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It had been two weeks since Rhaenyra's wedding. And she and Laenor were still struggling to conceive a child.
"There has to be a way." Rhaenyra said as she paced back and forth along the beach of the small, abandoned islet that she and Laenor had flown to. Ever since their disaster of a wedding, the cousins turned spouses had retreated to Dragonstone. It was for the best, especially after what Criston Cole did to Joffrey Lonmouth.
She hadn't gotten to know Joffrey Lonmouth for very long, but she knew that Laenor loved him. That Joffrey had loved Laenor truly and fiercely. She mourned his death with Laenor. "We must have children, an heir for Driftmark and for the Iron Throne."
Laenor shifted on his feet. "All of our attempts to have children the natural way have been..." the rider of Seasmoke paused. "Disasters." he said lightly.
Rhaenyra paused her pacing, turning to look at Laenor. "The natural way?" she asked, brows furrowing together in confusion.
She watched as Laenor looked around carefully. Seasmoke echoed his rider, looking around as if to find any hidden spies. There were no ships in sight, but the sudden secrecy made her stand straighter, made Syrax grow alert and watchful.
"My mother has been looking for other ways for us to have true born children. Not by a stud, but children of my blood even though I can't bed a woman." Laenor explained in High Valyrian. "In Essos and Dorne, loving the same sex is far more accepted and she believed that there have to be ways for couples with preferences like mine to have blood children. She recently found something three days ago. A way to... artificially have children."
Laenor's words shocked Rhaenyra. She couldn't imagine a child created any other way but the normal way. A way to have children without having sex? That should have been impossible. But, Rhaenyra thought. I ride a dragon, and outside of Dorne, Westeros has always been more conservative thanks to the Andals.
Hope bloomed in Rhaenyra's chest. We could have children together. she thought giddily. "What did the great and redoubtable Rhaenys find?"
Laenor grinned at her, the hope burning in his eyes matching her own.
Corlys Velaryon always had an eye for architecture, and Rhaenyra had to admit: High Tide was a beautiful palace.
Rhaenys waited for them in her personal reception rooms. A middle aged woman with dark hair, olive skin, and bright green eyes sat at the table. Rhaenyra looked over the woman, who was wearing an expensive gown and very, very expensive jewelry. This was no charlatan. This was a professional in her domain.
"Muña." Laenor greeted his mother warmly. Rhaenys smiled at her son and at her gooddaughter, and Rhaenyra couldn't help but return the smile. "Princess Rhaenys." Rhaenyra greeted.
The rider of Meleys waved her hand. "Please, just cousin, Rhaenys, or aunt Rhaenys. We are family, Rhaenyra."
Her heart warmed exponentially. "Very well, cousin." Rhaenyra said with a warm smile.
The attention of the room turned to the calm looking Essosi woman. "Rhaenyra, Laenor, may I introduce you to Madam Tirseya Faenah of Braavos?" Rhaenys said. The woman, Tirseya, stood up and curtsied.
"Welcome to High Tide, Madam Faenah." Rhaenyra said. "We hope you enjoy your stay here." Laenor added.
"I am here for business, but I do intend to see the sights of Driftmark." Tirseya said, her voice rich with the accents of Braavos and the Jade Sea. "Shall I get down to business and explain the procedure?"
Rhaenyra and Laenor exchanged a look, before turning back to Tirseya. "You may." Laenor said. "And if everything goes right, you will find yourself greatly rewarded for securing the future generations of Houses Targaryen and Velaryon." Rhaenyra said.
Tirseya nodded calmly. "Thank you. Now, Prince Laenor will have to provide his seed to put into a cup. Through the cup and other instruments, I shall insert his seed into Her Grace, Princess Rhaenyra, as if she was coupling with a man. The procedure is done as many times as needed into pregnancy is ensured. The pregnancy is as normal as one created through a traditional coupling." she took a sip of her tea. "I have had clients in... politically volatile situations as yours, Your Graces. I can keep this entirely undocumented."
