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summary: now that rhaelle's niece is married to alicent's son, both targaryen and velaryon must keep the peace between their houses and keep their family from going to war with one another.
warning: underage, implied sa, mentions of miscarriages, implied sexual advances, dub-con/non-con (near future maybe/maybe not).
The room was left in silence after the departure of the boys, Alyaena leaned off the wall, she was in the corner watching everything unfold. She knew her brother, Corwyn, was a piece of shit from what she overheard her father say to Aeron but she never knew he could be down right scumbag. It sorta made her see Romarn in a different light.
"Where are you going?" Daemon asked, catching his daughter's elbow as she passed by him.
"To see if they are okay," Alyaena tried pulled her arm from her father's grip.
"Go back to the wall." He mutters, Alyaena moved her mouth to argue but her father have her a look. "Go." He said slower, making the girl frown and pulled her arm from him.
They stared at each other for a while before Daemon crossed his arms and look at Alyaena with a look that she seen usually directed at Baelon or Baela, she turned her eyes away from him, her chest squeezing to say something she might regret, and stomped back to the wall, where she turned to leaned back against it to glare at her father.
"Fix your face." Daemon snip.
Alyaena stare at him like that for a few more seconds before turning her eyes away to look out the window, where Romarn and Ronas was sitting at. Daemon narrowed his eyes at his daughter, before he looked at his wife, Rhaelle gives him a look that told him he was being too obvious about his dislike of Corwyn's twins.
"I'll should go and check on them–." Valaena begins.
"No, I'll go." Baelor stepped in, putting his glass down. "You already have a lot on your plate, sister." He walks over to his sister to squeeze her arm, Valaena looks at him with an thankful look.
Corwyn looked between them. "Trying to play father now, Baelor?" He gibed.
Valaena gives him a look, she was already fed up with him and with this new information she didn't even want to hear his voice. "You don't get to speak, Corywn. Not after all you said–"
"Their still my sons." He hissed at his sister, he glance at her before looking back at Baelor, the young man was staring at his brother as if he was some drunk belligerent stranger. "What? You don't have anything to say? That's surprising since you always have something to say when it comes to my children even through you don't have any. Oh, wait, I forgot your wife left you because you couldn't help but stick your cock into Marra. I guess, like father like son—"
"Shut up!" Baelor exploded, Valaena stand in front of her little brother, putting her hands on his chest, keeping him from doing something he might harm to his older brother.
"Ignore him, Baelor." Valaena says, "He's just trying to make you feel as miserable as him–"
"Is it working?" Corwyn asked smug.
Aeron pushed his brother's shoulder, catching Corywn attention. "You need to lay the fuck down. Do not blame him for your shortcomings."
"I think he should know the truth." Arron looked taken back by his words, "I think he mature enough–"
"Your not mature enough, you fucking mad man." Aeron hissed, Corwyn stare blankly at his brother as he rant. "You need to go and sober yourself up and quick, because your making a mockery of us right now. You are a father and an older brother and this is how you choose to act."
"I don't give a shit how these people see me, this is who I am." Corwyn raised his hand to point at Rhaelle, "This is who she gave birth to, why must I change?" He dropped his hand.
"There he goes again!" Baelor rolled his eyes, "Blaming mommy for his problems again and again, it's not her fault she birth the incarnation of Maegor!" Baelor hissed, still getting held back by his sister.
"Baelor! Thats enough!" Rhaelle says, moving to go to her younger son, "We are all tired and drained of the day, and taking it out on one another–"
"Always the peacekeeper." Corwyn shakes his head, Rhaelle warily looked over at her son. "Why don't you–"
"Careful." Daemon warned, Rhaelle put her arms out to calm Daemon.
Corwyn glanced at him. "What's wrong, steppapa? What do you think I was going to say–?" Daemon's face twitched.
"I don't give a shit what you were going to say, but if you disrespect my wife." Daemon took a step forward. "I am going to forget you are her son and slice off a very important body part–"
"Daemon." Rhaelle snapped, looking angrily at her husband.
Corwyn hummed with a smile, making Daemon put his hand on his belt. "How romantic. Take notes, children. This is true love." He waved his finger between his mother and Daemon, Daemon glared at his stepson. "Find a woman you are willing to kill for, and marry a man who is willing to kill for you, my dears. Life is too short–."
"What the hell are you going on about now." Baelor exasperated, he stopped struggling against his sister for the time being, now he just waiting for an opening.
Corwyn chuckled, looking at his brother. "Something you wouldn't understand, little brother." The young prince with white hair narrowed his eyes at him, "If only you knew how much we hated you."
"Corwyn–" Aeron snapped worriedly.
"Who is we?" Baelor hissed.
Corwyn raised a brow. "Aeron and I, of course." He glanced at his older brother before looking at his younger brother and sister shocked expression. "I mean, you are the very creature that destroyed our mother's life."
Rhaelle turned to look at her son in shock, she haven't heard Corwyn call her mother since he was child. Corwyn seemed unfazed as the rest of his family looked at him stunned, Aeron glance between Corwyn and his younger brother.
"Okay, Corwyn, you said your piece–"
"We hoped you didn't make it out of the womb," Corwyn continue, speaking over his brother's weak words. "We always believed Jaen should have survived instead of you–"
"Who the fuck is Jaen?" Baelor cursed, Rhaenyra glanced at Rhaelle.
Rhaelle put her hand over her mouth, feeling like she was about vomit all over the floor. Why was this happening? Why was she not stopping this?
"Our sister. Your twin to be more specific." Corwyn clarified.
Baelor frown, shaking his head at the ludicrous words that was coming from Corwyn. If he had a twin his mother would have told him or atleast Valaena.
"I think the wine has finally destroyed your brain, brother." Baelor jeered, Corwyn tilt his head to the side as he laughed. Baelor turned to look at Aeron, who was staring at him as if getting ready to catch him if he fainted, he moved his eyes to Valaena who was staring at his chest with a deep frown.
His laughter dead in his throat at the silence in the room, his eyes goes over to Daemon, who was staring at someone. Baelor blinks and swallow the lump in his throat, before slowly dragging his eyes to his mother.
"Mother." Baelor called weakly, but Rhaelle was staring thin air. "Mother!" Baelor snapped angrily, making Rhaelle look at him with tears in her eyes.
"Do not blame her." Corwyn spat, Baelor and Rhaelle turned their attention away from each to Corwyn. "It was your father who forced her to not speak a word about Jaenara after her death, her only sin was drinking away the pain."
Rhaelle bowed her head. He wasn't wrong those first couple of weeks of losing Jaen was worst than all the miscarriages combined, she only had a few months with her baby girl before the stranger took her from her crib. She didn't know what to do with herself, in the morning she had to take care of her children but at night no one could stop her from grabbing the bottle.
"Don't you see? You been a burden to us since the moment you were born–"
"That is not my fault!" Baelor fumes, Valaena stumbled back as Baelor tried to charge Corwyn. "You can not blame me for the King's doings, I was just a innocent child, how can someone with a brilliant mind like yours be so stupid to spend all these years hating me and mother–"
"But, I don't hate mother." Corwyn confessed, Baelor paused his movement as he and Valaena looked at him confused and stun. "I only hate you. The only reason I put so much shit on her..." he turned his gaze to his mother's misty eyes, Baelor frowned as he glanced between his mother and brother. "Is because of you..." Corwyn turned his gaze back to his younger brother. "I knew our mother would rather me hate her for the rest of her life than hate you for what your father did to her, even as a child, I knew she wanted us to protect you just in case your legitimacy was brought into question." He rolled his eyes in dismay, the memory of his mother laying in bed drunk, played in his head.
"Aeron, bless his heart, tried not hating you, in the beginning of course, but even he hated seeing the King in you–" Corwyn continues.
"For the love of the seven, please stop talking." Aeron muttered aside, his hands was covering his face in guilt, he wished that his brother would just stop and think about the consequences.
Corwyn glanced at his older brother, he felt bad having to do this now but it had to be said.
"Why?" Baelor asked.
Corwyn looked back at his brother, Aeron slide his hands down a bit to look at his younger brother. Baelor's eyes were red and his face pink from all new information that was pushed down his throat, how could they all keep this from him for so long?
"Why, what?"
"Why keep this all in? Why now–"
"Why now?" Corwyn repeated, he smiled wanting to laugh at the question. "Because I somehow became a worst father than my own, and now I am tired of pretending...I want my mother back."
Baelor frowned. Rhaelle stared at Corywn as he looks back at her with misty eyes, she could see in her son's eyes, it almost felt like she looking into the eyes of her five year old again. Rhaelle never imagine or even dream, she ever hear Corwyn say he needs her, just like Valaena, Corwyn was independent ever since they were children.
"After all you put her through," Baelor begins, making the mother and child look away from each to the youngest. "I hope so deeply there's no love in her heart for you anymore, you don't deserve it–"
"Baelor, please." Rhaelle says, making Baelor snapped his eyes to his mother.
"Are you seriously buying this?" Baelor asked, he pulled away from Valaena to stand in front of his mother with a disgruntled look. "Do you truely believe anything he says? He is obviously trying to trick you into getting Ronas and Romarn to forgive him–"
"No one can make those boys do anything, you know that, Baelor." Rhaelle says.
Baelor gives his mother a look. "You know what I mean, mother. He knows that they will take anything you say to them to heart, he is using you–"
"Maybe, so."
Baelor looked taken aback by his mother's words, he glanced over at Corwyn. The older man raised a brow at his younger brother, Baelor couldn't help snarl as the words Corwyn said earlier traveled around his head.
"Fine." He says slowly and harsh, Rhaelle frown at her son, who turned back to her with dark look. "If your so desperate for your precious son back, by all means, do whatever he says. Get your heart broken, see if i care." He mutters, stepping back.
Rhaelle reached her hand up to touch Baelor's arm, she truely didn't mean to make him upset, but he moved his arm away from her before she could touch him.
"The golden boy shows his true colors." Corwyn speaks, leaning against the fireplace.
"Corwyn." Rhaelle glanced at her son with a look, who stared at his younger brother unfazed by his tantrum.
Baelor let out a shaking breath, he put his hand in his pocket. "Father once told me, the biggest mistake he made was letting my mother go, because I was more like him then he could ever imagine, so much so, it scares him how easy I could be unempathetic."
Rhaenyra glanced at her brother with a frown, her eyes goes to her lady-wife, who frowned as well by his words.
Corwyn hummed. "It takes a brave man to admit that, little brother." He smiles mockingly, "I bet the King was just heartbroken."
Baelor turned his head to the side, a small smile on his lips. "Otto told me that." Corwyn's smiles dropped into a line. "I guess, I shouldn't have confided in him about messing around with your second wife. But, I needed a opinion from a man, who haven't cheated, to tell me, if it was normal to not feel bad for fucking your brother's wife since I couldn't ask the other men in this family since their own track records." Baelor's eyes glanced at Aeron and Daemon, they both frowned at him, before looking at hus brother.
"Corwyn," Valaena spoke disappointed, "Please, tell me you didn't."
Baelor didn't look at his sister, his heart was beating as he stared at Corywn's blank face.
"What?" Baelor smirked. "Cat got your tongue? Speechless? Or are you too angry to speak. I hope Ireyne wasn't another damsel in distress you tried to sa–" Corwyn let out a laugh that scared Baelor, the white-blonde hair boy stared at his deranged brother with a confused glare.
"Corwyn." Rhaelle called her son, worriedly, before his laughter turned into a unamused chuckle.
"Oh, you stupid bastard." Baelor glared at his older brother, "She already told me." He smirked, making Baelor's fave dropped.
"W-What–"? He stuttered confused.
"W-W-W-What? You thought she wouldn't tell me?" He taunt. "You think a girl from the Reach wasn't going to confess sleeping with my brother, after, mind you, you broke it off after a week? Please, brother. Besides, I already had a inkling. I just didn't care." Valaena looked shocked, glancing between her younger brothers.
"You didn't care?" Aeron asked equally as shock as his sister and the rest of their family.
Corwyn looked at his brother and shrugged. "Ireyne is my friend, she knew the deal just like Guinevere. I am only disappointed that Baelor had to be so cruel to the poor girl," His eyes goes to Baelor, the younger boy's eyes was turned down as his face flush with embarrassment and shame. "She was rather excited when she told me she found a lover, of course I warned her of the stakes of giving her heart to someone before truely knowing them, I just didn't think Baelor would go about it like...Daemon would." He shrugged.
Baelor looked up at his brother. "I am not like Daemon–"
"No, you are like Aeron and I." Corwyn grinned. "Smart and vindictive on the inside, while sweet and caring on the outside. I would say we raised you well, but considering you took after our unfaithfulness gene seem like we failed you more than Viserys and Otto combined."
"You call tormenting me since I was eight raising me?" Baelor asked monotone.
Corwyn stares at Baelor for a few seconds before speaking. "How have I torm–"
"For one, you called me a bastard." Baelor snapped, Jacerys and Luke frowned at their uncle's words before glancing at one another from the couch. "Let's not forget, how you shite on mine and marra friendship once you came to Magonsæte. Oh, yes, and the fact, you set me up for an arranged marriage with a woman, mind you who couldn't stand me–"
"Do not blame Kirinessa for you inability to get over Marra, Baelor." Corwyn snapped, Baelor's face twisted into a scowl. "Don't act like I was the first to call you a bastard either. I was only the one who made you get used to it, tell me, how many children in King's Landing called you a bastard to the point it made you attack them?"
Baelor's face twitched, his eyes glide away from his brother to look at another, he glanced back at Corywn when the older boy spoke.
"None." He spit out.
Corywn hummed. "Yes, because all that anger you took out on me." Corwyn looked to Rhaenyra's sons with a smirk. "Your uncle was a little psycho in his youth, when I used fo call him out his name. He would throw anytgijg to get his hands on, knives, plates, cups, hell, he even attack me with a dagger once. Of course, I'm way stronger than him and broke his finger once I got the upper hand–"
"What is your point–!" Baelor snapped, making Corwyn turned his head back to his brother, so quick everyone could hear the bone crack when he turned his neck.
"The point, you little shit. Is that we raised you to be better and yet you still turned out to be a even more piece of shit like our father and Viserys. " Corwyn snapped back angry. "Do you think Aeron wanted you to found out that he cheated on Valaena with another? No. He talked to you and explained to you the mistake he made and wanted you to learn from it. But, what you did to–"
"I was not in love with her–" Baelor argued.
"Oh, yeah, because Marra and you were?" Corwyn fumed. "Marra was never going to settled down with you and allow you to dump your seed into her, not because you are the son of the King. No, it was because she was a fighter and you knew she didn't want the same life as you–"
"Yes, she did!" Baelor snapped. "You never understood us, she wanted it, she did, she just–"
"Wasn't ready." Valaena finished, Baelor glanced at her befire swallow.
"Yes."
"You had a choice, Baelor." Aeron finally spoke up, Baelor turned his eyes to his older brother. "I gave you a choice. You could have said no to the proposal with Kirinessa of Tyrosh, but instead, you said yes–"
"Now, your taking his side?" Baelor grit, making Aeron give him a look.
"There is no sides–" Valaena started
"Yes, there is." Baelor snapped, Valaena looked at him taken back. "There has always been sides, you lot just like to switch it around–"
"We only do that when someone is being hard-headed, which you are being right now." Aeron hissed, not liking how he turned his anger onto his wife. "As much as we love Marra, you know she is like a sister to us, but she was a wild wolf. The North truely runs deep in that girl's veins, which is why she was never going to make a good wife to you."
Baelor scoffed. "Like Corwyn, you never understood our relationship–"
"She was a Snow, for gods sake!" Aeron exclaimed. "Just like you were the son of the Queen, you could do whatever you please and you know better than I do a
bastard from Magonsæte could do as she pleased with whoever she pleased with no consequences. You may hate to hear this but she was going to let you wait forever , and deep down you knew that, she was never meant to stay in one place, baelor. That is why she did what she did."
"Shut up." Baelor shook his head, "Don't bring that up–"
"Why not?" Corwyn says, making Baelor snapped his eyes to him. "You said it yourself to her, she did something you could never forgive, even though she tried to fuck me while my beloved wasn't even in the ocean for a hour–"
Corwyn's words cut short as Baelor's fist connected to his mouth, catching him and everyone off guard.
The older man stumbled back a step, grasping his mouth, "You bastard!" Baelor spat, glaring at his brother. "You just had to open your mouth–"
"Would you rather me lie?" Corwyn said muffled behind his mouth. Rhaelle brushed passed Baelor to get to Corywn, she took out a hanky from her wrist and pressed the cloth against the corner of Corwyn's mouth to wipe away the blood. "Thank you, mother." Rhaelle's heart skipped as she glanced at her son, she looked away before the dream can turned into a sour note.
"No, I rather you die–"
"Baelor!" Rhaelle snapped, turning to her younger son, who just stared kept glaring at her older one. "Don't you think your being a little harsh–"
"He said he hoped I didn't make it out the womb and preferred that my twin sister survived, I think he can handle me wishing he was dead–" He spoke in a harsh tone, glancing at his mother before turning his glare back at Corwyn.
"That's how I felt when I was a child, now I just feel absolute disappointment in you–." Corwyn cut him off.
"I don't give a damn, how you feel about me. Your not my father. Neither is Aeron or Daemon." He snapped, Daemon frowned, he glanced at his wife before quickly looking away and stepping back. "I never needed a father, mother was enough for me."
"Baelor–" Rhaelle looked at him in disbelief.
"What? You were." Baelor looked at his mother. "Daemon and Aeron might had taught me how to fight, use a bow, and ride a horse, but they never took care of me like you or Valaena or even grandmother did. You made me who I am."
Rhaelle frowned at his words, after everything she heard from Aeron and Corwyn over the years about their younger brother change in behavior. Rhaelle always assumed after he found out about the cheating when he was ten and six, he saw his brother and Daemon different and showed them a little to no respect. It made her worry that she failed Baelor in some way, she couldn't help but maybe think if she punished Daemon for his infidelity maybe Baelor would have been different.
"Maybe, that's the problem." Rhaelle whispered, but they all heard her including Baelor.
Baelor looked at his mother, almost shocked. "What?"
Rhaelle glanced down before looking up at her son, after gathering her courage. "Maybe, I babied you too much. You were always a bright child and very sure of yourself, but I fear I made you too dependent on me and Valaena–"
"What are you trying to say?" Baelor asked exasperated, Rhaelle frowned at her son's anger. "That I'm childish? That I can't grow up because I can't get over one girl? Or because I won't grow up and end up in a miserable marriage like you."
Rhaelle was taken aback. "Is that how you see my–"
"Yes!" He exclaimed as if it was the obvious. "Why would I put some girl through what Daemon put you through–"
"But, you know it wasn't just Daemon." Rhaelle spoke up, defending her husband, not caring the looks her children gave her, and Rhaenyra's children. "You know why me and Daemon worked? It's because we talk and understand each other. How am I suppose to believe I raised you right, when all I heard is how you treated that poor girl."
Baelor crossed his arms, tighten his jaw. "Already told you this a summer ago, I thought I could love her–"
"That's a excuse, Baelor, and you know that." Rhaelle chided her son, she saw hin look away from her eyes with guilt, making her slowly make her way up to him, she hesitated for a second before laying her hands on his arms. "You may not have loved her, Baelor. But, I know you should have had the sense to treat her with respect. You said it best yourself once, the world is already a cruel place, we should not make it crueler with our actions." Her son slowly brought his eyes back to his mother.
"You do not have to forgive your brother for his past transgressions, just as he do not since he is right." Baelor frowned at her words, he moved to argued but Rhaelle wasn't finished, she gives him a look and squeeze his arms gently. "I am not saying I agree with his...method..." She trails off, glancing at her older son before looking at Baelor. "But, I do understand where he is coming from. I never like thinking back to my times at the Red Keep when you and your sister was born...ha! I'm pretty sure I blocked out a lot more stuff so i can better sleep. So, I am willing to take part of the blame for how you are now, I should have prepared you better. So, for that I am sorry, my dear." Rhaelle leaned up to kiss her son's cheek, before sitting on her feet again.
Baelor's eyes were off to the side, avoiding his mother's gaze.
"I need to be alone." Baelor pulled away from his mother's touch, and moved around her.
"Baelor." Rhaelle says sadly, turning to watch her son. Aeron stopped his mother for following after her son, making her glance up at her older son with misty eyes.
"Let him go, mother." Rhaelle opened her mouth to argue that she couldn't let him go without knowing that what she said came from a place of care. "You can't baby him forever, he knows you care for him. Let him think." Aeron says low.
Baelor stopped at the fireplace before he looked over close to Corwyn, the older man looked over at Baelor with a raised brow. The young Velaryon turned Velfrey looked at his brother for a moment before shaking his head, he opened a the door before slamming it shut in his stead.
Rhaelle sighed at her son's departure, before glancing over where Daemon was.
"Daemon?" Rhaelle called with furrowed brows at her husband's disappearance. "Did he leave?" She asked, looking around at her children.
Her children and step children turned their heads, looking around for their father and stepfather.
"He must have left during Baelor's rant about him and Aeron not being his father." Corwyn spoke up, stilling using his mother's hanky to wipe away the blood on the corner of his mouth.
Rhaella glanced at her son before looking back at the spot Daemon was just at with frowned, oh, she truely wished that Daemon didn't have to hear that since he always told her how much he loved and cared about Baelor, like he was his own son. He must be devastated.
"You should go look for him, mother." Valaena declared, Rhaelle looked at her daughter unsure, she didn't want to leave her daughter in such a difficult time. "We will be fine, mama. Go console your husband."
Rhaelle frowned. "Are you sure?" She asked, Valaena give her a small smile before nodding. "Okay." She sighed.
"I will come with, lady-wife." Rhaenyra stood up, making some of the others look at her weirdly.
"Mother–"
"I will be back, Jacerys." Rhaenyra says, glancing at her son. "I won't be long." She looked away from her son, and walked towards her wife.
Rhaelle gives Rhaenyra a grateful look, before the future Queen linked her arm through Rhaelle before walking towards the door. Rhaelle opened the door, letting Rhaenyra walk through first, before following after with her hand grasping Rhaenyra's own before she closed the door.
Everyone sat in silence at the display. Jaenara glanced around the room at the different expressions, some unhappy others unreadable, expect Jacerys, he looked almost disgusted.
"Okay." Baelon started slowly. "Am I the only one who found that absolutely disgusting?" He asked, glancing around at his siblings and cousins with a look of dismay, making Maekar grunt in agreement.
The room was left in silence after the departure of the boys, Alyaena leaned off the wall, she was in the corner watching everything unfold. She knew her brother, Corwyn, was a piece of shit from what she overheard her father say to Aeron but she never knew he could be down right scumbag. It sorta made her see Romarn in a different light.
"Where are you going?" Daemon asked, catching his daughter's elbow as she passed by him.
"To see if they are okay," Alyaena tried pulled her arm from her father's grip.
"Go back to the wall." He mutters, Alyaena moved her mouth to argue but her father have her a look. "Go." He said slower, making the girl frown and pulled her arm from him.
They stared at each other for a while before Daemon crossed his arms and look at Alyaena with a look that she seen usually directed at Baelon or Baela, she turned her eyes away from him, her chest squeezing to say something she might regret, and stomped back to the wall, where she turned to leaned back against it to glare at her father.
"Fix your face." Daemon snip.
Alyaena stare at him like that for a few more seconds before turning her eyes away to look out the window, where Romarn and Ronas was sitting at. Daemon narrowed his eyes at his daughter, before he looked at his wife, Rhaelle gives him a look that told him he was being too obvious about his dislike of Corwyn's twins.
"I'll should go and check on them–." Valaena begins.
"No, I'll go." Baelor stepped in, putting his glass down. "You already have a lot on your plate, sister." He walks over to his sister to squeeze her arm, Valaena looks at him with an thankful look.
Corwyn looked between them. "Trying to play father now, Baelor?" He gibed.
Valaena gives him a look, she was already fed up with him and with this new information she didn't even want to hear his voice. "You don't get to speak, Corywn. Not after all you said–"
"Their still my sons." He hissed at his sister, he glance at her before looking back at Baelor, the young man was staring at his brother as if he was some drunk belligerent stranger. "What? You don't have anything to say? That's surprising since you always have something to say when it comes to my children even through you don't have any. Oh, wait, I forgot your wife left you because you couldn't help but stick your cock into Marra. I guess, like father like son—"
"Shut up!" Baelor exploded, Valaena stand in front of her little brother, putting her hands on his chest, keeping him from doing something he might harm to his older brother.
"Ignore him, Baelor." Valaena says, "He's just trying to make you feel as miserable as him–"
"Is it working?" Corwyn asked smug.
Aeron pushed his brother's shoulder, catching Corywn attention. "You need to lay the fuck down. Do not blame him for your shortcomings."
