avoiding the nursery for the last few moons. Trying to avoid speaking with Shiera when possible.
'I've been cowering,' Alyssa realized. She was so hellbent on avoiding Shiera Qoherys that she was neglecting time with her youngest.
A resolute look of determination appeared on Alyssa's face then. She turned right back around and took a seat across from Shiera. This was a game now, the first to leave lost, and Alyssa intended to win.
"Oh?" Shiera asked, seemingly intrigued at her gesture.
"I must apologize, Shiera. I have been awfully rude to you thus far," Alyssa said the words easily, even if she hated them internally. She had to play glib here, what with Ser Addison Hill and her uncle Ser Corlys listening.
"How thoughtful of you. But you need not apologize. The water is well under the bridge now, Lady Alyssa," Shiera replied with the same fake tone she offered. 'She clearly learned quite a bit from the Queen,' Alyssa thought. The Shiera she knew from when the girl was just three and ten was nothing like the one before her.
"Are you in the mood to talk? I know you must be exhausted with your current condition," Alyssa said with a coy smile.
"Of course," Shiera took the bait readily, before turning to Ser Addison Hill.
"Forgive me for asking, but might you all wait outside?" Shiera asked and Alyssa was stunned.
"My lady, I am afraid I am under orders to guard you," Ser Addison Hill said and her uncle Corlys gave her a look.
"Would you not be protecting me outside of this door? There is but one entrance and it is just myself and Lady Alyssa. I merely wish to have a private chat with my goodsister," Shiera said with a shocking amount of charm. An amount Alyssa did not know her old brazen adversary could muster.
Ser Addison gave her uncle a look before turning back to Shiera. "I am afraid I must insist, my lady. I am under direct orders," Ser Addison said again and Shiera looked at her then. Giving an unimpressed look.
'A challenge,' Alyssa thought through narrowed eyes.
"I agree with Lady Shiera. We are but two ladies who wish to have a private talk. Surely you can afford us a few minutes," Alyssa turned up her own charm. Just to be met with the same suspicious expression her uncle had been giving her for a while now.
"I must insist as well, my lady," he said simply.
"Ugh," Alyssa began, dreading the humiliation she would have to endure. "I speak true, uncle, I will behave myself. I merely wish to discuss some things privately with my goodsister," Alyssa said through grit teeth. She had to humiliate herself in front of her adversary.
"Your secrets are safe with us, we shall not speak of this to anyone," Ser Addison said again before Alyssa grabbed her uncle's wrist.
"Please, Uncle? I promise to be good," Alyssa turned up the charm as much as she could. She was being truthful too, she had less than zero desire to enter a screaming match with Shiera anyway.
Her beloved uncle, Ser Corlys Velaryon heaved a heavy sigh before turning to Ser Addison. "I heard a commotion outside, let us make sure the hallway is secure," he said in a wonderfully faked tone of surprise and Ser Addison gave him a look that screamed "Are you sure" before her uncle led him and all the guards from the room.
"You have half an hour," he whispered to her and Shiera before they left the room. The new clocks brought from Pentos made timing talks like this much easier.
Alyssa turned to Shiera then, and her fake smile turned to a scowl. Meanwhile, Shiera's own smile turned to a look of indifference.
"I must ask, why the challenge?" Alyssa spoke casually, the bitch in front of her did not deserve the courtesy befitting a lady.
"Shhh, we must whisper. They are still listening," Shiera said while pointing to the closed wooden door and Alyssa narrowed her eyes.
"And I must apologize for I must answer your question with another, what challenge?" Shiera whispered with a coy smile hidden in the dark nursery. 'This bitch,' Alyssa thought, already wracking her tired mind to keep up with her old friend, who she was just now remembering was a damn fine speaker.
"You can cut the act, we both hate each other, it is no secret," Alyssa offered a whisper of her own. If Shiera wanted to talk privately she would not mince words.
"Hate? I would argue that is too strong a word. I would say the only people in this world whom I hate are the Faceless Men, and as many frustrations I have with you, I loathe them far more," Shiera said easily, retaining her coy smile. Like a cat that had its prey within its grasp.
Before Alyssa could continue, Shiera spoke further. "Besides, you are the one who asked to chat, I merely gave you the polite reply," Shiera said with a light shrug of her shoulders and Alyssa narrowed her eyes once more.
"Yet you are the one who spends all damn day in here, keeping me from my son," Alyssa accused. Shiera must know, that as much as she hated to admit it, her former friend was smart.
"You are always welcome to join me, King Aegon does frequently, and your husband too. It seems you are the one keeping yourself from Prince Viserys," Shiera offered a retort and Alyssa stemmed the growing rage within her. She would not fall for Shiera's schemes.
"Says the one intruding on our home," Alyssa offered her own remark, aiming to cut deep. Alyssa knew from her husband that Shiera was still dealing with being entirely at their mercy.
"Your home? This was once my home too, you know, and may very well be again," Shiera said with a small glance around the dark room. Likely admiring the statues that adorned the walls.
"Oh? Confident are you?" Alyssa said with a cocksure smile of her own. If Shiera genuinely believed her family would return to this island with no struggle she was wrong. Alyssa did not care if she had to get this island gifted to her son or her daughter, it would not be Maegor's again.
"Aye, I am. My husband still wishes to return here and from the looks of it, yours wants him to come home too," Shiera continued and Alyssa silently stared at her.
"So that is why you are playing nice with the court, despite what they say about you," Alyssa connected the dots. Shiera was preparing for when Alyssa's foolish husband welcomed the biggest threat to their children back with open arms.
