Edric had fought in a war, he had mercilessly dealt with traitors and had made radical changes to the state of the capital. None of them was easy tasks, some physically demanding while the others mentally. But none of them compared to what he was going through at that point. Then again, what he was going through paled in comparison to what his wife was going through.
The morning had begun normally, the couple broke their morning fast together, and had a walk in the garden before they separated to do their respective duties. But not even an hour was spent before Edric heard the distressing news. His wife had gone into labour. It was too early, at least by a month. The King was not allowed to go past the bedchamber doors, listening to the screams of his wife on the other side of the wooden doors.
"The Grandmaester is doing the absolute best in there, nephew. You need to calm yourself" his uncle and Master of Coins Tyrion Lannister advised him.
"Hard to remain calm when your wife is in there screaming her head off trying to push your child out" Edric muttered, pacing the area in front of the chamber doors.
"Your mother screamed like this when she was birthing you," Jaime Lannister of the Kingsguard and uncle to The King said, "and here both you and your mother stand. Worry not, she will be alright. Our Queen is not a weak woman by any means. And your heir will be just as strong."
The sentiment was appreciated, but the wording of it made Edric scowl at his uncle. But before he could say much, the doors to the chamber opened and out walked Winifred. She was the woman attending to the Queen all through her pregnancy and was there to help the master with the delivery. "Your Grace, the Queen had a successful delivery. Congratulations" the woman bowed, and took a step to the side to let the new father in.
Edric rushed in right away, finding his wife in the bed, soaked in sweat and breathing heavily. She smiled at him when she saw him and held out a hand for him. The King rushed to her, knelt beside the bed and took her hand.
"How are you feeling, my love?" the King asked, kissing the back of his Queen's hand.
"Tired… and a little sore" the amused glint in her eyes eased the man's nerves.
"Your Grace" Grandmaester Pycelle moved towards them, a bundle in his arms. "A healthy princess, my heartiest congratulations."
The couple let go of each other's hands, in awe at the sight of the girl the master put in the Queen's arms. At the sight of their girl.
"She's so tiny" the Queen murmured in worry.
"She is early, your Grace. But miraculously very healthy" the Grandmaester said softly.
The Queen nodded her head and looked at her daughter properly, her worried frown turning into a loving smile. "She has my hair, and your nose" the new mother laughed softly.
"She looks like a potato" the King commented, yelping when his Queen smacked him square in the nose.
"She is perfect," she told her husband sternly.
"I did not say she wasn't!" the man defended himself, earning a roll of the eyes from his wife. The King looked back at his princess, and a wide smile grew on his face. "She has my eyes," the man said proudly. The Queen looked down and smiled at her daughter, who was looking curiously at her and the child's father.
The Queen's grip on the child loosened and Edric worked quickly to keep the baby in his wife's arms. "Desmera, are you feeling alright?"
"Just tired… my King" the woman whispered weakly.
"Birthing a child is never an easy task" Tyrion spoke softly. "Maybe we should let the Queen rest? And the babe sleep. Even she looks to be a little drowsy.
True to the man's words, the little princess was starting to doze off. Edric made space for the Maester, who took the baby from the Queen and handed her over to one of the helping hands. Winifred came forward to help the Queen clean up while the men left the room.
"Have you seen mother? I was certain she would be here" the King questioned.
"She might be in her chambers. Last I have heard she was going there" Qyburn answered. The man had been with the Grandmaester to help with the birthing. Edric gave a nod of his head and made his way to his mother's quarters, the Queen mother's chambers as it had been renamed. He found his mother there, sitting in front of a window and staring out it with a chalice of wine in her hand.
"I thought you'd be in the room with Desmera when she was giving birth" Edric spoke, closing the doors behind him. His mother turned to look at him, a smile on her face that didn't reach her eyes.
"She has all the best hands to help her. My presence wasn't particularly necessary" the woman shrugged. Her son though frowned, moving towards her and taking a seat beside her. His mother had been acting strange since Joffrey's death. The King had thought that it was grief, and had let her deal with it while showing her his support. She didn't speak on it and Edric didn't push her for it. But it had been a while, Joffrey had been avenged, but her attitude hadn't changed. She was cold towards Desmera, keeping her at an arm's distance and regarding her coolly. It wasn't a complete turn from how she treated her at the start, but she was colder than before for sure.
"Something's eating at you. It has been for a while now. I thought you just needed the time to deal with it, but you haven't improved since. You haven't gotten worse, but preferably I'd have you improve. So please, talk to me."
"I am fine, son" Cersei smiled, putting a hand on her son's shoulder. It only made the King frown.
