Chapter Text
Daemon didn’t like waiting. He preferred to take the initiative and claim whatever it was he wanted whenever he wanted it. But what he currently wanted beyond his power to claim. He wanted Rhaenyra to wake up. He wanted to grab her by the shoulders and shake her until her eyes opened. They should be celebrating, basking in the arrival of their newborn sons together. Instead he was left to sit vigil by her side, occasionally walking the short distance to check on the babes in their cradle.
There was no doubt in his mind who was behind this. There was only one person stupid and bold enough to make an attempt on Rhaenyra’s life. And now no amount of goodwill that Viserys had left towards Otto fucking Hightower would keep the man safe. Daemon would fly Caraxes to Oldtown himself and burn the whole place to the ground if he had to, before returning to dump the man’s head at the feet of his green clad whelp. That could be the only possible consequence of leaving his wife in this condition.
He had to admit, the midwives had done their work with remarkable efficacy, changing the bedding and cleaning Rhaenyra after the birth despite her lack of consciousness. They had dressed her in a new nightgown, arranged her primly on the bed, arms folded over her stomach on top of the blankets. To any other observer she might merely be asleep. But Rhaenyra did not sleep like that, elegantly and properly. She demanded space in the bed, spreading out her limbs and claiming her territory when not…. otherwise occupied by Daemon. Like him, she took what she wanted, when she wanted it.
Growing restless he rose, walking over to check on his sons again. They had been asleep together in their cradle since soon after birth, as if touched by the same malady that plagued their mother. But unlike Rhaenyra who lay pale and cold, they were pink little things, warm through their blankets when Daemon brushed his hand against them. Feeling a burst of frustration, Daemon grabbed the side of the carved wooden monstrosity and dragged it over to his wife’s bedside. There he could watch over the three of them at once. It was heavier than it looked, and the occupants inside didn’t care for the sudden movement.
Thankfully one of the midwives had had the good sense to swaddle the infants in different colored blankets, otherwise he wouldn’t be able to tell that it was Aegon who scrunched up his little face and started to whine.
“Don’t!” Daemon quickly lifted his son out of the cradle, trying to get him to quiet before he woke his brother up.
“It’s alright little one, there’s nothing for you to worry about.” Nothing the babe could solve at least. His son seemed impossibly small in his arms as he held him close. Even more so considering the midwives had claimed for the last few months that his child would be unusually large, given the size of Rhaenyra’s belly.
“Barely hours old and already surprising the rest of us. Well done little dragon.” Aegon gazed up at him with eyes that already mirrored his own, a darker purple hue than his mother’s. It was a strange thing, to finally be holding a child of his own blood. A child of pure Valyrian blood. He had started to wonder if he ever would, chained as he once was to that abhorrent Bronze Bitch. The thought of having children with her made him shudder. But with Rhaenyra….
Aegon fidgeted in his grip once again, as if yearning for another’s calming touch.
“You want your mother, don’t you little dragon?” He whispered to him. “Don’t worry. She’ll wake up soon. And then we’ll all be together.”
He rocked his son for a few more minutes, humming some old tune and soothing the babe back to sleep before laying him down beside his brother. He yawned, feeling a wave of exhaustion hit him as well after the long night. He reached over to his wife, gripping Rhaenyra’s hand tightly and laying his head down next to her on the bed. It certainly wouldn’t hurt to close his eyes for just a moment.
~~~~~~~~~~~
Rhaenyra regained consciousness slowly, her mind blank and her limbs heavy as her eyes fluttered open. The room was dark and silent, vaguely she felt someone holding her hand. She grimaced, a dull pain throbbing in her abdomen and in her throat as she struggled to think. Her maids had been with her, they were eating the lemon cakes she’d requested. And then her stomach felt like it was on fire….
Her babes! She bolted upright, a hoarse cry of pain escaping her lips before she fell back down again. The soft sound was enough to wake the person by her side, Daemon’s head shooting up from her side as his grip tightened on her hand.
“Rhaenyra….” He muttered before surging forward to kiss her soundly, holding her close to him.
She kissed him back weakly before breaking the kiss with a coughing fit. Daemon hurried over to the table to pour her a glass of water. She drank it eagerly, the cool liquid soothing her sore throat.
“What happened?” She asked once the glass was empty.
Daemon’s face turned dark as he pulled her back into his arms. She sank eagerly against his chest, his presence soothing her nerves.
“You were poisoned. Someone tried to kill you and our sons.” He growled, tightening his arms around her. Rhaenyra looked out into the room, trying to catch a glimpse of the cradle they’d had set up.
“My babes? Where are they?!”
“They’re right here, love. I haven’t let them out of my sight.” Daemon reassured her, smirking as she held her arms out eagerly.
“Give them to me!”
He reached into a crib that had been dragged close to the bed, carefully pulling out the small figure wrapped in a dark blanket.
“Shh, hush now. It’s alright. Your munã’s awake now.” He muttered as their son began to whine, passing him quickly into his mother’s arms.
“Which one….?”
“Aegon.”
