The Winter Queen

Chapter 22

Cregan

Two moons into his second marriage, the head healer at Winterfell confirmed that his petite young wife was with child. On one hand, it made him very happy knowing that he no longer had to bed her but on the other, he truly feared that her body was far too young and underdeveloped to handle the strain of pregnancy let alone childbirth. 

It was not long after this, right at the mark of their fourth month married, that Lord Rickon decided it was time to share the news with the King, Lady Jeyne and Princess Rhaenys. The most dangerous phase of the pregnancy had passed and his wife seemed to grow larger daily.

A few weeks after sending the King news of his daughter’s impending motherhood, they received a missive from the King concerning the birth of his child by the Queen and the news they had sent him. In it he detailed his extreme joy and excitement over his daughter’s pending birth and his pride in both Cregan in Rhaenyra for how rapidly they had managed to succeed in doing their duty to the realm. He begged them to quickly send word to him once the Princess had given birth along with the name, sex and a description of their child.

After rambling a bit about this and yet nothing about how terrified his daughter may be of potentially suffering her own mother’s fate, the King finally got to the birth of his second child. It was very easy to see that he was far from pleased.

“Alas my dear daughter and beloved good son, on the very day that I received your most joyous news, my wife delivered our child and what a horrific sight it was. The Grand Maester himself wound up calling for Septon Elias and Septa Ceris due to what he spotted between Alicent’s legs even as it tore its way out of her nethers. Why? Well the babe was born with horns atop of its head, scales for skin and tiny dragon-like winds on its back. The Maester has sworn that the girl is the only child Alicent will ever be able to provide me with. Due to the monstrous nature of the child, I have declared that she shall be known as Lady Dracara Targaryen. I have also removed her grandsire as my Hand and am having both him and Alicent perform walks of Atonement in both King’s Landing and Old Town so that perhaps they can be forgiven of their sins against the Gods' and Alicent will one day be able to provide me with a proper child. I will also inform you that on the very day following Dracara’s birth, I had Alicent present her before the court so all could see how she failed me.”

Despite the general unease that hung over Winterfell due to the Princess’s pregnancy, everyone had  to laugh at the justice of the Gods' while also feeling bad for the poor second daughter of the King. She would never have as good of a life as her sister due to her appearance.

Despite the brief lived merriment caused by the Queen’s misfortune, Cregan was growing increasingly concerned for his young wife. He had initially wondered if the reason why her belly seemed to swell so much quicker than his late wife’s had was due to her youth as the Princess had begun showing a delicate but rapidly growing bump soon after passing her third moon. His fears were then heightened a moon following their public pregnancy announcement when the healers and midwives informed them that it was highly probable that the Princess carried more than one baby.  Pregnancy and childbirth was already a very dangerous time for any woman, even one who was full grown and had successfully borne several babies. Twins typically doubled the risks but with Rhaenyra’s age, the risks were even higher.

It was entirely possible that Cregan would be widowed for a second time before year’s end. As such, Lord Rickon sent missives out to their allies begging them to all pray for the Princess and the unborn Starks in her womb.

Rhaenyra 

Like her husband, two moons into her marriage when she learned that she was with child, she was happy. No one could mock her fertility as she was very recently wed and already bred. However, nothing could stop her fears concerning her fate. Three moons later, fears that had begun creeping into her mind were realized as she had already begun suspecting that she carried more than a single babe by her third moon. Even with the confirmation that she likely carried twins, Rhaenyra believed deep down that it was more than twins and that soon she die attempting to give them life.

It was also at the point where the healers and midwives confirmed her multiple pregnancy that they insisted that she becomes largely bed bound until after birthing her children. They said that this should help her keep them within her womb for longer and the longer they stayed inside her body, the better their odds for survival would be.

Even though she loathed not being able to be with her dragon, she completely understood and was willing to comply with what she was told. She also wound up becoming eternally grateful for the companionship she had gained with her ladies in waiting who prevented her from growing too bored as her belly grew ever larger and as movement grew ever harder. They also frequently prayed with her to the various Gods that her body could withstand the ever increasing strain of her pregnancy and that, in the end, she and her children would make it out alive.

As she was unable to have the presence of Syrax with her due to her dragon’s size which had already more than doubled during their few moons in the North, she was able to have her direwolf puppy with her, whom she named Khione. Somehow Khione gave her the feeling that somehow, everything would be okay in the end. This was especially comforting as she knew Benjen and Alys feared for her life and the lives of their unborn siblings.

However, despite all of her fears, she absolutely refused to have her father informed that she carried more than one child. With Alicent having birthed a monster, she knew if her father became aware of her condition, so would Alicent and Alicent would definitely try to do something to prevent all of their survival.

Rickon

When Rickon was first told that by year's end he might have a third grandchild, he was happy. He knew that it eased some of the burden felt by his children because of the King and his demands for procreation. However, his happiness did not last long as three moons later, they were given the troubling news that the young princess carried at least two babies within her. When he heard, his first thought was “Gods' have mercy on the poor child and somehow, let them all live" as he knew the already dangerous underage pregnancy had turned perilous. 

Gods', the King was an idiot! His daughter and sole heir’s life was hanging by a thread all over his selfish desire to have her give him grandchildren as soon as possible without any regard for her age or health. When Cregan asked him to beg for prayers from their vassals and allies, Rickon quickly agreed. The fate of the daughter he had only just begun to know was in the hands of the Gods'.