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Helaena hand been tending to her praying mantis while Aegon lounged in a sofa soaking up the sun. For a man accustomed to frequenting the most unsavoury parts of the city the sound was unmistakable. When he looked over, his sister wife was looking stunned to her feet, moving her skirts slowly to reveal a puddle.
"What happened? Did you piss yourself?" He asked with mirth.
"Must you be so crass? Of course not! My water just broke." Helaena calmly explained, a bit embarrassed by his assumption.
"Okay, what do we do?" Aegon said getting up, clearly starting to panic.
"Tell a servant to call for the Maester and mother. I will change into my birthing gown meanwhile."
"Are you not in pain? Don’t you need anything else?" He approached her trying to hold her arm.
"No. Just do what I asked and leave me be." Helaena ordered, hoping to reroute her husband's anxiousness, and focusing on what she needed to do.
"How can you be so nonchalant about this! You are going into labour!"
"I'm not even close to ready, Aegon. Stop fretting, all will be well. You don't even have to stay." She said rummaging through the chest at the end of their bed. She swore she had left the gown there but now it was nowhere to be found.
"I want to stay, at least this once." Aegon had not been there for the twins' birth, which he still felt guilty for. They both had been too young, he had gone down to the kitchens and started chugging, hoping it would make his stomach uncoil. It had not. He had vomited into some pot, washed his face with what was probably floor cleaning water and arrived after the babes were already born and clean. He stayed long enough to briefly hold them and agree to the names chosen by Helaena. He had disappeared after, under the guise of celebrating and not reappeared for the following three days.
"Then stay, but stay calm. I don't need to deal with you on top of mother." He could feel Helaena's patience start to thin. Aegon didn't blame her, she was after all going into labour and he must be stressing her out needlessly. The servant was ordered, and he was just left pacing and looking as his wife chucked item of clothing after item out of the chest with increasing frustration.
"Is everything okay?" He finally asked, as his sister contemplated the empty chest.
"I can't find it. I left it here but it's not."
"Can't you use another gown?"
"No, they are too tight, and I don’t want to dirty the comfortable ones... " She explained fidgeting with her ring.
"You could use one of my undershirts if you’d rather. They ought to be loose enough."
"I guess if it’s no bother..."
"None at all considering the situation."
She looked quite ridiculous with it on barely covering what it needed to cover, with sleeves that came to the middle of her hands and with a too wide neckline. Aegon was sure their mother would protest at how improper it looked yet all both of them could do was giggle at the ridiculous situation. Crisis averted.
The Maester had been the first to arrive, followed by a flurry of servants carrying water, sheets and so on. Both siblings had stood on the side awkwardly to let them work as fast as they could. The midwives had come straight after, evaluating the supplies with critical eyes and calmly asking Helaena questions about her state. Aegon would be the first to admit he felt very out of place, he didn’t know where to stand in order to facilitate the whole operation and at the same time show his support to his wife. Mother arrived last, out of breath and gripping her dress to walk faster. If he wasn’t so afraid of her he would have jested how unqueenly she looked.
The preparations were short lived and Helaena was guided into the bed and examined by the midwife who determined they still had some time to wait before the proper birthing began, something about dilatation that flew over Aegon’s head.
Although their mother seemed obstinate on reminding Helaena of what was to come he managed to steer the conversation away to topic that didn’t make his siter grip the sheets and make a face, indicating she would rather hear Aemond and Daeron have a heated discussion about Valyrian verbs (The last time they almost had started swinging at each other which had been amusing and concerning in equal measure). So to pass the time he had decided to at least enter the competition for husband of the year, and subjected himself to following Helaena’s precise instructions on how to make sure her insects stayed alive without her for the next three days. Mother was thoroughly disgusted by it but bore it with grace, and Helaena remained entertained until the contractions began.
He had been fine, he had held her hand and been a dutiful husband. That is until he saw the blood. Aegon had seen blood before, on their brother Aemond as they sew shut his eye, in wounds in the training yard, in a woman’s monthly, in the Flea bottom with men bleeding out in alleyways, even that one time when they put kids in a pit and made them fight. Neither of those times had he been affected by the sight or had he felt particularly squeamish about it. But now? He felt himself turn as white as flour and the room start to spin.