“Aegon….” Rhaenyra breathed out as she gazed at her son, pulling back the blanket to get a better look at him. She ran her hand softly over the fine hairs on his head, leaning down to press a kiss to the top of his head as he began to fidget. He curled his hands up by his face, pale eyes staring back up at her. He seemed heavy in her arms for such a small babe, his weight a reassuring thing as she turned back to Daemon.
“Are they alright? It didn’t hurt them? The poison?”
“Not at all. The midwives said they’re both healthy and well.” He reassured her, their second son cradled tightly in his arms. Unlike his older twin, Viserys had a soft tuft of hair that stuck straight up. Rhaenyra felt a surge of emotion as she glanced between her sons, a loud sob escaping her without warning.
It was loud enough to bring both Dina and Ser Harrold into the room, the latter looking at her with relief while the former set about checking her over.
“Thank the gods. It’s a relief to see you well, Princess. I’ll let the king know at once.”
“Wait!” She cried out, fighting back her tears and sitting up a little straighter. “Please just, give us a moment, Ser Harrold. I’ll let you know when to summon my father.”
The kingsguard nodded, smiling softly at her before returning to his post outside the door. Once he was gone Rhaenyra started crying again, angrily trying to wipe the tears away.
“What’s wrong, my love? Are you in pain?” Daemon asked, trying to soothe her while not waking their child up.
“I don’t know.” She sobbed. “I’m happy. I don’t know why I’m crying.”
“Sometimes it just happens dear.” Dina reassured her, the midwife handing her a kerchief. “Childbirth is a trying time. I’ve seen many new mothers cry when they hold their babe for the first time. ‘Tis nothing to be ashamed of.”
Rhaenyra sniffled, leaning into Daemon as he pulled her close again. He seemed unwilling to let there be any distance between them now that she was awake.
“Oh!” She gasped as Aegon shifted in her arms, her son starting to whine again as he nuzzled into her.
“I believe the little prince might be hungry, your grace. We’ve been looking for a suitable wet nurse but haven’t found one yet.”
“Can I not feed my children myself?” She demanded.
“Of course you can, your grace. If you’d like. Here, let me help you with that.”
The midwife helped her with her nightgown, unlacing it just enough to allow her son to nurse. She then helped her adjust her grip on Aegon so he could nurse comfortably. Rhaenyra gasped, the sensation very strange to her.
Dina left them alone again once she was satisfied that mother and children were in good health. Rhaeynra had to admit she was relieved. She felt exposed and vulnerable while her son nursed, curling around him as if to protect him from unseen harm. A sound from the bundle in Daemon’s arms made her look up. Viserys was not as loud as his brother, but he kicked out his legs insistently as he woke.
“I think he’s hungry as well.” Daemon muttered, trying to soothe the babe to no avail.
“Bring him here, I can feed both of them.”
After a few moments of shuffling, and with a ridiculous amount of pillows placed under her arms to help support them, Rhaenyra finally had both her sons in her arms. She couldn’t keep her eyes off them, noting every feature in their tiny faces. Her husband remained pressed to her side, a protective arm around her shoulders while their children nursed.
“What are you thinking about?” Daemon asked from above her, an adoring look on his face as he looked down at her.
“I just can’t believe they’re here. And I’m here.” She hesitated, not wanting to spoil the mood with her silly fears. “I didn’t think I would be.”
He tightened his grip on her, pressing a kiss to the top of her head, breathing her scent.
“Of course you’re here. You’re the strongest woman in all the seven kingdoms.”
She snorted. “I told my mother I'd rather serve as a knight and ride to battle and glory than face the childbed. She told me this was to be my battlefield.”
“Then that also makes you the greatest warrior in the seven kingdoms.” He muttered against her hair. “Your mother would be so proud of you.”
“I wish she were here….”
“I know.”
Her sons finished nursing with little fuss, allowing her to cover up again as Daemon lifted Aegon into his arms. He went to place their son back in the cradle before Rhaenyra stopped him.
“I don’t want them back in there. I don’t want them so far away.” She whined.
“It’s just over the side of the bed. And we can hardly hold them forever, my love.”
“Well then think of something else, because I’m not letting them out of my sight!”
Daemon chuckled at her, glancing around the room before getting up and grabbing a shallow sewing basket. The kind that was meant to hold the embroidery projects she never worked on. Dumping out the contents onto a chair he brought it over to the bed, nestling first Aegon and then Viserys into it. It was a tight fit, but their children didn’t seem to mind. And most importantly it kept them by her side.
“Is that better, my queen?” He asked with an exaggerated bow.
“Don’t you patronize me Daemon. I just went through hell to give you those boys.” She pouted.
“I know, my love.” He purred, laying back down next to her and nuzzling into her neck. “And I love you all the more for it.”
Rhaenyra rolled her eyes at him before straightening her nightgown and smoothing down her hair.
“How do I look?” She asked.
“Like a goddess made flesh.”
“Enough Daemon, we need to summon my father eventually.” She shoved him in the shoulder so he would look at her.
“I know. And I meant it.”
With one word Ser Harrold was summoned to send someone to fetch her father, leaving Rhaenyra and Daemon to bask in their new little family for just a few minutes more.