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Morning came with heavy rain, a storm raging loudly while him, Helaena and the children broke their fast. Rhaenyra would most certainly not be leaving today, no one on their right mind would get in a ship or ride a dragon in these conditions unless absolutely necessary. It was not reassuring, but they would make do.
The twins were ushered to their lessons among half-hearted protests, they would only be there for half the morning, but they still tried to get out of it. Aegon did not know if that came from him or from Helaena, neither of them had been fond of lessons either way. His lady wife on her part retired herself with Maelor to the nursery, no doubt eager for the rain to stop so she could go to the Godswood and look at the snails that were bound to appear. He had other plans. Aemond would not be riding Vhagar or brave the weather to train with Ser Criston, so he could probably pester him a bit in his room. Better to be together in case their nephews got any funny ideas, as unlikely as it may be he could not forget what had happened the last time he left Aemond alone with those two.
He did not knock, Aemond just gave him an exasperated look going back to reading right after.
"Why are you here?"
"Just checking in on you." Aegon said opening the doors of Aemond's cabinets and going over his desk.
"More like checking if I have wine, which I don't." His brother said cutting.
"Ah don't be like that. You are always so pissy when you can't fly in the mornings."
"I am not pissy." Aemond defended himself putting emphasis on the last word.
"Sure not." Aegon said, letting himself fall into Aemond's already made bed. “So, what is it today, philosophy or history? Perhaps a secret third thing?" He teased.
"History. Now take your damn boots off if you are going to get on my bed. Thank you." Aemond complained, now giving him his undivided attention.
"They aren't even touching it!"
"They so are!"
"No, they are not!" Aegon demonstrated wiggling them just right over the border. Aemond closed the book with force, threatening retaliation.
"Okay okay Lord Larrys! I'll take my boots off for you." The elder gave in with a laugh.
"What does Larrys have to do with anything? I swear you are getting weirder by the day." Aemond said opening the book again but now with a slight smile.
"You don’t know about the feet thing?!" Aegon exclaimed taking a pillow to rest over.
"Feet?" Aemond looked confused for a moment before it clicked. "Disgusting, Aegon!"
He couldn't help himself but laugh. Aemond managed to read a page before Aegon spoke again.
"So, what kind of history are we talking about?"
"You must be really bored if you are asking me that." Aegon just looked at him with a soft smile, waiting. "The fourteen flames and the beasts within."
"Any good?"
"Hard to say yet."
"At least does it mention the blood magic and the sacrifices?"
"Not yet." The younger said equally disappointed.
Aemond was kind enough to entertain him for a while, but he could see how he was growing weary of his presence, his brother always the introvert. Deciding to give Aemond some alone time he put his boots on and went find to himself some trouble elsewhere, leaving the door open at his departure, of course.
"Aegon, the door!" Aemond screamed annoyed. He ignored it and turned the corner as fast as he could, one couldn't slack in their big brother duties after all. He wasn't hungry enough to go ransack the kitchens, nor suicidal enough to get drunk while his sister and her murderous husband were in the building, so perhaps he could go play some cards with the gold cloaks or try and swipe some milk of the poppy from the Meister. Both equally entertaining endeavours. It was quite hard not falling into old habits when one was idle.
"Aegon!" Resounded trough the hall. He stopped in his tracks, that was Rhaenyra's voice.
"Aegon! Come here!" She shouted. Aegon could not know why his sister was calling for him from the patio, she sounded angry though, so he made his way to the open door that lead where she was.
"I said come here Aegon! Don't make me count!" Aegon walked faster.
Rhaenyra had her back to the door and was looking intently at the patio, he approached her anyway.
"Yes?" He said when he was almost by her side. Rhaenyra looked bewildered for a moment.
"What?" She asked brows furrowed in confusion.
"You were calling for me?" He said equally confused.
"No, I was..." Before she could finish two boys covered in mud climbed the stairs and Rhaenyra's attention moved to them. Aegon took the time to look down into the courtyard just to make eye contact with his twins, equally covered in mud. The two rascals made haste to go up the stairs as well while their nursemaids looked helplessly at him. At this point they would have to start paying Diana more, to compensate all the shit the twins put the poor woman trough.
"I'm sorry Aegon, I meant to call my son" she gestured to the tallest of the two boys. "My Aegon." She said with an awkward smile.
