The Princess and the Queen 1: Rhaenyra I
Rhaenyra held her plump belly, and looked up at Harwin Strong.
"It is only a few weeks now," Harwin whispered, smiling.
"Yes... a few weeks..." Rhaenyra replied before her face turned into a slight frown. "But I must face my husband first."
"It shall be no issue; I am sure of it." He replied, putting his large right hand on Rhaenyra's shoulder, and gently stroking it. "He has constantly sent his best wishes by raven for the past moons."
She put her hand on his that was on her shoulder and gripped it tightly.
"By raven, he cannot publicly express his disapproval, can he?" Rhaenyra responded, letting go of Harwin's hand. "When he returns, then I shall see his true feelings on this."
"I shall defend you from his wrath, Princess, I assure you." Harwin japed, pulling out his sword and letting out a small chuckle.
Rhaenyra could not help but laugh at that, but she then sat back down in her cushioned seat, sighing.
"Yes, I know you shall be there to protect me, but in all seriousness..." she sighed.
"But what?" Harwin asked.
"We should never have done this..." Rhaenyra said, looking up at the ceiling above her, and the patterns of red, cream, and white. "I should have drunk moon tea when I first found out... gods..."
All those months ago, Rhaenyra did not think much of it when she first missed her moon blood. But then, the next month, the blood still did not come. By then, Jason had left for a diplomatic visit to Braavos and then Pentos.
I could have taken the moon tea then, but talk would still spread of how I asked for a moon tea from the maesters... I would have had to obtain it myself some other way, then...
She considered it for a while, but before she could formulate a plan to obtain moon tea, one of her handmaidens congratulated her. Rhaenyra's stomach had become slightly plumper then, and clearly showed that she was with child. The handmaidens that changed the bedsheets would have also certainly realised that there was no moon blood for three months.
It is only a blessing that my Lord Husband was not present throughout those times.
If Jason were in King's Landing, there would be no doubt that he would force her to drink moon tea the moment he found out about the child, but now that she was only mere weeks away from giving birth, drinking the tea would put her very life at risk.
Now, all he can do is claim the child is not his… such a great improvement…
"Do not stress about this, I beg you-"
"How can I not bloody stress?" Rhaenyra snapped. "What if he has the notion to force me to drink moon tea, to conceal the fact the child is not his, or he denounces the child as not his? Then my claim would be at risk, and then..."
"We knew the risks of it, Rhaenyra, we have done for years..." Harwin replied.
"Yes, of course, I knew the fucking risks, Harwin! That's why I enjoyed it so much!" she shouted. "But it's different when you are to be discovered!"
Why did I bloody carry on with this folly?
Harwin took a deep breath and sat opposite Rhaenyra, leaning forwards, resting his muscular arms on his armoured legs.
"Mayhaps he would claim the child as his own. It may yet benefit him to stay silent."
"And why would he do that?"
"He would risk being a cuckold if he does not."
"You do not know my husband well enough; he has too much pride to not speak his mind about a matter like this one." Rhaenyra scoffed.
"Yes..." Harwin replied, clapping his fingers in thought. "But if he does, it would jeopardise his son's position too."
"Baelon's position?"
"Should you be disinherited, his blood may not ever sit the Iron Throne."
He is not wrong.
"Then I bloody hope that is what shall happen." Rhaenyra sighed, before they were interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Come," Rhaenyra replied, and in came a household guard with a little boy who had a sour look on his face.
"The Prince Baelon." The guard announced before leaving the room.
In waddled the four-year-old, who was wearing a simple red doublet, maroon breeches and little boots. His wet golden hair was tied back behind his head, and his eyebrows were furrowed in displeasure.
Upon seeing his mother, Baelon's face turned into a smile, and he ran up to Rhaenyra, who embraced him and showered his pale cheeks with kisses.
"How are you, my dear?" Rhaenyra asked, her mood brightened after seeing her son. "How was the training yard today?"
"Not good," Baelon replied, crossing his arms.
"And why is that?" Rhaenyra asked.
"Ser Criston shouted at me when I held the sword wrong." The little prince frowned. "Ser Harwin never shouts at me when I hold the sword wrong."
Gods, why does that bloody man have a grudge against a bloody child?
After Laena Velaryon wore a blue dress back at Rhaenyra's twenty-fifth name day feast, she began to gain allies in court. And following that, her fiercest protector, Ser Criston Cole, had seemingly gained the confidence to do and act whatever and however he wanted without consequence. Harwin noted that Ser Criston was always more attentive whenever training Rhaenyra's half-siblings, and whenever they made mistakes, they never received a flurry of angry words like Baelon did.
