Chapter Text
“Can I date Jae?”
“No.”
“What about marrying Jae?”
“No.”
“How about becoming Jae’s favorite person?”
“Ugh, no, Viserys. But could you be a good boy and get me that pillow over there?”
Aegon pointed toward the pillow lying at the far end of the room.
The boy nodded. “Of course. Anything for my future father-in-law.” He then ran off to retrieve the pillow.
Aegon merely rolled his eyes, lazily rubbing his increasingly large belly. The maester had said that he would most likely give birth sometime next month or the month after.
Uhh, well. He was actually hoping for a girl this time. He was happy to have Jaehaera, but having two daughters would be even better.
He and Jace had married shortly after Aegon turned twenty, and not long afterward, he became pregnant. Their first children were a pair of twins, whom he and Jace named Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. They looked remarkably like Aegon, with his hair and eyes, although they had Jacaerys’s nose.
Jaehaerys, surprisingly, had a very loud cry and an equally loud laugh, although he spoke rather softly. Jaehaera, on the other hand, was quiet and gentle.
Not long after their first children were born, Baela and Helaena married after Baela presented as an alpha at seventeen. They then moved to Pentos and still kept in touch with Aegon from time to time.
Meanwhile, Luke and Aemond eventually became betrothed as well. Luke immediately asked Aemond to move to Driftmark with him, only to be firmly rejected by their mother because they were still too young. That did not stop Luke from eventually resorting to kidnapping Aemond, forcing Ser Criston to go through hell trying to retrieve him while narrowly avoiding being burned by Arrax.
Aegon had already said that this child was terrifying.
But why had Aemond just sat there and let himself be kidnapped? Couldn’t he have hit Luke while he was distracted?
Well, whatever.
Two years later, Aegon became pregnant with his second child. Around the same time, Viserys finally passed away, prompting Rhaenyra to be crowned queen. She and Jacaerys then moved to Dragonstone, taking Daeron with them as well, much to Joffrey’s great sadness.
Aegon’s mother, meanwhile, decided to remain in Oldtown and spend her later years there as the Dowager Queen, despite Rhaenyra offering to let her stay at the Red Keep. She politely refused.
It was in Dragonstone that Aegon gave birth to his third child, whom they named Maelor.
Speaking of Maelor... oh, Maelor was such a sweet little boy. He had chubby cheeks and Jace’s face practically plastered all over his own, although he had white hair and brown eyes.
Once he started growing teeth, however, the boy became terrifyingly enthusiastic about using them. He would bite anything within reach, Aegon’s hair, Aegon’s hands, Jacaerys’s cheeks, Jacaerys’s clothes, even Jaehaera’s and Daeron’s hair. Horrifying. He had even bitten Jaehaerys’s hand hard enough to make him cry once.
Thankfully, he was so adorable that everyone always ended up forgiving the little menace.
Daeron did point out that babies often liked biting things when they were growing their first teeth, and that the twins had been the same when they were little.
But Maelor simply seemed to have a particular fondness for biting absolutely everything.
Well, all right.
A month later, Aegon clearly remembered the day he received the news that his grandfather, Otto, had finally died. He did not bother reading the rest of the letter. He did not care what the man had died from. He was too busy celebrating his death with great enthusiasm.
Jace and Daeron even scolded him for being disrespectful, but Aegon did not care.
That same month, Aegon also received a letter from Helaena informing him that she had finally given birth to her first child, a daughter whom she and Baela had named Leana.
A month later, Daeron experienced his first heat and was declared an omega at the age of thirteen. When Joffrey heard the news, he immediately begged Rhaenyra to let him become betrothed to Daeron. Jacaerys admitted that the boy's method of persuasion was remarkably similar to the way he himself had once convinced his grandfather.
And so, they were unofficially betrothed while they waited for Joffrey to come of age.
Ah, speaking of Rhaenyra, she had surprisingly given birth to three more children. The first was a white-haired boy named Aegon. Aegon had briefly wondered why they had given the boy the same name as his, but eventually decided not to question it.
