Viserys had been easy to find, when not ruling the seven Kingdoms or spending time with his children, the King could be found in the chambers he shared with his wife, working on his stone model of Old Valyria. It had been quiet in the room as both Viserys and the Stonemaester worked silently when Enora had burst into the room.
"Unwin has written, Viserys. The Mother has blessed them, Galene is with child and they wish to have the babe here."
"That is wonderful news my dear," Viserys caught his wife's hand, kissing the soft skin on the inside of her wrist. "We can finally meet the woman that captured Unwin's heart. I know how heartbroken you were that the maester's wouldn't allow you to travel."
"Yes, well, I could have visited after Daeron was born." Enora began pacing the length of the room, her breath quickening as she did so.
"We shall continue tomorrow, Eddard." Viserys dismissed the man, as he stood up and grabbed his wife by the wrist, stopping Enora in her tracks. "The birth was a difficult one, my love, you almost died. You needed time to heal, Enora, You cannot beat yourself up about that."
"I still wish I had been there. It's been six years since I last saw Unwin, I feel as if I abandoned him as my father did me, left alone in that castle to rot and wither away."
"Unwin knows you love him, my dear." Viserys pulled Enora into him, wrapping his arm around her waist as she rested her cheek against the right side of his chest. "Did your father answer your letters when you wrote to him?"
"No." Enora muttered, lifting a hand to fidget with Viserys' necklace.
"You are not your father, you are so much better. You are everything he isn't, everything he could have hoped to be. You are a wonderful mother, a loving parent, and a caring sister. You are Queen of the Seven Kingdoms, you are more powerful and loved than Otto Hightower could ever be."
"Thank you, my love." Enora pulled back slightly, looking up at the man she loved.
"Now let us send a raven to Starpike, and begin preparing for Unwin's return." Viserys kissed his wife's cheek.
The royal couple were interrupted by a knock at their door and a King's Guard entering the room, Aemond sulked after him. Enora gasped upon seeing her middle son covered in soot. Rushing to her son's side, the Queen dropped to her knees before them. "What happened, Aemond? Are you injured?"
"He did it again." Aemond muttered, so quietly that Enora could barely hear.
"Did what, boy?" Viserys asked from over Enora's shoulder.
"Aegon!" The young prince spoke louder, his hands clenched in tight fists by his side. "He ridiculed me."
Relation of what must have happened filled Enora. Aegon had long been playing cruel pranks on his younger brother, teasing the boy for having no dragon of his own. And though Enora and Viserys had tried to stop it, no punishment seemed to work. "That is still no reason to go into the depths of the Dragonpit. You know the dangers."
"He made me do it!" Aemond cried out.
"They cannot make you do anything. Besides, you have been warned countless times." Viserys chastised his son.
"They gave me a pig!" Aemond yelled, trying to get his parents to understand.
"What?" Enora asked. "Why would he give you a pig?"
"Aegon said he found a dragon for me, but it was a pig. He called it the Pink Dread."
Enora glanced at her husband over her shoulder before turning back to her son, neither one knew what to do to stop the cruel pranks Aegon seemed to enjoy. "I am sorry, my darling boy. Do not worry, you will have a dragon one day. I am sure of it."
Enora didn't know how, but she knew Aemond would have a dragon soon enough. Call it mother's intuition or a hopeful outlook, but Enora was positive Aemond would claim a dragon within the year.
★・・・・・・★
After comforting her third born son, Enora left Aemond in his father's company. She knew Viserys could calm him down by having him help with the model of Old Valyria, the two shared a passion for the histories. Enora found her second eldest son in his chambers, laying asleep for a midday rest. Walking through the dark room, Enora found the window and pulled back the curtains allowing light to flood the room and wake Aegon up.
"Aegon," Enora called, ripping the covers away from her son's body as he groaned in protest.
"What do you want, mother?" Aegon pulled himself into a sitting position, knowing he wouldn't be able to get back to sleep until his mother left, she was relentless like that.
