A/N: I apologize for the delay in updating. Went through some personal stuff and my job made me work extra hours due to Black Friday (for my non-American readers, it's the same as Boxing Day as that's when all of the companies conduct their heaviest shopping in the name of consumerism).
But I shall continue to update, and we're about to enter the climax of the Conquest that we are all aware of thanks to canon :)
VISENYA XII
Visenya gritted her teeth while Taygor and her mother held her down. Jaenyx's cousin ran frantically between her and Rhaenys, who was also going through the same condition and for the sake of simplicity was moved in the same room as Visenya's. Everything that she felt up to that point was nothing compared to the pains of childbirth, which their mother had warned about multiple times during the pregnancy.
She simply couldn't take it anymore. Over the past five hours, she'd endured long, frequent, and extremely painful contractions, each of which left her shaking and dripping with perspiration. It was a pain unlike anything she had ever experienced in her life, and she hoped she would never experience again. These contractions had started at about ten o'clock that morning, and now the past the hour of the wolf and she still showed no signs of letting up. Valaena wiped her brow with a wet rag while Jaenyx held her hand and said words of encouragement. Aegon paced worriedly back and forth across the room and was just as worried as his goodbrother, given that Rhaenys was also experiencing the same pain for water had also spilled from her.
Jaenyx looked more pressed than she'd ever seen him before. His skin had lost almost all color, his brow was furrowed, and he looked like he was on the verge of exploding at any given moment. Every time Visenya felt another contraction coming on, he would wince with pain and look around furiously as if trying to find someone to blame.
"Jaenyx, please sit down, dear," Valaena gestured toward the chair. "You look like you're about to faint."
"I'm not leaving," Jaenyx said resolutely.
At Jaenyx's urging, Taygor had come in at some point to check on her, although Visenya's memory was foggy as to when that had been. Taygor had announced that Visenya's dilation had expanded considerably, which judging by the encouraging look on her face was supposed to be good news. But as far as Visenya was concerned the only good news would be when this was over.
She still had a little left to go and she felt like she was going to die. It was too late to take anything for the pain, and she was beginning to regret her decision not to take it when it was offered to her many hours earlier.
"I can't…I can't do this, I have to stop…" she pleaded, to no one in particular. All she could see was the pain, radiating around her eyes and tearing through her abdomen.
"You can do it, my love," Jaenyx encouraged her, although he didn't sound quite as optimistic as he had when the labor had first started.
"No, I can't, Jaenyx. Make it stop!" Visenya was squeezing his hand so hard that she swore that she could hear his bones crush.
"It's all right, Visenya. It will be fine. You've come a long way, you can make it," his voice drifted in and out of her head while he was shaking off the pain. Visenya by now couldn't see anything, but she felt her husband's and her mother's hands on her arms.
"But I'm so tired…Don't make me do this anymore. Please make it stop…ARRRGHH!" She closed her eyes against the fierce, burning pain. For the first time in a long time, she wanted to cry, but she was too exhausted to work up the effort.
Visenya felt a mounting pressure in her groin, followed by the almost irresistible urge to push. It felt like she was to about to relieve herself, even though she knew that wasn't it. Thank the gods, she thought. Thank the gods, he or she is coming. She could see the end of the tunnel now, and she swore she could feel the baby moving out of her.
"What is it?" Jaenyx asked anxiously, noticing her bear down.
"She's in transition," Taygor answered, excitedly. "She must be almost fully dilated!"
Jaenyx didn't bother to ask how Taygor knew this, as he never actually dealt with childbirth except by watching the female members of House Leniar do it. Nevertheless, he knelt closer to Visenya. "We're almost there, my love. You're doing great. I love you."
A quick examination confirmed what was already said. "Congratulations, Visenya. You're in transition. You're almost there, you're doing beautifully."
"Oh, thank goodness," Valaena sighed. Tears beaded in her eyes, for she was going to see her first grandchild.
"How much longer?" Visenya breathed, and she turned hopeful eyes toward Jaenyx's cousin.
"Well once you reach a certain point, it could be any time."
Any time. This was very good to Visenya's ears. She even managed a weak smile as she looked up at Jaenyx. Some color had returned to his cheeks, although his eyes were rimmed with tears.
"How long do you expect it should take her to reach that certain point?" Valaena asked, holding onto Visenya's left hand.
