Blood pooled around him as he watches Aemond take the knife from Larys. He watches with glassy eyes. He was dying. He felt himself slipping away, his grasp on life becoming fainter as each labored breath left his body. He glanced at Reina and the baby. His heart ached knowing how much he will miss them.
"Aegon...please." Reina whispered, cupping his face with her hands.
He reached out and touched her face with a soft, loving hand. His voice is strained as he tried to speak. He wanted to tell her he loves her, that he tried to be the husband she deserves. But the air was escaping his lungs with each breath.
He was fading, falling into the darkness.
"Call a maester...please." Reina looked up at Aemond, pleading him.
His vision darkened, his thoughts scattered. He was losing his grip on reality. His breathing became shallow as he began to slip away. He felt a rush of dizziness, and the room began to spin. He stared up at her and managed a tiny smile. His lips moved to form her name, but no sound came out. Instead there was only silence, his heart slowing as life slipped away.
"Stay with me...Aegon...stay with-" his wife sobbed, clutching his hand in hers.
His eyes started to close, the darkness pulling him under. His breathing grew more shallow. He heard her voice, but it no longer had any meaning. His vision darkened, and his mind was filled with her face. Her beautiful face. He was desperate to stay, but his body betrayed him.
He felt someone taking him in their arms, lifting him up from the cold ground.
The last thing he saw before falling into unconsciousness was Reina holding their son at her chest.
A wave of warmth washed over him when he saw them together. He felt a sense of peace. He knew he is safe with her. He knows that she will take care of his son, his little boy. His body went limp, his breathing shallowed even more, and he closed his eyes. His final thought was that he loves her...and he loves his baby boy. He was content in his final moments...and then he went still.
•••
Aegon woke up moments ago. His voice is weak and his stomach wound hurts like hell. He tries to sit up, but the pain that shoot up in his abdomen made him fall back down into the mattress.
Ser Arryk entered the room rapidly, upon hearing sounds from it. His face lights up as he bows in front of his Prince.
The Targaryen man waved at him and looked around, "How is Reina?" he manages to say, ignoring the pain.
"The Princess is well, she stayed by your side all the time, leaving today at the Queen's orders." the guard replies.
Aegon looks out the window and sees the moon shining through the curtains. "What hour is it?"
"Past the Hour of the Owl, my Prince."
"Is she asleep?" the younger man asks, hoping to receive an negative answer.
"I do not know."
"Please, go and tell her to come to me." he pleads him, and groans as another wave of pain washes over him.
The guard nods and quickly made his way towards Reina's chambers.
Aegon is lost in his own thoughts, his eyes are fixed on the ceiling. He could not apologise, he remembers. He did not get the chance to.
•••
Reina was practically running towards Aegon's rooms, with Ser Arryk after her. Her heart is beating rapidly as her feet carries her to his doors.
She opens them wide and looks at her husband, who lays on the white bed, with closed eyes and a pale face.
The woman closes the door quietly and takes a deep breath before turning to face him.
The sound of her footsteps made him lift his head and open his eyes again. The first thing he saw was her face. Her beautiful face. A sight he was missing now.
He manages to let a slight smile escape his lips. It hurts, but he was trying to do it anyway.
"I am sorry." she says and sees how his eyes are filling with tears. She tries to control her emotions, not wanting to break down in tears once more. She is stronger than that.
"My love..." he whispers, "Come closer. Come to me."
Reina approaches his bed and sits on the chair she sat on for days.
He grabs her hand and kisses it. He notices the bruises from her wrists,face and arms. Her nose is bandaged.
"How are you feeling?" she asks him, trying to ignore his worried stare, noticing the anger that rose in his lilac eyes.
"How are you feeling?" he ignores her question, completely.
"Me? I was not the one who got stabbed." she chuckles.
"You were put through much worse things, my dear." he caresses her knuckles.
"I am fine." she lies and it is like he can see right through her barefaced lie.
"You are not good at lying." he laughs, but his face turns into a grimace from the pain.
"I try to be fine." she breathes out.
"I am sorry-" he starts to talk, but is quickly interrupted by her angelic voice.
"You have nothing to apologise for-"
"Let me talk. Let me make it up to you. I have acted like an idiot these past days. After you tried to kill yourself, after I have found you crying in your room...I do not deserve you. I am deeply sorry for leaving you alone that night, scared and stressed. You deserve a better husband, Reina." Aegon says, trying to hold back his tears.
"You are the best thing that ever happened to me, Aegon. I understand why you acted the way you did. What I did and tried to do is unforgivable..."
"It is not. You were in pain, grieving, regretting your actions. And you were scared, for what may happen to you the next day. I love you more than I can put it into words, you do not understand. Sometimes my love for you makes my heart ache. You mean everything to me, you made my life better just by existing. You and our little boy." he confesses and strokes her cheek with his hand.
By now, tears were flowing down Reina's face. "I love you too, more than anything in this whole world." she kisses the hand that caresses her face.
"Come here." he smiles, opening his arms wide, hoping she will accept his comfort and she will forgive him for hurting her feelings.
She smiles and hugs him, carefully, afraid she will hurt him in the process. She buries her face in the crook of his neck and kisses it.
"Stay here tonight. Stay with me." Aegon pleads her, moving a little so that he can make more space for her small body.
Reina climbs on the bed, getting under the sheet that was covering him. His torso is bare and he wears only a pair of loose trousers.
