Chapter Text
118 AC Dragonstone
Rhaenyra screamed as the pain hit her again. Gods she wanted to die. Whoever said second and third times are easier had been a liar.
"Please, please, princess you have to push. I can just see the head." The midwife told her, face tired but not worried.
Rhaenyra didn't want to push any more. She wanted to lie down and sleep. This was too much. She felt like she had been at it for days.
But a sudden light touch to her cheek made her look up.
Right into the eyes of her uncle. Her sweet, beloved uncle. She was half spread over his arms and he held onto her, refusing to be parted from her.
She still couldn't believe he came. To be by her side. The dreadful fear gnawed at her heart. What if some one had seen him? What if they saw what they weren't supposed to see? What if they heard the wrong thing? What if? What if?
Her thoughts were cut by a sharp pain. She screeched and held onto Daemon tighter. He wiped her tears and bought her hand closer to his lips for a kiss.
"My beautiful niece. The love of my life. Come on, you can do this. One last push. One more push and our new babe will be here." He sounded so confident. He never believed she could die. That she could fail in something. "He'll be here in our arms. I'll hold this one first." He spoke softly, quietly.
No one save maester Gerardys and the midwives Daemon had hired were there, but still.
One could never be too sure.
She fell in love with him again on this day as he sat by her, holding her close and whispering sweet nothings to her.
'Yes' she thought 'I cannot be thinking of dying. I'm a dragon.'
She tightened her grip on daemon and pushed yet again.
Her breathing stopped for a second as she screamed one last time before another, louder scream was heard.
"A BOY! Oh another prince!" The mid wife announced, much to Daemon's glee.
Taking the child away to be washed and clothed, other midwives surrounded her, all cooing over her new babe.
Daemon smiled before pulling her face closer to kiss her on the lips.
"I'm so, so happy. So happy my love." He whispered against her lips.
"I love you." She told him. "Now go see our babe." She urged him.
Daemon signalled to Maester Gerardys, their most faithful servant, and soon the babe was nestled quietly in his arms.
Daemon held their third child and smiled. Rhaenyra didnt miss the tears glistening in his eyes. Never did her uncle look more vulnerable and handsome than he did when he held their babes in his strong, muscled arms.
He showed her the bundle, pale lilac eyes like his and soft silver tufts. The babe was big and robust, like his brothers.
All her babes had Daemon's lilac eyes and her silver gold curls.
'Perfect' she thought.
"So, Gaemon for this one?" Daemon asked her.
She nodded.
"For Gaemon the Glorious." He was her uncle's favourite ancestor from before conquest. He often read those stories to her when she had been a child. Those were some of her happiest memories from when she was young.
Her prince looked odd in his get up, but the dark cloak and black painted hair did nothing to hide his beauty. And the efforts he put in to make sure he could be present for their child's birth always made her heart beat faster.
It also made her angry.
He shouldnt have to hide and be disguised in order to visit her and their babes.
He should have been able to hold their babes and run outside, announce his joy out for the world to hear, have all the knights and nobles raise their toast to him, congratulate him for his robust and healthy babes.
But he couldn't.
Just like Aemon and Baelon, Gaemon would also be named Velaryon, and he'd grow up calling Laenor 'father'.
The very thought made her want to cry. She could feel her eyes welling up with tears.
Daemon noticed it and immediately sent for Gerardys. "Are you well? Does it still hurt?"
Rhaenyra said no and told maester Gerardys she felt alright, "Just a little emotional my love, nothing else." She assured him.
Maester Gerardys left her quarters to go and bring Laenor and the boys and send ravens to Driftmark and King's Landing.
Rhaenyra made sure to keep the castle empty while she gave birth. That way it was easier for Daemon to sneak in. And a solitary birth allowed for Daemon to be near her.
She much preferred Daemon beside her than her ladies in waiting.
Once they were gone, Daemon turned to her, giving her the babe and hugging her from side, pulling her towards him.
His hands were gentle against her body and he proved to be a great source of warmth.
She loved how sweet and gentle he could be once their babes were born compared to how rough and hard he was while making them. Their passion was like a fire, threatening to consume everything around them.
Holding them close Daemon whispered, "what is the matter?"
"We shouldn't have to hide like this."
Daemon sighed. "You know why we have to, my love."
He kissed her and then kissed Gaemon.
The footsteps outside became louder.
"I'll go, for now. I'll visit tonight." He said before moving towards the back curtains, leaving through the hidden passage she knew was there and was precisely why she chose this room as her own.
As he left, the door to her room barged open, and two of the wildest boys she knew rammed themselves in.
