Maegor's frustration reached its peak as the chamber door swung open once again, revealing the concerned figure of Rhaella. He scowled at her arrival, his irritation growing with each moment.

"This is none of your concern, girl," he snapped, gesturing impatiently with his hand. "Leave us be and attend to your own affairs.'

"No." She yelled. "My mother and sister are in tears, this is my concern now."

As Rhaella stood her ground, stubbornly refusing to leave, Maegor's anger flared intensely. He took a step towards her, his eyes narrowing with a dangerous glint.

"Do not provoke my wrath, girl," he warned, his voice low and laced with menace.

"This matter is between me and your mother, and it is not for your meddling. Depart now, or you shall earn yourself the same disciplining as your mother.'

Rhaella gasped at this.

"Stop it, father. The lords are already gossiping about you, saying you beat your wife, already the word is spreading that you have gone mad."

The mention of the lords gossiping and speculating about his actions stirred an unexpected reaction from Maegor.

He stiffened, suddenly more self-conscious of his reputation and the murmurs that may be swirling within the keep.

"You dare bring the opinions of the court into our domain?" he retorted, his voice laced with defensiveness. "Your words tread thin ice, girl."

Rhaella quickly identified the situation.

"I know, Aegons death was a terrible tragedy and we will find whoever murdered my brother, however, being angry at your family doesn't revive him." She then picked Visenya up and took a seat next to her mother, hugging her aswell. "You two went through so much together, things I can't fathom, so why would you let a child's death tear you apart?"

The mention of Aegon's death struck a nerve within both of them, stirring painful memories that they had tried to suppress.

"You speak of what you do not understand," Maegor muttered gruffly, his tone tinged with a mix of guilt and defensiveness. "This family has seen far more losses than just a child. It is not easily overcome."

"My point. You two should stick together in face of this tragedy, not work against eachother like foolish idiots." Rhaella yelled again, now sitting down on the bed and clinging to her mother.

Maegor's jaw clenched tighter as Rhaella continued, her frankness cutting to the core of the issue. He knew deep down that she was right, that their family should be united in the face of such grief and upheaval. But he struggled to admit it, his pride and stubbornness preventing him from surrendering to logic.

"You speak of it as if it is a simple solution," he retorted, his voice laced with frustration. "But you do not understand the complexities of my marriage."

"It is that simple. Now come here." She moved to the side a bit, making space for him on the bed,

As Rhaella gestured for him to join her and Jaehaera, Maegor hesitated. He remained torn between his ingrained defensive instincts and a flicker of vulnerability. After a palpable moment of inner struggle, his shoulders slumped and he slowly made his way over to them. He sat down beside them, his body tensed and his face expressionless.

"Good, very good." Rhaella then moved away from the middle, going to the sides, so that now, Maegor and Jaehaera were forced to sit next to each other.

An awkward tension filled the air. There was a moment of silence, filled only by the sound of their breaths.

Maegor's eyes darted to Jaehaera, fixing on her tear-streaked face with a mixture of guilt and stubbornness. He took a deep breath before finally speaking. "I... I apologize," he muttered, the words coming out reluctantly.

"As do I." Jaehaera sighed. "Maybe I did go overboard with some of my statements.."

As Jaehaera spoke up, acknowledging her own wrongdoings, Maegor felt a flicker of relief.

Her willingness to apologize softened his heart slightly, and he gave a grudging nod in acknowledgement.

"Perhaps we both allowed our tempers to get the better of us," he grumbled, his voice tinged with reluctant acceptance. "This... tension between us is unproductive, to say the least."

"Indeed." She agreed. "We could've used that wasted time to I don't know.. open a soup kitchen for the smallfolk, or concern ourselves with affordable housing.."

As Jaehaera suggested channeling their energy towards charitable causes, Maegor's eyebrow arched in surprise.

"Soup kitchens and affordable housing, eh?" he mused, a hint of sarcasm in his voice. "Perhaps we could add solving hunger and homelessness to our list of duties as king and queen. Quite the ambitious agenda, my love."

"They cheer me as the people's princess for a reason." She chuckled, leaning into his embrace. Her distress had by now vaporised, leaving only exhaustion and calmness behind.

His body stiffened for a brief moment as Jaehaera leaned into his embrace, caught off guard by her sudden display of affection. But he couldn't deny the way his heart skipped a beat as she nestled closer to him.

He hesitated for a moment before slowly wrapping his arm around her, pulling her in closer.

