paradox - Aemond Targaryen

Chapter 15: News of Betrayal

Several days later... 

The door to the great hall of Dragonstone opened, and Princess Rhaenys walked through with Ser Lorent, one of the members of the Kingsguard that had joined Rhaenyra. 

'The Princess Rhaenys Targaryen,' Ser Lorent exclaimed. 

'Thank you, Ser Lorent,' Rhaenyra replied, and he walked away as Rhaenys stood on the opposite end of the war table. 'Princess Rhaenys - might we hope for news of Lord Corlys' recovery?' she added. 

'Viserys is dead,' Rhaenys replied flatly. Rhaenyra's face fell, and Daemon turned from where he was standing at the fireplace. 'I grieve this loss with you, Rhaenyra. My cousin, your father... possessed a kind heart.' Rhaenys stepped forward, closer to Rhaenyra. 'There is more. Aegon has been crowned as his successor.' Rhaenyra groaned softly, her hand going to her pregnant stomach. 

'They crowned him,' she spoke, her voice full of dread. 

'How did Viserys die?' Daemon said, stepping up next to his wife. 

'I could not say.' 

'How long ago?' Rhaenyra pressed, her voice growing high-pitched with pain. 

'A day passed, perhaps two. I was made prisoner in my quarters while the Queen made her preparations,' Rhaenys replied. 

'Viserys has been slain,' Daemon replied. 

'Alicent demanded you declare for Aegon,' Rhaenyra replied bitterly, her voice growing thick with unshed tears. 

'She did. I refused her.'

'And yet you are alive,' Daemon spoke sharply. 

'The High Septon crowned Aegon... in the Dragonpit,' Rhaenys replied. 'I witnessed it myself just before I fled on Meleys.'

'They crowned him before the masses,' Rhaenyra said with another soft groan, nearly doubling over. 

'So that the masses would see him as their rightful king,' Rhaenys spoke. 

'That whore of a Queen murdered my brother and stole his throne,' Daemon hissed. 'And you could have burned them all for it.' 

'A war is like to be fought over this treachery, to be sure,' Rhaenys replied. 'But that war is not mine to begin. I only rushed this warning to you out of loyalty to my husband and to my house. The Greens are coming for you, Rhaenyra. And your children. You should leave Dragonstone at once.' 

'What of Rhaenyra's daughter, Princess Eleana?' Daemon asked. 

'She is under the Queen's protection - and that of her husband, Prince Aemond. Her brothers, however, are not safe.' Rhaenys walked away, but a tear slipped from Rhaenyra's eye, and she groaned, doubling over. Frantically, she moved her skirts and felt something. She pulled her hand out, showing blood. And lots of it. Her face filled with dread. 

'The babe is coming.' 

Moments later... 

Jacaerys and Lucerys walked into the room, where Rhaenyra was in labour. She was walking around, crying out in pain. 

'Mother?' Jace spoke. She composed herself for a moment, turning to the boys. 

'Your grandsire, King Viserys, has passed,' she said. 

'Viserys?' Luke asked in panic. 

'The Greens have repudiated the succession and claimed the Iron Throne. Aegon has been crowned King.' 

'What is to be done about it?' Jace asked. 

'Nothing yet,' she replied sharply. 

'And what of our sister?' Luke asked. 

'She is safe under her husband's protection. Prince Aemond will not allow any harm to come to her so long as she is wed to him.' 

'And where is Daemon?' he asked. 

'I don't know. Gone to madness. Gone to plot his war.' She breathed shakily. 

'Leave Daemon with me,' Jace replied, walking out of the room.

'Jace!' she called, but to no avail. 'Jacaerys!' Luke hurried out of the room, but Jace stopped. 'Whatever claim remains to me, you are now its heir. Naught is to be done but by my command.' He nodded and left the room. Rhaenyra groaned loudly again. 

She continued to labour, refusing all the help of the ladies-in-waiting. They cried out in shock and horror, watching her labour endlessly with cries and groans. With a loud cry, she reached down, pulling out something misshapen and bent. It was small and covered in blood. The child was born, but something was horribly wrong. The body was twisted, having a scale-like appearance, and it was gnarled in all the wrong ways. Rhaenyra pulled the little one's body into her lap as blood stained her hands and her dress, and she sobbed bitterly. 

Daemon entered the room moments later, and looked upon Rhaenyra, sitting on the floor with her back turned to him, cradling the gnarled creature that was to be their last child, a stillborn girl - and her name was Visenya. 

Later... 

Rhaenyra stood in her bloodied gown, wrapping her dead child herself with the burial cloth as the septas stood around her, waiting to prepare the child for burial. Her movements were shaky, but meditative as the grieving mother wrapped her daughter up tenderly. She finished wrapping the child's head, and then slowly moved to her knees, kissing the wrapped stillborn tenderly, weeping bitterly.