A month had passed since Aemond, and Visenya consummated their marriage; they had been trying for a child, but no matter what, Visenya couldn't seem to fall pregnant. Once Queen Alicent learnt of the couple's attempt at a child, she opened up to Visenya and started to act as another mother figure to Visenya.

She first ran into Visenya praying under the weirwood tree, silently and under to cover of night. "Princess," Queen Alicent spoke, pulling Visenya from her thoughts.

Visenya looked at the Queen, frightened by her presence. "Why are you out in the cold by yourself? The hour is late," the Queen said, helping Visenya to her feet.

Visenya was cautious of the Queen's presence; she had not been kind to her for some time, but why now was she worried if she may catch a cold? "Nothing, Your Grace. Praying before bed," Visenya said, removing her hands from the Queen's.

Queen Alicent gave the girl a soft smile, "or praying for a child?"

Visenya took a step back; she didn't expect the Queen to be so spot on with her guess, yet she was. Were her and Aemond's alone time that obvious to the court? Did she overhear her prays? Did the Queen have an ulterior motive? "How did you know?" Visenya asked.

Queen Alicent took Visenya's arm and began leading her back to her chambers. Visenya was wary of the Queen's actions but didn't want to start an unnecessary fight if genuine kindness was behind her actions. They walked the halls without a word spoken between each other until they arrived at the chamber doors, and Queen Alicent took Visenya's shoulders, looking deep into her eyes.

"Should you ever need a mother's comfort during these trying times, I am always here to provide," Queen Alicent told Visenya.

Visenya nodded, and Alicent pulled her into a tight embrace, squeezing her tightly and kissing her head. Queen Alicent disappeared within the Red Keep's darkened halls as quickly as she showed up, leaving Visenya flabbergasted at her kind actions. She considered the Queen's kind words for some time before approaching her again.

A week later, Visenya had just finished her daily check-in with the maesters to see if she was with child yet, and she was. Visenya was scared to tell Aemond, and she knew what this meant for them both–gone the days of their foolishness would be, and the responsibility of caring for another life and parenthood would weigh on them day and night. Visenya–as much as she wanted a babe–was scared of the ramifications and responsibility.

Visenya did not know why she ran to Queen Alicent first, but she wanted to believe that she had meant those kind words. She found the Queen talking with the Hand, who noticed her approach before the Queen did.

"Your Grace. Lord Hand," Visenya quickly bowed as she approached, "may I speak with the Queen please?"

Otto Hightower dismisses himself and leaves Queen Alicent and Visenya alone in the throne room. "Princess, what's the matter?" Queen Alicent said gently, taking one of Visenya's hands in hers.

Visenya took a deep breath, preparing mentally for the words that would leave her lips. "I am with child," She spoke softly, bringing a hand to her belly.

Queen Alicent looks down at Visenya's belly, then back at her. She couldn't believe it. Visenya was with child after one turn of the moon. The threat to her grandchildren was coming true, and yet the young girl had no idea of the weight this held. Rhaenyra was the named heir after her Visnya would follow, and now this unborn babe–Alicent couldn't stand for it, but she had to be cautious.

Queen Alicent had to find a way to keep the threat at bay and drive the couple apart without hurting her dear son. She knew it was wrong, but Larys would be the only one to find her the information she needed to drive them apart. Aegon's misdeeds would not be enough.

"My congratulations, princess. I am sure Prince Aemond is also overjoyed," Queen Alicent tells her, pulling Visenya into a tight hug.

Visenya's body stiffened at the Queen's touch, and she knew better than to trust her. "He does not know yet," Visenya whispered as the Queen pulled away.

Visenya felt so guilty for not running to Aemond first; she knew how excited Aemond was to have a child, yet Visenya couldn't bring herself to tell him. She thought about how her life had affected her–not knowing who her birth father was, caught inbetween a fight between two queens, used as a safeguard and a bargaining tool. Did she want to bring a child into that mess? Visenya was the heir to the Iron Throne after her mother, then her child would follow, and did she want to burden this unborn babe?