"That is some of it yes, although I must say that getting to properly know my goodfamily is nice. Your daughter Princess Rhaena is a sweetheart and Prince Aegon's enthusiasm is infectious," Shiera whispered wistfully. Continuing to rock back and forth in her chair.
"Is that what you are doing now? Getting to know your goodfamily?" Alyssa offered with a little bit of a snicker. 'Is that seriously why she wants to speak with me?' Alyssa could almost break out into a laugh at the notion. Surely Shiera was not so daft.
"No, I am afraid I already know you quite well. But I am trying to reach an accord with you, even if you seem resolutely determined to hate me until the day you die," Shiera said and Alyssa was stunned.
"Reach an accord with me?" Alyssa asked, dumbfounded.
"Indeed, as much as we may loathe each other. You are the one person in the world who I can actually relate to," Shiera said with a sincerity that confused Alyssa.
"Relate to? Oh please Shiera. We are nothing alike," Alyssa offered her gut reaction. She was nothing like the freak in front of her.
"Aren't we?" Shiera simply asked, the sly cunt knowing Alyssa would think about it.
'We are not,' Alyssa thought instantly. All one needed to do was look at their paternal houses and families. Alyssa was a proud member of House Velaryon, centuries-old and one of the wealthiest in the realm.
Shiera meanwhile was descended from some lowborn Valyrian who followed Aenar across the sea. Even if she had some Celtigar blood too. Alyssa was better. Not to mention that Shiera's family was pathetic.
Alyssa almost didn't have to do anything to destroy Shiera's reputation. Not only did the bitch's own actions get her in hot water but her family was a mess. A spendthrift mother, a destitute and dying father, and her brother was Gargon "The Guest."
Shiera's brother was quickly earning a reputation in court. His frequent escapades into the brothels of Harrenton spread far and wide and the scandal that he spawned on his wedding night was so bad it was talked about in King's Landing.
The manwhore visited a brothel on his wedding night, after the bedding. House Lychester was positively apoplectic upon learning and Lord Daeron Qoherys had to spend even more of his dwindling funds to placate them. Now his escapades drew the attention of the whole Riverlands, each one another stain on House Qoherys's honor.
Alyssa was also the typical Valyrian beauty. Silver hair, purple eyes, and unblemished pale skin. Meanwhile, Shiera was an albino. A freak that wasted her perfect figure.
Alyssa tried to deny the hint of jealousy in her mind when she first laid eyes on Shiera Qoherys again. Despite being a mother twice over, Shiera had a nigh-perfect body. A large bosom, thin waist, wide hips, and long, alluring legs. Meanwhile, Alyssa was still plenty able to turn heads but she was still working to lose the weight gained during her latest pregnancy. She was nowhere near what would be called fat but she certainly weighed more than Shiera, despite being shorter.
Yet Alyssa ran out of differences there, and so her mind had to turn to the dreaded similarities. First off, they were both Valyrians, even if Shiera's looks did her true blood a disservice. They were both from a dwindling people, bereft of their homeland.
Next, they were both mothers. Alyssa thrice over and Shiera soon to be thrice over. Motherhood united nearly all women in their world. So Alyssa could begrudgingly admit they were alike in that way.
Yet it went beyond that. They were both mothers to Targaryens. Their children were so far above their station that it beggared belief. She had already bemoaned her troubles in parenting Rhaena. Knowing that Shiera would one day have her own struggles brought a smile to Alyssa's face.
The last key similarity was they were both married to a Targaryen as well. They were blessed with the opportunity to be a part of, even if only nominally, the greatest and most powerful family in the world. They both bedded princes and they both bore them sons.
So Alyssa cursed Shiera, for making her think that while they were not perfectly alike, there was enough there, enough unique similarities there that Alyssa could not refute Shiera's sentiment.
Shiera gave Alyssa a look that screamed "I thought so," and the cocksure smile nearly sent Alyssa over the edge. 'This bitch, what does she want?' Alyssa thought with a frown.
"So what do you want in this accord? I think we both know we can never be friends again," Alyssa spoke the obvious aloud. The chances of her even being friends with Shiera again were precisely zero, no matter how much her husband willed it to be.
"Of course not," Shiera said with a smirk and almost a chuckle and Alyssa felt insulted, despite sharing the same sentiment.
"I merely think it is prudent to come to a sort of understanding, neither of us like each other, neither of us will ever like each other. But we need not pass down our hate to our children," Shiera's previously cocksure tone turned to one of complete seriousness in an instant, it was almost uncanny.
"So that is what this is about?" Alyssa queried.
"Indeed it is, we are both mothers to Targaryens. We need not let our feud divide them, especially because they are likely to marry one day," Shiera offered diplomatically and Alyssa recoiled.
"Marry one day?" Alyssa said with a face of pure disgust.
"Ah, it seems we are more alike than you thought. I dislike the notion as well. But it is not up to us now is it?" Shiera said with a cocky smirk and Alyssa quickly grew enraged, raising her voice from a whisper to normal speaking.
"That will never happen! Nor will the need arise! I will give my husband as many daughters as he needs!" Alyssa said with venom dripping from her tone.
"It is not I, but your husband you should be angry with, Lady Alyssa. For I share your same sentiment. If I had my way, each of my sons would marry a daughter, as a Targaryen should. But we do not get to have our way, Lady Alyssa," Shiera said with another coy smile as the door to the nursery opened again and the Kingsguard entered once more, spurred on from her momentary outburst.
"We shall see about that!" Alyssa whispered harshly before making for the exit. She had a visit with her husband that she needed to attend to. She had succeeded in providing her husband a daughter once already, she would do so again.
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