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“And we'll go pick berries!” Jace announced happily. “Aren't we, aunt Laena?”
Laenor looked back at the door, catching his sister leaning in to watch him.
She had come to Driftmark for their father's 60th and her 24th birthday, with Daemon and the kids, and where Daemon was, Rhaenyra did not step in. His wife had a grudge against her uncle from their secretly shared past, their once relationship, and Laenor didn’t dare to touch on it in any way. He wasn't sure if Laena knew anything about it, but the whole family knew Rhaenyra hated Daemon, so no one ever asked questions.
He was putting the girls to sleep, and his sister had offered to come help him with Jace, considering Nyra was the one who put them to bed.
Luke was fast asleep in his bed with a trusted binkie and a blanket that smelt very much like Rhaenyra, right on time, after a recording of his favourite song in her voice and a very long cuddle session.
He was coping well, both the boys were. With the girls around to play, their grandparents, their aunt and uncle... There were so many distractions around, not one of the boys even asked about Rhaenyra.
Laenor had his own quick thinking; he never let Luke alone with his bottle and fed it to him in the position Rhaenyra did, always looking into his eyes, always holding him close, and he had a drawer stocked full of breast milk in the freezer. Bonding 101.
“We will,” she walked to his side. “I'll show you all the best spots, you'll love it.”
Their home was surrounded by berry bushes, a nice contrast with the sea and the sand – black chokeberries, hawthorns and silver-berries especially – and the children adored them all deeply.
He moved on the bed, brushing his hair out of his face. It was probably time to get him a haircut, but Jacaerys was not a fan of that. He liked long hair, and Laenor wasn't about to impose anything on him.
“Yes, my little love,” Laenor interrupted their plans. “But tomorrow won't come until you fall asleep.”
Jace pouted.
“But I don't need to sleep!” he argued, whining and yawning.
Laenor just chuckled, shaking his head.
“And how else can you enjoy everything if you don't have all the energy you get from sleeping, hm?” he caressed his cheek.
He yawned again, and Laenor knew he was going to be asleep soon.
“Say what, we'll make pie tomorrow,” Laena offered. “With all the berries we get in the morning.”
The kids' stomachs were bottomless, they would always say yes to pie.
Jace smiled sleepily.
“Mama will like it when she gets home!”
Laenor's eyes widened, surprised.
What?
“Mama?” Laena asked.
He grimaced. Oh, dammit. If he let him fall asleep, then he would forget all about that.
“Little love, do remember I said Mama wouldn't be in Driftmark?” he asked, defeated. “That she had a very important work thing and wouldn't be able to attend Grandpa's birthday this year?”
He nodded promptly.
“Yes.”
Laenor softened his voice.
“We are in Driftmark, not home,” he reminded him. “And Grandpa's birthday is tomorrow. We won't see Mama for another three days.”
It wasn't a lie, Rhaenyra was working and in King's Landing.
Slowly, his little face fell, and he stared at his face.
“Oh,” Jace mumbled.
Laenor petted his hair.
His son raised his hands and stuck three of his fingers out, and he reached for it, and touched his fingers.
“There are still going to be two more bedtimes before we see her,” he explained, pointing it out.
Jacaerys was a very smart boy, he could understand it.
Yet, slowly, his lips curled down, and his eyes started watering.
Oh, no!
Jace started crying, loudly and broken.
“I want mama!” he wailed.
Laenor's heart broke.
Oh, his poor baby.
The boys were very attached to Rhaenyra, especially at night.
His wife worked very early in the mornings and compensated for that by spending the night giving them all her attention and affection. Sometimes, she would bring them on her work trips, though she was admittedly having a hard time balancing her work in fashion with her new functions at the family's company, so maybe her years of trips would be over soon.
“Jace,” he exhaled, reaching for him.
Laenor wrapped his arms around him quickly, embracing him close, trying to comfort him, and Laena sat by the bed.
“It's just a few days, honey,” she tried to comfort him. “You see, it'll be so fun, you won't even notice.”
But that wasn't enough.
“I want her now!” he cried.
Laenor exhaled, rubbing his back.
Gods, he hoped this didn't wake up Luke.
“But Mama is in King's Landing, remember?” he told him. “It's a whole dragon ride away. She's taking the pretty pictures you like so much.”
Jace sniffed, whining with his little sobs.