He was a year older than the twins. The other two were twins as well, named Visenya and Viserys. They were ten months older than Maelor.
Two years later, Aegon gave birth to his fourth child, whom Jace named Rhaegar, after the name Rhaenyra would have had if she had been born a boy.
This was the first time Aegon had ever truly given birth to a complete copy of Jacaerys.
No, seriously.
Rhaegar looked so perfectly identical to Jacaerys that Aegon sometimes wondered whether he had even been in the room when they made him.
Maelor called him Reggy because he could not pronounce his name properly yet, and before long, the nickname stuck with the entire family. Daeron thought it was adorable, which eventually led everyone to come up with their own nicknames. Jaehaerys became Jae, Jaehaera became Haera, Maelor became Mae-Mae, and, for some reason, Daeron started calling Aegon Egg.
Ugh. Daeron, you rude little menace.
Jace, surprisingly, actually liked the nickname and soon started calling him that constantly.
What an annoying husband!
A year later, Aemond and Luke finally married. They held a private ceremony on Driftmark to prevent Corlys from spending an absurd amount of money on a wedding for his beloved grandchild. Although, according to Joffrey’s highly reliable information, the wedding had still been rather extravagant.
A year after that, Aemond gave birth to a son whom they named Laenor.
Rhaegar absolutely adored books. As far as Aegon could tell, the boy was happiest whenever someone read to him, whether it was before bed or simply while he was playing. At night, he would cry if they tried to put him to sleep with only a song instead of a book. Even when his siblings were busy playing with their toys, Rhaegar would rather have someone read to him than join them.
As far as Aegon remembered, he had never liked books.
Neither had Jace.
But, well, all right.
The years that followed were relatively peaceful for Aegon. He watched his children grow, flew with Sunfyre, spent his days with Daeron, and annoyed Jacaerys whenever he got the chance.
By then, his children’s dragons had grown remarkably large as well.
Aegon and Jacaerys had never actually planned to have more than four children. Rhaegar had already been an unexpected addition, so neither of them could have imagined that five years later, Aegon would be informed that he was pregnant again.
Daeron and the children were, of course, delighted to hear that they would be getting another family member. Jace seemed happy too, although Aegon remained somewhat skeptical about the pregnancy simply because he had never expected it.
But, well, all right.
Five children wasn't so bad.
Six, technically, if Daeron was counted.
A few months later, a letter arrived from King’s Landing informing them that Joffrey had finally presented as an alpha. Rhaenyra asked them, particularly Daeron, to come to King’s Landing, as Daeron and Joffrey would finally be formally betrothed.
Daeron was absolutely delighted by the news. He became so excited that he ended up dragging Jace and the twins into a little dance without even realizing it.
Maelor, however, was far less pleased.
He kept whining that Daeron was not allowed to marry and could not leave him, which eventually annoyed Rhaegar enough for him to throw a thick book at his older brother and tell him to stop being so loud.
Maelor, naturally, did not take kindly to being called loud.
He immediately lunged at Rhaegar.
As expected, the two boys ended up wrestling and scratching at each other until Jaehaera quickly scolded them, while Jaehaerys wisely decided to remove himself from the scene altogether.
Ah.
For some reason, that felt oddly nostalgic.
“I’m going to ride with Papa and Sunfyre!”
“Mae, let Papa choose,” Jaehaera said gently.
“THERE’S NO CHOOSING!! I’M THE ONE WHO’S RIDING WITH PAPA!!”
“Ugh! Mae, let Papa decide who he wants to take with him! And don’t talk to Haera like that. She’s your older sister!” Rhaegar snapped.
“STOP COMMENTING ON ME! I’M RIDING WITH PAPA!”
“YOU’RE SO SELFISH!!”
Aegon could only sigh as his two sons ended up rolling around on the ground. Their argument was actually rather sweet considering they were fighting over him, but they would be late to King’s Landing if this continued.
He glanced at Jacaerys beside him, only to find the man laughing at their children’s antics. The moment he noticed Aegon staring, Jace immediately cleared his throat and stepped in to separate them.
