Time to meet the grandchildren, and for a shorter chapter in comparison to the previous two! I have been looking forward to writing this. It may be awhile until my next chapter since I am nearing the end of my online Master's program (gearing up for a big final project for the final semester), but you may never know. Anyway, without further adieu, enjoy!
PS: Guest reviewer from September 19th. I am sorry for the late reply, but I got the name Cordylion from the website "Mithril & Mages - Medieval Names". Its where I have gotten most of the names for my OC characters here. Did not know that there was a philosopher with that name. Thanks for sharing!
The Red Keep
139 AC - 140 AC
The Tenth Year Tourney of 139 AC celebrated the accomplishments of the first decade of the reign of Queen Rhaenyra the First of Her Name. But out of all the hard-earned victories and milestones that had been achieved so far during her rule, Rhaenyra believed that her greatest accomplishment was her becoming a grandmother at the beginning of the decade in 130 AC. She could still remember what it felt like when she held her firstborn child in her arms after he was born, the overwhelming sense of love and awe at seeing the face of the then newborn Jacaerys, and the realization that motherhood had begun. Rhaenyra felt that same feeling once again when she held her firstborn grandchild in her arms. Baelor, the firstborn son of the queen's own eldest son, the future of the dynasty, looked so small and delicate when he was first presented to his grandmother wrapped in swaddling clothes when he was only minutes old.
The same could be said of Alysanne when she was presented to Rhaenyra by her grandfather. The fourteenth day of the eleventh moon of 130 AC saw not only the securement of Queen Rhaenyra's line through the birth of her grandson, it also saw the birth of a future queen through the arrival of her firstborn granddaughter just a minute after her cousin Baelor was born. The blood of Old Valyria was clearly evident in that girl from the very moment she was born, and the sight of Alysanne's silver-gold hair and purple eyes elicited so much pride in Rhaenyra. Baelor and Alysanne were the future of House Targaryen, and Rhaenyra ensured that their royal education started as early as possible. She quizzed Baelor on what he had learned at the end of every small council meeting, and the tutors who taught dance, music, and etiquette to Alysanne were inquired about her progress in those subjects.
The answers that Rhaenyra received were almost always positive. While there is nothing quite like the two experiences of learning that you are going to become a grandparent for the very first time and holding that firstborn grandchild in your arms, the joy of welcoming new life into the world never dims. Rhaenyra I and Daemon happily welcomed the arrival of ten more grandchildren after Baelor and Alysanne over the span of the 130s decade, although tragically, two were lost to circumstances beyond any mortal control. Toasts were made in the name of the newborn princes and princesses, and gifts were sent to the Red Keep or High Tide after the news of the royal births had been spread. Bells were rung from septs all over Westeros, and the people would pray to the Seven above to bless the grandchildren of Queen Rhaenyra I Targaryen with good health and long, fruitful lives.
The grandchildren themselves lived in a pleasant and well-structured bubble of comfort and leisure. They were attended to from the moment they took their first breath. Wet nurses fed the children from their breasts from when they were newborns until their first namedays. Nursemaids looked after them from infancy through childhood, freeing the parents of their charges from the more difficult aspects of childrearing such as getting the children dressed, bathing them, cleaning up any messes they made, and keeping an eye on them. As much as these parents loved their offspring, they had never changed their smallclothes whenever they got soiled, and rarely fed or bathed them themselves.
One of the many perks of being highborn was that your child can have its own household of minders, tutors, and companions to take them off your hands for most of the time. However, this did not mean that the royal couples took absolutely no part in raising their offspring. They did tuck their children into bed at night, read them stories, or in Nell's case, played the harp for them to lull their little ones to sleep. As the children grew older, they started to be taught different subjects depending on whether they were a boy or a girl, and their parents oversaw their progress every step of the way. Fathers ensured that their sons were taught swordplay by the man-at-arms, members of the Queensguard, or King Daemon Targaryen, and mothers had septas teach their daughters how to sew and embroider, and hired tutors to teach them how to sing, dance, write poetry, play musical instruments, how to curtsey, how to address peers and subordinates, and how to act like proper noblewomen.