"I think he should know the truth." Arron looked taken back by his words, "I think he mature enough–"
"Your not mature enough, you fucking mad man." Aeron hissed, Corwyn stare blankly at his brother as he rant. "You need to go and sober yourself up and quick, because your making a mockery of us right now. You are a father and an older brother and this is how you choose to act."
"I don't give a shit how these people see me, this is who I am." Corwyn raised his hand to point at Rhaelle, "This is who she gave birth to, why must I change?" He dropped his hand.
"There he goes again!" Baelor rolled his eyes, "Blaming mommy for his problems again and again, it's not her fault she birth the incarnation of Maegor!" Baelor hissed, still getting held back by his sister.
"Baelor! Thats enough!" Rhaelle says, moving to go to her younger son, "We are all tired and drained of the day, and taking it out on one another–"
"Always the peacekeeper." Corwyn shakes his head, Rhaelle warily looked over at her son. "Why don't you–"
"Careful." Daemon warned, Rhaelle put her arms out to calm Daemon.
Corwyn glanced at him. "What's wrong, steppapa? What do you think I was going to say–?" Daemon's face twitched.
"I don't give a shit what you were going to say, but if you disrespect my wife." Daemon took a step forward. "I am going to forget you are her son and slice off a very important body part–"
"Daemon." Rhaelle snapped, looking angrily at her husband.
Corwyn hummed with a smile, making Daemon put his hand on his belt. "How romantic. Take notes, children. This is true love." He waved his finger between his mother and Daemon, Daemon glared at his stepson. "Find a woman you are willing to kill for, and marry a man who is willing to kill for you, my dears. Life is too short–."
"What the hell are you going on about now." Baelor exasperated, he stopped struggling against his sister for the time being, now he just waiting for an opening.
Corwyn chuckled, looking at his brother. "Something you wouldn't understand, little brother." The young prince with white hair narrowed his eyes at him, "If only you knew how much we hated you."
"Corwyn–" Aeron snapped worriedly.
"Who is we?" Baelor hissed.
Corwyn raised a brow. "Aeron and I, of course." He glanced at his older brother before looking at his younger brother and sister shocked expression. "I mean, you are the very creature that destroyed our mother's life."
Rhaelle turned to look at her son in shock, she haven't heard Corwyn call her mother since he was child. Corwyn seemed unfazed as the rest of his family looked at him stunned, Aeron glance between Corwyn and his younger brother.
"Okay, Corwyn, you said your piece–"
"We hoped you didn't make it out of the womb," Corwyn continue, speaking over his brother's weak words. "We always believed Jaen should have survived instead of you–"
"Who the fuck is Jaen?" Baelor cursed, Rhaenyra glanced at Rhaelle.
Rhaelle put her hand over her mouth, feeling like she was about vomit all over the floor. Why was this happening? Why was she not stopping this?
"Our sister. Your twin to be more specific." Corwyn clarified.
Baelor frown, shaking his head at the ludicrous words that was coming from Corwyn. If he had a twin his mother would have told him or atleast Valaena.
"I think the wine has finally destroyed your brain, brother." Baelor jeered, Corwyn tilt his head to the side as he laughed. Baelor turned to look at Aeron, who was staring at him as if getting ready to catch him if he fainted, he moved his eyes to Valaena who was staring at his chest with a deep frown.
His laughter dead in his throat at the silence in the room, his eyes goes over to Daemon, who was staring at someone. Baelor blinks and swallow the lump in his throat, before slowly dragging his eyes to his mother.
"Mother." Baelor called weakly, but Rhaelle was staring thin air. "Mother!" Baelor snapped angrily, making Rhaelle look at him with tears in her eyes.
"Do not blame her." Corwyn spat, Baelor and Rhaelle turned their attention away from each to Corwyn. "It was your father who forced her to not speak a word about Jaenara after her death, her only sin was drinking away the pain."
Rhaelle bowed her head. He wasn't wrong those first couple of weeks of losing Jaen was worst than all the miscarriages combined, she only had a few months with her baby girl before the stranger took her from her crib. She didn't know what to do with herself, in the morning she had to take care of her children but at night no one could stop her from grabbing the bottle.
"Don't you see? You been a burden to us since the moment you were born–"
"That is not my fault!" Baelor fumes, Valaena stumbled back as Baelor tried to charge Corwyn. "You can not blame me for the King's doings, I was just a innocent child, how can someone with a brilliant mind like yours be so stupid to spend all these years hating me and mother–"
"But, I don't hate mother." Corwyn confessed, Baelor paused his movement as he and Valaena looked at him confused and stun. "I only hate you. The only reason I put so much shit on her..." he turned his gaze to his mother's misty eyes, Baelor frowned as he glanced between his mother and brother. "Is because of you..." Corwyn turned his gaze back to his younger brother. "I knew our mother would rather me hate her for the rest of her life than hate you for what your father did to her, even as a child, I knew she wanted us to protect you just in case your legitimacy was brought into question." He rolled his eyes in dismay, the memory of his mother laying in bed drunk, played in his head.
"Aeron, bless his heart, tried not hating you, in the beginning of course, but even he hated seeing the King in you–" Corwyn continues.
"For the love of the seven, please stop talking." Aeron muttered aside, his hands was covering his face in guilt, he wished that his brother would just stop and think about the consequences.
Corwyn glanced at his older brother, he felt bad having to do this now but it had to be said.
"Why?" Baelor asked.
Corwyn looked back at his brother, Aeron slide his hands down a bit to look at his younger brother. Baelor's eyes were red and his face pink from all new information that was pushed down his throat, how could they all keep this from him for so long?
"Why, what?"
"Why keep this all in? Why now–"
"Why now?" Corwyn repeated, he smiled wanting to laugh at the question. "Because I somehow became a worst father than my own, and now I am tired of pretending...I want my mother back."
Baelor frowned. Rhaelle stared at Corywn as he looks back at her with misty eyes, she could see in her son's eyes, it almost felt like she looking into the eyes of her five year old again. Rhaelle never imagine or even dream, she ever hear Corwyn say he needs her, just like Valaena, Corwyn was independent ever since they were children.
"After all you put her through," Baelor begins, making the mother and child look away from each to the youngest. "I hope so deeply there's no love in her heart for you anymore, you don't deserve it–"
"Baelor, please." Rhaelle says, making Baelor snapped his eyes to his mother.
"Are you seriously buying this?" Baelor asked, he pulled away from Valaena to stand in front of his mother with a disgruntled look. "Do you truely believe anything he says? He is obviously trying to trick you into getting Ronas and Romarn to forgive him–"
"No one can make those boys do anything, you know that, Baelor." Rhaelle says.
Baelor gives his mother a look. "You know what I mean, mother. He knows that they will take anything you say to them to heart, he is using you–"
"Maybe, so."
Baelor looked taken aback by his mother's words, he glanced over at Corwyn. The older man raised a brow at his younger brother, Baelor couldn't help snarl as the words Corwyn said earlier traveled around his head.
"Fine." He says slowly and harsh, Rhaelle frown at her son, who turned back to her with dark look. "If your so desperate for your precious son back, by all means, do whatever he says. Get your heart broken, see if i care." He mutters, stepping back.
Rhaelle reached her hand up to touch Baelor's arm, she truely didn't mean to make him upset, but he moved his arm away from her before she could touch him.
"The golden boy shows his true colors." Corwyn speaks, leaning against the fireplace.
"Corwyn." Rhaelle glanced at her son with a look, who stared at his younger brother unfazed by his tantrum.
Baelor let out a shaking breath, he put his hand in his pocket. "Father once told me, the biggest mistake he made was letting my mother go, because I was more like him then he could ever imagine, so much so, it scares him how easy I could be unempathetic."
Rhaenyra glanced at her brother with a frown, her eyes goes to her lady-wife, who frowned as well by his words.
Corwyn hummed. "It takes a brave man to admit that, little brother." He smiles mockingly, "I bet the King was just heartbroken."
Baelor turned his head to the side, a small smile on his lips. "Otto told me that." Corwyn's smiles dropped into a line. "I guess, I shouldn't have confided in him about messing around with your second wife. But, I needed a opinion from a man, who haven't cheated, to tell me, if it was normal to not feel bad for fucking your brother's wife since I couldn't ask the other men in this family since their own track records." Baelor's eyes glanced at Aeron and Daemon, they both frowned at him, before looking at hus brother.
"Corwyn," Valaena spoke disappointed, "Please, tell me you didn't."
Baelor didn't look at his sister, his heart was beating as he stared at Corywn's blank face.
"What?" Baelor smirked. "Cat got your tongue? Speechless? Or are you too angry to speak. I hope Ireyne wasn't another damsel in distress you tried to sa–" Corwyn let out a laugh that scared Baelor, the white-blonde hair boy stared at his deranged brother with a confused glare.
"Corwyn." Rhaelle called her son, worriedly, before his laughter turned into a unamused chuckle.
"Oh, you stupid bastard." Baelor glared at his older brother, "She already told me." He smirked, making Baelor's fave dropped.
"W-What–"? He stuttered confused.
"W-W-W-What? You thought she wouldn't tell me?" He taunt. "You think a girl from the Reach wasn't going to confess sleeping with my brother, after, mind you, you broke it off after a week? Please, brother. Besides, I already had a inkling. I just didn't care." Valaena looked shocked, glancing between her younger brothers.
"You didn't care?" Aeron asked equally as shock as his sister and the rest of their family.
Corwyn looked at his brother and shrugged. "Ireyne is my friend, she knew the deal just like Guinevere. I am only disappointed that Baelor had to be so cruel to the poor girl," His eyes goes to Baelor, the younger boy's eyes was turned down as his face flush with embarrassment and shame. "She was rather excited when she told me she found a lover, of course I warned her of the stakes of giving her heart to someone before truely knowing them, I just didn't think Baelor would go about it like...Daemon would." He shrugged.
Baelor looked up at his brother. "I am not like Daemon–"
"No, you are like Aeron and I." Corwyn grinned. "Smart and vindictive on the inside, while sweet and caring on the outside. I would say we raised you well, but considering you took after our unfaithfulness gene seem like we failed you more than Viserys and Otto combined."
"You call tormenting me since I was eight raising me?" Baelor asked monotone.
Corwyn stares at Baelor for a few seconds before speaking. "How have I torm–"
"For one, you called me a bastard." Baelor snapped, Jacerys and Luke frowned at their uncle's words before glancing at one another from the couch. "Let's not forget, how you shite on mine and marra friendship once you came to Magonsæte. Oh, yes, and the fact, you set me up for an arranged marriage with a woman, mind you who couldn't stand me–"
"Do not blame Kirinessa for you inability to get over Marra, Baelor." Corwyn snapped, Baelor's face twisted into a scowl. "Don't act like I was the first to call you a bastard either. I was only the one who made you get used to it, tell me, how many children in King's Landing called you a bastard to the point it made you attack them?"
Baelor's face twitched, his eyes glide away from his brother to look at another, he glanced back at Corywn when the older boy spoke.
"None." He spit out.
Corywn hummed. "Yes, because all that anger you took out on me." Corwyn looked to Rhaenyra's sons with a smirk. "Your uncle was a little psycho in his youth, when I used fo call him out his name. He would throw anytgijg to get his hands on, knives, plates, cups, hell, he even attack me with a dagger once. Of course, I'm way stronger than him and broke his finger once I got the upper hand–"
"What is your point–!" Baelor snapped, making Corwyn turned his head back to his brother, so quick everyone could hear the bone crack when he turned his neck.
"The point, you little shit. Is that we raised you to be better and yet you still turned out to be a even more piece of shit like our father and Viserys. " Corwyn snapped back angry. "Do you think Aeron wanted you to found out that he cheated on Valaena with another? No. He talked to you and explained to you the mistake he made and wanted you to learn from it. But, what you did to–"
"I was not in love with her–" Baelor argued.
"Oh, yeah, because Marra and you were?" Corwyn fumed. "Marra was never going to settled down with you and allow you to dump your seed into her, not because you are the son of the King. No, it was because she was a fighter and you knew she didn't want the same life as you–"
"Yes, she did!" Baelor snapped. "You never understood us, she wanted it, she did, she just–"
"Wasn't ready." Valaena finished, Baelor glanced at her befire swallow.
"Yes."
"You had a choice, Baelor." Aeron finally spoke up, Baelor turned his eyes to his older brother. "I gave you a choice. You could have said no to the proposal with Kirinessa of Tyrosh, but instead, you said yes–"
"Now, your taking his side?" Baelor grit, making Aeron give him a look.
"There is no sides–" Valaena started
"Yes, there is." Baelor snapped, Valaena looked at him taken back. "There has always been sides, you lot just like to switch it around–"
"We only do that when someone is being hard-headed, which you are being right now." Aeron hissed, not liking how he turned his anger onto his wife. "As much as we love Marra, you know she is like a sister to us, but she was a wild wolf. The North truely runs deep in that girl's veins, which is why she was never going to make a good wife to you."
Baelor scoffed. "Like Corwyn, you never understood our relationship–"
"She was a Snow, for gods sake!" Aeron exclaimed. "Just like you were the son of the Queen, you could do whatever you please and you know better than I do a
bastard from Magonsæte could do as she pleased with whoever she pleased with no consequences. You may hate to hear this but she was going to let you wait forever , and deep down you knew that, she was never meant to stay in one place, baelor. That is why she did what she did."
"Shut up." Baelor shook his head, "Don't bring that up–"
"Why not?" Corwyn says, making Baelor snapped his eyes to him. "You said it yourself to her, she did something you could never forgive, even though she tried to fuck me while my beloved wasn't even in the ocean for a hour–"
Corwyn's words cut short as Baelor's fist connected to his mouth, catching him and everyone off guard.
The older man stumbled back a step, grasping his mouth, "You bastard!" Baelor spat, glaring at his brother. "You just had to open your mouth–"
"Would you rather me lie?" Corwyn said muffled behind his mouth. Rhaelle brushed passed Baelor to get to Corywn, she took out a hanky from her wrist and pressed the cloth against the corner of Corwyn's mouth to wipe away the blood. "Thank you, mother." Rhaelle's heart skipped as she glanced at her son, she looked away before the dream can turned into a sour note.
"No, I rather you die–"
"Baelor!" Rhaelle snapped, turning to her younger son, who just stared kept glaring at her older one. "Don't you think your being a little harsh–"
"He said he hoped I didn't make it out the womb and preferred that my twin sister survived, I think he can handle me wishing he was dead–" He spoke in a harsh tone, glancing at his mother before turning his glare back at Corwyn.
"That's how I felt when I was a child, now I just feel absolute disappointment in you–." Corwyn cut him off.
"I don't give a damn, how you feel about me. Your not my father. Neither is Aeron or Daemon." He snapped, Daemon frowned, he glanced at his wife before quickly looking away and stepping back. "I never needed a father, mother was enough for me."
"Baelor–" Rhaelle looked at him in disbelief.
"What? You were." Baelor looked at his mother. "Daemon and Aeron might had taught me how to fight, use a bow, and ride a horse, but they never took care of me like you or Valaena or even grandmother did. You made me who I am."
Rhaelle frowned at his words, after everything she heard from Aeron and Corwyn over the years about their younger brother change in behavior. Rhaelle always assumed after he found out about the cheating when he was ten and six, he saw his brother and Daemon different and showed them a little to no respect. It made her worry that she failed Baelor in some way, she couldn't help but maybe think if she punished Daemon for his infidelity maybe Baelor would have been different.
"Maybe, that's the problem." Rhaelle whispered, but they all heard her including Baelor.
Baelor looked at his mother, almost shocked. "What?"
Rhaelle glanced down before looking up at her son, after gathering her courage. "Maybe, I babied you too much. You were always a bright child and very sure of yourself, but I fear I made you too dependent on me and Valaena–"
"What are you trying to say?" Baelor asked exasperated, Rhaelle frowned at her son's anger. "That I'm childish? That I can't grow up because I can't get over one girl? Or because I won't grow up and end up in a miserable marriage like you."
Rhaelle was taken aback. "Is that how you see my–"
"Yes!" He exclaimed as if it was the obvious. "Why would I put some girl through what Daemon put you through–"
"But, you know it wasn't just Daemon." Rhaelle spoke up, defending her husband, not caring the looks her children gave her, and Rhaenyra's children. "You know why me and Daemon worked? It's because we talk and understand each other. How am I suppose to believe I raised you right, when all I heard is how you treated that poor girl."
Baelor crossed his arms, tighten his jaw. "Already told you this a summer ago, I thought I could love her–"
"That's a excuse, Baelor, and you know that." Rhaelle chided her son, she saw hin look away from her eyes with guilt, making her slowly make her way up to him, she hesitated for a second before laying her hands on his arms. "You may not have loved her, Baelor. But, I know you should have had the sense to treat her with respect. You said it best yourself once, the world is already a cruel place, we should not make it crueler with our actions." Her son slowly brought his eyes back to his mother.
"You do not have to forgive your brother for his past transgressions, just as he do not since he is right." Baelor frowned at her words, he moved to argued but Rhaelle wasn't finished, she gives him a look and squeeze his arms gently. "I am not saying I agree with his...method..." She trails off, glancing at her older son before looking at Baelor. "But, I do understand where he is coming from. I never like thinking back to my times at the Red Keep when you and your sister was born...ha! I'm pretty sure I blocked out a lot more stuff so i can better sleep. So, I am willing to take part of the blame for how you are now, I should have prepared you better. So, for that I am sorry, my dear." Rhaelle leaned up to kiss her son's cheek, before sitting on her feet again.
Baelor's eyes were off to the side, avoiding his mother's gaze.
"I need to be alone." Baelor pulled away from his mother's touch, and moved around her.
"Baelor." Rhaelle says sadly, turning to watch her son. Aeron stopped his mother for following after her son, making her glance up at her older son with misty eyes.
"Let him go, mother." Rhaelle opened her mouth to argue that she couldn't let him go without knowing that what she said came from a place of care. "You can't baby him forever, he knows you care for him. Let him think." Aeron says low.
Baelor stopped at the fireplace before he looked over close to Corwyn, the older man looked over at Baelor with a raised brow. The young Velaryon turned Velfrey looked at his brother for a moment before shaking his head, he opened a the door before slamming it shut in his stead.
Rhaelle sighed at her son's departure, before glancing over where Daemon was.
"Daemon?" Rhaelle called with furrowed brows at her husband's disappearance. "Did he leave?" She asked, looking around at her children.
Her children and step children turned their heads, looking around for their father and stepfather.
"He must have left during Baelor's rant about him and Aeron not being his father." Corwyn spoke up, stilling using his mother's hanky to wipe away the blood on the corner of his mouth.
Rhaella glanced at her son before looking back at the spot Daemon was just at with frowned, oh, she truely wished that Daemon didn't have to hear that since he always told her how much he loved and cared about Baelor, like he was his own son. He must be devastated.
"You should go look for him, mother." Valaena declared, Rhaelle looked at her daughter unsure, she didn't want to leave her daughter in such a difficult time. "We will be fine, mama. Go console your husband."
Rhaelle frowned. "Are you sure?" She asked, Valaena give her a small smile before nodding. "Okay." She sighed.
"I will come with, lady-wife." Rhaenyra stood up, making some of the others look at her weirdly.
"Mother–"
"I will be back, Jacerys." Rhaenyra says, glancing at her son. "I won't be long." She looked away from her son, and walked towards her wife.
Rhaelle gives Rhaenyra a grateful look, before the future Queen linked her arm through Rhaelle before walking towards the door. Rhaelle opened the door, letting Rhaenyra walk through first, before following after with her hand grasping Rhaenyra's own before she closed the door.
Everyone sat in silence at the display. Jaenara glanced around the room at the different expressions, some unhappy others unreadable, expect Jacerys, he looked almost disgusted.
"Okay." Baelon started slowly. "Am I the only one who found that absolutely disgusting?" He asked, glancing around at his siblings and cousins with a look of dismay, making Maekar grunt in agreement.
Jaenara and the rest of her family were in the empty main chamber room, they were waiting the word on Aegor and Balaegor, as well as, the fate of Ser Cristin Cole. House Velfrey and House Targaryen were out for blood, Rhaella and Daemon have already brought up the incident to Viserys and Alicent, and from what Rhaella told Jaenara and the rest, the Queen was shocked and more devastated at the news of her nephews conditions than Ser Coles.
Which means Alicent couldn't save her little pet if she wanted to, that idiot didn't just attack a Velfrey, a house known to be a traitor to westeros, but a Hightower. If word get around about what happened especially to Old town, Alicent would have a lot of explaining to do if she were to try to save Cole from any punishment.
Jaenara was looking out the window, while Enith was spending time and watching Laenor, Aemond was somewhere after the training incident. Jaenara hopes her husband is okay, she could only imagine how he was feeling right now. Her eyes focused on the afternoon sky, made up of orange and hues of yellow as the sunsets, she sees three dragons fly high before two swirling around one before dropping backwards like backflips in the sky.
She moves a little closer with furrow brows, what are they doing?, she thought.
"It looks like Syrax is pregnant again." A voice says besides her.
Jaenara flinched slightly at her aunt's voice before she looks at her. "What makes you say that?" She asked confused.
Rhaella looked away from the dragons to her neice with a small smile. "Caraxes, Syrax, and Rhaemyx always celebrate whenever Syrax falls pregnant. Rhaenyra and I called it "The Dance of Love"." She shrugged.
Jaenara looked taken aback for a second. "Why did you two call it that?" She asked.
Rhaella smirked and back out the window. "Do you see how Rhaemyx and Caraxes fly around Syrax?"
Jaenara glanced out the window. "Yeah?" She looks back at her aunt.
"They do that to celebrate her. To show how much they love her and appreciate her." Rhaella explains, Jaenara hums in thought. "Syrax never had a mate before not until she met Caraxes and Rhaemyx, my dragon has always gotten along with Syrax, which is crazy since me and rhaenyra could never stand each other." She shook her head.
"But, what makes you think they are in love?" Jaenara asked.
Rhaelle's eyes dropped low. "You remember the stories we used to tell you when you first start riding your dragon?"
Jaenara frown for a moment. "Always keep a hold of the reins?"
Rhaelle spit out a low laugh, before she looked at her neice. "That. But, the other thing. Do you know why we place a dragon egg in every bassinet when a babe is born in our family?"
Jaenara furrowed her brows at her aunt. "So, we can bond with the dragon." She answered.
Rhaelle nods her head. "We feel what they feel, and they feel what we feel. We do not chose a egg because we want it, it calls to you because it is part of you."
Jaenara blinks at Rhaelle, never thinking about that, her minds wondered to her dragon, Grey Ghost. She wondered the reason Syrax never gave her a egg was because her egg was born way before her, like Alyaena with Vermithor and Vhagar with Aemond. Her mind wondered to the egg Vhagar and Grey Ghost will make, she remembered her dragon would shyly or warily approuch the huge beast and Vhagar would just lay her large head near his on the beach.
Her heart felt heavy for a moment at the memory, the heaviness wasn't bad, she just remembered when Aemond out his arm around her shoulder to pull her back to his chest. Jaenara remembered them being so content for once, of course it was the first first days they came there, but she remembered how happy she was to be with Aemond away from all that drama and nonsense.
"Wait a moment." Jaenara says, after being in deep thought for a few minutes, she looked at her aunt. "If Rhaemyx and Caraxes care for Syrax, does that mean you and Daemon and my mother are...?"
Rhaelle gives her neice a sheepish look, Jaenara looked at her in mixture of shock and disbelief.
"I'm sorry." Rhaelle apologize, I glance around trying to process this. "I know this is the last thing you want to hear, but she told me she went to talk to you a couple of days after you gave birth."
Jaenara looked back at her. "Oh?" Rhaelle nodded. "I'm surprised to see her legs are still working, but then again, I doubt you could harm your soulmate–"
"I knew it, your angry. " Rhaelle moved to clenched her hands together against her stomach, "I told Dae we shouldn't tell you children yet with all that happened, but he didn't want you lot to find out if you were to walked in–" She spluttered worried, making Jaenara frown at her aunt.
"Aunt Rhaelle, I was just jesting." Jaenara reassures, moving to put her hand on her aunt's arm.
Rhaelle shook her head, her eyes to the ground. "Please, Jae, you do not need to spare my feelings, it's okay." She looked up at her neice with a teary smile, "Daemon thought I was mad too when I told him of what I been feeling for the past few months, he said it was just my good heart feeling bad for her."
Jaenara furrowed her brows at her aunt's words, she didn't speak as her aunt continued.
"But, I like to think I can tell the difference, you know?" She sighed, looking away from Jaenara. "The only person who can understand how you feel is yourself, so..." she trails off.
Jaenara looked away from her aunt to glance around the room, her eyes stopped at her mother on the coach comforting with Valaena. The future monarch was rubbing her cousin's back, her eyes flicked up sensing someone watching her, making Jaenara look away before her mother could catch her.
"What was it about my mother that made you think...you liked her?" She asked lowly, turning to look at her aunt again.
