Chapter 1: Alicent's Baby
Chapter Text
Viserys couldn’t understand what was happening, in the week since he had announced his intention to marry Lady Alicent Hightower, his pregnant mistress (with whom no one had been told carried his child except for her father and his best friend), he had been getting cut by the Iron Throne more and more frequently and ever increasingly worse, or so it seemed. He was the rightful King and his marriage was truly the best thing for both the realm and his family. It wasn’t possible that the Throne was rejecting him.
However, at the council of Ser Otto and the Grand Maester, King Viserys ordered that thick down cushions be commissioned for the throne to keep him from being cut further. After all, it wouldn’t be seemly for his Kingly self to be covered in small cuts when he made his mistress his bride and ensured his son would be born 100% undeniably legitimate. It was no matter than no previous King had ever needed cushioning for the Iron Throne as he was King and to mock him was treason.
The following week, the velvet covered thick down cushions were placed upon the Iron Throne and the King sat down. Yet somehow, the throne still managed to cut his Royal self. Ser Otto and the Grand Maester were puzzled by this development as they were sure the thick cushions would protect the King from further damage, and yet, they didn’t. They inspected each and every cushion thoroughly and found that they were of the highest standard and each was at least three inches thick. How the King still managed to be cut by the throne was a mystery.
With the cushions themselves not seeming to be lacking in any way and with the mystery still unresolved, the two men decided that new cushions needed to be made post haste. However, these new cushions needed to be at least four inches thick and be made of the strongest and toughest hides in the land and covered in the nicest fur. After all, the King deserved the best, especially since he was making Otto’s daughter his Queen and soon Otto would be the proud grandsire of the new prince and heir.
It took the most skilled workers several days to source the materials and create the new cushions for the throne. At long last, Viserys would be safe from the blade the throne was made from.
Yet, again, the throne cut the King. While none of the cuts were particularly bad by themselves, it was the sheer number that was growing rather worrying. Not to mention, these latest cuts all seemed to fester and grew infected within hours of their formation.
When the Princess Rhaenys heard about her cousin’s plight, she flew from Driftmark to the Red Keep. Once there, she begged her cousin to change course, telling him that the throne was trying to send him a warning that he was refusing to heed. She asked him to please think of his daughter who had only barely reached the age of maturity and yet still needed her father’s guidance in her life. Otto, however, rebuked the Princess saying that she only said such things because the King had rejected her daughter. He also mocked her and said that the Seven would soon bless the King with all of his desires as he had so wisely chosen a devoted daughter of the Faith for his new bride and Queen.
Princess Rhaenys felt great sorrow that her, once dear cousin, had become so blind. Before she left to return home, she invited her young cousin, the King’s daughter, to spend some time with Laena and herself at Driftmark, and that the three women would return together before the wedding was to occur. Viserys agreed to the suggestion and Otto was thrilled to have the spoiled Princess who mistakenly believed she would one day be Queen out of the Red Keep.
So Princess Rhaenyra mounted her dragon and flew with her cousin Princess Rhaenys even as Otto and the Grand Maester pondered how they could help the King now. Both men sent ample messages to the Citadel inquiring about new remedies that could be given to the King to heal his cuts as well as messages to the High Septon for prayers that the Gods' would protect the King from further damage.
After three days, an Archmaester sent a message asking if steel plates had been inserted into the cushions. He reasoned that no blade could penetrate a quarter inch of steel, especially when it was wrapped in six inches of cotton and goose down and encased in hides that were at least half the thickness of the steel plates and covered in thick furs. When Otto presented the idea to the King, Viserys immediately ordered these latest cushions to be constructed. By all accounts, they were going to make the Iron Throne be the softest and most comfortable chair in the realm.
It took seven long days for them to be completed and each individual piece to be sewed to all of the others, making sure that not a single spot on the throne was weak enough to be penetrated by the blades. When it was finally completed it took an entire retinue to heft it into place. Before the King was permitted to sit his throne, his dear friend begged permission to try the seat to ensure it was safe for the King and Viserys permitted it. The throne did nothing to Otto though Otto was still perplexed on how the throne still felt deeply uncomfortable.
Soon the court was summoned to see the King sit down on his amply padded throne for the first time.
As for the members of the Court, seeing their King seemingly needing protection from his own throne was alarming. The only previous King who had ever been injured by the Iron Throne was Maegor and if the throne was injuring the peaceful conflict fearing King Viserys, then they had to wonder if the rumors surrounding Queen Aemma’s death were true and that King Viserys had ordered her butchered. They also wondered if there was a curse surrounding Targaryen Kings who took Hightower brides.
Later, members of the court would say that they were very glad the princess hadn’t been in King’s Landing that day as, within moments of King Viserys placing his Royal arse on his overly padded throne, disaster fell and the throne attacked. Blades pierced straight through the reinforced cushions and straight through the King’s ankles, thighs, shoulders and wrists almost instantaneously. This was rapidly followed by several blades piercing straight through his belly and before anyone could react or the King could think to cry out, blades were sticking straight out of the King’s neck, heart and lungs, killing him. It was a terribly macabe scene. Many ladies of the court ended up fainting dead away and many other individuals wound up vomiting at the sight. The throne had passed its final verdict and had eliminated another unworthy King.
Later that day the Small Council met in the throne room to attempt to decide how they were going to remove King Viserys’ body from the throne as well as who was going to pen the letter to Princess Rhaenyra to inform her of her father’s death. Despite Otto’s many arguments against it, it was decided a messenger needed to be sent to Prince Daemon in the Stepstones to inform him of his brother’s death as well.
Chapter 2: Mourning the King
Chapter Text
It wasn’t until Princess Rhaenys, Princess Rhaenyra and Lady Laena returned to the Red Keep from Driftmark and Prince Daemon, Lord Corlys and Ser Laenor from the Stepstones that the body of King Viserys was able to be extracted from the Iron Throne, three days after his death. In the days between the King’s death and the Royal’s return, anyone who could find even the most vague excuse to view the macabre scene, did.
Among the people, there were two main views as to what had happened. The first was popular among those who hated Otto Hightower and the power he had over King Viserys. They knew Otto had sat down upon the Iron Throne right before the King had and had been unharmed so they figured he had paid someone money to set a fatal trap for the King. Why Otto would choose to murder the King before Viserys married Otto’s daughter and before she managed to birth a son, if she managed to birth a son who lived past infancy, was beyond their scope. They just hoped that Prince Daemon, who was highly suspicious of everything Otto did, would find enough evidence against Otto to at least get him banished.
The other main view was that King Viserys had brought in on himself. He had become a kinslayer either through breeding his cousin-wife to death or ordering her butchered and no one is more cursed than a kinslayer. He made things worse for himself by not honoring the mourning period before choosing to take a new bride and one who had been his daughter’s dressing maid before that. A bride who brought nothing to House Targaryen or to the realm as a whole other than her womb and youth. They believed Viserys was judged and punished by the Gods' themselves for his weakness and poor judgements.
