Lucerys felt had never felt so awful before.

The burden of guilt weighed heavily on his young shoulders, casting a shadow over his every thought. You both had never been close, the bond of kinship strained by the rivalry between your mothers and the tension that simmered beneath the surface.

He hadn’t meant to cut you in the eye. It had been a moment of chaos, fueled by fear and the heat of the altercation. He hadn’t meant for you to lose your eye. Yet, despite his mother and brother’s insistence that it wasn’t his fault, Lucerys felt fully responsible. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the flash of steel and the horror of what he had done.

From the edge of the room, he watched as your mother, Alicent, stood over you, her protective stance a solitary shield against the court. Her eyes blazed with a mixture of fury and desperation, a mother lioness defending her wounded cub. But despite her fierce demeanor, there was an underlying vulnerability, a sense of being completely alone. She was pitted not only against the court but also against her own husband, King Viserys, who everyone knew preferred Rhaenyra, Lucerys’ mother.

The tension in the room was palpable, the air thick with the unspoken accusations and simmering animosities. Alicent had lashed out at Rhaenyra, her voice cutting through the silence like a dagger. The court watched with bated breath, caught in the web of royal discord.

In a soft, trembling voice, you gently whispered to your mother after her outburst, trying to soothe her anger and calm the storm. "Do not mourn me mother," you murmured, though the pain was evident in your voice. "I have gained something far greater." Your words were meant to comfort, but they only served to highlight the tragedy of the situation.

Lucerys could see the conflicted emotions playing across the faces of those around you. Jacaerys, his older brother, stood with a stony expression, his jaw clenched in a mix of anger and concern. Rhaena, your cousin, had been in tears.