Laenora Velaryon was the only child at her mother's bedside when she gave birth to her youngest brother Joffrey. She had been the first to hold him, just as her father had been her, and she was the first to bathe him of the blood he shared with their mother.
The dark haired girl wrung out the cloth of cotton and gently wiped her siblings skin, ridding him of all evidence of his birth. She quickly dried the young boy off and swaddled him in the same blanket that she had once been. The small boy cried bloody murder, hardly even opening his eyes to greet the world or even his sister for that matter.
"Tis a boy mother." The girl beamed, returning him to Rhaenyra's arms. "You did wonderfully. Ten fingers and ten toes, I counted them myself."
"Thank you for being here my sweet love." Her mother squeezed her hand, "You have always been my strongest child."
"Truly?"
"Truly. No man will ever know what it is to birth a child, that will always be my right, just as it is yours."
"I'm sure the boys would disagree."
"It is just as you say it my dear, they are boys. One day they will be men, and then they shall understand."
"If my right is to birth, then is it not my right to the iron throne mother?" Laenora questioned, laying down at her mothers side.
"Both will always be yours my dear." Rhanyra pulled her eldest into her, "The birthing bed. The iron throne. They both hoist blood, you will find there is little difference."
"Do you think this child will be as wise as you?" The princess questioned, stroking the small boy's curls of brown.
"One of you must be, and I have the utmost certainty it shan't be you or Jace. Luke may have yet to prove himself." The future queen chuckled, kissing both of her children on the head.
"The seven may strike me down if I one day don't have your humour my grace."
"The seven will do no such thing." Rhaenyra's tone dropped any ounce of humour in an instant, and nothing but seriousness masked in velvet remained. "The people have always said us Targaryens are closer to gods than men... and you will always be closer than any of us."
"But am I not a Velaryon?"
Nyra felt her throat tighten, the lump on the inside growing in size, almost to the same extent as her untruths. She knew her daughter could not know what she did, but still her question had made her feel the guilt of a thousand suns.
"You are your fathers daughter." She told her, just as she always would. "That will never change. You are both Velaryon and Targaryen."
"Where is father?"
"A boy!" Laenor suddenly burst through the waiting doors, his daughter was quick to rush into his arms and he spun her swiftly before placing her on the ground and taking his son upon his chest. "Well done."
"Father, he has your nose." Laenora told him, not noticing the way his eyes fluttered to her mother.
"That he does, my sweet love... Were your labours hard dear wife?"
"Not as difficult as they were with Laenora, the birth was an easy one."
"I'm glad to hear of it." The Velaryon spoke, "I come with unfortunate tidings."
"Of what?" Rhaenyra questioned, using the bed posts to pull herself to the edge.
"She wants to see him."
"Who?" Lae asked, tugging on her mother's hand.
"Your grandmother."
"Alicent?" The girl asked, "But you have just given birth, can it not wait?"
"I shan't gift her the satisfaction."
Slowly but surely Rhaenyra stood to her feet, commanding her chamber maids to dress her. The women flitted to her in an instant, pulling tight the strings of her corset over her still bloodied night shift.
"But mother you can't!"
"Why not daughter?"
"You've barely stopped bleeding and aside from that Alicent is-"
"Darling you mustn't call names." Laenor suddenly spoke, interrupting his child. "She is your Grandmother and Queen."
"But - she's a cunt!"
"Laenora! Enough!"
"She isn't my Grandmother." The child sulked, "She married Grandfather, that doesn't make her my blood."
"But I am your blood." Rhaenyra told her as she took her son into her arms, "And this is the last I'll hear of this matter. Now, come my dear."
***
"Well done my girl!"
The King Viserys couldn't have smiled any harder if only he'd split himself from ear to ear at the sight of his Daughter and Grandchildren. The older man showed no hesitation in taking his child's hands into his own and beholding her in her fourth successful term of motherhood. His eldest grandchild too stood by his side, holding his arm as her mother told him of how she'd called the midwife a cunt.