The parents often took an active part in these lessons. The Velaryon Princes would teach their sons how to swing a sword and how to block, things that they had learned from Daemon when they were boys themselves. Princesses Baela and Rhaena Targaryen would teach their daughters how to run a household, what kind of voice to use when commanding servants, gave them sewing tips, and provided early advice on how to deal with the opposite sex. Both princes and princesses shared lessons about leadership (at different capacities though), history, music, dance, and how to pray and offer devotions to the Seven. They also learned archery together in the training yard and were given horseback riding lessons before riding their dragons for the first time; riding on horseback first was good practice for when it came time to ride on dragonback such as getting used to riding on saddles, and learning how to use harnesses, reins, riding crops or whips and so forth.
While the queen's grandchildren learned many things together, there was a stark contrast on what their lessons were meant to mold them as: princes were taught to become leaders and statesmen, and princesses were taught to become wives and mothers. Prince Baelor Targaryen, as his grandmother's cupbearer, would stand by Rhaenyra I's chair holding a flagon of wine in his hands while she spoke with her small councilmen in the Chamber of the Sphinxes. Typically alert during the first few minutes, Baelor understandably grew bored listening to the adults' austere conversations before the first hour was up. He did pay attention to how much was wine was in his grandmother's cup, and he was quick to refill it when it became empty. Baelor's exterior listlessness, however, belied his resourcefulness.
"Baelor," Rhaenyra would say as she turned to face her grandson after a small council meeting had adjourned, "what was the reason why your Uncle Joff recommended that Free Folk that are caught wandering the Seven Kingdoms for the first time should, instead of having their ears cut off, be given life sentences as an oarsman on a galley if they are a man, or sold to a brothel if they are a woman?"
Baelor flinched a little when he heard the question. He had spaced out after listening to Ser Belmore and Lord Celtigar droning on about taxes and ships, and had snapped back to attention after hearing Lord Commander Darklyn say that "the only good wildling was a dead one" from what he had heard about what the Free Folk did when they travelled south of the Wall. But what did Uncle Joff say about punishing Free Folk? Not able to remember the conversation, Baelor bit his lip and softly shook his head.
"I see." said Rhaenyra, with a soft nod. "Then tell me, Baelor, why do you think the Free Folk who have crossed the Wall once should be given life sentences?"
"Because," the boy said before pausing to think. His knowledge of the Free Folk was rather limited, but from what Grand Maester Gerardys had taught him, the Free Folk were a race of proud savages. Losing ears or dying in the south did not deter them from crossing the Wall. Wildlings were also bold, but the idea that they be condemned if they were forced to work in the dank, dark, and stinking hulls of galleys or becoming, in Septa Maris's words, a "dirty woman" who plied her trade in vile, seedy places if they were caught the first time would be a major blow to their pride, and thus these punishments would act as a deterrent to their stealthy crossings. Sentences formed on Baelor's tongue, and he spoke them with some excitement.
"Because the captured Wildlings would feel great dishonor if they were forced to work on a galley or at houses where dirty women live. For them, having their ears cut off would be a badge of honor, and a comrade losing their head emboldens them to keep raiding the south to spite us. Making them submissive would be the ultimate blow."
Rhaenyra patted her grandson on his back with a look of pride on her face.
"You just quoted your uncle nearly word for word, Baelor. Very well done!"
Baelor felt elated by this news, and it was a real confidence booster. His knowledge about the complexities of government matters may have been rudimentary given his young age, but it was clear that the young boy was on the path towards being well-versed in the subject in the future. The same matter in context could not be said of the prince's younger sister, Princess Alyssa Targaryen, in regards to her horseback riding lessons...
"No, I hate horses!" snarled the seven year old princess in the training yard one unseasonably cool spring day late in 139 AC when it was time for her first horseback riding lesson. The stable-hand, who was holding the reins to a fully saddled chestnut pony, was taken aback by Alyssa's vehement proclamation. Her mother, younger brother, and cousin Aeric gaped at the equine hating girl.
"Alyssa!" exclaimed Baela in disbelief. "Why would you say that?"
"Horses are stupid and they stink. Dragons are better."
"Horses aren't stupid, Alyssa." stated the animal loving Aeric. "They are very smart." The prince's statement earned him an eye-roll from his cousin.
"Learning how to ride a horse prepares you for when it is time to ride your dragon for the first time, sweetling." spoke Baela. "Riding horses gives you some semblance on how to sit on and control your mount. I rode a horse first before riding Moondancer. Your Aunt Rhaena did the same along with your uncles, your grandparents, and even your great-grandmother the Queen Who Never Was.
I bet you that even the dragonlords of Old Valyria started off riding on horseback before they started flying on the backs of their dragons."