Aemon and Baelon giggled as they ran into one another and she laughed with them.
Her boys were as mischievous as their father was said to have been.
"MUNA" They screamed before rushing to her, she used her free arm to welcome them both.
They settled on two sides of her and demanded to look at their new brother. She moved the silk a bit so his face was visible.
"He looks just like us, muna" Aemon said, looking wide eyed and happy.
'And you all look like your father' she thought. It was a bittersweet moment.
She turned a head towards the curtains and found him still there. Hiding in the shadows.
She didn't need to see his whole face to know he was smiling.
This was his family.
What her father or the world thought didn't matter.
She looked back at her sons as they played and poked at their new brother. Gaemon stared back, wide eyed and open mouthed.
Laenor walked in at that moment. Looking rather uncomfortable and not at all like a man about to meet his third son.
" Letters have been sent to mother and father and to King's Landing. Mother is likely be here by tomorrow afternoon. Will he be gone by then?" He didn't bother asking after the babe or herself.
She felt like hitting him for referring to her uncle with such callousness.
Her uncle was above him in every way. But she just stiffly nodded and looked over to her babes to make sure neither heard their 'father's' words.
He came closer and finally asked to see the babe. She reluctantly handed Gaemon to him.
''Prince Gaemon Velaryon." She announced.
Laenor raised an eyebrow. "Father will want a Velaryon name for at least one grandson."
"You don't like the name?" She'd never name her children after some dead Velaryon. Her children were pure, full blooded Targaryens and Targaryen names they would bear.
"I wanted to name one for my dear friend Joffrey. You know." He told her, not looking at her anymore.
She didnt say anything. She knew he was still bitter about his lover's death by Cole's hand.
He probably still blamed her and Daemon.
She honestly couldn't care less about Ser Joffrey Lonmouth just as she couldn't be bothered with Cole.
She refused to even think of him. The man simply wasn't worth it.
"That is not happening. Neither me nor your father will agree to it. Gaemon is a perfect name for Targaryen Prince." She told him.
He snorted at the mention of 'Targaryen Prince'.
Rhaenyra fought the urge to throw something at him.
'He means to mock me, I won't let him. My children are true dragons, and will one day rule after me.'
She met his eyes without shame or remorse.
There wasnt anything worth being ashamed or remorseful of.
She had loved her prince and bore his children.
Their sweet, perfect princelings.
"I'm tired husband, let me sleep." She dismissed him. And Laenor, likely not wanting to be there either, left without word, closing the door after him.
Aemon and Baelon sat at her side. Eyes still fixed on their baby brother. She asked them to sleep next to her tonight. Both excitedly agreed, their curls bouncing all over as they moved their little heads.
Her maids came in to take the boys back to their quarters for lunch.
At four and three namedays respectively, they were more active and smart than boys much older.
She had once told Daemon he'd have to train them and she had never seen the man more excited by a prospect. Though personally, Rhaenyra thought her boys were too wild for Daemon to handle at once. But Daemon had assured her that compared to himself, Aemon and Baelon would be a joy to train.
Gaemon's cries called her back from memories, he was likely hungry.
Rhaenyra took one of her ladies' help to remove her shift so she could begin nursing her babe.
She never thought she'd nurse her babes at her own breast, but Daemon had told her once how irresistible she looked, with her full breasts and their babe tucked in her arms.
She had tried and soon grown rather fond of the experience. So, she had kept the habit for every one of her sons, more often than not, feeding her babes her own milk.
She had not listened to anyone telling her how unprecedented it was to do so. Fiercely held onto her babe, insisting on feeding them herself. She cared not a whit for how 'common' it was to do so.
She caressed her babe's soft hair that had already began to curl as he slowly dozed off while suckling.
'I hope Daemon brings him an egg when he visits tonight.' She thought.
The eggs put in Aemon and Baelon's cribs had hatched and brought forth new hatchlings. Dragons that her sons would one day ride.
Daemon had chosen both, same as he had chosen her egg, the one that had brought forth her little lady Syrax.
Once her babe was asleep, Rhaenyra handed him over to the maids before she laid down to hopefully get some sleep.
The maid laid Gaemon in his cradle before Rhaenyra dismissed all of them, needing to be alone for some time.
And it was in these quiet moments, Rhaenyra desperately wished for Daemon to be here. How she longed to feel his arms around her. Keeping her warm and safe in his embrace. Daemon had the habit of completely cocooning her and Rhaenyra had never felt more protected.
She couldn't wait to see him tonight. She wanted to sleep in his arms. They hadn't gotten the opportunity to do so for quite some time. Rhaenyra didn't realize when sleep claimed her.