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The Crimson Dragon- chapter 10: The Seventh Child
🕑 Added 2023-11-13 18:18:42 +0000 UTCChapter 10: The Seventh Child
Bold- High Valyrian
Italicized- Emphasis/Thoughts
Alicent Hightower found herself at her breaking point.
The Queen had expected her current pregnancy to be her easiest, but eight moons in and it had somehow become her hardest.
She was bigger than she had been during her previous pregnancies, her mood was constantly fluctuating, and even the slightest movements sent waves of pain throughout her entire body.
When Alicent had gone to Mellos with these concerns he waved them off, stating that she was feeling this way because it had been so long since she was last pregnant, and her body had forgotten what it felt like.
Even Lilyanna, who disliked the man despite being his student, had reluctantly agreed that Mellos was right.
"You had my siblings and I back-to-back, your body did not have time to return to normal and remain in that state for long before you became pregnant again." Lilyanna told the woman, inwardly Lilyanna believed her mother was lucky to not have died from exhaustion due to living in a world without proper medical care and having five children within the span of five years.
Despite saying this, Lilyanna had begun to follow Alicent around whenever she could, constantly asking how she was doing and how she felt, wanting to be told immediately if she was in pain.
Most who saw this would whisper that Lilyanna had become Alicent's shadow, that the girl was never far from the Queen's side during her pregnancy.
It warmed Alicent's heart to know that her daughter cared so much about her, but she also felt suffocated by Lilyanna's constant attention and oversight.
"Lilyanna!" Alicent yelled, ending her daughter's long-winded lecture on pregnancy and the intricacies of childbirth. "Thank you, for telling me about all of this, but don't you have other things you said you needed to do today?" Alicent said kindly, not so subtly trying to get Lilyanna leave her alone, if just for a moment.
Lilyanna looked sheepish, realizing that she was annoying her mother with her overshadowing. "I do, I promised Mushroom I would watch the new act that's he's working on."
"Oh." Was all the Queen said in response, Alicent's smile disappearing, and her lips becoming a straight line.
Alicent never understood Lilyanna's friendship with the court fool, at first the Queen wrote off Lilyanna's interest in the dwarf as the passing fancies of a child, but as the years went by it became clear that Lilyanna genuinely saw Mushroom as a friend.
In the eyes of everyone else Mushroom was a disabled lack wit that was nothing more than a crude joke. But despite this, Mushroom had managed to stay within the service of the King longer than most entertainers.
I blame this on not pushing the children harder to make friends with the other noble children of court. At least Lily is still young enough that this appears to be a little girl's desire to befriend others. Alicent thought.
Just as Lilyanna was about to leave, she turned to face Alicent, "You promise to relax and not try to overextend yourself?"
Alicent smiled and laid a kiss on Lilyanna's forehead, "I promise, my little flower."
Lilyanna accepted this and left the room but kept her mother's health in the back of mind, knowing that she was due to give birth any day now.
~X~
Anyone who passed by the Weirwood tree in the courtyard would pause at the sight of Princess Lilyanna Targaryen sitting in front of said tree and laughing as the court jester threw a pie into his own face.
"I still don't see the message you're trying to say but I do like it when you throw food at yourself." Lilyanna laughed.
Mushroom picked up one of the towels he brought and wiped his face with it. "I'm showing the inescapable claws of death!"
"Oh yeah, it was very obvious." Lilyanna said sarcastically.
"Don't be upset that it has gone over your head, princess. It's extremely complicated." Mushroom retorted.
Lilyanna smiled until she saw a few maids from the corner of her eye.
The two women were looking at them and clearly talking about them. The two whispered to each other, their eyes full of judgment.
It was not until Lilyanna fully turned around to face them that the maids realized that she had noticed them, quickly straitening themselves and leaving.
"Oh, where are those pretty ladies going? I was going to show them my new act since they were clearly impressed." Mushroom spoke, he too watching the maids scurry away.
Lilyanna turned to face him, "Doesn't it bother you? The things they say? The way they look at you and make fun of you behind your back? How can you stand it?"
While she asked Mushroom these questions because she was curious, deep down she wanted to know the answer for herself.
Lilyanna constantly had to deal with the stares and whispers that followed her due to being intersex. And although she told herself that she did not care, it was hard not to feel shame, to feel like a freak of nature.
