Nearly thirteen years had passed since the King's second wedding, and Camilla had grown into her role as Queen. Following Rhaenyra's wedding, Camilla became more tuned in with the politics surrounding her. She began attending Small Council meetings, sitting across from her former friend. She guided Viserys in making decisions that would benefit her, pulling the strings like a puppet master. And when a member of the Small Council stood in her way she either found a way to convince them to agree or replaced them with someone who would.
By her decree wells and fountains were constructed in every major city and small village, making clean water accessible to the small folk across the realm. Laws were put in place protecting the Westerosi youth, child fighting rings were stopped and those in charge put to the blade. The Small folk sang songs of their kind and gentle Queen. Alysanne reborn, they called her, the Good Queen returned.
★・・・・・・★
Light streamed through sheer curtains, lighting up the room with the early day sun. Camilla stood on a small pedestal in her chambers watching through the mirror as a young seamstress pinned her silver dress for alterations. The delicate beading shone in the sunlight, casting reflections of rainbows across the room. Three dresses had been commissioned by the King as an early gift for their thirteenth anniversary.
"How is that, Your Grace?" The Tailor's Apprentice asked, looking up at the Queen from where she knelt on the ground.
"Perfect, my dear girl." Camilla smiled at the young girl, cupping her cheek in thanks. The Queen turned the old woman sitting on the nearby settee, her cold blue eyes scanning her creation. "You have done a wonderful job as always, Eira."
"Thank you, Your Grace." Eira slowly turned to grab the scarlet gown beside her. "Shall we check the tourney gown next?"
Camilla turned back to the mirror, admiring the current dress she wore. "Yes, I suppose so."
At their Queen's words, two of Camilla's ladies-in-waiting moved forward. Delicately they removed the gown from Camilla's body, leaving her standing there in her chemise. Camilla's eldest Lady in waiting, Elsbeth Serrett, gently they placed the silver dress beside the Tailor. While Sedna Tarly, Camilla's other lady-in-waiting, picked up the scarlett gown, turning to bring it to her Queen.
A knock at the door caused Sedna to freeze, while her counterpart rushed to make their Queen presentable. Camilla's thick dressing gown was quickly slipped over her shift.
"Come." Camilla commanded.
Camilla's youngest Lady-in-waiting, Diana Donniger, quickly ducked into the room, curtsying before addressing the royal. "Your Grace, you wished to be kept up to date on the Princess's labors."
"Has something happened?"
"The Princess has given birth, Your Grace, another boy."
"What wondrous news," Camilla smiled before turning to face Eira. "I apologize but we shall have to cut this session short."
"Of course, Your Grace." The elderly woman's apprentice rushed to her side, helping the tailor to stand. "Congratulations on the new grandchild."
Camilla's smile became tense at Eira's words, before turning to her Ladies-in-Waiting, ignoring the old tailor and her apprentice. Without a word of instruction, the women moved to prepare their Queen.
★・・・・・・★
Rhaenyra had kept the same rooms from her youth. Though her presence had seeped from that one chamber, claiming other nearby rooms until she had taken over an entire wing in Maegor's Holdfast.
Camilla usually avoided Rhaenyra's hall, not wanting to stumble upon her childhood companion. She already saw her enough as is, in the Small Council meetings they both attended. Both vying for Viserys' attention, wanting the King to side with them in whatever discussion.
Though if Camilla was to be honest the truth was that too many ghosts haunted the Princess's hall. Everywhere she looked, memories of happier times sprung forth in her mind, leaving the bitter taste of betrayal coating her tongue.
No guard stood watch outside the Princess's chambers as the King and Queen pushed open the doors. Violet eyes scanned the room before landing on a sweaty head of white hair. Rhaenyra sat reclined on a chair facing the door as if she had been expecting Camilla's arrival. The babe rested in his mother's embrace while his mother's husband stood behind them, staring sharply at Camilla.
"What happy news this morning!" Viserys' voice boomed within the room, his excitement palpable.
"Indeed, my love." Camilla agreed, patting her husband's arm.
"Where is he?" Viserys moved closer to his daughter. "Where is my grandson?"
Laenor lifted the babe from Rhaenyra's arms, placing him into Viserys's waiting arms. The King beamed down at the tiny child in his grasp, happiness radiating off of him. Camilla stepped closer to her husband, ignoring Rhaenyra's cautious gaze and peering into the blankets to see the babe's face.
"Such a handsome boy." Camilla commented
"A fine Prince." Viserys agreed. "Sturdy. You will make a fearsome knight."
Reaching over Camilla placed her finger in the babe's hand, the little boy closing his fist around her finger on instinct.
"He is already quite strong." Camilla announced, glancing towards Rhaenyra and Laenor, a knowing look clear on her face."Does he have a name yet?"
"We haven't spoken-" Rhaenyra started.
"Joffery." Laenor interrupted. "He'll be called Joffery."
"Such an unusual name for a Velaryon." Camilla replied.
"I do believe he has his father's nose." Viserys spoke, unknowingly adding to the tension and infuriating Camilla. The man wasn't clueless to the rumors about his daughter's extramarital affair, instead choosing to ignore them.
Camilla looked knowingly at Rhaenyra, who in an attempt to avoid the Queen's gaze looked up at her husband for help.
Getting the hint, Laenor cleared his throat. "If you don't mind, Your Grace, your daughter has exerted herself heroically and should rest."
"Of course." Viserys stepped forward, moving to pass the babe back to Laenor as Camilla cut him off.
Her hand pushed the blanket off of the babe's head, revealing sparse brown strands of hair. Humming to herself, Camilla lifted the babe out of Viserys' arms, gently bouncing him as she walked to the cradle across the room. Laenor followed closely behind at Rhaenyra's pointed look.