“All right, children, that’s enough! You two are riding with Vermax!”
“What!?” Maelor looked deeply disappointed. “I don’t want to! Father! I want to go with Papa! I don’t want to ride Vermax!”
“And why don’t you want to ride with Vermax, hmm?” Jacaerys asked.
“Because Vermax is ugly!”
As if he understood the insult, Vermax snorted indignantly, while Sunfyre seemed to be laughing at him.
“Don’t be rude, Mae. If Father says we’re riding Vermax, then we’re riding Vermax!” Rhaegar scolded, folding his arms.
“Ugh, Reggy, could you stop commenting on me for ten minutes?!”
“And could you stop being rude for ten minutes?!”
They were just about to start scratching each other again when Jace finally picked them both up and carried them straight onto Vermax.
“All right, I’ll fly with the twins,” Daeron offered, glancing at Jaehaerys and Jaehaera, who were busy talking about something among themselves.
“No need, Daeron. They’ll fly with me.”
“What? No, no... you’re heavily pregnant! It wouldn’t be good for you to fly with both of the twins. How about I take Jaehaerys instead?”
Aegon initially refused, but Daeron was so persistent that he eventually gave in. He flew with Jaehaera instead.
It wasn't so bad. In fact, Aegon rather enjoyed flying with his daughter. Jaehaera was quiet and calm, occasionally humming little songs as they flew.
Just as Aegon had expected, they did not reach King’s Landing until nightfall. Vermax had been forced to fly unusually slowly because Reggy and Mae had spent the entire journey arguing. Even after landing, Jacaerys had to struggle to get the two of them off Vermax while they continued bickering, completely oblivious to the fact that Jaehaerys and Jaehaera were already half-asleep.
Well, those were your children, Jace.
Good luck.
It was hardly surprising when they found Ser Criston waiting for them with a carriage. At first, he acted normally, greeting them all as usual, but the moment he noticed Aegon’s heavily pregnant belly, his entire demeanor changed. He immediately became overly protective, scolding the three guards who had gone to unload their belongings and insisting that they leave everything to him. He then carefully escorted Aegon into the carriage as though he might break from the slightest wrong step.
Jace initially protested. Escorting Aegon was supposed to be his responsibility, after all, and he nearly growled at Ser Criston for taking over. But then he remembered that he had four children to deal with and could hardly expect Daeron to handle all of them alone. So, reluctantly, he let it go.
Before getting into the carriage, Daeron even stopped to give Ser Criston a quick hug before climbing inside. Once everyone was settled, the carriage finally set off toward the palace.
When they arrived, Rhaenyra immediately rushed over and enthusiastically embraced all of her grandchildren. Laenor, meanwhile, hugged his eldest son before greeting Aegon and Daeron as well.
“Aegon, my goodness. I never expected there to be a fifth one. If I remember correctly, Jace said he was going to stop at four?” Laenor teased, shooting Jace a knowing grin.
Jace merely lowered his head in embarrassment while Daeron gave his shoulder a few sympathetic pats.
Rhaenyra, only then noticing Aegon’s rather obvious belly, turned her attention away from the children and stared at him in surprise.
“Oh, brother! Look at this! Jace really couldn’t keep his promise, could he?” she exclaimed, rubbing Aegon’s large belly with amusement.
Aegon could only laugh.
“This is the last one, I promise,” Jace said sheepishly, covering his flushed face with both hands.
“I’m glad there’s going to be another baby,” Maelor suddenly said. “Reggy isn’t fun to play with, and he’s always scolding me even when I haven’t done anything wrong. The new baby will probably want to play with me.” He pointed toward his younger brother.
“I wouldn’t scold you if you weren’t doing anything wrong, you stupid older brother!” Rhaegar snapped, clearly offended.
“Yes, you would! You always scold me even when I haven’t done anything!”
“YOU’RE SUCH A LIAR!”
“I’M NOT LYING ABOUT ANYTHING!”
“YOU’RE TERRIBLE AT BEING A BROTHER! BE GRATEFUL MY ONLY BROTHER IS JAE!”