"I shall have a word with Ser Criston, dear," Rhaenyra assured Baelon, stroking his golden hair, before taking a small glance at Harwin, who stood there with a displeased look on his face.
"Can I train more with Ser Harwin instead?" He pleaded, tugging at Rhaenyra's red and black skirts.
"Ask him yourself." Rhaenyra chuckled, and the five-year-old turned to face the large knight.
"If I have the time to manage, my Prince, I see no problem with that." Harwin laughed, patting Baelon on the back.
"Yes!" he exclaimed, jumping up and down. "Thank you, Ser Harwin! Can I call you Uncle Harwin now?"
"No... Baelon... we went over this before… he is not your uncle; you must call him Ser Harwin." Rhaenyra warned, whilst Harwin had to look away to stop himself from bursting into laughter.
Ever since Jason left for Essos, Baelon had taken a great liking to Harwin Strong, and enjoyed the knight's company, be it in the training yard, or whenever he told funny stories from his service in the City Watch.
He has become almost like a second father to Baelon.
Harwin then excused himself from the room so Rhaenyra could spend some time with her son. They talked more about his day, and how Daeron broke wind extremely loudly when picking up his shield earlier. Then, Baelon turned his attention to his younger sibling.
"How long shall it be now?" Baelon asked.
"I've told you already, Baelon." Rhaenyra laughed. "It shall be less than a month, and mayhaps even two weeks if I am lucky."
His smile grew, and he hugged Rhaenyra's belly while he sat there.
"I hope I can have a younger sister. But I think it shall be a boy." Baelon said. "But both will be really good!"
"Yes... it will." Rhaenyra sighed, smiling.
They were eating their afternoon meal, a small serving of meats and cheeses along with hot bread fresh from the ovens, when a serving boy quickly burst through the door.
"P-Princess..." the boy said. "You are summoned to the yard. Lord Jason Lannister is to arrive at the Red Keep shortly."
Baelon leapt from the table so quickly, he almost knocked everything over, and pulled at Rhaenyra for her to hurry.
"Father is coming! Quick, mother!" he urged, running out of the door and into the hallway.
"He is still arriving, and he shan't be gone any time soon!" Rhaenyra called out, but the boy continued to run ahead, so she tried to jog after him the best she could.
At the end of the hallway, before the stairs leading to the bottom of Maegor's Holdfast, Baelon was quickly scooped up by Ser Lorent Marbrand to stop him from sprinting down the stairs.
"Let me go! I want to go and see my father!" Baelon protested, as Ser Lorent only put him down once Rhaenyra had caught up to him.
"Your father has not yet arrived, and we can't have you hurt on the day you meet him again, can we, little prince?" Ser Lorent said, before letting Baelon down to go with Rhaenyra.
"Ser Lorent has the right of it," Rhaenyra said. "It was raining earlier, so be careful as you run down to the yard. I am just as excited as you to see him, but I am not running, see?"
Excited may not be the word I would exactly use, however.
"Very well, mother..." Baelon replied, but that did not stop him from walking down to the outer yard as fast as possible.
Rhaenyra grabbed onto his hand to stop him from running off again as he babbled on about all the things he couldn't wait to tell his father about.
"There was that time I spilt all of that juice, and then how I rode a pony for the first time, and how big Sunfyre has become! I cannot wait to show Father how big he has become!" he said, breathless from all the running and shouting.
When they reached the outer yard, Rhaenyra's father was already there, along with her half-siblings, and Laena Velaryon. Her father gave her a small smile, whilst Daeron and Baela waved and smiled at Baelon, who waved back at them in return. Laena, meanwhile, clutching little Aemon in her arms, just scowled at Rhaenyra and ignored Baelon's little wave.
They waited in the yard for a small while, as the sun finally came out and dried the muddy ground underneath them. Eventually, a call was made from atop the Red Keep's walls, signalling the return of Jason Lannister.
"Open the gates!" commanded the serjeant on the walls, and the portcullis slowly went up, the rusted metal creaking as it did.
In he came, riding a copper destrier. Following him came a score of guards on horseback as well as a carriage that housed the old Lyman Beesbury, who had accompanied him to Essos. On one of the horses rode a young Dornish woman, who was wearing fine pink and green and yellow silks, and on her ears and neck were jewellery studded with gemstones of many colours. Her long black hair flowed down from her head, resting on her bare brown shoulders. She had dark, sultry eyes, and a look of smugness on her face.
