The King's Chambers :

King Viserys and Queen Alicent were having a conversation when Princess Rhaenyra entered the chambers.

“My daughter!” the king exclaimed. “What brings you here?” he asked.

Rhaenyra had a glow on her face which did not go unnoticed by her stepmother. Alicent wondered what made her so happy. Rhaenyra said, “Father, I am with child.”

Viserys stood up from his place and embraced his daughter. Then he kissed her forehead and said, “May the Gods bless you, my dear child.”

Alicent stood up too. Even though she was not very happy to hear that, she had to congratulate her stepdaughter. She walked up to Rhaenyra and took her hands in hers. She said, “That's really wonderful, Princess. Jacaerys and Naerys will have a playmate soon. I wish you happiness.”

Rhaenyra said with a smile, “Thank You, Your Grace.”

Viserys asked Rhaenyra to sit down beside him for a conversation. Alicent took her leave and left the father alone with his daughter.

After Alicent had left, Viserys said to her, “My dear daughter, are you taking care of your health? It is true that I am very happy to have another grandchild but there is another thing. There is something which worries me.”

Rhaenyra placed her hand on Viserys’ hand and said, “Father… What is it? What worries you?”

Viserys said sadly, “I am afraid, Rhaenyra. I might be the king. I might be the Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and the Protector of the Realm. I might be the one who rode Balerion the Black Dread. But I am a father too. And I am afraid. Your mother…My beloved Aemma...She died on her birthing bed. The Gods snatched her away from me so cruelly. Your presence gave me peace. And now, you are with a child again. Just like your mother was. What will I do if I lose you too?”

Rhaenyra saw tears in his eyes. He was crying. She said, “Men are not supposed to cry, Aye. And it is forbidden for the kings to show weakness. Do not cry, Father. Do not cry. I am your daughter, your own blood. Your smile will give me the strength to endure every pain. But your tears will make me weak. Do not cry, Father. Do not cry.”

“It is not the king in front of you, Rhaenyra. It is the man who has lost his wife and is worried about his daughter,” Viserys replied.

To this Rhaenyra said, “Do not worry, Father. The Mother Above will keep me safe, I know. And The Warrior will give me the strength to fight in any difficult situation. My child will be safe and I will be safe too.”

The Queen's Chambers :

Alicent was standing by the window. Her mind was occupied by various thoughts. Princess Rhaenyra was with child once again. The first child of the princess was a bastard of her sworn protector. The second child was a trueborn daughter of her husband. Now who would be the father of her third child? Will it be Harwin? Probably. Because he was the one who was always around her. He loved the princess. It was true. She had seen it in his eyes. What if Laenor is the father of this child? That is less likely. The whole Red Keep knows that Laenor prefers men. He loves the company of his handsome squires. Some maids even whisper that he has not bedded his wife for months. Alicent had heard all those whispers. She believed only half of them. Because, if all the whispers across the Seven Kingdoms are to be believed, it was Prince Daemon who had taken her maidenhead, not her Lord Husband.

She remembered the little girl of eight who became her stepdaughter. She had called her ‘daughter’. The start was amiable but now, there is only jealousy and resentment. She married the king because he needed an heir and a spare. She gave him three sons and yet, it was his daughter from his first wife who held the position of the heir. Earlier she had hoped that the king would change his decision. But now, it was too late. The king would never declare her son as his heir and the Prince of Dragonstone. He had to challenge his sister's claim to the throne, she knew.

The Lords of the realm would never let a woman rule over them. They would stand behind Aegon, that was true. But Rhaenyra would not give up her claim so easily, for everyone wanted the throne and the power that came with it. A war was inevitable. Would it be the right thing to do? A war among kin? What kind of king would history call her son? The Gods would curse them. But does that matter? The Gods know that the throne rightfully belongs to Aegon. They would help him.

Was it really necessary to be greedy? Was it really necessary to disobey the king's command and place someone else on the throne instead of his chosen heir? Yes, it was. Alicent had seen how much love Viserys had for Daemon. And yet, he was in Pentos, far away from the court. He should have been the most trusted Council member of Viserys. But he had been sent away. Her own father, a mere second son of House Hightower and the Hand of the King, was able to convince the King Viserys to not keep Daemon on the Small Council. Then, there was Rhaenyra. She never loved her half brothers. She always regarded them as a challenge. What will happen to them if Rhaenyra takes the throne? Alicent’s sons will be either thrown in the black cells or exiled to Essos or sent to the Night's Watch so that Rhaenyra’s reign can be peaceful. And after Rhaenyra, her son Jacaerys will climb on the throne. Even if Rhaenyra is kind to her half brothers, she will not give them positions in the Small Council. Her sons will have to squeeze themselves in some corner of the Red Keep and do the bidding of Rhaenyra’s sons.

Why should Rhaenyra rule the Seven Kingdoms instead of Aegon? Why should Rhaenyra’s bastard sit on the iron throne instead of Aegon's trueborn son? The dynasty could continue through Alicent’s bloodline and her progeny could have all the fame and power. And for that, she had to fight. She could neither fight with a sword nor could she fight on a dragon. But she could conspire and convince people. She had to do that. There was no other way.

Ser Laenor's chambers :

Laenor was playing with Naerys and Jacaerys in his chambers. Jacaerys had learnt to walk  and could speak a few words. Naerys would crawl behind Jacaerys and try to mimic the words that he spoke.

Jacaerys sat down beside Laenor to play with a wooden knight that his mother had gifted him. Naerys crawled to him and sat down behind him. The little princess bit her lips mischievously. She started pulling her brother's hair with both of her hands. Jacaerys moved his head and tried to free himself from her clutches but his sister refused to let him go. Due to the pain, he started crying.

Laenor twisted Naerys’ left ear slightly and said, “What are you doing? Leave your brother, Naerys. Look! He is crying. Leave him!”

Naerys obeyed her father and freed her brother. She hugged him and kissed his cheek and then looked at her father expecting a response. He said to her, “Yes, that's how you should be. Don't be a naughty girl, Naerys. Don't pull your brother's hair.”

Rhaenyra entered the chambers and found her husband playing with her children. She was very happy to see them laughing and enjoying each other's company. She sat down on a cushion beside Laenor. Jacaerys rushed to her. Naerys followed her brother and crawled to her mother.

Laenor said to the children, “Do you know that your mother is bringing another cute little baby?” The children looked at their mother expecting an explanation.

Rhaenyra said laughing, “There is a little baby inside my stomach. He will come out after a few months and then, you can play with him.”

On hearing that, Jacaerys started jumping. Naerys did not understand much of what Rhaenyra said but when she saw Jacaerys jumping and shouting, she started clapping her hands too.