Perseus wasn't either a hero or villain because he killed monsters.
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ੈ✩‧₊˚ A pen? For what purpose?

The screen opens to a museum and rousing instrumental music starts playing.

"What you see here, they are not fictions. They are not fantasies. What you see here are the truest and deepest parts of yourselves." Mr. Brunner v.o said as it shows the statues of the gods and goddesses.

"What are those?" Aegon asked drunkenly.

"Statues of gods and goddesses, Aegon," Alicent replied, annoyed with her son.

"Well, sorry," Aegon muttered, rolling his eyes.

"Those green cunts have more problems than us," Daemon whispered. Rhaenyra glanced at him. "I mean, Aegon is a drunken fool, Aemond is just another copy of me, Helaena is herself, and the other one is nowhere to be found," Daemon continued in a hushed tone.

The scene changed and we see Mr. Brunner in his wheelchair. He stood at the front of them, his voice echoing off the walls. "Friends… the gods… the monsters, the heroes you see—"

Alkmini looked on quietly, her eyes looking straight at him.

"Here in this room are reminders of what we are capable of. Now, on your worksheets, I want you to choose one of the subjects you see here and describe it." Mr. Brunner v.o said.

Alkmini glanced down at the worksheet in her hands, held in place by a clipboard.

"What the hell is that?" Otto asked aloud.

"It's a clipboard, Otto," Balerion replied, feeling tired of the Hightower's questions.

"It was just a simple question," Alicent interjected unnecessarily.

"Shut up," Balerion snapped.

Aemond wanted to say something, but he knew better.

Mr. Brunner's voice was insistent. "Not just how it looks…"

The words on the worksheet began to blur and mix together in Alkmini's vision. Frustrated, she looked up at Mr. Brunner.

"Why do the words do that?" Viserys asked, confused.

"Dyslexia," Balerion responded, and Viserys nodded, trying to understand.

"I think she even had it when she was alive with us," Rhaenys whispered to Rhaenyra, her voice filled with sympathy.

It's true. Malaera couldn't read well, and everything looked jumbled up and weird to her. They did take notice, but dismissed her struggles as mere incompetence. People believe that's one of the reasons she died—unable to follow written instructions correctly, she faced a tragic accident.

Rhaenyra clenched her fists, remembering how Malaera was often mocked for her difficulty with reading. "It's not fair," she murmured, anger and sadness mixing in her voice.

Rhaenys nodded, her expression solemn. "No, it wasn't. She deserved better."

"But how it makes you feel."

The scene shifted to a wide shot of the room. After a few moments, Mr. Brunner clapped his hands. "Hmm? Okay, come on."

The sound of the clap broke the silence. Students around Alkmini began to move, getting up from their seats and starting to work. Alkmini remained where she was, looking around uncertainly before her eyes settled on a statue of Perseus.

"Who's that?" Otto asked.

"Perseus," Balerion responded.

"He looks like he was handsome," Baela commented to her twin, who agreed with a laugh. Jace wasn't jealous at all because, secretly, he agreed with them.

"A strong man indeed," Viserys said, nodding in approval.

"Truly," Daemon agreed.

"If strength can be related to him," Criston muttered under his breath.

Baela raised an eyebrow at Criston's comment. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, a hint of challenge in her voice.

Criston shrugged. "Just that physical strength isn't everything. Perseus might have been strong, but what about his character?"

Everyone just ignored Criston's comment and rolled their eyes. Alicent, on the other hand, was eyeing him intently, her gaze lingering with a mix of frustration and desire.

Daemon smirked as he noticed her expression. "Seems like someone can't get enough of Criston," he whispered to Rhaenyra.

Rhaenyra chuckled softly. "Alicent's always had a thing for brooding types," she replied, shaking her head.

Criston, oblivious to the whispers, remained focused, trying to suppress his annoyance at being dismissed. Alicent's intense gaze didn't go unnoticed, and he felt a mix of pride and irritation.

Viserys, eager to move on from the distraction, cleared his throat. "Let's return to the matter at hand," he said firmly. The room settled down, though the underlying tensions and unspoken attractions remained palpable.

