'This one has 60 rings, and two pairs of legs on each,' Helaena said, examining the creature. 'That's 240.'
'Yes, it is,' Alicent replied, sitting next to her daughter, staring uninterestingly at the worm that Helaena was holding.
'It has eyes, but... I don't believe it can see.'
'And why is that so, do you think?' Alicent asked.
'It is beyond our understanding.'
'I suppose you're right,' Alicent replied, reaching out to touch her daughter's arm, to which she moved away from the unwanted contact. 'Some things just are.'
'Your Grace,' someone said. Alicent turned, seeing Prince Aemond, her youngest son, in the grip of one of the members of the Kingsguard.
'Aemond,' Alicent said, tearing herself away from Helaena and coming to Aemond. 'What have you done?'
'He did it again,' Helaena said softly.
'After how many times you've been warned, must I have you confined to your chambers?' Alicent exclaimed angrily.
'They made me do it!'
'As if you needed encouragement. Your obsession with those beasts goes beyond understanding!'
'They gave me a pig!' Aemond cried out, his eyes welling with tears. Alicent stalled.
'A what?' she asked quietly.
'They said they found a dragon for me. But it was a pig.'
'You will have a dragon one day,' Alicent said, grasping her son's shoulders. 'I know it.'
'They all laughed.'
Yet none heard the quiet prophecy that Helaena Targaryen muttered under her breath, holding a small creature in her hands.
'The last ring has no legs at all. He'll have to close an eye.'
Several hours later...
Alicent and Viserys sat in one of the rooms in the castle, in front of Viserys' model of Old Valyria, while Viserys' ward, Eddard, sat in the corner, working on one of the model dragons.
'They made wings for it, apparently, and a tail,' Alicent said to Viserys.
'The lad shouldn't have been so credulous.'
'He's a child.'
'He thought they'd happened upon some wild, unnamed dragon and lured it to the Dragonpit?'
'Your grandsons are a menace.'
'They're more children than he is,' Viserys replied.
'Th-they're savages. And it's not surprising.'
'Are you sure it wasn't our Aegon that put them up to it?'
'It's a wonder their eggs ever hatched,' Alicent replied bitterly.
'And why is that?'
'You know why.'
'I'm afraid I don't.'
'Don't!' Alicent snapped. 'Viserys,' she added, dropping her voice once more. The room fell silent. Viserys looked on his ward, Eddard.
'We shall continue this afternoon, Eddard.' The young man quietly left, shutting the doors of the room behind him. Alicent walked closer to her husband.
'I have raised this matter before, and you forbade me to speak of it, so I held my tongue. To have one child like that is a mistake, to have four is an insult, to the throne, to you, to House Velaryon and the match you battled so hard to make for her. Not to mention decency itself.'
'I had a black mare once,' Viserys said quietly. 'Black like a raven. One day, she escaped her pasture, and the neighbouring stallion sired a foal on her. The stallion was as silver as the moon on a winter's night, and the foal, when it was born - chestnut.' He chuckled softly. 'Just the most unremarkable brown horse you ever saw. Nature is a thing of mysterious works.'
'How do you know?' Alicent asked, Viserys looking up at her. 'The silver stallion. How do you know it was him? Did you witness the act itself?' Viserys looked up at her with a solid look.
'The consequences of an allegation like the one you toy at would be dire.' He stood, slowly, deliberately, then placed his hands on her arms. 'Do not speak of this again.' He kissed her on the cheek softly, then walked past her and left the room.
The next day...
The courtyard in King's Landing was buzzing, well and alive with the sounds of men working at the blacksmith's forge, grooming horses, and the four young princes training with straw men in the courtyard, wielding wooden swords. Ser Criston Cole walked around the yard, giving the boys instructions as they fought their straw men.
