Familiarity ||| Jacaerys Velaryon

forty-eight

Alyssa knew she and Jace had it easy raising children. Maids and a wet nurse who took care of the children overnight and when their parents were busy. It was what allowed them to keep their sanity, what allowed Alyssa to heal more easily.

She was still helping feed her children from her breast throughout the day, since Alyssa wanted that closeness with them. It wasn't much, perhaps once or twice for each twin. But she enjoyed being close to them.

A different tale than many young mothers in the Holdfast before. Mothers forced to bear children young and rear the children alone. They were eager to hand the children off and get a break for themselves.

Worse for mothers who weren't royalty. Mothers of low status, mothers of bastards. They had no one to help them at all.

Alyssa kept that in mind when she felt tired or stressed or exhausted. That in terms of child-rearing, she was lucky to have maids and a wet nurse and a husband who cared just as much as she did.

And since Jace was the oldest of five brothers, he was good with babies. Soothing and shushing the girls, knowing what their needs were and how to meet them. Dragonriding worked wonders when they seemed inconsolable.

Their eggs were in the cradle with them between incubation periods on hot coals. Alyssa prayed to the gods of Old Valyria that their eggs would hatch.

One thing that surprised Jace, however, was when the Maester came to him a mere week and a half after Alyssa had given birth. The Maester urged him to wait to share a marital bed until she had at least stopped bleeding. Mortality rates were much higher when children were conceived before the wound in the womb was healed.

He told Jace that he knew it could be hard, as a man, to wait that long. But it was best if he wanted any more children with Alyssa.

That conversation was extremely uncomfortable for Jace. And a bit anger-inducing. That the Maester assumed Jace would forcefully bed Alyssa while she was bleeding.

It was assumed that he had such little control over his urges that he had to be reminded to wait. Encouraged to seek out brothels instead.

How could anyone watch what Alyssa went through and think about fucking? See the pain she was in, the pain she was only beginning to heal from, and have fucking be such a thought in their minds that they had to seek out brothels.

Never mind waiting only until it was healed; until Alyssa was ready. The wound in her womb might be healed after six weeks. But that didn't mean she wanted to be bed.

They were both tired and in love with their new children. That wasn't a concern for them. Jace hated the fact that he'd had to even tell Jace that. In no uncertain terms; he was appalled.

The focus was on the babies as they seemed to grow frighteningly fast. Recognizing their parents, yearning for them.

One of the sweetest feelings was returning to Alyssa and having her hand his children over. "See?" She would say, rubbing the back of her baby. "I told you he would return, little dragon."

As well, their grandparents adored them. Daemon and Rhaenyra frequently spent time with their granddaughters. Alternating which child they held, and which one they rocked. Holding them during court when it was required, reading to them.