Chapter Text
“Just go easy on her,” Rhaenyra exhaled, sat by Robyn. “She’s been in bed the whole morning, she is very embarrassed, and her whole face hurts, she has a headache… so I think she is getting a good grasp of the consequences of her actions.”
She had arrived to pick up Daenerys, but Rhaenyra wanted to have a little talk with her first.
They had all had a very intense night. The kids overslept a little bit, Daemon made sure to wake up Baela in the loudest way possible, with both Joff and Eggy climbing on her and singing as loud as they possibly could. She knew that because she had also woken up like that - because Laenor thought it was going to be very fun to give Joff a microphone for Christmas.
Co-Parenting.
Aella was playing with him in the park while they talked, and Robyn seemed absolutely worried.
“I don’t know why she thought it would be a good idea,” her friend exhaled, pinching the bridge of her nose. “We don’t even have alcohol visible in the house, we drink outside.”
Rhaenyra thought a little. Well, they kept their alcohol locked too, but kids were always into exploring.
“A lot of films have drinking in it,” she reminded her. “She will get exposed to it one way or another.”
Robyn looked at her, still frowning, and sipped her tea.
She was a bit older than Rhaenyra, not by a whole decade, but older.
Not everyone got pregnant at 19.
“How do you do it?” she asked, looking a bit lost. “Two out of three of the kids are responsible, I consider that a success.”
Rhaenyra exhaled, setting her cup down. She’d served some tea so they could talk over it, it was good for the nerves.
“Well, they have been toasting with us with champagne since they turned 14,” she told her. “And now that they are 15 they can drink what we are drinking, or what they might want to drink, as long as they are at home with us, or with the boys’ father and stepfather.”
It was a controversial decision, she had to admit. Rhaenyra didn’t drink a lot, when she wasn’t pregnant, or breastfeeding, she was overly worried about her body, and the empty calories in alcohol. And then she was pregnant again, and she hadn’t stopped making milk since Eggy was born, so drinking was very uncommon. Daemon didn’t drink much either, not when they had so many kids to care for. So it made it easy to measure the kids’ exposure to it.
In New Valyria, anyone over the age of 17 was able to buy alcohol. It was how every teen party ended up having it - someone was always old enough to get it for everybody.
“And does it work?” Robyn asked.
Rhaenyra exhaled.
“Well, two out of three of them followed the rule last night,” she told her. “And it’s a process. Kids will always try to push your buttons, but I’m sure that’s not Danny’s problem.”
Robyn just breathed out, resting her head on the back of her armchair.
“Alright,” she decided. “I’ll go get her.”
Rhaenyra rubbed her shoulder gently.
“Good luck,” she exhaled. “You can call me anytime.”
“Thank you,” Robyn set her mug down. “Really.”
“Always,” she smiled.
Robyn left, and Rhaenyra sipped her warm tea for a moment, but before she could get up, a knock got her attention.
Jace was standing by the door, looking at her with his lip sucked into his mouth, with that face he got when he was upset, but he didn’t want to pout.
“Hi ba-,” she started, but stopped.
He was not a baby, he said it himself.
“Hi, honey,” she greeted him. “I thought you were gaming.”
He looked out the door, crossing his arms.
“Can I talk to you?” he asked, tucking his chin in. “You said you walked to talk to me.”
She stopped. Oh. She had, yes.
“Of course,” she agreed. “Come in.”
He stepped inside, bleached blond hair shining and looking better than her own when she was his age - not that she was too worried about it when she was 15, she had other problems. Her son closed the door, and she reached for her teacup, setting it down.
“I want to talk about something you said,” she told him. “Do you want tea?”
Jace walked to her, sitting down at the chair and moving his shoulder back, his pretty chin all scrunched just like when he was a kid.
“Sure,” he mumbled.
Rhaenyra poured it into a new cup, part of her office set. Tea always helped with hard conversations. It was why she kept everything around for it.
His leg was shaking impatiently, and she could see his fingers fidgeting with the fabric of his shorts, but she didn’t say anything.
“Sugar?” she offered;
“Half a spoon, please.”
Rhaenyra smiled a little to herself. Laenor always followed that up with ‘you’re sweet enough on your own’, when he was the one doing it,
She poured it, giving it to him and taking her cup again as he poured his own creamer.
“Last night, in the car,” she rested on the back of her armchair, recalling his words. “About Baela ruining everything for everyone. I was wondering if you could explain to me what you meant.”
Jace moved his foot, taking some of his tea. He was so grown now, the cup looked completely different in his hand now from how it looked just a year ago, and the year before. He was growing fast, taller than her already. Soon her would be taller than Daemon and Laenor, fully grown.
“Yeah,” he confirmed.
And then he said nothing.
Rhaenyra raised her eyebrows a little bit.
“Can you elaborate?” she asked. “Please?”