Aemond was already thinking of names too. Alysanne, Baelon, Daenerys, Aenys–it was all too much. "You have not told him?" Queen Alicent asked, shocked at the news.

She had expected Aemond to be the first to know, or even Rhaenyra, before her. Visenya shakes her head and casts her eyes to the floor. "I do not wish for him to know, not until I'm certain the babe will be fine," Visenya mumbles, "I do not want to disappoint him."

Queen Alicent softly smiled at Visenya, "do not fret, tell him when you're ready."

Visenya dismisses herself and hurries back to her chambers–the letter home will not write itself. Once Visenya is out of sight, Queen Alicent's face drops, and she lets out a loud sign, picking at the skin around her nails.

"Unfortunate news," Otto Hightower emerges from the shadows, a sly grin on his face, "and what will you do about it, Your Grace?"

Alicent glares at her father with disgust, but his words ring true. Rhaneyra's claim to the throne has now strengthened, and if Visenya produces a male heir, the court will swing in favour of the Blacks and thus, all this effort to install Aegon on the throne would be for nothing.

"I will not harm my unborn grandchild, nor will I put Visenya and my son through the grief of losing a child," Alicent throws back at her father. He may be the Hand of the King, but she is the Queen.

Otto steps forward, placing his hands on his daughter's shoulders. Suddenly, Alicent feels ten and seven again, being told to go and comfort the king in his private chambers. "You know what this child means for Aegon," Otto speaks plainly, "all these years of work for nothing."

Alicent feels the conflict deep within her stomach, making her nauseous. Some small part of her does not wish harm upon Rhaeneyra or Visenya, especially her son, but another knows she must put Aegon on the throne or let the realm fall to chaos. "I will do what I must," Alicent whispered, pulling away from her father.

Otto smiles to himself and takes his leave. Alicent watches her father walk away from her, picking her skin again, silently cursing herself. She knew this day was coming, yet she dreaded it all the same once it arrived–Aemond and Visenya's marriage was about to dissolve before her eyes.

–––––

Three days have passed, and I still have not told Aemond of the babe growing inside my womb. Bearing my husband's child was something I was always meant to do, to produce an heir, but now that the time has come to uphold my duty to the realm, I feel myself growing anxious at every passing second and hoping this was a dream I would soon wake from.

"Visenya," Helaena speaks, breaking me from my staring contest with the ground, "you seem troubled sister; what is the matter?" I look up to meet her kind and blue eyes, then glance at her children playing with the leaves of the weirwood tree.

"How did you cope when you first found you were with child?" I bluntly asked her, meeting her gaze once again.

Helaena was caught off guard by my question, stopping her embroidery for a brief second. She looks at the twins, then back at me with a kind smile. "It was not easy, finding out I was to be a mother, but as my belly grew and my last term was coming to an end I knew I was ready for this," she told me, reminiscing on when Jaehaerys and Jaehaera first came into this world.

Her words bring me little comfort, and I find myself repeatedly stabbing the needle into my fingers. The silence surrounding us is deafening, and I have to focus on the ambient sounds of the Red Keep to keep myself from falling into a spiral of anxiety–the twins' laughter, shoes clicking on the floor, the wind rustling the leaves, and the mumbled words of Helaena, "green, blue, teal, green, blue, steal."

My hand unconsciously rests on my belly, which has yet to swell with the child, and questions are swirling rapidly in my head. Will this child be a boy or a girl? What name will be given? Will Aemond be angry if our first child is not a son? Will the realm even accept three queen's in a row?

"Princess Visenya," the Queen's voice echoes in the yard, pulling me from my spiral, "may I speak alone with the Princess, daughter?"

I look to Helaena, who quickly nods and leaves with Jaehaerys and Jaehaera being carried by one of the servants. I quickly stand and bow in respect. Had the Queen come to discuss the babe? If I had told Aemond yet? What if it was regarding my family? Had they been hurt?

"I'm sorry to disturb your peace Princess," she speaks, walking into the yard, "and I do wish I had come for happier reasons."

