i. "If you do this, you will lose Dorne," Elia promised. "How can you accept this? What of the Prince that was promised? Will you have our son ridiculed for a mere flight of fancy?"

Rhaegar considered her carefully. He did understand what she was saying. But agreement was far from him at this point. So he merely shook his head at that. "Would you rather see him unhappy for the rest of his life? Have you stopped to consider that Aegon is not a babe anymore? Let him be responsible for his own decisions."

"Your stubbornness will only bring you ruin," his wife warned. "Think you that just because you wear a crown all is permitted to you?"

Nay, of course not. If it had been, another would have been his life.

ii. Visenya held her mother's hand. "He needs time, is all. I am sure father will be here soon."

"Of course," her mother answered, the small smile on her lips accompanying the words. It was Jon she was more worried about, but her twin would not accept any comfort she offered. Visenya watched him pace the length of the room, hands behind his back.

"Please, Jon. Won't you sit down?" she tried once more, hoping to somehow reach him. "It is tedious to watch you wearing a hole through the floor."

He laughed but did not accept her invitation. "Nay, sister, I do not wish to sit."

Gods, but he was a stubborn one. Visenya sighed and touched her free hand to the gentle swell of her middle.

iii. Aegon found himself wrapped in his father's arms, an occurrence which he'd not had the privilege of living through since he'd been a mere boy. "Father," he whispered, relief coursing through him. Aegon embraced the man back. "Father, please do not blame Visenya. It was all my idea."

Rhaegar let him go, the confession lingering between them. His father placed a hand on his shoulder. "I can find no fault, Aegon, with either of you. You forget that I truly do understand. You have taken a great risk, my son. This road you have chosen will not be an easy one, not for you, but in particular not for Visenya."

"I will always protect her," the Prince vowed.

The King offered him a small sad smile. "There are some things no one can protect her against."

iv. Lyanna gripped her son's arm tightly, her other hand still in Visenya's. She gazed at Rhaegar as if seeing him for the first time. Her hear swelled in her chest, emotions roiling inside of her. Tears filled her eyes, blurring her vision.

The only man she had ever loved, the father of her children, strode towards her, his face a mirror of what went on in his mind. Something inside of her was slowly breaking, unclenching, releasing years' worth of grief and worry.

He stopped just before them. Jon was the first to react. He had after all waited so very long to finally meet the man she had spoke to him of his whole life. "Father," he called out softly. Lyanna sighed in contentment as Rhaegar responded.

"Son."

v. Robyn picked up her skirts and ran towards Visenya at full speed, ignoring all rules that had been drilled into her. Visenya moved towards her just as swiftly. They collided together, a jumble of limbs, soft tears and delighted disbelief.

"You are with child," Robyn observed, looking down at her friend's middle. "How wonderful."

"And you are wedded," Visenya chuckled, wrapping her once more in warm arms. "How is my uncle treating you?"

"Oh, Visenya. I have no words," was the only reply she could think to give. "It is you I must thank, my friend. Were it not for your own courage, I would have never dared reach so high."

"What courage?" the other laughed outrightly, too full of joy to even pretend she tried to keep it locked away. "My knees were knocking in fear the whole time."

vi. The High Septon had not been pleased with his decision. Rhaegar looked at the fat old man and unabashedly held his hand out to Lyanna. She beloved looked at him with a mixture of indulgence and reproach. "Your Majesty, you mustn't," she disagreed softly.

"You are the mother of the bride," he whispered back to her. "Now, do not dawdle." Recognising it for the order it was, Lyanna placed her hand in his and accepted being drawn closer to him before the eyes of the whole court.

The Septon listened to the vows being delivered before in. Rhaegar had wanted it to be clear to everyone that he would not interfere where it was not his call to. Furthermore, his son's actions would find sanctioning by him. Aegon had made his choice. The rest of the world had to accept it.

vii. "Mother, surely you do not mean to leave like this," Aegon tried to placate his parent. She placed a hand upon his shoulder. "Mother, please. You must understand."

"There, you see, my son. That is your problem. You are too much like your father." She had not spoken to him ever since he reaffirmed his vows to Visenya in Baelor's Sept. "You want what is not right for you, what should not be."

"And what would you have me do?" he asked, his mellow mood finally growing less placid. "Why can you not be happy for me?"

"Why are you breaking my heart?" she angrily shot back. "I have told you time and again, I shall never accept that bastard girl as your wife."

"Then be it on you, mother."

viii. Doran Martell looked at his good-daughter's flustered face and then to his sister's angry mien. "If the High Septon himself wedded them, then there is nothing I can do about it."

"My gratitude," Daenarys said. "I knew a man such as yourself would understand."

"Your Grace, how can you say that?" his sister asked of his good-daughter. "Is this what I can expect from a child I raised as my own?"

"Your Majesty, with all due respect, the choice belongs to Prince Aegon. Only he is responsible for his own happiness."

"Elia, sister," Doran called to her, holding one hand out to her, "enough of this."

"I will not be humiliated," she returned.

"Then for the love of the Seven accept already that you have no right to control those around you," Daenerys Targaryen exploded.

ix. Aegon pressed one side of his face against Visenya's generously swollen waist, listening for signs of life within her. His wife laughingly tried to push him away. "Husband, you are holding my path. Can you not see I am in a hurry?"

"Hush, Visenya. I think I hear something," he answered, his grip tightening slightly on her hips. "I wish the child would not keep us waiting."

His wife offered no reply, hut her frame had relaxed, tipping slightly backwards. She cradled his head, fingers toying with the silver-blond strands of hair they'd tangled in. Aegon continued to listen. He could swear he had heard something.

"All is in the hands of the gods, my Prince," she told him after a long moment of silence.

x. Pycelle walked out of Visenya's bedchamber, cleaning the last of the blood on his hands with a strip of linen that was decorated in red blots. Aegon's insides churned. He wanted nothing more than to demand that the old Maester move faster and tell him what had gone on in there.

"Your Grace, the Princess, your wife, may receive you now," he said. "Your Majesty," he then greeted Rhaegar.

Aegon did not wait for his father's permission. He strode in, past Pycelle and whoever else happened to be in his path.

Visenya lied on the bed, holding a small bundle in her arms. From the corner of his eye he saw Lyanna place something on the bed and then hurry out the door.

"Aegon," Visenya called him, her voice tired. "Come meet your son and daughter."

Never in his life had he been so filled with joy.