Regardless of what viewpoint anyone had, everyone felt terrible for the Realm’s Delight. Less than six months before, she had two parents, a sibling growing within her mother and a seemingly loyal maid-friend and now, despite barely being of age and having only recently been named heir, it looked like she was about to become Queen. Such an extreme level of change so quickly, especially for one so young.
Everyone expected Princess Rhaenys, Princess Rhaenyra and Prince Daemon to arrive after reading the messages but were shocked that with them was Lady Laena, Lord Corlys and Ser Laenor. When they arrived at the Red Keep, Princess Rhaenyra demanded to see her father and so the Royals were shown to the Throne Room where King Viserys’ lifeless body still remained despite a large number of attempts to extract him from it.
All six were dumbfounded by the tragic sight that they saw in there and quickly Prince Daemon started demanding answers as to why his brother had been left on the Throne to rot. Even as he was trying to get answers from everyone, Princess Rhaenyra crossed the room and walked up to the Throne. As no one had been able to get too close to the throne without blades seeking them out, servants rushed to try to pull her to safety. However, she was able to walk straight up to the throne and climb the steps without any harm.
When she finally reached her father, she cried, “Oh Papa!” before gently cupping his cheek while bracing her other hand on the throne. Much to the astonishment of everyone present, at that very moment, the blades withdrew from her father’s body, letting his torso slouch forward. Startled, she stepped back and nearly fell off the stairs of the throne but was caught by her Uncle. After he placed her gently on the ground, he pulled his elder brother’s corpse into his arms and carried him off the Throne.
He carried his brother all the way to the King’s Chambers while being followed by his kin and various servants. Once in the chambers, Daemon laid his brother on his bed and kissed his brow, one last time, before ordering that the Silent Sisters were summoned and preparations were started for the court to travel to Dragonstone for the funeral.
The next day, the court left for Dragonstone and within hours of their arrival, King Viserys was lain on his pier and set ablaze by Syrax and Caraxes together since Prince Daemon refused to let his beloved niece burn her other parent alone.
Chapter 3: Otto Makes and Announcement
Notes:
Hopefully this chapter clears a few things about about law and precedence in this story.
Yes, I know this story does seem to have some similarities with my story "Who Shall Rule?" and yes, there will be some similarities. Alicent will confront Rhaenyra and there will be some discussion about the various legalities around who succeeds Viserys. Rhaenyra and Daemon will also end up together.
Some notable differences are and will be Alicent's maritial status, how far along Alicent's pregnancy is/ supposedly is, and the gender/number/ coloring/ etc, how Viserys dies, the status of the Stepstones conflict and Alicent's fate.
Yes, I already have planned what Alicent has in both stories and have my reasoning for it as well which I will explain when I get there. No Aegon, Helena, Aemond and Dareon will not exist in either story so if you're hoping Aegon gets born here, I'm sorry. Alicent's baby is not Aegon.
Hope you enjoy and please leave your comments below, especially if you need more clarification on anything or have ideas of things you'd like to see in this story. Currently, I'm toying with two different fates for Alicent in this story and I may wind up actually writing both and posting both.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Once the court had returned from Dragonstone, the first “official” small council meeting was held since they met immediately following King Viserys’ death in the throne room. Along with the usual council members, Princess Rhaenyra joined the meeting as Viserys’ official heir and Queen presumptive, Prince Daemon, Princess Rhaenys and Lord Corlys and even Lady Alicent, the late King’s intended
Otto really tried to force the exclusion of Princess Rhaenyra from the meeting saying that she was too young to be part of the business of the Realm, especially when dealing with such as important matter as that of ensuring the right person inherited the crown. However, Prince Daemon then replied saying that if his niece, who was by all rights the new Queen was too young to attend a council meeting, then Otto’s daughter, his dead brother’s intended who was only a few mere months older than his niece and not even an official member of the Royal family, definitely should not be there.
As for everyone else, they were bamboozled. King Viserys had named his daughter his rightful, legal and lawful heir. With his death, there should not be any question of whether or not she should inherit and they should begin planning her coronation.
Begrudgingly, Otto realized he could not force the girl out so he decided to open the meeting by standing at the head of the table and calling his daughter to his side.
Otto wrapped his arms around his daughter’s belly and began, “I know the tragic loss of King Viserys has left us with doubt about the security and future of the realm. However, I can announce with great gladness that there is no need for worry as my daughter, our late King’s one true love, is carrying our future King in her womb right now. In only a few short months, our new King will be born and the realm will have true stability.”
This immediately sparked outrage among the council.
“King Viserys named his daughter his heir, she is the rightful Queen!” howled Lord Lyonel Strong.
“You expect us to name an unborn baby, King?” beseeched Lord Lyman Beesbury, “How do we know Lady Alicent will even carry the child to term, the child will be born alive or if its even a male child? How can we even be certain that the child is King Viserys’ child as Lady Alicent never did become his legal wife or that, if the child is his, that the child was conceived after the official engagement?”
“How dare you challenge the legitimacy of my Grandson!” roared Otto. “He was conceived after the betrothal became official as my daughter had been a maiden until then. King Viserys was worried about his line dying out since Lady Aemma failed him so greatly. He knew my daughter was a woman grown and fully flowered so he first asked my permission to take her to wife and then asked if he might take her to bed to work on getting an heir on her. He knew she had conceived but had wanted to announce it until after they were formally married.”
“Then the child is a bastard and bastards don't inherit, especially before trueborn children, regardless of gender,” replied Lord Corlys. “Our new monarch is Queen Rhaenyra, King Viserys’ only trueborn child with her current heir being her uncle, Prince Daemon, followed by my wife, son and daughter. Your daughter’s bastard doesn’t even have a place in the line of succession.”
“Lord Corlys speaks truth Ser Otto, while presidence does state that sons do inherit before daughters, however, any child born within wedlock supersede that born to a man’s intended, his mistress or his whore. Rhaenyra is the rightful Queen,” retorted Lord Lyonel. “Any child not born within wedlock is considered a bastard and bastards do not inherit anything unless they are legitimized and King Viserys is not alive to legitimize Lady Alicent’s child. If the child is to ever be considered legitimate, Queen Rhaenyra will have to legitimize the child.”
“This is where you are wrong, Lord Strong, there have been multiple cases where a Lord with little to no kin, after becoming engaged, will bed his betrothed and will sire a child on her before they are wed. After that, further tragedy has befallen that house and the Lord has perished, leaving his expectant fiancee to act as regent for the unborn heir, who immediately takes the titles and lands of the late Lord from birth. This is the same situation. My daughter will serve as Queen-by-proxy until her son comes of age though he will immediately be named King at birth. As for Princess Rhaenyra, I’m sure my daughter and I will be able to find a suitable Lord for her to marry that will allow her to live a life of luxury similar to what she’s used to as a princess.”
