3rd Month of 299 A.C. Griffin's Roost
Prince Jon Targaryen
The war was going reasonably well, half the Stormlands was under his uncle the King's control, they had Renly Baratheon as a prisoner, and they were winning the fighting in the Riverlands. And yet, Jon could not help but remember the battle that had cost his uncle Benjen his life, he could not help but remember seeing his uncle fall and die, held in the arms of his love Lord Raymun. He could not help but remember the anger and grief little Lord Lyman had expressed when being told of his father's death. They had suffered losses, the Dornish were coming up through the marches, to join their host to the King's, but they were taking their time. Prince Quentyn and Prince Oberyn apparently arguing as they progressed. The King had grown quiet and silent since that battle, since his conversation with Renly Baratheon. He had sent Jon Connington out on a scouting mission, and that had ended badly. Now the usurper was coming to face them, and Jon was nervous.
Still, he tries to hide his nervousness in front of Dany, she is his wife and she and their child do not need to be burdened unnecessarily, he knows things will work out fine, he has full faith in his uncle, the King, but still he is human. He holds his wife's hand and speaks then. "So what have you been doing since last we spoke my love?"
The question is peaceful and well meaning, and he thanks his lucky stars that his wife replies straight away, it does him good to not hear the buzzing in his ears. "Well, I've been spending time with your mother, as well as with the other ladies of Viserys court. You know there are a few who think that your mother and Ser Desmond will become a thing before the war is over."
Jon hums at this, he is not sure what to make of that. He wants his mother to be happy, he knows that it cannot have been easy for her being a young mother and having to raise him as well as Dany, when she herself was growing up as well. Ser Desmond is a nice man as well; someone Jon has come to trust over the years. Still there is a part of him that finds it strange. "I suppose it would be nice." He replies. When he sees the raised eyebrow his wife directs at him, he smiles and elaborates. "I want mother to be happy. And if Ser Desmond makes her happy then so be it."
Dany smiles, and as always he feels his heart stutter at the sight. "That's good. I know she would want your blessing for it."
Jon laughs a little at that, the thought of his mother needing anyone's blessing is laughable. "Aha, she would likely just marry him, if she truly felt the need to. Though I think that the King would give his consent regardless." He pauses a moment and looks at his wife and asks her softly. "Do you know what is wrong with the King, Dany? I have not seen him for some time."
His wife shrugs a shoulder. "I do not know. All I know is that he spends a lot of time with the red woman. But I do not think he listens to her."
Jon nods, though he cannot help the fleeting feeling of panic that crosses into his thoughts. There is something about the Red Woman that both intrigues him and terrifies him. That the King has been spending time with her is something that can only have negative consequences. "Do you think she looks to him for a use or something else?" he asks.
His wife's eyebrows extend up her face and she asks. "What do you mean?"
Jon takes a breath and runs a hand through his hair. "I'm not sure. I just get the feeling that that woman is here for some reason that cannot be good. The fire was the reason we lost the throne the first time. I do not think it is a good thing that she is here now that we are trying to get the throne back."
His wife nods. "I can see what you mean. But my love, Viserys is not like our father, he is stronger than that. He is pure, and he will do what he thinks is best for us as a whole."
Jon nods. "I know."
His wife leans up to kiss his cheek then and whispers against his skin. "I know you do. But enough about that. What do you think we should call our child?"
Jon looks at the bulge, where their child is growing inside his wife, and marvels at the fact that there is a life there, that he and Dany are going to be parents, his heart breaks briefly at the thought that his uncle, the King is not married and is not a father, but then that is replaced by a sense of wonder when his wife places their joined hands to her stomach and he feels the child kick. He looks at his wife, his jaw slackened, and then he says. "I…. I…I do not know; what do you think we should call our child my love?"
Dany giggles a little at the expression on his face, but replies all the same. "I think that if it's a girl we should call her Rhaenys, for the woman who gave birth to our line."
Jon hums in agreement seeing the sense in that, and then he asks. "And if it is a boy?"
Dany looks thoughtful here, and then she replies. "Well either Viserys, for the King, or perhaps Jaehaerys?"
"Not Aegon?" Jon japes, harkening back to something his wife used to say when they were children.
His wife laughs and swats playfully at his shoulder. "No, not Aegon. I think there have been more than enough Aegons in our family."
Jon smiles down at his wife as he sees a man rushing into the castle and go scurrying off to where the King resides, bearing the livery of House Connington. He looks back to his wife and replies. "I quite agree. A new beginning for a second chance."