Relief rushed through Rhaenyra. If the Greens got wind of this... "That would be preferable." she said. She, Rhaenys, and Laenor exchanged nervous but hopeful smiles. "When do we start?"
Ten months after her wedding, on the final day of the third moon, Rhaenyra gave birth to twins while at High Tide. Hearing her children's twin screams of life, a love so passionate and vivid filled her. It had worked. Her babies were here, alive, and perfect. Her eyes tracked the babies as the midwives cleaned the twins and her. As she took the twins into her arms, she grinned even brighter.
Both babies had Valyrian silver hair, but Laenor's dark skin.
"This is the eldest and the boy, Your Grace." Serona said gently, touching the babe swaddled in Targaryen red and black. The head midwife was a woman in her late fifties, who had lived on Dragonstone, Driftmark, and the other Blackwater Bay islands her entire life. "And here," she touched the babe swaddled in Velaryon sea green and silver. "Is the younger twin."
"A girl who will be as beautiful as her mother." one of the younger midwives said.
Tears of joy and love pricked Rhaenyra's eyes. "Thank you, all of you." she said, giving the midwives who had assisted her through her pregnancy and the birth a brilliant smile. "I know exactly who to call upon if I fall pregnant again."
The midwives straightened with pride. One slipped out to summon Laenor, and her husband entered the room hesitantly.
"Come meet our twins Laenor. Blood of our blood." Rhaenyra said with a smile. "They look just like you."
Her husband's hesitance vanished and he strode over. He gasped in delight. She offered him their daughter, who had finished nursing. Laenor took her with reverent hands. "The heiress of the tides." Laenor said, pressing a kiss to her brow, tears of pure love sliding down his cheeks.
Part of the couple's marriage contract was that when Rhaenyra ascended the Iron Throne, Laenor would renounce his claim to Driftmark as he would be Rhaenyra's Prince Consort. It would be Rhaenyra and Laenor's second eldest child, no matter their sex, would inherit Driftmark.
"What should we name them?" Laenor wondered.
Rhaenyra rocked her son, who had stopped feeding. "I've been reading much about Velaryon history. Our firstborn's name is Jacaerys Targaryen."
Another part of their marriage contract, something Corlys had agreed too. Rhaenyra wanted to thank Corlys for that, and she wanted to honor her goodfather. The Sea Snake had paid for the procedure with his personal wealth once Rhaenys, Rhaenyra, and Laenor explained it to them. Anything to ensure legitimate, trueborn heirs for Rhaenyra and Laenor. And he had paid triple Madam Triseya's usual amount. But given Corlys's vast wealth, it barely made a dent in his fortune.
It had only taken a month of the procedural attempts for Rhaenyra to have fallen pregnant. It had been uncomfortable and strange despite Madam Triseya's soothing presence and gentle demeanor, but now? Now it was completely worth it. To hold her children and hear their cries, to see them grow up.
Laenor grinned. His father's pride would swell not only from his firstborn grandson, the future King, having the Velaryon look, but because his grandson's name was a traditional, staple Velaryon name. "My father's head will swell, Nyra. You sure about it?"
"I am very sure." Rhaenyra said firmly. "Now, I named our son. You get to name our daughter."
The rider of Seasmoke looked at his daughter, his second born. He never thought he would have children of his own blood, despite his desperate wish to. "Aemma." he said quietly. "Aemma." Laenor repeated again, his voice firm and loving. "Her name is Aemma Velaryon."
When the twins were introduced to their Velaryon kin, Corlys threw a grand feast and Vaemond proudly took Aemma and Jacaerys on their first ship ride on his flagship, the Black Pearl. Rhaenys placed two eggs, from her beloved Meleys's recent clutch of eggs, in their cradles.
When the twins to the royal court, Viserys I Targaryen burst into tears of delight, while the Greens reeled at the sight of two unmistakably trueborn children of Laenor Velaryon and Rhaenyra Targaryen.
The blood of the dragon was secure. The game of thrones had forever changed.