Rhaella sniffed and looked to be in thought. "The day I told her about the day I lost my Jaen, it was the first time I didn't see Princess Rhaenyra, the Realm's Delight, the spoiled princess, but Rhaenyra, the mother and the woman who will be Queen one day. She didn't understand my pain but she did understand how I became to be the woman I am now."
Jaenara furrowed her brows in thought, she didn't know how that could have made her aunt fall for her mother. She saw how her mother felt about her brother, Baelor, Jaenara couldn't help but think that her mother just didn't voice her true thoughts out of feeling pity for Rhaelle. She couldn't imagine after such a talk that her mother would see her aunt in a different light, that day at dinner definitely didn't show how much she cared for Rhaelle.
"I know you think it's all an act." Rhaelle says, Jaenara blinks out of her thoughts and glance at her aunt before looking away.
"I do not think that." She looks at her again with genuine smile. "If you and my mother are happy I am happy, I just hope...If she breaks your heart I can't promise I can forgive her."
Rhaelle let out weak chuckle, she nodded her head in understanding. She looks at her neice who was smiling at her before turning her eyes back out the window, Rhaelle bowed her head to look at her hands, she wanted to say something but chose against it not wanting to reopened old wounds.
The sound of the doors opening had Rhaelle and Jaenara turning, along with the rest of their family, to the door to see Aeron and Daemon walked in with Balaegor behind them.
Valaena quickly got up from the sofa after seeing her son, Balaegor saw his mother quick pace and moved around his father and grandfather. His mother didn't give him time to open his arms before she wrapped him in arms and pulled him into her chest, the long auburn hair boy with lilac eyes and tan skin grunted as his mother squeeze the life out of him.
"Mother." Balaegor muffled, the Queen ignored him and held him in her arms.
Jaenara smiled at the scene as Rhaelle walked forward with worried look. "How is Aegor? What did the King say about Ser Cole?"
"The boy is fine." Aeron says, glanced at his mother. "The healers said he just needs some rest for now, but they said the wound will leave a scar." He looked at his wife, who pulled back a little but still held her son to her side as his hands clasp around hers.
"I take disfigurement over death any day." She spat lowly and angry. "Can I assume our dear sister and her husband have made a decision on that heathen's punishment?"
"She wish to leave it to the boys, and the King agreed with her ruling." Daemon says with an eyeroll.
Jaenara frowned at her Uncle's action, before glance over at Valaena when she scoffed. Isn't this a good thing?
"Of course, she would do that." Valaena snapped. "Leave it to Alicent to let us do the dirty work, when it is her Knight who attacked our son!" She hissed.
"Are you surprised, sister?" Corwyn says with a goblet in his hand as he sat next to the fireplace in a chair, while his sons stood off to the side glancing over at him. "How could she hurt the only man who can actually pleasure her." He chortle in his cup.
Jaenara's brows flew to up at his words, lucky enough none of Alicent's children was in the room with us, she glanced around the room to see if the others knew of this secret. Her cousins and siblings were shocked by the revelation, while the adults seemed unfazed by Corwyn's words. She always thought about it but she never thought it was really true, she always assume it was a fantasy that Alicent had that why she would look all shock when Jaenara would say something sly about her and Cole. But, for it to be true feels way better than she thought it would feel if she thought it was true. And she had the nerve to call me a whore, Jaenara thought.
"Your joking?" Jacerys asked, he was looking at Corywn, making the other turned to him behind the couch, leaning against it.
"I'm afraid not, cousin." Corwyn put his fist to his chest before letting out a silent burp. "She has been fucking that man since...I think it was right around the time Rhaelle cheated on Daemon with Gwayne, but I can't be very sure, your stepmother at the time was a bit of whore herself. So, I could confusing him with Janas–" Corwyn ducked his head to right at the glass cup thrown at him.
Jaenara couldn't help but let her jaw loose, she didn't see who threw the cup, but it didn't take long.
"Shut the fuck up, Corwyn!" Valaena shouted angrily, Corwyn looked at his sister with a drunk smug look. "This is not the time!"
"When is it ever." He says mocked.
Valaena narrowed her eyes at her twin brother, her eyes goes back to the tray that a servant left after bringing them some water to calm them down, and picked up another empty glass and threw at her brother's feet.
"Aeron, control your wife." Corwyn giggled drunkly, before glancing at his shoes. "And be careful these are real expensive leather, sister." He looked back at her.
Aeron and Balaegor was on either side of Valaena as she glares daggers at her brother. "You are a nuisance." She spit slowly, her eyes blazing in anger.
"Oh, please go easy on me." He pout mockingly. "I'm drunk–"
"Your always drunk." Baelon spoke up, glaring at his older brother.
"Baelon! Stay out of it!" Daemon snapped his eyes over at his son, before he looked at Corywn.
The older man smiled drunkly, glancing from Daemon to Baelon. "I am only doing what my mother passed down to me–"
"Yes, but unlike you, she stopped drinking." Daemon says, Corywn turned his head to snarl at his second step-father. "Maybe, it's time you stopped as well, don't you think?" Daemon tilt his head to the side.
Corywn let out a laugh and leaned back in his chair, he took another gulp from his goblet. Before, he looked around the room of his family, before looking back at his sister and brother, who stated at him in a mixture of exhaustion and anger.
"I'll stop next year." He promised.
"Why not, now." Baela spoke up, next to her sister Rhaena, who was looking st her sister as if she lost her mind.
"Baela–" Daemon started, glancing at his daughter.
"Because my heart is not yet healed, my dear." Corywn says softly to her, Daemon looked at Corywn.
Baela's face twisted and she shook her head, Rhaena stood close to her sister, grabbing her hand trying ro comfort her.
"It been ten years..." Corwyn and the twins snapped their eyes to Daemon, "You have been drinking way before that." Corwyn's jaw slated.
"Yes, well, when your in an unhappy marriage, you sometimes need something to keep you grounded." Corwyn sniffed. "Would you rather me stepped out like you, step-father?" He taunts, making Daemon narrow his eyes at him.
"No, but I would think a man as smart as you would have some sense to find a better way to deal–"
"Deal!?!" He shouted, getting up from his chair, causing everyone to flinch at his sudden action, expect Daemon. "How am I suppose to deal when i have thoughts that keep me up at night? Thoughts that would drive a sane man mad? How can I be free when all i can think about is how miserable she must have felt to be stuck between you two? Or how you used her and never treated her like she should have–"
"Would you rather her marry a peice of shit that her father picked out for her from Volantis?" Daemon asked nonchalant.
"Yes!" He shouted. "Atleast, she could get away with killing the bastard." He hissed.
Daemon gave an eyeroll. "Let's be honest, Corwyn." The Prince crossed her arms, the man with dark hair with stripes of white in them narrow his eyes at him. "Laena would have never been your mistress, she had too much dignity–"
"Of course, she had dignity!" Corwyn snapped, "But, in time she would have come around." He said.
Daemon scoffed. "We both know that's not true. You wanted to please your father, and you knew how he felt about our ways. After taking back your proposal and telling her how things was going to be, you overestimated Laena's love for you.
Corwyn glared at Daemon, he glance around the room at the eyes that was curious, before looked back at him. "Yes, maybe, but atleast i would have made her way happier than you–"
"Laena knew my intentions the moment I took her from Driftmark." Daemon stated, making Corwyn frown. "And she said and I quote "I would rather be in a loveless marriage than be anyone's else second.""
Corwyn frowned deepen as he looked down in thought before he shook away the sadness, he turned his angry green eyes at Daemon.
"You are full of it." He condemned, making Daemon raise a brow. "Laena knew she could never become second to anyone."
"Putting Otto first is making her second." Valaena says, Corywn snapped his head to his sister with a defeated look. "You could have had a amazing life with Laena, if you didn't listen to our father, but you had to go to Oldtown." She shook her head.
"And you had to give him another chance." Aeron continued, making Corwyn look at him next. "We warned you, Vala told you what he would do but you didn't listen to us. All you wanted was to hurt mother–"
"Not everything is about that harlot!" Corwyn snapped.
Daemon glared at Rhaelle's son, he wanted so bad to wring his neck but he knew his wife just get in his way to stop him.
"No, but she is the root of it, is she not?" Valaena asked. "I told you what father did and how he left me in Storm's End, if it wasn't for mother I wouldn't be here."
Corwyn glanced away from his sister. "You are dramatic." He dismissed.
Valaena glared at him. "You are not a girl, so you wouldn't understand why–"
"I understand why!" He snapped, looking at her, Valaena furrowed her brows. "It don't take a idiot to know what that fat bastard tried to do to you."
"Then, why go to Oldtown–" Aeron argue.
"BECAUSE HIS OUR FATHER." He screamed, "Why is it so hard for you understand? He helped make us. We have his blood in our veins, is it so wrong to want the man who cared for us back?" He snapped, looking between them.
"We were children, Crow." Valaena says, "Yes, he would stay up late with us to talk about the seven, play games, and even collect us to sleep in his and mother's bed to read us to sleep. But, you have to realize, we were children then and we knew who we were and our duties, and he used that against us. That man who was with us in our childhood did not exist, he was just playing a caring father."
Corwyn clenched his jaw. "I don't believe that."
"If Otto truely cared about you he would have not made you choose between his love or the love of your life–"
"He didn't make me chose." Corwyn snapped, looking at Daemon. "I got trapped. I invited him to attend my wedding, and you know what he said he said fine if only I did it under the seven! Who was i to care how I married my laena? Then, Hobert's sons wanted to take me out on the town and took me to a tarven underground of Oldtown. One thing lead to another, I knocked up some Cider Hall whore and had no choice but to marry her." He spat annoyed at the truth, he flopped back down in his chair.
Valaena and Aeron frowned at their brother. "You never told us that. Why didn't you tell us that's why you married Guinevere?" Valaena asked.
Corwyn rolled his eyes. "Why else? You would have told Laena and then she would have found out I cheated on her."
"So, you decided to convince her to be your mistress instead?" Baelor crossed his arms with a look of disbelief.
Corwyn snapped his eyes at his younger brother. "It was better than her seeing me as unfaithful man and knowing the real truth, it may surprise you brother, but I do not like causing pain to others, not unless they piss me off, I actually care for the people I love."
Baelor scoffed, glancing away. "Of course you do." He says sarcastically, looking back at Corwyn."So, let me ask you, what did I do to deserve your hatred, or what did our mother do to make you forget she is very woman who cared for you, I know she not a saint she told me as much. But, your children..." Corwyn's jaw clenched at the mention of Romarn and Ronas, they glanced at their uncle before looking over to their father. "What did they do to deserve a absent father who can't let go of the past? Hmm?"
Corwyn glanced his sons, looking back at him with their green eyes, he looked away and down in his cup. He was already drunk and his cup was almost empty, he drain the rest of the red liquid and put it on the mantle on the fireplace before looking back at Baelor.
"Nothing." He said, Romarn furrowed his brows while Ronas frown. "They were just dealt a bad hand at birth, if I knew their mother was a religious nut before we married, I would never asked her to marry me."
Ronas stood up quickly from the window sill, him and his brother was sitting, Romarn looked at his older brother.
"That's your excuse?" Ronas snapped, glaring at his father, who turned to look at him. "The only reason our lives sucked is because you didn't know our mother was crazy before you married her?" He snapped.
Corwyn sighed heavily. "Your mother wasn't crazy, she was raised differently–"
"She prayed to the Seven seven times a day, she never allowed Romarn and I to step foot in godswoods because of the weirwood tree, and let's not forget her forcing us to wash ourselves four or five times after we come back from visiting Aunt Valaena." Ronas lists, the dysfunctional things his mother made them do in their childhood. "You knew how she was and never stepped in–"
"She was your mother–"
"And you are our father." Romarn spoke up next, making Corwyn glanced at him. "You have no idea the hell she put us through while you went on your voyages, and it only got worse when she became ill." Corwyn frowned.
"There was so much I could do while you were children, you needed her more than you needed me–"
"That what you think–" Romarn spat.
"That! Is what I know." He snapped back to look at Romarn. "She birthed you, she fed you, she clothed you–"
"That was the servants." Ronas interrupted his father. "They did all those things, while she spent her time in the temple. All that woman did was make us hate her and you and everybody's else in this room."
Corwyn looked taken back by his son's words, he knew he hated him and his wife for their actions but the rest of his family. "No, you don't. You love your Aunt Valaena and Uncle Aeron–"
"Of course, we do." Romarn says, he looks at Valaena and Aeron, who looked back at their two nephews with frowns. "But, they couldn't see our pain, no matter how much we looked deep into their eyes. They couldn't see we were suffering, and we do not blame you, you had your own life and children to worry about. We understood that even at such a young age, I think our biggest mistake was not showing you what she did to us." Romarn looked down, Ronas moved from his spot to put his hand on his brother's shoulder.
"I knew it." Both boys looked up and at their Aunt, Corwyn looks down at the floor as Valaena turned her eyes at him. "You told me you were disciplining them, you lied to me–"
"Enough." Corwyn says.
"Look at me, you bastard!" Valaena yelled, pulling away from her husband and son to walk towards her brother, "You told me lies. All this time you were protecting her, how could you–" Aeron raced to grabbed his beloved from behind as they both stood in front of their brother.
"I wasn't protecting her." He snapped, he swallowed glancing over at his sons before back at his sister. "She wasn't always like that, you know that. She only changed after giving birth to the twins, I didn't think much of it. I thought she was going through what you went through after giving birth to Aegor, but–"
"But, she never got better." Ronas finished, making Corwyn looked over at him saddened.
"Yes." He whispered.
Romarn's face twisted into anger. "So, why keep her around? Why not send her away so she can get help, why did you allow her to torture and abuse us all these years–?"
Corwyn sighs. "I thought our medicine would help her, but...nothing did and...I didn't want to abandon her in some tower to rot for the rest of days."
"Why not!" Ronas snapped, making Romarn flinched. "Did you know the hell she put us through–?"
"Ronas–"
"No, you don't!" Ronas interrupted, "Did you know she would have us on our knees for hours on pebbles, just because we would want to visit Aunt Valaena or Grandma Rhaelle? Or beat us with a paddle on our backs because we wanted to fly our dragons? Or how about when she nearly drowned Romarn in tub of boiling water because he held Helaena's hand during a tourney when we were seven. So, tell me how does a Cider Hall whore from Oldtown get more care and sympathy than your own sons." He grits out the last words.
Valaena and Aeron's sad eyes turned angry glares when they looked at Corwyn and wait for his answer, Corwyn looked disheartened at his son's words.
"She...like me was tricked. Her parents told her if she didn't try to seduce me, then she would be send off and become a silent sister. " He frowned, before he looked at his siblings. "Guinevere lied about the babe so I would marry her, she told me the truth on our wedding night."
Valaena sighed bowing her head as Aeron shook his head, his face unreadable expression. "You pitied her. That's why you stayed married to her, and why you didn't want a annulment. You didn't want her to live a life of misery, you didn't think she deserve it but you did though. It's why you were always away, you were trying to hide the fact thay our father duped you of all people. His must loyal son." Aeron read his brother like a open book.
Rhaelle frowned, glancing at Daemon as he looked back at her with grim look, like Romarn and Ronas at their uncle's words. Corwyn bowed his head, before putting his hand over his eyes, he squeezed the bridged of his nose as he massage his eyes, trying to get rid of misty behind them, before sliding his hand down his face.
Corwyn sniffed. "I didn't think...I never thought our uncle and cousins would betray me that easily."
"They are only loyal to their own. We will always be Velaryon in their eyes, no matter if we have matching eyes or share some blood. The Hightowers have always been selfish." Valaena says softly, looking up at her brother, who turned to his sister. "You are proof of that, little brother." Corwyn frowns.
Valaena turned to her nephews, who looked like they been to war, Aeron loosen his grip on his wife when he notice her eyes on Romarn and Ronas. Valaena goes over to them, making the two boys look at her, she opened her arms to them. Romarn didn't waste time to go into her embrace with his brother not fair behind, Corwayn turned to watch the three with a heavy heart, knowing he destroyed any chance with his sons.
"I'm really sorry, boys." Corwyn says, Valaena and the boys broke apart to look at him. "If I could go back I would have done things different."
Romarn was the first to step forward, Valaena and Ronas glanced worried at him. "If today told us anything it would be if you could go back in time," Romarn glanced at Rhaena and Baela, Corwyn followed his eyes, "We wouldn't have been born at all." He chided, looking back at the man he had no choice but call father.
Romarn didn't say anything else as he walked away from his father, he headed towards the door, feeling as if he was going to die as his heart begin to beat fast and was gettijg harder to breath. Ronas quickly left his aunt's side to follow his brother to make sure was alright.
Jaenara turned away from watching her cousins and Luke playing in the sky, her son was sleeping in the bassinet next to her on the grass. Maekor stood behind her with his usual stoic look, he motion with his body to thr empty spot next to her.
"May I join you?" He asked. Jaenara nodded her, moving her journal were her drawings are stored to her lap. Maekor lowered. " How was High Tide?"
"How did you know we went to High Tide?" She asked shocked.
Maekor chuckled. "I have my ways." He looks down at the sand, and plays with a blade of grass.
Jaenara huffed and rolled her eyes. Same Ole Maekor always keeping things a secret, his worst than Baelon.
"Happy to see you still the enigma of the family." She jest with a grin, turning to look at him as it was his turn to roll his eyes.
"Enigma." He repeated the word with distaste. "I like to think of myself as a private person, rather than some difficult puzzle to be solved."
"I guess. But, you have to agree it is hard to get a read on you sometimes." She confessed, Maekor look at her with a small frown. "I don't mean to be mean. It just hard to read you when all you do is look grim, it's off-putting. " She shrugged her shoulders.
Maekor's frown deepen. "You think I'm off-putting?" He asked, his tone sounded hurt rather than offended like she would expect.
"N-no. I didn't mean it like that." She backtracked with wide eyes. "I just mean it makes you look off-putting, I don't think that you really are. Trust me I have been around unsavory people, you actually the fartherest from him."
"Him?" He focus his gaze on her.
"What?" She asked confused, looking at him like she caught stealing.
"You said him instead of them." He corrected, Jaenara gape like a fish out of water. "So, who is him?" He asked curious.
Jaenara played tug or war in her head at the person she had in mind to tell him, but decided against it and shook her head. "Forgive me, cousin. My brain is a bit foggy, I can barely form sentence or use the right words since having given birth–"
"Using your babe to dodge the question, pretty weak, cousin." Maekor leans back on his hand, Jaenara's mouth was open. "It makes me think someone in court, maybe someone we know?" He narrow his eyes at her, trying to figure it out.
Jaenara shut her mouth and turn away. "It's not Aemond." She said bluntly.
"No." He drawls, making Jaenara look at him. "He is just stupid. He is off-putting to others only because they do not know him like we do."
"You better not let him hear you say that." Jaenara giggled, her eyes going down fo her journal.
Maekor snort. "Aemond is too afraid of me to do anything."
Jaenara look up at him as he wore a smirk and stare out at the ocean. "You sound so sure, cousin." Maekor chuckled and look at her.
He grinned. "Just ask him. He tell you."
Jaenara blinked at her older cousin as he got up, dusting the sand off his hand onto his pants. She shake out of her shock, squinting her eyes to look at him.
"Thank you for letting me keep you company, cousin." Maekor bowed his head towards her, "Prince Laenor." He bows his head again but towards the bassinet, making Jaenara smiled at him.
"The pleasure is all mine." She says softly. " We should do it again." For once, Maekor looked caught off guard making Jaenara grin at her cousin's strange behavior.
"Maybe." He said half-heartily, but his small smile reassure her of his words.
Jaenara watched as her cousin turned on her heels and stroll away with his hands in his pockets, she turned watching him disappear over the dune before turning forward again to stare at the ocean. He such a odd man. She shook her head, glancing over to check on Laenor fo see him sleep and well, before going back to drawing in her journal.
♖
Jaenara was rocking her Laenor against her slightly while he was wrapped against her chest, she was outside with Alyssa and Helaena on the bridge that overlook the training grounds. Alyaena and the most of their male kin were on the ground, amongst them Maekar and Aemond, training with one another.
Alyssa was talking to Helaena, while the quiet white haired girl was glancing between the training ground and her embroidery. She was also listening to Alyssa rants about her duties back in Magonsæte and her upcoming wedding, from what Jaenara got from the conversation Alyssa having problems choosing between colors and dishes. Making Jaenara happy that she let her aunt and alicent plan her wedding, she couldn't imagine dealing with all the choosing and matching what fits with what ordeal. It sounded exhausting.
"Oh! And don't get me started on Adrielle and Valaena. They wished me to get married under the faith of the seven rather than the old gods of valyria."
"What's wrong with that?" Jaenara asked, glancing away from watching Aemond swing his sword at Aegor.
"Nothing." She says. " I just preferred to get marry under the old gods like mama and papa."
"What does Aegor think?" Helaena asked, as her eyes was on her fingers and thread.
Alyssa leans back in her chair with arms crossed. "He wish the same like his mother and sister." She huffed annoyed.
"Did you express your displeasure of the idea to him?" Jaenara asked, a small sly smile on her lips at her words and catching Aemond's attention.
He winked at her with a leer, making her inside twist and thigh squeeze, before watching him go back to blocking Aegor's attacks.
"No." She grumbled.
Jaenara pulled her eyes from below to look over at Alyssa, Helaena does the same and caught Jaenara's eye making them share a look.
"Don't you think you should tell him that before the wedding gets closer?" Jaenara says.
Alyssa rolled her eyes with a small pout. "Yes, but I hate confrontation." She sighed. "And besides I'm still angry at him." Alyssa humph.
Jaenara frowned, remembering what Alyaena told her the day after she got back from Driftmark. She felt a little guilty being the cause for a fight to break out when Aemond and her left, if she knew that her running away would have caused her cousins to stop talking to one another she would have never left. Jaenara looked down at her babe, and couldn't help but feel a bit relief that her family will be leaving soon. Maybe, some time apart again will reheal some old and new wounds.
Jaenara looked away from her sleeping babe to the grounds. Its a horrible thought, but she couldnt take the tension and the fighting anymore. She knew her family would never be the type to forgive and forget; they were all too stubborn and petty to forgive to let go for their own reason.
The young sea dragon couldn't even blame half of them for holding on to their grudges. Sometimes it wasn't about pride, but the blatant disrespect from the people who were suppose to care for and love you.
"Ahhh!"
Jaenara snapped out of her thoughts, blinking she looked down at the grounds to see Ser Cole standing over Balaegor. Aegor paused his sparring with Baelon to snapped his head over at his brother on the ground, clenching his nose.
"Egor!" Aegor hurried over to his brother, before dropping to his knees next to him to help him sit up. "Let me see! Let me see!" He says, trying to get a look at his younger twin brother's nose.
"I-I-I d-don't th-th-think it-it's br-broken." Balaegor stuttered out his words, his lips and teeth covered in blood.
Jaenara and her aunt and cousin watched the scene before them with mixed emotions, Jaenara narrowed her eyes at Ser Cole as he watched the twins with an empty look.
"Stop fussing over him like your his mother," Ser Cole rolled his eyes, catching Aegor and many others attention. "It's a little nose bleed, your acting like he been stabbed."
Aegor shook his head, ignoring Ser Criston Cole as he inspected his brother's nose. Balaegor hissed when his older brother pressed his thumb against the side of his nose before Aegor drone with a low growl in the back of his throat.
"It's broken." Aegor confirms, "We gonna need to go to the healers to get it popped back in." Balaegor looked at his brother with fear in his eyes.
"I-Is that n-n-necessary?" He stuttered out again in a low voice.
Aegor gives him a look of pity, he moved to say something when he was interrupted.
"There's no need for all that." Ser Cole says, moving to stand beside Aegor and Balaegor. "I can pop it back in easily."
Before, Aegor could decline the offer, Balaegor was dragged up by the collar of his shirt to stand in front of Ser Cole. Jaenara and others leaned forward in shock at Criston's brutish behavior. What the hell does he think his doing, she thought.
"S-Ser Cole, m-m-m-maybe I sh-should go-go to–"
"No time for that." He grasped Balaegor's jaw with both hands, while he thumbs were on either side of his nose. "Don't move." He snapped harshly, Balaegor grasped Criston's wrist in fear.
"W-Wait–"
"The hell you think–"
The twins spoke over each other at once before Ser Cole popped Balaegor's nose back in place, a agonizing yelp slipped passed Balaegor's lips as tears pecked his eyes. Cole loosen his hold on the boy, causing Balaegor to dropped to his knees and clenched his face in pain as he cries.
Aegor was quick to go to his brother's side and rub his back in comfort, Balaegor was never good at handling pain. He was sensitive in that way, but that didn't stop him from training with his brother and cousins.
Ser Cole stared down at the boy with annoyed look. "Stop your crying." Criston jeered, Aegor snapped his head up with a glare as Balaegor sniffled and try to wipe away tears that kept falling. "Maybe, you should reconsider becoming a knight, little lord. I think a dress and flower crown fit you more, since you cry like you on your flower." He chuckled darkly.