"And they call me the Cruel for mine," he remarked wryly, a hint of vulnerability peeking through the gruff exterior.

"Opposites attract my love." She chuckled again.

As Jaehaera chuckled, a faint smile tugged at the corners of his mouth.

"I suppose they do," he grumbled reluctantly. "In our case, quite literally."

He gently tightened his arm around her, pulling her closer still.

Rhaella then suddenly spoke up, still holding Visenya in her arms. "You're perhaps wondering why I originally came before I played the conciliator.."

As Rhaella's voice broke the silence, Maegor's attention snapped back to her. He raised an eyebrow in curiosity, his expression a mix of curiosity and apprehension.

"Indeed, I am," He awaited her explanation, his mind racing with possibilities.

"You're going to be grandparents." She said casually, still rocking Visenya, which made the normally shy and sensitive girl laugh a lot.

Maegor's eyes widened in surprise as Rhaella's announcement washed over him.

"Grandparents?" he echoed, his voice filled with a mixture of disbelief and a flicker of excitement.

He glanced at Jaehaera, watching her reaction closely. The news took a moment to sink in, but as the realization dawned on her, her eyes widened as well, her mouth falling open slightly.

"I am 31 years old. I can't be a grandmother yet." She admitted. "I'm not angry, merely.. surprised.."

As Jaehaera explained her reaction, Maegor's irritation softened slightly. He could sense the hint of sincerity in her words, and his gaze softened marginally.

"That... I can understand," he muttered gruffly, shifting his body to face her more directly. "It certainly does catch one off-guard to become a grandparent."

Jaehaera then turned back to her daughter with a slight smile. "Pray tell, Rhae, what does Viserys think about this? Is he excited to be a father?"

Rhaella smiled softly, her eyes lighting up at the mention of her husband. "Oh, Viserys is beyond overjoyed," she said.

"He has been counting down the days until the baby's arrival. In fact, he can hardly contain his enthusiasm. Just this morning, he was already planning out the nursery and selecting toys for the little one."

"Quite an eager one, isn't he?" Jaehaera laughed.

Rhaella chuckled, her smile widening. "You have no idea," she replied. "He's been reading parenting books and speaking with anyone who will listen about the joys and challenges of fatherhood. I've had to remind him several times that the baby isn't due for a few more months yet."

Jaehaera had to smile at that. "How about his family, have you told them yet? I'm sure Alyssa will be very pleased to hear this."

"Oh yes, I've already spoken with Alyssa," Rhaella confirmed, a touch of excitement in her voice. "She was absolutely thrilled to hear the news and couldn't resist showering me with gifts and advice. She's already planning on spoiling her future grandchild rotten, I'm sure."

"Seems like I have to compete with my good-sister." Jaehaera chuckled, now giving Rhaella a hug. "Congratulations again, my girl."

As Jaehaera wrapped her arms around Rhaella, a wave of warmth and genuine affection filled the room. Rhaella leaned into the embrace, savoring the closeness and familial bond.

"Thank you, mother," she replied softly, a tinge of emotion evident in her voice. "Your support means so much to me."

Maegor observed the interaction between them, his expression guarded but his eyes softened slightly at the sight of his wife showing genuine affection towards their daughter.

"You too, father." Rhaella approached him and offered him a big hug aswell.

As Rhaella extended her arms to him, offering a hug, Maegor hesitated for a brief moment. His gruff exterior battled with his internal vulnerability. He didn't want to appear too sentimental, but the news of Rhaella's pregnancy and her genuine affection towards him stirred unexpected emotions within him.

Slowly, he relented and accepted her embrace, his arms encircling her in a tentative yet surprisingly gentle manner.

As Rhaella's head rested against his chest, his heart stirred with a mix of emotions. He couldn't deny the warmth that spread within him as he held her in his arms, experiencing a rare moment of vulnerability and affection.

"You've grown into a fine woman," he muttered gruffly, his voice tinged with a hint of pride despite his attempt to control his sentiments. "And you'll make a wonderful mother."

"Thank you father." Rhaella mumbled.

Maegor simply nodded in acknowledgement, his expression guarded once again. He gently ended the embrace and stepped back, reasserting his usual air of authority and detachment.

"Well then," he said, clearing his throat. "We've had quite enough talk about emotions and the like. Let us discuss more practical matters, such as how you plan to manage the demands of motherhood while still fulfilling your duties as princess."

"Indeed. We shall discuss just that."