The Queen is usually very hard to read, and this time is no different. I can feel a lump forming in my throat, and my hands start to shake and sweat, but I don't let on that I'm panicking, "what is the matter, Your Grace?"

She takes my shaking hands in hers, letting out a deep sigh. "There have been whispers, gossip, floating around the walls of the Keep," she said, gently caressing my hands as mother once did when I was young, "I am normally not one to entertain rumours shared amongst the servants but this was brought to my attention by a well-informed ally, one of whom I cannot dismiss."

Queen Alicent pauses for a moment, glancing down at our hands and then back to me. "Whatever it is, Your Grace, please speak it plainly," I ask her, taking deep breaths to calm my nerves.

She suddenly drops my hands and turns around quickly, almost hiding from me. "It is to do with my son, Aegon, and his," she pauses, and it suddenly becomes difficult to breathe, "nightly endeavours."

It feels like I've fallen from the walls of the Red Keep. The air has been sucked from my lungs. My breathing is shallow, and my vision is hazy. She knows. How does she know? Nobody was meant to find out. If the Queen knows, and the servants know, who else knows? Does Aemond? If he does, does he not care? Would he hold it against his own brother? His own blood?

"I need to know, Princess Visenya," Queen Alicent turns back to look at me, fury in her eyes, "is Aegon the father of the babe in your belly right now?"

"Your Grace, I-I swear, I swear to you-"

"Princess, were you unfaithful to your husband?" The Queen snapped at me, her eyes burning with their wicked stare, which had only been seen when I took Aemond's eye.

The words catch my tongue, and the tears prick my eyes. I'm being accused of being an unfaithful wife, that this was my fault when Aegon forced himself upon me. "Your Grace, I promise I wasn't unfaithful," I pleaded with her, stepping forward, "it was Aegon who forced himself upon me."

Queen Alicent's eyes soften for a moment as if she has realised something, but within a second, they are stone cold again. She shakes her head, glaring at me, "you speak only lies, just as your mother did."

My face drops, the tears retreat from my eyes, and the lump in my throat is swallowed. My face suddenly feels hot, my body begins shaking but not from anxiety, and the feeling of betrayal is replaced by anger. My mother warned me that the Queen was ruthless and calculated regarding her attacks. I had hoped to see the better in her, but as it turns out, my mother was right.

"Your son is nothing but a drunken cunt who prides himself on taking advantage of women," I spit, the white-hot anger I've held in for so long now bubbling to the surface and threatening to overflow.

Queen Alicent is taken aback by my words, her mask slipping for a second, but she quickly returns to her melancholic expression. "Aegon is a horrible person, and so are you," my voice shakes as I speak, and my nails dig into my palms.

I am aware that I have just spoken ill of the Queen and Prince, they could both have my head for such slanders, but I am beyond caring. I have suffered too much at the hands of the Greens to keep formalities. They dragged me through the mud like a dog, and so has my family–if anything, I should have their heads. Aemond and I were finally starting to build our lives as husband and wife, and now it is about to come tumbling down again. I need to find Aemond and tell him the truth.

"You will be flying back to Dragonstone by sun's set, Princess," Queen Alicent said as I turned on my heels and bolted through the halls of the Red Keep.

Mid-afternoon, Aemond should be in the library studying the histories at this time. My heels pound into the floors, echoing the hallways, my heart is nearly beating out of my chest, and I can feel my betrothal necklace roughly slamming against my collarbones-none of this deters me. I still have a chance if Queen Alicent hasn't already told him. Aemond will understand why I've kept the pregnancy a secret thus far, he'll understand I did not lay with his brother willingly. He'll understand, he'll understand, he'll under-

The impact sends me flying to the ground and knocks the air from my lungs. Laying on the cold stone floor, I wheeze and try to focus my eyes, clutching my necklace. "Visenya, I'm so sorry," my blood runs cold, and everything quickly comes into focus.

A hand comes into view, but I push it away and stand, brushing the dirt from my skirt. I try walking around them, but they always step before me. Frustrated, I finally spoke to him, "Aegon, move."