“The cases you mention, Ser Otto, are when the Lord in question’s nearest paternal kin are third cousins or more in distance and he has no living children. King Viserys left behind one surviving child, his daughter, plus his brother, a cousin and her two children, and an Uncle in Archmaester Vaegon. Your cases do not fit the situation! Rhaenyra is now Queen whether you like it or not and no, she will not endure a regency period as she is of age. You just said that you would have your own daughter, a girl barely older than our new Queen serve as Queen-by-proxy for her child so do not dare claim Rhaenyra is too young to rule on her own!” bellowed Lord Lyonel at Ser Otto.
“I concur. Ser Otto, your daughter’s bastard will not sit on my niece's throne nor will you or you whore daughter. Rhaenyra is now Queen and long may she reign.”
“The Lords of the realm will NEVER STAND to have a woman on the throne especially when there is a better option in my grandson!”
Rhaenyra, who had been quiet all throughout the proceedings then spoke, “I was my father’s heir and so I am now Queen. As such, this is my council. Ser Otto, I know you were a greatly trusted advisor and friend to my father, however, I know that you will never serve me so loyally as you did him. As such, I am relieving you of your duties as Hand. You may remain within the Red Keep until my coronation where you will bend the knee or be declared a traitor and executed. Now, you are dismissed. Guards, escort Ser Otto to the Tower of the Hand and ensure he begins packing as he will be staying in other chambers the remaining time he’s here.”
With that, the new Queen dismissed Ser Otto.
“Lady Alicent, as for you, you will be granted a room in the Maidenvault where you will be guarded by loyal guards, and will be attended to by maids and midwives. You will remain there until your time comes to give birth. At that time, you will be escorted to the Queen’s ballroom where members of the court can witness the birth. This is not to embarrass or humiliate you, Lady Alicent, but to prevent accusations of someone switching out or tampering with your child as there will be ample witnesses of the size, gender,coloring and if it is born alive or not. If the child is truly rather newly conceived and the pregnancy only barely confirmed, then the child should not arrive any earlier than seven and a half months from now though it would be a bit small. Alicent, I truly do want to believe that you are being truthful to me but you have to understand my position that I cannot merely take yours and your father’s word as being truth without evidence and by birthing your child with witnesses, it will help protect you, if you are being truthful. Guards, the Lady Alicent is in a delicate condition and requires rest as she’s had a very stressful week with the discovery of her pregnancy followed so soon after by the death of her intended. Please escort her to her chambers and ensure that she rests.”
Once Alicent was out of the room, Rhaenyra turned to Princess Rhaenys, “Princess, your father, Prince Aemon, raised you as his heir while my own father has done little for me in the couple months I was his heir. As such, I would ask you to accept the role as the first ever Hand of the Queen and serve as my teacher and closest advisor as I grow into my new role. It may not be the place as Queen that you were born for but, hopefully, it will be close enough.”
“Your Grace, you honor me! I will gladly accept the role,” replied Princess Rhaenys.
“Lord Corlys, as soon as I’m able, I will rally troops and supplies to aid in the Stepstones conflict. I know the importance of those shipping lanes for trade throughout the realm and, unlike my father, will do what I can to aid you. However, when the Stepstones have been reclaimed, I would like you to return here and serve as my Master of Ships.”
“Thank you, Your Grace, for the acknowledgement. I will gladly serve on your council”
“Lord Corlys, Princess Rhaenys, I do have one more request for you. I am now Queen and as such need to have ladies in waiting, things I should have had long ago but Ser Otto prevented, claiming his daughter was enough companionship for me. I would be honored if you would permit your daughter, Lady Laena, to be my chief lady in waiting.”
Corlys and Rhaenys shared a look and a smile before Rhaenys responded “I will speak to our daughter to see if she’s willing to do so but you have our permission and we do thank you for offering her such an exalted position.”
“Niece, you seem to be filling up places in your life and council with kin. Do you have a place for your beloved Uncle?” Daemon teased.
“Of course I do! After you help win the Stepstones, I want you to choose an island to build a Keep on. I would like to name you as Lord of the Stepstones. I do not offer that to Lord Corlys as he has High Tide and Driftmark and Ser Laenor is his heir. I wish you to have lands and a Keep of your own. With this, I would like to bring back the position of Master of War and give that seat to you. I also wish to begin the process of annulling your marriage to Lady Rhea Royce, if you still want it.”
Upon hearing that his beloved niece wanted him to have his own lands and Keep while simultaneously wanting to keep him close as a member of her council, nearly made him cry. She was showing him more trust and loyalty than his brother had in the years since their father’s death. Then, without him needing to ask or beg, she announced that she wanted to finally free him from a marriage that he’d never wanted. She amazed him.
“My Queen, you are a miracle! I will gladly serve you in any capacity that I am capable of and am greatly honored that you would wish to grant me my own lands. Also, yes, thank you so much, I know Lady Rhea and I have both wished to be freed from the shackles of our marriage since before it began. Its probably the only thing we’ve ever agreed upon.”
“Then I will get on it straight away. Lord Lyman, if you could start compiling a budget for my coronation as well as for at least a dozen ladies in waiting for myself and another, half dozen or so for Princess Rhaenys and, if you have time, what funds the Crown has in order to help Lord Corlys and Prince Daemon reclaim the Stepstones or other ways we might be able to help finance it? Lord Lyonel, I would like to see all documented cases where a child not born within full and proper wedlock have inherited without having previously been legitimized as well as all laws regarding children born to a second wife or a man’s fiancee. Ser Harold, could you summon all of your order and then meet me in the Throne room? I wish to get the oaths from all of my Queensguard this very day. Lord Corlys, Uncle, if you could let me know how many troops and what else you need to help you obtain victory as well as any suggestions on which houses you think could aid you best, I would greatly appreciate it. Princess Rhaenys, I would ask for you to come up with a study plan for me so that I may learn everything I need to know to become an effective monarch. In addition to this, I would ask that you begin compiling lists of potential ladies in waiting for yourself and I. I am not taking no for an answer Princess as you deserve to have ladies-in-waiting as a Princess of the blood,” Rhaenyra added, sensing that Rhaenys was going to protest.
Everyone in the room, upon hearing the new Queen’s requests, could envision the Queen that she could be and seemed to want to be. She wanted to be stronger and more knowledgeable than her father and these, her first official actions proved it. It made it very easy for all of them to quickly agree to her requests and then they dispersed to begin attending to their tasks.
Notes:
A Couple Notes:
1. Yes, there is some precedence for a child not born within wedlock and not having been legitimized actually inheriting.
2. Yes, I do know the place that Alicent gets stashed doesn't gain the name of the Maidenvault until generations later but this is fiction.
3. Otto fully discounts Rhaenyra as being Viserys' child since she's female. He doesn't believe Viserys had any "real" children ie sons.