“WHO SAID JAE WAS YOUR BROTHER?! JAE IS MY BROTHER!”
“DAEEERONNNNN!!”
The two boys immediately stopped arguing when they spotted a brown-haired boy sprinting toward them or, more accurately, sprinting straight at Daeron before throwing his arms around him.
“Oh my goodness, Uncle! Has an alpha ever told you that you’re beautiful?”
“Jace says it all the time.”
“Wait, why Jace?”
“He’s the only alpha in Dragonstone, Joff.
“Oh. Right. You’re correct. Ahem- UNCLE AEGON!”
Joffrey promptly abandoned Daeron and rushed over to hug Aegon, completely ignoring Jace in the process.
“Oh, my goodness, Joff. Look at you.” Aegon looked him up and down. “You’re so tall. And so handsome.”
“Of course. I know.” Joffrey nodded proudly. “And, umm... your belly is really big. I thought Jace said he was going to stop at four.”
Joffrey immediately looked at Jace, who covered his face with his hands once again in embarrassment.
“He really is greedy. I know Dragonstone is big, but if you two keep having children, there won’t be enough room left on the island—”
“Joffrey,” Laenor warned.
“Sorry, Father.”
“Umm, excuse me. Sorry, this might sound rude, but I’m hungry,” Jaehaerys said shyly, lowering his head and partially hiding behind his twin sister.
“I’m actually hungry too,” Jaehaera added.
The moment she heard her grandchildren, Rhaenyra immediately gathered them all toward the dining hall without another word, leaving the others behind.
It seemed that hardly mattered, though. Jace quickly guided Aegon after them, with Laenor walking beside them, while Joffrey and Daeron remained behind, apparently having a conversation of their own.
During the meal, Rhaenyra and Laenor continued spoiling their grandchildren, making sure everyone had enough food and fussing over them at every opportunity. At one point, Aegon asked where Rhaenyra’s three youngest children were. She simply explained that they had already been put to bed and that the grandchildren could meet their younger uncles and aunt the following morning.
Laenor also mentioned that Luke and Aemond would arrive the next day. Apparently, Luke had been adamant about sailing rather than flying there, insisting that their child should become accustomed to life aboard a ship as well. As for Helaena and Baela, they had only sent their regards for the betrothal ceremony. Baela had refused to let Helaena make such a long journey by dragon because Helaena was pregnant with their second child.
Aegon was rather surprised by that.
He was heavily pregnant himself, after all, and he would have enjoyed seeing his sister while they were both expecting. But apparently, the journey from Pentos was still several days even by dragon, so there was little to be done about it. Aegon decided he would simply write her a letter afterward.
It was not until breakfast the following morning that Aegon finally met Rhaenyra’s three youngest children.
Young Aegon, surprisingly, carried himself with an impressive amount of dignity for a child his age. He bowed his head politely when introduced, greeting everyone properly. Visenya and Viserys, on the other hand, had barely finished introducing themselves before they were already arguing about something Aegon could not understand in the slightest.
Rhaenyra and Laenor merely laughed at their children’s antics until young Aegon finally let out a small sigh and told the twins to stop fighting during breakfast.
Oddly enough, both of them immediately fell silent.
Aegon found himself rather impressed.
However, Aegon’s attention soon shifted toward Viserys, who had apparently been watching Jaehaerys for quite some time. The boy finally walked over and took Jaehaerys’s hand, his face filled with curiosity.
“Are you an angel with white hair and purple eyes?”
Jaehaerys blinked several times. He stared at Viserys, then glanced toward Jacaerys as though silently asking for help.
“Uhh... I don’t know?” Jaehaerys answered, lowering his head.
Viserys only smiled even wider, still holding onto his hand.
Rhaegar, however, immediately spoke from his seat in a completely flat tone.
“Your hair is white and your eyes are purple too, stupid.”
Aegon nearly choked.
Jacaerys immediately turned toward his son with a sharp look. “Rhaegar. You do not speak to your uncle like that.”
“But I’m right. His hair and eye colors are technically the same.”