"The duration varies, but I would say maybe an hour."
An hour. She could do that. One more hour and she would have her son or daughter, the pain would be over, and she could sleep.
The hour came and the pain had reach its tipping point. "Come on now, Visenya. Push! You can do it!"
Taygor's voice wafted in and out of Visenya's head as if in a dream. But Visenya had been pushing for what seemed like hours, and with every grunt she lost a little more willpower. Her energy was nearly gone. She'd never known exhaustion like this before. She didn't know how she could possibly still be conscious.
Jaenyx lifted her hand to his mouth and pressed it to his lips. "Hang in there, Vis," he said. "Come on, my love. You're doing very well."
Visenya wanted to snap, "Well if I'm doing so fucking well, then why hasn't the baby come out?" But she simply looked up at him and did her best to smile.
"That's it, that's perfect. We can see the head now…." Taygor coaxed her.
She felt as though she would split in two. For the next sixty seconds she was wracked with pain and screamed out her frustration in what she was sure would be her final push because she simply couldn't do it anymore.
"Get it out of me," she groaned. "Just get it out."
She then collapsed against the mattress and closed her eyes. Her body shivered uncontrollably as sweat poured from her brow. Her sleeping gown clung to her like a second skin. A nurse stepped in to wipe her forehead, and Jaenyx kissed her hand. Visenya thought she heard him say something that sounded like, "I'm sorry." Then another sound entered her ears.
A baby was crying.
Her baby.
"You have a little boy," Taygor announced, and from between Visenya's legs she lifted a small figure covered in a substance that she never knew that she had inside of her. At first it didn't even look human, but then the infant's head turned just slightly and Visenya saw her mouth, wide open, screaming.
"You did it, my love. Oh my gods, you did it," Jaenyx breathed, tears pouring from his eyes. But at the same time, he was almost laughing with joy, surprising everyone but Taygor for they rarely saw him laugh like that.
"We did it," she said, so tired she was barely able to form the words. The room was filled with the sound of her son's crying, and Jaenyx's laughing. It was the most beautiful moment of her life.
Then quite suddenly, Rhaenys, who was on the bed next to Visenya's, started to feel her body seeming to split in two once more, just like herself. From what Visenya could remember, her sister would be feeling an unbearable urge to push. Out of the corner of her eye she watched as Aegon held onto her hand, Taygor rush to her, while her son was taken away to be cleaned. She felt a tug in her chest, and then panic. She didn't want her baby out of her sight.
"Wait," she called, but her voice was so weak it was barely audible.
"Focus, Your Grace," Taygor was saying. "Come on now, one more."
"Get it out of me!" was her response, which Visenya could remember saying when she went through it.
"Please, no. Please, I'm too tired…" she could merely muster a weak response.
"Please Rhae, you can do it. Just a little bit more." Aegon bent closer to her and kissed her forehead, while squeezing her hand like a vise.
"Rhae, it'll only last for a moment," Visenya had to raise her voice to get her attention. "You can do it. We have faith in you."
Rhaenys smiled before the pain returned. "I can't…"
But then she was pushing. It took every ounce of willpower she had, from what Visenya could see. And she went through the same things that she herself had gone through just moments before, but in the end, she did it. One minute later, Visenya's son's cries were joined by those of his cousin.
"Here's your little boy," Taygor said, and tilted the baby enough so that both Rhaenys and Aegon could see him.
Even though he was covered in that same strange substance, it was easy to spot a thatch of silver hair on his head and recognize his violet irises. Visenya's heart swelled so much she thought it would burst, and she could only imagine what Rhaenys and Aegon were feeling right now.
Finally, Taygor returned her son to her. Despite having the same silver hair and amethyst eyes as his cousin, Visenya knew beyond a doubt that this child was hers and Jaenyx's. He looked like his father, just like she'd hoped he would. She began to cry, her body wracked from exhaustion, but she couldn't help it.
"Visenya, are you all right? Vis-" Jaenyx said worriedly, leaning in close. But Visenya didn't answer. She just continued to sob, while surrounded by the cries of the newborn dragons. At long last, they had done it. And she could only lean into Jaenyx, who was just as euphoric upon seeing his son.