Alyssa could see her mother's point, but her stubbornness kept her from submitting. She crossed her arms and pouted, even pretending to kick something on the ground. Baela was in no mood to put up with her only daughter's behavior. She stood tall, her shoulders back, arms akimbo, and eyes glaring angrily at the bratty Princess Alyssa.
"Young lady." Baela began in her famous "you better listen to me right now" tone. "You cannot get out of this. Do you want me to tell your father about your behavior? He will be very cross with you as well as disappointed.
What do you say about that?"
Alyssa could feel her defenses weakening. Both her parents yelled when they were mad. One parent being mad at her was bad enough, but having both being wroth with her scared the girl. Before she could give in, however, Alyssa heard a familiar soft-spoken voice. She turned to see her little brother, Prince Aelyx Targaryen.
"Please ride the horsey, sissy. Please..."
Words spoken by her mother and father took a while to sink in if not ignored entirely, but anything said by Aelyx was quickly absorbed by Alyssa. Sister and brother were as thick as thieves, and were inseparable for the most part. Alyssa had been playing with her little brother since he was in the cradle, and Aelyx had been following his big sister around since he could crawl. As a baby, Aelyx would start crying and hold out his arms to his sister whenever he saw her so that she would pick him up and hold him instead of their own mother. Alyssa doted on her little "Zorse", and Aelyx all but worshipped the princess and the ground she walked on.
Unable to resist her four year old brother's words, uncrossed her arms and submitted herself to riding the pony.
"Fine." she said.
A glowering Alyssa marched over towards the pony while her mother scooped Aelyx up in her arms, gave him a peck on the cheek, and thanked him. Prince Aeric Targaryen, although the same age as his stubborn cousin, was able to mount his pony with very little assistance thanks to his unusual size and strength. He looked to be ten instead of seven, and had a thick build, and he was surprisingly strong for his age. Many remarked about Aeric's size first before observing his non-Targaryen brown hair and eyes and pug nose. Maesters were amazed by Aeric's growth, and the servants at the Red Keep whispered that the prince might be related to giants.
Giants were, of course, not kin to the prince or his little brother, who was a little bigger than average, but not as much as Aeric, and the boys' mother chuckled softly when she got wind of that rumor.
"Heh. The blood of giants does not run in my sons' veins. I do not think I could have possibly been able to give birth to them if they had giant blood in them!"
"Do you have any idea as to why Aeric and Daemion have grown to be so big?" asked Baela to Nell one day in the royal solar during a social visit with the queen and her companions. This question aroused the curiosity of the other ladies within earshot, and they did their best to listen in for the answer.
"I had asked my mother that very same question when I wrote to her one time, Baela. She told me that it is because her mother, my grandmother, had hailed from House Crakehall in the Westerlands. She is where my mother and I get our big bones. Aeric and Daemion have apparently inherited that too along with the famous Crakehall strength. Their sister might have had wide hips if she had been allowed to grow up..."
Nell became morosely silent and she bowed her head as Baela reached out to her with an sympathetic hand to comfort her youngest stepbrother's wife. The snooping ladies of their mother-in-law's household turned away out of awkward sadness. As a gaping wound from the past continued to sting Joffrey and Nell, the growth of their sons gave them much hope. Aeric was considered by the man-at-arms to be the strongest and most able of his male cousins when it came to swordplay practice. He could swing a sword with great deftness and speed, delivered the hardest blows on the practice dummy in the yard, and easily beat the pageboys, and even his cousins, whenever they sparred.
Joff, proud as he was of his oldest son's accomplishments with swords, hoped that Aeric would be just as skilled with lances as he got older. But it was not just swordplay that Aeric was good at. He was good at wrestling too. Once Aeric got his opponent in a hold, there was no escaping it. Wrestling with Aeric usually saw the opponent quickly getting grappled, subdued, and then pinned down in a matter of minutes before he could figure out what had just happened.
Hand to hand combat and the use of bladed weapons may be Aeric's forte, but his skill in archery was lacking. That area of expertise was Alyssa's domain. She had been learning how to use a bow and arrow since she was four by Black Aly Blackwood when she was still serving Baela as her companion at the Red Keep. Alyssa shot her first bullseye when she was five, and her aim was improving every day. Baela could not wait to take Alyssa out on her first hunt in the Kingswood to see how she would do; she was wagering with Lady Blackwood and her Belmore companions that her daughter could take down a hart with one shot!
