70
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113 AC
Sunspear
Daeron Nymeros Martell
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"What in the seven hells is that?" Rhaenyra asks as I push a sure-as-shit baby walker into the room.
"Artwork." Six wheels went into giving the 'walker' mobility and they are not the best but they do in fact work. "It will help Aegon stretch those anxious legs of his, I had sent for my Father to get some woodworkers to carve everything out a while back. I helped assemble it when I got here as it was my idea and I think it will work perfectly." Not mine but I will shamelessly steal the credit for it, I imagine this will get me in the history books more often than even taking Lys will.
I mean who doesn't just want to sit their baby in something where they can't reach anything since even if they run the walker into something their arms will be too small. It might as well be a big bubble but far less 'in your face' and gives a baby a sense of freedom while training their legs. I know my Nephew in my last life loved his so much he would cry if it was not in sight at all times. His Mother said it was because he is like his Father who was my Brother and how he used to be with his truck and keeping it within eyes sight as well.
"Daeron... this looks dangerous." She crosses her arms as I wave off her concern and kneel on the ground padded with pillows that Aegon is laying on playing with a small wooden dragon.
"Time to walk my boy." He certainly does not understand but his enthusiasm just at being lifted is infectious as I get fired up to see him trying out the contraption.
Walking on my knees I lift Aegon up by his armpits as he looks around with his far less wobbly head these days. His feet won't stop kicking as I try to lower him into the little 'seat' that was sewed by my Mother. It takes far more effort than I would like as he seems to make a game out of kicking his feet so they won't go in the holes.
"It is like trying to put him in those little pants, he hates when his feet are going into something." Rhaenyra chuckles spotting the problem before she kneels and helps me. "My little man." She pinches his cheeks as I fully set him in it and pull my hands back letting him sit in it alone.
"Ahhh!" He calls out as his hands reach out for the edge but it is too far away, as was intended so he could not crush them running into a wall with the walker.
I use my foot on the lower level that the wheels are mounted to and push him forward before pulling him back with my toes hooked around one of the supports. Each support has a wheel under it as I felt that was the most structurally safe and I wanted it as baby ready as possible. The wheels had some edges being a very awkward size for the woodworker and I sanded them down for hours with anticipation building in my chest. But seeing him look around wide-eyed I can't help but smile knowing he will love this little thing.
"I thought you ran off to tend to some duty instead of guiding your Wife around your home but instead you went for a gift for Aegon... that is sweet." She kisses my cheek prompting me to quickly turn and steal her lips before turning back hearing Aegon squealing. "His little feet!" Now my Wife squeals as we watch Aegon kick at the ground lifting his feet and slamming them ground testing out what is going on down there.
"I can't wait till he has enough strength in those little meaty legs to push himself around... or I might be dooming myself to future headaches." It suddenly hits me like an arrow from a blind spot that this might have been a horrible idea.
Aegon being mobile sooner is not such a good idea now that I am thinking about it.
"Let's put a rope around one of these legs and pull him with us... so he can 'walk' on the tour with us." Rhaenyra smiles wide as she tugs on one of the legs in a testing manner before looking at me expectantly.
I gulp looking between my Son and my Wife as they both look excited for different reasons. Rhaenyra because she is imagining Aegon looking adorable towed along behind us and Aegon because he is face first against the smooth oiled wood smelling it.
"Alright." I nervously chuckle knowing this might prompt many such 'walks' in the future.
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113 AC
Sunspear
Saera Martell
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"Did you enjoy your morning meal?" I ask as I walk into my Husbands Solar and spot him behind the ancient-looking desk.
"I loved it, it went well with some unexpected news from Kingslanding." He moves things around the desk until he finds his target and holds it up.
"What could this be I wonder?" I take and open the message that at one point was sealed with the Targaryen sigil. "This is certainly a surprise... I am concerned for her safety if I am honest." Aemma had written to me before and after going to claim Dreamfyre and her latest Raven told me about how much she loved to fly.
"I think she is over-eager myself but who am I to deny a Queen wanting to visit?" My Husband playfully responds and I sigh setting the message down.
"I see." She should know Daeron and Rhaenyra are here by now and the letter requested to fly over once they made it here safely. "Did you send a response?" I ask and get a slow nod as he tends to another message.