Someone announced the births to the entire camp, and there was widespread celebration. Wine was served, food was handed out, and the united armies, comprising of northmen, stormlanders, Valemen, and rivermen who could be spared by Lord Blackwood, engaged in a large feast. In their minds, their rulers had just secured their bloodlines and this gave them less cause for worry, for their new rulers would be able to continue on.
The lords comprising of all of the regions sworn to them presented themselves to congratulate the family on their births. The northmen and those around the Blackwater Bay were the most enthusiastic, for the ones that they supported demonstrated the ability to secure their legacy and they would be able to serve for at least a generation. The rivermen were also enthusiastic, for the ones that freed them from the grip of Black Harren would be able to continue ruling over them. The stormlords were not quite euphoric, but they were not lukewarm, for their lord's siblings could now rely on the next generation to take the reins of power when the time came. The Valemen were the most lukewarm, for they still needed time to get used to the new order of things. At least they were not disdainful, Visenya thought.
Once they obtained their privacy, Visenya and Rhaenys cuddled their baby sons while Aegon and Jaenyx stood by their wives' sides and Valaena was quickly proving to becoming a grandmother who would spoil her grandchildren.
"Be careful, muna," Visenya jokingly warned her. "You don't want to give them everything they wanted."
"Oh, I'll let them what they can have and can't have, but all they want right now is for someone to pinch their cheeks, which I can give," Valaena promptly did so.
"Jae, we agreed that if it's a boy, we'll name him Gaerion. You still want to do that?" Visenya asked him.
"Why not?" Jaenyx answered as he held his son in his arms. "Hi, Gaerion."
As for Rhaenys, she and Aegon quickly determined to name their son Daemon. "After cousin Daemon," Aegon explained.
"Welcome to the family… Daemon," Rhaenys kissed his forehead while smiling warmly at her new son.
The next morning, Taygor performed Valyrian rites to bless the births. Visenya and Rhaenys both held their children close to an inferno, which Vhagar and Meraxes were kind enough to provide. To the surprise of the non-Valyrians, the babies didn't flinch at the fire while extending their small arms to touch the flames. It showed to all that they indeed had the blood of the dragons and that they were looking upon the future of the dragonlords.
"And now, may the gods grant them blessing for the rest of their long lives," Taygor proclaimed in that rare version of High Valyrian. While Jaenyx and Visenya cooed at their son, she could sense that her son would do great things. Be a dragon, Gaerion, just like your mother and father before you.
Visenya held onto Vhagar's spines tightly, allowing the wind to pass her face as she neared Coldmoat, home of the ancient and great family that was House Osgrey. However, that night, the Marshalls of the Northmarch had no idea that their home was about to receive a rude awakening from the most unlikely of sources.
As in the other instances of the war, their plan relied on speed and surprise. In the council held at Longtable, where the northmen, stormlords, whatever riverlanders Lord Blackwood could spare, defecting Valemen, and those around the Blackwater Bay were all united for the first time in one location, they all agreed that a direct assault on Cider Hall was still not viable despite the changed circumstances. Even though their numbers had improved and the sea lanes off Oldtown were open, the enemy still enjoyed a defensive advantage. Moreover, Loren Lannister was finally arriving in the Reach with as many as thirty-five thousand men, all of whom were reinforcing Mern Gardener at Highgarden. Any advance further south would result in much unneeded casualties.
"Perhaps it's time that we implement possibly our most important diversion yet," Jaenyx told them all.
"What would this diversion entail, Prince Jaenyx?" Lord Swann asked.
"The enemy expects us to move south, because as long as Highgarden is in their hands, they have reason to continue fighting," Jaenyx answered. "We have to make them continue to think that we intend to take it."
"And all the while, we'll be moving our forces somewhere else?" Lord Bolton took note.
"What my husband proposes will be quite ambitious, but if it works, we can force the enemy onto ground of our own choosing," Visenya made her presence. With the exception of the northmen and the Valyrian bannermen, many were surprised that she was in a condition at all to contribute to the council because of her condition.
"And what does His Grace propose?" Lord Rosby inquired.
"He is suggesting that we take ten thousand of our men, men who could travel light and fast, from our position at Stackhouse and surround Goldengrove," Aegon said.