“Being right doesn’t mean you’re allowed to call him that.”
“But Reggy is right, Father,” Maelor immediately defended his younger brother.
“Maelor, don’t encourage him.”
“But Reggy is right!”
Jaehaerys, meanwhile, simply stood there while Viserys continued holding his hand, seemingly having no idea what was going on.
Aegon could only sigh quietly.
Velaryon blood.
He really shouldn’t have been surprised.
Not long afterward, word arrived that the Velaryon fleet had finally reached King’s Landing, immediately bringing the palace back to life. From a distance, several large ships could already be seen entering the harbor, with Vermithor and Arrax flying circles around the fleet.
Rhaenyra, Laenor, and their children immediately headed outside to greet them. Aegon followed with Jacaerys, their children, and Daeron, who had clearly been waiting for this moment.
As the first ship finally reached the docks and Aemond stepped ashore with Luke, Daeron immediately ran toward him. Aegon followed, and within seconds, the three siblings were already wrapped in each other’s arms, talking over one another and forming their own little circle.
Ah. Helena was definitely missing from this.
Aegon barely had time to breathe as Daeron immediately began telling Aemond all about his pregnancy, while Aemond fussed over Aegon, making sure he was all right and complaining about how he had travelled such a long distance while heavily pregnant, especially after flying by dragon.
In the end, the three of them simply laughed, interrupted one another, and continued chatting as though they had never been apart.
However, Aegon’s attention was soon drawn to the figure he had initially mistaken for Luke, who was simply standing there.
Luke was now much taller than both Jace and Joffrey, so tall that Aegon almost had to tilt his head back to look at him. The most noticeable change, of course, was the faint beard now beginning to cover his face.
Aemond apparently noticed Aegon staring and immediately explained in a flat tone that Luke had deliberately grown a beard because his face still looked too young and he wanted to appear older, especially now that he had a child of his own.
Aegon chose not to comment.
Luke then tried to approach Aegon and Daeron to greet them, but Joffrey, who had somehow appeared beside them, immediately raised a hand and blocked his way.
“Whoa, bearded people aren’t allowed to say hello.”
Aegon held back a laugh.
Daeron covered his mouth with his hand, while Aemond simply turned around and laughed openly.
“Where did you even get that rule?” Luke protested, looking offended.
“New rule,” Joffrey replied casually.
“Since when?”
“Since now.”
Luke stared at the boy for several seconds in disbelief before finally letting out an annoyed sigh and walking past him anyway.
“Brat.”
Joffrey merely giggled in satisfaction.
Behind them, young Laenor had just disembarked from the ship alongside the Velaryon servants. The boy initially looked a little shy when he was introduced to their large family, but apparently, he did not need much time to find a new friend.
Rhaegar, who had been standing not far from Aegon all this time, immediately noticed the boy. Before long, the two of them were already walking together, talking about something only the two of them seemed to understand, while Maelor occasionally glanced at them from a distance as though considering whether he should join them or not.
The following day, King's Landing was once again filled with the atmosphere of celebration. Daeron and Joffrey's official betrothal was far more extravagant than Aegon had expected. The hall was decorated with flowers and fabrics in shades of red, black, and sea blue, while nobles filled the room in their finest clothes.
Daeron looked incredibly happy throughout the ceremony, especially with Joffrey constantly by his side and occasionally whispering something that made him laugh. The other children were no less busy. Jaehaerys, Jaehara, Maelor, Rhaegar, and young Laenor could be seen wandering from one corner of the hall to another, while Visenya and Viserys once again caused a little commotion that, fortunately, did not last very long.
Joffrey and Daeron even disappeared for a few minutes with Maelor before eventually being found carrying several extra cakes from the kitchens.
Aegon decided to pretend he hadn't seen anything.
The day truly passed peacefully.
There were no arguments, the children got along, nothing embarrassing happened, and for once, Aegon was even able to enjoy the celebration. Let’s just ignore the fact that someone knocked over a vase and Ser Criston had to chase after them.
By late afternoon, Rhaenyra finally approached Aegon, who was sitting with Jacaerys.