She blamed these feelings on the fact that she was in the body of a child and that this was causing her not to have the same hold on her emotions that she did in her previous life.
It made Lilyanna angry to know that these things bothered her, that these comments made her feel insecure about herself.
Mushroom stared at the young girl knowingly, "I wouldn't have made it this far in life if I let what people say bother me. You cannot stop what people think so I just leaned into it, its why I'm the fool."
"But you're more than just your disability! And yet people don't see that." Lilyanna argued, knowing that he was smarter than everyone realized.
"I know that, and I don't care if they don't. Besides, I wouldn't be able to blatantly stand in front of people as they told me their secrets and discussed their ideas and plans if they didn't think I was a brain-dead idiot." Mushroom smirked.
Lilyanna knew that Mushroom would give away information he gained for gold. Most assumed he did this because he was too stupid to keep anything secret, not knowing that he cultivated this persona intentionally.
She had even seen him receive payment from one of the spies that Mysaria had stationed in the Keep.
I wonder at the end of all this if Mushroom's writings will still be used in future books about Targaryen history? Lilyanna thought.
Mushroom then patted her on the head, "If people continue to underestimate you then let them, it will be all the sweeter when you outshine them."
Lilyanna blushed, embarrassed that she enjoyed Mushroom's reassurance. "Thank you, Mushroom."
Mushroom grinned and clapped his hands together, "Now, did I tell you my new joke? Now, three men walk into a tavern…"
~X~
Lilyanna felt relieved when she reached the training yard and did not see Criston there. She had lost time with Mushroom and had rushed to get ready, believing that she was late for training.
Criston was a fair instructor to the royal children, but he could be a slave driver whenever one of them messed up or was not taking his lessons seriously.
The last time she was late, Criston made Lilyanna wear full body armor and run around the courtyard until their training session had ended so she was not keen on receiving a similar punishment.
"Sister, nice of you to join us. You know, you're setting a bad example for our brothers and nephews with your tardiness." Aegon smirked as he and the others watched Lilyanna approach them.
Lilyanna rolled her eyes, "Oh please, knowing you, you probably only got here a minute or two before me."
"Wrong, I got here three minutes before you." Aegon said cheekily.
Lilyanna smiled and shook her head and went to stand next to Lucerys. When she saw that he was fidgeting in place, she put her hands on his shoulders to stop him. "What's got you so energetic?"
Lucerys grinned at his aunt, "I'm finally starting my training with you all! I get to use a sword now!"
Now that he was five and after begging his parents (Rhaenyra), Lucerys was deemed old enough to begin training alongside his brother, uncles, and aunt.
Rhaenyra was not as enthusiastic about this as Jacaerys and Laenor were but did not prevent Lucerys from dawning his red and black gambeson and chest plate and following his older brother to the training yard.
"Don't get too excited, you won't be doing much today since you're a beginner." Aemond spoke out, not wanting his nephew's expectations to become too outlandish.
Aegon ruffled Aemond's perfectly brushed hair, ignoring his brother's glare. "Don't be such a twat. Our nephew might prove himself a great warrior."
"I'll be the greatest Knight!" Lucerys exclaimed, pumping his fists wildly.
"Maybe you should focus on keeping yourself on your feet before becoming a great warrior." Jacaerys said jokingly, alluding to how clumsy his little brother could be at times.
Lucerys was known to trip over everything and nothing, usually knocking things over and accidentally hurting himself as he moved about.
Lucerys crossed his arms and pouted as the others laughed. "I'm not that bad!"
"Luke, don't you remember when you tried to use Ser Criston's morningstar? You created a dent in one of the outer walls and nearly took off your own head!" Daeron argued in between his own laughter.
This caused the others to laugh even harder at Lucerys, remembering a few moons prior when Aegon said that Lucerys was not strong enough to lift the Kingsguard's famous weapon when he asked if he could use a weapon like it one day.
Lucerys took this as a challenge, waiting until Criston had his back turned and ran into the yard. He then grabbed the moringstar off the weapons rack and began to swing it around.
Like Daeron said, Lucerys had hit one of the walls, denting it in his need to prove himself. And the spiked ball would have hit him in the head if it were not for Criston ripping the moringstar out of his hands at the last second.
"It does not appear as if you are here to learn, more like you are all joking around." The children turned around and saw Criston standing behind them.