Jaenara clenched her jaw, glaring at Ser Cole before glancing around as the others stare at the scene with unreadable expression. She looked over at Aemond as he stared at the scene with a bored look, as if this was a normal occurrence. She pulled her attention away from Aemond, before he sensed her looking at him, to look back just as Aegor stood up to stand toe to toe with Criston Cole.
"It seemed like you forget yourself, Ser Cole." Aegor hissed, Criston raised his brow at the young tan boy with a look that said 'oh really'.
"Do I, little lord?"
"Yes and it's Prince Aegor, not little lord." He spat, before pointing at his brother. "Like his name is Prince Balaegor, son of King Aeron and Queen Valaena of House Velfrey."
Criston scoffed before he took a stepped closer to stand over Aegor, but the younger boy narrowed his eyes at the man with a snarl.
"The only prince I see around me." Cole looked around before looking back at Aegor. "Is Prince Aemond Targaryen of House Targaryen, not some charlatan that got his crown from his tart of a grandmother's cunt."
"What the fuck did he just say?" Alyssa snapped, Helaena touched her forearm to calm her down.
Ser Cole's gaze lifted up to the bridge to look at Jaenara, Helaena, and Alyssa. "Oh, yes and of course, Princess Helaena, Princess Alyssa, and Princess Jaenara." The way he said her name made her stomach lurch in distaste, she was sure her face showed her dislike for the man. "Those are the only royals I see around here, boy."
Aegor glared at the kinght as he tighten his hand around his sword, Ser Cole glance down at the Aegor's hand before grinning at the future king of Magonsæte.
"Do you wish to take me, boy?" Ser Cole take a couple of steps back as he take out his own sword, swinging it around with a smug look while his white cloak flow behind as he shows off. "Do you think you can? Or will the little dragon go run and tell his mommy and daddy?" He chuckled.
Jaenara swallowed as she watched Aegor stared at Ser Cole with this blank look, his eyes followed every move Ser Cole made while slowly taking steps towards the man, it was as if his body shut down.
"Oh, this is gonna be fun."
Jaenara flinched at Aegon's voice, she turned her head around to see him staring at the courtyard behind Helaena's chair with a cup in his hand. He just appear out of nowhere, she didn't even hear him approach.
"Shut up, Aegon." Alyssa snip, making Jaenara glance at her cousin. "Let's hope one of the others intervene." She mumbled worried as she look at her beloved.
Jaenara frowned before looking at Ser Cole and Aegor, she was suddenly worried about Aegor, she knows first hand how cruel Ser Cole can be. Her eyes flickered around, hoping now that someone will step in and stop this madness.
"I'm gonna go get Aunt Rhaella and Uncle Daemon." She says lowly to the group, before a hand landed on her shoulder making her look up at her uncle.
"I can't let that happen, little neice." Jaenara glared at Aegon with snarl, he slowly took his hand back from her shoulder. "I am only saying that if you go off and get help that would only bruise his ego, this neice is all about pride." He smirks drunkly, looking back at the courtyard.
Jaenara shook her head looking at her disgrace drunk uncle, she turned her away to look down at Laenor. Her sweet baby was wide awake and watching her, she guessed he felt her worrying. She brush her index finger over his cheek and gave a small smile to him, as if reassuring him that she was okay, Laenor made a guttural noise.
I don't think he believes me, she thought.
A ear ringing sound made her snap her head up to the courtyard, Aegor blocks Ser Cole's sword with his shield before moving out of a way of another attack. Jaenara couldn't help but rock myself slightly, her hand patting Laenor's back as she try to calm her fast beating heart. Why must men be like this?
"What is going on here?" Rhaella snapped, making them flinched at her sudden appearance.
Jaenara turned her head to look at Rhaella stomp away from the doorway to stand on the bridge like the rest of us, her head turned back to the courtyard to see Ser Cole standing in front of Aegor, who was midway at swinging his sword at Cole before he stopped to look at his grandmother.
It all happened so fast, Cole swung his arm so quick, you would think he was swating away a annoying fly, it felt like all the blood rush into her ears making it ring. It took her a moment to realize that sound was real and it was Aegor's agony screams, the young man grasped his face and turned away quickly to fall to his knees in pain.
Jaenara stood up with a look of horror, my eyes glance around at my cousins as they stared blankly or shocked.
"Aegor!" Rhaella screamed out of distress, she rushed passed us towards the other side of the bridge to get to Aegor.
"Oh, Gods." Alyssa mumbled, putting her hands over her mouth with tears.
"Oh, no." Helaena whispered, standing up to look down worried at Aegor.
Jaenara wiggled her nose as she try not to cry, Aegor sounded in so much pain it was almost nauseating to stand to hear. Her vision became blurry, watching Aegor grasped the muddy ground in hus hand in pain, he took deep breathes in and out as he had his back to Ser Cole. Criston swirl the dagger in his hand with his head tilt as he watched Aegor, Jaenara didn't like the way Cole stared boredly at Aegor, as if he was some stray dog he kicked for getting in his way, making Jaenara mentally pray Rhaella hurry up.
But, unknown to her the door downstairs was budge as Rhaelle along two other guards try to break it down.
Cole backs up with a small, satisfied, smile, he turns his head up and towards the bridge. His eyes made contact with Jaenara, she glared down at him with disgust and hatred as he smirked up at her, showing off his white wolfish teeth. A whooshing sound flowed through the air, Criston turned his head before quickly using his dagger to block the the attack, Jaenara gasp taken aback by Maekar's action, she held her son closer to her chest. What does he think his doing?
"Oh, little Prince Maekar." Criston smirked at Maekor's deadpan expression. "Do you wish to take me as well?" He goad.
"Brother, let me, just give me the word." Baelon asked lowly, standing a little behind him as he glance emptily at Criston before looking at his brother with pleading eyes.
Maekar turned his head to his little brother about tell him to not to get involved, but Criston chuckled, catching both princes attention.
"Seeing the eagerness in your little brother's eyes, Prince Maekar. I make you both a deal, I will let you both fight me at the same time. I always heard your elder brother, Aerion or was it Armen?" Criston asked with a mocking confuse expression, "That he was the best fighter out of all of you, your...sweet sister, Alyaena being the second. Which makes me curious, can the third and the fourth best defeat me?" He smirked, his right hand held his dagger while his other the sword.
Both brother stared at the Knight of House of Targaryen, seething as he not only mocks their brother but make a crude comment about their sister. Balaegor along with Lucerys helped Aegor, Balaegor ripped off a piece of cloth from his under shirt and pressed it against Aegor's cheek where the bleeding was coming from. Jace watched off to the side, he stopped his brother from getting involved when Criston broke Balaegor's nose, but Luke snatched away from him when Balaegor went to help his brother. Aemond furrowed his brows at the scene, he glanced up seeing the worried expression on Jaenara as she rock their son, he had a feeling that if he didn't stop this before more people get hurt he will be in a hell lot of trouble with Jaenara.
"So, little princes, what do you say?" Criston asked.
"I think that's enough, Ser Cole." Criston became stiff at Aemond's voice, "I think my cousins get the point—"
"I think...let's." Maekar interrupted, Aemond looked at his cousin/ close friend as if he out of his mind.
"Maekar." Aemond called lowly, coming to stand by his right side. "He is very skilled, there is a reason my father made him my mother's sword and shield." He tried to speak reason into him.
Maekar turned to face his friend with a mischievous glint in his eye. "Have faith, little cousin." He smirked.
Aemond rolled his eyes. "Your only four months older then me."
"And yet it still agitates you when i say it." He punched his shoulder softly, "Now, back up i don't want to get any blood on you, my prince." He jested.
Aemond stared at his friend, before he glanced at Baelon, the young prince was still staring at Cole, he looked back at his cousin.
"Good luck." Aemond whispered.
Maekar winked at his friend in response, Aemond nodded his head and moved back to his spot, glance at Jaenara, who looked at him with a small frown. All he could do is give her shake of his head and a look that said he did as much as he could, Jaenara frowned deeper and turned her eyes back to the ground. The door to the courtyard still haven't broken down, one of the knights had to go and receive Daemon and another knight for help.
Criston walked towards them slowly, making the brothers part ways as Maekor took the left while Baelon took the right. They circled the Dornish Knight, while the man stood in the middle turning his head between Maekor and Baelon to see who was going to attack first.
Baelon swings his sword in his hand, making a whooshing sound catching Criston attention. Maekor does the same as Criston glance at him, before going back and forth as both boys took turns making that sound. Criston's eyes was on Maekar as he made the sound with his sword, giving Baelon time to nick Criston's arm, making the man hissed in surprised and glanced between to his sliced fabric of his sleeve on his aem before looking at Baelon.
Jaenara and the others watched surpsied at Baelon's quickness, Maekor swings his sword in the air without aiming at Criston, making the Knight glance at him, giving Baelon another chance to go for another attack. But, Criston side stepped the attacked and hit Baelon's sword with his dagger, before he swings the dagger at the younger boy only to be caught off balance when Maekar hit Cole's sword, making him have to turned his attention back to the older boy.
Criston grunts as he turns and drops his dagger to the ground at the pain on his right side, he glares at Baelon as the boy sliced the side of his stoamach. Cole got tired of being toyed with and went to attack Baelon, who blocked his attacks before ducking and slide his feet to not get corner against the wall of where the weapons were held. Criston turned to follow the young prince and swings his sword, making Baelon block it with his own before swiping away the sword to quickly swing his sword to cut Criston's collarbone, causing blood to sprinkle on his collar of his shirt.
Criston kicked his foot out to land on Baelon's shin, making the boy bend his knee at the sudden action and pain. He blocked Cole's attack with using one hand on the handle and the other on the blade, making his hand start to bleed as Cole land blows against the blade, he let go of the blade and pushed his feet to move away from Cole but he slipped against the dirt, falling to the dirty floor, giving Cole the opportunity to kick Baelon's sword out of his hand. Before, Cole can stomp Baelon in his stomach, the boy rolled away and got up only to land a punch under the man's chin.
The punched made Criston stumbled back, he griped his sword tight and steady himself, he spit the blood that collected in his mouth with his saliva and glared at Baelon. The younger Targaryen boy smirked at the Knight, Cole throw down his sword and stalked up to Baelon, making the boy do the same and duck when Cole threw the first punched.
Jaenara watched astonished at Baelon's fighting skills, but she knows better to underestimate Baelon and Maekor, even through she is still worried about them getting hurt like Aegor, she have to remember that they were trained by the best fighter in the kingdom.
Cole somehow got Baelon in a choke hold, making Maekar stand reckless as he watched his brother. Come on, Baelon.
Baelon digged his nails into Cole's arm arms as the man was restricting air, he couldn't think about how to get out of his tight hold as the lack of air was beginning make him feel sleepy. But, before he could pass out, he brought up his hand up to grasp Ser Cole's dark brown curls, like he did Romarn when they spar when they were younger and pulled this dirty trick, he pulled as hard as he could. Cole groan in pain and bend his neck forward, before Baelon dragged his nails down Cole's face, hoping to get his eyes, causing the knight let out a agitated groan. He loosen his grip slightly, but it was enough to give Baelon the time to bend his head down before pushing his head back to land against Criston's nose.
Baelon moved away from Cole, as the man gasp through his mouth and moan as he hold his nose, he swallowed as Criston turned his eyes up at him with dark glint and raised his sword towards the prince.
"You're dead, boy."
Baelon raised a eyebrow unbothered by his threat, Cole spit out more blood and held squeezed the handle of his sword. He took two steps towards Baelon, before a whooshing sound made him stop in his tracks at the sword against his neck.
"Have you forgotten about me, old man?" Maekar mutters, near Cole's ear making the older man knock away the arm to get the blade away from his neck to take a quick step forward and turn towards the quiet prince.
Maekar raised his head high before rolling it to stretch his neck, he grasp the handle of his sword with two hands in front of him and get in the fighting stance he always see his mother and father in when they sparr each other. Cole looks the boy up and down, before he does the same and clenched the handle as he raise it as if he was about to swing it. They move to trail each other, the banging that stopped a few minutes ago started up again as Rhaella and her husband along many knights use a something to try to break down the door.
Ser Cole couldn't help himself to dart towards him and swings his sword, Maekar blocked before jumping back on his feet to miss the other. Maekor keeps this up until he had Criston sliding on the dirt and falling to his knees, which made him swing his sword hard to knock Criston's sword out of his hand and away from him. He swipe his sword through the air again so the tip of the blade could be against Cole's adam apple, Cole glared up at the second oldest of Rhaelle and Daemon's children.
"Do you yield?" Maekar asked, Cole snarl before his throat contracted at blade pressing harder into his skin. "I should take off your head right here, it be rather a quicker death than what my father would have plan for you?" He whispered, so only Cole could hear.
"Oh, how sweet." Cole spat with same volume. "The derange red dragon do love his children, after what happened between him and rhaenyra I was sure he was going to leave your mother for her." He smirked.
Maekar smiled spread across his lips at Cole. He move his sword away from Cole's neck, leaving a small cut on his adam's apple, and punched him in the face. Cole fell backwards, landing on his back, Maekar tossed his sword to the side and moved to straddle Criston's hips before he landed another blow to his face. Maekar grabbed Cole's collar bringing his face up towards his so he can hear him.
"Yet, my father still chose my mother over her, " He pulled back to land a punch in one of his eyes, "And that threat I made earlier wasn't referring to me and my brother, you dumb bastard. My father is Balaegor's favorite uncle and guest what, my father is his favorite.
So, you better pray that Balaegor and my mother could hold him back, if not, you gonna wish I cut off your fucking head." He punched in his other eye, making the Knight whimper.
Maekar let go of his collar, and continued to to land blows agter agter to Ser Cole's face. He switch his closed fist to punch Criston as his knuckles begin to get tender.
Everyone watched the scene with silent tension as the only sounds in the air was banging from the door and the sound of the hits that was landing on Criston's face, Jaenara turned her head down to look at her son after the first few punches, Helaena watched the scene with misty eyes and trembling lips as she foresaw something like this but not as violent. Aegon and Alyssa was watching with blank stares, Alyssa never enjoyed violence but considering the circumstances she was quite enjoying her brother beat the shit out of Criston while Aegon was still drunk and knew Cole had it coming, but it didn't mean it didn't hurt to watch him get beat.
Balaegor, Aegor, and Lucerys watched with frowns, Balaegor had his arm around his older brother while Aegor leaned against Luke. Jacerys watched his brother with Aegor and Balaegor with a small frown. Aemond grimaced with a clenched jaw, Ser Criston Cole was like a father to him and watching him get beaten by his friend and family had something in him break.
Cole brought his hand quickly but weakly to stop Maekor's blows, but the white hair prince with black strands in his hair shook him off and landed another punch on his right cheek. Aemond could see from his spot that Cole was barely holding on, he took a step forward, wanting to stop them before his bestfriend kill his father figure.
Baelon was by Aemond's side like a fly on a honey stick, the one eyed prince's heart almost jumped into his throat at his sudden appearance.
"If you stop this." Baelon says under his breath, keeping his eyes on his brother beat Cole half to death, making Aemond glance at him." Jaenara will see you still side with your mother, and you as well as I know, he brought this upon himself for touching blood of the crown."
Aemond looks up at Jaenara, who went back to watching Cole beating, before he turned his eyes down to the ground. Baelon stepped away to go attend to Aegor, leaving Aemond to fester in his need to protect the only man who he saw as a father and the woman he loved since he was a child.
The door to the training grounds finally busted opened, Rhaelle and the knights went to Aegor, Balaegor, Baelon, and Lucerys. Daemon glance around the grounds before landing eyes on his second eldest, he stalked towards his son before he grabbed him by the back of the collar to pull him off of Ser Cole.
Daemon shook his son by the collar, like a dog. "What the fuck do you think your doing?" He hissed in his son's face, Maekor glance at Cole before Daemon let go of his collar and grabbed his son by the face to force to look at him. "I am talking to you, Maekor."
Maekor looked his father in his eyes. "He broke Balaegor's nose and tried to take Aegor's eye, and then challenged me and Baelon. I did what you taught me when someone messes with our family, father."
Daemon pressed his lips firmly together and his eyes diluted, making them look like the ocean at night. Daemon slowly let go of his son's face, he swiftly rubbed his son's his cheek with his thumb, before moving his hand to rest on his son's shoulder.
"I'm sorry if I hurt or scared you." He said low, Maekor glanced away as his cheeks felt a bit sore from his father. "But, I was...so worried, you know how I feel about you and your brothers fighting someone without me around. He could have hurt or...worse." he chided softly.
"I know." Maekor cleared his throat, it is not often he get this side of his father in the public. "I'm sorry. I should have took care of Balaegor and Aegor rather than fighting him– "
"I am so proud of you." Maekor stopped and looked back at his father. "As much as I wish you thought about getting your nephews out of here, I can not help but be proud of you and Baelon for spilling blood for our family. Only true men would do that."
Maekor swallowed down the lump in his throat, and bowed his head. "Thank you, kēpa."
Daemon put his hand on his son's head, and brought his head to lean against his son's forehead before leaning back to kiss it.
"I'm proud of you, my son." He says in valyrian against his son's head.
Maekor closed his eyes for a second before opening them, he nodded to his father once he pulled away. Daemon brought his son close and guided him towards the door, before they could pass the Knight on the ground, Prince Daemon glanced down in disgust and disdain before kicking some dirt on the pass out Cole's face when they walked past.
"I hoped his dead." Alyssa deadpan, her arms crossed.
Jaenara and Helaena looked over at Alyssa as she turned on her heels and went off to make sure her beloved his okay, Jaenara looked at Helaena but the other girl couldn't meet her eye, she stepped back and walked the opposite way from where Alyssa went.
"Well..." Aegon spoke up after draining his cup, "That was anticlimactic."
Jaenara turned her head to look at Aegon, he took a seat in Helaena's old chair before filling his cup again, she squint her eyes at him before looking back down to the training grounds. Aemond stared into air with a downcast look as everyone walked out of the training ground, and he watched as two knights pick up Ser Cole's limp body and carrying him out. She looked away from Aemond with a heavy heart, her eyes glance towards the door to see Maekor still there and he was stating at her.
She tilt her head to her side at him, Maekor's eyes glanced down and he turned away from her.
Jaenara frowned wondering what that was about, she backed up and went to leave the bridge.
"You should be careful around him." Aegon says, making Jaenara stop and turn to him.
"What?"
"Maekor." He says like it was the obvious, "He has a crush on you, you know."
Jaenara scoffed. "No, he doesn't. Maekor is my friend."
"Aemond was once your friend, too."
Jaenara rolled her eyes. "If your worried I might cheat on Aemond again, let me put your mind at rest, Aemond and I are fine."
"Oh, I don't give a damn if you cheat on Aemond, hell how he treated you when you first came here always made me wonder why you stopped." Jaenara frowned at Aegon's words. "No, you can fuck whoever you want neice, as long it isn't your husband's bestfriend." He looked at her with smirk
Jaenara's jaw almost dropped to the floor at that knowledge, Aemond never told her that nor does she remember Aemond and Maekor ever playing together in their childhood. Jaenara didn't have a response to that and just hummed in return.
"Well, I'm not." She says, looking down at Laenor. "We are happy."
"Mmhmm, sure." Aegon says under his breath with a grin.
Jaenara brought her head back at her uncle. "Oh, go...rot in a alley in fleabottom, Aegon." She snapped, she turned away from him as he laughed at her.
He such a pain. She wished he go back spending his time in fleabottom, hell he could take Adrielle with him she is starting to be a pain as of late too.
Jaenara stroll through the castle in the dead of night, Aemond was dead asleep after spending half of the morning and some of the afternoon dealing with his mother and other business he wouldn't share with her.
But, she knew.
Jae looks down at her baby boy wrapped in a black and red blanket, a gift from Daemon and Rhaelle to simplify her resilience. Alicent didn't like the color, of course. The way her eyes would pay more attention to it than her own grandchild, as if taunting her.
"Such a nice blanket...it looks very soft." Alicent's eye the blanket as it hangs on the end of the cot, Jaenara was patting the babe on the back as she holds him upright on her lap after feeding him.
"It truely is. Every time I wrap him in it, he goes right to sleep." Jaenara thrill softly, Alicent finally tore her eyes from it to look at her daughter-in-law, "Aunt Rhaelle made it, I love the little dragons on the corners of the edges, don't you?"
Alicent hums, looking away back to the blanket. Jaenara tilt her head to the side with a look.
"Is something wrong, my queen?"
Alicent look at Jaenara again, her head shook slightly with a small smile.
"Of course not, dear child. I'm just thinking–"
"About?" Jaenara interrupted innocently, making Alicent pause for a second.
"Nothing to worry your head about, princess." Alicent assured with a strain voice, Jaenara squinted her eyes at the older woman before looking away.
She fix the blanket around the baby before speaking.
"Have you heard any word from Lady Rivers recently, lady grandmother."
The words were curious and nonchalant, but held a cold distance to them. Alicent frown at her daughter-in-law with a suspicious look, she composed herself before clearing her throat.
"Uhm, you shouldn't worry about her, Lady Jaenara. It was you who help bring this little light into our lives, we should celebrate and focus on him." Alicent smile down at the sleeping babe, but Jaenara tilt her head to the side with a chilling grin.
"But, I came to the decision that I want Alys Rivers and her child to come back and live in the Red Keep with us."
Alicent felt her heart fall into her stomach, she stare at the young princess blankly, unsure what to say.
"I thought a lot about what you said to me about when we learn of River's pregnancy, and I begin to think you were right."
Jaenara watch as Alicent looked to about to faint as she flutter her eyes.
"Are you alright, Alicent." Jaenara looked at her with fake concern.
Alicent clear her throat as she regain herself.
"I-I'm sorry, Jaenara." Alicent sniffed looking down at her hands, "It is just...I hoped that come to pass as well, but the gods give as they take away." Her voice broke as she keeps down a sob.
Jaenara stare at her. Her brows frown with a squint in her eyes as she thinks.
"Hmmm." Jaenara looks down at her baby, "You seem distraught, Alicent. Did something happen to River's baby?"
Alicent dab her eye with a cloth, she had stuffed away in her sleeve, before she look at Jaenara. A odd sensation went down Alicent's spine as she stare at her daughter-in-law.
"Why...What would make you think...?"
Jaenara looked up at Alicent with a look that reminded the young queen of a painting of Visenya Targaryen, the way her eyes held nothing and bore a chilling sense of cruelty behind them.
"Well, all your children are here and well, the last time I check. As is this little one." Jaenara look down with a sweet and loving smile, Alicent flinch at how quick her mood shifted, before Jaenara look back at Alicent with a placid look, "So, that only leave River, unless..."
Jaenara glance down at Alicent's belly, the queen's mouth fell open as Jaenara look back up at her expecting her to deny or affirm her assumption.
"N-No, nothing of the sort happened to me." Alicent squeezed her hands, clearing her throat.
Jaenara nodded her head, before she look back at her baby. She caress his chubby cheek with her finger.
"Hmmm, atleast that good to hear...the last thing we need is red haired dornish bastards running around here." She mutter with a eyeroll.
Alicent snap her head at her with narrow eyes.
"Pardon?"
Jaenara looked up.
"Oh, i said that's a pity to hear, it would have been so nice to have another babe to keep Laenor company." Jaenara replied with a small smile.
"Hmmm." Alicent glance away before sighing, "Yes, but the same can't be said about Lady Rivers. Just two days after you given birth, the healers that occupy the tower sent a letter informing us of the babe sad demise."
"Oh."
Alicent look at the the young princess, Jaenara brush her finger over her baby's cheek before kissing his head.
"Is that all you have to say." Alicent asked, her voice strain from emotions.
Jaenara look back at the woman with a unbothered look.
"Yes, because my aunt taught me if I don't have anything nice to say, I shouldn't say anything at all." She gives a brief smile, before getting up off the bed.
Alicent opened her mouth to say something, only to close it when Aemond walked in.
The one eyed prince walked past his mother towards his wife and son, Alicent watch in silence as Aemond dotted on Jaenara and the bastard in her arm, he kiss his wife on the head before taking the babe from her arms to rock him to sleep.
Jaenara hide her smile behind her fingers as she watch the scene before her, everything is coming together like she planned. Her eyes glance over at Alicent in the corner, her eyes puffy and defeated as her own plans crashed and burned.
The young princess looks back on that day with a giddy smile, it marks the first victory against the greens, Jaenara was no longer going to play into their hands but make them play into hers. As much as, she felt bad for the babe that Rivers lost, it was Rivers that caused this to happen.
She may have won Aemond's love and devotion, but that won't be enough to deter Alicent or Otto from trying to win him back to their side.
A soft whimper made her stop and look down. Laenor peek open a eye before letting out a yawn, he stretch before shifting in her arms. He blinks, taking in his surroundings.
It seems like the little prince is hungry.
Jaenara tilt her head to the side, she smile gently at him before making a silly face.
