To Take What Is Rightfully Ours

Chapter 43. Finding Things Out

'Alright, are you ready?' Daemon asked expectantly.

Rhaenyra and Diane - who were sitting on the sofa - glanced at each other and then simultaneously nodded. Daemon grinned and pulled the blanket off. 'Lo and behold months of my work and the reason why I have two bandaged fingers,' he said, pointing at the cot with both of his hands.

It was made of dark wood and was carefully engraved with protective signs and prayers in High Valyrian (Daemon consulted mandia Abby on that matter to make sure the baby would get the best protection possible). It looked beautiful and even though it wasn't technically perfect, it was perfect for Rhaenyra.

'Why- why are you crying?' Daemon asked worryingly because his wife bursting into tears was not a reaction he was expecting. 'You don't like it?'

Diane smiled knowingly, stroking Rhaenyra's back in a calming motion, 'Don't worry, father. I think it's the opposite, actually.'

'I really, really like it,' Rhaenyra sobbed, wiping away her tears. She did not mean to cry, she didn't even really want to, it just somehow... happened. 'It's your fault,' she pointed at Daemon. 'For being so sweet, and so excited, and so caring, how dare you.'

'Totally agree, everything is my fault and I apologize,' Daemon said because he knew that mood. Rhaenyra would probably be embarrassed about it as soon as she calmed down but right now she wouldn't be possible to reason with. So Daemon took all the blame she needed him to take. After all, Rhaenyra was growing a whole new person inside of her so her being irrational and overly emotional from time to time was something he could get behind. 'Come here, my little dragon,' Daemon approached his wife. Diane got up and he took her place on the sofa so Rhaenyra could hug him if she wanted to. She did. 'I love you so much,' he added, stroking her shoulder.

Rhaenyra sniffed and said, 'I love you too.'

'That's a really good cot,' Diane said, looking it over from all the angles. 'Great job, father.'

'Thank you,' Daemon answered. 'It's definitely an upgrade from where you slept as a baby.'

Diane raised an eyebrow, prompting Daemon to elaborate. The prince sighed, 'You slept in a drawer.'

'In a what?' came a simultaneous question from Diane and Rhaenyra. The princess even sat up straighter, wiping her tears away.

'So like... Iris' room had this dresser with three drawers and we made one of them into a makeshift bed for Diane. Don't look at me like that, she liked it,' Daemon said at the look on Rhaenyra's face.

'Why would you put her in a drawer?' the princess asked genuinely.

'There was no room for the cot and we didn't have a lot of money either,' Daemon answered. 'I wasn't yet eight and ten, my allowance wasn't precisely huge...'

'Oh,' Rhaenyra made a sound. She sometimes forgot that not only Diane wasn't raised as a noble but also Daemon had a period in his life when he lived more or less like a commoner.

'It got us by, don't get me wrong, we weren't poor. But we struggled sometimes. So we had to make do,' Daemon looked at his daughter.

'I'm pretty sure I was fine,' Diane said with a small smile.

'I want it stated for the record that in a few months, we moved places and you got a proper bed.'

Diane's face turned thoughtful and then she asked, 'Did it have like... a bunch of colorful birds painted on it?'

'Yes. Yes, your mother painted them. She wanted that bed to feel like your own... and you used to like birds,' the prince said.

'It's nice to know. I don't really have a lot of memories of mum,' Diane said, her smile looking bittersweet. 'Haisa says I'm a lot like her.'