Aegon, Lilyanna, Aemond, Jacaerys, and Daeron immediately stood in a straight-line facing Criston, from oldest to youngest. "No, Ser Criston." They said in unison.
Lucerys stared at the others confused, when he usually saw them train, he did not see them line up together or act so seriously. Lucerys flinched when he turned around and saw Criston pointedly staring at him.
The way Criston stared at him almost reminded Lucerys of how the Knight looked at him when he pulled his moringstar out of the prince's hands, only less intense and angry.
"Luke!" Lucerys turned when he heard Lilyanna whisper his name.
"Get in line!" Lilyanna whisper-shouted again.
Lucerys ran to the others and stood behind Daeron, trying to ignore Criston's eyes on him. After a few moments, Criston looked away from Lucerys. The young prince could not help but wonder if Criston was still upset about the moringstar incident.
But Lucerys knew this could not be the case as during the many times he was in Criston's presence, the Kingsguard never looked at him with anything other than annoyance, including his brother and parents.
Criston then told the others to get their training swords from the rack, as this was going on, Criston handed Lucerys a training sword of his own.
Lucerys knew the sword was new as unlike everyone else's, it was smooth and did not have any scratches or scrapes. It was then that Lucerys noticed that everyone's swords were not the same, each being varied sizes.
Aegon and Lilyanna's were the longest followed by Aemond, and Jacaerys and Daeron. His own training sword was the smallest, shorter than his own arm.
"Why is my sword so small? Why can't I get a bigger one?" Lucerys asked aloud.
Criston turned and faced Lucerys, "You are not ready to use a bigger sword, my prince. You are just starting; everyone must work their way up to using normal sized blades."
Lucerys was about to argue again when he saw his brother from the corner of his eye, Jacaerys' eyes were wide as he vigorously shook his head at him, silently telling him to be quiet.
Since he started his own training two years ago, Jacaerys became well acquainted with Criston Cole's short temper and did not want his brother to experience it right away.
"Now, you will all continue as you were in our last session." Criston said, looking over at the straw dummies in front of them.
As the others began striking the dummies, Criston walked over to Lucerys. "Show me your stance."
Lucerys quickly held his sword in both hands, holding it high up and in front of his face, his feet only slightly spread apart from each other.
"Wrong." Criston tutted, "Spread your feet further apart and lower your sword."
Lucerys took a wider stance and held his sword in front of his waist, looking up at Criston to see if he was doing it correctly.
Criston only sighed before walking over to the rack and pulled out his own training sword. When he returned, Criston took up his own stance in front of the prince. "Copy what I do."
Lucerys tried to copy the man's movements but struggled to keep up as Criston would only repeat each movement once before moving onto the next.
After showing Lucerys a set of ten basic movements, Criston stopped. "Now, I want you to repeat this set until I tell you to stop."
Lucerys stuttered as he watched Criston leave his side, still not confident that he could even remember the first technique let alone the other nine and do them all perfectly.
"You can all stop now. Aegon, Lilyanna. Step forward." Criston said as he reached where the others were continuing their own exercise. They all immediately stopped striking their dummies as Aegon and stood Lilyanna in front of the Kingsguard.
"You two will be sparing against each other." Criston explained, watching as the two moved and stood a few feet away from each other.
Aegon sighed as he readied himself, knowing that this spare would be strenuous, preferring to fight Aemond again instead of Lilyanna.
Criston had recently decided that Aemond had advanced enough in his training that he could spare against his older siblings. Despite his hard work, Aemond did not come close to beating either of his siblings, with the fights between them ending quickly.
At least with Aemond, Aegon knew it would be an easy win, but that was not the case with Lilyanna. Granted, Aegon knew he could beat her and has done so plenty of times in the past due to his greater experience, age, and height, but Lilyanna put her all into everything she did, never giving up until she could not continue any longer, including their training.
"Lilyanna, use both swords." Criston called out when he saw the princess going to put one of her training swords down.
"Seriously?" Lilyanna asked.
"You were the one who wanted to learn how to wield two swords at once. How else do you expect to get better?" Criston said with a smirk.
Lilyanna groaned and picked up her sword, now beginning to dread the spare. Sparing with Aegon could be annoying at times, especially when he did not put in any real effort and would still win while making Lilyanna look like a fool.
It was going to be even worse as she would be fighting while trying to incorporate the extra sword in her hand.