–––––

"Aegon, move," the Princess spoke, an urgency and anger lacing her tone. She was in a rush, she needed to find Aemond before it was too late, and the clock was ticking.

Aegon, for the first time ever, felt nervous. His mother specifically instructed him to find Visenya at this time and delay her for as long as possible–now he wasn't so sure. Looking into Visenya's wild eyes, he could see the blood of the dragon ran thicker in her than it did him. He wondered if Daemon and Visenya were related or if, like her namesake, she was as fiery as Vhgar's original rider.

"I'm afraid I can't do that just yet, my Princess," Aegon spoke, calculating his next move.

He knew she was afraid of him, and a part of him shamefully enjoyed it, though right now, he did not wish to hurt her, for he feared what his mother had planned. Visenya could see the hesitation in Aegon's eyes, but when he placed his cold hand upon her warm shoulder, she froze and saw her life flash before her eyes.

This time, with a shaky voice and sweating palms, Visenya spoke, "Aegon, please move out of my way."

He did not; instead, they both stood in silence. Visenya fearing for not only her life but her child's, and Aegon waits for his mother to appear to give him an indication of what to do.

"Keep her there, and when you see me, hurt her," Queen Alicent spoke, holding Aegon's face tightly between her fingers.

"Why?" He asked, rubbing the sore spot where his mothers' grip once was.

"Just do something for once, please, Aegon, be useful."

The two were locked in their silent battle for what felt like hours; only when Aegon saw his mother enter the hallway did he finally put himself to good use. Aegon grabbed Visenya's face and brought their lips together in a flash, sealing an unwritten fate. Visenya could not even begin to comprehend what had happened, her body shut down on itself, and her mind was paralysed by fear.

As their lips connected and the Queen shyly smiled to herself, did Aemond walk around the corner. His eyes landly on his brother first, disgusted at how he would shamelessly bring his whores into the Red Keep, but when his eyes travelled down to the woman Aegon was kissing, his heart split in two.

His wife, his beautiful and delicate wife, was the one his brother was kissing. Aemond froze on the spot, air knocked from his lungs, heart beating in his throat–he didn't know what to think. He had noticed Visenya being distant lately; he had thought it was because of him, that he had somehow hurt her. He even requested that the stone workers make her a gift to apologise. But this was not the case.

Soon Aemond's heartbreak and betrayal became rage and vengeful. He quickly turned and walked away, knowing if he were to stay, he would take it out on the two of them, and he did not want to hurt Visenya.

"Son."

"Brother!"

"Aemond!"

Three voices called, but only one cut him so deeply to hear.

Aegon did not mean to open his eyes, but when he saw his brother standing there, he quickly ended the kiss, almost shoving Visenya away. He looked toward his mother, who had not one ounce of remorse on her face. Once again, Aegon had been played like a prawn in a larger chess game by his mother and most likely grandsire.

When Aegon shoved her away, Visenya didn't know what to think, but when she saw the retreating figure of her husband and Queen Alicent's smile, she knew exactly what had just happened. Visenya called after Aemond, sprinting to catch up to him, but his strides were too long, and she almost ran into the door when he slammed it behind him.

Visenya took a moment to compose herself before entering their chambers, knowing the scene ahead would be a tragic one. Slowly, Visenya pushed open the door and softly closed it behind her, looking out to see Aemond standing on the balcony outside.

"Aemond," she spoke softly as if he was a skittish rabbit.

Aemond tensed at the sound of her voice; he had not expected her to follow him after that display in the hallway. Perhaps he was glad that she came, maybe his eyes were playing tricks on him, and he didn't just witness his brother kissing his wife. Aemond loved Visenya, and he knew she loved him; the nights they had shared could not have been faked, not even by the best performer–maybe that's why this stung so badly.

Aemond was suddenly pulled from his thoughts when he heard the sweet soft voice of his wide behind him speak his name; oh, how he wished he had heard it under better circumstances. "Husband, please look at me," Visenya could not see his face, but she already knew the pain it held.

"My own brother," the words were barely above a whisper, but Visenya had never felt a blade so sharp cut into her heart.