Visenya was made aware of what went on while the Vale was secured. After their partial victory at Longtable, Jaenyx took six thousand men to Stackhouse and in a repeat of the events of Haystack Hall had managed to surprise the garrison and seize the weak but strategically important fortress. And strangely, Mern Gardener sent only a token force to reinforce Lord Osgrey, as Jaenyx's agents divulged that the King of the Reach saw the events at Stackhouse as only diversionary and sought to maintain focus on their movements along the Mander. Either he's blind, or just too stubborn, Visenya thought. Doesn't he realize how dangerously close Stackhouse is to the other river feeding past Highgarden?
"Our advantage lies in how we used Stackhouse up till this point, and so far we have not used Stackhouse to its fullest potential. That influenced why Mern Gardener only sent one thousand men to reinforce Lord Osgrey in the Northmarch. But they will not expect a force to bypass them and surround Goldengrove," Jaenyx continued.
"And once we've surrounded that fortress, we'll force Mern Gardener and Loren Lannister to act prematurely. They will never expect such boldness from us and they know that should Goldengrove fall, Highgarden will be exposed from the north through a very short route," Aegon added.
"And because we've spread the front lines across a large distance, Mern Gardener will not be able to accurately determine where our next attack would be," Brandon Snow finished with.
After a time, the council came around to their proposal. The Gardeners would not expect an attack on Goldengrove, as they deemed it too far behind their lines to be successfully assailed.
"Once Goldengrove has been captured, what then, Your Graces?" the lord of Duskendale asked.
"Oh, we don't intend to take Goldengrove, my lord," Jaenyx answered. "We merely have to besiege, set the stage for an encirclement without a direct assault."
That confused many in the council. "Why go after that fortress, Your Grace, if your goal is not to take it?"
"Because we have to also make the Gardeners take action in the best possible manner," Torrhen said. "If we take the castle outright, they'll have less reason to react. But if we surround the fortress instead, we present the enemy an opportunity and they would be confident in their chances to break the siege."
"And that's why we will only devote a portion of our army to conduct the first stage," Aegon stated. "Once we have word that the enemy is aware of what is happening at Goldengrove, we will respond to their movements."
"And that, my lords, is how we force the outcome of this war," Jaenyx added.
"Force?" Lord Swann inquired.
"Wouldn't you agree, Lord Swann, that his war had gone on long enough?" Rhaenys made her voice known. Like Visenya, she insisted on joining the council despite just having given birth. "We can continue the war in this fashion, but it'll be several more moons before we obtain circumstances favorable to us all. And I'm sure that whatever weariness we all feel, the enemy's feelings have been compounded because they've been losing to us and have not achieved any meaningful success since the start of this conflict."
"And that's one thing we will use to great effect," Visenya gave her thoughts. "And who better to lead this charge on Goldengrove than a dragonrider?"
"Which dragonrider do you refer to, Your Grace?" Lord Dustin asked.
"Myself, of course."
While the family gave their quiet support immediately, the other lords were not as convinced. "Are you sure that is a good idea, Your Grace? Does your condition allow for you to exert yourself?" Lord Massey expressed.
"Leave my sister be, my lord. If anything, being idle while we have more battles to fight would do her more harm than good," Rhaenys came to Visenya's defense. "And because you have such thinking, my lord, imagine what the enemy would feel if Visenya herself would lead the attack on Goldengrove? They would also that she had given birth and that the 'she-dragon' herself might just be vulnerable because the birth had done something to her mind, or so they would think."
Visenya liked how Rhaenys was able to get inside the minds of the lords they were fighting now and would be fighting in the future. No matter what occurred, there will always be those who would underestimate women and they will show just how lethal that thinking really was.
"Then it's settled," Aegon commanded. "My dear sister will lead the attack on top of Vhagar and we will wait until the armies of Mern Gardener and Loren Lannister try to break her siege. And once we all finally meet on the field of battle… be prepared for fire to rain down from the sky."
With his words, everyone understood that the siege of Goldengrove would become the decisive clash of swords for this war. Whoever won would decide the fate of Westeros, as everything in this conflict had led to what will happen at the seat of the Rowans. The lords prepared themselves accordingly while Visenya got ready in her armor and tied Dark Sister to her waist.
"I trust you will watch over Gaerion while I'm gone, muña?" Visenya handed her son to Valaena.
