Fire on Fire // Aegon II Targaryen

SEVENTEEN

mentions of murder and gore

As Alyssanne sat with Helaena, embroidering, Vaenya, Visenya, and Jaehaerys played together nearby, under the watchful eye of their wet nurses who tended to Aerion and Daenara. Alyssanne had initially resisted the idea of having wet nurses for her children, wanting to nurse them herself, but Aegon had insisted on it.

The door suddenly burst open, startling everyone in the room. Two men rushed in, one bulky and the other scrawny, looking dangerous and out of place. Their appearance was menacing, and they bore the look of assassins.

The bulky man spoke, "We have been sent by Prince Daemon. I am Blood, and this is Cheese."

"What do you want?" Alyssanne asked, her voice calm but her gaze sharp.

"An eye for an eye. A son for a son. A daughter for a daughter," Cheese said, smirking as he delivered the chilling message.

"No!" Helaena exclaimed, her voice filled with horror and defiance.

Blood looked at Alyssanne and demanded, "Choose which son or daughter of yours you want to sacrifice."

Alyssanne offered herself instead. "Take me instead," she said, her voice steady and fearless.

Cheese sneered, "It's not about you, ladies. It's about making your husbands feel the pain of losing a child."

Blood, without hesitation, carried out the gruesome act, taking Vaenya's life.

"No!" Alyssanne cried out in anguish. Then, Cheese callously ended Jaehaerys' life. The death of her son drove Helaena into a frenzy of grief and rage.

Alyssanne felt a sudden, intense wave of pain as she went into labor. The events had taken a terrible toll on her, but Blood and Cheese had already fled the scene. The grief of losing her eldest child, Vaenya, and her nephew, Jaehaerys, weighed heavily on her heart, but she had to focus on delivering her baby.

Aegon stood outside the birthing chamber, tears streaming down his face. He was grieving deeply for the loss of his daughter and heir, Vaenya. The weight of the tragedy was immense, and his emotions were raw and overwhelming.

Alyssanne was in excruciating pain, and she longed for Aegon's comforting presence by her side. Surrounded by midwives, she felt incredibly alone in her anguish.

After two days of intense labor, Alyssanne gave birth to a girl. She named the baby Gael. Aegon rushed into the room to be with Alyssanne and their newborn daughter. When he saw Gael, he was struck by the strong resemblance she bore to her late sister, Vaenya. The moment was bittersweet, as the joy of welcoming a new life was intertwined with the pain of his recent loss.

Aegon, overcome with a mix of emotions, looked at Alyssanne and their newborn daughter. He said softly, "She's beautiful, Allie. Just like Vaenya. We'll protect her with everything we have."

"I'm going to avenge them," Alyssanne declared with steely determination. "Rhaenyra and Daemon will pay for what they've done. They stole my daughter from me. They stole Jaehaerys from Helaena and Aemond."

Aegon, holding Gael gently, looked at Alyssanne and said, "We will make them pay for their actions, Allie, but we must be careful and strategic. Our children depend on us."

"You're not upset with me for naming our daughter Gael instead of Rhaenys?" Alyssanne asked.

Aegon shook his head gently. "I'm not upset, Allie. Gael is a beautiful name for our daughter. It carries her own identity, just as she should."