Jace drank his tea, shaking his leg.
“Well, it’s how you do things,” he looked down and then raised his chin quickly, though not looking at her, pouting now. “One of us does something wrong, and then everyone has to deal with it, as if we were all wrong.”
He put the cup down and crossed his arms, sulking in his chair as she frowned, a bit confused.
They did?
But he didn’t wait for her to talk.
“Rhaena didn’t like camp, so now none of us get to go to camp,” he started listing. “Baela skipped class and all three of us had to hear the principal go on and on and on about it!”
Rhaenyra’s eyes widened. Well, she hadn’t thought through that side, she-
“And then!” Jace stood up, pointing at her and pacing side to side. “Joff broke that picture frame, and Rhaena was the one who was watching him, and I had to hear Kepa talking about how we were paid to watch the kids for a reason, when I wasn’t even watching him!”
Oh.
She pressed her lips together, feeling some guilt falling on her shoulder.
Well, yes.
“Like when your friends made a mess of the movie room and the girls had to clean it with you?” she asked, tilting her head to him.
Jace scowled, but said nothing.
That was unfair to them.
All of those examples were unfair to the kids who got rolled into them.
“It’s not fair!” he stomped his foot, his voice cracking and trembling and his eyes filling up with tears. “I didn’t do anything wrong! I didn’t drink at the party, and I came when you called, and I even pulled their friend from the pool even though everyone said my hair would get green!”
Rhaenyra stood up. Oh, her poor boy.
“Baby, you did everything right,” she assured him.
Jace wiped his nose with the back of his hand, sniffing.
“I did!” he nearly shouted back, and lowered his voice quickly, his lower lip trembling. “And I’m not a baby!”
She grimaced. Of course, he didn’t like being called a baby.
“I’m sorry, honey,” she spoke quickly. “You’re not a baby. But you did everything right yesterday.”
Jace looked at her through his furrowed eyebrows and walked right to her, and Rhaenyra opened her arms to fit him in them.
He was a great kid. Jacaerys was helpful, and kind, and thoughtful, and such a hard worker.
He hugged her tightly, crying into her neck, and she held him through it, petting his hair.
“Those situations weren’t fair,” she agreed with him, rubbing his back with her other hand. “I’m sorry we weren’t more careful with it. I’ll talk to Laenor and Daemon about it. Thank you for coming to me about it.”
Jace sniffed and cried for a bit, and stepped back to look at her face.
“Does that mean we can go to parties?” he asked her, green eyes rimmed and still wet.
Rhaenyra exhaled, touching his face.
“Yes, as long as you are doing well with school, and you keep showing us how we can trust you,” she caressed his cheek. “We will trust you.”
Jace exhaled, nodding and still sniffing.
She kissed his forehead.
“You wanna go play your game?” she offered. “I’ll bring you a snack later when I’m done talking to Daemon.”
He confirmed, and Rhaenyra sighed when she was alone, getting the cups and the teacup, washing everything in her small sink.
She dried her hands, walking back out and checking for Syrax inside before closing the door, and made her way down.
It would be lunchtime in one hour already, time was flying.
“Daemon?” she called.
“Baela’s room,” he answered, gruff.
Rhaenyra breathed in, bracing herself as she made her way down and inside.
Baela was sat on the bed with her arms crossed and a stuffy in her arms, glaring at Daemon as she squeezed it.
“Aunt Rhaenyra, please, tell him it’s unfair!” she pleaded.
She frowned. What was unfair?
“My love?” she put a hand on his back.
Daemon shook his head, still looking at Baela. Oh, her hair was a mess, and she didn’t look her best on her face either.
“I’m considering pulling her from fencing,” he said simply. “Two weeks.”
Baela stomped her foot down on the floor.
“You can’t do that!” Baela insisted. “We have a competition in six weeks! I’ll be left behind! Aunt Rhaenyra, please! Tell him!”
He raised his eyebrows to her as Rhaenyra turned to focus on her husband.
“Now she is Aunt Rhaenyra?” he asked.
But she rubbed his back to get his attention.
Baela might have misbehaved, but she wasn’t wrong.
“She is right, it is unfair,” she reminded him. “You know how long kids need to adapt to the new routine at the start of the school year, they are all a little rusty.”
“Exactly!” Baela jumped in. “I’m rusty; how am I gonna compete?”
Oh, the smile that showed up at Daemon’s face was anything but merciful.
“Of course!” he exclaimed, grinning. “My love, how is she going to compete?!”
Rhaenyra raised her eyebrows, still confused.
“Alcohol is one of the substances that aren’t allowed,” her husband spoke slowly. “She can’t compete. How could I have forgotten?”
She shook her head, but didn’t roll her eyes.
“Of course,” he exhaled, looking elated.
