"You embarrassed me." Cersei hissed at her husband as he climbed into her bed. If the large man heard her or noticed her tear stained cheeks he didn't acknowledge it. He just pulled down the bed covers, exposing her form and burped loudly. Robert, the King, put a hand on one of his Queen's prominent breasts, groping roughly then squeezing her painfully tight as she tried to squirm away from him.
"Get over here woman." He growled, his great red face looming above her as he hauled his body atop hers, crushing her narrow frame and distended belly beneath him.
"You're harming the baby." Cersei gasped, her tone both disgusted and panicked as she struggled to breath and the child in her belly started kicking in protest to the weight pressing down on them.
"Shut up." Robert spat, his wine soaked breath hot on her forehead as he pulled her legs open. He settled his bulk between her thighs, forcing them uncomfortably far apart as he pushed his almost-hard cock inside her.
Cersei was already angry at him for embarrassing her at the joust earlier. She'd had to sit on her throne, in public, surrounded by hundreds of nobles, all their eyes on her and her husband, watching as he openly flirted and caressed the server girls. He groped them and kissed them, slobbering all over them while she sat there, fuming, refusing to acknowledge his lack of dignity. In the privacy of their rooms in the palace she didn't mind his whores, in fact she was glad when he wore himself out with them and left her alone. But to humiliate her like that, out there for everyone to see, was unacceptable and unforgiveable.
Her husband was a pig, she'd grown accustomed to this, and sex with him was a chore, not a pleasure. However right now, much to her dismay, pain was shooting sharply through her belly and chest.
"Robert you're hurting me." She sobbed as the older man shoved himself into her, each the thrust increasing her pain as he wore himself out and relaxed more and more of his weight onto her.
Robert slurred something unintelligible in response and pulled at her golden hair before putting a meaty hand over her mouth to stop her interruptions.
She struggled under him, her difficulty apparently enjoyable for him because he became fully hard inside her and increased his pace. His thrusts grew wilder, the exertion causing him to pass wind several times. The stench, mixed with his sweat, his hand over her mouth and the weight on her lungs, almost caused his queen to pass out. The kicking of the child inside her grew faint as oxygen lapsed through both of their bodies until both were still beneath the mighty Robert Baratheon.
A regal, high born woman, renowned for her beauty and cunning, reduced to this moment in time. It would have been horrific to watch, had anyone been there to see. Which there weren't. There were witnesses of a sort present though, at least witnesses to the sound of the ordeal Cersei Lannister was suffering.
Outside the chamber stood two knights of the Kingsguard, an older man, the legendary swordsman, Ser Barriston of House Selmy, and a younger, lesser known one, Ser Aedon of House Tully. Both men were standing still, tense, trying to shut out the Queen's screams, as they regularly did, but as her protests grew faint, the younger knight reluctantly voiced his concern.
"Can you still hear her?" He asked apprehensively, looking at Ser Barristan out of the corner of his strange, golden eyes.
They both listened for a moment to the sickening silence that surrounded the king's panting.
Visions of King Robert balls deep in his dead pregnant wife swam in Aedons vision as the older knight sighed and shook his head.
"Naught we can do lad."
Aedon's hand hovered over his sword as his conscious wrested with his conscience. His duty was to protect the king, first and foremost. Also his children, and his queen. Though as he'd learned early on, they weren't to protect the queen from the king. Bullshit if you asked him.
His own father had been a gentle man, weak some said, but he had seen the strength his kindness had brought. His house, family and people were genuinely loyal to him. A good man, weak perhaps, but a good man all the same.
He'd died not five moons past, Aedon was still wearing a black silk armband for mourning over his gold Kingsguard. His aunt, Catelyn Stark (nee Tully) had sent it to him, and she'd embroidered it with the trout of their house sigil, their house words beneath it.
Family, Duty, Honour.
His father hadn't abused a woman in his life. In fact he'd only committed one act of violence in Aedon's memory. More than ten years before his death, when a servant girl in his household was assaulted by one of his knights, he'd punished him by severing the knight's hands. He'd cut them himself, never once flinching.
His father wouldn't have stood for what was happening right now. Family.
His prerogative was to protect the queen, but not from the king. Duty.
His position bought great distinction to his house and name. Honour.
Aedon had barely reached a decision when Jaime Lannister, a fellow Kingsguard, and the queen's twin brother, marched into view, visibly agitated.
"Is he in there?" He demanded, aggressive as he tried to listen for giveaway noises and pressed his fist to his mouth in anger as King Roberts's grunts answered his question.
"My sister is with child, being under that pig is putting their unborn heir at risk, this must be stopped at once, the king is too drunk to be careful of her precarious condition."
Barristan looked uncomfortable as he weighed his options. He was the head of the Kingsguard, no matter what call he made this would come back on him. And he wasn't afraid of his drunken fat king, but the ferocity in Ser Jaime's striking green eyes had him shrinking out of the way.
The second the older knight gave way Jaime burst through the ornate door, Aedon trailing his heels, his hand on his sword, eager to be of help.
They stormed in just as the king was rolling off of his wife and pouring himself another cup of wine.
"Cersei!" Jaime's voice was thick with emotion, anger being prominent, when he observed her unconscious body. "Oh my god the Queen!" Aedon said in horror as the Lannister rushed to his sister's side. He drew the sheets up to cover her, his hand briefly resting on her belly before he held up her head, and, sitting on the edge of the bed, checked for breathing and a heartbeat.
"Boy, open a window." Jaime barked as he opened the Queen's mouth and tilted her head back for airflow. Aedon hastened to do as he was bid, flinging the windows open, the cool night air flooding the chamber as the king watched them in confusion.
"She's always been lifeless in the sack, nothing to worry your pretty little head about." Robert guffawed downing his wine and hauling himself off the bed, entirely oblivious to the death stare Jaime gave him as he insulted his sister.
Aedon ceased paying attention to his king, he was waddling off anyway, because the queen's eyelids were fluttering open, revealing her striking emerald irises, her first sign of life since their entry.
In his nineteen years of life, Aedon had never seen the kind of emotion he saw in Jaime Lannisters eyes in that moment. He couldn't figure out exactly what it was, it was a mixture of relief, love and, something. Whatever it had been, it was intense.
"Tully, fetch Maester Pycell." Jaime ordered, his voice not so harsh as he held his sister, the queen, in his arms, a little colour returning to her pale, beautiful, face.
"At once sir." Aedon responded, immediately setting about following his order. He practically ran through the palace, returning as fast as the elderly Maester could return.
Pycells prognosis was bleak but as bad as it might have been. He could hear the baby's heartbeat, the heir was still alive, thank the gods. The queen however had suffered a broken rib and internal bleeding. After a painful reset of her rib she would have to adhere to her bed for the remainder of her pregnancy.
Setting her rib was horrible. Aedon stood watch at the door as the Maester worked his healing, the queen clutching her brother's hand and screaming in unbridled agony as her rib was snapped back into place and bound tightly. Unable to take milk of the poppy for pain due to being with child she was doomed to spend the night and following days in agony, and Aedon was doomed to watch over her suffering from his place at the door.