"See what being an overachiever gets you." Aegon said, his smile turning into a smirk as Lilyanna glared at him.
The two then got into their proper stances; Aegon with his feet shoulder length apart and his left feet higher than his right, his back erect, his body slightly lowered, and his sword held in front of his midsection. Lilyanna had her body turned away from Aegon slightly and with her right arm raised forward and her left arm lowered and behind her.
"Begin!" Criston shouted at the pair.
Aegon immediately charged his sister and swung, pushing against Lilyanna as crossed her swords together and blocked his strike.
Lilyanna then raised her foot and kicked Aegon in the stomach, sending him staggering backwards. Aegon clutched his stomach in pain but quickly jumped to the side when Lilyanna tried to use his distraction to hit him.
Lilyanna did not relent, continuously attempting to strike her brother down. This put Aegon on the defensive, blocking each of Lilyanna's blows but having to lose ground each time.
Eventually, Aegon felt his back touch the wall and he realized his mistake as he was now trapped. He then decided to return the favor and tried to kick Lilyanna when she tried to end their spare.
Lilyanna seeing this coming, sidestepped the kick and hit Aegon's now outstretched leg as he was off-balance.
Aegon hissed in pain, glaring at Lilyanna and when Lilyanna tried to strike him again, Aegon quickly slammed the pummel of his sword against Lilyanna's right hand, her more dominant hand.
Lilyanna gritted her teeth as Aegon slipped away. The two siblings stared at each other for a few moments before Aegon charged again.
Lilyanna waited until Aegon closed the distance between them and was about to bring his sword down on her. She then used both swords to perform a diagonal slash, knocking Aegon's sword out of his hands.
Aegon's eyes widened when he felt the tip of one of his sister's training swords press against his neck.
"Wow! Lily won; she beat Egg!" Daeron yelled, shocked as he believed that his oldest brother was unbeatable.
Lilyanna brought her arms down and started breathing slower. "Fuck… I did not think that would work."
Aegon blinked, "So you just randomly swung at the end?"
Lilyanna shrugged, "It wasn't random I just didn't think my strike would be strike enough to disarm you especially after you hit my hand."
Before Aegon could respond the others surrounded them.
"That was amazing, Lily!" Jacaerys exclaimed.
"Yeah, but Aegon was good too! I thought he had her when slammed his sword down on Lilyanna's hand." Daeron argued.
"I guess this means Lilyanna is the best fighter now." Aemond said with a smirk, happy to see Aegon lose at something.
Aegon stared pointedly at Aemond, "No, it doesn't. Lily just got lucky."
While Aegon did not genuinely believe it was only luck that allowed Lilyanna to win, he did not enjoy Aemond's smugness towards his defeat.
Criston smiled at Aegon and Lilyanna as he walked up to the group. "There are things you both could have done better, but overall, you did well, excellent job. Now, Aemond, Jacaerys you two will spare."
Aegon and Lilyanna walked over to the side, standing next to Daeron as Aemond and Jacaerys prepared to spare each other.
"Is your hand, okay?" Daeron whispered to his sister.
Lilyanna ruffled his hair, grinning when Daeron giggled. "I might have a bruise later, but my hand is fine."
Daeron then held Lilyanna's hand within his own and gently rubbed the back of it. "You'll tell me if it starts hurting?"
"Of course." Lilyanna replied.
Just when they turned back, the spare quickly ended when Aemond's final strike knocked Jacaerys to the ground.
Aemond was not as excited as he was before Criston ended the spare. He already knew he was better than Jacaerys, it was why he was allowed to spare with Aegon and Lilyanna.
So why am I still sparing with Jace? I thought I proved myself already? Aemond thought.
Their training continued as it always did, with them honing the skills they learned previously and then using them in spares against each other.
~X~
Later In the Night
It was the early hours of the morning and Lilyanna Targaryen was still awake.
Lilyanna sat at her worktable, writing in her a large journal she called her 'Book of modern ideas to make Westeros suck less.'
Helaena told her that it was a bad name and said she should call it 'Ideas for the best possible future,' which led Lilyanna to believe that neither herself nor her sister were good at naming things.
Lilyanna had been constantly adding and subtracting from the book for years. It was filled with so many scribbles, cross outs, ripped out and added pages that she was basically the only person who could understand what she wrote.