Laenor smile as he try to wiggle his srm free to reach for his mother.
Jaenara begins to rock him as he starts to get fussy, she continue onward, cutting through the courtyard to get back to her chamber.
As she passed Godswood, she stopped when she sees a figure standing in front of the tree. The moonlight illuminated the familiar man, making Jaenara make her way towards him.
"Brother."
Jace turn his gaze away from the pale tree with the blood red leaves. His eyes glance at the bundle in her arm, before he looks at his little sister.
"Sister." He fully turn to her with his hand behind his back, "Couldn't sleep?"
Jaenara shook her head, walking towards him.
"Walking helps settle Laenor, which in turn helps me sleep." She chuckled, stopping in front of Jace.
Jacerys hummed, he looked down at the baby again, his face mixture of something she couldn't place.
"Is there a reason your here." He asked, looking at her once again with a cold look.
Jaenara refrain from rolling her eyes at her brother.
"Is it so wrong to want to see you, lēkia." She asked with a hurt tone, "Not too long ago, we were thick as thieves, now...I feel like I barely know you and i hate that."
Thr coldness in Jacerys's eyes melted away, before he turn his head to hide it.
"Do not pretend that you do not know." He looks at her with a sneer, "I'm sure mother told you everything."
Jaenara looked at her brother, slightly taken aback.
"Yes, but I did not want to believe her." Jacerys sneer dropped as Jaenara took a step back, "I thought she was just projecting her fears."
Jacerys's face harden.
"Do not judge me. I have every right to feel the way I feel, especially now that you given birth to that creature." He spat, making Jaenara look at him in disgust.
"He's a child and your nephew, whether you like it or not. So, do not call him out of his name because your too stupid to see the truth."
Jacerys took a intimidating step forward, making Jaenara glare at him.
"What truth?"
"That I love you." Jacerys's face turn white in shock at her words, "Even after everything, even when their was times I should have hated you but I didn't. Because your my brother and we shared too many fond memories together to just throw that away, and...and I thought you felt the same."
Jacerys turns his head away.
"That's not fair–"
"Not fair?" She exclaimed, making him look at her, "What's not fair is being ostracize by my own family without any reasoning–"
"I have a reason."
"My son and I aren't looking to take the Iron Throne from you, brother. Trust me." Jaenara sneer with a look that could make any men walk away, "In all honesty, I think that thing is cursed and if you and Baela want to put your children on that thing, by all means go ahead. But, let me make something real clear, I don't care about the succession or legitimacy. My concern is my family."
"Including Aemond, yes?" He scowled.
"Of course, he is my husband, brother."
Jacerys rolled his eyes.
"That. That is the reason why." He snapped, making Jaenara narrow her eyes at him, "He will always come before us, every since we were children, you put his needs before ours. That is why I hate you, you always make a fool of yourself when your around him even though I know your smart enough to see through his bullshit. You didn't even give it a day to think, before you agreed to marry him."
"How dare you. You know like the rest of the family. How broken I was when I heard I had to marry Aemond, and you think I thought things were going to be dandy when marrying him?" She resorted, Jacerys stayed quiet, "I can barely remember what happened that night in the caves, but I do know that I stood up for you and our brothers and mother. My loyalty has always been to our family, always!" She snapped.
Jaenara took a stepped back, she look down at her baby to see him looking at her, almost concern. She gives him a assuring smile before looking at her brother with a dark look.
"I love you, brother. I truly do. But, if you do not fix thus, your not just going to lose me."
Jaenara turn on her soles, not giving her brother another look before stalking off. Jacerys watch after her with a lot to think about. But, Jaenara only hope he thinks about fixing their relationship, she is done being the responsible one, the bigger pperson, she tired of feeling like the one of having to fix and apologize for things.
| note: sorry for the long hiatus it was my birthday month in May and wanted to chill out bit. But no worries my little wyrmlings bc mother has delivered a new chapter. |
⊹₊ ˚‧︵‿₊୨୧₊‿︵‧ ˚ ₊⊹
"May I hold him?"
The question had me holding my baby to my chest as I snap my head at Rhaenyra, she look at me hopeful as she took a nervous step forward , making my insides twist at the thought of someone's else holding Laenor.
There are only a few people I trust to hold Laenor, the main ones are rhaelle and my husband, but something deep inside me was telling me to let her do it.
Odd enough, I nod my head.
Hesitantly, I walk over to the sofa with her following me, once we sat down I turn to her and made sure to carefully pass him over. Rhaenyra supported his head with her hand, I watch as she gaze down at him and slowly sway, her thumb moving to caress his temple.
Watching my mother be so gentle and careful with Laenor made me wonder if she was like that with me as a babe, I mean I can't really remember when my mother was so caring to me.
I don't think she ever even told me she love me.
"So odd."
My eyes fluttered rapidly as I pull myself from my thoughts, I look at my mother before looking at laenor.
"What?" I asked a bit worried, looking back at her with furrow brows as she look at me.
"Nothing bad." She reassures, calming me a bit with a look, before looking back at him with a sad smile, "He just...looks like your uncle, Baelon." I furrow my brows at sudden information.
"I didn't know Alicent had another son."
Rhaenyra chuckled sadly looking down as she stops swaying.
"No. Your grandmother, my mother. I was around your age when they both died, before we had to burn them, I had a chance to get a moment alone to see my mother and...my brother for the first and last time." Rhaenyra trails off, making me frown at her as her eyes gloss over, "You know there was a time...where I never imagine myself becoming heir."
"It felt like a dream. A dream I was once okay with never having." Rhaenyra bit inside of her cheek as she caress Laenor's temple with her thumb, before she turn her misty eyes to me, "So, you must understand I was young when I made my mistakes."
"Rhaenyra, what is this about?" I squint my eyes at her.
"I want us to start over."
I look away from her.
"Jaenara, please–"
"I already told you I forgiven Jace, you do not need to do this–"
"No, I want to do this." I look at her for a moment.
"I know Viserys or Rhaelle put you up to–"
"Your grandfather doesn't know I'm here and rhaelle threatened to break my legs if I step foot in your direction." She answered before I could get my words out.
I tilt my head to the side at her words, funny enough it's not that unbelievable.
"And yet your here."
Rhaenyra gives me this look.
"I needed to see you."
Before I could say a word, Laenor started to fuss in her arms, my heart felt like it was gonna jump out of my chest when I heard his whimpers. I got off the sofa without a second thought and took my baby from Rhaenyra, I move away from here as I bounce him gently slowly settling him down.
"I didn't mean to upset him...or you." I look at her as her voice sounded almost small and regretful.
"You didn't." I reassured her, making her look up at me, "He just had a long day." I look down at my baby as he rest against my chest.
"I can leave–"
"No." I stopped her, catching us both by surprise, "You said you wanted to start over? If your not being coerced than your doing this out of pity."
"No–"
"Then, what? Guilt." I asked staring at her as she look at me, "You made me feel wanted but yet neglected me."
"I know." She replied her voice filled with sadness.
"You made me feel like an outsider in my home." I step close to her, rhaenyra look down at her hands.
"I know."
"Do you? Do you know because it feels like you never have. You never truely understood how much I loved you and how much I needed you throughout my life. You have no idea how much I looked up to you, gods! I would have done anything for you." My throat tighten as all the emotions I felt from before come back crashing into me again, "Why couldn't you love me like Jace and Lucerys, why did I have to be different."
Rhaenyra squeezed her eyes shut, looking as though she was about to break down. She exhaled shakily before clearing her throat.
"I did love you. Deep, deep down. And I still do, you must trust me on that." She sniffed, flicking away the tears that escaped as she looked at me.
I don't know what to believe from her, I still think this is her way to get back in rhaelle or viserys good graces. But, something else inside me still gives me some sad hope for us. Something that I tried to bury ever since our confrontation in godswood, I wish the feeling would go away. I wish had the power to stop wanting her to accept me as her daughter, truth be told I don't think I can ever stop truely loving my mother.
But, she doesn't need to know that.
"How can I trust anything you say after all you done and said, after what you done to Rhaelle."
For the first time since I known Rhaenyra, she looked away deeply hurt and guilty.
"I was wrong. I was angry and...blinded by my own self-righteousness." Shs said the last words with so much disappointment and disgust, before she look at me again, "I blamed her for everything that went wrong in my life. I blame her for taking my father away, for causing my mother so much pain...for taking Daemon away." She sighs as if tired of it all.
"And I blamed you for Rhaelle being right." I furrow my brows as a sad smile came upon her lips, "She was right about the tea, that night I laid in bed with your father and.... " Her eyes drifted away if she was going to say someone else before shaking her head her, "And we made you. The next morning I was sick to my stomach and I knew. She was right again and I hated that."
"But, why? Rhaelle said you ask for the tea."
Rhaenyra shook her head, "Do you know how long I tried to get pregnant by your father, how many ways we tried to accommodate his needs to give him an heir?" I frown, "I always heard about the powers that Magonsæte's holds, how their springs made you young forever or their herbs can heal any disease known to mankind. I wrote those off as nothing more than rumors until I visited your aunt that faithful day."
"It wasn't fair that took me years to give him a child, and only took your aunt two minutes to make our wish come true. So, i was angey and so tired feeling like child next to her that i took it out on you, and im so sorry for that."
I sighed.
"I really wish I could trust your words, rhaenyra. But, you and Jace have shown me time and time again that you two cannot be trusted. Especially Jace."
A look past through her face making her clench her hands together.
"Please, do not give up on your brother so soon, Jaenara. He is confuse and conflicted." I couldn't retain my scoff at her words.
"So, I should give him a pass for what he did–"
"No, I didn't say that and I will never ever ask you too. What your brother did was unthinkable, but..." Rhaenyra paused before taking a steps towards me, so we were only a foot away from each other, "You must know you are different from your brothers, that you four don't share..." I squint her as her words died in her throat.
"Your brother is threatened by you, Jaenara." Her words had me pausing for a moment, "Ever since Joffrey's birth. Your brother has become more and more aware of his...lineage and it is causing him to question things." She says hesitantly.
"Oh."
I look away at what she was getting at.
I place my now sleeping babe in his cot before turning back to her with my arms cross over my chest.
"So, this is about the line of succession."
A look of fear cross Rhaenyra's feature, she bow her head with slight nod.
"It is hard to say out loud why it concerns you, and I know I have no right to ask you to talk to him. To ease his worries–" I couldn't help the giggle that passed through my lips at her request, I look at Rhaenyra as she stare at me worried.
I sigh and rid my face of any amusement.
"Lay down your worries mother." I move towards her and grab her hands, rhaenyra look at me taken aback, "I have known of my my brothers' lineage for a while now..." Rhaenyra looks down, I squeeze her hands gently making look at me with tears swell her eyes again, "And I have always defended them and I will never stop, as this scar right here is proof of that." The tip of my finger gaze the side of my temple where the scar was.
A sob broke out of Rhaenyra as she threw herself against me, she held me against her as she weeps in my shoulder.
"Oh, my sweet daughter. I'm so sorry. I'm so so sorry."
I rubbed her back to console her. Letting her finally let it all out.
It was nearing the hour of the ghost, when Rhaelle left to give me and baby laenor some time alone together. Not too long after Aemond came to keep us conpany.
He is quite a active baby, Laenor, for someone who was just born into the world, ever since he could open his eyes everything seem to bring a little smile to his face. Whenever, we go for our walks in the garden, his eyes would flicker and his face would light up in delight as if knowing where we were.
Aemond likes to blame his wits for our son's awareness, a true targaryen runs through our boy's veins, he would say when he notice Laenor paying more attention to a butterfly than a toy horse.
A smile spread across my lips at the thought of Aemond and Laenor, it was noon as Laenor took his nap and Aemond was off again. I realize while Aemond being summoned all hours of the day, I have yet to feel that little nest of worry in my chest when I was pregnant with Laenor, now I rather feel empty, well not that word per sa, but I do feel like everything is fine even through I know it isn't.
It's like, there's a fire in the city and slowly, but surely, it's making its way towards the castle and rather than feeling worried or afraid about it hurting my family and I. Instead, I feel fine, well calm is more like it.
It feels like all the anger and hate, i had during my pregnancy just wash away and was replace by something else. Maybe, indifference.
Laenor's soft cooing stir me. I peeled open my eyes and turn on my side to see Lucerys, he was standing over laenor in his cot awkwardly, looking at him with an unsure look as he stare down at him.
"How does it feel to finally be an uncle, little brother." My voice startled, Lucerys, making him look over at me alarmed.
"I...I didn't mean to wake you." His voice was small and low, I couldn't help but smile tiredly at him.
"You didn't. Just resting my eyes." I sat up, leaning my back against the headboard before putting a pillow on my lap, "Come sit. Let him sleep." I wave my hand towards him, Lucerys step away from the cot, not taking another glance at his nephew.
He move towards the bed with steady feet, once he was in front of me. He threw himself onto me, his head went to my chest as his arms wrapped around my waist, barely, taking me by surprise.
I relax a bit at his sudden action, I forgot for a second that out of her mother and older brother. I still had Lucerys's love.
"You scared me." He mumbled, he move his head so it was resting on her shoulder, he look at me with nothing but sadness in his eyes, "I thought I lost you." I rub his back before bringing my other hand to his hair to play with it, something I would do to comfort Lucerys when he was younger.
"I know. I'm sorry." I whisper to him, "But, you do not need to be afraid anymore, I am still here and with a son, no less. I am fine and so is your nephew, so no more tears, little seastar." My lips plant a soft peck on Lucerys's forehead, but the only thing he did was frown and look away.
"You almost died." He pulled back, making me share a similar expression, "And it was all because of us."
"That's not true, Luke." I shook my head, he brought his tearful eyes up to me, a mixture of regret and anger swirling in them.
"But, it is. I don't know what's been going on with Jace lately, he seem to be getting more and more irritated by the day. And mothers no help." He huffed, the way he sits defeated and solemnly, reminds me of our mother, "I should have done something, but instead I stood there like a craven. I wish they just stayed behind. I hate them. Both of them–"
"Now, now, do not say something you do not mean, little brother–"
His sudden push back caught me off guard.
"But, I do. I do mean it." He snips.
I was caught off guard by his anger. I never seen him so angry before. I look him over and frown.
His face was wet and flush, and his eyes were puffing and tired.
One of my heartstrings broke at the thought of Lucerys worrying about me, it was always me worrying about him, me fussing over every little thing he did since the age of 1. To see that look, the same look I bear so many time when he climb the tress in godswood, on his face crashed my soul into peices.
I grabbed his arms, catching his attention. I look him straight into his brown eyes with a earnest look that our septa gave me once after my lesson, when I ask her about bastardy and why people referred to my brothers as such when we shared the same father.
It was a hard conversation to have and even more hard to hear, but it needed to be said. I needed to understand what it meant and why it was so important to my mother and aunt so much.
Sometime just saying what your thinking is the only way to make people understand.
"Lucerys, listen to me closely. I know what you are feeling and I understand it's partly on my behalf, but I do not want you to hate our brother and mother." Lucerys move to argue only to be shut down by a look from me, "You hating our mother will kill her, as much as she is not my favorite person right now I cannot see that happen." Sadly, I thought while rolling my eyes.
"Something is apparently going on with Rhaenyra and Jacerys, and I'm going to get to the bottom of it. But, for now..." I move my hand to brush his hair out of his face, making him look at me, "Just stay and talk with me, you can even spend the night if you want." He furrow his brows.
"What about Aemond?" He asked scared, I smiled at hims sweetly.
"He would not mind. He be mad, but he will not voice it out loud...in front of me." I smirk, Lucerys frown a bit confuse, making me giggle at him, "I bet you have lots to tell me, Alyaena and Alyssa already told me the juciy details of their lovers, so tell me how are you and rhaena doing, little brother?" I give him a cheeky smile as he turn pink at the mention of his belove.
"W-We are fine." He mumbled, turning his eyes down as his fidget with his thumbs.
"Just fine?" He nodded his head still not meeting my eye, I hummed with narrows, "And how is Baelon taking all of this?" I ask, making Lucerys snap his head up so fast, making me look at him amuse.
"H-How do you mean?" He stuttered.
I tilt my head to the side, before fixing it to look at him.
"Well, you know how much Baelon cares for Rhaena, how is he taking the fact that his belove is marrying you?" I asked simply, Lucerys look slightly taken back as if it was some secret that baelon was in love with rhaena or vise versa.
"He...is fine with it."
I raised my brow at him.
"Baelon is fine with you and rhaena?" He nodded his head, "The same boy who pushed you off the Sea Snake for sharing a biscuit with Rhaena, is fine with you two together?" His eyes held something, hesitation maybe, before he looks down at the blanket that was covering your legs.
"He, uh, we came to a arrangement." He mumbled, he look back at me as I raise my brow intrigued.
"What sort of arrangement?" I asked.
Lucerys looks away with a look before back at me.
"You can't tell anyone I told you this, especially Alyaena and Alyssa," I nodded my head vigorously as I couldn't contain my eagerness, he looks at me for a second,"...well, Baelon got the idea and told Rhaena and they both told me together. Baelon wants to share a bed with me and rhaena once we are ready for marriage, and want our heir to be his first child."
I couldn't help but look at him with a look of disbelief, I'm not judging but what gives Baelon any right to be throwing out demands like these to Rhaena and Lucerys.
"And you okay with that?"
Lucerys shrugs his shoulder with a neutral look.
"I do not mind it. I know how rhaena feels about Baelon and I know she feels about me." He says, making me look at him surprise, "And besides, I love rhaena and all I want is for her to be happy." He finish, I smile softly at his words.
"Good thing she is very lucky to have you." Lucerys looks at me before looking away with a shy smile.
The doors to my room was puller opened, making Lucerys and I snapped our heads in the direction.
Lucerys and I look surprise and startled to see Rhaenyra walk I'm with Jacerys strolling in behind her with a nervous yet agitated look, the guard that opened the door shut it behind the two as the four of us stare at one another.
"Jaenara. Forgive us for intruding like this but..." Rhaenyra trails off, I snap my eyes away from Jacerys to look at her, her hands were clutch against her stomach as she glance between me and Lucerys nervously, "...We wanted to see how you and the babe are faring?" She finally drags her eyes away from her youngest son, who was avoiding her eyes, to look at me with a tinge of sadness and hurt in her eyes.
It took a moment for me to answer, I thought seeing my mother and brother so soon would annoyed but instead I feel nothing.
"We are fine." I slide my legs from under the cover, Lucerys look at me worried making me give him a reassuring look as I got out of bed.
I move towards the cot where Laenor slept soundly and gently picked him up, without waking him, and turn to my mother and brother.
"This is Laenor Targaryen, first of his name." I look down at my sleeping baby with a soft smile, before looking at the duo, who took a step closer to get a better look.
"He is very handsome boy." Rhaenyra commented with a softness to her voice, it made me look at her for a moment before looking away as something felt off.
"Hmm." Jacerys hummed behind his mother as he look pass her shoulder at the babe, "Yes, very handsome, he has... his father's eye, I guess."
My eyes turn to Jacerys with a dark look as he stare at my baby with a bored look, making a flicker ignite inside my chest before i could say something rhaenyra spoke up with tone that me raising a brow.
"Jacerys." She hiss with a look as she turn her head to him.
After what felt a hour, between them talking to each with their eyes. I couldn't see what look she was giving him, but I did notice how the way Jacerys froze at the tone of Rhaenyra's tone.
"Apologize. Now." She said in a low and firm voice.
The look on Jacerys's face made it look like she just slapped him or ask him to do the most outlandish thing, he flutter his eyes turning his gaze to me with a small frown. He stare at me just as confuse and surprised as me.
"It is fine." I said quickly, rhaenyra turn to me with a deep frown, "I know jace didn't mean it that way, its fine." I said, feeling rather put out of sorts.
"Maybe, but he still have to apologize for what happened nights ago." She said turning to look at Jacerys again.
I wasn't sure what was going on, with rhaenyra sudden change of behavior and talking to Jacerys like that. It makes me wonder more and more on what's going on with them.
"I'm sorry." I snappedd out of my thoughts at the sound of Jacerys's voice, I blink twice before bringing him into focus, "What I did was foolish and I could have really hurt you and the babe, can you find it in your heart to forgive me?" He says.
I could see the hint of regret in his face, even if it sounds like he don't really mean it.
"Thank you, Jacerys." I nod at him, "And I do. It was rather a...hectic evening and all I wish to do is move from it."
Jacerys didn't look relieve nor annoyed, he hummed and turn away from me as Rhaenyra spoke up.
"I am sorry too, Jaenara." She begins, making me look at her surprise like Jacerys, she glance pass my shoulder before looking back to me, "Is it okay if we talk alone?" She asked, I frown a bit at the unknown reason.
I wasn't sure if I wanted to hear what rhaenyra had to say, but like since I was I was a child, curiousity has always made it hard for me to say no.
"Uh, okay." I backed up and turn to Lucerys, who was now standing, I guess he knew what i was about to say as he walks to me.
"I should go...rhaena would be looking for me." He said as he awkwardly maneuver around our mother and brother towards the door.
Jacerys didn't say a word to neither me or his mother as he follows shortly after our younger brother, he shut the door behind us to give us more privacy.
I stood in the middle of the room with a sleeping babe in my arms and a mother who suddenly had a change in attitude in the expand of a few days, I could only imagine what was swirling in that head of hers and I can only imagine it was some more nonsensical crap that Viserys put her up to.
Jaenara stirred, her eyelids heavy as if weighted with sand. A soft groan escaped her lips, a testament to the arduous journey her body had just completed. The world swam back into focus, the blurry edges of the room sharpening into familiar shapes. She was lying in her bed, the scent of lavender and chamomile clinging to the sheets. A wave of exhaustion washed over her, yet beneath it, a sense of profound peace settled in her bones. She had brought forth life, a son, and in that moment, the world felt both vast and beautifully intimate.
She moan as she sit up in her bed, it was still dark outside, her eyes glance around at the dim litted room, until her eyes landed on her husband. Aemond was in a chair next to her asleep, his chest rise and fall gently as his head rest awkwardly to the side.
Before, Jaenara could shake him awake, a whimper brought her eyes around the room again before it rest in a crib, she glance at her husband before moving the covers out of her way.
She carefully slide of the bed, her face flash with discomfort as she slowly walks around the bed toward the crib.
She peeks inside before bending over to lift the small being into her arms, she coos at the babe as he start to fuss in her arms.
Jaenara hush the sweet creature as she brings him back to the bed, her breast ache. He cries softly, she could tell he was hungry by the way his small face pout. She smiles down at him with so much love as she untie the front of her night gown.
She kiss his head before she put him to her chest, once he latch jaenara recline back and brush his head with her thumb as he feds.
Jaenara look around the room in thought as she couldn't remember much from the birth, except for the pain and her aunt, she remember Rhaelle being there next to her holding her hand as someone patted her head with a cloth.
She thinks she kept blacking out throughout the birth, one moment she would see Aemond and Rhaelle by her side comforting her, the next they would be talking to the healer heatedly, then blank.
Jaenara's eyes look down at her son, she smile again gazing down at him finally taking him in as he did the same to her.
He was beautiful just like his father, Jaenara glance at Aemond.
Both of them.
She drag her eyes away from her husband to look back at her baby boy to see his mismatch eyes staring up at her, one violet and the other one green.
She wonders if that because of her great-grandmother or Ser Krey.
His skin look like it was peck by the sun like hers, and his full head of hair was silver with a trace of blonde.
He was perfect in every way.
"Hello, my son." Jaenara whisper softly.
She rocks him gently smiling down at him proud, he was so big.
"...Jae." Aemond yawn, moving to sit up.
Jaenara looks over at him watching, Aemond gets out of the chair stiffly. He take a seat next to her on the bed, before leaning over to lean against her to look at their baby.
"Isn't he just precious, my love." Jaenara ask turning her eyes back to their son.
"Hmmm, just like his mother." Aemond kiss her shoulder before looking down at the babe again.
"And handsome like his papa." She proclaim with a wide smile looking at Aemond.
Aemond smile back at her as he scoot closer, he wrap his arm around her waist while his hand move to caress his son's face gently.
"He has his father's nose." He comment.
Jaenara blink at Aemond, registering what he just said, before looking down at their son. She stare at him for a moment until she realize he did. In a trice, a heavy weight landed on Jaenara's chest, was it sadness or was it fear? She couldnt tell.
The sound of the babe starting to fuss brought Jaenara out of her thoughts, she look down to see detach and pull him away from her chest.
She move to hold the babe, so his chin would rest on her shoulder as she pat his back.
Her head hang low in thought, she didn't know why she was feeling so bad all of the sudden.
"Jaenara, are you alright?" Aemond ask conern.
She snap back to reality, feeling Aemond's hand slide up from her waist to rub her back in comfort. She look at him to see him staring back at her with a worry look, the way he look at her had that feeling creep into her chest.
"I...I don't know." She bow her head, Aemond frown looking at her.