She looked down at her paper again, staring at the words that refused to make sense.

Sally's voice echoed in her mind. "What do you see?"

"Who's that?" Jace asked.

"Her mother in that life," Balerion replied.

Rhaenyra looked down, not in sadness but in contemplation. She felt as though she had failed Malaera, even though she hadn't had a say in who Malaera married.

Her only hope was that Malaera was treated better in that life than in the one she was originally born into. The thought of her daughter's struggles weighed heavily on her heart, and she silently wished for Malaera's happiness and peace.

Daemon noticed Rhaenyra's troubled expression and gently squeezed her hand. "You did everything you could," he whispered reassuringly.

Rhaenyra nodded, appreciating his support but still feeling the lingering guilt. "I just want her to be happy," she murmured.

"We all do," Daemon replied, his voice soft but firm. "And maybe in that life, she will find the happiness she deserves."

Emotional instrumental music seemed to play in the background of her memory. Alkmini looked up at the statue, feeling a connection.

"She feels something. A connection of some sort, like she belongs where they are," Helaena said, capturing everyone's attention.

"It's just one of her nonsense mumblings," Alicent dismissed with a wave of her hand.

Viserys glanced at Helaena, realizing she was a dreamer right then and there. He knew he had a role in this situation, but he felt helpless. Any action he took might only complicate things further.

He sighed inwardly, torn between wanting to support Helaena's intuition and fearing the consequences of meddling in something uncertain and potentially disruptive.

"Perseus..." Alkmini's younger self said. Her mind drifted to a flashback of a conversation she had with her mother.

"That's me," Alkmini's younger self said, concentrating.

"Mmhmm, that's the first person you're named after," Sally corrected.

"Who was the second person she named Mala-Alkmini after?" Rhaenys asked.

"She was named after Hercules' mother, Alcmene," Balerion responded.

"That's a nice name," Rhaenyra said with a smile.

"Is that why you named me after him?" Alkmini asked, looking at Sally. "Because he was a hero?"

"What makes you think he was a hero?" Sally asked as Alkmini shrugged.

"Because he kills monsters," Alkmini responded.

"Just because he killed monsters doesn't necessarily make him a hero," Alicent remarked, her tone carrying a hint of skepticism.

"And what makes you think that she was a monster?" Sally asked.

"Sometimes, monsters can be heroes," Helaena whispered softly, prompting contemplative looks from those around her.

"Mom..." Alkmini began, but Sally continued. "Not everyone who looks like a hero is a hero, and not everyone who looks like a monster is a monster."

"She's right about that. Just because you appear to be a savior doesn't mean you can't be just as evil. Everyone has their own backstory that shapes who they are now," Viserys said solemnly.

Aemond simply rolled his eye. It was Rhaenyra's children who shaped him into who he is. He lost an eye, and no justice was served. Viserys didn't seem to care; his focus remained solely on Rhaenyra.

Sally then took a deep inhale. "I named you after him because when he was a very little boy, he and his mother were placed in a wooden chest and cast out into the sea by a very angry king."

"Alone and afraid. And at night, his mother would whisper in his ear," Sally then whispered to Alkmini, "Hold fast, Perseus. Brave the storm that was made to break us, for we are unbreakable as long as we have each other."

Everyone absorbed those words, silently grappling with the looming storm of war ahead. Rhaenyra couldn't shake the feeling that perhaps she was right—that the greatest threat to her and her family lay within themselves. It seemed inevitable now, like a tragic fate they couldn't escape.

She stopped whispering. "And against all odds, he managed to find his way to a happy ending." Alkmini looked up at her mother.

"But we can't find our happy ending," Rhaenyra whispered, her voice heavy with regret. If only Viserys hadn't married Alicent, none of this would've happened. Rhaenyra didn't want to find herself at odds in a war with someone she once had a crush on. But now, it is what it is, and it seems like Viserys won't lift a finger to change it.

"Alkmini?" Mr. Brunner asked as she snapped out of her memory and the music concluded.

