Epiphany // Alicent Hightower

75. You Lost

Back To December / Cregan Stark out now!

"Uncle Tom is fighting the bear." Thorin declared and Avalon stood up in Taelon's lap to get a better view.

"GET THE BEAR!" Aegon and Maekar declared jumping up and down, Avalon pulled on Taelon's hair as she leaned forward, stomping her little feet on Taelon's thighs.

Tommen vs Harwin.

"Come on STRONG!" Taelon hooted.

"It is implied that Taelon is talking to me." Tommen assured Harwin.

"I know, which is why beating your ass is going to be so damn fun." Harwin agreed.

"Rude." Tommen murmured.

"I bet on Strong." Taelon murmured with a smile. "I win either way." Alicent smiled but her face pinched as she hunched over, Taelon's gaze shifted to her. "Alicent? Whats happening?"

"I... dont..." ALicent rasped. 

"Move." Gaena demanded nudging Taelon aside. "Take a baby." she handed him Emma. Maekar and Aegon stopped jumping and looked to Alicent confused. 

"Gaena-" Taelon warned, Gaena lifted ALicent's dress slightly feeling a dampness running along her leg.  Aemond started to cry out in agony and Taelon couldnt breathe as Alicent cringed in pain. 

"Baby is coming." Gaena remarked. 

"No. No fuck no. There was to be no baby's born today." Taelon corrected. Thorin grabbed his hand and Taelon wanted to cry. His son of barely seven should not be comforting him, Taelon was the father, the king, he should be the one to take care of them but he held to Thorin's hand. 

"Well it's fucking happening!" Davina declared taking Emma from him. "Get your wife inside, we got the kids." Davina assured. 

"Dav-"

"We got this." Davina assured. 

"I'm sorry." Alicent rasped as he helped her up. 

"Sorry? What are you talking about?" Taelon countered. 

"I know this day wasnt... I know you were stressed. I didnt want to add to it." Alicent offered as he placed her down in the bed. 

"You dont really get a say in when you give birth." Taelon countered. 

"It's going to be okay." Taelon assured. "I'm right here. I'm not letting anyone hurt you." Alicent nodded but this pregnancy felt different, this pain felt different. She was early for starters but it was more than that. 

"Why is there so much blood?" Taelon questioned as he looked to the path of smeared blood trailing from the door to Alicent. 

"Is mum okay?" Thorin questioned. 

"She is having another baby.' Gaena offered as she bounced Aemond to no use, he cried on as though he knew something was wrong. 

"She will be right out... thats a lie." Davina remarked "She will be in bed because I hear birthing is hard." 

"You arent wed?" Thorin countered. 

"No." Davina agreed. 

"But you are so old." Thorin declared and Davina's gaze turned icy as she stared back at him. 

"I'm not old." Davina corrected defensively. 

"Mama's young." Maekar agreed "And she had me, Aegon, Thorin, Avalon-" Maekar pointed at his siblings as he spoke and Davina groaned. This was why she didnt have children. They talked back and she liked to preserve her body for more exciting activities than childbirth. 

"Gaena make them stop." Davina begged taking aemond from her. 

"Look TOmmen is competing, can we cheer your handsome uncle Tommen on?" Gaena offered spinning the boys to face forward. 

"I need Mouse. I Need Mouse!" Avalon whimpered out. "He will fix things. I know it." 

"Mouse?" Davina questioned. 

"Mouse my mouse." Avalon agreed. 

"What the hell is wrong with this family?" Davina murmured, Aemond had stopped crying and he blinked back up at her. "Hey, I did it!" she declared. 

"Why are you holding him like that?" Gaena countered. 

"He stopped crying my method works." Davina countered. 

"Uncle Tom!" Thorin shouted. "What the hell!" Davina chuckled out. 

"I like him." Davina offered. 

"How are you feeling Rhaenyra? Awfully quiet, you are not going into labor as well are you?" Gaena questioned. 

"No." Nyra agreed. 

"Why isnt he crying?" Alicent questioned as they clamped the chord, bringing the babe out. "Why isnt he crying?" she whimpered and Taelon held to her as she sobbed out. 

"I'm sorry your grace..."

"No... No..." ALicent whimpered. 

"Another one... I dont... I dont know what to tell you. What to expect." The maester remarked gently. 

"Can you do this?" Taelon whispered. "Do you need a break?"

"I can do this." Alicent corrected with another painful push. 

"I was distracted." Tommen grumbled "Your father let Harwin beat him, I needed my best man down there."

"You let the bear win." Thorin remarked seriously. Aegon and Maekar crossed their arms over their chest to add to their disapproval of Tommen losing. 

"I didnt let the bear win." Tommen corrected looking down at Thorin. "Tell him." Gaena bit her lip as she took a step closer "Tell him... actually yes." Tommen agreed. "The bear was having a bad day and needed a win." Tommen remarked. "Now I need a win." Tommen whispered as Gaena leaned into him.

"You lost." Thorin reminded him.

"So did your father. Be disappointed in him." Tommen instructed. "Dont give me that, I'm a little killer face, discipline Taelon." Tommen looked around. "Where is Taelon?"

"A girl your grace. I'm so-" 

Alicent sobbed out as Taelon held to her but then they heard cries. Alicent looked to the baby. 

"She's alive." The maester remarked as they cleaned her off. "She's alive." 

"Taelon..." Alicent rasped as she was handed their baby girl. Eyes pinched closed but her lungs were working great as she wailed out. "Look... her hair." Alicent declared. Taelon touched their baby girls hair. 

"Just like mama."