Rhaenyra’s gaze briefly fell upon Aegon’s increasingly large belly before shifting toward Jacaerys.
Their conversation was fairly brief, but apparently, more and more members of the family soon joined in with their opinions. Laenor immediately agreed, followed by Alicent, who considered the decision much more practical. Daeron even looked pleased, since it meant he could stay close to Aegon until the baby was born.
Aegon himself initially said nothing, simply listening while gently rubbing his belly.
Everyone had already agreed that there was no reason for him to make another long journey in his current condition.
Jacaerys had no objections either. He still had several matters to attend to in King's Landing.
And so, the decision was made.
Their fifth child would be born in King's Landing.
Aegon merely let out a small sigh.
Fine. He supposed he had no reason to refuse either.
A few weeks after the betrothal celebration, Aegon finally began getting used to life in King's Landing, despite having been raised there. He spent most of his time in the gardens or in one of the family rooms, especially since his belly was getting heavier by the day and walking too far was becoming increasingly troublesome.
He remembered the day Luke and Aemond had to return home, and how Rhaegar had thrown an enormous tantrum because his new friend was leaving.
Quite amusing.
But that day, young Viserys came over to him.
Somehow, the boy always seemed to have a reason to stay near Aegon. Sometimes he brought toys, sometimes books, and this time he simply sat beside him while constantly rambling about Jaehaerys.
“What color do you think Jaehaerys likes?”
Aegon merely shrugged. “Maybe green.”
“If I give him a gift, do you think he’ll like it?”
“Uhh, I don’t know. Maybe.”
“What if I ask him to play with me every day?”
“Probably.” Aegon answered half-heartedly, but Viserys immediately smiled in satisfaction.
“Then I can marry him someday.”
The boy seemed determined to find every possible excuse to steer their conversation back toward his plans to marry Jaehaerys. Aegon did not really care. Let the boy imagine whatever he wanted.
He saw no reason to tell him that if Viserys actually dared to propose to Jaehaerys someday, Jacaerys would probably chase him around the castle like a demon freshly risen from the grave.
Besides, they were still far too young to be thinking about things like that.
Aegon then looked at Viserys, who was still rambling.
“Why don’t you just play with your siblings?”
Viserys fell silent for a moment. “Umm... I don’t really like playing.”
“Oh, really?”
Viserys nodded. “I prefer talking. The problem is, no one wants to listen to me.”
Viserys then gave a small smile and leaned back against the chair. “So I talk to you instead, Uncle.”
Aegon stared at the boy for a few moments.
Well.
That was a little sad.
Still, Aegon did not mind. He did not always understand what Viserys was talking about, but at least the boy seemed happy whenever he found someone willing to listen to him.
“Yeah, uh, alright. Then just keep talking.”
Viserys’s face immediately brightened again. “I’ll impress my future father-in-law with my stories, so don’t worry!”
“Uh... sure. Whatever.”
And so, Aegon’s days in King’s Landing gradually became filled with Viserys’s endless chatter.
The boy came almost every time he saw Aegon sitting alone. He could talk about practically anything.
Every now and then, Rhaegar would sit with them and listen to Viserys ramble. Surprisingly, the two quickly became close, even though Rhaegar had initially thought Viserys was incredibly stupid. Rhaegar, who usually preferred reading books, apparently did not mind listening to Viserys talk endlessly. He would even occasionally make sarcastic comments that made Viserys laugh. Before long, Viserys seemed to have become Rhaegar’s reading companion, much to Rhaegar’s delight.
Maelor would sometimes come carrying flowers from the gardens to give to Aegon. Jaehaera and Jaehaerys usually came along with him, and the moment Viserys spotted Jaehaerys, the boy would immediately move over and shamelessly stick to his side.
Aegon could only look at them helplessly.
Joffrey also came by occasionally, although usually not to talk to Aegon. He mostly appeared just to talk about Daeron and offer all sorts of romantic advice that Aegon had no idea where he had learned.
In the end, almost every child in their family had spent time with Aegon over the past few weeks.