It seems that my husband's paramour has returned to King's Landing wearing even finer clothing than when she left.
Jason had treated the woman to more and more gifts, from jewellery to clothing to a black kitten all the way from Qarth, as well as a large manse deep in the city. Rhaenyra sometimes spoke to the woman, and she was friendly enough, though maybe not as friendly as his previous paramour.
She seemed more interested in my Valyrian Steel necklace than anything else.
Once everyone had entered the Red Keep, the portcullis came creaking down once again, and Jason hopped off his horse. He took off his riding helmet and shook his long golden hair loose. He looked just as Rhaenyra remembered, except he had grown some stubble on his cheeks.
He gave a little wave and smile to Baelon, before turning to face his King.
"Your Grace." Jason solemnly said. "I can say that our trip to Braavos and Pentos was… successful."
"Yes..." coughed Lyman Beesbury. "The new loan agreed-"
"That is very well." Rhaenyra's father replied. "We shall have a debrief on the morrow. You must both be exhausted from your travels. Lord Jason, I am sure you have missed your wife and son. Please, you may have the remainder of the day to rest."
"My thanks, Your Grace." Jason smiled, before walking to Rhaenyra and Baelon. "Rhaenyra, Baelon, how I have missed the two of you both. And soon, the three of you."
He took Rhaenyra in for an embrace, keeping his smile on his face. The embrace was cold, even colder than whenever they had to feign a warm embrace in public, and Rhaenyra felt a shiver run through her back.
Or maybe that is the afternoon wind.
"Baelon... my little lad... you have grown so much... come here!" he said, a more honest smile appearing on his face. He took Baelon in his arms and lifted him into the air, whilst Baelon giggled and shouted.
The crowd then dispersed, and Rhaenyra, along with Baelon and Jason, made their way back to their quarters. Baelon again excitedly went over everything that had happened in the past few months until he was out of breath, but then he still continued to after that. He jumped with joy talking about Sunfyre, and when they arrived in Jason's chambers, Baelon was explaining how he now knows how to use a sword.
"Wow... you must be a good swordsman now; I would think that you could beat me in a melee!" Jason responded, taking a seat in the chair and pouring himself a cup of wine, whilst Baelon just laughed and told his father to stop being silly.
Rhaenyra just stood watching from the corner of the room, a tiny teardrop forming in her left eye. She quickly wiped it away with her sleeve whilst Baelon and Jason talked and talked and talked.
"Do you think it shall be a boy or a girl, father?" Baelon asked, nodding to Rhaenyra.
"That, I do not know, lad," Jason replied, his smile momentarily turning into a frown. "But either way, I could not be happier... when I first received the raven, I was almost as joyous as you are now!"
Only about an hour later, Baelon had run out of things to say, and was starting to yawn.
"Gods, lad, it is getting late... I promise we can talk more on the morrow..." Jason said.
After some complaints, Baelon eventually relented and was taken to his chambers by a handmaiden. Rhaenyra looked out of the window, and the sun was starting to set. It had also started to rain again, and light drizzles hit the smooth stone of the balcony outside.
When Baelon was finally out of the room and out of earshot, Jason turned to Rhaenyra, with a face as still as stone, and stood up.
The rain had started to become heavier, and it had begun to seep in from the balcony, the sound of it hitting the stone seeming to echo.
Lord Jason took one final drink of his wine and lobbed the empty cup at the wall. It splinted into a thousand pieces, but the sound of its shattering was masked by the rain all around them.
Then, he started laughing.
"I think it's hilarious." Lord Jason said.
"Hilarious?" Rhaenyra replied.
She had never seen him so angry. Yet, that did not faze her.
If he wants to shout and scream at me, let him. I have the blood of the dragon.
"That you could do what you did and think you would suffer no consequences."
He took a deep breath and sat back down in his chair.
"Though, I admit, I was a fool for allowing us to have that agreement in the first place. Even worse, was trusting that you would remain faithful to it. Who was the man? No... I know who it was... it was that guard that remains posted outside of your bloody chambers every night, wasn't it? Ser Harwin Strong."
Rhaenyra didn't reply to him; she only just remained glaring at him silently.
Letting out a small chuckle, he stood up and walked up to Rhaenyra's face. His emerald green eyes were full of anger, and the whites had turned red with fury, and seemed to be almost popping out of his skull. "It was Ser Harwin, then. I'll have the cunt sent to the bloody wall or flayed."
