| The Daughter of a Targaryen | HOTD

3 | An Heir or A Spare

I am once again with child. The maesters confirmed it. They say it's been two full moons since my last blood. I haven't even kept track. I hadn't even given much notice to the bump that was forming within my belly. It has been exactly two whole months since I was left lying in the King's room. This time I didn't fight him. I let him. I knew there was no use. If it weren't for the privacy of Aegon's room, I would be held down by the small council as they watched. I thought about "something else", like Alicent instructed.

I remembered the times when I was a child, when I was young enough to ever know the truth of responsibility. Being far away from the cruel reality of growing up. I remember running around with my cousins within the dark green meadows directly across from the dragon pit. Aegon and Aemond. I never got along with Helaena, she always told me how evil her brothers were, "both are dragons fighting fire with fire, look in too close and you will get a glimpse of the black beetle and it will be squashed under their hand". But at that time I didn't believe her, oh how I wish that I did. She was warning me of the future. They say she's a dreamer.

I remember the young boys laughing with me. They were never cruel in the past. Innocent. Until proven guilty when they bullied my cousins at the time, now step brothers Jacaerys and Lucerys, because they were bastards. But they never once reminded me that I was too. Until my wedding night, when Aegon swore to me that he was only ever gonna see me as nothing but a bastard, and that I didn't deserve the Targaryen title. I don't understand why he turned on me. He was angry at everyone, at his mother, at the realm for putting him in the position that he has no right to be in. Rhaenyra was named heir infront of the ton, and they kneeled to her. What the greens have done is treason, and I full victim to being a part of it.

Aegon and Aemond as brothers, always protected me as if I was their little sister, as if I was the sister they always wanted. While their true sisters, Rhaenyra who stayed clear of them and Helaena was always misunderstood by them.

How the times have changed. Aemond is still there, in the shadows doing what he can to give me a sense of familiarity. But he is not that same boy I grew up with. He has become cruel, both brothers have, one more than the other. This world has changed them, and has also changed me.

I pretended to enjoy it. I had to. But he knew it was fake, he always did. So once he was finished, he walked out of the room but just before he got to the door. I remember the whole sentence he spoke to me, that vividly replayed through my mind every single night since, "this is the last time I will touch you without your permission, you don't have to fear me anymore", and then he left. I was left to lay there utterly lost and confused by what had just happened. But like he said he hadn't touched me or spoken to me since.

Until now.

"You are with child?"

He took a deep breath as he stood in the door way of my rooms not daring to enter. His personal guard Sir Criston stood next to the King with his hand on his sword. I wanted to laugh, Sir Criston saw me as a threat, a woman? Please. I wasn't even within reach of the King. I scoffed at the sight. Which made Sir Criston grip his sword tighter. I glanced back at Aegon.

"Yes, your grace".

I held my stomach. He moved his eyes towards where my hands sat firmly around my belly. There was no sort of emotion displayed on his face but discomfort. I watched as he pulled the skin at the edges of his finger nails. He always did that when he was stressed, ever since we were children.

The King cleared his throat, "how far along?"

If he paid enough attention to what was happening around him, he would remember how long, and know that it was the last time he touched me. I creased my eyebrows confused and a bit betrayed at his question. I felt as in his eyes I was not worth remembering. He probably had hundreds of woman to pray on since then. I frowned at the thought, not wanting to even pounder it.