"I don't feel well, I think I might pass out." He announced to the room, breathing too fast and feeling himself swaying.
"Really Aegon right now? What kind of man flinches at the sight of blood." Their mother berated, taking her frustration out on him.
"Let him be, he can’t help it. Aegon is a lover, not a fighter." His sister, who was trying to push a baby out and bleeding, still found strength to defend him.
"I'll go entertain the twins. I don't think the Maester would appreciate having to deal with me fainting on top of the birth." Aegon excused himself, wobbling out clumsily. He had to sit on the ground outside of the room for a while until he was sure he would not collapse upon getting up.
The twins were having their lessons in a small sunny room near the library, the governess was dictating letters and they were dutifully writing them on parchment. He contemplated the scene for a bit, relishing in how calm they were being. It was always soothing to watch them like this, specially knowing how they acted most of the time, even unruly dragons were better behaved.
It dawned on him suddenly at the thought of dragons. Fuck. He had absolutely forgotten. Every Targaryen babe deserved to have a dragon egg in their cradle and neither him nor Helaena had chosen one for their new child. He would need to go to the Dragonpit and hope there was some to bring back. The twins would have to come with, no matter how mother would chastise him for spoiling them and let them miss their lessons, it was after all tradition to let the siblings choose the egg.
Father had chosen Helaena's egg and she had chosen Aemond's, neither had hatched. In contrast he had been the one to choose Daeron's which had become Tessarion, and he had been the one to distribute the only two eggs available when the twins had been born. So, he could say with full confidence he was quite good at choosing. The only one who seemed to share his good instinct was Rhaenyra, she had chosen his Sunfyre even if it was meant for their deceased brother Baelon, as well as Jace's Vermax and Lucerys' Arrax. From what he knew Lucerys did choose a good egg for the third Strong brother whatever his name was, so maybe the little whelp had the gift as well. Still, he had promised himself he would let the twins choose this time, but if he felt the pull towards one of the eggs he could still try and tilt the scales on its favour.
"Hi." He said announcing himself by knocking on the door and advancing inside.
The sober salute of the governess was drowned by two shrill "Kepa!"
"I'm afraid I have to cut your lessons short today."
"Is the Princess aware of this, my lord." The woman asked, cautious.
"Of course, she has begun her labours and we need to go select an egg for the new babe. Would you both like that?"
"Yes! To the Dragonpit!" Jaehaera yelled haphazardly throwing her quill on the desk and standing up.
"Will Muña be okay?" Jaehaerys asked orderly leaving his own.
"Of course. The Maester says the babe is in position so it shall come quick and easy, like with your birth." It was a lie, the twin’s birth had been hard, painful and lasted almost a full day. According to mother, by the end Helaena had asked Alicent to kill her, which thankfully later she didn't remember, as she had been as high as honour on milk of the poppy.
The children happily rode in the carriage employing the time to bombard him with questions about their favourite subject.
"How many eggs are there?" Jaehaera started.
"I don't know, maybe many, maybe none, that depends on if Dreamfyre has laid a clutch lately."
"How many can we bring back?" Jaehaerys asked, knowing him he probably wished to fill his room with baby dragons.
"Just the one, for your brother or sister."
"What if they are twins, like us, we should bring two!" The boy reasoned.
"Mommy is only carrying one babe, so we will only bring one." He stated resolute.
"Who gets to choose?" Jaehaera queried.
"You both will have to agree on one."
"How do we know it's a good one, what if it doesn’t hatch?" Jaehaerys asked anxious.
"Then your brother or sister will have to claim a dragon like your mom or uncle Aemy. There is no shame in that." He tried to reassure. It is true he had teased Aemond mercilessly for not having a dragon for years, but they didn’t need to know that.
"Who chose our eggs? Maybe we can ask them, so the baby gets a good egg." Jaehaera continued.
"Your mother retrieved them, and I put them in your cradles, there were just the two of them so no one chose."
"But we want to choose a good egg, right Hera? The best egg. So how can we be sure it's good?" Jaehaerys it seemed would not let on, he was starting to pick at his nails which Aegon made sure to stop right away. They were trying to make sure their mother’s bad habits did not take on into a third generation.
“Do not fret, if there is a good egg in there you will know. I chose Tessarion for Uncle Daeron so I should know.” He said with a smile petting both of their heads. He really hoped Dreamfyre had recently laid a clutch otherwise he would have to deal with disappointed sighs all the way back.