But whenever Jacaerys appeared, somehow, all the children would immediately leave Aegon, even if some of them complained or tried to ask for a few extra minutes.
And Jacaerys would sit beside him with a satisfied look on his face.
“What?” Aegon asked skeptically.
“I didn’t say anything.”
“But you’re smiling like that.”
“Am I not allowed to smile when I look at my own husband?”
Aegon rolled his eyes. “Don’t start.”
“Start what?”
“Ugh, I hate you.” Aegon said, giving Jace a playful shove.
Jacaerys chuckled before casually fixing a few strands of Aegon’s messy hair. “You look very beautiful today, especially while you’re pregnant.”
Aegon stared at him flatly. “Yeah, yeah, yeah. You say that every day.”
“Because you really are beautiful every day.”
Aegon clicked his tongue, though the corners of his lips lifted slightly.
“Sometimes I feel like we’re still unmarried.”
Jacaerys immediately turned toward him. “And what’s wrong with that?”
“You still flirt with me like we aren’t married.”
“Am I supposed to stop after we’re married?”
“You should at least act a little more mature.”
Jacaerys appeared to think about it. “Umm... no.”
Aegon let out a quiet laugh. “You’re so annoying.”
“I know.” Jace said with a laugh.
“Very proud of yourself.”
“Of course.” Jacaerys replied, gently kissing the back of his hand.
Aegon could only shake his head before settling comfortably back into his chair.
A few days later, Aegon’s belly began to feel even heavier. He started having difficulty walking too far and eventually spent most of his time in his room. It was a little annoying, of course, but at least Jacaerys was more than happy to bring him food and even feed him whenever Aegon felt too lazy to move.
The children, surprisingly enough, also began gathering around him more often, making the room that was supposed to be quiet almost constantly filled with their voices.
However, one afternoon, his room was unusually quiet. The other children were somewhere else, Jacaerys was nowhere to be seen, and only Aegon and young Aegon happened to be in the room, for whatever reason.
Aegon was gently rubbing his belly when the boy suddenly spoke.
“I have feelings for Jaehaera, Uncle.”
Aegon’s hand immediately stopped. He slowly turned toward young Aegon in horror. “...What?”
“I like your daughter, Jaehaera, Uncle.”
Okay, calm down, Aegon. At least the boy had said it when no one else was around to hear.
However, remembering his experience with Viserys, who kept talking about Jaehaerys without the slightest hint of fear, Aegon really did not want to go through the same thing a second time.
Aegon sighed before looking at the boy with a slightly irritated expression.
“Then just ask Jacaerys if you’re allowed to like her.”
He said it hoping that young Aegon would picture Jacaerys, realize that perhaps telling him directly was not such a good idea, and then give up.
But young Aegon immediately nodded.
“Okay. Alright.”
“Alright? Alright what?”
“Yeah. I’ll ask Jacaerys.”
Aegon stared at him in disbelief.
The boy really wasn’t afraid.
Not at all.
Aegon simply rubbed his face with one hand.
Fine. He would leave everything to Jace. He did not want to argue with a ten-year-old.
Not long after that, somehow, Jacaerys became much more protective of Jaehaera.
At first, Aegon did not really care. But as time went on, Jacaerys began limiting young Aegon’s interactions with his daughter. Even Jaehaerys was affected, since Jacaerys also started restricting the amount of time Viserys could spend with him.
His reasons varied.
According to Jacaerys, young Aegon was too ambitious and rough, and if he kept playing with Jaehaera, he was afraid his daughter would become rough as well, and blah, blah, blah.
He also complained to Aegon several times that they should be more careful while staying here.
Aegon could only listen while trying to hold back his laughter.
If only Jacaerys knew that his two younger brothers were actually just following in his own footsteps.
The difference was that young Aegon and Viserys at least asked for permission privately instead of making strange announcements in front of the entire family.
On the other hand, Rhaegar was starting to get annoyed.
Viserys, who had previously come by often to read books with him, now appeared less and less. Even when Rhaegar invited him to read together, Viserys would simply shake his head and leave because Jacaerys had begun limiting his time with Jaehaerys.
