The Fire That Burns Within US - Aemond Targaryen

Idañas

137 - Red Keep

Night had long passed, yet the labour continued. Visenya wonders if this is her punishment for killing so many. That the gods thought this would be some funny joke. Whatever child was meant to come out certainly inherited their parent's stubbornness.

The pain got worse in the past hour if that was even possible. Visenya has long stopped trying to stop her screams and wails, no longer caring about worrying people. She knows that sooner or later, the maester will ask Aemond what he wants to do, that the maester will decide that it has been long enough, and Aemond needs to choose between her or the children.

Visenya has prayed to every god she knew of, the Valyrian, the seven, the old gods, the drowned gods, and even the Lord of Light.

None of the midwives hold her hands anymore; Visenya thinks she has broken one of their hands. Now they just aid the maester, and Rhaenyra is the only person of comfort that she has. Visenya leans her head back onto her mother's shoulder as a congratulation rips through her. She lets herself scream at the pain. She doesn't know how much longer she can do this.

Visenya can hear the door open, but she has no strength to lift her head to see who is now in the room. From how her mother tense, she knows it isn't Aemond. She wants Aemond, but her pleas to have him beside her have fallen on deaf ears.

Alicent hadn't wanted to step foot in the room until the labour was finished. All of her pregnancy had been easy. Helaenas had been easy. Alicent had been weary of going into the room when she saw how much it shocked Ser Blackwood. But as time passed and no news from the maester, Alicent finally decided to go into the room to see what was happening.

"Maester," Alicent calls out, trying to get his attention away from Visenya.

"My Grace, I am rather busy at the moment," The maester tells her, the threat from Daemon still looming in his mind. He knows that he will be the one who they all blame if the princess dies.

"Jiōragon bona kasta orvorta hen sir," Visenya says through greeted teeth. She doesn't want anything to do with Alicent right now. She is the reason why Aemond is not here right now, the reason why she had to spend the first hours alone and scared.

Get that green cunt out of here.

Visenya tries to get off the bed, something she has been trying and failing to do for the past hour. She wants Aemond, wants to hit him for making her have to go through this. The maester looks to Rhaenyra, and she pulls her daughter back to lean on her chest. Visenya follows her mother's guide and breaks into a fit of laughter, tears running down her face as the pain worsens.

"Maester, I think we should talk about-" Alicent starts but is cut off by Visenya.

"If you come anywhere near me with a knife, I will stab you in the fucking throat, and then I will take your head," Visenya threatens Alicent before looking to the maester. "And bash it into the wall till it is nothing but mush-"

"Princess, you need to push," The maester tells her, now used to Visenyas threats. She had gone into great detail about what she will do to the maester, and he now understands how she deals with her pain.

"Really, I thought you wanted me not to," Visenya snaps at the maester, and she grips the blankets around her as she shuts her eyes. "Seven Hells,"

"My Grace, I think you should leave," The maester tells Alicent, who nods her head before leaving.

– –

Alicent had tried to make Aemond go back to the hall, or even his old room, but he is keeping his eye on that door. Waiting.