The Queen gently laid the babe down in the cradle, taking care to smooth out the blanket before turning to face her shadow. "Do keep trying, Ser Laenor. Soon or late, you may get one who looks like you."
★・・・・・・★
The smell of food filled the Queen's personal chambers. Different dishes littered the table, platters of cucumber sandwiches and savory scones, and trays of lemon cakes and almond cakes. A pot of Camilla's favorite mint tea sat beside her and her youngest daughter, Maegella, while a pot of orange blossom tea sat between Helaena and Daenyra.
This had become a sort of tradition Camilla had started with her children, once a week if they had no prior engagements Camilla's children would convene in the Queen's chambers and enjoy an afternoon of tea and a light meal. The atmosphere was usually much more rambunctious, but today Camilla's older sons had wished to visit the Dragon pit.
"This one has sixty rings," Helaena spoke aloud, focusing on the millipede crawling on her hand instead of the cooling food on her plate. "And two pairs of legs on each. That's two hundred and forty."
"Yes, it is." Camilla spoke from her seat across the table. Her fork hovered in the air waiting for her youngest son, Monterys, to accept a piece of her lemon cake. "Rhaenyra has had another son."
"That is wonderful news for her and Ser Laenor, I'm sure father is pleased." Daenyra sighed, annoyed by the topic shifting to her older sister.
"Mother?" Maegella's voice was barely louder than a whisper.
"Yes?" Camilla answered, though her attention still rested on the toddler on her lap.
When she didn't receive a response Camilla turned to her youngest daughter. At the unspoken question, Maegella's blue eyes shifted from her mother to the servants standing against the wall. Realizing what her daughter needed, Camilla quickly dismissed the servants.
"What is it, sweetling?"
Maegella stared at her mother for a moment, the sentence forming on her tongue as she put her thoughts and feelings into words. "Why doesn't father love me?"
Camilla felt as if a knife had just been driven into her side, knocking the air from her lungs. She cursed Viserys in her mind for marrying her and then not caring for her children, for only paying Rhaenyra and her brats any attention.
Her mind fumbled for an answer, she didn't know what to say. If she should lie or tell the truth.
"Father doesn't love anyone except Rhaenyra." Daenyra's voice was devoid of any emotion, as if it was just a fact that needed to be accepted. "The sooner you accept it, the easier it gets."
"Daenyra," Camilla chided softly, her eyes tracing each of her daughter's faces. She could see echos of each of their true fathers in their fine features. "I do not pretend to know how your father's mind works, only that he is riddled with regret. When Rhaenyra's mother died, he blamed himself."
"So that's what makes Rhaenyra better than us? That her mother died."
"Daenyra." Camilla warned the young teen.
"What? I only wish to understand what makes Rhaenyra so special that he cannot care for his seven other children."
"It has eyes, though I don't believe it can see." Helaena interrupted the conversation.
"Can I see?" Maegella leaned over in her seat trying to get a better look at the crawling insect. Helaena happily stretched out her hand, allowing her younger sister to see the arthropod.
"We shall finish this discussion later," Camilla told Daenyra before turning to Helaena. "Why do you think that is so, Cricket?"
"It is beyond our understanding." Helena spoke, quickly glancing at her mother, before looking back at the insect in her hands.
Since she had been a young child, Helaena had never been able to look anyone in the eyes. Camilla used to worry for her youngest daughter, before accepting the fact that Helaena was merely different. She had tried to impress upon Helaena the importance of at least looking in someone's direction if only for a moment. To glance at their ears or nose so they might think she was meeting their gaze.
"I suppose you are right, some things just are. Though I believe if anyone could find out it would be you."
"Perhaps the Citadel might commission you to discover and study insects." Daenyra suggested, a bright smile on her face. "If the day comes and you are in need of an assistant to travel the world with, I would happily step up."
Helaena shyly smiled at her older sister. "I'll remember that."
"Oh, can I come?" Maegella exclaimed, not wanting to be excluded.
As she spoke a King's Guard entered the tower pulling Aemond with him. Camilla gasped upon seeing her second youngest son covered in soot. She quickly stood from her seat and passed Monterys to Daenyra, trusting her oldest to watch over the toddler. Rushing to her son's side, the Queen dropped to her knees before them.
"What happened, Aemond?" Camilla asked, hands fluttering over her son's body, searching for any sign of an injury. "Are you injured?"
"He did it again." Aemond muttered, so quietly that Camilla could barely hear..
"That is still no reason to enter the depths of the Dragonpit," She looked at him sharply. "You know the dangers."
"They made me do it!" Aemond cried out.
"They cannot make you do anything. Besides, you have been warned countless times."
"They gave me a pig!" Aemond yelled, trying to get his parents to understand.
"What?" Camilla 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."
"I am sorry, my darling boy. Do not worry, you will have a dragon one day. I am sure of it."
"They all laughed." Aemond muttered, sounding utterly defeated.
Camilla pulled Aemond into her, pressing kisses to his silver hair. She wanted so hard to ease all of Aemond's insecurities, fearing how his sensitive disposition would survive in the Red Keep. Camilla feared for the day Viserys would breathe his last breath and the chaos that would no doubt ensue. She was scared of what would happen to her children if Rhaenyra would ascend the throne. Otto Hightower's words repeated in her mind.
Prepare Daemion to rule or cling to Rhaenyra and pray for mercy.
AN: The majority of the time spent writing this was spent on finding face claims and names for characters who probably didn't even need it.
Also, yes. I am doing nicknames for the kids again. I think it's the cutest shit ever.
-ELE