4. Yes, Rhaenyra and the others are very suspicious of how Viserys died, this will play a part later.5. Alicent giving birth before an audience is based upon what French Queen's endured. Rhaenyra is suspicious of Alicent's pregnancy and she knows that, unless the baby Alicent gives birth to fits hers and Otto's narrative regarding when it was concieved, who fathered it and its gender, they will claim that the baby was swapped with another. By having Alicent give birth in front of an audience ensures that they will have a very hard time trying to play that card as the only way Rhaenyra could "swap" the baby would be to somehow swap the baby in utero, which is basically impossible.
6. Rhaenyra is smart. She knows where her education is lacking but wants to know more.
7. Rhaenyra is very loyal to her family and wants them to know how much she values them by giving them important roles. She also wants to surround herself with loyal people.
Chapter 4: Alicent Confronts Rhaenyra
Notes:
If you are following "Who Shall Rule?", you will know that I published a chapter called "Alicent Calls for Rhaenyra" and yes, they are parallel chapters. If you read them both, you will find some similarities but they are also very different. Let me know what you think of them and which one is your favorite!
Chapter Text
Alicent could not believe Rhaenyra’s audacity! Yes Alicent had always known that Rhaenyra was extremely proud and arrogant, but this was taking things way too far. Okay, well, maybe Alicent and her father were walking a very fine line about her baby’s legitimacy and claim to the Throne but it was for the Greater Good! The realm desperately needed a pious, Hightower King to set the realm on the path of righteousness after a century of these heathen Targaryens and their Hellish beasts. How Rhaenyra could not see that Otto was the only one who could truly see what was best for the Realm as a whole, was beyond Alicent’s comprehension and just showed how much the realm truly was in need of saving.
Knowing that her freedoms were about to be curtailed, Alicent had gone out to the Godswood for her last breaths of fresh air until after her son was born. Gods, she hoped that as soon as her son fell from her womb, someone would see fit to arrest Rhaenyra and her supporters and lock them in the Black Cells until they learned their lesson and swore fealty to the newborn King. Alicent knew that even after Rhaenyra’s supporters swore fealty to the new King that most of them would need to be sent to take the Black and join the Black Watch or join the Silent Sisters, depending on gender but what could and should be done about Rhaenyra?
Sure, the easiest thing would be to kill her outright. Perhaps put her head on a spike upon the walls of the Red Keep for all to see but Alicent didn’t want Rhaenyra dead. She wanted to see Rhaenyra ruined after losing everything. She wanted Rhaenyra to pray for death but how could she achieve that? Perhaps she could be sold to a brothel but then again, the former Princess Saera had deliberately chosen a life of prostitution and by all accounts loved it and Alicent figured Rhaenyra would be much the same. Targaryens are such lustful creatures.
Then the idea struck Alicent. Her brother Gwaine had spoken of his favorite brothels and they were ones Prince Daemon really tried to get shut down. They were ones where the whore was beaten, starved, tied up, kept in a cage and all other forms of torment and torture being inflicted upon them save anything that could truly kill them while also being used for sex. Yes, and perhaps Princess Rhaenys, Lady Laena and Ser Laenor could join her as whores there. That would be suitable for these beasts. As for Prince Daemon, well, he was a mad dog that would have to be put down while Lord Corlys could simply be poisoned slowly so it appeared that his old age killed him. It was perfect!
As Alicent walked, she encountered Rhaenyra who had just come from the Throne Room where the former Kingsguard had sworn their oaths and had become her Queensguard.
“How dare you dismiss my father! He’s the only one capable of ruling the realm which is why he is Hand of the King!”
“The King, my father is now dead. I am Queen and I have appointed someone I know and trust as Hand of the Queen.”
“My son is King and you are not Queen. The realm will never stand for how you’re trying to usurp him.”
“You forget that I witnessed my own mother lose a great many pregnancies in their early days, such as at the point you are in. I also saw her labors begin far too early and how she lost several other babes who were born before their time. Then there were the pregnancies she actually managed to carry to term. Half of them yielded a dead babe and the other half, my sibling, died in the cradle before reaching the age of two. I sincerely hope that you are able to carry your child to term and that you child lives but there is no guarantee in it. Nor is there any guarantee that you carry a son in your womb. The realm might not like having a woman on the Throne but a grown woman beats an unborn child that may never pass childhood, especially since, by bypassing me, they might still end up with a girl on the Throne.”
“My child is a boy. I just know it! If by some fluke, my child is a girl, at least she will have the blood of devout followers of the Faith in her veins which makes her claim superior.”
“My grandmother, Princess Daella, chose my grandsire Lord Roderick Arryn as her husband because he was a devout follower of the Faith like she was. This means that not only do I have ¾ of my blood being blood of the dragon, but I also have the blood of devout followers of the Faith, rendering your argument null and void.”
“When your father asked for my hand and asked permission to bed me before we were officially wed, he told me he wanted me with child as soon as possible since he knew you were unsuited to rule but, when faced with the choice of you or his brother, you were the better of two bad choices. He promised me that after we were wed and finally announced my pregnancy, that he was going to disinherit you, possibly disown you and name our unborn child his heir, fully excluding you and Prince Daemon and all of your descendants from the line of succession.”
“Odd because my father promised me that I would not be replaced under any circumstances and that he knew I’d make a great Queen since I’m the best of both him and my mother Aemma.”
Alicent smiled indulgently, “He clearly lied to you then.”
“And how do I know you aren’t lying to me to try to force me to surrender my birthright? How do I know my father actually sired your child? How do I know that you are truly so early on in your pregnancy like you claim?”
“I swear on my mother’s memory, on the Old Gods' and New and the friendship and love we once shared that I’m being truthful. Please, Rhaenyra, believe me! Don’t let things escalate to war! Don’t let your pride keep you from doing what you know is the right thing! Renounce the Throne and swear your oaths to my son and perhaps we can find you a suitable husband soon so that you may birth a bride for my son. That way your blood can still end up on the Throne. Please, Rhaenyra, sister, do this for me and the love you always showed me otherwise I cannot promise your safety or well being.”
“The throne is mine in all ways lawful and any attempts to seize it from me is an act of treason. If anything, I would advise YOU to be smart and stop pursuing your unborn child’s claim as it is very weak. Truly, how do you expect the Lord’s of the realm to have to wait months to see if the so-called King is even a boy and then years to see if he survives childhood? You are showing the same arrogance as your father. Plus, most people are going to consider your child to be a bastard since it was conceived and born outside of wedlock, no matter how much you and your father’s allies try to pull that the child was conceived after your betrothal and that makes your child legitimate. I was born years after my parents were married and I have Widow’s Law on my side as a child born of my father’s first marriage. I will try to protect you and your child as much as I can from rumors and I do hope you are being entirely truthful about your child but if your father does insight a rebellion against me, he will die a traitor’s death and I will withhold the Targaryen name and all titles from your child. I am Queen so I will be as merciful as I can but I cannot be weak. Now, why don’t we get you settled into the Maidenvault where you can wait out the time until your labors begin? Ser Harold, kindly escort us?”