"I did, I welcomed her to make the journey only if she felt safe and secure in doing so." So if she falls you are not in any way responsible, not that I blame my Husband.
"That is wise, I hope she will make it here fine and can see all of Sunspear with her Daughter and Grandchild. I look forward to guiding her around and hearing her talk about her claiming of Dreamfyre." I remember back when I tried to sneak into the pit to claim a dragon to flee to Essos.
I wanted to claim Dreamfyre, the biggest unclaimed dragon at the time that was not 'wild' and 'untamed'. I was caught and dragged back to my Father who was furious and went red in the face disowning me as a whore. My Mother wept and wanted to hug me but was forbidden... eventually leading to one of their legendary 'fights' when I was hauled off to Oldtown.
She always had a soft spot for me, she even nursed me all by herself and for likely far longer than she should have allowed. I can't lie that she always treated me just a 'touch' better than she did anyone else. I was a spoiled little shit and it showed with how I ended up and even shoved a frail old woman down in my escape at Oldtown.
"Are you alright?" I look up and smile as I push the past back where it belongs and nod.
"I am fine, I wish to go find my sweet Aegon and try to get him to taste some thoroughly mashed jelly." I stand up and turn hearing him hum before returning to his reading.
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"My heart is melting." I speak up seeing Aegon 'ride' in the contraption his Father helped build for him.
"He went red in the face from laughing and then peed on himself." Daeron wryly responds to my cooing as I head in to give Aegon some love.
"What did you expect?" I ask as I turn to my Son who shrugs and for a moment I am once more transported into a memory of him shrugging just like this but half the size and after misplacing a necklace. "Was he to ask you to stop and to let him out of it so he could pee?" I ask and Daeron sighs before handing over the rope he used to pull Aegon along.
"I am passing him off, he can't go upstairs in that thing and does not want out so I will have to take Rhaenyra alone to see the rest of our beautiful home." I smile and nod getting some more alone time with my sweet boy.
"That is fine." I check on Rhaenyra and she notices and gives a nod showing she is fine with this as well. "I will pull him around, I will take him out to the garden with the fountain since it is nice and smooth out there." That and I want to show Aegon the plants I have cared for in the last few years, he is sure to love the bright flowers I got to bloom against all odds in this heat.
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113 AC
Kingslanding
Aemma Arryn
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"I still would rather you take a wheelhouse... but I know you would not endanger Visenya so I will instead wish you good health. I will see you off in the Morn and make sure that Visenyas dragon is brought." I nod hearing Viserys will be taking care of that for me.
"Thank you." I once more check the bags that I am bringing, the saddle had more straps added to be like Daerons to carry all the bags I will need for both Me and my Daughter.
"Good night." I hear Viserys mutter as he heads for the door only stopping at it for a moment before opening it and leaving.
I drop onto my bed with a sigh once more being left alone... or rather as alone as I have been in recent times. I have had Visenya sleeping in my room with me since I woke up after 'birthing' her and it has made my time far less lonely. Tomorrow I will take my Daughter down to Sunspear with her own little dragon. Balerion is nice and behaved with my Good Son saying he 'tamed' him as well as one can tame a baby dragon. I am looking forward to seeing him work his honed skills at rearing a baby dragon on Visenyas as well.
I don't know if it will happen but Visenya and Aegon ending up married could come to pass from the little Rhaenyra talked about it. But regardless of marriage or not they will be close because of both age and being the two young dragon riders who will likely fly together a lot. So the sooner their dragons become 'friends' the better it will be in the long run as they grow up.
I just can not wait to see the sky full of Princes and Princesses flying and having the time of their life. My own time in the sky ignited a fire in my heart for flying and the joy it brings feeling the wind blow my hair and my stomach doing flips. During the saddle modification, they also added a 'baby seat' like Daerons and I like taking Visenya as well. I don't trust my arms to hold myself and my Daughter like Alyssa Targaryen did with Viserys and Daemon when they had just been born. But I still wanted to take Visenya up and needed the seat to take her to Dorne so I had it added on and have loved it.
Sitting back up I head to the table to pour myself some wine wanting to sip some as I stay up a little longer. I want to make sure I got everything I will need down in the hot sands and cool pools I heard about in the newly built 'Water Gardens'. I have not an idea how long I will be off on this new and exciting adventure but I do know for the first time since the Royal Progress started I have been smiling a lot more.