Alyssa was able to beat most of the pageboys in the yard, including her older brother and their cousins both male and female, although some speculated that Cousin Alysanne was the better shot. Aelyx liked to watch his older sister practice archery, and he would sometimes join her with his little bow and quiver full of toy arrows; adopting Alyssa's stance and facial expressions as they practiced together. Prince Daemion Targaryen, Aeric's little brother, was usually seen practicing with his two cousins at the targets, and at five years of age in 139 AC, Daemion looked like he would make a better archer than Aeric. Just like how Aelyx idolized his big sister, Daemion looked up to his big brother. The two brothers were rarely seen apart from the other, and they were often found in the training yard together.
The grandchildren at the Red Keep were a close-knit group. Baelor was the premier of the group due to him being the eldest, and he took on the role of being the leader whenever the situation presented itself, much to the chagrin of his younger siblings, especially Alyssa since she found Baelor to be insufferable and pompous on many occasions. Alyssa and Aelyx did follow their older brother, but they often went out on their own to do their own thing. Aeric was Baelor's closest friend, and Daemion was a follower through and through. Although a transplant from High Tide, Princess Alysanne Velaryon was an authority figure in her own right for her cousins at their grandmother's court.
Alysanne was graceful like her lady mother, Rhaena, and possessed great poise and dignity for a girl of nine years of age, and had excellent manners. Unlike her cousin Alyssa, Alysanne took to horseback riding right away, and seemed to even be a better archer than her, although the elder princess was indifferent to the sport and did not really partake in it as much as Alyssa did. The two cousins were usually seen taking lessons together with their half-aunt, Princess Visenya Targaryen, that were taught by Septa Maris. Alysanne and Alyssa did get along, but they were not particularly close, and their relationship was more aloof and friendly than close and sisterly. Filling the role of big sister back at High Tide was Lady Daenaera Velaryon.
She had doted on Alysanne before she left High Tide to be fostered at the Red Keep, and now, she focused all of her attention on Laena, Megaera, and Corlys. Luke and Rhaena wrote to their eldest daughter daily about the goings on at the castle and how her siblings were. Princess Laena Velaryon was a quiet and sweet girl who enjoyed all the traditional hobbies that befitted her rank and sex. Lacking a dragon of her own, the eight year old Laena hoped to claim the feral Silverwing on Dragonstone as her mount someday. Laena's wish to claim the fierce dragon surprised her parents and loved ones since she was usually timid and reserved.
Just like her second older sister, Princess Megaera Velaryon hoped to claim a dragon of her own someday since she did not have a hatchling either. Referred to affectionately as Meg or Meggy, the youngest Velaryon princess was energetic and full of life. She loved to play tag and hide and seek with Daenaera and Corlys, but her most favorite playmate, and best friend, was Alyssa. Those two are as thick as thieves as Alyssa and Aelyx are, and they engaged in much fun and mischief together during whenever their families visited each other. Aelyx and Corlys would tail after their sisters, although this was infrequent for the latter.
Prince Corlys Velaryon could not engage in much physical activity due to his poor health, which in turn was the result of him being born a month premature. He was often found seated on his mother's lap, or held in the arms of one of his parents, Daenaera, or some other minder. Lucerys did not want his six year old son to be bedridden until he was old enough to learn swordplay. He took Corlys out on walks in High Tide's gardens or on the beach so that he could get fresh air daily, and had Maester Julian closely monitor his son's diet so that his humors would remain balanced to encourage good growth. Lucerys did his best to protect his son as well as nurture him, but he could not keep Corlys safe from the belittling remarks that were made by cruel people.
Sometime after Corlys's birth, word soon spread that some nasty little pissant had been referring to the heir to High Tide as "the Sea Worm", a meanspirited twist on the loftier moniker of the boy's great-grandfather and namesake, Lord Corlys Velaryon "the Sea Snake". Lucerys believed that the source of the slander was one of the kinsmen of the Silent Five, the men whose tongues had been removed on the order of his late maternal grandfather during the Driftmark Succession Crisis in 126 AC after they called him and his brothers bastards. Anger over the incident still rankled within the relatives of those muted men thirteen years on, and they held their brown haired patriarch in both contempt and resentment. There was no proof of them being the source of referring to Corlys as a sea worm, but Luke remained suspicious of his treacherous cousins. He dreamed of finding proof of their slander so that he could cut out their tongues and cut off their hands to prevent his cousins from ever communicating ever again.