"Must you ask, Vis? Why would I neglect one of my grandchildren?" Valaena immediately resumed her doting of her grandson, which she also did with baby Daemon who was still in his bed but he was now yawning.
Finished with her donning of her dragon coat, Visenya hugged Rhaenys and Aegon tightly. "I'll see you both at Goldengrove. And please hurry once you've got word."
"You know how fast we will act if you're in danger," Aegon said.
"Come now. Who said I'll be in danger?" Visenya smiled.
"Just be careful, Vis. Little Gary needs his mother teats," Rhaenys jested.
"Oh, stop," Visenya blushed. And she wasn't sure that she was going to get used to Rhaenys calling her son "Gary." For some reason, that doesn't seem fitting for a dragonlord.
But before she mounted Vhagar, she saw that Jaenyx was about to mount Cloudwynd. Curious, Visenya ran over to the blue dragon and looked at her husband from atop her back. "Jae, what are you doing?"
"Coming with you," he answered.
"I didn't know you would be joining me," Visenya let her surprise be known.
"We've been apart for a while, Vis. I don't intend to be separate from you anytime soon. Besides, I get to swing Seablaze again, which is much more preferable to the quill right now," Jaenyx shrugged.
Visenya grinned gleefully, excited that her husband would be joining her in the final battle ahead. She wasted no time in flying on Vhagar through the clouds and circling with Jaenyx and Cloudwynd for a brief moment in privacy. It was one of the many comforts afforded to those who only rode dragons, and they were able to enjoy the rather calm and peaceful space above the clouds before they would head off into the war again.
But alas, they had a job to do and that was to lead the ten thousand men selected to encircle Goldengrove. They would not assault it, but they had to work fast in order to set up the siege works necessary to surround the castle. Aevor Rahitheon accompanied the troops, as he would know how to cut the bullshit and maximize efficiency in construction. In addition, much of the ten thousand troops accompanying them fought from horseback, as they needed to be flexible to all types of threats and to ward off House Rowan's bannermen when they attempted to interfere in Aevor's efforts. Subsequently, Lord Tarareon could lead the effort, and he would be tested like never before.
Assembling at Stackhouse, they deliberated that an advance during nighttime was the best approach, like many other battles before. They had to move fast and quietly, so Konno Haru advised that they remove all metallic items from their bodies.
"Including all armor?" one of the Tarareon captains exclaimed.
"We can put on the armor once we arrived at Goldengrove," he answered while Jaenyx translated. "Do you want to be quiet or attract attention?"
"Just do what he says. He knows what he's talking about," Jaenyx directed them all.
After a few days, Visenya and Jaenyx finally arrived at the seat of House Rowan. Like Riverrun in a sense, Goldengrove was situated and was granted protection by the river. However, unlike at Riverrun, the Rowans would be experiencing the true effect of siege warfare, which resulted from when Aevor Rahitheon quickly built dams to cut off all water access while directing a large wooden wall to encircle Goldengrove.
When morning broke, the bells sounded out in alarm, and many ravens were sent by Lord Rowan. "Your Grace?" Lord Tarareon drew his bow to begin picking them off.
"No," Visenya shook her head. "Let them alert the enemy. We have to make them come to us. Right now, we have to make sure that Lord Rowan doesn't break out and interfere with our building efforts."
"Understood, Your Grace," Lord Tarareon obeyed while directing the horsemen to protect the Rahitheon builders.
"While we will build the wall to keep the Rowans in, we're going to build another to keep the enemy out," Jaenyx said aloud.
"And when they try to attack us, that's when the real battle will start. We better start taking from the countryside, get as much food for our men because they won't have a chance later," Visenya answered.
"Yes, we should." Jaenyx kissed her. "We'll do well."
"We shall," Visenya responded as the siege of Goldengrove began.
A/N: So now, we have two sons of the dragons entering the world at last. Whether they will make the mistakes that House Targaryen made in the centuries following the Conquest is yet to be seen, but for now, the dragons have much cause to celebrate in the moment.
And as for the battle, the next chapters will be devoted to the climactic one that we all know as "the Field of Fire." Look up the siege of Alesia (the duel between Vercingetorix and Julius Caesar, the battle that solidified Caesar into the ranks of military geniuses) to get a glimpse of what will happen.
Next, we see the enemy behave the Gauls.