Of Bastards & Dragons || Aenar Targaryen

33 • THE GREEN PARCHMENT

ONE YEAR LATER

King Viserys remains a man of peace, the conciliator, and King's Landing is still an endless round of feasts, balls, and tourneys, where mummers and singers heralded the birth of each new Targaryen princeling.

Queen Alicent had soon proved to be as fertile as she is pretty. She bore the king a healthy twins, naming them Aemond and Daeron, both are said to be half the size of their elder brother Aegon, but thrice as fierce.

Lonely, as ever she had no one on her side anymore. Having welcome another set of twins into this world, into this kingdom, raising them in the walls of the Red Keep knowing they'd receive no paternal love from Viserys. Atleast not from their real father.

Though the birthing was painful as she birthed the boys, both of them screamed like a dragon, when they came out of her womb.

When Aemond and Daeron were placed in her arms, she admired them in silence, whilst everyone watched her in silence. She stroked her thumb back and forth on their heads, leaning to peck them. Then she examined their features and noticed they had the exact same deep violet eyes like Aegon and Helaena, same red birthmarks on their left feet, all her four children looked more like their father. More like Aenar. Her lover.

Fortunately, her lord husband, the huddled figure of the King strides into the room, he's become more nonchalant, he less seem to care about her, rather than summon her to his chambers to soil her womb with more babes and a spare, per adventure. Yet more proud than ever, happy to have more boys from his loins, Alicent became amazed at the daft man, so foolish not to recognize the truth right in front of him. The truth no one could plainly see. No one.

Even with her estranged relationship with Aenar, the father of all her four children, she now has giving up on wishing and forced herself not to care about him, promising to love her children twice as much as Viserys didn't. For the old man love and cares and still cares for Daenerys and Rheanyra, while Aenar now seem faithful to his wife, much to her dismay.

Not to mention, Princess Consort Francesca also produced a son for Aenar; Maekar Targaryen, after which the Maester advised to carry another baby, for her womb is too weak to conceive, due to failed pregnancies in the past.

Unabashedly, whispers at court flitted the Red Keep for the order of succession to be changed. More targaryen children were now born, perhaps it's high time the King changes his mind, many assumed so. The matter had been decided, so far as King Viserys was concerned; it was not an issue His Grace cared to revisit for his decision remains unwaivering.

Moreover, the Hightowers are on the grasp for power, as does the Tullys. King Viserys loves both his wife, sister-in-law, and daughter, he hated conflict and contention. He strove to keep the peace between the women, and to please both with gifts and gold and honors.

So long as Viserys lived and ruled and kept the balance, the feasts and tourneys continued as before, and peace prevailed throughout the realm...though there were some, sharp-eyed, who observed the dragons of one party snapping and spitting flame at the dragons of the other party whenever they chanced to pass near each other.

The court secretly divided into two factions, one supporting the Heir; Prince Aenar, and his son Maekar, heir apparent, the others supporting Queen Alicent's own candidate: her eldest son, Prince Aegon, firstborn of the King.

Dismissively, Viserys did not agree to change the succession. "The boy is Alicent's own blood," he told Lord Strong and Lord Beesbury.

"She wants him on the throne and I will not let that happen, Aegon may be my blood, but Aenar is my heir, and Maekar will succeed him." Viserys had said, behind close doors as Alicent had overhead, reeling with rage and anger.