A burp from the babe gave her a moment of distraction as she pull him away from her shoulder, and move to have him rest in her arms as she rocks him.
"Whatever it is you can tell me." He promise, Jaenara frown looking away.
How can she if she doesn't know what it is that is bothering her. Could it be gulit finally eating at her?
"I...I...can't." She look at Aemond with tears gathering up in her eyes, "I do not know what I am feeling right now, I think it may be gulit." She confess, Aemond look at her confuse.
"Gulit? Over what, my love." Aemond asked perplex.
Jaenara swallow and look down at small baby in her arms, Aemond follow her gaze to their son and he understood.
He place his hand on her arm before giving it a gently squeeze, Jaenara look up at him tear slipping down her face.
"I am not sorry of how our son came to be, but I do feel sorry that you would have to wait to have a child of your own." She sigh looking down at her lap, "I knew how much you wanted a child, I know how much it meant to you."
Aemond exhale with a shake of his head.
"Oh, my sweet love, do not take my comment to heart," He chuckle with his head low making Jaenara look at him dumbfound, "Our little boy shares the same features as you lover, I knew the moment he came out and I held him." Aemond look at his belove wife with as much love and adoration, just like the day she gave him her dragon egg.
"And yet, I couldn't find it in my heart to hate him, he was so small in my arms and all I could think is...if anyone hurt him. I'll kill them and fed them to Vhagar. His small whimpers he made and the way his little body wiggle in my arms made me almost cry." Aemond sigh as his face twist into sadness, "If I wasn't so cruel to you, our son would already have a sister to play with. And that's my fault. I know that now. The gods give just as the gods take away."
Aemond brush his wife's tears away with his thumb, before a little smile came upon his lips.
"I wouldn't change our son for the world, he was made out of love rather than cruelty." He place his hand on the side of Jaenara's head, they lean close planting their heads against each other, "So, whatever sorrows you have swirling in that beautiful head of yours, cast them out. Because I will love our Laenor, forever and always." He whisper.
Promise?" She sniff.
"Promise." He pulls back to plant a kiss on her head, "Until my last breathe."
⊹₊♚₊⊹
I rock Laenor in my arms watching him sleep, we rest on the settee with my legs on the small table before us. After, Aemond and I fell back to sleep with little Laenor between us, I woke up alone with only Laenor and a note from Aemond. Viserys summoned Aemond. What for? He didn't say. But, I hope it is good.
As my lips rest on Laenor's forehead, I lift my head to turn to see Rhaelle walking in.
She smile at me, making me turn the gesture. I got up carefully not to stir the babe, before putting him in his crib next to the settee.
"Aunt Rhae." I greet as she comes to me, she open her arm to me as I engulf in a hug once she came to stand in front me.
"My sweet neice." She kiss the side of my head, before pulling back to get a good look at me, "You were so brave last night, so fearless, Aemma would be so proud of you." She smile, but something inside me turn shifted at the mention of my grandmother.
"What? What is wrong, little one?" Rhaelle ask, snapping me out of my thoughts.
"Nothing...sorry, nothing." I shook my head before taking a seat after peeking inside the cot at Laenor, " I...I just don't remember much of last night."
Rhaelle at me surprise before she took a seat next to me, she grab my hand and place it in her lap before parting it with a faint smile.
"What a pity. You put up quite a fight, little one."
I look at her with furrow brows, making her giggle in her other hand.
"Ask your husband. I only saw a glimpse, he knows more than I do." I hummed and shift to lay my head on her shoulder, I felt soft lips brush against my hairline, making me look up at my aunt, "We all are happy you are okay, Jaenara. Many of your cousins were worried about you, I'm pretty sure the sound of your screams cause most of them not to want to be mothers or fathers any time soon." She chuckle making me snort.
"Your grandfather, Viserys, even was worried so much so. He almost threw Daemon aside to get to you."
My heart twinge at a bit at the sweet gesture, before a unmistakable cloud gloom over it.
"Aunt Rhaelle?" She hummed, "Was it hard for you when you gave birth to the triplets and baelor?" I asked.
"Twins." I pull back to look at her confuse, she notice me staring and continued, "Triplets and the twins. Baelor was a twin." I raise my brows before remembering what she said a dinner.
"The babe you lost. She was Baelor's twin?" Rhaelle nod her head with a small pitiful smile, "What was her name?" My aunt look at me with a hesitant look, her lip tremble before she bit it.
"Jaenara. Her name was Jaenara."
"Oh." I said lowly surpris before looking down.
I'm surprise rhaenyra would named me after my aunt.
"Your grandfather named you." Rhaelle spoke up as if hearing my thoughts, I look at her again, "He was first to see you, he told me he couldn't help it...you looked so much like Jaen, and he was right." She smile at me.
"You had her exact face. All the way to her beautiful nose and big cheeks." She tap my nose with her finger, making me smile a bit, before she drop her hand with a grim look, "I hated him more after that, I mean he done a lot of crap over the years, but forcing your mother to name you after my decrease daughter was...too much." I frown at her as she look down at her hands, I turn my gaze over to the cot in thought.
All her life all she ever heard about her grandparents were good things, how sweet and caring Aemma was to her servants and the townsfolk. Or how Viserys was great and honest king with a heart of gold. But, yet they put Rhaelle through so much, and for what?
"How did you do it." I ask, looking over at rhaelle as she look at me, "All my life the only thing you could say about my grandparents were kind things, you didn't have to, but you did. Why? Why didn't you tell any of us the truth." Rhaelle frown at me.
"Little one, you all were children, I couldn't just tell you something like that at such a young age. I didn't want you ending up hating them–"
"Why not? It wasn't like Viserys cared about me. He was just like mother. It was only after I lost my child did he decide to knowledge me." I huffed as I feeling in my chest made me want to threw something, "And I'm pretty sure the only reason he even acknowledge me then was because I reminded him of–" I stop myself as I thought back to the soiree just a few months back, and how my grandfather talk to me for the first time in over sixteen years.
"What, Jaenara? You reminded him of who." Rhaelle ask, snapping me out of my thought as I slowly look at her.
I didn't know what to say, or more so I didn't want to bring it up. It was quite a absurb thing at first when he called me by rhaelle name and said those things, but after what rhaelle said at dinner, it now just felt...disturbing and dreadful.
"You." I said without thinking as I continued, "He...He said he knew my favorite dessert, lemon cakes, I didn't even think about how he knew. But, then he called me by your name and..." I was looking down at my hands as I trail off, I look to see what Rhaelle was thinking, but my heart drop to my stomach at the look on her face.
Her eyes look close to tears, her face twisted in a look I never seen before.
"Oh." She said grisly looking down, her hands clench her skirt, making me feel bad for bringing it up.
"I'm sorry." I said the first thing to come to mind, rhaelle look up frowning in confusion, "I'm sorry about rhaenyra, I'm sorry about my grandparents. I'm sorry you had to be with my grandfather–"
"Little one–"
"I'm sorry that you had to be use, I really wish it wasn't you. You didn't deserve that." I sniff as I felt my cheeks get wet, I didn't even realize I started crying, "Your so kind and you never was mean to me, not even when Alyaena stop talking to me, you were always kind to my mother and brothers. Why? Why were you so nice to us, when we didn't even deserve it."
Rhaelle brought my head to her shoulder as I sob, I didn't know where it came from. As I spoke all I could do is think about what I been through with Aemond, and to imagine my aunt and my grandfather in similar roles.
I guess, everything i been holding in finally broke inside me.
"Oh, my sweet girl." She mutter in my hair as she rock me, "You do not have to apologize for anything or anyone."
"Rhaelle–"
"Enough, little one." She snap softly, as her words turn firm, "I do not know where this is coming from, but you have nothing to be sorry for. Not for me. Not for your mother. Not even for your grandfather. Those sins belong to them, not you. Do you understand?" I sniff as I rub my face against her her.
"Jaenara. Tell me you understand. You must know that nothing your family did would ever reflect how i see you or your brothers." I nod my head as my throat too strain to speak as I held down another sob, Rhaelle wrap her arms around me as she coo me like a child, "Oh, my sweet child, my little heart. I love you like you are my own child, nothing you can do can change that. You can start a war and I would be by your side to tell you how to win it, that how much I love you, my love. Never forget that." I sniff wiping my wet cheeks before moving to rest my head on her chest, I could hear her heartbeat, steady and strong.
"I wish you were my mama, auntie." I whispered in valyrian.
Rhaelle caress my hair without a response, her arms around me tighten and her heart beat a little faster. And I knew she wish the same.
The silence between us was thick with tension, I look around the table at the half pale faces of my cousins and uncomfortable looks. Even Alicent look highly upset. I mean, I couldn't blame her, everything rhaelle said was true, wasn't it?
I didn't know much about my auntie past with my grandfather, no one really talked about how Baelor came to be. It was this unspoken deed that happen many years ago that no one talk about unless to start an argument (Corwyn, of course) and that's it, I was never one to pry into the past like some of my kin, who would make ridiculous stories up on how or what happen between our families the rumors didn't help, of course.
My eyes went over to the chair rhaelle knocked over feeling a ping in my chest, I thought back on her words just moments ago in a daze.
'Do you think you could have lived another day if you celebrated your fifteen nameday locked in a room for the sole purpose of producing a heir.'
It brought me back to the time I was locked in the solar, my sole of giving Aemond's heirs. I remember the lonely nights, the pain between my legs, the days that follow where only dread controlled my body as I stand around in fear of losing another child, it all was so draining and dreadful that even thought about...
I let out an audible sigh, I turn my eyes away, as if swioing the memory away with it, and glance at Aemond. He stare down at the table, looking deep in thought, it makes me wonder what was going through his head.
"I think I'm bout to be sick." Baelor mutters low but not that low not to hear it.
My head turn to Baelor at the end of the table looking like he just seen a ghost, he sat beside Valaena, who was patting his hand in comfort, my eyes flick at the movement across from him to Corwyn, who picked up his drink with a subtle eyeroll.
"You live." The older man brush off.
Baelor glare at his brother across the way and his once pale face turn red, he got from out of his chair making the wood make a screeching sound that had everyone look at him.
"Fuck you, Corwyn." Baelor snapped, Corwyn smirk his little brother with a drunkeness to him.
"Baelor, please calm down," Valaena says getting to rest her hand on his shoulder and squeeze.
"No, Val, let him go." Valaena and Baelor look at Corwyn as the man finish his drink and stood up as well with a cocking smile, "Let him say his peice, it looks like he got a lot on his chest. So, gone on, princess. Let me have it." He mocked, I could see the anger in Baelor's face as he only glare at him before his face relax.
"I have nothing to say to you, Corwyn, I already said my peice over the years. " Baelor retorted calmly, "I'm just feel bad for your sons having to have a father like you to raise them." Corwyn smile crumbled into a sneer.
"You know nothing about my family–"
"I know they prefer me over you." Baelor pipe quickly as a smug smile grew on his lips, "I know they feel more at home in my stronghold than yours." Ronas and Romarn look at each other before looking away quickly.
"Eat shit–" Corwyn says with hint of doubt in his voice.
"Ask them yourself." Baelor smile darkly.
Corwyn turn his eyes to his sons, Ronas looked annoyed while Romarn looked gulity.
"...you didn't make it easy, father." Romarn started after few seconds of his father's hard stare.
"Shut up, Rom." Ronas snapped quickly, "This is why I should have never let you talk me into going with you, I knew he was going to do this–"
"Oh, stop. It was going to come out eventually." Romarn huff tired, he look at his father after gathering his courage, "We know you never loved mother, or us. We knew you could only love one person, we knew since we went to her funeral. You show more love to her daughters than you ever did us." Corwyn's face crumbled again before he look down, but his features change back to anger and shook his head.
"If that how you feel than so be it," He snapped before snatching up a bottle of wine of the table.
We watch as he grumble and stalk out of the room while take a swing out of the bottle before shutting the door behind him loudly, I frown at the lack of maturity of her cousin, it sorta reminded her if Aegon.
"I'm sorry, boys." I flick my eyes back to Baelor as he look at his nephews regretfully.
"Yeah, right," Ronas push away from the table and got up throwing down his napkin, "Now, I must make sure he doesn't do anything stupid, like kick us out or worst disinherit us." He glare pointly at his brother.
"Did you want me to lie–?"
"Yes!" Ronas snapped, "You know how he get–"
"Exactly why I said it, he was never going change. No matter how much we tried or beg, he was never going to see us like he sees them." Romarn pointed at Baela and Rhaena before dropping his arm, "I refuse to play along with his ridiculous high standards, I will not marry out of duty because he was foolish enough to do so by his father. I want to have a say who I marry, and I want...to be in love with that person." His glance down the table at someone before looking away.
My eyes follow soon after to see Alyaena looking at him surprise manner and in a way I never seen her look at anyone before, a harsh laugh brought me back as I look back to Ronas to see him giving Ronas a sneer.
"And what makes you think that she would or even want to marry you? She can't even stand being around you, hell, she was embarrassed when everyone found out she sleep with you." His tone dripped with mockery and venom, Ronas look down abashed at his brother's words.
"Speak for yourself." Alyaena got up from her chair, catching everyone by surprise, she look around uncertain before looking at Romarn with cold look, "You know nothing about me or your brother, because unlike him his not self centered or selfish, he cares and actually listen to me...unlike some people."
I raise a questionable brow before looking at Alyaena, she gives me a look that said she tell me later before going back to staring down Romarn.
"Does that mean you marry me someday."
"We're not talking about that right now." Alyaena quickly says.
Romarn look between his brother and Alyaena before shrugging his shoulder with a scowl on his face, he moves his chair out of his way as he walk away.
"Have my sloppy seconds, see if I care, I rather have a woman who doesn't talk back than one that don't know when to shut her mouth."
He hiss throwing daggers at Alyaena before walking out of the room, just as childish as his father, Romarn slams the door behind in his stead.
"Well..." After a moment of silence, "That was rather entertaining, who's next?" Aegon says giddy, leaning forward with his hand clasp together in a stupid grin.
"Shut up, Aegon." I say, he look over at me with a wink.
"You know you love me." He says, I roll my eyes in disgust before hearing a snort.
"Something funny, jace." I snap my head at the oldest son of rhaenyra, making him look over at you with sneer.
"Do not talk to me, you done enough for–"
"Remove that tone from your voice, nephew." Aemond spoke up from beside me as he gets up from out his chair to glare at Jacerys, "Not if you want to be picking up your teeth from the floor."
"Aemond, my love, there's no need–"
"I want to see you try, one-eye." Jacerys hiss, getting up as well, lucerys look between the two nervous sinking into his seat, "You can try to play the white knight all you want, but we all know she still thinks about Ser Krey."
I shot jacerys a dirty look before glancing at my husband, Aemond glare at jacerys but I could still see the hurt in his eyes. My heart felt heavy and I turn back to jacerys with fed up look, before saying something I know I would regret.
"Just like how your mother still thinks about Ser Harwin?" I ask, causing jacerys to snap his head at me taken aback but dumbfounded, "What ever happened to him, I always forget, it been so long–" I said with a look of thoughtfulness.
"Shut your mouth." Jacerys glares at me with a mist in his eyes.
"Stop it. " Rhaenyra whispered sorrowfully.
"Oh, yes, I forgot he burn to death in Harrenhal with his lord father." I finish with a mocking pout as I stare at jace, "Such a shame, he was so young and so full of life. It's such a pity he never had any sons." I out my hand over my belly and the other over my heart, jace's eyes glance down with a curl of his lip before looking back at me.
"You are cruel." My eyes look over at my mother as she stare down with tears running down her face with an heartbroken look.
"And you are a miserable excuse for a mother, who couldn't take care of her own child because of some long drawn jealousy for a woman who couldn't give two fucks about you." I remark with a callous tone.
"You are evil bitch you know that." Jacerys says.
The sound of a sword unsheathed made me turn to Aemond with wide eyes as he held the sword in his hand tightly until his knuckles were white, and pointed it at Jacerys threatening causing Lucerys look at me terrified and afraid.
"I warn you. Blood or not. I'll will spill your blood if you say another harsh word towards her." Aemond warn darkly as jacerys raise his head trying to look not afraid.
"You don't have the balls."
"Then, come around this table and see if I do." Aemond smirk, before backing up from the table, "Or would you rather me meet you halfway." His sword is by his side as he slowly make his way towards Jace.
Rhaenyra jump up from her seat and grabbed Lucerys putting him and Lucerys behind her in fear as she glance around at me and aemond.
"Call off your husband, Jaenara." Rhaenyra pleaded.
I make my way over to Aemond as he stands a couple feet away from with them with a look she haven't seen in a while, she grab her husband arm stopping him from getting any closer to her brothers.
"My love, he is not worth getting your pretty sword bloody." I squeeze his arm in comfort, but his eyes still remain on jace.
"I'm gonna cut out his tongue, and fed it to him." He fumed, I blink up at him for a second, before I let out giggle I didn't know where it came from.
Aemond look down at me, his eye shining with confusion at what I thought was funny.
"Oh, my sweet husband, how I love your dark mind and protectiveness. " I hand reach up to caress his cheek, "One of the things I pray our child will inherent." Aemond hmm leaning into my touch like kitty wanting to be pet, we stood there together in such a intimate embrace forgetting about everybody until Jacerys had to ruin it.
It all happened to fast, one moment I was holding aemond's face, next the world turn on its axis and I felt my back colladed with the side of the table. A sharp pain shot up my spine making me fall against the table onto the ground, I hug my stomach as I turn on my side to see Jacerys wrestling Aemond on the ground.
"Jace, stop it!" Lucerys shouted.
I move to sit up but throb in my back made me cry out softly for no one to hear, everyone was so focus trying to pry Jace and Aemond apart, I groan in distress as I feel someone leak down my leg. I let out a whimper as I will myself to grab the edge of the table to sit myself up, once I was sitting up straight I hurriedly pull up my skirt to see wet thighs.
Suddenly, I hands went to my belly as I felt my first contraction, I squeeze my eyes shut letting out a groan that sounded more like a growl.
"Oh, my gods, jaenara." My eyes flick open as Rhaenyra came to my side, making me recoil away from her.
"Do not touch me." I mutter as I bite lip to keep from screaming.
"Jaenara, you need help–" Rhaenyra's hand went to my shoulder, but I shook it off.
"I said DO NOT TOUCH ME!" I cry out as another contraction ripe through me.
"Jaenara." I heard Aemond call my head, "Jaenara! My love, what is happening, tell me what is happening." His panicked voice, made me want to smile but instead grab his collar clenching my teeth at the pain from my back and stomach made it unbearable.
"His coming, Aemond." I look at him in the eye, "Our baby's coming." I groan throwing my head back.
"Oh, gods, okay, okay. Wrap your arms around my neck."
I did what he said and wrap my arms around his neck as he put his arm under my legs to scoop me up off the ground, I held on to Aemond's shoulders for dare life as he turns to our family.
"Someone need to fetch the healer and rhaelle."
"Ill go get, mother." Alyssa says looking at everyone before scurry out the hall.
"And I'll get the healer." Alyaena says before going over to her cousin touching her arm, "Hold on, Jae." She give a quick kiss before being follow out of the hall with Romarn.
"Mother would you come with." Aemond ask, sounding afriad, I peek up at him to see him looking at his mother with frantic look.
"Of course, my son." Alicent agreed immediately, moving to stand to stand next to her boy.
"I'll come too–" Rhaenyra started.
"No!" Aemond snapped angrily, "This is your fault, you and your little bastard, she isn't due for another week."
"I can help–"
"You done enough, which is nothing."
I felt aemond turn facing someone, I couldn't turn my head to see who as one movement could paralyze me in pain.
"If anything happens to my child, I'll burn you all in your sleep." With one last threat, Aemond turn on his soles and marches away with his queen mother following behind.
I look over Aemond's shoulder to look to see Rhaenyra staring after me with regret written all over her face as Lucerys stare angrily at Jace who had his gaze turn to the ground with a look dismay.
As I walk into my chamber after my futile talk with Rhaenyra, I close the door behind me quietly unknowingly to the visitorer. I watch surprise and shock as Enith toss something into the roaring fire of the hearth before stepping back.
"Your back."
Enith turn to look at me with her soft hazel eyes in shock.
"I...am." She says awkwardly as her eyes flit to the hearth before back to me, "And you gotten big–I mean, your growing, which means the baby is healthy, yes?" She ask as she clasp her hands in front of her with a air of nervousness as she walks towards me to caress my belly, I smile making my cheeks hurt at the gesture.
"Mmhmm, he be joining us real soon, the maester says any day now and I'm happy for it." I start taking her hand and leading her over to the window that look out to the city and the sea, I take a pillow from the sofa to pop it against the arm of the bench before taking a seat, "As much as I love my sweet dragon, I can not bear the swollen feet and the constant need to pee. Also, I miss wine." I pout making enith giggle as she take the seat next to me.
"Oh, my poor princess." She mocks with playful smirk making me wave her off.
"You mock me? I pray you understand this torture one day as well."
Enith roll her eyes with the slight smile still playing on her lips.
"How have you been since i been away, my princess? Anything exciting happened?" She questions changing the subject to a less favorable conversation.
"Sadly, yes, but it is a rather long story which I rather not get into." I sigh wiggling in my seat to get comfortable, Enith gives me a slight grimace.
"That bad?"
I lean my head against the frame of the window with nod.
"Yep." I pop the p as I answered looking out at the ships at the dock.
"I fear to ask how bad."
I snorted.
"Enough to cause my husband to cut off his mother and cause the queen to go mad." I look at her after pulling my eyes away from a familiar flagship with a seahorse waving in the wind, Enith look at me in shock as she gasp in disbelief, "And that's just the tip of the pile of shit I had to endure, I won't even get into the nonsense I had to hear from my mother-I mean Rhaenyra." I corrected coldly crossing my arms.
Enith gave me a look making me shake my head, she frown a bit before she looks out the window with me as we sit in silence. I look out at the docks and watch as the men go about their day to day task.
"I forgot to ask, where is aemond?" I turn my eyes to her as she look at me.
"Probably, being blinded sided by his mother and Rivers."
"Rivers?" Enith ask confused.
"Yes, the queen of cunts invited that whore back to king's landing to deliver the family such joyous news of her carrying Aemond's child."
I roll my eyes as sarcasm drip from my tongue before watching Enith's face shift.
"Pregnant." She said lowly.
"Sadly." I said back flatly as I look Enith over feeling something was off, "But, it's nothing to dwell on, especially since we still do not know if the child is Aemonds' or not. I rather not think about it right now." I dismiss looking back out the window.
"Of course, princess."
The silence that follows is repose, I glance at Enith as she stares out the window, the lines on her forehead shows her worry and unease. I rest my hand on my belly, wondering what was going on in her head, what is she thinking, but something in my chest stops me from asking the question as if whatever it is will make load I already bear too much.
But, I know I have to ask. For our sake, I thought as I caress the bump.
"Enith." I say softly catching the young woman's attention, "You seem...anxious. Is everything alright?" Enith's eyes widen a bit before she shook her head.
"Everything's fine, my lady." She replied, but something in her tone tell me otherwise.
"But, yet, your face tells a different story," Enith frowns before glancing away, I rest my hand on her knee making her look at me, "Whatever it is, I will not be cross with you, dear friend. You trust me, don't you?"
"With my whole heart and soul, princess." She declare grabbing my hand, I watch as she hestistates to form the words she wish to say next, "I just...I do not wish to worry or stress the babe, I do not know how would live with myself if you..." she trails off with fear and worry written across her face made me squeeze her hand.
"Whatever it is, we will deal with it. Like everything else in my life, I trust you." She looks at me with aslightly less anxious looks before she squeeze my hand back.
"Promise." She asked.
"Promise." I say with a small smile.
Enith's eyes drift over to the hearth before letting out a deep breathe, that I can only interpret as her way of showing how tired she was of whatever ordeal that was plaguing her mind. As she opens her mouth and enunciate, my blood runs cold before turning into boiling rage at the new information about Rivers.
♤
The hours pass to quickly for Jaenara liking as she sits next to her husband at dinner, her finger taps the table as the other use her utensil to push around her food. Her family converse amoung themselves, mostly to the person beside them, as the private dinner gives off a serene atmosphere rather than it's usual cold and tense state.
Jaenara glance over at her husband to cstch him already looking at her as his hand on her belly moves before stopping, she gives a reassuring smile making him look back at his cousin. Aemond was surprisingly fine when he came back from his meeting with his grandfather, he didn't say much about what they talked about and Jaenara didn't ask as she was still riling from her talk with Enith. She move to rest her hand on top of her husband's hands making him play with her fingers, Jaenara look around the table tiredly as night finally catches up to her.
Before, she could turn to her husband and ask him to escort her back to their chambers, Alicent stood up, tapping her spoon against her cup catching everyone attention including Jaenara.
