My Pain Is Temporary

chapter 1

Motherhood was never something that appealed to Rhaenrya. It was a terrifying thing for her to think about. She'd seen how her mother went through the pain of giving birth, only to then lose that child. Miscarriages, stillborns, babes who never lost long enough to properly love. She'd never wanted it for the possibility of those things happening to her. But then she had Jace; it was terrifying and excruciating but her son came. The first time she'd laid eyes on him, she never thought she could feel so much love for someone. It was a warm feeling.

Then she had Lucerys her sweet second son. She still remembers the day she gave birth to her second child. Her son, her darling boy, is beautiful. His face is small and round, and she marvels at his button nose, smiles at the head full of brown hair he already has, just like his older brother. She knows for a fact that herself, her half-siblings, and her uncle and father had been born with wisps of white hair at best, tufts at worse and yet this was her second child born with a head full of hair. It's soft to the touch, honestly a little damp, and Rhaenyra can't help but be endlessly endeared. Rhaenyra lay with a sweat-soaked forehead smiling madly at the crying infant in her arms.

"Jacaerys, my love, come meet your brother." baby Jace eagerly climbed next to his mother. Looking at his new brother in awe.

"brother!" Jace yells pouncing on the bed to get a good look at the bundle in her arms.

"Yes. He looks like you. Don't you agree" Rhaenyra said with a hint of worry, ruffling Jace's fluffy brown hair.

Jace glanced at Luke, considering for a moment. "No!"

"What do you mean no?"

"Looks like you," Jace clarified, kissing his mother on the cheek.

Rhaenyra chuckled with little strength, glancing up at Harwin. "Would you like to hold him?"

"Yes!" Jace yells making her smile. Rhaenyra refuses to let Lucerys out of her sight for a while, let alone put him down. Jacaerys had been born a little early sure, but nowhere near an entire moon before it was time. So, she's a bit nervous that her son will end up like Baelon, slipping away mere hours after his birth. However, it's been over a fortnight and her son still lives, still breathes, and despite her concerns, makes little grunts whenever he desires her attention instead of crying. When she introduce Luke to her father he's quickly becomes attached to the young boy.

"Oh! What a boy you have here, Rhaenyra! a birth to be celebrated, indeed." The King says, looking at his grandson on his arms.

Laenor is by her side, wearing bluish clothes with the sigil of House Velaryon in white on his chest. Trying but failing to hide his nervousness.

"Congratulations, princess. But i have to say, your son certainly have a... unexpected appearance." Alicent says in a controlled state of anger and Holding back venom in her voice.

Looking at her former best friend she holds back a glare." If you are referring to his hair and eyes step-mother That happens. His grandmother, Rhaenys, had black hair. My grandfather was a Arryn. That sort of thing can happen sometimes." Rhaenyra says confident. Viserys nods.

He holds out his fingers for his second grandson to play with."it's important that's he's healthy especially being born early."the King points out. Alicent nods.

"I got him a egg for him, yes."

"yes. A brown one. It is very hot. I think it will hatch soon." The heir of Driftmark says. Viserys nods, before noticing that the baby has undid his remaining banged finger enough to chew on his rotting finger. He had lost feeling in his last finger some moons ago and was going to have removed soon so he didn't notice until now." No little one! That's not for chewing!" He pulls hand back fast. Rhaenyra takes her son back from her father and checks his mouth to see if anything made it's way in. Seeing neither rotting flesh or blood she can only hope they noticed in time.

Lucerys starts to wail from the sudden action. Quickly Rhaenyra starts rocking him in her arms to calm him. "Muña is luke okay." Her eldest ask fear in his face. Even if he didn't understand everything Jace could tell something made the adults upset and that made him upset as well.

"Yes Jace he's fine, just frighten us that's all." She says In a soft tone to her oldest. This seems to calm Jace down as well. As the eve grew late her father says he need to lay down and they would hold a feast in celebration for his new grandson in two days.

As her and Laenor leaves the room and walk towards their chambers she looks down Lucerys again seeing the small bundle in her arms fast asleep. Entering her and her husband's room she makes her way to the cradle with his egg. Lowing him down, she gives Lucerys a kiss on his head before retiring for the day.

....

Rhaenyra smiles from a chair as she looks at her eldest son, Luke chasing his older brother.

"I'm gonna get you!" Luke yells

Looking at them playing together fill her heart with joy. Jace was now 6 and Luke 4 and playing around Aegon gardens when suddenly Luke trips and falls onto the ground. Quickly Rhaenyra springs up from. Her seat running to luke.

"Luke are you hurt." She says as she looks over him for injuries. She sees he scraped his knee and was bleeding. she cuddles the boy to her chest, quickly takes him to a maester.

The maester puts some remedy to prevent any infection and told luke it would only sting for a few seconds. Rhaenyra hold Luke's hand for him to hold as the maester was applying it.

Rhaenyra is prepared to comfort her son when he inevitably clings to her from the pain... Only

Her son doesn't react at all.

He doesn't scream, cry or anything he simply acts like nothing is happening until the maester is finished and wrapping the wound in a bandage.

"Lucerys my sweet you don't have to pretend to to not be hurting it's alright if you cry." She says looking at her son as he simply laughs in response.

"Muña I don't feel it, I must be a strong boy like Ser Cristo says." Luke laughs

Perhaps it's denial or fear that she chuckles at that. While she will have a talk with cole about his treasonous words, she ignores the strangeness of her sons words.

A few weeks ago by and and Rhaenyra watches as things go by normal as usual, dealing with the court and rumors which she suspects are being spread by Alicent when she finds herself back with the maester as he removes the bandage from Luke's knee.

"God's be good." She hears him mutter. She looks at the wound again

She first noticed on his leg, the wound knee a weird patch of brown around the cut It's noticeably darker than the rest of his leg. instantly assumed it was a bruise which quickly changed when she saw the familiar scene of dead flesh and little yellow balls of puss just like her fathers fingers before he had them removed.

"No! no! no! Please God's no please don't let it be." Her mind conjures the same fate for her son having to remove limbs.

"Muña, are you okay." Her sweet Lucerys asks not understanding what's happening.

She can only cry and hug her son.