Maegor pushed the chamber door open and calmly entered the chamber.
The news of his niece giving birth to two girls had spread like a dragon's fiery breath through the Keep. And now he could see why.
In the chamber, Aenys was holding one of his granddaughters, and his nephew Aegon was holding the other and his niece Rhaena rested on the bed with her eyes close.
"Brother! Your've come!" Aenys spoke happily as his eyes fell on Maegor.
Maegor hummed and looked at Aenys. "Congratulations, Aenys." Megor spoke coldly and turned his head toward Aegon and then Rhaena. "Congratulations, nephew, niece."
"Thank you, Uncle." Aegon responded respectfully as he placed his daughter back in the arms of his wife and mother to his children, Rhaena.
"Look at her brother! This one right here is Aerea!" Aenys spoke as Maegor watched Aenys cradled his granddaughter. "The little one in her mother's arms is Rhaella!" Aenys smiled softly as his lilac eyes sparked.
Maegor stepped closer and looked at the fragile but a pretty little thing, though very fragile but she looked healthy.
Aerea made some small movements in her grandfather's arms and for half a heartbeat opened her eyes and looked at Maegor.
Maegor's eyebrows slightly went up as he met Aerea's deep violet eyes. Maegor knew, the only members of his house who bore deep violet eyes were his mother, himself and his son.
His aunt, Rhaenys, and her line bore purple and lilac eyes rather than deep purple eyes. Interesting Maegor thought to himself without thinking much into it, for something else about the child that interested him.
Apart from her deep violet eyes, oddly the child was familiar... As if Maegor had seen that little face somewhere before. He could not shake the feeling of it off, like a scratch on his eyes... For a reason, the child somewhat reminded him of when Daemion had just been born.
Moments passed as Maegor looked in Aerea's eyes and she looked back at him. "Come brother!" Aenys smiled as he gently offered Aerea. "Hold her!"
"It is not a good idea, Aenys. I've not held any child since..." Maegor paused at the realzation of how long he had not spoken his name. "...Since Daemion."
Rhaena looked at Maegor as Daemion's name was brought up, but not Aegon, Aenys nor Maegor noticed.
"Well... Let us change that!" Aenys smiled softly and placed Aerea in Maegor's arm, and walked to his daughter, Rhaena and sat by Rhaena as he softly stroked Rhaella's growing silver hair.
Maegor looked at Aerea with a deeper look. Trying to see what of this child, apart from her eyes, was familiar to him. He kept looking but he could not find any reason.
After a few short minutes, Maegor gently placed Aerea back in her cradle, as he felt an old wound was opened once more.
Maegor softly turned around looked at Aegon and Rhaena. "You have blessed our house. Congratulations." Maegor spoke coldly and turned his head to Aenys. "I congratulate you once again brother... Father will be happy." Maegor spoke coldly and walked out of the chamber before Aenys could respond.
____________
Maegor walked down the hallway, but he was lost in his thoughts. The image of Daemion as a newborn weighted heavy on his mind.
Maegor missed Daemion dearly. Over nine moons had passed since the last time Maegor had looked upon his son. Maegor wished he could write a letter to Daemion. But what would he write? Where would he send it? All he knew was that Daemion was somewhere in Yi-Ti... Where? Only Daemion himself knew it.
Seeing Aenys with his granddaughters, had brought him a sense of guilt and pain deep within his heart.
A pain of seeing how his weak and gentle brother had a family of his own. Three sons and two daughters, and now he was a grandfather... But yet all Maegor had was his mother and Daemion and memories of Ceryse.
Ceryse... His beautiful Ceryse. How her beautiful name still lingered in his mind.
Ceryse left him alone in this world with their son, a son that that Aegon and his plots finally drove away... Leaving Maegor where he had started his life; with his mother.
And his guilt had found its way to him, his guilt of early days that his son was born. When Daemion was born, Maegor could not do anything but to somewhat blame Daemion for Ceryse's death in a dark corner of his heart... But he knew it was not Daemion's doing. Ceryse was not just Maegor's wife. She was Daemion's mother. A mother Daemion never had... And a wife and woman Maegor never knew how much he needed until it was too late.
Ceryse... His wife's name echoed again in his mind. His beautiful Ceryse... His calm and gentle Ceryse. Maegor never admitted to a living soul, but he loved Ceryse in his own ways. How could he not? They rarely saw eye to eye, but yet she was his wife. She was no warrior, but yet her calm deminor was as sharp as a sword, and her gentel nature her shield. He could never forget how he felt as his eyes grew as he saw her for the first time, when he was three and ten and she was three and twenty.
He always had believed that when a child was born to them, Ceryse would take over to parent and raise the child, and all he had to do, was to make sure that the boy would grow up to know the art of war and sword. To teach his son to weild a sword so he make take the head of whomever who would dare to challenge him.
He had thought he would have more children after Daemion. Perhaps a daughter... A daughter who would become Daemion's bride as his own mother became bride to his father. Maegor couldn't care any less for what the Hightowers nor their faith said of marrying one's own sibling. His children would carry his blood and keep it as pure they could...
But all his thoughts, all his plans for the future that never came, had fled his mind when Ceryse died. He was left with a babe who did not even had an hour with his mother. A son he had always wanted, but yet he did not know how to raise.
Maegor did not know of how to raise a boy. He had his mother, Visenya, who was his mother, father, guide and teacher. Maegor had never thought much of it of what his mother felt or went through to raise him all by herself. She was Visenya Targryen, the bearer of Dark Sister, the eldest of the conquerors, she could do anything. A woman who made impossible possible...
