30
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112 AC
Kingslanding
Aemma Arryn
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I can't move even as I struggle to stop them, they only hold me down with more force to keep me from resisting. I am too tired to fight back after all the pushing I have been doing and my hope slowly dies out. The words 'they are going to get the baby out now' echo in my mind as the blade slices into my flesh. My cries to my husband go unheard as he holds my hand tight with his own.
He can't even look as he closes his eyes and turns his head down, my vision blurs from tears unshed. My lifeblood poured down between my legs as the opening into my womb gives the Maester access to the babe. The babe I have died to get this far for, I am not even sure how to feel as confusion is the only thing on my mind.
Why did Viserys do this, why is he allowing them to do this? Surely they could have at least put me to sleep with something, this pain is worse than even pushing the baby out.
The hands slide inside me as I jerk helplessly trying to stop him, the unnatural way of pulling the child out is a knife in my heart. My baby will never know me, other than knowing it was the 'reason' for my death. That is exactly how I always remembered my Mother, I only knew I killed her on my way into the world.
Is this the gods punishing me?
My strength fades more and more and I feel Viserys let go of my hand as my vision goes dark. Likely trying to hold the son he always wanted, wanted more than he loved his wife. I send one last prayer for my Rhaenyra, a prayer she never has to go through this.
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I feel something once more but I can not even move my body, I feel like I am stuck inside myself. Is this how it feels to be dead, am I nothing but a spirit trapped inside of my body while I feel cold hands along my wound? The 'taste' of something gave me some kind of strength I never knew I would feel again.
I can hear voices but I can not make out what they are saying, the coldness grows and it starts to itch. I feel the itch along the wound that killed me as I take deeper breaths and can feel my heart start to jump. An urge to move almost like an animal in a cage overpowers me and I am helpless to stop it. I let go and felt myself grow tired even as the itch threatens to drive me mad just like the hands that dipped inside of me earlier.
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I blink a few times seeing the ceiling of my room, I try to lift my head and drop it back down feeling like ants are crawling around under my skin.
"Seems you woke up, I was just coming by to check on you after the King left your side to go to a small council meeting." I groan as my body jerks thinking about what just happened, how could Viserys leave me after what he just did, how am I even alive? "Let me help you." I feel a hand slide behind my head and lift it and I spot Daeron as he slides some pillows behind me to prop me up.
I look down and see nothing, well more like I see no blood that I was expecting to see. I move my legs and feel the ghost of a knife run across my stomach and stop. I close my eyes tight as the pain spikes and I am scared to open them again and see the blood pouring once more.
"Here drink some of this it should help, I had it made on my way over in hopes you would be awake. You lost a lot of blood and the... potion I gave you has some side effects as well. You need to get something in your stomach sooner than later before you keel over dead." I look over to see Daeron holding out a cup with some kind of green liquid inside of it.
"What... is it?" He snorts and I see his lips curl up for a second before he holds it up to my nose and I smell it hesitantly and find myself almost gagging.
"It is not that bad, they didn't have all the ingredients I would have used and there missing my handcrafted straws that would help you drink but that can't be helped." He stops before holding up a finger and looking around the room.
I almost ask him what is wrong before he starts using his magic and I see his waterskin drain out some water. It floats for a second and makes various shapes before a skinny stick is made and it then freezes and he grabs it with one hand before sending the rest of the water back. He drops one end of the stick into the cup and then holds it out to me once more with a grin on his face.
"There, it's a little thick but it should work and might make the taste a little more pleasant with the chill." I look back down and I can see the ice stick is hollow. "Just give it a taste at the very least, you should trust me a bit more I did save your life after all." I look back at him in confusion as my wound twitches hearing he saved my life.
"What is that even supposed to do anyway?" I try to not think about it as the memories of the birthing play in my mind and suddenly I feel as if I am struck in the chest. "Where is the baby?!" I look around and see nothing and I try to move to search for my child but fall back into the pillows.