How could anyone be mean to a little boy? In the meantime, however, both Luke and Rhaena had to put their suspicions aside about their cousins to raise their family. They hoped and prayed that Corlys would grow up to become a man of great fame and power just like his great-grandfather. The family had also gained a new foster son in seven year old Lord Walton Tully, the second born son to the heir of Riverrun, Ser Kermit Tully. Ever since the marriage of Ser Addam Velaryon and Lady Alysanne Blackwood, High Tide had been inundated with letters from river lords asking for their sons to be fostered by House Velaryon, and some were so bold as to inquire about possible betrothals between their children and Queen Rhaenyra's Velaryon grandchildren even though they had not even reached their tens yet!
Walton was a kind, gentle, and thoughtful boy. He had his family's classic looks: auburn hair and blue eyes. The Velaryon Princesses viewed Walton's hair and eye color as being exotic, and Meg would often find herself staring at her foster brother's hair before ducking behind a pillar or a piece of furniture whenever he turned around. Corlys was pleased to have another boy at High Tide. He did have his male half-cousins to play with: Cordylion, Phaeton, and Aenar Velaryon, and occasionally the bastard born Laenor and Jaehaerion Waters, but Corlys was glad to see a new face at High Tide.
All these grandchildren were a source of unbridled joy for Queen Rhaenyra I and King Daemon Targaryen. While they were all adored, Rhaenyra did favor Baelor due to him being the crown prince's oldest son, and Daemon favored Alyssa since her behavior was similar to his. Whenever the Velaryon's came to visit, Rhaenyra would gather up her granddaughters and grandson in her arms, peppering them kisses, and occasionally gifting them with a treat from the castle kitchens like a fruit tart or a honey cake. Princess Helaena Targaryen could not wait to be able to spoil her own grandchildren, and she eagerly anticipated the birth of her firstborn grandchild as 139 AC waned into its last few months.
As the belly of Princess Jaehaera Targaryen grew bigger with her and her twin brother-husband's first child, so did the family's excitement. Sequestered in her bedchamber since her second trimester, Jaehaera was waited on hand and foot, and her mother visited her every day to check on her. Aegon the Elder and Jaehaerys anticipated to hear that the princess had gone into labor every time they heard their name being called as the due date got closer. Father and son hoped that the baby would be a boy, Helaena did not care about the sex as long as her grandchild was born healthy, and Jaehaera just wanted to be able to hold her firstborn.
Lady Myrine Darklyn had also been on bedrest since she was five months pregnant. She took in the experience of carrying a child for the first time day by day. Morning sickness was awful, as was having swollen ankles, and Myrine's senses became sensitive to the point that she could not stand sunlight and even textures began to bother her again like it did during her childhood. Fascination abounded when Myrine noticed the emergence of her baby bump during her third month of pregnancy. She was perplexed at first when her child began moving inside of her, but Myrine was soon captivated by these fleeting movements after her grandmother explained what was going on.
Jaehaera and Myrine, before they were put on bedrest, shared what they were experiencing together whenever they socialized. They did not want to discuss their pregnancies in front of Thea, but she let them know that it was fine for them to do so, although her demeanor became solemn and wistful as she listened to her two friends talk about their unborn children. Yes, Thea was happy for Jaehaera and Myrine, but she also harbored a tragic jealousy over seeing their bellies grow bigger each month while her pregnancies barely made it past the first month. Thea was older than both women, and it felt strange that she was not yet mother herself. If her body had not been such a cruel three-time traitor, and if the gods were truly just, then Thea and Aegon would have had three children by now...
Thea could take it better some days, other days not so much. She would be glum at best, lachrymose at worst. When her despair over being unable to carry children to term became too unbearable, Thea would make her way to the godswood in the Red Keep to weep alone. Sometimes she would even drag her fingertips over her abdomen in mournful anger as if she wanted to tear out her "useless" womb and be done with it. But there was still a chance that a child would be born to her someday, and so Thea would pat her stomach and leave with a tenuous resolve to keep trying to conceive and pray for a miracle.
The last week of 139 AC saw the gathering of both families at the Red Keep to celebrate the coming new year. Excitement over the arrival of both a new year and new decade was especially high since two new Targaryen's were expected to arrive by the end of the old year, and during the first few weeks of the new one. People in the Red Keep both highborn and baseborn were betting that Jaehaerys and Jaehaera's baby was going to be born on either New Year's Eve or New Year's Day as the days of 139 AC's final week ticked away. The betting intensified after Jaehaera went into labor at sunset on the last day of the year. Helaena and Lady Thea Celtigar were both by the princess's side in her bedchamber as Maester Orwyle and the midwives attended to her.