When she looked
“What do you mean?” Baela asked. “Dad-”
“No, darling, you heard me,” he interrupted her. “You can go to your classes. Have fun! And you can watch your friends and your stepbrother compete in February!”
Her face scrunched up and Baela let out a big whine.
“Dad!” she pleaded. “It’s not fair!”
He shook his head.
“You know what’s not fair? The scene you made, the way you disregarded everyone else last night! That wasn’t fair. The way you broke the one rule we gave you wasn’t fair. So much could have happened, and you decided you were better than the rules we made for your safety.”
She quieted, looking down at her stuffed animal with the same pout her father had when he was upset.
“You could have had an allergic reaction, you could have gotten hurt, you could have fallen into that pool like Daenerys, and if someone wasn’t looking, you could have drowned!”
“I can swim!” Baela argued, raising her head.
“Not drunk, you can’t,” Rhaenyra retorted before Daemon could. “You know exactly what alcohol does to your system, we’ve taught you many times.”
Her husband put his hand over hers on his arm.
“And you’ll certainly add it to your paper,” he noted.
Baela hated writing essays. That was certainly going to be something.
Rhaenyra exhaled.
“I want your first essay on my desk before Sunday night, and if I see one scratched word, I’ll send if back so you can rewrite it again.”
“My love,” she spoke just for him to hear, rubbing his back. “I think that’s enough. I think she more than deserves a rest.”
Daemon pressed his lips together, and walked away from Rhaenyra, picking up Baela’s colourful… computer box? - she didn’t know the name of that thing - and walked off, leaving them alone.
Baela didn’t say anything, laying down on her bed and turning away from Rhaenyra.
She walked to her bed quietly and sat by her side.
“I never meant to embarrass you,” she told her. “And I’m sorry for doing so.”
Baela didn’t look at her, tucking her chin down to her stuffed toy.
“I’m sorry,” her girl mumbled.
Rhaenyra smiled a little bit.
“I know,” she reached for her, rubbing her back.
Baela leaned a little to her touch, though still looking away from her.
“Is Danny alright?” she asked softly.
“Yes. Robyn just left with her.”
They fell into silence as Baela breathed slowly, and Rhaenyra exhaled, standing up.
“I have to go now,” she told her. “Do you want to eat lunch here or down with us?”
There was a moment of silence before her girl answered.
“Down,” she mumbled.
Rhaenyra simply nodded.
“Okay, honey,” she agreed.
She would make sure to have some of her favourite ice cream going up too. Her stepdaughter didn’t say anything as she left, and Rhaenyra just closed her door, following Daemon down to his office.
“Two weeks without her little games, at least a week without going out with her friends,” her husband told her very firmly. ”If anyone wants to see her, they can come knock on our door.”
She confirmed with a hum, closing the door behind herself.
“Can we talk about the kids?” she asked. “Jace and Rhaena, to be more specific.”
Daemon was frowning when he looked at her.
“Did they do something?” he asked.
She shook her head.
That was such a quick thought, ‘what they’d done wrong’.
“Quite the contrary,” she corrected him. “They behaved very well, and followed all the rules.”
Her husband just frowned more.
“And the problem is…?”
“We should make sure to praise them,” she reminded him. “Not in front of Baela, we don’t want to embarrass her, but… you know? Emphasise how well they did.”
Daemon nodded, not seeming to think much about it.
“Of course,” he agreed.
“Jace brought something up to me, and I think Rhaena shares the thought,” she sat down on his couch.
Her husband hummed a bit, moving to her side and sitting down by her side.
“We need to start separating them,” she told him. “Remember when Joffrey broke that picture frame of you with the girls when they arrived home from the hospital?”
He nodded. It was the first-ever photo of Daemon with the twins. He looked so elated in it, a little smile on his lips and both of them cradled in his arms.
“Well, Rhaena was watching him that day, but both Jace and Baela also had to hear an earful about it,” she recalled. “And when Jace’s friend made a mess after watching The Hunger Games films in our movie room we made all three of them clean, even though it would be his responsibility.”
Daemon breathed in, and she could see how he understood exactly what she meant.
“I’m very guilty of it,” she added. “I thought Baela should go to the party because Jace and Rhaena were going.”
Daemon tapped his fingers slowly on the couch, and she could see him thinking along.
“You’re right,” he agreed. “We should pay more attention to that, especially now. They’re growing up fast, and they are very different.”
She nodded.
“So if there’s any party in the future,” she told him. “Sleepovers, stuff like that… we gotta make sure we measure them for their own credit.”
Daemon nodded, moving a little closer to her and giving her lips a kiss.
“You’re a great mother,” he whispered, making Rhaenyra smile. “I’ll go-”
But before he could finish, the sound of a door slamming and Luke’s voice interrupted them.
“Was anyone going to tell me that maths has fucking letters?!”
They both pause, looking at the door.