"Well, that does make more sense, yeah." He smiled trying to make the moment a bit less awkward. Of course, that could not be, as soon an incessant lieu of "Kepa! Kepa! Kepa!" Came from his two children, swarming by his legs, clearly somewhat distressed. He picked them up, one in each arm, the servants could wash his clothes later. And then the accusations began.
"She pushed me!" The younger Aegon said clinging to his mother's dress.
At the same time Jaehaera pointed "He insulted Jaehaerys!"
"He pushed her even though she is a girl!" His boy said right after.
He made eye contact with Rhaenyra, both sporting a tired expression while the children kept pushing blame. "She threw me mud!" "He threw mud first!" "I was defending Jaehaera!" "He pushed Viserys!" "He yanked my hair!" "She slapped me!"
He was sure this was giving his sister as much psychic damage as it was giving him, their fighting an ugly reminder of another incident between children. She knelt to their level hoping to calm Viserys who had just started crying, now her dress also covered in mud. It seemed he would be forced to be the adult.
"Okay! Okay! All of you shut up!" It worked like a charm, Rhaenyra was the only one who looked ready to challenge him.
"One by one tell me what happened. Jaehaera you first, then Aegon, then Jaehaerys then Viserys. Got it?"
"He! " Jaehaera yelled pointing at Aegon the younger. "Made fun of Jaehaerys' funny finger! He called him weird and wouldn't stop so I pushed him!" The fact that the boy had six fingers on his left hand had been a bit of a sore topic, Jaehaera had teased him about it on occasions with him ending in tears every time. But once Helaena managed to drill into her it wasn't a nice thing to do, she had become awfully protective of him. If Rhaenyra were not there he would have said, well deserved, and left it at that. That's what you get for poking a dragon, the gods knew he had done worse when a page had mocked Aemond for his eye.
"That's not what I said!" Aegon the younger protested.
"You will have your turn soon enough." Aegon the elder chastised.
"Then he got up and pushed me back into the mud and laughed. So Jaehaerys pushed him back and went to help me out but then Viserys threw mud at us!"
"So, you threw mud back."
"Yes Kepa, but pōnta rhēdan ziry!" Jaehaera yelled, unconsciously slipping into valyrian, a testament of her frustration. (They started it!)
"Aegon?" Rhaenyra prompted.
"I was just asking! It's not my fault it's weird! And she pushed me first!" Jaehaera squirmed ready to pounce on the boy again, Aegon held tight.
"I did push her back, but I was defending myself. And after Viserys threw mud at them she slapped him. And Jaehaerys wouldn't stop throwing mud at us!" Aegon the younger kept accusing employing obvious puppy eyes with his mother.
"You were throwing mud too! And you can't push Jaehaera, she is a girl!" Jaehaerys interrupted becoming even more upset.
"I think we all get a good picture of what happened, unless you two have anything to add." Aegon the elder spoke, looking at his son and nephew, both remained silent, almost crying.
"Aegon it's not nice to make fun of people that are different." He continued. Rhaenyra was now back at her full height, clearly ready to fight. " And Jaehaera, it's not nice to push people." Even if they deserved it, he added mentally.
"Your uncle is right, apologize to each other at once." Rhaenyra spoke, it almost surprised Aegon how she managed to make her voice command respect effortlessly.
Viserys broke first, Jaehaera followed and then Aegon both of them obviously not meaning it. When Jaehaerys looked at him, tears pooling into his eyes all he could do was hug him closer and gesture with his head to get it over with. The boy obliged, he had always been the easier of the two, the softer as well.
"I believe we will all benefit from a bath sister. I would offer to help with those, but it seems I'm out of hands." He tried to force a smile which she reciprocated with a tight one of her own. "I bid you a good day." He said with a nod and turned to leave.
"You too, brother." She said after him, some strange emphasis on the last word.
Aegon hated having to interact with her, it always felt like they were on a tight rope, a dagger hidden behind each other trying to play nice as to not spook the other into making the first move. It spoke volumes of how shaken it had left him that he went to Aemond's rooms before going to his own.
"Back so soon?" Aemond looked briefly up and went back to his book before processing what was in front of him. "What did you all do, roll in the mud?" His younger brother teased, his smile faltering at seeing Aegon's pale expression.
"They fought Rhaenyra's sons." That was all it took for Aemond to quickly close the book, get up and grab his sword. "They are fine, everything is fine, I think. They just... Rhaenyra's Aegon teased Jaehaerys about his hand and Jaehaera pushed him."
