✦ New Faith ✦ Aegon Targaryen

○ fifty two ○

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The piercing wails of Vearys shatter the stillness of the night. I groan, my body still weary from the unending care the twins demand. Nearly two months have passed since their birth, and I refused a wetnurse. I cannot bear the thought of someone else tending to my babes; trust in these halls is a luxury I can’t afford.

I lift myself, feeling the cool stone beneath my feet, and cross the chamber to Vearys's bassinet. His tiny face is scrunched in frustration, fists flailing in a protest of hunger or discomfort. As I scoop him into my arms, his cries soften, and I stare down at him, marveling at the tiny features that have become more defined. His eyes, once newborn haze, have deepened to a striking shade of lilac. He stares back at me, innocent and yet a silent reminder of the weight of the legacy he will carry.

As he feeds, I glance toward Maiarys, asleep in her bassinet. Her features, too, have taken shape, her gaze soft and unsettling in its pale blue hue. Her eyes feel almost unearthly, a whisper of House Targaryen’s strange blood. I hold Vearys a bit longer, pressing a gentle kiss to his head, then lay him down and summon the handmaidens.

After dressing, I head to the court, trailed by Ser Davian. My purpose is clear: a meeting with Alicent. We speak of state matters, her voice calm and measured as we discuss plans for a tourney in honor of the new prince and princess. I agree, though the notion feels hollow—a celebration amidst so much turmoil.

When I return to my chamber that afternoon, I feel an exhaustion deeper than usual. After dismissing the nanny, I change into something less constricting, relishing a moment’s quiet as I consider reading to Maiarys. As I reach for a book, a faint metallic clank echoes from the hallway. I freeze, instinctively clutching the fabric of my dress.

The door creaks open.

Two men enter, their movements predatory, shadows cast over twisted faces. I stumble back, putting myself between them and my children, terror clawing its way up my throat.

“Who are you?!” I demand, my voice trembling.

The taller one grins. “Blood and Cheese,” he snarls, his voice thick with malice. “And we’re here to repay a debt.”

The realization hits me like ice down my spine. Lucerys. Rhaenyra’s retaliation. Desperation surges through me as I plead, “Whatever she’s promised you, I can double—please, spare them!”

But the shorter one, Cheese, only gives a sickening smirk, his gaze flickering toward the bassinets. “A son for a son,” he murmurs.

I scream, lunging toward Cheese with a book in hand, but the larger one, Blood, seizes my shoulders, dragging me back. I thrash, heart hammering, but his grip tightens, and a large, cold hand closes around my throat. I gasp, clawing at him, my voice choked off as Cheese bends over my children.

“Which is the boy? We need the heir,” Cheese hisses, frustration lacing his voice as he turns to me. “Tell us.”

I shake my head, my vision blurred with tears, refusing to speak.

Blood’s grip bruises my throat. “Now!” he demands, his voice a sharp crack in the darkness.

I barely manage a second shake of my head, a silent refusal. They will not take my son.

Cheese lets out an exasperated growl. “Fine.” He grabs one of the golden pillows beside Vearys’s head. The room seems to shift, my pulse pounding as I watch in helpless horror as he lowers the pillow over my baby’s face.

A strangled scream tears from my chest, but Blood holds me back, his fingers biting into my skin as I twist, kick, and fight to break free. My cries and pleas echo off the chamber walls, but Vearys’s cries are smothered, and soon the stillness descends.

They leave me there, hollow and gasping, as they take his lifeless body with them.

I collapse onto the floor, my mind shattering in the silence. My world, everything I’ve guarded and held sacred, has been torn away. Shaking, I clutch Maiarys close to my chest, murmuring broken prayers, desperate promises to the gods.

Clinging to a sliver of strength, I gather myself, feeling rage settle like ice within me, and rush toward the council chamber where Aegon should be.