Prince Jaehaerys Targaryen waited outside his wife's bedroom with his father. Normally a silent person, Jaehaera's fears about giving birth, which was magnified by the great pain of her contractions, caused her to cry out. As the hours passed by, and as her labor pains worsened, Jaehaera's cries turned to bloodcurdling screams.
"Why is it not coming out? Why is it not COMING OUT!" screamed Jaehaera as she gripped her bulging abdomen as if she wanted to split it open. An hourglass had been placed in the room to keep track of the last hours of the year, and Orwyle, although frazzled by the situation, was positively sure that Jaehaera had been in labor for four hours at that point. Another labor pain caused the poor girl to writhe about on her bed, her voice showing no sign of becoming hoarse.
Thea was terrified by the princess's ordeal, and she had become quiet and fearful as she stayed by Jaehaera's side. Helaena did her best to comfort her only daughter, but when she tried to dab away the sweat that was beading up on Jaehaera's face, or to brush away a soaked lock of hair, Jaehaera would shake her head wildly to prevent her own mother from touching her face. When Jaehaera began to scream again, somehow it was even more shrill than before, her mother commanded one of the midwives to give her a spare towel. Once she received the towel, Helaena rolled it up and carefully stuffed it into her daughter's screaming mouth to muffle her. Biting down on the fabric, Jaehaera's pained screams were quieted somewhat, bringing much relief to everyone in both her bedchamber and in the rest of the castle, and even those who lived outside in close proximity to the Red Keep!
The royal children were all scared by the princess's screams, and their parents and grandparents had been praying for both the safe delivery of their new relative as well for Jaehaera to become silent again. Myrine in particular was quite distressed by the screams. Lady Darklyn was two weeks away from her due date, and she was trying to stay comfortable and calm in her bedchamber. Her grandmother and Aunt Elinda were with her in the room. Prince Viserys Targaryen was with his family in the Red Keep's chapel.
He had wanted to stay with his wife, but Josephine had reassured him that Myrine was fine and that she was in good hands. Myrine had wanted Viserys to stay, but she wasn't sure what to do. Once Jaehaera's screaming had stopped, Myrine began to relax a little. However, this relaxation was short-lived after Lady Darklyn felt liquid stream down her legs. That's when she became distressed again. Noticing her granddaughter's panicked expression, Josephine looked down and felt the blanket between Myrine's legs, flinching when she felt dampness.
"But it's not my time! It's not my time!" cried out a frantic Myrine as she held her grandmother's hands tightly. Josephine turned towards her youngest daughter and told her to inform the prince and to fetch midwives and maesters and anyone who could help. Elinda did as she was told, and she hastily rushed out of her niece's bedroom to perform her tasks.
All was calm in the chapel until Elinda burst through the doors. Her entrance startled everyone side, and they all turned to look at her.
"Forgive me my lords and ladies." panted Elinda, who was a little winded from her mad dash through the halls. She turned to look at Viserys and said, "Your grace, Prince Viserys. Myrine's water has broken. Your child is coming!"
Viserys's purple eyes widened to size of saucers. He gripped the top of the pew and he sat back down as he took in the surprising, and concerning, news. Everyone exchanged shocked glances, and the septon who was leading the prayer service muttered how this was an auspicious occurrence. Meg was heard to be saying excitedly that "We're getting two new cousins!" to her other cousins, who shared her enthusiasm while the adults were anxious as well as excited.
"How is Myrine?" asked Rhaenyra, her expression fearful. Her maternal grandmother, Princess Daella Targaryen, had lost her life giving birth to Rhaenyra's mother two weeks before she was due. Myrine was three years younger than Daella was when she gave birth to the future Queen Aemma Arryn.
"Scared, but my mother is with her. I need to fetch Grand Maester Gerardys and some midwives!"
Thankfully, the Grand Maester was in the chapel, and he left with Elinda and Septa Cecilia, who was also partaking in the religious service, to go to Myrine's bedchamber. Gerardys made a quick detour to his chambers to fetch some supplies and to get his fellow maesters to help him and to summon whatever midwives they could find. As much as she needed the support and assistance, Myrine also detested how everyone crowded around her in her bedchamber; all the people heightened her anxiety. Septa Cecilia stood on the left side of Myrine's bed reciting the Mother's prayer for childbirth from the Seven-Pointed Star while she laid her hand on her grandniece's belly. Josephine and Elinda were holding each of Myrine's hands while the maesters observed the progression of the labor until the midwives arrived.