Rhaegar eventually started complaining to Aegon. According to him, his father had gone too far by taking away his reading companion as well. He complained that he now had to read with Mae, who could not even spell properly despite already being seven years old, which inevitably ended with the two of them fighting.
Aegon could only agree.
Jacaerys really did not realize that the more he restricted Viserys, the less interested the boy became in coming over and playing with his children. Well, Aegon had no idea what was happening with young Aegon, though.
And at the same time, Rhaegar had lost his reading companion too.
Aegon began to think that perhaps he should talk to Jacaerys before this little problem became something bigger.
Or perhaps he should just leave it alone.
Who knew?
The breaking point came when Rhaegar finally grew completely fed up with his father constantly restricting Viserys’s time with Jaehaerys, which had begun affecting Rhaegar as well.
He had complained about it to Aegon countless times, but that day, his patience finally ran out. The moment he saw Jacaerys once again sending Viserys out of the room, Rhaegar marched over to his father and kicked him in the shin.
Everyone in the room was, understandably, shocked by what Rhaegar had just done, but the boy did not look remorseful in the slightest.
Within seconds, father and son were standing face-to-face, arguing with each other. Aegon could only stare at them in disbelief. He even tried to intervene, but with his belly already so large, standing up was far more difficult than it should have been.
Maelor, on the other hand, looked incredibly excited by the whole situation. For some reason, he seemed delighted by the argument and proceeded to cheer for both sides of the fight.
In the end, Jacaerys was the first to give up.
From that day onward, Viserys was once again allowed to spend time with Jaehaerys without being restricted like before. Rhaegar also got his reading companion back and seemed much happier.
Young Aegon, unfortunately, did not receive the same treatment.
Jacaerys still kept a close eye on his interactions with Jaehaera.
Aegon did feel a little sorry for him.
But he also could not completely blame Jacaerys. After all, young Aegon was not friends with Rhaegar, so there was no one around to kick Jacaerys in the shin on his behalf.
Poor thing.
A few weeks later, Aegon was sitting in his room when he suddenly felt something that made him stop moving. He looked down, then let out a quiet sigh when he realized that his water had broken.
Aegon merely looked toward Jacaerys with a flat expression, intending to tell his husband, but it seemed Jacaerys had already realized what was happening.
His reaction was completely different.
Within seconds, the entire room descended into chaos.
Jacaerys immediately called for the maester, servants began rushing around, and Daeron came running out of his room and immediately joined the panic. Joffrey even ran into the corridor to call for his parents, shouting at the top of his lungs before someone finally told him to stop disturbing the servants.
Rhaenyra and Laenor arrived as soon as they heard the news. Even Ser Criston appeared, somehow becoming one of the busiest people there as he made sure everything was prepared properly.
Meanwhile, Aegon could only stare at them, mildly offended that he was supposed to be the one panicking here, not everyone else.
After some time, Aegon was finally taken to the room that had been prepared for the birth, with Jacaerys following closely behind. The door was then shut, leaving the rest of the family waiting outside in an increasingly tense silence.
Laenor paced back and forth without even realizing it, while Rhaenyra repeatedly tried to convince her husband to stop because his pacing was ruining the view. Daeron seemed to be praying the entire time, while Joffrey even asked if he was allowed to go inside before being immediately rejected by everyone.
Even Ser Criston, who was usually calm, looked restless.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the good news arrived.
Aegon had given birth safely, and the baby was healthy.
According to the maester, the baby was even quite large and strong.
When they were finally allowed to see her, Aegon could only stare at the tiny baby in his arms.
A daughter.
Her hair was white with several black streaks running through it, while her violet eyes slowly opened.
Aegon smiled faintly.
It seemed his wish to have a daughter had finally come true.
Jacaerys, standing beside him, looked just as happy, while their children began gathering around the bed simply to get a look at their new little sister.
Aegon and Jacaerys then asked Jaehaerys and Jaehaera to suggest a name for their new sister. After some consideration, the two finally reached an agreement.
The little princess was named Jeysera.