"Apologies for the interruption, I wish to make a speech." Alicent says holding up her glass, making Jaenara glance around the table to see everyone else confuse or curious looks, she glance at her husband who seem to be rather expecting this but when he saw Jaenara's curious expression, he gave her a reassuring smile like she did moments ago and squeeze her hand before turning to his mother, "I want to firstly apologize to you all for my behavior these past few days, especially to my dear grand stepdaughter, Jaenara..." Alicent turn her gaze to the young dragon, making the young girl quirk a brow at her, "I am terribly sorry on how I have been treating you, there is no words that could ever make up for what I put you through." Jaenara shift uncomfortable in her seat as she glance around the table before looking back at Alicent.
"Aemond help me realize that the legitimacy of your child shouldn't matter based on the father of the babe, but rather base on the man who is willing to raise him." Alicent lift her glass with a slight frigid smile, "So, I hope we can try again, not for my sake but for the baby's sake." Jaenara look at Aemond, who gave a small nod, before looking back look at Alicent again.
"Thank you for your kind words, Alicent." Jaenara replied with a similar frigid smile, she clear her throat, " I think we can both agree that this whole ordeal got out of hand and could have been easily avoided." Jaenara smile smugly with a look, she smirk once she saw the twitch in Alicent's cheek.
"Oh, gods." Aegons snicker noticing the two as he drinks from his cup.
"Yes, easily but let's not dwell on it anymore, mother apologize and Jaenara forgives her." Jaenara side eye her husband before looking away, "All that matter is the arrival of our son." Jaenara smile at Aemond as he look at her with a dotting look.
Jacerys snarl as he snatch his cup up and start gulping down the brown liquor that he ask the servants to serve him, Lucerys glance at his brother with a worried look before looking at his mother. Rhaenyra had a familiar expression as her eldest son as her face grows a hot pink, she glare at the meat and vegetables on her plate with disdain.
"What of Rivers and her babe?" Rhaenyra blurt out, she look up from her plate to look at Alicent.
The queen look surprise at Rhaenyra and slightly taken back at the fact that she spoke directly to her, Alicent glance at the others speechless still in shock before shaking it away.
"Well, I thought it be a good idea to send her away," Alicent explains, "I realize having her around could stress our dear Jaenara and the babe. "
Rhaenyra made a face before turning her eyes back to her plate with a look of disdain, Alicent glance at Rhaenyra in curious before taking her seat.
"Finally, good riddance to the whore, she was beginning to irk me." Alyaena mutters with an eyeroll taking a sip from her cup.
Others at the table gives a small nod at her comment, Jaenara couldn't help but let a small smile slip onto her lips. Apparently from what Alyssa told her , while she was away, Rivers been busy trying to get into her family good graces. It seems the girl is getting desperate and delusional from what Alys and Alyssa told Jaenara, but jaenara found it amusing.
"Sorta feel bad for the poor girl, I can only imagine having no one be there for her during such a hard time." Jaenara look over at Rhaenyra with a look making the princess give a shrug, "What? You of all people should know how hard it is to be alone while pregnant." Jaenara poke her tongue against her cheek as the anger from earlier slowly starts to bubble up.
"Rhaenyra. " Rhaelle warns with a look, rhaenyra looks over at her lady-wife with an innocent.
"What? Am I wrong?" She asked, before rhaelle could reprimand her Jaenara spoke up.
"No, your not, but if you want to take the little rutt in I'm sure she be very thankful for it, rhaenyra." Jaenara says with a sickly sweet voice, maekar snort into his cup at jaenara's remark.
Rhaenyra narrow her eyes at Jaenara, while jaenara smile pleasantly at her from cross the way.
"No need to be snippy, daughter. I was just voicing my concerns."
"I'm not your daughter remember, so keep your fucking thoughts to yourself." Jaenara hissed leaning forward with a sneer, the outburst cause some of her kin to look shock especially Rhaenyra.
"Do not speak to her like that, you little harlot." Jacerys snap making jaenara flick her heated gaze at him, "I wish grandfather was here to finally see his belove granddaughter treat the woman who gave you life, you should show her some respect." She let out a bitter laugh, making everyone look at her warily.
"How can I respect someone who does not claim to be my mother, she was only a vessel, isn't that right, rhaenyra." Jaenara turn her eyes to the woman next to the boy, "Tell them of your dream and how our aunt–I mean my mother so you claim–use blood magic to create me, tell them how you treated me horrible since I was a child because of A DREAM YOU HAD!" She seethe losing her temper as she stood now leaning over the table screaming at Rhaenyra.
The quiet after the storm was deafening, everyone who sat shock and horrified at the pair, Rhaenyra stare meanly at Jaenara as the young pregnant woman did the same but with more hatred.
"Is...Is that true, rhaenyra?" Rhaelle ask, turning her eyes away from her neice to her lady-wife in disbelief.
"Maybe, we should..uhm call it a night, and talk in the morning when we all–." Alicent spoke up slowly standing from head of the table, but Rhaelle's fist hitting the table had her sitting down quickly.
"Answer me, rhaenyra."
"Yes!" She shouted back, snapping her head at Rhaelle, "It is true, are you happy now?" She look around the table before looking at rhaelle again, "I told her you use blood magic to make me pregnant with her, so what–"
"So what?" Rhaelle gritted out, "That tea had herbs in it, you knew that, you watch me make it for fuck's sake." Jaenara was in shock when she look at Rhaelle before looking at Rhaenyra.
"You left that part out, rhaenyra."
Rhaenyra shot her daughter a glare before rolling her eyes to look back at Rhaelle's livid face.
"Why does it matter, it's not like she believed me anyways." She cross her arms like a spoiled child getting scolded, nearly all her kin was looking at her with disgust.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Baelor ask looking at her in disbelief and disgust, rhaenyra look at him with a glint in her eye that had rhaelle standing up abruptly.
"Enough. Alicent, is right. It's getting late you all should retire to bed–" Rhaelle started.
"You should look in the mirror to find that answer, little brother." Rhaenyra spoke causing Rhaelle a hard stare.
"Not the time or the place, rhaenyra." Rhaenyra look at her lady-wife with a cold smile.
"Why not? There is no one here but us, why not let it all out. It probably bring us closely together." Rhaelle opened her mouth to tell her not now, but rhaenyra spoke over her and look at her brother again.
"Your existence destroyed our family, and your mother didn't make it better when she decided to fuck off to Magonsæte."
"Shut up, Rhaenyra." Rhaelle hiss feeling her anger boiling in her blood, "You said enough–" Rhaenyra snap her eyes to her wife and hiss back.
"You do not tell me what to do. You have done nothing but ruin my life since the moment you step into the red keep, first you turn daemon against me, then you skip around here like your still queen giving out order here and there." She let out a dry laugh, "You dictated my marriage, my life, and worst of all, my daughter ends up looking just like you as if mocking me that you were right." She spat.
Rhaelle stood stare her down with a hard look, clenching her fist as her nails dig into her palms.
"I wish my father never put his seed in you, you destroyed my mother and I hate you for it. Because all you were was a greedy, power hungry royal whore–"
Rhaelle's hand flew across the table and smack Rhaenyra across the cheek, Jaenara along with her cousins and uncles jaws drop at Rhaelle's action. Never had they seen Rhaelle lose her temper like this, nor did they ever see the look on her face before.
"You of all people have no right to call me a whore, not when all this is your father's fault." she spoke slow and scary calm, rhaenyra look at her a mixture of hared and disbelief as she hold her during cheek, "Your father use me like a mule, just like he would have done to any other poor girl if I had refused, and your mother follow along like a good little bird." She spat.
"The red keep was my home way before you were in your father's nutsack, if anyone ruin anyone's life is was your fucking father and his desperate need for son." Rhaelle sneer as rhaenyra clench her jaw, "If my great grandfather was alive he would have protected me from your father and my great grandmother would have slap your mother silly for even suggesting me to go through it." Rhaenyra's face turn red.
"You lie!"
Rhaelle's hands hit the table making all the plates and cutlery shake, as well as making the others flinch.
"Your father pestered your mother to make me agree until she came to me in tears asking for my help, how could anyone say no to your mother after all she been through, I was just a child who thought I was doing the right thing, and what did I get in return." She seethe, "Miscarriage after miscarriage, abuse by the woman who I thought cared about me, and then if things couldn't get any worse that dirty old hag, Magatha, took MY baby girl from me." She screamed across the table, rhaenyra look away with tears now gathering in her eyes again.
Rhaenyra knew the truth about what happened to baby jaenara all those years ago, rhaelle told her one night when they were together in bed while daemon was off visiting Magonsæte. It was probably the first time rhaenyra actually felt sorry for rhaelle.
"You know mother told me to look after you that day she died, she made me promise to not let those vulture take your crown." Rhaenyra look back at rhaelle with parted lips, "All because of your mother, I didn't wring your neck the moment you called my son a bastard, because I thought deep down I still cared for her, but then I remember what she put me through and realize that wasn't why, then I thought I did it out of respect for her being queen, again wrong how can I respect a woman like her. Then, it dawn on me." Rhaelle laugh dry with empty look in her eyes.
"I was never responsible for you, you say I ruin your life when you had it so easy." Rhaelle tilt her head to the side, "So, tell me, rhaenyra could you have handle losing your virginity at ten and three to a husband twice your if your father choose him? Do you think you could have lived another day if you celebrated your fifteen nameday locked in a room for the sole purpose of producing a heir." Daemon glance around the table as a knot was forming in his stomach, he stood up next his wife gently grabbing her elbow.
"Rhaelle, I think thats enough." He lean close to her in a low voice just enough for her to hear, rhaenyra shook him off and look at him with a sharp glare
"Why? Why should I stop. She should know how lucky she is to not have a father cruel enough to force her to marry for power, or-or not be born from a woman who had been a better monarch." She snapped before looking at Rhaenyra, "Your father and mother ruin my life and children, and if it wasn't for your lack of sense and need to feel like a grown up, my brother would still be here with me. YOU TARGARYEN DESTORY EVERYTHING YOU TOUCH." She finish witj shaking hands and pulsing migraine, she shove the chair behind her to the floor and stalk away from the table leaving everyone in complete silence.
My fingers massage through Aemond's loose white hair as he laid his head on the top of my swell belly while humming a song, my lips curve a bit at the sound of his voice and the peace that surround us in Godswood. The way the critters scatter above us in the tress with right type of breeze blowing in the air making it less uncomfortable for us for being outside, it all reminds me of when I was little. When I didn't have to worry or think, just play and enjoy the beauty of nature around me, feeling warms my heart as I think back.
"Ahem." A small voice clear their throat, I look up to see a red hair servant, "Prince Aemond–"
"What." He snip with an agitation filling his tone, his head still on my stomach.
"Lord Hightower wishes–"
"I'm busy." He resorted back as his hand starts rubbing my belly as he ignores her.
The red hair servant stood there swaying as her eyes darts around conflicted to what to do or what to say.
"My prince, your–" The words died in young girl's throat when Aemond shot her a look.
Her eyes flick to me scared before looking back at the prince, I give her sweet smile before motioning her to go making her frown a bit before bowing and leaving, I look down at my husband and put my hand on his shoulder with a gentle squeeze.
"You should go, Aemond." My husband looks up at me with a small frown, "It's probably important." I whispered making his frown turn into a scowl.
"Nothing my grandfather calls me for is important," he lays his head back down as he stares at me, "...and besides I'm not talking to him." I frown at him.
I already know why, it's the same reason he stop talking to his mother. Which still doesn't sit right with me, even through I know it needed ro be done. Deep down I feel trouble that Aemond had to choice between us and his mother, even through she brought it upon herself, Aemond is still her child and Alicent is still his mother. All I wanted was for her to stop stirring the pot, I didn't want to create a rift.
"Aemond." I said gently putting my hands on his cheek, my thumb rub his scar making close his eye and lean into my touch, "You have to talk to them sooner or later, my love, they are still your family."
"You and our son are my family." He says looking up at me as his hand grab my own, "That's all I need." I give a strain smile.
"Maybe so, but if you ignore him he just going to keep sending more messagers."
"Let him. The next one he sends, I'll send their head back." He smirks making me giggle and smack his shoulder.
"You will do no such thing, my love." I smile down at him as I move his hair out his face, after a moment I bend to kiss his crown before pulling back a bit so our noses brush, "You do no need to stay long, just hear him out and if you do not like what he have to say than you can just leave." Aemond drone as he looks at me, he took in a deep breathe before letting it out heavily.
"I guess, your right." He said slowly with a unfond look.
I lean down again to kiss his scrunch up lips, I could feel him relaxing in my arms as he kiss back. We part as I smile softly down at him as I caress his cheek.
"We'll be here waiting for you."
Aemond gives a small and reluctant smile before sitting up, I watch him get to his knees in front of me before he bends to plant a soft kiss on my belly. He leans up and kiss my lips next, he pull away and rest his head against mine.
"I won't be long, I'm promise."
"I know you won't, my sapphire beauty."
I pull back to look at him to see his cheek turn a light shade of pink, I couldn't help but smile at his blushing.
"I love it when you blush. " I said unthinking, I move hand to graze his jawline, Aemond look at me taken aback before shaking it away quickly as he leans into my touch again.
"Mmm...and I love the way you make me feel." He turn slightly fo kiss my palm before rubbing his cheek against it one last time before getting up making my hand fall from his face, he looks down at me with a grim look, "I promise I be quick, my dear." I smile.
"I'll be waiting, darling." I purr leaning back wirh my hand resting on my stomach, the way Aemond shudder at my words had me bititng the inside of my cheek.
Aemond look at me hesitant for a moment before dragging his foot back, he gives one more promise of being quick before he march out of weirwood leaving me all to my lonesome. I felt a swift kick against my hand and sigh as I look down at my huge belly, the approach of my son is growing nearer and nearer.
I should be happy, joyous even, but as the baby grows closer I grow more worried by the day.
I sigh closing my eyes as I coddle my belly, this wasn't suppose to happened, i wasn't suppose to get pregnant so quickly and especially not by Ser Krey. Even if I'm happy that I did. But, it shouldn't have happened, now I'm leaving in a limbo of my mistakes as my family slowly deteriorates. All of this is my fault, I know it is...I wish for once the gods could give us some peace.
"There you are, little bird."
I snap my eyes opened to squint at my mother, she stood near the entrance of weirwood while holding on to a shawl that is wrap around her shoulders. What did I do to deserve this?
"Mother." I greeted dully, moving to sit up but Rhaenyra held up her a hand making me stopas she walks further inside before stopping five steps ahead of me.
Rhaenyra didn't say a word as she looks over me over, she finish studying me before looking me in my face.
"You look well, Jaenara." She said after a moment, I quirk a brow at her in question.
"Thank you?"
Rhaenyra tilt her head at me before her eyes glance aeound weirwood and a small smile spread across her lips.
"You know, when you were a little girl you use to always love coming out here," Rhaenyra starts as she move to stride, "Even when you weren't suppose to, you were such a adventurous child, I remember when you...when you use to climb this very tree every chance you get before that little snake scared you off." She chuckle as she stare up at the branches and leaves of the tree before looking at me, "Do you remember what I did when you came to me, tears streaming down your face and your elbow bledding?" I nod my head slowly.
"You wipe the tears with your sleeve before wiping away the blood and wrapping an bandage around it, then you had the servants get sweets from the kitchen and once nightfall came you read my favorite story." I iterate from memory before carefully getting up from the grass, I look at my mother to see her smiling warmly, "How can I forget that day...you gave me a proper lashing for "getting" Jacaerys's hurt even through I told him to leave the snake alone, while you nurse his scrap elbow, I had to wait in excruciating pain for a knight to take me to get my arm examine by the maester."
Rhaenyra's face falter before looking away once I finish, I don't know what she was thinking bringing that up, did she truely think I wouldn't remember what happened or is she making up memories for her own sake. Either way I didn't care.
As I move to walk pass her after waiting for her to say something or even explain why she was bothering me, rhaenyra's hand flew out to grab my wrist making me tug only for her grip to tighten.
"Mother, let me–" I look down at her hand.
"I'm not a bad mother." She said making me look at her, her eyes holding something in them that I never seen before, "I may not have been perfect, but I did everything i could to give you a good life, didn't I?" I tug at my wrist again.
"I didn't say you didn't."
"But, I can see you think I am," she utters, "It's not my fault you know, I didn't ask for you...it was your father and your aunt, if you should be mad at anyone it should be them." I finally snatch my arm away from her making me take step back and away from her.
"Why are you telling me thus!" I asked confuse and angry, "What do you want from me," I snapped.
"I just thought you should know the truth–"
"What? That you never and will never love me or want me. If this whole ordeal taught me anything, it's that I can never trust what you say."
Rhaenyra looks at me with a look of indifference.
"You always felt that way, child. Ever since you were born, you and I were never connected, not like the boys and I, I tried to love you but...I can't love something that was never mine." She says as she looks down at her feet, my heart drop to my stomach but I shook it off.
"Are you saying–"
"Yes." She said without hestistantion, my eyes welled up.
"So..." I cleared my throat as Rhaenyra look at me, "Is my father still my father or-or–"
"Laenor is your father, yes."
"But, my mother?" I mutter.
Rhaenyra rock as she sigh.
"Rhaelle." She answers like a weight have been lifted from her shoulders as I close my eyes as a feel a headache coming on, "I'm so sorry, child." I opened my eyes to look at her, my mother or so she says she's not, I wonder how stupid she truely think I am.
"I'm sure you are." Rhaenyra look at me taken back at mt bitter tone, "All of my life I followed you around, looked up to you, loved you, adored you. My mother, the princess, the future queen...my idol...now its all making sense to me why you could never love me."
"I know this is a lot to take in–" I laugh at her audacity.
"Are you delusional?" My mother stare at me with press lips and stone face, "Do you hate me that much to make-up such lies or do you think i am really that stupid to believe them?" As I look at her waiting for her to say something, she stare at me with no emotions making me scoff, "Gods, your unbelievable, you are so...mean and-and despicable, I wish..." I stop myself as I bite my tongue, rhaenyra look at me with squinted eyes.
"Say it."
My face scrunch up in anger at Rhaenyra's daring tone as if knowing what I am about to say, but as I stare at the woman in front of me, I realize that there's no point arguing with her, there never is. She will always be like this. She never gonna change and she keeps proving that time and time again.
I turn my head away from her with a heavy uneasy but dependable heart as thought.
"If you wish to forget I am your daughter, fine, i can not stop you." I look at Rhaenyra with a look of indifference, "I can not make you love me, I try and i try but you...you will never love me. So I set you free." I smile bitterly at how long I allow myself to be mistreated by her, I was a fool then but now I can see the world clearly.
Before I could turn and walk away I stop myself to look at my mother--no Rhaenyra, I needed to know one last thing before what I do comes true.
"Before, I leave you to rejoice in longer having a daughter, I have to ask." I begun making Rhaenyra look at me with a stone look, "Is the reason you hate me so much is because I remind you of Rhaelle?" Rhaenyra look at me surprise but quickly wipe it away.
"What sort of question is that?" She rasp.
I frown a bit at her tone before swallowing.
It was a question i been thinking about for some time, I always felt this way from the time I was ten and one, Rhaenyra would always make comparison good or bad which did make me wonder if Rhaelle was my real mother for a while. But, I realize that was ridiculous, because if rhaelle was my real mother, she would have fought her own brother to take me away from the moment she realize how mother truely treated me. That's the type of person she is, she's not arrogant or selfish like Rhaenyra says she was.
I think it was then when I knew I shouldn't trust her judgement.
"Humor me, it's at least you can do for me." I replied dryly crossing my arms over my bump.
Rhaenyra to glance up and down at me before narrowing her eyes at me.
"Yes." She said swiftly but dully, I raise my brow in question when she didn't continue before giving her a dark look, she roll her eyes frustrated, "I'm sure you know about your aunt and her band of red priestess at her standby, yes?" I furrow my brows with an queasy stomach.
"Well, your aunt had one of her friends cook up a nice little herbal tea for me one night by your father's request, I, of course agreed out of desperation." She shrugged, "After a tedious hour, I fall asleep and dreamt that I was being pulled from my bed into a pit, I remember feeling paralyze and seeing dark figures surround me." Rhaenyra's face twist into an unpleasant frown.
"I remember the blood they drip on me from outstreach arm as the blood covered my belly, I remember the tense pain i was in before waking up to the next morning with my sheets soak in blood snd sweat." Rhaenyra tut, "I knew that tea wasn't right, I knew it, but your aunt always has to insist she knows what she was talking about." She roll her eyes, "Not too long after we find out that I was pregnant with you and the rest was history." She finish dryly.
I put my hand on my stomach feeling the baby shift, "That's all? You drink some tea, had a bad dream, and you hate me and rhaelle for that?" I asked.
"You were made from blood magic, I knew your aunt practice it but I didnt think she would be stupid enough to use it on me." She hiss, "She knows how I feel about black magic, and yet thinks ro use it on me. She should be glad I didn't tell anyone of her witchcraft."
"It was a dream–"
"I felf my body on fire–"
"Did you see a dragon?" Rhaenyra went quiet as she stare at me, "Rhaenyra, did you see a–"
"I don't have to explain myself to you, I know Rhaelle use her blood magic to create you, her blood is your blood, I was only a vessel."
I shook my head looking down ashame and frustrated at this woman, I have no choice but to say is my mother, before gathering all my wits to look at her again.
"Did you ever just stop and think for just a small moment," I stop to hesitate for a second bedore going on, "That it was just a dream that meant nothing and the real reason you hate me is because I don't share the same blood as your sons." I breathe out feeling like heavy foot was being lift off my chest.
I look at Rhaenyra to see her eyes turn down, her cheek twitching as she thinks.
"You know...Ser Strong use to tell me he saw a lot of you in me," I said lowly moving to walk pass her, "I could never understand why he was so kind to me, I see why now."
Rhaenyra looks up at me as I continue on not waiting a response, I said what I needed to be said and got what I needed to hear. All I could hope is for no more drama.
I can't believe it took me the whole season of 2 hotd to finish this single chapter, I'm so ashame of myself and i didn't watch the new season yet.
Aemond and Jaenara arrived in King's Landing just two hours before dinner, Jaenara was surprised that her aunt or Alys haven't come looking for her yet. She has no doubt the servants told the family of their return home, so why does it feel like something happened while she was away.
"My heart, are you alright?" Aemond asked, his head was resting on jaenara's lap as their laid in bed.
"Yes..." she said slowly before blinks trying to shake the daze away, "...I was just thinking how quiet it seems around the castle...feels like everyone is hiding from us, don't you think?" She asked low, moving her hand to run her fingers through his white locks.
Aemond gives a thoughtful look before answering.
"Hmm, I sense that as well...you think they are angry at us?" Aemond asked looking up at his belove, now it was jaenara turns to look at him with a similar look.
"Hmmm, I'm sure your mother is but rhaelle, no I think something else is going on that we don't know about."
The young prince frown as he plays with her fingers.
"You think mother has another plan up her sleeve." He asked moving to grab her wrist gently before running his fingertips up and down her forearm.
"I don't know...I have a feeling we gonna find out later at dinner."
Just as Jaenara said that a knock made Aemond and Jaenara turn away from each other to the door, it took a moment for Aemond to answer and when he did a male servant came in leaving the door opened in his stesd before going to side of Aemond's bed and handing him a note.
Once the man left Jaenara looks at her husband.
"What does it say?" She asked looking over curious at the unfolded note.
"Father wishes to us in the throne room immediately." Aemond replies after scanning through the small note, he drop it and turn to his wife with a frown, "Do you think we're in trouble for leaving without telling anyone." He asked, Jaenara frown in return.
"I hope not." she utters as she took thennote from his lap and read over the two sentences, "I guess we should go and get it over with..." she discarded the note on the side table before getting out of the bed with Aemond's help, "...I mean, atleast we have a reason for why we left, I just hope this meeting goes better than the last one." Jaenaea grabs Aemond's hand after he opens the door and close if behind him.
"I am sure father will understand, he knows how mother is and besides," He brings the back of her hand up to his lips to press a kiss before parting, "He was in our favor the last time, I'm sure we have nothing to worry about." Aemond assures with a small smile, Jaenara sigh before leaning her head against the side of his arm.
"I hope you right, my love." She mutters before Aemond leans down and kiss the top of her head before leaning his head against hers.
Aemond prays to the gods and hope that he is right as well.
⊹₊♚₊⊹
Once Jaenara and Aemond made to the throne they notice the rest of the family was there waiting on them, Jaenara glance around noticing how everyone kept their eyes averted with looks of indifferent on their faces. Jaenara look at Aemond as he look at her with the same look before coming to a stop in the middle of the hall, Jaenara's eyes turn to the left and to the right as her family stood divided while Alicent and her father stood at the bottom of the steps to the side as Viserys sat in his throne looking a little healthier the last time I saw him.
"My kin, I am so happy to see you both well." Viserys says with a small smile, both husband and wife bowed their heads to their king in thanks.
"Thank you, father." Aemond spoke lifting his head to look at his king, he cast his eyes over to his mother to see her staring at him with a sad and miserable look, "But, if I may asked what is going on here?" He asked looking away from his mother to his father again, viserys shift in his throne, his eyes glancing away from his son to another before back to him.