"Visenya is with a wet nurse, they didn't think it was ok to just latch her onto your tit while you slept. I will go get her or at least I will tell the wet nurse to bring her in here but I want to see you drink some of this first. The ice is a 'straw' by the way, place it between your lips and suck the drink from the cup." I feel my head pound with a headache as I imagine my baby who they named for me with some other woman.
I barely recognize as I take the ice into my lips and follow Daerons instructions and find a bitter drink in my mouth. I almost cough it out in surprise but I stop myself when I remember Daeron will go get my babe once I drink some. The taste is horrible but there is a hint of something familiar and I feel strength pouring through my body the more I drink.
"That should be enough, I will go hunt down Visenya and send word to the King that you are awake. I am sure Rhaenyra will also be excited, she told me she would be by when she woke up but I will send word to her as well that you're awake." Lots of what he just said confused me but I mainly feel a hint of fear and anger hearing the name of my husband.
Daeron walks out the door but before it closes a woman with a spear walks in, a Dornish woman I have never seen. I have no clue why a Dornish woman is watching over me but I find myself looking back to the cup Daeron left. The crystal-like ice 'straw' drips some of the murky green liquid onto the table it was set on beside my bed.
I lick my lips before looking away from it to break the odd draw I feel to taste more of the nasty drink. I need to refocus myself and think about the meeting I know is coming with my husband and it will not be pleasant. I still feel like a knife is sliding through my skin as the words 'they are going to get the baby out now' echo in my mind.
Anger and hurt threaten to burst out but also some surprise, he is so obsessed over his ideal heir being born he did not waver in his decision. I begged and begged and he hold steadfast as I tried to escape.
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112 AC
Kingslanding
Rhaenyra Targaryen
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Walking into my mother's room I feel tears in my eyes as I see her holding Visenya with a smile on her lips. A smile I doubted I would ever see again when I saw what they had done to her taking Visenya out of her. She looks up and sees me and I run across the room to get to her.
I climb onto the bed slowly to make sure I do not hurt her or Visenya and I sit beside her. I slide an arm behind her and one over her as I hug her and place my head against her own. The tears start falling as I feel her head push against my own showing she is really alive.
"I thought you were going to die, when I saw you I thought you were gone." I sniff and turn to place a kiss against her hair. "Don't leave me, I am not ready." She hums and Visenya starts crying causing me to pull back.
"Shhh, it's ok Visenya your sister is just sad but we are ok..." She tries to rock Visenya and I see her arms shake a little before she stops and holds Visenya still. "I see you got the name you wanted for her." I see a sly smile full of pain and my heart clenches in my chest.
"I think the name suits her perfectly, she can certainly yell like a warrior queen." I look down to see my sister wiggle slightly and I smile imagining her with a sword one day.
"I like the name, I am just surprised you were right after your father was so certain it was a boy." She looks down at Visenya with a fond smile and love in her eyes, but there was a bitter sound when she talked about father.
I am still unsure how I feel about the decision he made, even after all the time I had last night and this morning lying awake. But I can also blame that on Daeron and the kiss we shared, I could not get it out of my mind to think about other things. It seems cruel to think about something like that when my mother was so close to death but I can not help it.
I look around the room once more and frown not seeing him in here, a servant let me know he was here with my mother and she was awake. Did he get nervous or something and leave before I got here?
"What's wrong?" I hear my mother ask with a worried tone.
"Nothing, I just thought Daeron would be here." I fight off the heat rushing to my face as I remember the feeling of his lips on mine before his tongue slipped out.
I was not expecting him to do that and I was surprised, next time I will be ready though.
"He went to go see his family, he said something about planning something with the Velaryons." I nod and snuggle back up next to her as I reach out and run a finger over Visenyas small head.
She looks at me oddly but I ignore it, she has always been good at noticing when I am hiding something. But I can not tell her or she would have someone follow me without any chance of escaping. I imagine she would stop my flights with Daeron and order the keepers to chain Syrax down until the wedding.
But little does she know Gaelithox would not mind carrying me and I might actually enjoy riding together a bit more anyway. But I also love Syrax so I will not think about that too much, she might get jealous.