Take You Back / Gwayne Hightower / Davina Targaryen

47. Post Funeral Party

"Davina," Larys voice echoed through the door as he knocked. She got up annoyed pulling away from Gwayne. 

"Is that Larys?" Gwayne questioned pulling on a shirt. 

"What?" Davina sassed. 

"I found something that might interest you." Larys remarked. 

"What?" Davina urged her foot tapping annoyed on the ground. "Before I kill you please." 

"Daemon and Rhaenyra were on the beaches tonight." 

"So?" Davina drawled. 

"Rhaenyra advanced on Daemon, saying she wanted him." Larys went on and Davina's foot stopped tapping and her shoulders dropped, and brow furrowed. 

"She what?" Davina rasped. 

"She kissed him," Larys exaggerated. "She pulled at his clothes, it was all I could bear to see." Larys offered. "I thought you would want to know."  Davina's gaze was distant and glossy as her mind processed. "Is that enough to keep me alive?" Larys questioned. 

"For now." Davina agreed before closing the door. She stared back at the door for what felt like an eternity. Gwayne wrapped his arms around her. Whispering he was sorry. "I dont know why I'm surprised, he has a way of getting under everyones skin." Davina admitted. "He got under mine and Rhaenyra was always weak for him too." 

''What is the meaning of this?'' Corlys demanded as him and his wife came in to see a bloody mess.

''Baela, Rhaena!'' Rhaenys declared ''What happened?'' Rhaenyra and Daemon came in next, Daemon leaned against the door while Rhaenyra ran to her boys.

''What happened? Jace? Luke! Show me. Show me.'' Rhaenyra demanded holding his face in her hands. ''Who did this?''

''They attacked me!' Aemond spat

''He attacked Baela!''

''He broke Luke's nose!'' 

''He stole my mother's dragon!'' Rhaena shouted

''Enough.'' Viserys said but they didn't stop.

''He was gonna kill Jace!'' Luke shouted back.

''I didn't do anything!'' Aemond shot back his eye sewed up a long stitch over his left eye.

''Enough...'' Viserys said louder

''It should be my son telling the tale! He called us...''

''Silence!'' Viserys demanded his cane pounding into the ground.

'He called us bastards." Luke whispered to Rhaenyra

''Aemond... I will have the truth of what happened. Now.'' 

"We are having our own child, I suppose this is better." Davina remarked but Gwayne heard the distance in her voice. "Larys set the fires, he killed his family." she added softly. 

"He what?" Gwayne countered. 

"I was going to kill him but I think I know why Alicent puts up with him." Davina countered. "He has a way of knowing things. Things he shouldnt but does anyways." 

"He killed-"

"I am already a bad heir. I know the evil in the world and yet I havent killed it." Davina whispered. "I should have just-"

"You never would have known about Rhaenyra and Daemon though." Gwayne realized. 

"Exactly." Davina agreed. "What if I'm not a good mother?"

"You are great with Alicent's kids." Gwayne corrected. "And RHaenyra's for what its worth." 

"But I hand them back when they are fussy." Davina corrected. "I dont touch them until they stop screaming and shitting. They are too little and fragile when they are born, I dont like how they are constantly expelling something from one end or the other." Davina declared. "I'm going to be a bad mum." 

"You are going to be the best mum." Gwayne corrected. "And besides, I can handle the dirty nappies and the crying babies. I wanted a child after all, this is my fault." 

"It is your fault" Davina agreed. 

''Aemond... look at me. Your king demands an answer. Who spoke these lies to you?'' Viserys asked again and Aemonds gaze shifted to a suddenly very nervous Alicent.

''It was Aegon'' Aemond answered.

''Me?'' Aegon declared

''And you, boy? Where did you hear such calumnies?'' Viserys spat, Aegon glared at Aemond. ''Aegon! Tell me the truth of it!''

''We know, Father. Everyone knows. Just look at them.'' Aegon remarked and Rhaenyra pulled her boys closer.

''This interminable infighting must cease! All of you! We are family! Now make your apologies and show good will to one another. Your father, your grand sire, your king demands it!'' 

''That is insufficient. Aemond has been damaged, permanently, My King. "Good will" cannot make him whole.'' Alicent reminded him

''I know, Alicent, but I cannot restore his eye.'' Viserys told her with a deep sigh

''No, because it's been taken.'' Alicent reminded him

''What would you have me do?'' Viserys questioned incredulously.

''There is a debt to be paid. I shall have one of her son's eyes in return.'' 

"What if you are a bad father? You have a bad father." Davina remarked. Gwayne chuckled. 

"He is not the best." Gwayne agreed. "But... he's... he wasnt always like this. When my mother died he... he lost a part of himself." 

"A man needs a woman," Davina agreed. "But a woman does not need a man." SHe mused. 

"I will be doing the dirty work for this baby, I think you need me." Gwayne corrected holding onto her. 

"I love you." Davina kissed him gently. 

"I love you." Gwayne echoed. "We will get through this, all of this."

''He can choose which eye to keep, a privilege he did not grant my son.'' Alicent said confidently Criston stared down at her.

''You will do no such thing. Stay your hand.'' Viserys told Criston

''No, you are sworn to me!'' Alicent shouted

''As your protector, my Queen.'' 

"What are you going to do about Daemon and Rhaenyra?" Gwayne pondered. 

"Do? Nothing. Rhaenyra was leaving anyways. I will just... just... pretend they dont exists." Davina decided. 

''You've gone too far.'' Rhaenyra warned.

''I? What have I done but what was expected of me? Forever upholding the kingdom, the family, the law. While you flout all to do as you please.'' Alicent spat, Rhaenyra held tight to Alicents arm, the blade gripped tight in Alicent's hand

''Alicent, let her go!'' Viserys warned

''Where is duty? Where is sacrifice?'' Alicent questioned her anger pushing Rhaenyra back

''It's trampled under your pretty foot again.''

''Release the blade, Alicent.''

''And now you take my son's eye, and to even that, you feel entitled.'' Alicent cried out.

''Exhausting, wasn't it? Hiding beneath the cloak of your own righteousness.'' Rhaenyra countered smugly. ''But now they see you as you are.'' Rhaenyra remarked and Alicent sliced down Rhaenyra's arm, blood dripped on the ground as Alicent let the blade fall.

''Do not mourn me, Mother. It was a fair exchange. I may have lost an eye... but I gained a dragon.'' Aemond said stepping forward.

''This proceeding is at an end.''

"Do you hear that?" Davina questioned. 

"Someone is having a post funeral party." Gwayne mused. 

"I'm too old for late night parties." Davina countered snuggling back into Gwayne side.