The Dragonpit was quiet as always, one of the dragon keepers, an old gentleman approached them as soon as they crossed the door.
"My prince, what can I do for you?" He spoke voice gruff in High Valyrian.
"Princes Helaena has begun her labours and we came to see if there was an Egg we could take for the babe."
"We don't have any in the heating room at this time, but Dreamfyre has been uncharacteristically still and snippy for two days now, so she might have laid a clutch. Perhaps once the princess has recovered, she might try to fetch the eggs." The man suggested.
"Nonsense I will go."
"I would greatly advice against it, my prince. Dreamfyre could lash out at you trying to protect the eggs."
"I'll take my chances." Aegon contested, he needed to do something, and he was sure Dreamfyre at least tolerated him. He would have heeded the advice if it had been Vhagar, but the geriatric lizard his brother loved so much had yet to lay another clutch since the days of Visenya.
He left the twins upstairs, being tended by a young dragon keeper who they were grilling with dragon questions, at least he consoled himself they would practice their Valyrian. The darkness parted as he advanced towards Dreamfyre's last know lair. His boots creaked against the gravel and the smell of sulphur and smoke intensified before he saw pale blue scales reflecting the orange glow of the torch. She was coiled tight, an eye spied on him right above her tail, a growl his first warning.
Beating heart and sweaty brow he spoke in Valyrian, trying to make her understand.
"Hey there big girl. Helaena could not come today, she is having another child." A puff of air blew his hair back and made the torch flicker.
"Helaena needs an egg. Just the one." Her head emerged slowly when she saw him try to peer behind her tail, she stared at him intently, but he stayed firm, not showing any fear or weakness.
"I think you might have some there and I would like to choose one. You know we would take care of them, your last two hatched in our babes cradles, this will be the same."
His hands trembled as he let the torch on the floor and cold sweat gathered in his back as he stepped over her tail. Her enormous head observed him, sharp teeth too close for comfort. A false movement and the keepers would be shovelling his remains from the gravel. He crouched and with sure hands started to deposit the three mucus covered eggs into his satchel. As he touched the third one Dreamfyre growled at his back.
"I will bring the other two back as soon as the twins choose. You know the twins, Helaena's babies, Jaehaerys and Jaehaera." He said trying to distract her from the action.
He stepped over her tail once again and grabbed the torch wishing he could just run out of there. Dragons were bonded to one person, they may allow others to take some liberties but that alone would not guarantee your safety. He could hear her movement as he walked towards the exit, stilling and looking back revealed the dragon had been obviously following him even if she feigned disinterest looking the other way. Twice the process was repeated and twice the she dragon tried to take him for a fool. It was only when he ascended the stairs when she finally stopped her pursuit.
"I've brought the eggs. Feed my wife's dragon while we choose."
The older dragon keeper took him for a fool but did as ordered.
"Show us Kepa!" Jaehaerys demanded.
He laid the satchel on the floor and deposited the eggs over it. One was greenish blue similar to the Velaryon’s banners, the second one a deep red like Meleys and Caraxes and the last one was glinting bronze.
It was fast but before he could react each child had an egg in their hands. Both trying to convince the other with repetitive- “This one!” “No, this one is better!” “That one is ugly!”
“Can't we just bring back both eggs?" Jaehaera finally asked her father.
"One dragon one rider. One heart one mind." Aegon recited, it was an old saying he had found in a Valyrian book, one that he took deeply to heart.
"But how are we supposed to choose!" She complained.
"Maybe we are doing it wrong. You like the blue one and I like the red one, but we aren't choosing for us. The brown one is left, so maybe that is the one the baby will like best." Jaehaerys reasoned. His father felt proud to see his son honour his name, a conciliator if he had ever seen one.
"I guess, we could bring back the brown one. What do you think Kepa?" Jaehaera said frowning still not ready to let the blue one go.
"It's your choice. But the brown one does give me a good feeling." He said with a smile.
"The brown one then!" Jaehaerys exclaimed excited.
"Good." He said smiling at his children. "Prepare the egg, I shall give the others back to the Dreamfyre." He ordered to the dragon keepers.