"The pig." Enora sat on the edge of the bed, facing her son. "Must you be so cruel?"
"What are you talking about?"
"The Pink Dread. You gifted your brother a pig with wings, for Seven's sake. Aemond is your younger brother. You are meant to love and protect him.
"Well he's a twat."
"We are family!" Enora roared in anger, in times like this it was almost as if she was the one with the blood of the dragon. Aegon had no doubt if his mother wished too she could claim any dragon she wanted to. She could probably ride one of the wild dragons on Dragonstone if she put her mind to it. "Aemond could have died, and his blood would be on your hands. Do you wish to be a kinslayer, Aegon?"
"It was supposed to be funny." Aegon tried to defend himself, though his voice had grown weak in the face of his mother's anger.
"He wandered into a dragon's den, Aegon. Would it have been funny if your brother had been eaten?"
"I'm sorry!" Aegon cried, his voice breaking as he finally broke into tears at the thought of losing his brother. Enora pushed Aegon's frizzy locks from his face, taking the young teen's face in between her hands and wiping the tears that rolled down his cheeks. "It was supposed to be funny."
"Aemond is sensitive about his lack of dragon. He was not lucky like you or Helaena, he has not been able to claim a dragon, the very symbol of this House. If I hear of another prank or so much as a snide comment, I will send you to the Citadel to become a novice. There will be no dragons or drink, you will be put to work. Do you understand?"
"Yes." Aegon promised. "I'm so sorry, mother."
"It is not me who needs your apology," Enora pressed a kiss to her son's forehead, pulling him to her chest. "I love you, my son."
★・・・・・・★
The Queen found herself sitting beside her husband watching as her sons and nephews trained together under Ser Harwin Strong. Enora had asked Viserys if Alicent's sons could train alongside theirs, and like he had promised on their wedding day, he agreed.
Viserys chuckled as Harwin instructed Aemond, turning to face his friend behind him. "This is the stuff, Lyonel. 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."
Enora watched as Aegon weaved and spun around his opponent made of straw, knocking the figure back with a swing of his wooden sword. From her seat on the balcony overlooking the training fields, Enora could do little more than watch as Harwin partnered up Aegon and Aemond to spar and Harrald and Lawsen.
"Is this safe, Viserys?" Enora questioned as Aegon made the first move, attacking his brother.. "What if they are injured?"
"They will be fine, my love. You worry too much." Viserys chuckled at his wife's position at the edge of her seat, leant so far forward she was almost over the railing. "Unwin was never badly injured under Ser Harwin's watch was he?"
"No I suppose not, but I am a mother, Viserys, we worry." Enora watched as Aegon pushed over one of the straw figures onto Aemond causing Harwin to jump between the boys. The break didn't last long as Aegon yelled at the young boy and advanced on him and kicked his brother to the ground.
Enora watched as Aegon kept attacking Aemond, even though he lay on the ground. "Shouldn't the match be over?" Enora questioned, glancing between her husband and Lyonel for any look of concern. She found none on Viserys' face, but there was a glimmer of worry in Lyonel's eyes.
Seeing the men were not going to put a stop to it, Enora stood up from her seat. "Aegon! That is enough!"
Aegon froze at the sound of his mother's voice, looking up at the balcony his mother and father sat on. The wooden sword fell from his hand as he turned back to his brother, laying on the dirt ground. Aegon held a hand out, offering to help his brother up. Aemond looked between Aegon's face and his hand, searching for any sign of deception. When he found none, Aemond took Aegon's hand, allowing his older brother to pull him to his feet.
The King's eldest son, looked back up at his mother, searching for her approval. Upon seeing Enora's soft smile and nod in Aemond's direction, Aegon chuckled and turned back to his brother. "I'm sorry."
Aemond looked confused at his brother's apology. Had Aegon hit his head? Was he coming down with something? "Are you feeling alright?'