The tears were already welling in her eyes when Aemond turned to look at her, "my own fucking brother." Visenya flinches at Aemond's harsh words, terrified by how calm he looked but how much hate his words carried.

"Aemond, please, let me explain–"

"Visenya stop," Aemond cuts her off, his jaw and fists clenched so tight he feared he may draw blood, "first, you fight with my mother–"

Aemond steps forward, and Visenya steps back. She doesn't know the person in front of her now, and it scares her more than Aegon ever could. It feels like she is prey being toyed with and hunted for sport. This is not her husband in front of her, but a dragon.

"Then," Aemond paused, trying to keep as calm as possible, "you kiss my brother."

"Aemond, please," Visenya begged, reaching for Aemond's hands, but he sharply pulled away.

Visenya's tears came spilling out of her eyes at his cold gesture; she had never felt such pain than at this moment. She knew how this looked to Aemond, how it could be perceived, but it was anything but that. Now, more than ever, Visenya needed to expose her soul to Aemond and tell him what had happened–she could not spare any details.

Aemond looked down at Visenya, studying her face. Her trembling lips, watery eyes, and shaking hands made him want to hold her in his arms and tell her everything would be okay. However, the anger he felt towards the two of them at this moment overshadowed everything.

"Aemond, I love you. What happened in the hallway-"

"You love me?" Aemond almost spat the words in Visenya's face.

She was taken aback at how he spoke the word 'love' with such venom; did he not love her?

"Yes, Aemond, I do," Visenya pleaded with him, trying to reach for her beloved husband.

Aemond didn't know how to react; he wanted to believe Visenya was telling the truth, that she would never lie to him, but a small voice in his head told him otherwise. Visenya was to take the throne after Rhaenyra; she was to be queen someday, and why would a future queen want a second son by her side?

"Visenya," Aemond whispered, unsure of what he was about to do, "leave."

Visenya felt the air leave her lungs and her heart stopped beating for a moment. Aemond had just told her to leave; what did he mean by leave? Leave the room? Leave him? Leave Kings Landing?

"Leave?" She questioned him, barely above a whisper.

Aemond turned away from his beloved wife, his defences breaking with every second he spent looking at her. He knew this marriage was a failure from the moment they were wed; he had hoped that they could have lived happily as queen and king consort and that they would have their children running about the halls of the Red Keep causing more stress than ruling a kingdom ever could. It seems as if the Gods have decided otherwise.

"Leave," Aemond spoke softly, his shoulders tense, "return to Dragonstone with your family, where you belong."

The colour drained from her face, her body froze, and she felt her entire world tumbling down around her. "Aemond," Visenya said faintly, walking around to stand before him, "you want me gone?"

Aemond's heart shattered at her question. He closed his eye tightly, trying to block Visenya from his mind. "Please," he whispered, "just go."

Visenya let out a shaky sigh and accepted defeat. Aemond needed space, and she understood that when tomorrow came, he would land Vhgar on Dragonstone and welcome her back into his arms. She would tell him she was with child and they could spend the next nine months preparing for the new babes' arrival.

But when the sun rose and set on Dragonstone with no sign of Aemond, the fiery hope within Visenya started to die. She waited every sunrise and sunset at the gates for Aemond's arrival. Days turned into weeks, weeks into months, and before long, her belly was swollen with their child and not a single word from the father.

Eventually, when her pregnancy was halfway done, Visenya stopped waiting at the gates. She wrote letters weekly to her husband but never heard back from him, and soon she had given up on those too.

Aemond spent his days in the training yard, almost beating the life out of anyone he spared with. Every night he spent staring out to the ocean that separated him from Visenya, hoping she would come back or ask him to join her on Dragonstone, but she never wrote to him.

Every day he avoided his brother, choosing to spend it with Helaena and the twins, wishing he had his own children to keep him entertained. He asked the maesters if they had received any ravens from Dragonstone for him, but they told him 'no' each week. Eventually, Aemond gave up too.

Queen Alicent hated seeing her son so depressed, but her father assured her that this was best for all of them and that they should prepare to find Aemond a new woman for him to take to wife.