Champagne Problems// Laena Velaryon

45. Withdrawals

The twins were 5 and Laena had, had 2 miscarriages. They didnt want to celebrate life when Laena was suffering so much. 

"Why does this keep happening?" Laena whimpered crying into her mother. 

"I dont know baby I really dont." Rhaenys whispered running a hand down her back. 

"I need to give Taelon a son-"

"Has he been pressuring you?" Rhaenys snapped. 

"No, but he is the heir, he needs a son and-"

"He said something?"

"No." Laena declared. "He says he loves our girls and he doesnt need a son, he knows what boys are like and said they are trouble, he doesnt need more children... but the king, the world, the realms all want a male heir, that was why you were passed over." Laena reminded her. 

"Taelon will be king after his father." Rhaenys assured. 

"But Rhaenyra has a boy, a bastard but a boy and the king and Taelon didnt say anything about it. What if my daughters are passed over when taelon-"

"Taelon is young and healthy." Rhaenys reminded her. "And Taelon beat up Harwin Strong after Luke was born, same with Tommen after Jace. I wouldnt call that nothing." Laena supposed she was right on that front but she was worried. 

"Things happen all the time." 

"Have you spoken to Taelon about this?" 

"No." Laena admitted. 

"Talk to Taelon."

"I dont want to disappoint him." 

"He loves you, that boy is crazy about you." Rhaenys declared. 

"What if-"

"Talk to him first, I know he will make you feel better about this." Rhaenys assured. 

"How do you know?" Laena countered. 

"Because I have known for years that Taelon Targaryen is a good man."

+

Two years after Luke's birth though and Taelon and Harwin's relationship was still recovering, Nyra explained that what happened was passion and good and she wanted it she was to blame, and Taelon believed her but, neither were innocent. 

Taelon spent less time at the capital and more time at Dragonstone. 

Aemna and Rhaena loved dragonstone, they loved the dragon cravings in the walls and they loved getting ravens from Aemond. That was the bad thing about avoiding Harwin was that Harwin was at Taelon's home. Fucking his sister.  Jace was four and Tommen reasonably couldnt just go visiting him while he had two boys of his own. Gavin, Davina's firstborn and Tatum, Tommen's second bastard.  But Jace was still his boy. After Laena's miscarriage Tommen knew how fragile life was and he took a trip home to visit his family. His son. 

TOmmen loved Jace, and Rhaenyra loved how much Jace loved Tommen. Tommen was always the life of every party, he lite up a room without even trying and Rhaenyra saw the light in Jace as he got older. Rhaenyra hated that Taelon stayed away. He would fly in for meetings, fly Alicent's boys out to dragonstone but he couldnt look at her. He loved her but he was disappointed and Rhaenyra hated that she was human and she fell in love with all the wrong people. She didnt know that she loved Tommen, but she thought she might love Harwin. She loved that Tommen was such a good father to Tatum and Gavin, Davina's children, loved that he took the time to tend to Jace too. 

"You want to go for a race?" Taelon questioned peering in and Laena's smile grew. 

"Magic words." Laena agreed dropping her book down. The girls were at their lessons and annoyed that they couldnt join them but Taelon knew that Laena needed some time alone with him in the sky to just forget everything else up the purr of her dragon under her and the wing whipping through the air. 

They pulled themselves up and Laena smiled back at Taelon. He's perfect. That was the thought that raced through her mind when she looked back at him. He blew her a kiss before taking flight, they raced through the sky and Laena's laughter echoed through the clouds. 

Vhagar was easy to find, she was the largest dragon after all but Taelon followed after Laena's laughter it was like music to his ears. 

He knew that she was struggling with the fact that she couldnt conceive another child but he was worried about her. His father had wanted a son so bad that it killed his mother. Taelon had decided he would never fuck her again if it kept her alive. She was not okay with that solution.

No fucking, no pregnancy, no deaths, Taelon could survive... he couldnt but if it meant she got a long life to see their girls grow up then Taelon could survive the withdrawals of her touch. 

+

"Sea turtle here please." Aemna instructed before running back out. Taelon stared at the spot where she stood before looking to Laena.

"Manners." Was all Taelon had to say as he started mixing colors to get a few shades of green. Taelon glanced to the door as he heard her little footsteps.

"A mama and baby sea turtle." Mena clarified.

"Mena!" Laena called out and Aemna peered in smiling back at her. "What do you say to your daddy for all his hard work?" Aemna looked to Taelon.

"Good job. Looks great." Aemna declared.

"And?" Laena pondered.

"And..." Aemna sighed thinking that over. "oh!" She declared and Taelon chuckled. "A sting ray! Flying! Out of the water! Right here!" she jumped up a big smile on her face.

"You are lucky you are cute." Taelon informed her. Laena put her sketchbook down, she had stopped drawing and realized that she missed it, it was something that brought them together in the beginning, Taelon's sketches, she still had his dragon sketchbook, she loved it, she loved that he decorated all their rooms. Painted them top to bottom, at the castle, driftmark, and now dragonstone. 

"Tell your daddy thank you." Laena requested.

"Oh, silly me." Aemna agreed. "Thank you daddy. You are the best!" Aemna declared giving his cheek a kiss.

"You are very welcome." Taelon agreed. He glanced back at Laena as Aemna ran back out.

"Taelon, I want-" Laena put her book down and moved to him taking the paint brush from him and dropping it down. "I want you damnit." 

"I dont want you getting hurt because of me." Taelon whispered. 

"You want me to die of a broken heart instead?" Laena questioned kissing him. 

"Wouldnt want that." Taelon agreed as she jumped up her legs wrapping around his hips. He walked her back to the bed before he remembered they were in Aemna's room. He kept kissing her, holding onto her as he walked her down the hall to their bed chambers, sealing the door closed with a kick of his boot before depositing her on the bed.