Chapter 5: 5- The Law Prevails
Chapter Text
Two days later, Princess Rhaenys and Lord Strong met with the new Queen in the Small Council chamber. There they poured over every documented case of a nobleman siring a child on his intended but never marrying the woman, every case of a child born to such couples that inherited the Lord’s lands and titles, Widow’s Law and all other similar documents. Despite all three’s best efforts, they never were able to find a case where an unborn child born to a woman who was or was intended to be a Lord’s second or later wife inherited his lands and titles, superseding the claim of a daughter born of the man’s first or earlier wife.
As far as the law seemed to be concerned, a living daughter seemed to have a greater right of inheritance even over an unborn babe of her own mother, if the girl did not have any living brothers and definitely had far more rights than an unborn child her father sired on a later wife.
Despite how it seemed as though everything was in favor of Rhaenyra, Rhaenyra wanted to ensure her claim was as solid as possible. So she sent a message to the High Septon in Old Town as well as the Archmaesters in the Citadel. She asked all of them if they knew of any cases where a widowed Lord with living daughters born by a previous wife, and having become engaged to another woman, siring a child who was yet to be born on her but having died before he could officially wed the mother of his unborn child, where the unborn child’s claim to the man’s lands and titles was given priority over that of the daughters.
Less than a week later, the Young Queen would receive a resounding no from all of these learned men. In fact, the High Septon, realizing what was going on, denounced Lady Alicent and declared her child as a bastard with no claim to even the Targaryen name. Furthermore, he declared that he would journey to King’s Landing and crown her Queen himself to show his support and her claim’s legitimacy. Rhaenyra, who had never really followed the Faith, was greatly honored and soon shared the letter’s with her council. Her coronation was ready to be planned.
Chapter 6: 6- A Queen is Crowned
Chapter Text
Three months after the Iron Throne passed its final judgment on King Viserys, all of the Lord’s and Ladies of the Realm gathered in the Throne room to witness a historical moment. The day that a woman would first sit the Iron Throne in her own right. All of the Lord’s and Ladies of the Realm save Lord Hobart Hightower and a few of his allies who, despite all the information that had been released, still claimed that the unborn child of “Queen-by-Proxy” Alicent, was the true, rightful and legitimate King of the Seven Kingdoms. They refused to attend the coronation claiming that it was blasphemous to which the High Septon then declared all of them heretics.
Daemon and Rhaenys began making plans to destroy all of those who refused to accept Rhaenyra as Queen.
So the coronation began with the High Septon anointing and blessing Rhaenyra. He then placed the crown of Aegon the Conqueror on her head. Then came the ultimate moment of truth for the gathered nobles. It was time for the young Queen to sit the Iron Throne for the first time as the crowned Queen. Rhaenyra then slowly climbed the steps to the throne which had already been cleared of all of her father’s cushions and sat down.
Much to the delight of everyone gathered in the Throne Room, the throne did not harm the young Queen. If anything, it seemed to accept and embrace her in a way they had never seen it do for her father. It seemed as though the Throne had accepted the new monarch.
Quickly after this, the oaths began with Prince Daemon being the very first to offer his. He even invoked the Gods' of Valyria, the Old Gods' and New in his oaths of devotion, loyalty and commitment to the Queen in a way that he had never done with his brother.
Daemon was followed by the Velaryon’s, members of the Small Council, the nobles of the Vale, then North, Crownlands, Iron Islands, Riverlands, and lastly the loyal houses from the Westerlands and Reach.
For the historic occasion, the Prince of Dorne himself journeyed to King’s Landing where, while he did not bend the knee, but he did swear an oath that he would open the door for better diplomatic and trade relations between the nations.
Chapter 7: 7- Alicent's Labors Begin
Notes:
After this chapter, you'll notice that there will be chapters notated as #A or #B. I have two separate directions for this story so if you find a version you prefer, follow and read only the ones with the A or B.
Chapter Text
As was predicted by the Royal family, Lady Alicent’s labors began less than two months after Rhaenyra was crowned Queen when Lady Alicent was only supposedly about six months pregnant, if her story held up. She claimed that the stress of her son being usurped brought her labors on early.
Like Queen Rhaenyra had decreed in her first ever Small Council meeting, Alicent’s birth was to be a spectacle for the court.
So the laboring woman was brought out of the Maidenvault and brought into the Queen’s Ballroom which had been set up to be beneficial for her to give birth while also providing ample seating for members of the court as well as tables for refreshments for them.
When Alicent’s labor began and she was told that she would have to deliver her child before the court, she threw a tantrum. She claimed that as King Viserys’ one true love and the mother of his long awaited son that it was an insult to his memory to make her suffer such an indignity. However, the guards just picked her up and carried her to the Queen’s Ballroom.
When she tried to escape, the midwives simply tied her wrists and ankles with silken cloths to the bedposts of the bed that had been set up for her even as she continued to scream and hurl insults. This continued for the better part of the day before, finally her voice grew too tired to continue.
Chapter 8: 8A- Dying Like A Queen
Notes:
This is the first part of where the story is going in two directions. I also have a clear and deliberate reference here of what Viserys tells Aemma in her final moments.
Chapter Text
That first day of Alicent’s labors passed with little progress, despite the midwives trying various treatments and remedies. Then the second day passed with almost no progress.. By this point, they had managed to get Alicent to cooperate some as she was exhausted and just wanted the pain to be over and done with. Yet nothing seemed to be working.
The midwives even wound up talking with the assembled noble women and other mothers present about anything that had helped them deliver their children, tried those and still nothing.
Near dawn on the third day, they summoned the Maesters to see if they knew of anything that could be done for the ailing woman as they knew she was growing extremely weak and was unlikely to live much longer without some form of near divine intervention. Maester Gerardys closely examined Alicent before requesting that Queen Rhaenyra be brought to him. The Queen, having chosen not to be present as to not upset Alicent.
Once the Queen arrived, Gerardys had to tell her the truth. The babe would not come. They had exhausted every technique they had and nothing worked. Both mother and child would die. The only options Rhaenyra had was if she wanted to try to save the life of the child, who may already be dead in the womb or to let both die together.
It had not been quite a year since the Young Queen’s own mother had supposedly been in a similar situation and Rhaenyra knew that her father had chosen to butcher his wife for the sake of the child. This helped her make her decision. If her father could butcher her mother, his cousin-wife and a daughter of a Paramount House, he would definitely have no issues doing the same with his second wife if he was still alive.
Decision made, she told Gerardys that she wanted to try to save the child. As he and the midwives began their preparations for the procedure, Rhaenyra walked over to her once friend.
“It hurts Rhaenyra! My son should be here by now! Why won’t he come?”
“I don’t know Alicent. Its all in the hands of the Gods.”
Alicent then turned her head from where she lay exhausted on the bed and noticed that the Maesters and midwives were doing something.
“What are they doing? Rhaenyra! What are they doing?!”
“Alicent, they’re going to bring your baby out now. Hush! Everything will be alright! Soon your babe will be born.”
“Rhaenyra! RHAENYRA?!” Alicent cried as the Queen stood up to address the crowd.