An hourglass was placed in the room too. It did not take long for the Green hostages and Thea to learn that Lady Darklyn's child was coming a fortnight early. Thea whispered a silent prayer for her friend as Jaehaera squeezed her hands tightly and let out a muffled scream through her gag. Myrine did her best not to scream like the princess as her contractions became more and more intense. She gritted her teeth, and moaned or hissed with each pain as it came and went.
Josephine, having gone through childbirth ten times, did everything she could to help her granddaughter. She taught Myrine how to pant and breathe to cope with the contractions, gave her encouragement, and held her hand throughout the whole ordeal.
"Fight those pains, sweetling." encouraged Josephine. "Fight them!"
"Fight them?" thought Myrine. Despite the great distraction that was her being in childbed, Myrine retreated into her historical imagination in order to cope with the pain that she was going through. She imagined herself as being one of the Unsullied who fought with the Three-Thousand of Qohor against the marauding khalasar of Khal Temmo during the Century of Blood. The contractions were the Dothraki screamers, and her breathing was both her spear and shield.
Each time the labor pains flared up (the screamers charging full bore for bloodshed and glory), Myrine would take a deep breath (raising her shield up) before letting out a ragged exhale or pained moan (thrusting her spear towards the enemy). She kept up the rhythm, hoping that she was getting closer to her child being brought into the world. But she had a long and arduous road ahead of her. The hourglass counted the passing of hours as Myrine labored.
As the eleventh hour of night started, the royal family waited with bated breath for the arrival of the two babies as well as 140 AC. Grains of sand rained down leisurely through the narrow glass tunnel leading to the bottom of each of the two hourglasses counting down seconds and then minutes as the tops of the devices slowly emptied out. Prayers and bets circulated throughout the Red Keep as the final hour of 139 AC slowly ticked away. Queen Rhaenyra and her family made their way to the Queen's Ballroom for refreshments as they waited for both the New Year and for the arrival of Jaehaera and Myrine's children. Princes Aegon and Jaehaerys Targaryen made their way down to get a bite to eat and something to drink.
The children were excited for midnight. They drank watered wine, and supped on honey cakes, fruit and custard tarts, marzipan, and candied fruits, nuts, and orange peels. The appetites of the adults were not as hearty as the little princes and princesses, but they did graze over codfish cakes, mince pies, slices of roasted pork and venison wrapped with bacon, freshly baked bread, hard-boiled eggs, and the same sweets that the children indulged in, along with regular wine. While their kinsmen supped and sipped below, Jaehaera and Myrine labored to bring forth new Targaryen's into the world. They writhed on their birthing beds panting, moaning, hissing, or crying.
Slowly but surely, the final ten minutes of 139 AC arrived. Just as the final sands of the year began to pour down, things were starting to look up for Princess Jaehaera. Her baby had finally crowned, and things were starting to move quickly now. Pooling what little remained of her strength, Jaehaera let out a muffled roar as she finally pushed the baby out. After laboring for eight long strenuous hours since sundown, with seven minutes left to spare for 139 AC, Jaehaera's bedchamber finally resounded with the long-awaited cries of a newborn.
"It's a boy!" called out the midwife as she held the squirming infant in her hands.
"A boy! I have a grandson!" beamed an excited Helaena. She then squeezed her daughter's hand in a congratulatory manner. "You've done it sweetling! You've done it!"
An absolutely exhausted Jaehaera merely nodded her head. Noticing that the gag was still in her mouth, Helaena made a move to remove it from Jaehaera's mouth, but Thea beat it to her first. Meanwhile, the midwife gave the newborn prince to Maester Orwyle with a concerned look on her face. Orwyle soon became concerned himself as he examined Jaehaera's son on a nearby table. The silver-white haired prince was quite small and underweight for a newborn, but the most worrisome part that caught the maester and midwife's attention were his eyes.
They were a milky blue, a sign that the child was blind. Orwyle's old shoulders sagged as he dreaded having to share the news of the prince's frailties and blindness with the new mother and grandmother. Meanwhile, a servant was dispatched to inform Jaehaerys and his father about the birth. Aegon the Elder patted his son on the back and congratulated him on having a son of his own; a fantastic way to end the year. Both men left the Queen's Ballroom to meet their son and grandson as the bells of the septs in King's Landing rung out for each of the last seven minutes of the year and decade. But when they entered Jaehaera's bedchamber, Aegon and Jaehaerys found the people gathered inside to be rather solemn.