Aemond looked proud, at least he sheathed his sword. "Well deserved if you ask me. You can't really expect much from Rhaenyra's pests. Do you wish to stay here, or shall I escort you somewhere else?"
"My rooms, they, we, need a bath." Better to regroup first. The twins had fallen unusually silent somehow sensing the air of hostility. Truthfully Aegon was glad Aemond had offered to accompany them, he hated how vulnerable he had felt after departing that damn patio. With a child in each arm, he wouldn't even be able to fight back if something happened. He also hated how the mere presence of Rhaenyra made his own house feel unsafe, his mother's words resonating like a poison at the back of his mind. "You are the challenge, simply by living, by existing!" Aegon hugged his children tighter, if he was a challenge then so was Jaehaerys. Jaehaerys who was soft and cried if you teased him too much or got distracted even for a moment while he was telling a story. Simply by living and by existing, sins big enough to be put to the sword. Gods how he hated the dark thoughts that came when he was sober. But above all he hated how he had to make sure all their defences were in place just because four children had fought in the mud.
He got away with just changing clothes while Diana bathed the children, Helaena went to inform their mother of the incident while him and Aemond stayed with the kids.
Their mother who came bearing the fury of the seven upon her face. Alicent who had forgone any of the pleasantries she was so fond of and went straight to check her grandchildren for injuries.
"They are fine, mother. It was just a small fight, no one got hurt." Aegon tried to reassure.
"Helaena said she was there. What did she say? Did she consider it a small fight as well?" The meaning behind those words was clear. Viserys would not protect them, much less over Rhaenyra's sons, just like he hadn't protected Aemond.
"I think so, we made them apologize to each other, she was not mad." Alicent visibly calmed down. He knew his mother, if something were to happen the woman would make sure to aim for the neck this time if it meant protecting her grandchildren.
It was a slow day after no one really wishing to leave his and Helaena's apartments after. Jaehaerys was content enough to pester his favourite uncle for dragon stories and Alicent busied herself with playing dolls with Jaehaera and stitching with Helaena. Aegon rested on the sofa with Maelor over his chest, the easiest to amuse for certain, while Ser Criston and Ser Arryk guarded their door.
"All is well, wife?" Daemon asked upon seeing her entering their quarters with their muddied sons.
"There has been an incident in the courtyard."
By her voice her husband knew whatever that incident had been, it was not good news. Still, he stayed silent and let her gather her bearings before explaining further.
"Our boys fought Aegon's children." Not even her serious face could prevent his sudden burst of laughter. He approached the boys ruffling their hair. "Well done lads!"
"Daemon! I will not have you furthering the divide on our house or trying to instil animosity upon them!"
"The Hightowers are cunts the lot of them, and seeing how the girl spoke to me yesterday I say well deserved."
"Please tell me you do not take offense at the words of a clearly tired child? Moreover, that could be Joffrey's or either of your lady wife in the future, so you must play nice." She firmly scolded him and the two boys. Younger Aegon opened his eyes in fright at the mention of Jaehaera remotely being considered as his wife.
"You well know they would never allow it, a third or fourth son? Hah! As if."
"Well as of now she is the only girl left unbethrothed with pure Targaryen blood, so it would be in our best interests to consider it."
"She has two brothers and two uncles still unmarried. If Otto gets his way, she will be a princess, Rhaenyra, and no second or third son is worth a princess." It was a heavy topic and he hated having to remind his dear wife the game they were playing, but he knew she understood his words rang true. Still, hers had some truth to it too, if they waged war, it would be in their best interest to at least keep the girl alive, her blood made her worth more as a wife than as an enemy.
"Now tell me, do I need to call the gold cloaks and escort you to see the king? The matter could be dealt with swiftly, I am sure he would be on our side."
"There is no side Daemon, kids fought as kids do, no one got injured and Aegon was curt, more friendly than accusing actually."
"Really? And that is all?" Daemon asked incredulous.
"They apologized to each other, the matter is done. And that is an order for all of you." She commanded. "Now, bath!"
The only relevant event for the rest of the day was his girls and stepchildren joining them for lunch, all of them wincing at the mention of their little brothers' morning exploits. They too chose to remain in their mother's quarters afterwards.
Both, the black and green wings of Megor's holdfast remained silent for the rest of the day.