“My people, it is with a very heavy heart that I must tell you all that the last child my father ever sired refuses to come naturally. I have spoken with the Maesters and the midwives and have been told that unless intervention is taken now, both Lady Alicent, my late father’s bride to be and their child will perish. However, there is a procedure that may save the life of the child. This same procedure was performed upon my own late lady mother, Queen Aemma not quite a year ago. There is no guarantee that the babe, especially one born so early, will live, despite the procedure, if it is even still alive, but I feel like it must be done. It is what my father, King Viserys would have done and did do. Any of you who are squeamish about blood, should turn away or leave this chamber while the procedure is being performed. After it is done and Lady Alicent is covered, you will be welcomed back in to see the child before the Silent Sisters are summoned.”
With that, Rhaenyra turned back to Alicent who had not quit screaming for her.
“Rhaenyra! What do you mean?!” Alicent asked, frantic. “Why will the Silent Sisters be summoned? What’s wrong with my son? WHAT’S WRONG WITH THE KING DAMN YOU!?”
Rhaenyra then smoothed her palm over Alicent’s brow. “Shush now! All will be well. They’re going to bring the baby out.”
Just then, the midwives approached and pulled Alicent down to lie flat on her back before tightly fastening her wrists and ankles to the bedposts.
“Rhaenyra, I’m scared! What are they doing to me?”
“They’re readying you to bring the baby out,” Rhaenyra said soothingly. “Don’t be afraid.”
The midwives then pulled Alicent’s shift up, leaving her fully exposed from the sternum down, despite the crowd of onlookers still present in the ballroom.
“Oh Gods Rhaenyra! What’s happening! I’m scared!”
“Oh sweet Lady Alicent. You wanted to be Queen did you not? They’re treating you like a Queen. Like my own dear mother. They’re going to get the baby out.”
Gerardys then approached the bed, knife in hand and a bottle of strong wine. He then set the blade down next to Alicent but in a place where she could easily see it before pouring some of the strong wine on a cloth and using the cloth to wipe down Alicent’s heavily swollen belly.
“No! No! No! Rhaenyra! Don’t let him cut me! Don’t let him cut me!!! NO!”
Rhaenyra again ran her palm over Alicent’s brow. “Your babe refuses to come Ali. Its the only way. You claim that you carry my father’s son. Don’t you want to prove to the Realm that you were the one who gave my father a son who lived?”
“Yes! Yes! My son is the rightful King!”
“Ali, you’re dying. You won’t live much longer, no matter what. Your birth has just been too much for your body to handle. We’re going to save your son. They’re going to bring the baby, your son, out.”
With that said, Rhaenyra laid one hand on Alicent’s brow and with the other, she took Alicent’s hand in hers before nodding to Gerardys.
He then picked up the blade and moved it to hover right below the base of Alicent’s sternum. “Beginning the first cut now,” he said and then pushed the blade into her flesh, tearing apart the skin layers.
Alicent’s scream was deafening and many courtiers quickly exited the room. They understood the procedure and many had been present, waiting for the birth since the first day. They knew their Queen had been presented with options that were not good and that she had needed to make a tough call. The easier call would be to simply let Lady Alicent die with her child within her. It would eliminate the possible threat to her claim though many knew that the Hightowers would then claim that Rhaenyra deliberately let the babe die for that same reason.
The Queen’s decision to attempt to save the life of the child, and then to sit at Alicent’s side while she was opened up to remove the babe, was seen as honorable. The Realm’s Delight had chosen to stay close to the woman who betrayed her and try to soothe her in her final, very painful, moments.
Meanwhile, back inside the ballroom, Maester Gerardys was finishing his first cut into Alicent’s belly. Alicent was still conscious as the Maester had only cut through the flesh with this incision but she was in agony. She kept screaming “STOP! STOP! STOP! NO! NO! NO!”
The remaining courtiers felt bad for the girl and her pain but they also viewed it as a punishment from the Gods for her having whored herself out despite portraying herself as a very holy and devout woman.
Alicent’s cries grew softer as Gerardys cut through more layers of tissue. During this whole time, the Queen kept hold of Alicent’s hand and kept repeating to Alicent, “Don’t be scared. He’s bringing the baby out.”
Alicent grew still and silent right as Gerardys began to breach her womb, which signaled to him that he had to work extremely fast if there was going to be any hope for the baby but he also knew he had to be extremely careful in order to not harm the baby either.
Two minutes after Alicent took her last breath and only ten minutes after the procedure began, the babe was pulled free and took its first breath
Chapter Text
Maester Gerardys quickly severed the cord connecting the babe from its mother, allowing a midwife to then cover Lady Alicent from view, even as the courtiers who’d been waiting outside were brought in along with the other royals. Everyone was eager to know the sex of the child, its size and whether or not it looked Targaryen.
When Maester Gerardys spoke, everyone listened. “Lady Alicent’s child is a girl. Quite large and robust, which is why her mother failed at birthing her. I would say that the girl is a full term, if not a bit past term babe rather than the premature one we had expected. She has reddish silver hair, brown eyes and olive skin. She is healthy.”
He then began making rounds of the room to present the newborn to the court, letting all see that his words were true. Clearly the girl could only be a bastard as she was obviously conceived before Lady Alicent became engaged to the late King. The girl could never have a real or proper claim to the Iron Throne.
A common question arose among the masses: what sort of life and what kind of place would this bastard born daughter of King Viserys have?
After Gerardys presented the babe to the crowd, he brought the girl to the Queen.
“My Queen, what do you wish to have done with the child? I know that a wet nurse has been summoned to suckle her but she still will need a name.”
The Queen held out her arms to take the squealing newborn into her arms, “I shall name her Rose Dragonflowers for her rosy colored hair, and her status as my father’s bastard child born to a Reach woman. Maester, I intend to give the girl a good life and to one day wed her to a man of a status similar to that which I should have married her mother off to. She will not have or be allowed to claim a dragon but she will be cared for and educated as a high ranking noblewoman. Please see to it that she is cared for well and protected. Also, send out messages throughout the Realm announcing the birth of my bastard half sister Miss Rose Dragonflowers.”
“Your will is my command, My Queen.”
Rhaenyra then took the newborn with her, along with a preselected entourage of witnesses with her to present Ser Otto with his newborn granddaughter.
Notes:
Yes, Rhaenyra is going to absolutely dote on little Rose and little Rose is going to absolutely love all of her nieces and nephews when they come. I'm going to do one more chapter of this A version and then switch to B so be warned and prepared.
Chapter 10: 10A- Otto and the Queen
Notes:
Some of you have asked for an Otto moment, so here it is. Plus, a surprise announcement (though maybe not so much if you've read the pairings).