Helaena even said that it was completely nonsensical when she leaned over her shoulder one day and tried to read one of the pages Lilyanna was writing on.
I am definitely adding to the very true stereotype of doctors having terrible handwriting. Lilyanna mused.
Now she was writing about creating a Westerosi national bank, similar to the Iron Bank of Braavos. It would end the high interest rates that many nobles experienced when they took out loans from the Braavosi.
As she wrote out how this would work, Helaena began to wildly convulse in her sleep.
"No!" Helaena shouted, still lost in the throes of her nightmare.
Lilyanna discarded her journal and jumped to her feet, quickly running to her sister's side, she then immediately kneeled and cupped the side of Helaena's face. "Helaena! Helaena, please wake up. I need you to wake up."
It took a few minutes, but Helaena's eyes soon fluttered open, her eyes glossy and red from the tears she shed while still asleep. Once Helaena realized that it was Lilyanna in front of her, she flung herself at her twin, clinging onto her as she cried.
"Hey, hey, it's okay, Hely, it's okay." Lilyanna whispered, rubbing small circles on Helaena's back.
Helaena took a shuttering breath and leaned away from Lilyanna. "I'm sorry."
"You don't need to apologize for having a bad dream." Lilyanna replied.
Helaena quickly rubbed away her tears and stood, trying to pull her sister to her feet. "We must go to mother. Now."
"Whoa, wait a minute," Lilyanna said as she grounded herself in place preventing Helaena from further pulling her along. "Why do we need to see mother? It's the middle of the night."
Before Helaena could respond, a shrill scream ripped through the air. The screams grew longer in duration and louder and Lilyanna realized that it was Alicent who was screaming.
"Mother! Why-" Lilyanna started before Helaena interrupted her.
"She has begun her labors."
Lilyanna knew that the Queen was due to give birth sometime within the current moon, but she did not think it would be today. A pit formed as she focused on the screams, not during either of her younger brothers' birth did she hear Alicent scream like this, as if she were experiencing an unyielding amount of pain.
"Helaena, were you dreaming of our mother giving birth?" Lilyanna asked, remembering just how distraught her sister was minutes prior.
Helaena said nothing, her gaze never leaving the door and the silence was more than enough to answer Lilyanna's question.
Lilyanna reaches for Helaena and turns her around, "Helaena, what happens to Alicent?"
"Mother will live. She will not have any health problems." Helaena whispered.
"And the baby?"
Helaena became silent once more, no longer able to look Lilyanna in the eyes and turning her gaze to the floor. Her body was shaking as she tried to calm herself down, lest she begin to break down once more.
"Helaena!" Lilyanna growled, "What about the baby? What happens to our sibling?!"
Helaena lifted her head and Lilyanna saw that she had started crying again, "I'm sorry..."
"No, no, NO!" Lilyanna screamed as she let go of Helaena and ran to the door, throwing it open in her desperation to reach her mother.
Lilyanna sprinted in the direction of the Queen's chambers, running faster than she ever had in both of her lives. It did not take long for Lilyanna to reach Alicent's chamber, like every other time Criston Cole stood vigilant in front the doors, expect he was unable to hide his emotions, flinching every time one of Alicent's cries would grow louder and sharper.
"Princess Lilyanna!" Criston said, surprised to see her running towards him, her face both determined and worried as she grew closer.
Once she had reached him, Lilyanna tried to push past Criston and make her away in, only for the Knight to pull her back, gripping her shoulders as best he could as she tried to break free.
"You cannot go there, my princess. It is not something you should witness." Criston tried to get Lilyanna to see reason, based on the sounds coming out from the room, no child should see their parent in such a position.
"Damnit, let me go Criston! I must go inside; she needs me! Mother needs me!" Lilyanna cried, scratching at the man's arms.
Criston grimaced, "Princess, I cannot-"
One of the doors behind them opened and the Grand Maester appeared, "What is going on out here?"
Criston straightened his posture, "Grand Maester, I was-"
"You have to let me in!" Lilyanna yelled, drawing both men's attention to her.
Mellos did not look impressed by the princess' lack of decorum, sighing as Lilyanna grew more frantic. "Princess Lilyanna. I cannot let you in, your mother, the Queen is in the middle if her labors."
"That is why you must let me! The babe is going to die if I do not help!" Lilyanna explained.