'This is the stuff, Lyonel,' Viserys said, sitting on a balcony with the Hand of the King, Lyonel Strong, as they overlooked the four princes undertaking their training in the yard. 'Lads that learn together, train together... knock each other down, pick each other up. They will certainly form a lifelong bond, wouldn't you agree?'
'That is the hope, Your Grace,' Lyonel replied. In the yard, Aemond knocked Lucerys' sword away from his hand, moving to another straw man.
'Don't stand too upright, my prince,' Criston called out. 'You'll get knocked down.' Aegon stopped fighting his straw man, leering at two servant girls walking by who gave him nervous looks, but said nothing. Ser Harwin walked into the training yard, with Eleana by his side. She departed from him, picking her way up to the balcony to stand with Viserys and Lyonel.
'Grandfather,' she said softly, giving a slight curtsy. 'My lord,' she said, and gave the same gesture to Lyonel. Viserys took her hand and softly kissed it.
'You grow more beautiful by the day, Eleana,' Viserys said warmly.
'Thank you, Grandfather.' She turned, busying herself with watching her uncles and brothers in the yard.
'Aegon,' Criston called out. The prince turned from watching the servant girls.
'I have won my first bout, Ser Criston. My opponent sues for mercy.'
'Well, you'll have a new opponent then, my Lord of the Straw. Let's see if you can touch me. You and your brother.' Criston walked over to a table, pulling his gloves on, and he looked up at Lyonel, Viserys and I. Aemond and Aegon went after Criston, but he blocked the boys' advances with ease. Harwin looked over to Lucerys and Jacaerys.
'Ah. Weapons up, boys. Give your enemies no quarter.' Criston strolled over to Harwin. 'It seems the younger boys could do better with a bit of your attention... Ser Criston.'
'You question my method of instruction, ser?' Criston asked.
'Oh, I merely suggest that method be applied to all of your pupils.'
'Very well,' Criston said, and turned to the two dark-haired boys. 'Jacaerys... come here.' He grabbed the eldest boy rather roughly, dragging him to the centre of the makeshift fighting ring. 'You spar with Aegon.' Aemond chuckled, as did Aegon. 'Eldest son against eldest son.'
'It's hardly a fair match,' Harwin remarked.
'I know you've never seen true battle, ser,' Criston replied pointedly, 'but when steel is drawn, a fair match isn't something anyone should expect. Blades up. Engage.' Jacaerys barely had time to ready himself before Aegon charged him, sending him to the ground in a matter of minutes. The fair-haired boy chuckled, walking away from his nephew. But then young Jace charged him, and in protest, Aegon threw one of the straw dummies in Jace's way.
'Foul play!' Harwin called out.
'I'll deal with him,' Criston replied, striding towards Aegon. The two older men conversed with the boys for a while, and then they engaged in the fighting ring again. It wasn't long before Aegon started pressing on the attack, not letting Jace get up from the ground. Harwin grabbed him, throwing him off of the smaller boy.
'Enough!' Harwin growled.
'You dare put hands on me?!' Aegon screamed.
'Aegon!' Viserys called out from the balcony, and at once the boy stopped, moved to silence by the correction of his father.
'You forget yourself, Strong. That is the prince,' Criston spoke.
'This is what you teach, Cole? Cruelty... to the weaker opponent?' Harwin snapped, going to pick up the wooden training swords that the boys had been using, and it was when his back was turned to Harwin that Cole started to speak again.
'Your interest in the princeling's training is quite unusual, Commander. Not to mention your continued affection for the young princess Eleana. Most men would only have that kind of devotion towards cousins... brothers or sisters... or a son and daughter.' Harwin stood, immediately spinning around and launching himself at Criston, tackling him to the ground and beginning to pummel him mercilessly with his fists. The Kingsguard pulled him off of Cole, as Harwin screamed, fighting the grips of the guards.
'Say it again! Say it again!'
In the dirt, Criston Cole lay, smiling with his mouth full of blood.
'Thought as much,' he muttered, smirking as Harwin was dragged away.