The death of the peaceful king viserys t-rgaryen had been circling amongst the servants, the news of the king's death coming a sorrowful shock to all including the lady-queen alicent hightower who was awoken in the early daybreak of the very night the king had passed upon to the seven above by her handmaiden, Talya who spoke only a soft whisper of the king's demise before she was sworn to remain quiet of this matter until alicent said otherwise, No one knew aside from a few servants, alicent, her father otto hightower and now the small council of house t-rgaryen the men who had been serving under alicent as her advisors for her time as standing authority in place of her bed ridden husband but the last thing the queen had expected when she sat to have a discussion about her husband's last words before the unfortunate news of his passing — she did not think the topic of the throne would arise so early, yes she mayhap had mentioned the words of her late-husband uttering her eldest son, aegon II's name and whispers of wishing for him upon the throne but to hear that the council, persuaded by her father himself had decided to turn on rhaenyra and her claim to the iron throne which viserys had stood by for many years came as a bone chilling shock, she found herself blind to the plotting but the only one who seemed unaware of the betrayal was lord beesbury who seemed to be in the state of disbelief as his wide eyes took in the borderline treason that had bubbled up to the surface the minute the king met his end, it startled the man who had been personally loyal to the late king for more years than anyone else on the council,

as he even looked towards the slightly dazed-looking queen alicent who merely stared at her father for a second of disbelief looking between lord hand otto and ser tyland lannister as they discuss sending ravens, replacing commanders of the city watch who still remained fiercely loyal to prince daemon, it was beginning to make alicent's head spin with unease as she tried to process the various secrets kept from her, so with a soft but firm voice she interrupts her father hand on the firm wooden table, as if to ground herself into reality of what resides in front of her face, usurpation in the making and hint of treason that had been happening before her husband had even taken his final breath

"Am I to understand that members of the small council have been planning secretly to install my son without me?" Alicent asks with a tone of hushedness and urgency that cannot be ignored, though for a split second her brown eyes dart towards you her very own daughter, her cupbearer, one she would wholeheartedly trust the implication of your calmness leaving her unnerved, would you have dared conspire with them? perhaps you even agreed..?

the lingering silence spoke louder than words, ringing through alicent's mind like the screech of a dragon.