ii. when the gods take

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"Must you always jest about possibilities that could do more harm to me than to you?"

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"Must you always jest about possibilities that could do more harm to me than to you?"

Daella inquires about her twin brother as he prepares for the Tourney, their twins were in the booth with their cousin Rhaenyra and her friend Alicent Hightower.

"You know the games we play, Sister." Daemon brushed off his attention solely on checking on his armor. "You of all people should know we use what we must to get what we want."

"But still, I'm surprised you would offer me like a piece of meat to our sworn enemy. I would have expected something more brash instead of offering my hand in marriage."

"Any suggestions?" Daemon inquired a familiar glint on his lips. Mischief was a good distraction for him.

"Ask the favor from Otto's child and choose his boy to compete with right after."

"Seven Hells, you are devious still." He chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "Are you sure you do not want to watch my win for the Tourney?"

"I would rather ensure that Aemma is well taken care of while she gives birth. It is only fair since she was there when I gave birth to the twins."

Daella pointedly looked at her brother knowing how he had decided to spend his time in the Pleasure House instead of being by her side as she gave birth. But she also knew the fact that no one knew about the identity of the twins' father and Daemon decided to sulk instead.

"Perhaps I would have been there if only Viserys granted my annulment to that Bronze Bitch." He muttered more to himself.

Daella rolled her eyes at the mention of the woman again. To this day, she was certain that Viserys tied Daemon down to Rhae Royce as a power move and as a way to finally control him. But no one could truly control him, not even her.

"We passed it, Daemon." She cupped his cheeks, he snuggled further into her touch. "I love you, for all of your flaws and for all of what you are. But I love our children more and I fear that having you claim them as your own would do more harm than good."

"I know." He nodded, accepting the tragedy of their love in the past. "And I'm sorry if I wasn't enough."

"You are more than enough, Daemon. More than you know, but we know it is time for us both to move on from what we used to have."

Daemon's eyes watered but he nodded, kissing her cheek and excusing himself for the Tourney. Daella took a shaky breath before making her way back to the Red Keep to see the state of her sister-in-law.

As she walked the halls, the heavy sense of foreboding lingered into her bones. The painful scream of Aemma echoed in the halls and servants upon servants came and went with blood stained clothes. Daella's feet moved quicker, until she finally arrived.

The guards knew better than to stop her from entering, the creak of the door sounded as she passed through inside. The state of Aemma was almost all too familiar to her–of the same fate that she had once been years ago. Bloodstained bed, the painful acceptance of the fate befallen upon them as women, as mothers, of duty for the crown. But how the weight of all those expectations constantly crushed them.

"Oh sweet Aemma." Daella sighed in the inner despair of what they are dealing with in childbirth. "I will ensure to personally castrate Viserys myself if he demands another child from you."

To onlookers this would be considered treason and a threat to the crown. But to those that truly knew Daella, her words against Viserys should always be taken with a grain of salt. Her devotion and loyalty to her older brother will never be measured, not even by the love she has for Daemon. She was the most trusted and valued opinion by her brother because of the fact that she was one of the few people left that surrounded her brother that could look at him and separate the King from the man himself.

"Maybe I might take you up the offer, Ella." Aemma pants and Daella immediately got to work with wiping her forehead with a wet cloth. "This time is getting harder than the last one."

"I know, My Aemma." Daela assured, knowing all the pain and tribulation that came in their very own battlefield in their birthing bed. "You are the strongest amongst us all for continuing what you are doing at this moment."

"Flattery can get you nowhere, Ella." Aemma winced at another contraction washed over her. "I hope to say the same thing to you when you experience this again in the future."

Daella snorted, after the labor of her twins, she was all the more certain that she had provided enough for the family. Another child at her age would simply spell trouble for anyone involved–especially the poor soul that would come her way.

"May the Gods have mercy on the poor midwives that will come my way if it were to happen again." Daella humored her as Aemma let out a breathless chuckle at her comment. "But I do not jest at your expense. I could never imagine myself to be strong enough to mourn the death of my children as I give birth to another."

"This is our battlefield, Daella. We learn to accept the fate bestowed upon us."

Daella will never accept such fate. She forged her own over and over again until her fate bends the knees to her own demise.

"I don't think I can keep doing this." Aemma whimpered, slumping down onto the pillow as her screams of pain echoed through the walls.

Daella turned her attention towards the Maester, ordering him to do something. In the blink of an eye, the room was a flurry of chaos as everyone was now trying and somewhat failing to aid the Queen with her labor pains. Sometime it was coming, sometimes it was stillness with a pained cry escaping from Aemma's lips. Eventually, as much as Daella wanted to be by her sister-in-law's side, she couldn't. With how delicate the labor has drastically turned into–she was more of a nuisance than a much needed support. She was casted out of the room to give the Maester and Servants enough space to assist the Queen.

"Daella?" At the sound of her brother's voice Daella turned in a sheer panic as the screams and pleading from the other room was now engraved in her the depths of her mind. "What happened?"

Daella simply stared back at the room as the sound of the screams grew louder and Daella knew in that very moment that there would be a life taken, a life that she was uncertain that she was ready to mourn, a life that was to come or a life that was already with them.

Gods Be Good. They were not ready for a tragedy now.

By The Hand of the Gods [ OTTO HIGHTOWER ]Where stories live. Discover now