“Your mother will bring you so many gifts when she is back,” Laena tried to save it. “And she'll see her daddy too. Don't you think she misses him living so far away?”
She did. Well, it was complicated.
Viserys was the only parent Rhaenyra had left, but seeing Viserys also meant seeing Alicent and their children, and if there was someone she enjoyed seeing just as little as Daemon, it was Alicent.
It was really sad, honestly. Laenor couldn't imagine having his best friend seducing his father or his mother, marrying them, and having a bunch of kids – especially if his dead parent, whoever it was, wanted more kids and didn't have them because of health issues. It was a complex issue and a very painful one.
He would hate Alicent if he was Rhaenyra, too.
“Besides, when she is back, she won't work for a whole week,” Laenor told him. “She'll spend all that time with you and Luke, morning and night!”
Jace gasped.
“Morning and night?” he asked, snotty nose in need of a good cleaning.
Laenor nodded, reaching for the handkerchief he always carried in his pocket and wiping his nose.
“Blow for me, will you?” he coached him.
His oldest son complied, grimacing, and he used the squared fabric to clean his face.
“There you go,” he hummed, kissing his forehead. “Thank you.”
Laena lit up suddenly and looked at them, scooping closer.
“You know, there was a time I spent a long time away from your mum,” she told Jace. “And she is my best friend in the whole world!”
His son gasped.
“No!” he exclaimed.
“Yes,” she nodded.
“How long?”
His sister softened.
“It was before you were born, when your mama and daddy got married,” she told him. “A whole year and a half!”
Laenor looked at Jace. Yes, he remembered that time.
Laena had fire in her blood, she was more Targaryen than he could ever be, always free and sure of herself. It was why she didn't even think before getting into a plane and chasing Daemon into Essos after a single conversation. Apparently, she was sure she had found the one - or just wanted someone to fuck, Laenor wasn't privy to details.
Their parents were upset, 2005 it was a long year. It took their mother until late into her pregnancy to see Laena, and even longer for his father. And Laenor couldn't leave Rhaenyra pregnant and then with a newborn, and his wife couldn't travel for a while when Jace was so small. Besides, for a long time, he wasn't sure Rhaenyra even wanted to be around Laena — he was afraid that she would extend her grudge against to his sister too!
It was a challenging period for their whole family.
She reached for him for a moment, caressing his boy's cheek.
“A year?” he asked.
“Yes,” Laenor told him. “They could only talk on the phone.”
And even that was a bit hard. Their conversations were very awkward.
“It was very long and sad,” he told him. “Me and Mama missed Aunt Laena every day.”
“And I missed your mama and daddy every day,” Laena added, putting a hand on his shoulder.
“But Mama and I had one another and you,” he continued. “And Aunt Laena had Uncle Daemon and your cousins.”
Jace deflated even more.
“But mama is all alone,” he lamented. “We are all here!”
But Laena shook her head.
“But your mama is with her daddy, it's his birthday too,” she reminded him. “And her little siblings. And soon, she'll be with you.”
His father and Viserys shared a birthday, although his father was a bit older - he was turning 60, but Viserys was just 46. Laena, of course, was born the day after dad's birthday, so the celebrations were all kind of cramped together. Sometimes the family had to spend it apart to satisfy everyone - or so would be Rhaenyra's justification.
Laenor rubbed his back gently, getting his back attention to him again.
“It can be hard being away,” he kissed Jace's temple. “But when your mama is back, we'll show her how much we all missed him.”
“Missing someone reminds you of how much you love them,” Laena added. “And I know you love your mama a lot.”
His son nodded quickly.
“I do,” he agreed. “We love my mama, aunt Laena.”
Laenor reached for his dragon toy, giving it to him, and Jace squeezed it.
“And we miss her,” he reminded him. “But it'll be for a very short time, you'll see.”
Jace curled around him and Laenor lay down in bed with him, snuggling his son close, and Laena sat by his side – the mattress not big enough for all three of them.
He knew he wasn't supposed to fall asleep with Jace, that his son should be independent in his sleep time.
But that was something Rhaenyra had decided, and while his wife had her rules, from her smart books and smart people, Laenor could spoil his babies this week while she wasn't there to see.
So he lay there and watched as his son fell asleep, his sister's hand petting his hair calmly, humming a soft song.
“I'll leave you two be,” she whispered when he fell fully asleep. “Good night.”
Laenor just gave her a small smile.
“Good night.”