He walked with sure steps that betrayed his real feelings. What welcomed him was a bloody maw, guts strewn over light blue scales, curious eyes peering at him, more intelligent than the keepers gave credit for.
“Right here you go.” He said offering the satchel awkwardly to the gargantuan beast.
Gelatinous muck fell into his hands as the she dragon opened her mouth and gently clasped the strap right between his two hands, taking it with care and walking back to her lair. A lesser man would have shat himself, but Aegon still had a birth to attend so he would have to process the utter terror of almost getting eaten later.
Egg secured and children back with their nannies he walked back to Helaena's rooms. He could hear the screams from the door. Criston patted his back with a grimace and let him trough. This time he concentrated on looking down and siting with his back to the action, focusing on avoiding any of the grizzly sights that would make his head spin.
"Look at who decided to come back." Their mother remarked clearly upset, he could not say if it was due to Helaena's obvious pain or his presence. He did not care either way, focusing instead on his very distressed wife.
"I went to retrieve an egg for the baby, the twins chose." Aegon relied, taking her hand.
"They gave her quite a bit of milk of the poppy, she might not remember this." Alicent warned.
"Don't talk like I'm not here. I'm here, Aegon. Don't let them... Don't let them do anything bad to me." His wife pleaded, pupils dilated and shaking with the strain. Sweat was making her white hair stick to her neck, she had fresh tears running down her cheeks and lips had that had been bitten bloody.
"No one is going to hurt you, I promise." He said trying to calm her down. The memory of what befell Queen Aemma fresh in his mind, he hoped there would be no need to make him choose.
"We would never let anyone hurt you, my love." Their mother said with a voice he had only heard her use with the twins. Each were grasping one of her hands as she struggled. It seemed it didn't even register, Helaena's mood was volatile thanks to the milk and the pain. She would string along sentences that did not make much sense, but by her face the pain was only getting worse.
"I hate you! This is your fault!" Helaena screamed at him between sobs as she pushed.
"I know." was all he could answer, faced with all the pain he had caused her.
"It's your fault too!" She screamed at their mother.
"I'm sorry, my love." Alicent pleaded.
"No, you are not, you wanted this! Everyone did." The woman lamented.
The midwife announced she had started to see the head and Helaena was instructed to push harder. The screams were deafening and Aegon was sure Helaena would leave nail marks on the back of his hand by how hard he was squeezing it.
Alicent focused on giving her encouragement, with little " You are doing so good." and "It's almost here my love, keep pushing." While Helaena wailed and cursed them both for doing this to her. It took almost an hour more for the babe to be born. Aegon did not dare turn to see them pull the child out, focusing instead on Helaena, finally slumped back and completely spent, never letting her hand go.
"Congratulations, it's a boy my prince." The Maester spoke.
"Is he all right is he healthy?" His sister managed to grasp out.
"Yes, he seems so, has two hands, two feet and five fingers in each, looks a bit small but normal nonetheless."
"I wish to hold him." Helaena demanded, arms stretched in front of her. The Maester approached them holding carefully a bundle of bloody cloth which Aegon barely registered contained his son. The old man gave him a stare as if to ask permission, which he answered with a confused nod. Why would he not want his wife to be the first to hold their child?
Once deposited into her waiting arms Helaena's whole expression changed into one of absolute adoration "I wish to name him Maelor." She said not being able to pull her gaze away from her child.
"Helaena, don't you think that is a tad too close to another name? I don't think it's a good idea." Alicent protested weakly, peering at the babe as she did.
"I saw it in a dream, he was playing with Jaehaerys, that is what our son called him." This time Helaena looked at him, eyes wide open, a serious expression on her face, begging him to believe her.
"Then so be it, Maelor it is." He said caressing Helaena’s arm in a manner he hoped was comforting.
"Aegon, you can’t allow this." Alicent protested.
"It has already been decided, mother. You named yours as you saw fit, let us name ours." He stated. The matter was finished, his sister had pushed him out, it was fair she named him how she wanted.