"The babe will not die, princess, any fears you have are unwarranted." Mellos said, trying to placate the young girl.
"No, you don't get it! The babe is going to die if I don't help, I am the only one who knows how to save the, you have to let me in!" Lilyanna continued to scream, drawing the attention of the servants and guards that were roaming the halls.
"You are the only one who knows how to save the babe?" Mellos said, his voice dripping with condescension as he stared down at Lilyanna. "Princess, I know you believe yourself to be a maester in the making after helping the King, but you are not. You are a child; all you are doing is getting the way of adults who know better."
"What is happening?" The three turned and saw that Viserys had left his own chambers, the sounds of Lilyanna yelling drawing him out. It was also at this moment that Rhaenyra and Laenor also appeared, both drawn to the screams of mother and daughter.
Mellos quickly bowed to the King, "Your Grace, I humbly apologize for waking you from your slumber."
"It is fine, Mellos. You did not wake me." Viserys replied, his eyes quickly darting to the door of his wife's chambers before focusing back on the maester. "What is going on?"
"Princess Lilyanna is claiming that the babe within the Queen's belly will die by my hands and that only she can save them." Mellos answered.
Viserys looked between the maester and his youngest daughter, after a moment the King sighed. "Lilyanna, why are you disrupting the Grand Maester?"
"Father, you must believe me the baby is going to die! I need to save them, please!" Lilyanna begged.
"Lilyanna..." Viserys once again sighed, his disbelief in her claim evident in his voice as he tried to speak.
Lilyanna, seeing that her father would not be convinced by herself only turned to the one person Viserys would always believe. "Rhaenyra! Please! You know I do not lie, even Helaena knows that the babe is going to die, you must let me save them!"
Rhaenyra looked into her sister's eyes and saw the desperation and anguish staring back at her, it was the first time she had seen Lilyanna in such a state, and it broke her heart. "Father, I think you should let Lilyanna inside."
"Princess-" Mellos tried to speak but Viserys spoke over him.
"Rhaenyra, your sister is a child. She would not be able to help Alicent through her labor, Mellos will."
"Father, Lilyanna has been helping you for years, since she was much younger than she is now. If the babe is in danger than you should allow her to help." Rhaenyra countered.
"Helping me with a skin ailment is different from helping with childbirth; it is in the Gods hands; Lilyanna would not be able to do anything." Viserys argued.
"AAAAAGGGGGGHHHH!" Another of Alicent's blood curdling screams ripped through the hall, sending chills down the spines of all who could hear it.
Viserys had had enough, growing more uncomfortable as the screams of his second wife reminded him of his first. "Enough of this; Mellos go back to my wife and continue your work. Ser Criston, take my daughter back to her room and ensure that she stays there."
"NOO! Please! They are going to die you can't-" Lilyanna shouted, renewing her attempts to free herself from Criston's arms.
"Lilyanna!" Viserys shouted, causing Lilyanna to stop for the moment. "Stop acting like a spoiled child, you cannot do anything, you are not as clever as you think. This is the Grand Maester's job, you cannot do anything to help."
Viserys ignored how Lilyanna's face changed from despair to anger as she glared at him with an intensity that should not have been possible for a person her age. "Ser Criston, take my daughter to her room."
"Yes, Your Grace." Criston said, quickly walking away as Lilyanna continued to struggle in his arms.
"Father-" Rhaenyra tried to plead but Viserys was not having it.
"I have made up my mind, Rhaenyra. Alicent and the babe will be fine, I know they will." Viserys declared before taking his leave, retreating to the safety of his chambers, away from the screams of his young wife.
"Fucking hells!" Rhaenyra growled, watching her father as he disappeared down the hall.
"Do you- do you think Lilyanna and Helaena are right?" Laenor asked worriedly, he too knew that not listening to the girls when they were serious would not bode well for that person.
Rhaenyra looked at her husband, her own worry was clear on her face. "I do not know, I hope not. Go to our children I do not believe anyone will be able to sleep until the birth is over."
"Of course. Give the Queen my best wishes." Laenor said, knowing that Rhaenyra was planning to stay by Alicent's side, especially after what Lilyanna had just said.
Rhaenyra let out a sigh, gathering her resolve before she entered the chambers of Alicent Hightower.
~X~
The smell and sight of blood was the first thing Rhaenyra noticed when she made her way into Alicent's bedroom.