"Well I hardly saw you from down there!"
"Grandfather." She rolled her eyes, smiling softly.
"If it isn't my favourite granddaughter!" Viserys wrapped his arms around the child, hardly allowing her space to breathe as her poor mother watched from her seat in the corner, still bleeding beneath her dresses.
"Darling go sit with your mother." Alicent suddenly placed a hand on her back, startling her away from her Grandsire. "We are here to witness the baby, not you."
"Cunt." Laenora spoke freely before nestling into her mother's side.
"What was that?"
"I heard nothing." Rhaenyra shrugged, ridding herself of her cursed smile behind her daughter's deep red cloak.
"I believe he has his father's nose." The King chuckled
"That's what I said too!"
The small girl quickly jumped to her feet in excitement. No emotion ever felt better to Lae than when she was able to welcome a new sibling into the world, nothing could burst her bubble of elation. Nothing except for Alicent that was.
"Come darling, go play with your Uncles and Aunt in their chambers."
"But why?"
"The adults are talking, sweetest."
And before anyone could reach to stop her Alicent had pushed the girl out of the chamber doors and closed them on her, leaving her stood in the dark hall only shrouded by candlelight.
"Princess Laenora." A voice spoke in the dark, welcoming her to her newfound lonesomeness.
It took her a second to realise her surroundings before her eyes settled upon the man who'd spoken, his armour clashed together softly as he knelt down before her. His brown eyes ones of familiarity.
"What pleasure is it of mine to greet you here princess?" Criston Cole knelt upon his own knee, his eyes lowered to stare into her one's of brown.
"My cunt of a Grandmother locked me out of her chambers. All I wanted was to spend time with Grandsire."
"Cunt? Where did you learn such a word like that?"
"Mother said it whilst birthing the boy."
"Another boy?" He laughed, "Your mother is becoming nothing short of a brood mare."
"A brood mare? Is that a type of dragon Ser Cole?"
"If you believe it to be so." He stifled his grim smirk, "How does it feel to be the only Velaryon girl? Lonesome?"
"Tis okay. There's much to do around the castle that distracts me."
"And what is it that distracts you most?" He asked, taking her smaller hand and willing her to walk with him, abandoning his post in exchange for something greater.
"I mostly read." Laenora mumbled, suddenly becoming shy about her passions. "About the wild dragons, and Old Valyria, and swordsmanship too."
"Swordsmanship? What is it you know of swordsmanship?"
"That I'd like to train in it one day, with my mother's blessing of course."
"Do you believe you could wield a sword one day Princess?"
"Of course."
"Then you do not need to ask of your mother's blessing girl."
Sunlight befell the heir to the throne as herself and Criston stepped outside into the courtyard. Cherry blossom petals littered themselves amongst the yard, each bloom being trodden into the dirt by the knights boots that trained upon the ground and even making their home in Laenora's dark hair. The knight was quick to pick them out unbeknownst to her own eyes.
"Of course I do."
"I could train you." He told her, falling upon both knees in the dirt, his much larger hands found home upon her shoulders. "Just as I do your brothers, and your uncles. Your Mother may never need to know."
"I would tell my mother Ser Criston. If you still wish to train me than I may oblige, but only with my mother's blessing."
"Then you shall seek her blessing girl." The older man nodded in thought, hesitantly he spoke once more. "And what of your father's blessing?"
"I-"
"Princess Laenora." Ser Harwin's voice called to her across the yard, "Your mother has requested that you may return to your chambers. She told me you would be with your uncles but I see nothing of that. Ser Cole?"
"The Princess was lonesome." Criston grit his teeth, "I was not aware of such a request. I kept her company, I know no such crime in doing that."
"Come Princess." Harwin gently took her hand, his grip much tighter and protective than what Criston's hand been, "Let me return you to your mother."
"I wish you farewell Ser Cole."
"I shall see you at training on the morrow my grace, upon your mother's allowance of course."
"I wish it to be so."
"Farewell my princess."