Chapter Text
When Otto learned that Alicent’s labors had begun, he was terrified. This was the time that could shatter all of his plans. He and Alicent had been claiming that she was only about a month along when King Viserys died. Only five months had passed since then so everyone would be expecting a very tiny baby. If the child was particularly large, such as a full term babe might be, it would raise suspicion that they had lied. It didn’t help matters that Otto had begun sending Alicent to “visit” King Viserys at night when Queen Aemma was in her own sixth month of pregnancy. His fertile girl had quickly gotten herself with child after their dalliances began though she wound up miscarrying after learning of Queen Aemma’s death. However, the loss of that child did not deter her ambitions and less than three months later, she had once again gotten herself with child via the King. Sadly, the King perished before he could officially make his mistress his Queen and guarantee that their son would become the next King.
With his fears in mind, Otto went to the Sept to pray. He prayed and prayed that the child would be very small despite being full term. He prayed that the child would be born with a large cock, making him unmistakably male and, despite Otto’s hatred of the Valyrian looks, he prayed that his grandson was a spitting image of King Viserys so that the boy would be undeniably the son of King Viserys and would aid his cause.
He would spend the rest of that first day praying and the bulk of the second day. After that, he tried to access the Queen’s Ballroom but the guards informed him that Queen Rhaenyra had expressly forbidden his entrance until after the child was born but that they would send someone to fetch him afterwards.
On the third day Otto was convinced that Rhaenyra had murdered his daughter and grandson but was refusing to come clean about her abominable deed. Then he got a summons to the Throne Room where it appeared that the whole court had been gathered.
Rhaenyra sat gracefully on the throne holding a bundle of swaddling blankets in front of the gathered court.
“My beloved people, I wish to introduce you all to my newly born sister, Miss Rose Dragonflowers. The Maesters and midwives in attendance at her birth have assured me that she is a large and healthy baby. However, it is also with a very heavy heart that I must also announce that her mother, my late father’s intended wife and my former maid, Mistress Alicent Hightower, did not survive the birth. The only comfort I take in this is that Mistress Alicent was able to meet her end exactly how she wished, as a Queen since she died in the same manner as my beloved late mother had. She is now with my parents, perhaps living on somewhere in the skies as the third part to their three headed dragon. It is my expectation that little Rose is treated with all of the respect and dignity that she deserves as the daughter of a King, natural born though she be. She is my sweet little sister, and will be raised alongside mine own children.
With that said, I am also very pleased to announce that I have chosen whom I shall wed. I have already sought council with the High Septon who has also granted his blessings upon the unions I have chosen to make. In three months’ time, I shall take three men as my husbands. First, I shall wed Lord Bennard Stark, younger brother of Lord Rickon Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North. Lord Bennard will take the title of King Consort upon our marriage and serve to further unite the North with the South. Second, I shall take Prince Oberyn Martell of Dorne as my second husband and he will take the title of Prince Consort of the Seven Kingdoms upon our marriage. Our union will serve as the first official tie between the Seven Kingdoms and Dorne in an alliance that we hope will serve to bring peace and union to our nations for all time. Lastly, in the tradition of my house, I will take my Uncle, Prince Daemon Targaryen, Lord of the Stepstones as a husband and Lord Consort. This will serve twofold. One, to preserve our bloodline and two, to unite my claim to my father’s throne with the other main claimant of it.
I will wed all three in the Great Sept of Baelor and be married by the High Septon himself. Afterwards, I will also marry all three by the traditions of Mother Rhoyne, in front of the Heart Tree in the Red Keep’s own Godswood and via the ancient Valyrian traditions of my house. This way I am bound to them in every way, ensuring that I have honored each house’s traditions. After the ceremonies are complete, there will be twelve days of feasts, balls, hunts, sporting events and more which will showcase all of the various cultures that are part of modern Westeros from the North straight to Dorne as well as my native Valyrian culture.”
With that said, Queen Rhaenyra stepped down off of her throne and walked up to Ser Otto with two of her Queensguard trailing close behind.
“Ser Otto. I am truly sorry for your loss. Mistress Alicent was almost like a sister to me and it greatly pains me to know that the child bed became her deathbed, like so many others. I would have loved to have her raise sweet Rose alongside the children I shall surely bear my consorts and perhaps, one day, after I am wed, I could have found her an adequate husband so that sweet Rose would have siblings closer to her own age. I sincerely wish that there had been another option, one that could have saved them both. However, it seemed as though the Stranger was desperate to reunite Alicent with my father and mother. I also hope that you truly know that I do plan for her to receive the best education possible so that one day I can secure a good match for her, despite the circumstances of her birth. Now, do you wish to hold your granddaughter before she is reunited with her nurse?”
Otto could not believe his ears, his fertile little girl had failed in her only duty. It was undeniable that the baby resting in Rhaenyra’s arms was a large baby, even by the standards of a typical full term child. Despite how the Queen had announced that Alicent’s baby was a female child, he decided he had to see for himself and it proved to be very disappointing. Rhaenyra had not lied. The baby was in truth a girl. A useless little bastard girl. Yes, she did look somewhat Targaryen but not enough that Otto felt like he could use as leverage to fully prompt an outright rebellion against Rhaenyra, at least, not at the moment. How could he spin it that the infant child was legitimate and had greater claim to the throne than her half sister? It was a conundrum that would take Otto a good deal of time to figure out.
On top of this, he also had the absolute blasphemy of the High Septon supporting a Targaryen over a Hightower. How could that man possibly think allowing a stupid little girl to marry three separate men of three very different cultures, none of which being Andal where the girl could finally learn her proper place in the world, as being a good thing? This was very, very bad for Otto. It meant that she was going to be kin to the Martell's, who’s lands bordered the Reach, the Starks, meaning the full and unwavering support of the North and its vast armies and would have Prince Daemon, Otto’s worst enemy, as another consort and Otto knew that Daemon would not allow ANYTHING to cause harm to his beloved niece.
It truly seemed as though, at the moment, Otto’s best option was to pray that Rhaenyra would also suffer from complications and that the child bed would also take her, after she inevitably entered it. He would have to hope and pray that her consorts proved to be highly insatiable and that the girl’s womb would quickly swell up. Perhaps by the time she was set to give birth, he could get someone in her birthing chamber to slip her something that would make it seem as though she and her child died of natural childbirth complications. He could only hope as that would open things up for Otto to strike and place the bastard girl of his daughter’s on the throne who he could then marry off to one of his or his brother’s grandsons.
Chapter 11: 8B- Alicent's Little Beauty
Notes:
For those of you who have been following a long, this is THE OTHER chapter 8. This is the first chapter of the B arc. It IS NOT a continuation of the previous Chapter. I hope this makes sense and that those who don't care for chapter 8A will like this one more.
Chapter Text
Alicent's labors would prove to be extremely long and difficult, especially as she kept trying to fight off all of those who endeavored to offer her assistance. She refused Milk of the Poppy as she was afraid that Rhaenyra was trying to poison her and kill her son, despite how Rhaenyra had been 100% within her rights to force Alicent to consume Moon Tea after Viserys had died and yet, Rhaenyra had not done so.