"Well, my son, it's seems that my words from before did not ring clear to everyone in that room that day I confronted your sister."
Multiple eyes glance towards Alicent as she bow her head like a kicked stray with a scowl on her face, jaenara look away from Alicent to her grandfather.
"I like to be the first to apologize to you both for what occurred that night, I am sorry that you had to go through that ordeal especially with your condition." Viserys says sincerely, making Rhaenyra roll her eyes at her father before looking at her nails, "Do trust that I intend to take care of this problem and make sure it never bothers you again." Jaenara smile thankfully at her grandfather, but deep down she had other plans in mind for Rivers and Alicent.
"Thank you, father." Aemond bow his head again, "But, it is not your fault nor was it your action that caused my wife's distress or made use leave." Aemond glance at his mother who finally look up to stare at her son in shock, "I wish to hear it from my mother, I wish to hear her apologize to my wife and promise she'll never pull something like this again." He emphasize with a stern look as his mother's mouth gape at her son.
"I think thats fair," Viserys looks to his wife who turn to look at him, "Well, don't you have something to say, wife." He raise his brow at her in waiting as she stare at her husband mortified.
"No, I have nothing to say at all, I am not the one at fault here, she is!" She pointed towards Jaenara making half the people in the room roll their eyes at her.
"Mother--" Aemond growled getting fed up with her.
"No, Aemond! I will not do it." She hiss with vemon, "I would rather throw myself off the great sept than apologize to that manipulative little wh--" She spat.
Aemond along with few of his cousins glare at her and her audacity, she was beginning to make herself look like a mad woman each time she open her mouth.
"Watch yourself, Alicent." Rhaelle was quick to say as she glare at her ex-stepdaughter, "You already dug yourself into a hole, do not bury yourself as well."
Alicent narrow her eyes at Rhaelle, she was beginning to get tired of her ex-stepmother and her prigish tone, she was starting to hate the very woman.
"Alicent, just apologize and let's be done with it--"
"NO!" She shouted turning to her husband with fury in her eyes, "No, I will not allow it, I will not allow her to win again. It's not fair!" She stomp her foot like a spoiled child, rhaenyra squint her eyes at the woman who her father was glaring daggers at.
"Watch your tone with me, Alicent. You forget your place." Viserys hiss leaning forward with a hard look, Alicent start to breathe heavily as she glare at her husband, "Apologize. Now." He said through clench teeth, Alicent took a step close to the steps and snarl.
"Never."
Viserys and his wife stare angrily at one another as if arguing with their eyes.
"Fine. You leave me with no choice than mother..." Aemond spoke making his parents turn to him, he grabbed Jaenara by the waist pulling her close before resting his hand on her hips, "Jaenara and I have decided we are leaving King's Landing permanently to live in Dragonstone with Jaenara's aunt and uncle." He reavl making Jaenaea glance at him shock but hide her expression, Aemond look at her before looking away to look at his mother.
Alicent stood there dumbfounded by her son's declaration, it was like all the air in the room was snatch from her body and she couldn't breathe. She took a step towards her son before stopping. Aemond her sweet son. Her flesh and blood. The only person who can see and understand her pain was now abandoning her.
"Y--You can't..." She utter broken.
Aemond look away from his mother to off to the side, the look on her face was heartbreaking. He wish he didn't have to come to this, he truely prayed to the gods every night that he hope his mother would change and see that he is happy with Jaenara. But, the gods didn't listen and rather showed him that his mother will never change, so he have to think about his wife and son.
"I am and will." He took in a deep breathe before looking at her, "You obviously can not let go of your anger and hatred for my wife because of her mother--"
Alicent scoff anger and disbelief at her son.
"So, your going to live with the very people who took your eye and didn't get punish for it." She hissed with tears gathering in her eyes, "What spell has that girl have you under, my son. What lies have she promised to you?" Aemond huffed.
"You still don't get it." Aemond mutters shaking his head feeling exasperated by his mother and her antics.
"Aemond, please, you can not leave me. You are my son... I have always been there for you, always stuck by your side, always kiss your wounds, and..." Her voice broke as her the tears spill down her cheeks, Aemond clench his jaw to stop him from crumbling to his mother's feet and begging her forgiveness.
The others watch with mix emotions, Jaenaea felt a ping of sadness for Alicent. She knows how much Alicent meant to Aemond, she knows how Aemond and Alicent shared a bond like no other just like her mother with Lucerys. Her plans was to put Alicent in her place and show her that she was a force to be reckon with, but she did not expect her husband to confess such things. The last thing she wanted was to shatter her husband and his mother bond, but in the end Jaenara couldn't deny that Alicent brought it upon herself.
"You leave me with no choice, mother." Aemond said with hint of defeat and sadness, "I have tried to reason with you on multiple occasions, but you refuse to listen."
"Aemond, please." Alicent walks up to her son with pleading tearful eyes, Janeaea took move to step away but Aemond held in place not wanting her to leave his side, "Please, I will listen now, just tell me what to do and i will do it." Aemond look at his mother warily.
"I'm sorry, mother. But, I have to look out for what best for my wife and the will being of my son."
Alicent's eyes flicker as she stare into her son's orb, she could see how serious and sad he was as he stare down at her with a square jaw.
"What of your other child, hmmm? Are you just going to abandoned him and his mother. Is that the type of man I raise you to be, Aemond?" Alicent asked with a disappointed tone, Aemond glance down to the floor as he thought about what she said.
"No...you didn't." Alicent exhale softly feeling as she was finally getting through to her son, "But, I am not sure that that child is mine, Rivers could have gotten any lord to put that seed in her. But, once she gives birth to the child and if it is mine. Jaenara and I will discuss it and decide what to do with it, but for now that child is nothing to me."
Alicent step back as if she was slap in the face, she stare at her son as if she didn't know who he was.
"How can you speak about the woman you love since you were a boy."
All the color drain from Aemond's face before he balled his fist at his mother's words making him get upset, Jaenara notice and put her hand onto his own and squeeze in comfort.
"What would you know about that?" The coldness in his voice had Alicent looking at him taken back, "What would you know about anything between her and me."
"I know that you loved with your entire heart–"
"And what made you think that?" His words caused many to look on confuse especially Alicent, after a moment of silence Aemond spoke up again, "Do you remember what you said to me that night I came to your chamber after going to fleabottom with Aegon." He asked, Alicent's eyes flickers over her son's face during to decipher his emotion.
"I–I don't know...it was so long ago, Aemond. You can not expect me to remember that far back–" She defended herself.
"Yes, i didn't expect you too, you were so far down into the wine bottle. I thought I would have to fetch the maester." Alicent was left speechless as Aemond continue on before exhaling deeply, "That night I came to you for guidance...no reassurance, deep in my heart I knew what I did with Rivers felt wrong." Alicent was silent like everyone else as Aemond talk.
"And I came to you with my sorrows and thoughts, tears in my eyes feeling nothing but confusion and heartache. I ask for guidance, mother, because I knew you knew best for me." Aemond look away pressing his tongue against his cheek for second, "In your drunken haze, you grabbed my cheek softly and look me in the eye..." Aemond turn back at his mother to look her in the eye, "And told me that jaenara will never love a ugly one-eye monster like me...no woman would, I was freak now, how can anyone love a freak?" His eyes turn cold that caused Alicent shudder and look away.
"Aemond, I–" Alicent started.
"Was drunk I know, you always are ever since I was little boy you always had a cup in your hand," He snip causing Alicent to purse her lips,"I believe your words because you knew best..." He chuckle humorlessly, "...And after that I guess that made it easy for you to manipulate me," Alicent shook her head at what her son was implying.
"Aemond, I would never do that to you–"
"Just stop!" He snapped pointing at her, "I am done with your lies and your meddling, I have allow you to control me for so long and I am tired of this anger i been holding on to." He drop his hand with weary look, "You fueled my anger and hatred for years, so much so I came with horrible plan to make...make wife's life painful." He look at his wife who stare at him with tears in her eyes, "I'm so sorry, my love, I did all of this to get back at your brothers for my mistake, I should have never left the castle nor should I have taunted Baela and Rhaena." He turns to the twins who who stood next to each other with Lucerys and Jacerys by their sides.
"I am sorry."
Baela raise her brow taken back while Rhaena look meekly with a shock look, Aemond look away from them back to his mother.
"I have grown tired holding on to the past, mother. I must focus on my future for the sake of my wife and son."
"A son that is not yours." Alicent said quietly and dishearten with her head down as she pick at her nails.
"I know." Alicent look up at him, "But, he is still mine even if you do not want him to be he his mine, mother." Aemond took a step close to his mother and grab her hands, " I do not ask for much I just want it all to stop, I want you to stop holding on to whatever grudge you have against Rhaenyra and stop punishing Jaenara for it, please."
Alicent stare gazing at her son's face, thinking about how once it was chubby and innocent, now he is grown and staid. A heartbreaking revelation of her son growing up, she thought of his words and glance at Jaenara. As she stare at the princess, the more the feeling in her heart grew rather than shrink and she look back at her son, moving her hands to caress his chest with a strain look.
"She is using you, Aemond." She whispered, Aemond sigh moving to squeeze the bridge of his nose with his fingers, "She will hurt you and betray you, I can feel it–" Aemond brush his mother's hands away from him before stepping back, "Aemond, you have to listen to me–"
"I don't have to do anything," he glare at her, "You have NO idea how lucky you are to have me as a son and her as a daughter in law."
"She's trying to take you away from me, why should I be happy about that–"
"Because it was my idea!" He shouted, "Jaenara had no clue about this, I wanted to give you a chance to make this right. To change your mind before the baby comes. I want my son to know his grandmother." Alicent look at her son for moment before shaking her head.
"I can not do what you ask...it just too much, Aemond." Aemond's shoulders lower in defeat, "You asking me to go against everything i believe in–"
"But, yet you are so quick to welcome Rivers's bastard into this family." He sneer making Alicent swallow as Aemond's eyes grow dark, "That woman doesn't care about me, she cares that I can take care of her. She is selfish. Like you." He look at his mother with disgust and disappointment.
"Unlike, Jaenara." He continues as his face softens, "After all she been through having to be raised in the shadow of her brothers, the mistreatment by her mother, the hell we put her through..." He let out a shaky breathe, "And yet, she is the most kindest and most giving person I have every meet in my entire life, she does more for the common folks in fleabottom than you and I combined."
Rhaenyra turn her eyes up at the ceiling as the others look on with small smiles, Aemond exhale as he stretch his fingers out and look down.
"I don't deserve her. I never did. The fact that she hasn't slit my throat in my sleep yet is another reason she is too good for me." He lift his head up and turn to look at his wife who wore a teary smile as she look at him, "I took everything from her, her love, her freedom, her reason to live." His voice waver making him clench his jaw as his once stable emotions were starting to seep through, he look down again before looking at his mother.
"I already lost my daughter because me, I won't lose my son too because of your ignorance."
Alicent was silent as Aemond step back and turn to his wife, Jaenara didn't waste time in throwing herself into his arms and wrapping her arm around him as she rest her head his chest.
"I'm sorry, my love." Aemond whispered into her crown as he stroke her hair, "I'm so sorry."
"I know, I know." She nods as the tears continue to fall uncontrollably as her face is press against his chest.
After a moment they pulled back from each other but Jaenaea was still in Aemond's arms, Aemond soon to look over to his father.
"If it's alright with you, father. I would like to end this and take my wife back to her chamber to rest before dinner." Aemond asked, viserys gives a single nod.
"Of course, my son." He granted, "Eveyone can go back to their chambers now,"
Everyone in the room expect Otto and Alicent bowed their heads before turning to leave as Jaenara and Aemond make to the door, the king spoke up again making couple of them to stop.
"Expect you, Rhaenyra, stay...we have some things to discuss." Viserys commands.
Jaenara glance between her grandfather and her mother before being urge to follow Aemond, her attention turns back to her husband as she feel fatigue tug at her eyes.
"Aemond." The couple stop to see rhaelle and daemon walking up to them as the rest of the family part ways to do their own thing.
"Cousin. Uncle." Aemond greeted both of them, rhaelle smile at him as she and her husband come to a stop in front of them.
"We won't take too much of your time, we just wanted to make sure you and jaenara were alright." Rhaelle assures as move to clutch her hands together against her stomach, she look at jaenaea with a small smile,"How are you doing, little one?" She asked gently, Jaenara return the smile.
"I'm fine. A little tired but I am good." Jaenara reassures making rhaelle nod.
"We are happy to hear that, darling." Rhaelle says before looking at Aemond with a gentle but serious look, "Aemond, if you were serious about moving to Dragonstone, I want to say you have mine and daemon full support on the matter. If not you still have our support." Aemond nods.
"Thank you, rhaelle."
Rhaelle bow her head before having Daemon grab her waist as he nod to the couple, they turn walking away as jaenara and aemond went the opposite way towards their chamber.
"This all such a mess...a big mess...Why...What were you hoping to accomplish when you brought that woman here, Alicent?"
Alicent stare ahead at the flames in the fireplace despair and bitter, ignoring the woman she considered to be her second mother, she and the rest of the family were in the great chambers, Jaenara and Aemond have been gone for five days and the due date was coming up close. And no one know where they are. Their dragon are gone, of course, and nobody from Mageonste or Dragonstone seen them. It's as if they disappeared off the face of the earth, and it's all her fault.
"I can tell you that, mother. She was trying to get rid of Jaenara, so the bastard can give her a real grandchild." Aeron accused glaring at his half-sister as she sat sulking in the armchair close to the fireplace.
"You don't know if thats true, Aeron." Valaena spoke up quickly to defend her sister, she walks up behind her husband to stand next to him.
"No, it's true." Aegon announce, getting everyone attention expect for his mother as he tilt his goblet back, "What? We all know it is." He says when he notice everyone looking at him.
Rhaelle looks away from her cousin with distress look, she was so worried about Jaenara and the babe, when she went to her chambers that night in hopes to comfort her. The young girl and her prince were no where to be find, at first Rhaelle didn't think much about it, she knew how the young girl felt and she understood that she needed time away. But, that's didn't mean she had to like the fact that her neice was in the wind.
"I still do not see why we can't go looking from them." Alys says looking over at her mother with her arms cross.
"They need to come home on their own, we can not just drag them back if they are not ready to come home and...and for all we know, maybe they don't even want to come back."
Alys frowns at her mother, before she look over at Alyssa to see her with a small frown too.
It was true. Everyone knew it. What happened at the dinner was despicable and cruel, it was obvious that Alicent wanted to get under Jaenara's skin. And they all knew why, after the private dinner that caused tension between not only Rhaenyra and her father but the king and his queen.
"Maybe, that's a good thing." Rhaenyra said.
Multiple pair of eyes glare over at her as she sat on the couch between her older and younger son, Luke look over at his mother with a deep frown.
"In why in the fuck would that be a 'good thing'" Alys hiss, rhaenyra looks over at her cousin with a placid look.
"I'm just saying, if she doesn't want to come back maybe there's more than one reason than what happened at dinner."
"Yeah, and we're looking at her right now." Baelon snips.
Rhaenyra ignore her cousin before looking at her lady wife and lord husband as daemon just walked in putting his hand on his wife back.
"You know I'm right." Rhaenyra says.
Rhaelle frown at her princess-wife before turning her attention to the queen, Jaenara didn't really talk much about the first couple of months of her marriage to Aemond. All she told us was she miscarried before this one and that's it, we probably wouldn't have known about the miscarriage if it wasn't for Alicent bringing it to light one night at dinner.
"Hard for me to say, but maybe she's right."
Rhaelle along with her kin look at Maekar with a mixture of expressions.
"Are you serious?" Baelon says in dismay, not believing what he was hearing, Maekar gives his mother a look.
"Sadly." Rhaenyra roll her eyes looking away, "But, I wouldn't put it pass Aemond to punish Jaenara for her brother's actions." Maekar looks over at Lucerys, who frown at his cousin making Jacerys glare at Maekar.
"This isn't Luke's fault."
"I didn't say it was, did i?" Maekar snip.
"Then, what are you trying to say, because last time I check. Aemond ran off with Jaenara and they seem to be happy with one another."
"Well, if your self-righteousness wasn't blinding you, you would have notice how much your sister has change. How she doesn't smile as much as she use to or how she rather spend most of her time outside in the garden than inside the castle--" Romarn chuckles making Maekar stop to look at him.
"It sounds like you fancy her, cousin."
Maekar roll his eyes at Romarn.
"No, unlike you have a very keen sense of detail that helps me understand what's going on around me." Maekar snide, making Ronas snort.
"Sure you do, did your 'keen sense of detail' tell you anything when you were watching her and aemond cooing another that night." Ronas smirk.
Maekar swallow as he stare at his cousin, the look he was giving them was emotionless and some of the others in the room stood awkwardly silent at the tension that appear in the room.
"No." He finally answered, making Ronas raise a brow while his brother grin, "But, if you have any keen sense of a brain, I advise you to keep your asinine, which means foolish by the way, remarks to yourself unless you want to swallow all of your teeth." He threatened.
Ronas roll his eyes with a peeve look, unlike his younger brother, Romarn sneer at the older boy.
"No need to be so testy, Mae." Romarn ribbed, making Maekar flick his eyes to him,"You should learn how to take a jest, maybe then jaenara would find your company a little less intimidating." He chuckle.
Maekar narrow his eyes at his young cousin before he close his eyes and took in a deep breathe before reopening his eyes as he exhale, the rest of the clan watch holding their breath as Maekar turn his attention back to Romarn.
"Yes...Maybe your right, cousin." Romarn smirk as he raise his brow with a look, "Maybe that's why it was easy for you to get Alyaena into bed--"
"Maekar! You bastard." Alyaena cries out with a look of horror and embarrassment.
"I guess humor can be consider an aphrodisiac." He shrugs nonchalant before looking away from Romarn's shock expression, while Alyaena glare at her brother.
"Fucking pig." She mumbled making her brother look at her.
"Stop fussing. If you want to blame someone blame that idiot you let dump his seed into you--"
Alyaena growled balling her fists, she turns to Romarn who looks back at her with a fear in his eyes.
"I'm going to kill you--"
"No." Daemon was quick to around his wife and grab Alyeana's elbow before she could charge at her moronic cousin, her father pulled her back to stand between him and his wife.
"It slipped out." He said low with a sheepish look.
Alyaena roll her eyes angrily looking away from him and crossing her arms, Daemon kept a close eye on his daughter as another argument ensures.
"Slip out? More like he projectile vomited it out, he wouldn't stop talking until he finally passed out." Aegon chortles from his seat besides Adrielle and Helaena, romarn glared at aegon.
"Shut up." He snapped, "Atleast I wasn't making a fool of myself. Oh where's my belove? Where Adrielle? Where is my beautiful wife, Adrielle? Adrielle, Adrielle, Adrielle." Romarn mocks with a annoyed look, aegon scowled him before he could say anything Adrielle spoke up.
"Don't even justify that with an response, Aegon." Adrielle said leaning against Aegon, "He is just mad that he doesn't have the type of relationship you and I have." Adrielle looks at her lover who gaze at her with a lovesick smile, Aegor stood behind his adopted sister with a shake of a head.
"A relationship build on empty promises and lies, why would anyone want such a union."
Adrielle snap her head around to glare at Aegor, he looks back at her with a raise brow with a look that made her look away with a bitter mood.
"Well, not all of us are bless to be born a boy, little brother. Not all of us have a say in what we can do in our life--"
"Stop it." Aeron interrupted.
"Don't you dare blame my gender for your shortcomings, big sister." He sneer, "It is not my fault that you can't learn to keep your legs close, or mouth for that matter."
"Aegor, that's enough! Apologize to your sister." Valaena chided with a displease look, Aegor look over at his mother before looking back at his sister.
He look at her for a minute, she had a brow raise high with a smug look, she mouth taunts at him as aegon looks at him with a sneer.
"I'll apologize when she pray to the gods for forgiveness."
"For what?" Adrielle gives him a offended look, Aegor tilt his head to the side.
"For killing your baby."
Adrielle's face drop along with Aegon, the room went quiet, so quiet that rhaelle could hear the rats in the walls.
"What is he talking about, Adrielle." The young princess drop her gaze to the floor, "...Aegor." Aeron turn his accusing eyes to his eldest son, who averted his own to anywhere that wasn't his family.
"Maybe, this should be discuss in a more private setting–" Rhaelle started.
"No! There's no need for that...I already got my answer."
Aegor and Adrielle look towards each other before looking at their father, Aeron stare at them with a coldness that they never been on the receiving end of before.
"Papa--" Adrielle start with tears in her eyes but Aeron raise up a hand stopping her.
"Don't." He drop his hand with an exhale, "I have allow you to do..whatever you want for the pass seventeen years, mainly because of your mother, but now I see I should have done more." He nodded to himself before he looks up at his daughter, he glance at aegon before looking at adrielle, "This decision hurts me more than you can ever imagine." Adrielle frown at her father's words before staring in confound as he turn on his heels walking away.
"What does that mean?" She asked once he left out the door, Adrielle look at her mother and grandmother, "M-Mama, what does father speak of?" She asked desperately, Valaena snap out of her thoughts before she looks at her daughter.
Valaena didn't say a word as she turns making Adrielle stand up from the couch, she called for her mother again only for it to fall on deaf ears as Valaena left quickly. Adrielle stood in the middle of the room feeling as if her world just came crumbling around her, Aegon glance at Helaena who stare at Adrielle with worry.
Alyssa was the first to move as she stood and walk over to her cousin, she touch Adrielle's shoulder gently as the other girl stare blankly at the door.
"Adrielle...Are you alright?" Alyssa whispered moving to stand beside her.
Adrielle didn't respond instead she starts crying, she covered her mouth before she stumble forward towards the door.
"Adrielle!" Aegon called after concerned before getting off the couch with Helaena in toe.
They left the great chambers to follow after Adrielle, the rest of the family stood still watching in utter shock. Again, Alyssa was the first to move and she turn to Aegor with a look, making the other boy sense his belove heated gaze.
"Don't look at me like that, she started--"
"Your an ass, Aegor." Alyssa snapped making Aegor roll his eyes.
"Spare me, please." He started, "She did it to herself, if she stop pushing me--"
"You could have walked away." Baelon said, Aegor look at him.
"Would you and Alys."
Baelon glance at Alys before shrugging his shoulders.
"Fair point."
Alyssa rolled her eyes at him putting her attention back on her nephew.
"You had no right--" She pointed at him.
"Gods! Why is it every time something happens between me and adrielle, im the one at fault and not her."
"That's not true, darling." Rhaelle said.
"But, it is, my mother has always taken adrielle's side and father only does what mother tells him to do." He says, "It's not fair she never gets in trouble...never." he looks at Alyssa before shaking his head and stalk towards the door.
Rhaelle touch his arm but he only kept walking, Alyssa goes after him not before giving her mother a look that she take care of him before leaving out the door.
"Can this day get any worse." Alyaena utter under her breathe before flopping down on the couch that was inhabited by Adrielle, Aegon, and Helaena.
Just as she said that Alicent gets up from her chair catching everybody's else attention, the queen turns slowly looking over towards rhaelle with red eyes and dried tears covered her flush cheeks.
"Do you really wish to know why I brought Alys River here?" Alicent said in a low and empty voice, rhaelle swallow eyeing Alicent, "I brought her here because I knew if jaenara saw her...she fall back into desolation, she would have shut herself out, stop eating, and slowly fade away in her room like before. She would have loss the baby but...atleast Aemond would have had Rivers and their child in the end." Alicent finish, she glance around the room fo Daemon along with his children glare at her with hate, while Rhaenyra and her son were unbothered by her words.
Alicent snap her eyes to rhaelle when the old queen took a step forward before walking up to her, Alicent straighten her back and she close her eyes, hoping the slap would be painful. She waited for a moment, but nothing came, she opened her eyes and she felt her heart crack in her ribcage as she stare back at the disappointed and unforgiving eyes of her step-mother.
Rhaelle gaze over Alicent's features trying to figure out what she did to make Alicent like this, all she ever done was be a good mother to her and love her like she birth her. But, love from rhaelle wasn't enough for the queen, or maybe there wasn't love in her at all, maybe Otto made sure of that.
Alicent held her breathe when rhaelle opened her mouth, but rhaelle stop herself and purse her mouth shut. She looks at Alicent with a tired a look before she turn away from her, Alicent watch with furrow brows as the rest of the family follow after the former queen.
Rhaenyra was the last to leave, she held onto the handle of the door before looking at Alicent. The queen stood there hollow as tears gathered in her eyes again, Alicent look at Rhaenyra finally, they stare at each other for a moment before Alicent was the first to look away and turn back to the fure. Rhaenyra watch as she sat back down again and went back to staring emotionless like statue at the fireplace, the older princess slowly closing the door behind her as a feeling she never thought she feel for Alicent again appeared.