This was the first time Rhaenyra had been a witness to the birth of one of her half siblings since Helaena and Lilyanna were born. Aemond had been born when she was on her failed tour for a husband and herself and Alicent had become enemies when Daeron came into the world.
The next thing Rhaenyra noticed was how small and weak Alicent looked as she saw her former friend lying in her bed, trying in vain to push out her child.
The princess ignored everyone else in the room as she made her way to Alicent's side, immediately holding one of her hands.
"R-Rhaenyra? What are you-aaaarrrggggh!" Alicent cried, clutching Rhaenyra's hand in a desperate need to alleviate her pain.
Rhaenyra ignored the pain that was now emitting from her hand, "I wanted to be here for you, Ali."
Alicent continued to scream as more blood flowed from between her legs, her skin becoming paler and sweat covered her entire body. "I'm, I'm going to die, aren't I?"
"No, you won't. You're not going to die, Ali." Rhaenyra growled, using her other hand to hold the side of Alicent's face and drawing the Queen's attention to her. "You're strong, Alicent, strongest woman I know. You can't die yet, your children, my siblings, still need you. I... I need you..."
Alicent was about to speak until she saw Mellos holding a small knife in one of his hands, causing her to freeze up in terror, afraid that she would truly die here.
Rhaenyra, seeing this reaction, followed where Alicent's eyes were focused and growled at what she saw. "Put that blade away. Now, Mellos."
Mellos remained firm in his decision, "Princess Rhaenyra, with the amount of blood the Queen is losing its clear the child will not come out on their own. The babe must be prioritized."
"Prioritize the babe my ass, unless you want that knife in your neck, I suggest you put it down." Rhaenyra growled, intent on carrying out her threat if the maester moved even an inch closer to Alicent.
"AAAAARRRRRRHHHHH!" Alicent screamed, more blood began to flow from her legs and the midwives had to hold her down to keep her from flying forward.
"The head! The head is crowning!" the head midwife yelled.
Mellos quickly took the woman's place at the end of the bed, pushing Alicent's legs further apart. "You must push harder, Your Grace."
Rhaenyra grabbed Alicent's hand once more, pushing a strand of her hair back with the other. "Push Alicent, you must push. This will all be over soon."
Alicent gritted her teeth and pushed harder than she ever had, trying not to scream as the pain grew more intense.
Please, all I ask is that they live. I just want my child to live! Alicent pleaded, begging the Gods she followed to save her newborn, to allow them to be perfect and healthy.
This continued until finally the babe had completely emerged and the room fell silent, the only sound was that of Alicent's heavy breathing.
Mellos stared at the babe, his face grower paler as he looked between the newborn and the two noble women in front of him, mostly the Targaryen princess staring daggers at him.
"What is wrong with the child? Why aren't they crying?" Rhaenyra asked, seeing the fear on the maester's face.
"I'm- I-I am sorry, Y-Your-Your Grace..." Mellos stammered.
"What are you sorry for? What is wrong with them?" Rhaenyra asked again, growing angrier as Mellos continued not to give her an answer.
Mellos swallowed the saliva that had built up in his mouth, knowing the news he was about to give would be devastating. "The umbilical cord is wrapped around their neck, Your Grace. They were born dead, there is nothing that can be done for them."
The room grew quiet once again until Rhaenyra quickly closed the distance between herself and the maester. The midwives gasped and looked on in shock as they watched their princes wrap her hands around Mellos' neck.
"You fucking bastard! Are you not the one who said that the babe would live, that my sister was wrong?! I'm getting tired of you failing to keep my siblings alive, you piece of shit!" Rhaenyra roared, her hands tightening, as she watched the man struggle to breath.
"My-m—my princ-prin-cess..." Mellos hissed, scared that the Rhaenyra would kill him as he saw spots begin to flash across his eyes.
"Rhaenyra!" Alicent yelled, her voice hoarse from her previous screams. She watched wide-eyed at the scene in front of her still processing that her child was dead but terrified at this side of Rhaenyra that she did not know existed.
Rhaenyra turned to Alicent, seeing the fear and heartbreak on her face, she released Mellos, causing the man to stagger back. Mellos touched her neck and greedily gulped in air, as if afraid that he would be deprived of it once more.
