Queen Dowager Alicent Hightower
Alicent Hightower, Queen of Westeros
Age: 41 in 129 AC (born in 88 AC)
Rank: Queen Dowager
Traits (10 points):
Survival +3
Counterspy +2
Escape +2
Charisma +3
Bio:
Alicent arrived at the court of King Jaehaerys I when she was fifteen years old, in 101 AC, when her father, Ser Otto Hightower, was named Hand of the King. Alicent would become the constant companion of the Old King, whose health was failing. She would fetch his meals, help him wash and dress him, and read to him. In the end, King Jaehaerys would sometimes mistake her for his daughter, Saera Targaryen. King Jaehaerys eventually died in 103 AC, while Alicent was reading to him.
Alicent stayed at court, as her father continued to occupy the position as Hand of the King under Jaehaerys' successor, King Viserys I Targaryen. Already early in the reign of Viserys, Ser Otto and Prince Daemon Targaryen were at odds with each other, and the court fool Mushroom has suggested that the quarrel between the two men began when Daemon deflowered Alicent. The truths of these tales has never been uncovered.
In the years that followed, Alicent caught the eye of King Viserys I, whose first wife, Queen Aemma Arryn, had died, and whose council was urging him to wed again. Ignoring all advice from his council, Viserys choose Alicent as his wife. They married in 106 AC, despite the whispers of people who believed that the Hand had risen above himself. Some people even doubted Alicents virtue, as rumours began circling that she had given her maidenhead to Prince Daemon, and had later even slept with King Viserys while Queen Aemma was still alive. Nonetheless, Alicent was wed to the King.
Originally, Queen Alicent had a good relationship with her stepdaughter, Princess Rhaenyra. But when Alicent gave birth to a son, Prince Aegon, a daughter, Princess Helaena, and another son, Prince Aemond, in rapid succession, and Rhaenyra remained Viserys' heir, those feelings started to change. Both women wanted to be the first lady of the realm, but there could only be one.
Alicent's biggest supporter was her own father, Ser Otto Hightower. He eventually pushed too far on the matter, and was fired for it. Having no place at court anymore, Ser Otto returned to Hightower. A "Queen's party", a group of powerful lords who were friends with Queen Alicent, remained, who supported the rights of Alicent's sons.
In 111 AC, a great tourney was held at King’s Landing on the fifth anniversary of the King’s marriage to Queen Alicent. At the opening feast, Alicent wore a green gown, whilst Princess Rhaenyra dressed in Targaryen red and black. Note was taken, and thereafter it became the custom to refer to “greens” and “blacks” when talking of the queen’s party and the party of the princess, respectively. In the tourney itself, the greens were defeated by the blacks, when Ser Criston Cole, wearing Princess Rhaenyra’s favor, unhorsed all of the queen’s champions, including two of her cousins and her youngest brother, Ser Gwayne Hightower.
Prince Daemon Targaryen was opposed to Alicent and her sons, and after his return to King's Landing, he made fun of Alicent, Aegon and Aemond, and the other greens, to entertain Princess Rhaenyra. It is said he acted cool towards the princes Aegon and Aemond, because they had pushed him even lower in the line of succession.
When Princess Rhaenyra turned sixteen, the Small council started looking for a suitable husband. Alicent had her own choice: her eldest son, Prince Aegon, who, while the Princess was sixteen years old, was only 6 years old himself. Viserys argued that the siblings never had gotten along, but Alicent urged her husband that was all the more reason to wed the two. Viserys refused, believing that Alicent only made the suggestion to get her own blood on the throne.
By the time Princess Rhaenyra got married, in 114 AC, Queen Alicent had found a new member for her greens: Ser Criston Cole, former companion to Princess Rhaenyra. Cole fought in the tourney for Rhaenyra's wedding with Alicent's favor, and was named Alicents personal protector soon thereafter.
By 115 AC, the enemity between the greens and the blacks had grown deep. Whilst Alicent had given birth to Prince Daeron, who, just like his brothers and sister, looked unmistakenly like a Targaryen, Princess Rhaenyra had given birth to princes Jacaerys and Lucerys, who both looked nothing like either Rhaenyra or her husband, Ser Laenor Velaryon. Whilst Alicent was convinced the children had actually been fathered by Ser Harwin Strong, King Viserys did not share these feelings.
In 120 AC, Alicent's second son got involved in an incident where Rhaenyra's son Lucerys took out Aemonds right eye. Alicent, angered, demanded that to Lucerys the same would be done. After this incident, King Viserys I declared that Alicent and her children would remain at court in King's Landing, whilst Rhaenyra and her family remained at Dragonstone. Later that year, as Rhaenyra gave birth to her first son by Prince Daemon Targaryen, Alicent grew wroth upon learning the child had been named Aegon, believing it to be a slight against her own firstborn, who had also been named Aegon.
Chambers of Queen Dowager Alicent Hightower
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Originally Posted by Jokern