"You and I, we don't have secrets between us not about things that bother us enough to affect our behaviour." He said gently. "You confided in me about my father's abusive nature when I was younger. Confide in me once more, mother."
There was hesitation, rapid blinking of the eyes then a long sip of the wine to drain the chalice. "When I was young, I was enamoured by Rhaegar Targaryen. I went to a witch who went by the name Maggy. She is an ancestor to House Spicer in the West. She predicted that I would be Queen one day, that the King would have sixteen children, while I have only three. That my children will all die before I would and then the Valonqar will choke the life out of me with his pale white hands" she took a pause. "Queen I shall be... until there comes another, younger and more beautiful, to cast me down and take all that I hold dear" she spoke as if reading from a text.
Edric remained silent, taking her words in before he spoke again. "That would explain why you hate uncle Tyrion so much" he muttered. "But I am a little surprised that you would believe the words of a witch."
"I did not" Cersei stated simply. "She said I'd have three, I have four children. And I have raised you well enough that you would not abandon me" she gripped the chalice tightly, "but after Joff died…"
"Joffrey died, because our enemies thought they were too strong to be meddled with" Edric cut her short of her speech, "Joffrey died because of ambitious leeches. They are dead. Joffrey's older brother killed them for what they did to Joffrey. It did not happen because some witch foresaw it" he put a hand on her knee and gave it a gentle squeeze. "The witch was a pretender and nothing more."
Cersei said nothing, simply choosing instead to smile and put a hand on her son's one. There was a knock on the door and Edric told whoever it was to speak. It was Mycah, and he informed the King that a council meeting had been called. Edric left his mother with a kiss on her cheek, ignorant to the look his mother pinned on his back.
"My contacts from across the seas tell me that the Golden Company has bent their knee to Aegon Blackfyre. He is being guided by the banished Jon Connington."
"And who exactly are these connections of yours, Qyburn?" Lord Tywin questioned.
"Former friends I made in my time in the brave companions. And a few of Varys' old connections that could be bought with just the right offers" the disgraced Maester replied.
"And what would these 'offers' entail? Surely nothing monetary. You would need the King's leave for that. Or at the very least the Master of Coins" Tyrion stated.
"Nothing like that, my Lord. You need not worry about any of that. It will not come back to the King or anyone else in this room" Qyburn assured.
"And what allies do they have here? In the Seven Kingdoms," the King questioned.
"Whispers have arrived that Dorne might be involved with this Aegon Blackfyre. One of Varys' old correspondents in Dorne had written to him about a potential alliance, which would be sealed with a marriage between the pretender and Prince Doran's daughter Arianne."
"Would explain why he never sent a proposal for her hand for the King" Lord Stannis stated.
"There are whispers of a few Reach Houses willing to join. But the major Houses have no wish to. With your decision of giving Highgarden to House Hightower, everyone seemed happy enough with you. Lord Leyton has named his youngest son Ser Humfrey Hightower as lord of Highgarden. The young Lord has taken a Fossoway Lady as a wife, as her Grace had suggested" Qyburn informed. It had been a decision the council brought to Edric. House Hightower was an old house, with the blood of the Gardener Kings in their veins through the daughters. Giving them would appease the Reach houses who had an issue with House Tyrell somewhat. It was the idea of the Queen to marry the selected Hightower son to a daughter to one of the houses that claim a more direct descent, to further quell any issues.
"Such a Blackfyre thing to do" Edric shook his head. "Lord Paxter, tell your men to be ready and to sink any ship flying the Targaryen banners if they get close enough."
"Your Grace" the Master of Ships bowed his head.
"That is not all, your Grace" Qyburn spoke. When the King asked him to speak, the man did. "Daenerys Targaryen has taken over Meereen with her Unsullied and what Dothraki she has with her. She has put every slaver to the sword and pinned them for all to see."
There was silence in the room for a moment before the King cleared his throat. "Anything else about her?"
"The rumours ring true, your Grace. She has hatched three dragons and they were somewhat involved in helping take the slaver city over" the Master of Whispers answered.
"From a girl with rumoured Dragons and nothing to her name to be termed a threat, to a woman with confirmed three Dragons and an army of unsullied" the King mused, tapping his fingers against the wooden table.
"Dragons are long dead, your Grace. It could be someone trying to inflict fear and unrest in our ranks" Tywin Lannister spot firmly.
"I can assure you Lord Tywin, these are not just whispers" Qyburn stated calmly. A silent battle of wills went on between the two men, eye contact only breaking when the doors to the council chambers were slammed open.
"What is the meaning of this?" Lord Stannis stood with a look of outrage. "We are in the middle of a meeting here."
"Pardons, my Lord" it was Winifred, panting and looking distressed. "But it's the Queen. The Grandmaester is needed."