"Mom?" Alkmini said out loud as indistinct chattering started.

"I'm right here, sweetie! Mommy's here!" Nancy said as they all laughed.

Daemon rolled his eyes. That girl had the audacity to laugh at his daughter with her little group of friends. No, she didn't even look half as good as Alkmini, yet she was the one laughing.

"Laughing while looking like that," Daemon muttered. He didn't care if he insulted a child; he was fiercely protective of his daughters, and everyone knew it.

"Miss Jackson, you will learn to control yourself, do you understand me?" Mrs. Dodds said sternly.

"Me?" Alkmini asked, dazed.

"I'll be surprised too. I mean, control myself? What did I even do in the first place? It's not like I was yelling at someone," Rhaena said, puzzled.

Team Black nodded in agreement. "Alkmini didn't do anything, and she has to control herself over something that happened to her?"

Their frustration was palpable, questioning the need for Alkmini to bear responsibility for a situation where she was clearly not at fault.

"Do you understand me?" Mrs. Dodds repeated.

"She can’t help it, Mrs. Dodds. Alkmini is special," Nancy said as there was indistinct chatter.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Daemon asked, a tinge of defensiveness in his voice. He knew his daughter was special, which made him more protective of her than anyone else.

Rhaenyra shook her head, overwhelmed by the feeling that everything was somehow her responsibility, even though she hadn't been present.

Alicent rolled her eyes at Rhaenyra's turmoil. "Bullying someone because they're special? It depends on the kind of 'special' she's got," Alicent retorted sharply.

Viserys shot Alicent a warning glance. Wasn't she the one who had talked to him about not seeking pity when her mother passed away? He and Rhaenyra had tried to support Alicent, but she had pushed Rhaenyra away.

"We were there for you when you lost your mother. Seems like you've forgotten that in the midst of all this drama," Viserys added, his voice tinged with disappointment and frustration.

"That’s enough," Mr. Brunner said as he wheeled over to Alkmini. "Pay them no mind," Mr. Brunner said, but Alkmini nodded and looked down.

"Don't feel sad, darling. Nothing is your fault," Rhaenyra whispered reassuringly to screen Alkmini.

"When you’re ready to hear what the gods have in store for you, they’ll tell you," Mr. Brunner said as Alkmini looked at him.

"I believe in you. And I believe you’ll be needing this," Mr. Brunner said as he took a pen out of the pocket of his coat. Then a gentle instrumental music started playing.

"Okay, number one, why does she need a pen? Number two, what do the gods have in store for her? Another death?" Aemond asked, choosing his words ''carefully''.

"I don't know, because my daughter is a survivor. She will fight death to the end. But between you and me, I'd take you down faster than your mother could even think about Cristin," Daemon retorted sharply.

Aemond looked away, feeling the weight of Daemon's words. He knew Daemon had bested him many times before, with only one instance of interference from Criston giving him a chance to win.

Alkmini grabbed the pen.

"‘Tis a mighty instrument," Mr. Brunner said as he wheeled away. Alkmini looked at him while he wheeled away, then at the pen confused, and finally at the statue of Perseus.

"The gods indeed have something in store for her," Helaena whispered.

"Helaena, darling, maybe you should stop your mumbling nonsense," Alicent whispered back, her tone dismissive.

Helaena turned away from Alicent, hurt by the lack of understanding.

"Leave her alone, Alicent," Viserys demanded, his patience wearing thin with her and her father's interference. He had named Rhaenyra his heir, not Aegon. So how did Alicent manage to crown Aegon?

"The gods do have something in store for her," Balerion interjected. "But it's probably not for the good. I know the answer, but I'm not going to give it to you."

Daemon, who had been listening quietly, spoke up. "Perhaps Malaera will have a good life," he offered. "What the gods have in store might not be as bad as it seems."

Rhaenyra nodded in agreement. "Sometimes what seems like a burden or a curse turns out to be a path to something greater," she said thoughtfully. "Malaera may find strength and purpose in whatever lies ahead."

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Some things are from my au if you find anything different.

P.S I finally update this! 😁