A bit later Helaena kissed his little head and the child fussed, lips stained red she offered the bundle to Aegon. He faltered for a moment, it was tiny and fragile, how could they trust him to hold such a creature? But he extended his arms nonetheless. It was his son, how could he not? He breathed in and out looking at the bloody child who fixed him with unseeing eyes. He would take care of him, he promised that. He would be a good father like he had been to Jaehaerys and Jaehaera. And he would make sure he treated all three of them equally. Once he felt ready, he passed the boy to his grandmother who cooed at him and rocked him gently when he started fussing yet again. The midwives took him to get cleaned after, while him and their mother stayed until the after birth was expelled. He would confess to gag a bit at seeing it on his peripheral, but he stayed strong by his wife’s side nonetheless. Once it was done their mother accompanied him outside while they cleaned Helaena and fixed the room for the princess’ comfort. Neither spoke.
They waited a few hours while Helaena settled and Maelor got used to laying in a crib next to his mother before allowing the rest of the family inside.
Otto came first, an uncharacteristic smile upon his face, peering at the baby and bestowing praises upon his dearest grandchild for having birthed a boy. He could almost spy a tear in the old man's face as he patted Helaena's hand.
Aemond and the twins came after, two dragon keepers with an iron box behind them.
The children were quickly by their mother's side, but Aegon impeded them on climbing on the bed.
"Mommy you look so bad." Jaehaerys noted, children his age were brutally honest sometimes.
"I'm just tired." She responded, gentleness back even if her pupils were still blown over.
"We brought an egg for the baby! So, it can have a dragon too!" Jaehaera explained enthusiastic.
"He, not it." Aegon corrected. “You’ve had a brother. His name is Maelor."
"Noooo!" Jaehaera lamented at the same time Jaehaerys yelled a triumphant high pitched "Yesss!!!"
"Do you want to hold him?" Helaena asked them with a soft smile.
"Can I?" Answered their daughter, tantrum ended at the prospect of holding a real baby.
"Sure, if you sit here with me." His wife explained. The girl climbed carefully into the crook of Helaena's arm and waited patiently.
When he looked back Aemond was looking intently inside the cradle, so much he gave a small jolt once he registered Aegon putting his arms in.
He gently took the baby in his arms and deposited it on Jaehaera's lap and Helaena's hands.
"He is so ugly, I love him!" Jaehaera exclaimed.
"Is he supposed to look like that?" Jaehaerys asked concerned looking at the red and wrinkled baby.
"All babies look like that at first. He will smooth out and fill out soon enough, my dear." Alicent explained.
"When can he play?" The boy continued with his prodding, clearly going straight to his main concern.
"I'm afraid it will take many months before he can do that." Helaena said, breaking the news.
"What?! That is too long!" Both twins said in unison, it was freaky sometimes how they managed to coordinate themselves like that.
"That's what you get being and older brother. Always having to wait for the little ones to grow up." He told his child, smirking at Aemond right after. His brother crossed his arms and looked away with that air of superiority he always carried.
"I shall bring the joyful news to the king." Their mother announced after some time, breaking the spell of their little family.
"The council shall be informed as well." Said Otto before departing.
Daeron would have to wait until Helaena recovered enough to write the message. Knowing their little brother he would appear two hours after receiving the crown, always eager to abandon his responsibilities in Oldtown and come to King’s landing under any excuse. That had been accepted when he was still a cupbearer, now a squire he was subjected to stricter rules.
"Well now that is only Targaryens in the room perhaps we should present Maelor with his egg." He suggested to the children’s excitement.
He took the boy from Aemond's arms, noting how straight and absolutely frozen in place his brother had been the whole time he had been holding the child, and placed him back in the cradle. The children corralled around him as they approached the iron box. Opening it produced a cloud of white smoke soon revealing the coppery egg resting onto still burning embers. He used two pieces of muslin to get it out, as it would still be too hot to touch for a little bit. First, he presented it to Helaena who nodded in approval among the insistence of the children who kept babbling “We chose it, do you like it?” “Kepa says he has a good feeling about it!” “Dreamfyre would only let us take one!” “I think it will be brown.” “No, pink!” and so on. Aemond on his end looked at it warily, the three siblings all too aware of how many nights their younger brother had spent putting his over the fire and wishing it would hatch. He then proceeded to dump it in warm water, eliminating any residue of the mucus and making it cold enough to pick with bare hands. Only then did he approach the cradle. The twins and Aemond peered into it enraptured and he let deposited the egg by his son’s head. In his mind the mantra repeated.
One dragon one rider, one heart one mind.