"What is wrong?" asked Jaehaerys as the solemnness began to unnerve him. Hearing his baby son crying from his twin sister-wife's arms, Jaehaerys made his way to Jaehaera's bed. The first thing he noticed was how small his son was under his swaddling clothes. Helaena gently collected her newborn grandson from Jaehaera so that he could be held by his father.
Jaehaerys noticed that his son was blind as he held him for the first time. He looked so skinny and frail. So pitiful.
"This... this is my firstborn?" thought Jaehaerys, a wave of disgusted disappointment surging through him. Whatever paternal joy he may have had prior to laying eyes on this blind creature had evaporated. Without a word, Jaehaerys handed his son back to his mother, and he turned to leave the room.
"Where are you going, Jaehaerys?" asked a confused Jaehaera as she watched her twin brother-husband leave.
"Son?" Aegon asked as Jaehaerys walked past him and exited the room, closing the door behind him. Confused and hurt over Jaehaerys's behavior, Jaehaera, overwhelmed by her ordeal, sank into her pillows and began to weep as Thea comforted her. Left alone in this sea of misery and despair, Aegon was soon presented with his grandson by Helaena.
"Will he be alright?" whispered Aegon as he held the baby in his arms.
"We do not know." Helaena responded back in a whisper. "Orwyle does not think he will survive the night. Jaehaera is hopeful though. I have sent for a septon to come bless him."
"What is his name?" asked Aegon the Elder.
"Gaemon." said Helaena.
As the Green hostages did their best to cope with the unfair hand that had been dealt to them, Westeros rung in the new year. Septs all across the continent began ringing their bells seven times in honor of the gods to herald the arrival of 140 AC. Myrine's labor was also progressing, and it was only a matter of time before her child finally began to make its way into the world. Myrine let out her only cry of pain as she made her last push. Her child breathed its first breath as the seventh and final peal of the bells was made after four difficult hours of labor.
"It's a girl!" announced the midwife.
Josephine, Ceclia, and Elinda congratulated an exhausted Myrine as Grandmaester Gerardys took the baby away to be examined. Unlike her newborn half-second cousin, Prince Gaemon Targaryen, the princess was born healthy and perfect in every way. Elinda once more took off to fetch Prince Viserys and to inform him of the news that he had become a father. Having already rung in the new year, the Black Targaryen's cheered for Viserys upon hearing the news of the princess's birth and that both she and her mother were doing well.
Viserys followed Lady Massey, and they were both followed by the rest of the family, to his wife's bedchamber to see his daughter. Myrine was propped up against pillows with the swaddled babe in her arms. Josephine and Cecilia were cooing at the baby. Seeing the prince arrive, Josephine carefully extracted her newborn great-granddaughter from Myrine's arms and she took the girl to her awaiting father. After his swaddled daughter had been settled into his arms, Viserys got a good look at her.
She was a pretty little thing who looked exactly like her mother with brown hair and grey eyes. Only minutes old, the baby princess already had her father's heart.
"Isn't she beautiful, Viserys?" asked Myrine from her bed as she smiled at witnessing the beginning of a close father-daughter bond as it developed.
"She is." Viserys said as he rocked his baby daughter in his arms. "She is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."
Enjoying the presence of the girl in the bedchamber for just a little while longer with Myrine, Viserys took his daughter out into the hallway to present her to the rest of his family. When asked by his mother what her newest grandchild's name was, the prince replied that she was to be called Valaena in honor of Lady Valaena Velaryon, the mother of Visenya, Aegon I, and Rhaenys Targaryen. As Prince Gaemon Targaryen was being prayed over by his mother and grandparents, Princess Valaena Targaryen was being fawned over by her relatives. The Velaryon Princes carefully presented their newborn half-niece to their children so that they could get a good look at their new cousin. Joffrey and Nell were reminded of their own daughter when they saw the brown-haired Valaena, but they were able to express their happiness for Viserys even though a familiar, aching sadness throbbed somewhere deep within them.
What else would the new year, and decade, bring?
The bells ringing during the last seven minutes of the old year and the first seven minutes of the new year was made up. I do not think there are any details as to how Westeros celebrates New Years. Anyway, thanks for reading and please review! :)