Not All Men Dance With Dragons

A Good Man Will Kill You

CW: child death

"Nyla?"

The girl of four and ten blinked and she realized that the mural she had been staring at wasn't nearly as interesting as her unfocused eyes made it out to be. It was of oddly shaped people folding in and out of each other

Her cheeks filled with warmth as her attention snapped back to the queen seated in front of her, fanning herself from the summer heat trying to melt the trays of pastries she and her ladies were pecking at. "Apologies, Your Grace. My mind left me."

Aemma only smiled, reaching across the table to pat Nyla's hand. "Please, I am not Queen yet, sweet girl."

Yet, she would be. The Lords of these kingdoms might have thought that they were picking just a king but they chose their queen as well. Aemma was kind, humble despite her upbringing, and strong despite the cringe of pain that pulled her face when she tried to adjust how she sat. Her hand instinctively clutched at her recently flattened stomach beneath her gown.

"Would you like a boiled rag for the pain, Your Grace?" A servant girl in red stepped forward to offer.

Aemma waved her off. "I'll be fine. Phantom pain."

At that, Lady Alena returned to the table as the servant stepped away. She brought with her a small cup of medicinal tea, freshly boiled. It was meant for supplemental help, not pain. The things for pain were bad for pregnancies according to the maesters. So the pain persevered. The kind that had Aemma waking from a dead sleep screaming, blood gushing-

Nyla's stomach curled with nausea.

"Gods be good..." Aemma cursed under her breath as she readjusted again. "If I can offer either of you any advice, it would be this. Marry smaller men if you can. Smaller men mean smaller children."

The two girls stayed silent, offering small smiles of agreement.

"Mother!" A light voice cried. The three women at the table turned at the same time to find a white-haired girl rushing out onto the veiled balcony with a pair of attendants trying to keep up with her. The girl was single-minded though. She made a direct shot at Aemma.

"Princess, careful-!" Nyla tried to warn but Rhaenyra already collided right into her mother's lap. Aemma cringed again but said nothing. She wrapped her arms right around her daughter and pulled her into her lap.

"It's alright, Nyla." Aemma assured before returning her attention to the young princess. "How were your lessons today, my dear? What did you learn?"

"I learned about the iron pirates and their big ships!" Rhaenyra reported to her mother excitedly. Aemma responded with equal excitement that made her daughter giggle, pulling a smile from Nyla as well.

There was only a ten-year difference between Nyla and the princess. It didn't seem like much but they were worlds apart. To see such joy on the girl's face as her mother pressed kisses to her forehead should have filled Nyla with a similar sense of happiness. So often, children were discarded as bargaining chips but this one was loved. This one had love.

A hand grabbed Nyla's. She looked down at it but followed it up the arm it was attached to until she found Alena's face. Her beautiful features were turned down in worry over Nyla's empty gaze.

Nyla squeezed Alena's hand back and offered a smile she hoped was reassuring before she turned back to the window...

"...Nyla?"