“And that is his curse of the day,” Daemon stood up. “I’ll take care of lunch, can you check on the baby and Luke?”
“Yeah,” she patted his arm, standing up.
Her breasts were swollen. If Viz wasn’t awaken, then he would be up and hungry soon.
She walked up, and the moment she got to his nursery, their baby boy was whining and squirming, still half asleep, but on his way to waking up.
“Oh, my little baby,” she cooed, taking him from his crib. “Luke woke you up at the right time, right?”
Viserys whined, patting her breast, but she picked him up and held him, walking to Luke’s door and knocking.
“Luke, honey, can I sit with you as I feed Viserys?” she offered, patting his back as her baby.
“Yeah,” he groaned.
Rhaenyra pushed the door open, and he was sat on the floor with his books around him and a big pout.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, sitting on his rolling chair and pushing it to the wall, watching him.
He was still facing his books, and when he looked at her, Rhaenyra almost broke. Oh, her sweet boy. He looked so stressed out already, and school hadn’t even started!
“Maths has letters?” he turned to her, his eyebrows all joined together. “You’re telling all of you saw me struggling with just numbers and didn’t think to tell me there were letters coming?!”
Rhaenyra grimaced, pushing her dress off and letting Viserys latch onto her nipple.
“I was concentrating on getting you through the numbers,” she defended herself. “Taking one moment at a time.”
He sighed, pushing his maths book away.
“You might as well put me in the class with the disabled kids now,” he resigned. “Before the school calls to ask you if the doctor is absolutely sure I don’t have dyslexia for numbers.”
And for a dramatic emphasis, he pressed an invisible phone to his ear.
She smiled softly at him, shaking her head.
“You know, iyou can always work with comedy if you don’t want to bother with numbers,” she retorted playfully. “You have good material.”
Luke pouted more, and she called him closer with a hand, holding Viserys with an arm.
Her son came to her right away, resting his head on her thigh, and she petted this hair, his beautiful curls lush and thick.
She really hoped he never got into his head to bleach it.
“Remember what the doctor said?” she hummed.
Luke took a pause.
“That I don’t have dyslexia for numbers, nor ADHD?” he asked.
She smiled, shaking her head. Yes, the doctor had said that - and he’d said he didn’t have any signs of autism, not that they were that worried with that, it was just some pick eating he would probably grow out of with time. Of course, they were still waiting and working on that last one.
The school had asked for a test and Rhaenyra was very quick to find a good professional to evaluate him, but Luke had no neurodivergency they could find.
“And that everyone has things they struggle with,” she added. “We are not meant to know everything.”
Luke exhaled, raising his head to look at her, and she just wanted to squeeze his cheeks for a moment.
Her cheeks. Rhaenyra never appreciated them when she was young, her mind was always in the wrong place. And then she saw them growing on him as he grew in the NICU and then at home, becoming her fat little baby, and gods, she loved them so much on him.
“I’m not like you, mum,” he lamented, his eyes shining with sadness and unshed tears.
That made her frown. Like her? He was so much like her. Luke could look like Harwin, but he was the better version of Rhaenyra. The version who was allowed to grow as a normal child, without cameras and without the weight of being the heir of a thousand-year legacy, with so many parents and siblings he would never feel alone one day of his life.
“In what way, sweet boy?” she asked, anyway.
He looked away from her.
“I’m not so…” he held out. “Perfect,” her boy mumbled, at last.
Rhaenyra softened, feeling her heart warming with his words. Oh, Lucerys…
She held Viserys, bending a little to Luke and pulling him closer, and pressed her forehead to his before spreading kisses on his temple and over his furrowed eyebrows until she felt them soften.
“I am anything but, and you are wonderful, just as you are,” she reminded him, pulling back and checking on her baby.
Viserys was just happily nursing, with his hand on her breast and his purple eyes watching everything. She turned back to Luke again, holding his face in her free hand, looking into his beautiful eyes.
“My mother looked after me,” she told him. “She sat with me every night and helped me with every bit of homework, even the bits I wasn’t struggling with. She got me a good tutor and understood that the most important part was that I was putting effort into my work, and not that I got a 100% grade.”
He kept his eyes on hers, watching her closely.
“And as your mother, I will do the same for you,”
Luke relaxed, nodding and coming to lay on her leg again, holding onto it as she kept petting his hair and caressing his cheek.
Rhaenyra was surprised when she took her hand away to pull Viserys up to change breasts and found Luke simply asleep, still clinging to her, and tried her best not to wake him.
She looked down at Viz, and his eyes were focused right on hers, very attentive, and she smiled.
Her pretty baby boy. She could see the cheeks she loved in Luke on him too - something even Daemon’s baby pictures shared too.
“Just a day and a half,” she promised him. “And school will start, and we’ll be less messy. Don’t worry.”
Well, those were her hopes. With seven kids, her life was never going to be predictable.