his rose || aegon ii targaryen

Chapter 19

As soon as Aegon heard the guard's words, he ran straight inside the Keep with Alicent following him.

Someone grabs his arm, stopping him in his tracks. "Let the women do their job, Aegon." his grandsire says.

"I cannot. I have to be by her side. She is terrified, she was always worried of this moment." Aegon starts rambling, trying to escape Otto's grip.

"I am sure your mother and the midwives will do their best. Maester Mellos had been summoned as well." Otto drags him away from the staircase, leading him towards the Hand's Tower.

Once they enter the space Otto spends all his time in, he asks angry, "Why did you take me here? I want to be my Reina's side!"

"Stop worrying it. Have a drink.' his grandsire hands him a glass of wine, which he refuses.

The door opens and Aemond steps in. "Helaena told me to not worry, brother." he says, sitting on one of the armchairs, drinking from the glass his older brother declined.

"I cannot. She must be in so much pain." Aegon says, pacing back and forth.

"Stop walking around, sit down." Otto demands, gesturing to the empty seat.

"I will not. I will not calm down until I know that she is safe and well and our child had been delivered properly." his grandson shouts, running a hand through his hair.

Otto sighs and pours him another glass of wine. "You worry to much for a woman."

"What did you say? What did he say?" he asks in disbelief, turning to look at Aemond.

"You worry too much for a woman. She was born for this." the Hand repeats himself, making Aegon much angrier than he was moments before.

"She is my wife." Aegon's tone is cold and filled with anger as he keeps staring at his grandfather.

"We all have or had wives. She is not the first one who gives birth, either." he replies, looking straight into his eyes.

"You have no right to keep me away from my wife in her time of need. It is a cruel thing to do." his voice is filled with cold fury. He turns away from the hand and his eyes shift towards his younger brother.

Aemond looks down, trying to ignore Aegon's piercing gaze.

"Why are you so worried about her? What could be this special about this girl?" Otto asks, confused about his grandson's behaviour towards his wife.

"Because I love her! I love her so much it pains me to know how terrified she might me in this situation! I have not thought that I could grow to love her, to care about her. But, she...she is the perfect woman I could have asked for, she made me a better person!" Aegon answers, his tone loud and angry.

Otto looks dumbfounded upon hearing his words. He is left speechless by the way his grandson spoke about his wife and about how much he loves her.

Aemond looks at his brother, smiling. He knew he loves Reina and he knows that she loves him too. "Grandsire, let him go. Reina needs him."

"Thank you, brother." Aegon says, sighing. Otto gestures him to leave the room and he runs straight to where the screams are coming from.

•••

Reina's screams could be heard in the whole Keep. Alicent was by her side, telling her to take deep breaths and to push.

Midwives are scattered in the whole room while the maester checks her almost every minute.

Aegon bursts into the room and hurries to Reina's side. When he arrives at the bed, his wife's screams and agonizing face break his heart completely. She is lying there, her entire body tensed up in pain.