Aegon rolled his eyes at his brother's question. "Yes, I'm fine. Are you going to accept my apology, or not?"
"Yes."
"Good." Aegon clapped a hand on Aemond's shoulder, before turning back to Ser Harwin and awaiting further instruction.
★・・・・・・★
Lord Lyonel briefed the council on the conflict brewing in the Riverlands, though Enora paid him little mind as she watched Rhaenyra from across the table. The Princess also seemed quite distracted, and Enora wished to know what ran through her mind. Was she thinking about their earlier conversation, was she considering her options, weighing the consequences of both choices.
"Why was this issue not brought before Lord Grover?" Enora asked as Lyonel paused for breath.
"I've heard tale that Lord Grover's son now rules Riverrun in all but name." Lord Jasper Wylde answered.
"Well he is also a Tully, so is this not a Tully problem?" Enora questioned.
"I would agree." Viserys spoke, siding with his wife. Enora smiled to her husband in thanks.
"And yet, the Brackens and the Blackwoods will use any excuse to spill each other's blood." Rhaenyra added. "So, this dispute bears looking into. There will be countryfolk who know where the lines have been drawn for generations."
"That is easy enough." Lyonel said. "Ser Tyland?"
"We should address the latest developments in the Stepstones, my lords."
"Will we ever be shut of that blasted place?" Viserys complained.
"If you ask me, I think the Blackwoods have the upper hand." Lord Beesbury spoke, adding to the former conversation.
"We've moved onto the Stepstones, Lord Beesbury." the Grand Maester whispered.
"And the Triarchy's new alliance with Dorne." Ser Tyland added loudly.
"I was hoping our negotiations with Sunspear might persuade them to see reason." Viserys coughed. "To trust a Martell is to be disappointed."
"And where I wonder is our Prince Daemon?" Lord Jasper snidely questioned. "Or I suppose I should call him King, as he styled himself when he won a battle there once."
"That was a decade ago and the region has since been left undefended." Enora added.
"We have left it undefended." Rhaenyra corrected. "There should have been fortifications built, watchtowers, a fleet of ships, a garrison of soldiers sent to hold our ground."
"We cannot afford it, Rhaenyra." Enora interjected. "Our coffers are great but not infinite. We must consider the cost to our subjects." The Queen's attention was stolen as Viserys coughed yet again.
"I must agree-" Lord Beesbury spoke.
"The cost of war is greater." Rhaenyra interrupted loudly. "But we have been lax and the old monster now lifts its head."
"Let us be finished." Enora spoke, still looking at Viserys as she stood and walked to his side. The rest of the small council members followed their Queen's lead, and also stood up.
"Wait." Rhaenyra ordered. "I wish to speak."
"Be seated." Viserys sighed, motioning for everyone to sit down. All sat but Enora, who remained standing beside the King, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"As heir, it is my job to strengthen my claim by having children. I have failed in that manner, no children have been born from my marriage to Ser Laenor Velaryon." Enora could not believe Rhaenyra was bringing this up in front of the Small Council. She had asked Rhaenyra to come to her with her answer. It would have been much easier to convince Viserys in private, not with the Small Council present. "We have discussed it and Laenor wishes to set aside our marriage and fight in the Stepstones. I seek the Crown and Small Council's support on the matter."
Everyone's eyes rested on Viserys. It was well known what had happened last time he had allowed Rhaenyra to choose her match. The shame she had almost brought on House Targaryen, the scrutiny that a match with House Velaryon had avoided.
"And do you have a match in mind?" Viserys asked.
"Not at the moment."
Your Grace," Lyonel spoke, drawing the council's attention. "It would not be wise to annul the Princess's marriage, especially when a second match has not been determined at this time."
"I agree. You shall remain married to Ser Laenor. If that is all then we are finished." Enora sent a small smile at Rhaenyra, as she took Viserys' arm and helped him up and out of the room.