"I-I am sorry." Rhaenyra whispered, her head falling, and she stared at her hands, her fingers twitching as her entire body shook. She had felt this terrible anger before, but it had never been this bad, it had never pushed her to put her hands on another person.
I hate Mellos and I would not care if he died, but I don't want to kill him. And now I... I scared Alicent. She thinks I am a monster now... Rhaenyra thought bitterly to herself, clenching her fists.
"I want to see them..." Alicent whispered, keeping her gaze off Rhaenyra and on Mellos.
"Your Grace, I do not believe that-" Mellos tried to say after finally catching his breath.
"I want to see them, Grand Maester. Bring them to me." Alicent spoke, her voice grew louder and stronger as she demanded to hold her sixth child, just once.
The Grand Maester followed through with the command and went to the Queen's side, walking just a bit faster as he moved past Rhaenyra. He then placed the stillborn child in their mother's arms and excused himself from the room, going to inform the King about the tragedy, the midwives following the man as he left.
The second the door closed, Alicent broke down crying, tears falling as she held her child, she pushed back the blanket that covered the baby, seeing their dark pale skin and the bruise around their neck.
Alicent let a wet gasp as it finally settled in her mind that her child would never experience any firsts, they would never know their siblings, they would never know her, and they would never grow and live.
"M-my daughter. You were supposed to be my third daughter. Yo-you should ha-have li-li-ved a-an-and now you wo-won't." Alicent cried, holding her daughter's tiny and unmoving body closer to her chest.
Rhaenyra felt hopeless as she watched Alicent mourn her daughter, a few tears falling from her own eyes.
Rhaenyra walked to the door, wanting to give Alicent the space and privacy to grieve properly and knowing that she had to giving the rest of their family the terrible news.
"Don't go, Rhaenyra." Alicent whispered, stopping Rhaenyra in her tracks.
Rhaenyra only turned her head to look back at the Queen, "Are you sure?"
"I don't want to be alone, I just can't. Please, Rhaenyra." Alicent begged.
Rhaenyra made her way to the bed, she wordlessly sat down and stared at Alicent for a few moments before gently pulling the other woman into her arms. "I am so sorry, Alicent."
Alicent said nothing, resting head against Rhaenyra's neck and allowed the woman to hold her as she cried.
The two women stayed in this position for hours and neither letting the other go. As the sun rose, the early morning light blanketed them in its gentle glow, painting a beautiful image that did not match what they truly felt.
~X~
Lilyanna immediately ran at the door the second Criston placed her on the ground and exited, she tried to turn the knob but found that the Kingsguard had locked the door.
"Fuck!" Lilyanna screamed, striking the door repeatedly in her anger.
After catching her breath, Lilyanna realized that she was not trapped in the room as the tunnels within the Keep still existed.
The redhead ran to the secret door, wanting to make her way back to Alicent's chambers even if it meant revealing that the tunnels existed to everyone in the room.
"Where are you going?" Helaena asked as she watched her sister run to the tunnel door.
"Where do you think? I need to get to mother!" Lilyanna spat.
Helaena stood up and grabbed her sister's arm before she could leave again. "It's too late, Lily. She is gone."
Lilyanna refused to believe this, "No, that can't be. I can still-"
"Don't you hear it, the silence? Mother's labor is over, and sister is dead." Helaena whispered, her eyes tearing up.
Lilyanna listened and realized that Alicent had indeed stopped screaming, the Red Keep was once again quiet. "No..."
Helaena hugged Lilyanna, holding her as she started to cry. It was the first time since being reborn that Lilyanna had cried but she could not stop herself as the pain was too much to hold back.
Lilyanna felt nothing but despair and anger but at who she did not know.
At Mellos for being so arrogant and refusing her help, at Viserys for ordering her away and letting Mellos' incompetence kill another one of his children, and even at herself…
It's my fault, I did this, I killed them. They wouldn't have even existed if I hadn't made so made changes, if I hadn't made Viserys healthier than he should have been. I… I could have done something if I wasn't stuck as a child, stuck in a world where my opinion as a woman means nothing. I did this, I fucking killed them.
Lilyanna hated herself for failing, it was all her fault, the blame laid at her feet, all this pain and suffering would not have happened if she simply did not exist.
None of this would have happened if the day Rosalind McDaniels died, she stayed dead instead of coming to this world and thinking she could mess with people's lives.
And knowing this fact, was more devastating than anything she could ever experience.