... But he was not Visenya, he was Maegor Targaryen. All he had ever known was sword and lance and blood and bones. Not raising a child... So Maegor did what he had thought was best, the only thing he knew better than anyone. He raised a soldier, under the guidance of his old trainer and possibly closest thing he had to a friend, Gawen Corbray.
But as time went on... He no longer could see the boy as a breathing hair who was meant to replace him... Maegor began to see Daemion as what Daemion truly was; his son. His only son. The only reminder that Ceryse had left from herself aside from her old dresses and her favourite brush and her emerald necklace which Maegor still kept to this day even after twenty years...
Daemion mirrored Visenya. That much Maegor always could see on his son's face, but when he looked at Daemion long enough... All he could see was Ceryse's gentle soul behind Daemion's deep violet eyes.
When Daemion was still a child, Maegor despised the fact that Daemion did not resmbeled him more... Though Daemion was skilled warrior, he lacked Maegor's thirst for blood, which troubled Maegor in his youth... But as years passed by, and sand of time began to sit on Maegor's hair and face, he was secretly grateful to see not so much of himself in Daemion...
Maegor could recall it, like a clear dream. After he had defeated the Giant of the Trident when he was nine and ten, Gawen had told him that every time he showers his blade and hand in blood, he must remember that one day that blood will get dry, and when he is older and perhaps wiser, he would only then realize how spilling blood is not as easy as it once was...
"Every man that a man kills in madness of his rage, he would only find himself falling into a blacker pit of a never-ending rage." Gawen had said.
It took Maegor a long time to learn that, it may have been late, but he had finally had learned. Though many days went by that he wished he could have learned that when he was a young man, when he was Daemion's age... For if he had learned it sooner, he might have become a different man, perhaps a better one.
Maegor's thoughts were interrupted as he saw a womanly figure walking down the hall way toward him.
"Alyssa." Maegor spoke coldly as he walked passed Alyssa.
"Good-brother." Alyssa spoke softly, but yet she stopped walking. "Good brother?" She called.
Maegor did not want to talk to her or anyone as the matter of it, so he pretended to not hear as she called for him and began walking faster.
"Maegor." Alyssa spoke softly as she softly followed Maegor for a few steps. "Are you feeling well?"
"I am good sister." Maegor spoke coldly.
"Aenys worries for you. I do too." Alyssa spoke softly. "You have been angrier than ever. Breaking every dummy in the training court. Only attend to small council and refuse to attend to family gatherings."
"What concern of it is to you, good sister?" Maegor asked coldly as he turned to look Alyssa with his deep violet eyes.
"How can you ask such a question Maegor?" Alyssa asked in disbelief. "You are Aenys's brother! I hold you dear to my heart as my good brother and family. Of course it concerns me! You believe that I do not know it is because of Daemion that you have become even more of a brood than you were before?"
"I did not know my family had any admirers in the Red Keep." Maegor spoke coldly.
"Maegor–"
"What do you wish to talk about Alyssa?" Maegor shook his head and cut her off. "I have already congratulated Aenys on the birth of your grandchildren. What do you wish for? To remind me of my standing? To remind me as how my son is half a world away, but yet your family grows ever larger?!" Maegor spoke sharply. "Do not trouble yourself with it. I already know."
"How can you say such things Maegor?!" Alyssa spoke in disbelief. "You believe that I would tease you over this?! I teased you when we were young yes, but not this... Never this. I am here to show you, to tell you that I am here for you!" Alyssa spoke sharply but she got soft.
"I do not wish for your pity, good sister." Maegor hummed coldly. "You need not to worry. You will never watch any of your sons driven out. For they are of Aenys's seed. Had it been otherwise, they would have fought alongside your father in Stepstones rather than Daemion."
"I do not know how you are dealing or even feeling about Daemion's departure... But I know my soul would have left me had one of my sons left without a word... And I can see that it pains more than you let on. You were always a man of few words, but now you are a man of silence." Alyssa spoke calmly.
"I know people speak of how you care so little, but I know better Maegor. I truly know you care." Alyssa spoke softly. "Especially for your son, even though you may not let it on."
Moments of silence followed after Alyssa spoke. Maegor felt strangely as his heart began to softening.
"Have you heard of Daemion?" Alyssa spoke softly, breaking the silence.
"No." Maegor spoke softly and truthlly. "I've not heard of him since the night of the royal wedding."
"How do you not worry?" Alyssa asked softly.
Oh I worry Alyssa... Maegor thought to himself. I fall asleep worrying that tomorrow Modread might bring Daemion's lifeless body back...
"I do not worry for I know better." Maegor's spoke with a strong voice. "I know Daemion will be fine... I do not worry for him, for I know my son will triumph over any obstacle thrown at his path. He is my son, My blood."
"You are always the most detaimind man I know." Alyssa smiled a small smile. "And I can see where Daemion gets his strong head and stubbornness from... He resembles you more than you know, Maegor." Alyssa spoke softly. "Know that my prayers are always with you and Daemion."
Maegor looked at Alyssa softly and nodded. "I thank you, good sister. Truly." Maegor spoke sincerely.
"It is not my place to speak of this... But I believe Lady Ceryse would have been beyond proud of how you raised Daemion." Alyssa spoke with a soft smile as gently placed her hand on Maegor's muscular arm.
Maegor's deep violet eyes softened, and for the first time, in a long time, Maegor smiled.