The dragon to be // House of dragons

1

A gale raged outside, the wild wind whipping through the trees, making them shudder. Lightning cleaved the midnight sky, illuminating the darkness for a fleeting moment before submerging it into an even deeper blackness. The thunder roared, its deafening echo reverberating across the land.

"Come on, Princess, you're almost there!" coaxed the midwife. "Push!" Her voice was firm yet soothing. Rhaenyra, weary from two long days of labor matched by an equally relentless storm, exhaled a long breath of exhaustion. Out of all her children, this birth had been the most challenging, enduring, and draining. Still, she gathered her remaining strength and pushed.

A guttural cry of agony escaped her lips as she exerted the last of her energy.

"Almost there, Princess!" The maid yelled, her voice a beacon of encouragement amidst the turmoil. "Keep going!" Rhaenyra could only shake her head in response.

"I-I can't," she confessed, her eyes reflecting her exhaustion. She was at her limit.

"One more push," the maid urged. Rhaenyra gave a weak nod and, with a final surge of effort, pushed. The baby finally arrived, but the room fell silent. There was no cry from the newborn, no sound of life.

"it's a girl"

"What's wrong?" Rhaenyra questioned, her voice trembling with fear. "Why is she not crying? Give her to me!" The maid handed her the baby, a girl, her skin a beautiful tan, her hair as white as snow. But still, there was no cry, no movement.

"Please!" Rhaenyra screamed, her voice filled with desperation. "Please don't take her!" She clutched her daughter to her chest, pleading to some unseen deity.

As if answering her plea, the wind outside blew harder, the lightning struck brighter, and the thunder growled louder. Then, a miracle happened. The little girl, previously motionless, took a deep breath and let out a robust cry. Her tiny arms jerked into the air as if celebrating her entry into the world.

Rhaenyra hugged her daughter tightly, tears streaming down her face, whispering thanks to any and every divine entity that might have listened.

"Shhh, shhh, now, it's okay," Rhaenyra cooed to the baby girl. The infant opened her eyes, revealing irises of dark blue tinged with purple.

The maid took the infant, gently cleaned her tan skin, and swaddled her in a white blanket before returning her to the new mother.

Laenor Velaryon entered the room, his face lighting up with a smile. "I heard it's a girl!" he exclaimed. Rhaenyra nodded as he approached, his surprise evident as he saw a tan-skinned, white-haired baby who looked so much like him.

"May I?" He asked. Rhaenyra, still holding the infant, nodded, and handed over the small bundle. He gently caressed the baby's cheek with the back of his finger, and her blue eyes fluttered open. She smiled and reached up, wrapping her tiny hand around his finger.

"Beautiful," he murmured, his gaze fixed on his daughter. There was no denying that this child was his, the product of one very drunken night.

"The king wishes to see the child," the maid announced. Laenor and Rhaenyra both nodded as the king walked in, the queen trailing behind him.

"Where is my granddaughter?" the king asked, excitement gleaming in his eyes. Laenor offered him a warm smile, presenting the small girl cradled in his arms.

"May I?" The king asked, his eyes filled with anticipation. Laenor nodded, carefully passing his daughter to the king.

"Hello there," he greeted the infant softly, "she looks like you," he commented, glancing at Laenor with a tender smile. Laenor returned the smile, nodding in acknowledgment.