"You would do no such thing." Rhaenyra coldly said, barely louder than a whisper. "He'll cut you into two before you could lay a finger on him."
"Will he?" Lord Jason smiled. "I would ask Ser Criston to fight on my behalf. It's well known of his hatred towards you... and Ser Brokenbones."
Rhaenyra started to feel her blood boil inside of her.
"Insult me all you wish, Lord Husband, but leave Ser Harwin out of this. This is a matter between the two of us." She replied.
"Is it truly a matter between the two of us? I think not; this matter involves the whole bloody court, and House Lannister, House Targaryen, House Strong, and just about the whole bloody kingdom!" he roared, which was followed by the loud clap of thunder. "I ask, what was your plan for all of this? Did you truly expect to pass off the whelp as trueborn, and have me not say a word about it?"
"It's still my child; I think you forget that."
"Aye, but it is not mine. You are lucky I have not forced moon tea upon you by now; it is better than what most would have done to you, and more than what you deserve. Seven hells, most would have outright denied parentage a few months ago."
"Shall you command me to drink moon tea, then?"
"It is not as if you would listen to my commands, is it?" he countered, as lighting illuminated the room, which was promptly followed by another thunderclap, this time even louder. "I should have claimed my husbandly rights with you to produce a second son years ago; now you have made me look a fool and cuckold, with your flagrant harlotry."
"If you did such a thing, I would feed you to my dragon," Rhaenyra whispered.
"Again, with the threats. You have not changed, have you? When backed into a corner and you feel the ground breaking under your feet, you resort to it, always. Go, feed me to your dragon then, and see what shall happen to your fucking claim that you hold dearer than anything in this bloody world." Lord Jason laughed. "If you so resort to threats, I shall do so too. I shall tell everyone the child is not mine, but instead, is the vile product of fornication between you and Ser Brokenbones. They would all believe me, you know it. You would be disinherited, and your half-brother shall become your father's heir, and then he would send you to the Silent Sisters if you are lucky. Only the Seven know what shall become of the bastard whelp."
"You forget one thing, Lord Husband... what of Baelon? Your son."
He smiled for a moment.
"I do not forget. Baelon would remain with me, raised as a prince that he is, should your father have the mercy to not disinherit him too. If not that, then as the heir to Casterly Rock. Baelon has done no wrong, and he is not responsible for the sins of his whore of a mother. On the chance that he is not removed from the line of succession, he would remain behind Daeron and Aemon, of course, but still in the line regardless. He may never sit the Iron Throne, but I can arrange a betrothal between my son and Princess Baela, which your father would accept in order to heal the wounds caused by your debauchery. You are lucky, Rhaenyra, in that my love for my son stops me from throwing that screaming whelp that's in your belly into the Blackwater myself once it's born." Lord Jason shouted, his face redder than the tunic he wore.
The lighting struck again, and the thunder followed it instantly. It felt as if it shook the ground, and the sound of rain came from all sides, screaming all around them.
"You accuse me of vile crimes... yet you threaten to kill a babe! How could you even think of such a thing?" Rhaenyra asked, shocked that Lord Jason would say such a thing.
I had come to like him over the years, but would I have even chosen to marry him if I knew him capable of such horrific threats?
He looked at her and sighed, before walking back to his chair and sitting down. He took a long breath and stood back up again. He had calmed down now, and his face was not as red as it was before.
"Know this, Rhaenyra. I shall not force you to drink moon tea, nor shall I admit the babe is not mine, not yet, at least. I shall be merciful, which is more than you deserve, and may yet still be the most foolish action I have ever done..."
Is he relenting?
"What shall you do, then?" Rhaenyra asked cautiously.
"I shall offer you a chance... a small chance, but a chance, nonetheless. If the babe is a boy, then I shall let every bloody person in the realm know... but if it is a girl, I am content to keep the babe's parentage stay a secret. Name her Visenya or whatever sheep-fucker names you had in mind… I may even raise her as I would raise my own daughter. However, she would not inherit the Rock after me. It would go to my brother Tyland instead. You can argue for Andal succession all you bloody like... but a bastard shall never inherit Casterly Rock, not while I still live and breathe, I swear it." He said, his voice much lower than before. "I may come to regret this, but I am graceful enough to offer you mercy. So you must pray to the bloody Seven that whenever the babe comes, it shall be a girl. Do you understand?"