He allows her to put her head on his chest and kisses her hair softly.
"Do I hurt you?"
"You could never hurt me, my rose." he kisses her temple and tightens his grip on her, afraid she will dissappear. Afraid she will leave him, like everyone else did.
"Where is that monster?" his voice is full of rage as he thinks about Larys and what he tried to do to his sweet wife.
"Rotting in the dungeons." she replies, playing with his fingers. "I wanted to go down there to kill him myself, to see the life fading away from his cursed body."
"Shh..." Aegon rubs her back, "He will be punished for what he did. If not, I will punish him myself for what he did to you...The thought that he almost...I do not want to think about it anymore."
The memories are still fresh. She could not find peace to sleep the past nights, she would wake up crying and sweating. Screaming, sometimes. Feeling his hands all over her porcelain skin or seeing Aegon laying in his blood, the dagger thrusted into his heart.
She closes her eyes and sighs, trying to erase the scenes from her mind. The woman hopes that tonight, with Aegon by her side, she will be able to sleep and rest. Without nightmares.
•••
The next morning, Alicent stepped into the room, finding her children sleeping peacefully, in each other's arms. She smiles at the sight and leaves the room, heading outside towards the Sept. To pray for her son's health and for their happiness.
"Rhaenyra sent a letter. She announced me that in a few moons she will come to discuss the succession of the Driftmark's throne." Viserys's voice stops her, his smile makes her hate him even more.
While their son is laying ill and wounded in bed, after he had been stabbed, the only thing he could care about is his daughter. His sweet daughter. 'His only child', as he named her frequently.
"Aegon woke up last night." she says, trying to ignore the pain that builds up in her chest. Her head hanging low, trying to not meet his eyes, afraid she will let the stinging tears fall.
"These are wonderful news, are they not? I must inform Rhaenyra immediately, to tell her that she is welcomed here anytime." the King smiles, not seeming to hear the words his wife said. Or he did, but he chose to ignore them.
Alicent nods and bows in front of His Grace. She continues her walk, entering the ancient building. Oh, gods, how much she hates Targaryens. Even though, her children carry the blood of the dragons in their veins, in her heart they will always be Hightowers.
•••
Reina spent the whole day with her husband and their son. Aelon was happy to see his father again, giggling and tucking at his silver hair.
Aegon watched the small boy with joy in his eyes. Love warming up his heart.
The maesters told him that he still needs time to heal and he is not allowed to get up from the bed for the following week.
"You have to understand, Aegon. You need to listen to their words. They know better than any of us." Reina strokes his hair as she sits on the edge of the bed, Aelon sleeping in his crib. Aegon ordered Ser Arryk to move it immediately to the chambers he currently rests in, not wanting to be away from him.
"They said we cannot do...you know." he takes her hand, pulling her closer to him, before brushing his lips against hers.
Reina laughs at his words and complains and presses her lips on his, kissing him.
Aegon grips her waist and bites her lower lip, making her moan into their heated kiss.
She puts a hand on his chest and smiles, "We should listen to the maesters."
He groans and begins to untie the strings of her dress, "Who fucking cares about the maesters?" he asks and kisses her shoulder.
"Aegon." she warns him, trying not to give in.
"Reina." he looks up at her and smiles mischievously. "I will be careful. I just want and need you. I want to feel you...please." he bites down on her neck, making her close her eyes.
She nods and he chuckles before laying her down, "Are you comfortable...I mean after everything that happened? I can stop...if you..." he asks her, fearing that she is still shaken up about what Larys did to her.
"I trust you, Aegon. I want you." she whispers, getting lost into his deep violet eyes, filled now with lust. "Now shut up and kiss me."
He laughs, before kissing her again.
•••
The cell he stays in is dark and empty, making him want to die right there. The fear engulfes him every time he hears any sound, afraid that someone will attack him, afraid that the Prince woke up and that he came to seek revenge.
He remembers what he did and he realises that they will not let him live. He will be punished, one way or another. Either by the King, for committing treason. Either by Reina, for stabbing her husband and for succeeding in killing her mother.
Larys just prays, day and night that it will all end soon. The air and the atmosphere from the sick place made him lose his mind. Made him regret for not letting Reina kill him.
He looks around, taking in his surroundings. In the darkest corner of the cell, he notices something glistening. A crock, a piece of glass.
The man thinks he is hallucinating it, thinking he had lost his mind completely. He makes his way towards it and bends over, grabbing the sharp object in his hands.
He inspects it and a shiver runs down his spine. Reina had tried to kill him with a crock. Not once, but twice. Always failing.
Larys laughs and looks at it, seeing his reflection in it. A piece of a shattered mirror. His eyes widen as he grips it in his palms, blood coating his hand.
He watches as drops of red fluid drops on the ground, smirking at the way the mirror becomes red.
The glass falls on the ground below and he looks at it, breathing heavily. His hand stings, the cut is deep and it will soon get infected. He does not care, he will die anyway. What worse could an infected hand do?
He remembers the cut on his face and touches it with his clean hand. He had been scarred by that mad woman. Everything happened because of her. He falls down, laying down with the crock next to his head, watching the dark ceiling.
Darkness engufles him, swallowing him whole as he closes his eyes.
The last thing he saw before falling into unconsciousness was Reina, holding the bloody glass in her hands.
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A/N: oh my god the parallel!! thank you for your votes, I hope you like the book ! 💋💋