The Bronze Dragon-A House of the Dragon fanfic

Chapter 20

With my mother and father finally having confessed their feelings for each other, their relationship would continue to grow, even as the fissures between the Greens and the Blacks grew deeper. Rumours began to emerge at this time that they were trying to champion Daeron's claim to the Iron Throne; all completely made up by scholars sympathetic to Rhaenyra or Aegon, of course.

In any case, my mother and father's blossoming marriage provided an interesting contrast to Aegon and Nesaena's. While they grew closer, the 'leaders' of the Green faction became ever more distant. While by all accounts their marriage started okay, Aegon's philandering and Nesaena's general unpleasantness put paid to any happiness they might've had.

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130 AC

Nesaena had been trying to calm down Jaehaerys when she heard the news that her husband had once again been found passed out in some corner of the Red Keep, drunk. To say that she was frustrated with him was to understate things dramatically; he was yet to invest any sort of time in raising their children, even if he was the one who had given them to her.

Finally, Jaehaerys stopped crying. She set the three year old down next to his sister Jaehaera. Jaehaera was at least easier to take care of than her brother; there was no crying from her to wake Nesaena up in the morning before the sun had risen. With both of them asleep, she turned to see Aemond standing in the doorway. "Brother, it is good to see you. Come to tell me that my husband has found a way to somehow get himself drunk in the few minutes I was informed that he was already passed out?"

"No, Nesaena. I've come to make sure your children are alright." Aemond replied. He had thought his sister would be trying to recover Aegon from another one of his episodes. "Aegon drinks too much."

"A mild statement." Nesaena scoffed. "Whenever he's not with one of his whores, he's drinking. Sometimes both at the same time." She turned away from Aemond, looking at her children. Aegon and her shared a bed rarely, their mother occasionally asked for them to sleep together in order to produce more children for their line. Nesaena suspected that the main reason for it though was to brush aside Aegon's infidelity; their mother often had a part in covering up his affairs. "Sometimes I think he's just bitter that he can't charm girls like Daevar."

Aemond grunted at that. Davear's nature and popularity with girls meant there was little doubt in his mind that he was dishonouring Helaena; probably at this very moment. After all, it was doubtful that she would give up her virtue willingly for him. Father made a mistake betrothing them. "He's never been as popular as Daevar."

"Or as handsome. Or as skilled a warrior." Nesaena replied. "Not to mention Daevar has actually fought in a war."

One battle does not make a war, dear sister. Aemond wanted to say it, but discretion was the better part of valour here. Though Nesaena and Daevar hadn't interacted much, the two had a fairly good relationship. He held his tongue instead and shifted the topic back to Aegon. "Mother has said she will talk properly with Aegon after this indiscretion."

"That will have about as much an impact on him as any of her other talks." Nesaena said. "Denying him my bed would only cause it to happen again. He believes himself to be living a hard life while all of this is around him." She said, waving her hands at the sumptuously decorated walls with patterns of dragons and towers all over the room. A Seven-Pointed Star had even been painted on the roof of the children's room at Alicent's insistence.

"He will still be king when father dies." Aemond reminded her.

"Seven help us when he ascends the Iron Throne. He will turn this damn place into a brothel." Nesaena muttered. Leaving the children to their rest, she began making her way back to her own chambers, Aemond close behind. "Do you know I cannot remember the last time he showed any enthusiasm in bedding me, Aemond? At times I think I'm the one woman he despises in bed."