Bound by Blood and Oaths

Chapter 38: The Golden Cubs

Meereen

Screams came from the room where Daenerys currently is giving birth to their child. The midwives comfort Daenerys to the best of their abilities while helping in giving birth. Jaehaerys felt useless in the endeavour aside from holding her hand and saying reassuring and encouraging words. He was unwilling to leave her side for any reason. Hour after hour, Jaehaerys was next to her giving what little support he could.

Daenerys was feeling the most unbearable pain. Only the time when giving birth to Drogo's child could compare. Even if at that time it was worse due to the twisted magic of the witch. Every wave she feels is agony, but she kept going. Each contraction was painful and getting more painful as time flew by. She was mentally cursing herself even if she felt a bit happy and eager to see the child.

One of the few comforts she had was the slight relief she felt when trying to crush the hand of Jaehaerys. All over her face, she could feel beads of sweat falling from her forehead, the silver hair sticking on her face as she breathes heavily. Jaehaerys was running a wet cool cloth over her head from time to time. It was a nice sensation, but she wished for it to be over.

When the thirteenth hour neared, another scream came into the room aside from her own. Her head fell back, heavy breaths leaving her as the pain slowly ebbed away. The only thing on her mind was the relief of being done. It took her a minute before the thought of the child entered her mind. Then the fear that the child may not be right or worse. With great effort, she opened her eyes again and was rewarded by seeing a wonderful sight.

"Dany, it's a girl," Jaehaerys says, his voice softer as if he was whispering while holding a bundle of wonder in his arms. Daenerys could only muster a smile as she watched him. It was all she did before falling into a dreamless sleep.

Or so she thought at least. Dany was seeing flashes of things she could not exactly place. Memories she thinks, but Dany wasn't sure when and where they took place. Blurry images were swimming in front of her. Dark spots around her formed the edges of her vision. Right in front of her was the sharpest. A silver-haired boy. No older than six or seven, she thinks.

"Daenerys," the distant voice says, lips forming a smile. "Don't cry. No need for crying, Daenerys. I'm here. Viserys too. Even Willem is trying, you know."

Daenerys did not know she was crying, but she hears a soft laugh coming from somewhere. It tugs on her memory of the old bear that protected them for years. Her youth, it must be her first few years in the world. The pain and exhaustion caused her to remember these first few moments of her life?

"Your sister likes you, Jaehaerys. At least she is calm in your arms," a man's voice says along with a hearty laugh.

Daenerys agrees with Willem, the arms made her feel safe and comfortable. Perhaps it was as Jaehaerys says. They were meant for one another. She felt herself feeling sleepy and her vision is becoming blurry. Shadows move in front of her instead of the events of years in the past. Daenerys soon blinked her eyes, her private quarters she shared with Jaehaerys coming into view in front of her.

"Daenerys," Jaehaerys spoke warmly from her left. Her head turns to him, her eyes beginning to water as she sees the sleeping girl. In the arms of Jaehaery, a small chubby-cheeked baby was nestled, wisps of silver hair peeking through under the cloth. "Daenys says hello."

"Is... Is she healthy? T-tell me that nothing is wrong, Jaehaerys..." Dany asked with a raspy voice. Her throat was practically a desert, but she wants to know. Even if Jaehaerys took most of her worries away, she still feared for something evil. A last parting gift from the cruel witch that tricked her by sacrificing the life of her unborn son.

"As healthy as she could be," Jaehaerys assured her, moving closer with the newborn child to Daenerys. "I told you, Dany. Everything would be fine. You did wonderfully. Would you like to hold her?"