Beginning of the End | House Of The Dragon

6.1

JONQUIL POV

I kneeled behind the Princess, pressing a cool compress to her head, listening to all the groans of pain as she waited for the time to push.

Much had changed in the past 10 years and this was Rhaenyra's third birth, having already had two boys she name Jacaerys and Lucerys. Boys with very plain brown hair, and plain brown eyes. I was aware of her deal with Laenor, I just wished she wouldn't make it so obvious. It created more problems with Queen Alicent whom had four pale silver haired children, Aegon and Helaena having been joined by Aemond and Daeron.

I had also added to my brood, my child had indeed been a girl that we'd named Alysanne after the Good Queen, but two years later she was followed by her brother Madoc. Faune had given Aurelius two more children as well, two sons named Uthor and Constantine. Aurelius and Faune's bastards were never legitimized because he didn't think it right after such a wedding, and he'd never deemed to even think to ask again. Much to everyones frustrations.

Ten new dragonriders had been made from the births of the new children, both legitimate and illegitimate. Aegon had claimed the golden dragon with pink membranes called Sunfyre, the most beautiful dragon I had ever seen. Aelthea had bonded with her hatchling Silvermist, Arianmydd as she was called in Albionen, the she-dragon started with a black tipped snout and the colors faded to different shades of grey to white as her body went on just as her egg had. Helaena had claimed the older blue dragon Dreamfyre, Lilibet had claimed old Fflaméas, Visenyra her hatchling Sunkiss, Jacaerys his hatchling Vermax, Daeron his hatchling Tessarion (the cobalt blue and bronze dragon and only other hatchling from Llanstormydd's clutch; she had apparently mated with a Targaryen's dragon and so his dragon favored its unknown two-legged father), Alysanne her hatchling Goldenspark, Madoc it's twin Palesmoke, young Lucerys his pale hatchling Arrax, and Uthor and Constantine had Midnight and Eclipse respectively.

Tensions had been high and rifts worsened but everyone was still pretty content with their lives for the most part, at least out in the open, who knew what was said behind closed doors. Though it was quite easy to guess. This new baby and his brothers being what the main gossip was usually about, spread by the Greens.

"Keep breathing." The midwife told Rhaenyra as she breathed out a curse. It wasn't bad considering she'd already called the woman a cunt. "And push." The older woman finally said.

And so Rhaenyra did as I encouraged her from behind. When she stopped pushing at one point, breathing out that she couldn't I brought up our contest.
"Come on now Rhaenyra, you have to catch up to me. I've pushed out four of these little beasts, you've two, you'll be more the halfway there." For some reason she'd made this little competition after pushing out Jacaerys, claiming she'd beat me by having more. Strange but...

"The head!" Once servant exclaimed excitedly and I made my way around to see him as soon as he came out. And a boy he proved to be. Everyone offered their joy and congratulations at the arrival of the new robust prince.

"Oh, let me see my little godson." I exclaimed taking the baby princling into my arms. His lighter skin and lack of Valyrian features were what would talked about, same as his brothers. I smiled sadly before it became happy once more as I placed the squalling babe into his mother's arms. She smiled and cried tears of joy, pulling him to her chest, for someone who didn't want children, and had been afraid of the birthing bed, she was one of the best mothers I'd ever known. She immediately asked if he was healthy, because that was the most important thing, the fact that he didn't look like his father could be dealt with later as long as the boy was alright. I smiled when he stopped crying at his mother's warm embrace, she was a good mother I thought again. Far better than I was and definitely better than Alicent, sadly enough; Aelthea told me stories of how she treated Aegon and I made her promise me that she'd tell me if Alicent ever raised a hand to her.