Perzys Ānogār {HOTD}

vōre

[2000 words of this chapter had been deleted somehow and I've only just noticed! A birth and a beheading in this chapter<3]

Two Years Later

Whoever said that childbirth was a miracle was surely mad. Or a man.

Visenya was surrounded by midwives as another pain ripped through her abdomen. Her mother was sitting beside her, coaching her to breath deeply. A midwife was on her other side, patting her back with no rhythm, which only served to make the Princess more agitated.

"If you keep patting me like I am a horse I will cut your hand off and force it fown your throat," Visenya seethed.

"Apologies, Princess," the midwife gasped, removing her hand as if she had touched hot coals.

The labour had seemed to go on for days when really it had been hours. She had given birth once before, to twin boys, not even a year after she and Aegon were married. She could barely remember her first labour, just that it was long and painful, and at the end of it she held two boys who even at minutes old looked like Aegon. This labour seemed infinitely worse than the last.

Her husband had been a better father than Visenya or their mother had ever thought he would be. He had the toddlers, Aegon and Rhaegar, little training swords made the minute they took their first steps. He took them out to the dragon pit to bond with their own Dragons that had hatched in their cribs, and to the training yard whenever he and Aemond would train with Ser Criston.

"It is time to push, Princess," the midwife in charge said from the end of the birthing bed.

"This is it, my darling, not long and you will have another beautiful blessing," Alicent soothed.

"This does not feel like a blessing, mother," Visenya spat.

Visenya pushed with all her might whenever the midwife instructed, cursing the gods for making women go through such pain to bring a child into the world, and cursing her husband who happily sat drinking wine with Aemond waiting for the babies to be born. After deep breaths, pushing and sheer determination, Visenya finally heard her babies cries as it entered the world.

"A girl, Princess," the midwife cheered, "a beautiful, healthy girl!"

"Daenerys, her name is Daenerys." Visenya smiled, breathing heavily, as her little girl was placed into her arms bundled in blankets.

The moments of bliss holding her new born were cut short as another contraction ripped through her.

"Another set of twins, Princess, a blessing from the Gods, get ready to push again!"

"Another fucking blessing!"

As Visenya held her two babes in her arms, Daenerys and Maegor, she knew they truly were a blessing from the Gods. Although, she was not in a rush to go through labour pains again.

Aegon had arrived after Visenya and the babes were tended to by the women. He brought blankets embroidered with dragons for the children and a beautiful emerald pendant for Visenya, a gift for blessing him with two beautiful children. They had spent an hour of peace cradling the babes and basking in the bliss of their newborns, before their mother, Helaena and Aemond brought the twins to meet their brother and sister.

The two boys, though usually full of energy and mischief, were gentle and sweet meeting their siblings. Already asking when they could play with them.

"You two are their older brothers, it's your job to protect them," Aegon told them.