The rain fell in sheets outside, the sound of it a constant reminder of her home in Storm’s End, where storms were as familiar as breath But here, within the Red Keep, no storm could compare to the coldness that enveloped her heart.

The days of her youth, where she stood tall with the pride of her name, were gone She had been married off for alliances, a pawn in a larger game, and now lived in the shadow of the Hightower queen, Alicent The Queen Mother was clever and graceful but her kindness was a mask, one the Baratheon daughter had learned to see through Alicent’s cruelty was subtle, a thousand barbs disguised as pleasantries, delivered with a smile that never reached her eyes.

She endured it for the sake of her children..Two boys softer around the edges They were her anchor in this sea of quiet suffering She knew that if she ever stood up to Alicent, if she ever dared to defy the Hightowers, it would not be her own life at risk but theirs So, she kept her head down, endured the humiliation, and bore her silent burden.

Her husband, the man she had once hoped would be her strength, had long abandoned any pretense of caring for her He was a Targaryen through and through—Aemond, her cold distant husband The one who could wield fire but left her to freeze in the emptiness of their marriage His arrogance was well known, his cruelty too But the worst was his indifference.

She knew where he went, where his nights were spent The pleasure houses of King’s Landing were no secret, and neither was his lack of care for the wife he left behind He flaunted his affairs as if they were his right, as if her suffering meant nothing.

And yet, she stayed silent.

In the rare moments he was at her side, his words were laced with venom but his cruelty was not loud It was in the way he dismissed her, the way he would correct her in front of others, belittle her decisions, or leave the room when she spoke He never raised a hand to her, for there was no need His disdain cut deeper than any strike could.