Work Text:
Hollow
The fact that Alicent puts herself between Aegon and a furious dragon – a futile gesture born from protective love – does nothing to erase the fact that she is in large part responsible for said furious dragon threatening Aegon in the first place. Sowing dissent within the royal family, indulging murderers like Cole and Larys Strong, recalling her treacherous father to court to let him further the Green treason plot and abuse her children. She might as well have let Meleys eat him.
Being willing to burn precious seconds before her son does not excuse that she dragged her first-born to be crowned unwilling, nor, harboring such high hopes, that she raised a man so unsuited to the crown. It does not excuse that the crowd cheering for him is the first time in Aegon’s life he experienced praise from anyone, when he only lost himself the right to be praised for merely living at age thirteen.
It does not excuse that the dragons will die because of the fallacies within her vaunted faith. It does not excuse that she raised a band of kinslayers when that is the accusation Alicent has used throughout her marriage to absolve herself of any guilt.
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