there is a part of helaena that knows, that understands the way her mother had formed her own conjecture – had come to the idea that this had been the answer required to keep her safe, and yet . . . there is another notion altogether, buried deeper down that she cannot help but to hear bubble off in the wind, asking, wondering, if her mother had ever considered the fact that aegon and the word mercy did not ever belong in the same sentence.
too fragile, too broken on his own accord; suffering at the same cruel hands of fate that'd been dealt to her, it was no wonder all three of the queen's children held their own unfortunate misgivings. helaena flinches as her mother steps closer, a nervous habit – a worrisome, rabbit's heart within her chest; she'd not been well since their boy had died. since helaena had been forced to choose. her hands wring together in her lap, another nervous tic, inherited no doubt from the woman that stands before her.
“i do not feel . . . much loved in this moment, mother.” spoken truthfully, honestly, as her hand releases its hold on itself and extends out from her lap, reaching out in search of alicent's hand and curling delicate, nimble fingers round into hers. the way she has ever since she was a child. “i am – terrified, i do not want this. i do not want for any of it. and yet i know there is nothing i can do or say to release myself from it.”
𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐓𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐈𝐍 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐖𝐈𝐋𝐋 𝐀𝐋𝐖𝐀𝐘𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐓𝐄 𝐒𝐄𝐄𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍, 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐕𝐎𝐈𝐂𝐄. a voice that, in her mind, whispers nothing but wrong decision & failure. to know she's had a hand, no matter how inconsequential it felt at the time, in helaena's pain was enough to make her stomach turn. to cause another crack in her heart. like helaena, alicent lives her life in a certain state of discomfort which never wavers . . except now, she feels, when things look to be worsening rather than getting better. was this the gods punishment onto her, then ? ( to see her children, one by one, turn on her or destroy themselves. to witness their suffering & only have empty palms to remedy it. a mother is suppose to comfort her children, to assure them, to make them as content as possible. why couldn't she ever do that one thing right ? why, gods, why ! )
@petitmortes said, " DID IT EVER OCCUR TO YOU THAT I NEVER WANTED THIS TO BEGIN WITH ? "
brown eyes, so full of sorrows as of late, widened as mouth hangs slightly agape. hand rests about her stomach to keep teeth from picking at skin, a shaky breath taken before the mother can speak: ❛ of course i have, helaena. ❜ spoken softly, voice thick. tears well in the queens eyes, but none fall in the moment. ❛ i- . . marrying you to aegon felt like a mercy. it felt better. better you marry someone you know than a stranger. better you remain somewhere familiar, surrounded by those whom love you. ❜ all the things i was not spared, not given, briefly thought internally. lips press together, discomfort settling into her bones, as alicent takes a step forward. ❛ my girl, do you know how it hurts me to look at you at times & see a mirror of myself ? to know i . . i was the cause of some of your pain, your discomfort, when i believed myself protecting you. ❜