Alicent had seen the babe and knew instantly that Rhaenyra had birthed a bastard.
It was a violation of her sacred duty as a wife.
Yet there she went, not caring one whit for proper decent behavior.
What was worse, is that all seemed to go along with the lie.
Someone even said that the shape of his eyes looked like Laenor’s!
Absurd on all counts.
After seeing Rhaenyra’s spawn, she knew she had to confront Viserys.
This was too much even for Rhaenyra.
There had to be a line somewhere on proper behavior for a princess.
She found Viserys working on his diorama.
He looked happy and for a moment she felt a pang of doubt.
If he refused to see what was before him, he would be wroth.
And yet, if he did see what was plain, he would be heartbroken.
She soldiered on and approached her husband.
“Viserys, we must speak.”
“What is it, my love?”
“What do you intend to do about the man who defiled your daughter?
Will he take the Black or will he be executed?”
Viserys looked physically taken aback as he recoiled from his close viewing of Old Valyria.
“Defiled!?
How?
What do you mean?
Has someone touched Helaena?”
“No, she’s safe.
I speak of Ser Harwin Strong.
It is clear to all, that he lay with Rhaenyra and that Jacaerys is his, not Laenor’s.
Viserys stalked forward around the table to confront her.
“What madness are you speaking?
Ser Harwin is her sworn protector and an honorable knight; he would never do such a thing.
Nor would my daughter stay silent over something like this.”
“Viserys!
You have seen the product of their illicit union.
The entire court is talking about it.
The hair, the coloring, the size, it is Harwin’s.
Even the timing… Rhaenyra claimed she was pregnant after me and yet I am still weeks away.
Laenor was on –”
“ENOUGH!”
Alicent’s mouth clicked shut.
“You accuse my daughter and one of the finest knights of the realm of vileness beyond words.
Have you evidence?
Do you know of every time they lay with each other?
Is this another attempt at addressing the succession?
I have had enough of this Alicent, do you hear me?
Enough!”
Alicent felt afraid, Viserys was furious. Get faster updates on novelping.com.
“It won’t just be me, the servants, maids, guards, and nobles will all talk of it.
How could they not?”
Viserys grabbed her by the shoulders.
“I said enough!
You will not speak of this again.
Do you wish for me to set you aside?
I have honored you as my queen, but know this, I will always love and hold Rhaenyra and Elaena above you.
They are the lasting and last gifts my Aemma gave me.”
Alicent gave a cry and a sob and turned away.
She had known, had always known, but to hear him say it tore at her heart.
She made it to the stairs when Viserys called to her.
“Wait, Alicent, that was not honorable of me.
I care for you; I just want us to be a unified family.”
Alicent paused as her body wracked with sobs.
Why was this so hard for her?
Viserys was a duty, he was not a man she dreamt of.
Why was his disregard so utterly devastating.
She turned toward Viserys.
“May I go, Your Grace.”
He sighed and then Alicent felt pain grip her.
“Viserys… the babe.”
The King’s face was etched in horror and guilt.
“Summon the Maester!
Guards, servants!
Anyone, fetch him swiftly.”
Alicent felt sick.
Was their argument the cause of her premature labor?
Was her babe about to die, because she could not let Rhaenyra’s deceit go?
She prayed to the Seven that it was not so.
Her father would be furious and blame her.
Would the King dismiss her after all?
Worry, pain, grief and outright terror tightened around her like a vice.
It was a blur.
Dimly she knew at one point she was carried and taken to another room.
Pain filled her and she begged the Maester to save her child.
It wasn’t the babe’s fault.
Her mind clung to that, even as she realized the child she had not wanted to have, was suddenly of utmost importance.
There was nothing for it, the baby was coming; it was early and that meant survival was unlikely.
Alicent saw her daughter of the heart enter the birthing room.
Her comforting touch immediately dispelled some of the agony and anxiety she was in.
She pushed when the Maester instructed, she pushed, and she prayed.
…
Viserys was angry at Alicent, at himself, and at the lickspittles and backbiters who plagued his rule.
The only reason he was not having the confessors drag his entire court to the question, consequences be damned, is that Mellos had informed him that his son, Daeron had survived his premature birth, as had Alicent.
He was wrong to shame his wife so thoroughly, the stress of the argument had almost led to disastrous consequences. Visit g.com for the full chapter.
Guilt gnawed at him.
Alicent should not have kept pressing, but she had been with child, and all knew that clouded the mind.
It made expectant mothers feel more fiercely, he had no such excuse.
The Maesters told him the babe had come out blue and nearly had not started to breathe on its own.
When it did, it was shallow.
They could do little but hope and Alicent was weak from the delivery, barely conscious; she had no strength even to hold little Daeron.
When Viserys had entered, Alicent lay asleep but breathing, and Elaena was cradling the child.
Viserys had never seen Elaena so worn.
It was as if she hadn’t slept for a week and her body was trembling.
He almost feared she would drop the tiny bundle.
The poor girl was always so worried when Alicent or Rhaenyra was in the birthing bed.
It shamed him that he himself could not stay in the room for very long, memories of what happened to Aemma were too fierce when his wife or daughter lay in the same position.
He had taken little Daeron from her.
The Maester returned with a wetnurse and the fragile thing had immediately latched on.
Mellos was surprised and had muttered something about the unexpected hardiness of the Targaryen blood.
The Grand Maester was beginning to develop a reputation for pessimism.
He had told Elaena to get some rest and that they would tell her if anything happened to her mother or brother.
Her voice had warbled a bit, but she went.
“There will be no more of this,” Viserys told his small council.
“There will be no more slanders and putrid rumors about my family.
There will be two edicts passed.
The first, any who claim that my daughter’s children are baseborn will have their tongues removed.
Secondly, due to the vicious barbs against my heir, I will also have an egg placed in Jacaerys’s cradle.
Its hatching will be proof that his blood is true Targaryen.”
Sensing his mood, there was little pushback.
“A wise decision,” Grand Maester Mellos intoned.
“Good.” Lyonel spoke firmly.
“I will carry out your will, Your Grace; slander and insinuations against the crown should always be punished.” Jaspar Wylde, his Mater of Laws seemed to almost look forward to having someone to question over it.
Only Ser Tyland seemed unsure, as he looked about the table in bewilderment.
“Your Grace… I don’t quite understand the second edict.
Regardless of the father,” he paused and put his hands up in a placating gesture when he saw the King’s glare, “ah, never mind, Your Grace, just an idle thought.”
Viserys looked at him for several more uncomfortable, nerve-racking moments, before turning away.
“Since there are no further objections, Lord Strong, have the announcement made and have the Dragonkeepers select an egg for Jacaerys.”
“At once, Your Grace.”
Viserys stalked out of the room.
Guilt still weighed heavily on him, and he went to go see Alicent.
It had been nearly two days and only now did he trust himself to approach her.
He found her reclining on bed with the tiny babe in her arms.
“How is he?”
…
Who knew?
So …
just keep tossing them 😉
…