Alicent knew that the birth of her child could ruin everything she and her father had worked so long and hard for. If only the Throne had not killed Viserys until after she had presented him with his long awaited son and he finally disinherited his good for nothing daughter so that all the sacrifices she had made over the years would be finally worth it.
Yes, Alicent had made many sacrifices for the Greater Good of the Realm. It had started when she was a young child by befriending and becoming the Royal Nuisances best friend and sole Lady. At age nine, it meant being taken to brothels where she was able to watch the physical interactions between men and women and later, it meant learning how to please a man with her hands, mouth and throat. Then, after she had flowered at age 11, and following another of Queen Aemma’s failed pregnancies, it involved “visiting” the King in the dead of night. He took her virginity on her 12th birthday and named her his secret mistress. She didn’t particularly enjoy bedding the King, partially because he was old and fat, but she knew that one day Aemma would die, be killed, set aside because of being barren or that King Viserys would need to take a second wife and she knew it had to be her. That is also why, after she lost her virginity, she allowed her father to insist that she whore herself out on the Street of Silk so that she could get better at sex to please the King. Granted, juggling her time whoring, visiting the King and playing mousy companion to the Princess was oftentimes difficult. However, Alicent learned that she could make her way to the brothel without arousing suspicion from the Princess by announcing that she was going to spend time in the Sept praying.
For four years Alicent spent at least 12 nights per month with the King, letting him use her as he pleased and providing him with pleasure all without Aemma or Rhaenyra knowing. Then, one night about halfway through Aemma’s last pregnancy, the King told her that Aemma vowed that this pregnancy would be her last, regardless of the fate or gender of the child. That night, Alicent offered herself up as a vessel for the King’s seed to take root in and in response, Viserys took her harder and deeper than he ever had. Their secret dalliances increased in number to five or more per week as he eagerly plowed her fertile field. At this time, she also finally stopped taking Moon Tea, despite how she continued whoring herself in a brothel two to four times per week for up to four hours at a time, each time.
A month after she agreed to carry the King’s child, she started to wonder if she could actually be with child. Another month passed and still she hadn’t bled so she was certain. She eagerly told her father the good news. She had the King’s bastard growing in her belly. However, before she could break the good news to King, she miscarried. She didn’t let this misfortune stop her from continuing to visit the King’s bed. It wasn’t until learning that the Maesters had finally succeeded in eliminating Aemma, that Alicent truly began to feel a sense of Victory. Now, all she needed to do was get Viserys to put a son into her belly and make her his Queen. She believes that in her victorious high the night Aemma died allowed for the King’s seed to take root as, again, two months passed without her monthlies. When a third month passed without bleeding, she finally told her long time lover the wonderful news of their pending baby. He quickly asked her father for permission for them to marry so that the child would not be born a bastard and her father eagerly agreed. Everything was going their way.
Then it wasn’t. About a month after announcing their engagement, somehow the Iron Throne killed Viserys. Alicent was four months pregnant and this was bad. If anyone knew she had gotten pregnant earlier than the time of the engagement, she would be permanently branded a whore and it would be far harder to claim the throne for her child. To make matters even worse, when Alicent and her Father tried to claim the throne for her unborn child, their claim was largely rejected in favor of a mere princess.
The princess then again chose to make Alicent’s life even harder. She ordered her to be locked away in the Maidenvault until the time came for her birth. When her labor finally did begin, five months after King Viserys died, she was brought, kicking and screaming, to the Queen’s Ballroom where Rhaenyra had so cruelly ordered for her to give birth in front of an audience.
That led to the present moment. Alicent lay spread eagle tied to a bed even while contractions tore through her body. Alicent screamed and cried out for help but none of the assembled courtiers moved to do anything to aid her. Instead they talked and gossiped among themselves even as the hours dragged on.
Finally, after 18 long hours, the chief midwife ordered that Queen Rhaenyra, Ser Otto and anyone else wishing to witness the imminent birth to be brought into the ballroom as it was nearly time.
When Alicent saw her father for the first time in months, she wept and begged him to save her from the indignity in which she’d been suffering from. However, he did not move from the place he had positioned himself to do anything for her as he stared intently at her exposed womanhood where he baby was close to crowning.
Rhaenyra, Rhaenys and Laena arrived shortly thereafter and took up seated positions near the foot of the bed to watch the moment of birth.
Less than a quarter of an hour after they arrived, the midwife finally gave the exhausted Alicent the order to push. After what seemed like nearly an eternity later, a baby’s cry was heard throughout the room.
“Untie me at once!” Alicent ordered. “I want to see my son! Give me my son!”
However, the midwife did not listen to Alicent but rather, after cutting the cord, brought the newly delivered baby over to the Queen for her inspection.
“She’s beautiful! One day men will fight over the chance to have her,” announced the Queen as she gently offered her finger for the newborn to grasp in her tiny hand. “You will need a beautiful name won’t you darling! One sweet enough to slip off your future lover's tongue as he drives you to the point of ecstasy. Well, let me think about it while your grandsire and mother take a good look at you precious girl!”
The midwife then brought the newborn over to Otto who could not hide his fury completely as he gazed upon his granddaughter for the first time.
“Let her mother see her as I’m sure my dearest daughter has been eagerly awaiting the moment where she could finally meet her babe.”
He then waved off the midwife.
Alicent had delivered the afterbirth and had been cleaned up a bit and untied by the time her baby was finally brought to her and it quickly became very apparent to her why her father’s face looked furious. Not only had Alicent failed to birth a son but her child also did not look Targaryen despite her amethyst colored eyes. The baby’s hair though still covered in blood and fluids, clearly lacked the Targaryen silver color and appeared more of a red gold shade that wasn’t as silky looking as was common among the Targaryens. The most distinguishingly obvious part that made the baby not look Targaryen was her skin color. Alicent’s newborn daughter had copper toned skin; a far cry from the unnaturally pale skin of the Targaryen's or the rosy tone that was so common among the Andals. Despite all of this, Alicent had to agree with Rhaenyra. Her baby was stunningly beautiful.
Rhaenyra gave Alicent a few minutes with her newborn before coming over to announce the name she had chosen for the girl.
The Young Queen sat down on the bed beside Alicent and spoke gently to her.
“Alicent, your daughter is a true beauty but you must know that I cannot claim that she is legitimate. If you and your father had spoken truthfully about the time in which she was conceived, she would be much smaller and more frail but what I will do is give her the surname of Dragonflower so that she will be set apart from all of the other claimed bastards of the realm. Ali, she will be known as Miss Athalia Dragonflower. A beautiful name for a beautiful girl and I will have her raised in my court as a noblewoman as she will be my ward.”
“No! She’s my daughter so I deserve to name her and you will not take her from me!”
“I am Queen and she will be my legal ward as she is an innocent. You and your father, however, lied to your Queen and as such will face the consequences. I’m sorry, but, perhaps, if you had only told the truth, you would get to keep her with you.”
Rhaenyra then took the newborn into her arms and spoke to the people gathered.
“I, Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, present to you my new ward, Miss Athalia Dragonflower.”
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