SKYFALL,          CREGAN STARK
prologue.          warmth versus coldness
( 123 AC )

BELLOWED SCREAMS echoed throughout the halls of the castle of Winterfell, servants and those alike turning their head towards the noise, flinching at every curse word that fell from the Lady's mouth. It was in the middle of the day when the soon-to-be Mother starting experiencing her labors. The people she was with had dropped everything in their hands and hurriedly attended the laboring woman.

"YOU MUST PUSH my Queen!" One of the maids rushed, encouraging the birthing Mother as she pushed and pushed and pushed for the babe to exit her womb. The Lady had been pushing for what seemed like forever but had only been a few hours, switching positions every so often in hopes of finally pushing the child out of her.

"I CANNOT!" SHE screamed back, utterly exhausted and tired as she slumped back into the arms of the maidens behind her. They all began to whisper encouraging words to the Queen as she choked back sobs of resistance. "I want my Husband!" She screamed, thrashing a little as she did so, "I need my Husband! Bring me Lord Stark. Now!". The eyes of the maids as shifted to and from each other as they silently argued who would bring over the Lord, but none made a move to do what was demanded.

BEFORE A MAID could fetch the Lord of Winterfell, the doors of the Lady's bedchambers had forcefully slammed open, making a loud cracking sound against the stone walls. All eyes flew to the source of the interruption, finding the Lord himself standing there with both hands on each door. "Alysanne!" He cried, rushing towards his Wife, ushering the maids besides and behind her to move and make room for him as he kneeled besides her, taking her hand in his as he brought it to his lips and gently kissed it. "How are you, my love? How far along is she?" He asked, both to the maids and his Wife. The silver haired woman only shook her head as she trembled in pain while another maid spoke up and informed Cregan Stark of his Wife's current condition.

"WE HAVE DONE ALL the birthing positions recommended and none of them have encouraged the babe to exit," she informed, eyes shifting from the Lord and Lady of Winterfell. It was painful to watch the beloved Lady of the North struggle so much in her labors. The maids did all that they could to help and encourage her as well as make sure that she is as comfortable as one could be in this state. They all did her breathings with her, copied her grunts while pushing, and silently shed tears when she did. Alysanne Targaryen's maids were very close to her and did everything they could to help her ease the pains of labor. But, it seemed like nothing worked.

"WHERE IS MY SISTER?" The Lady asked, groaning as she sat up from her current position and tried to stand up, "Have you heard anything from Rhaenyra, Cregan?". Alysanne was hopeful that her sister would visit Winterfell in time for her labors. It was a ritual the two did when either of them neared the end of their pregnancies. Ever since the death of their Mother via childbirth, the both of them were terrified to die during the act as well. So they made a pact that the other would be there in support of the other when it was time. But the child wasn't due for another couple of days, meaning that Rhaenyra had barely been on her way by the time Alysanne's water broke. She desperately needed her sister there with her. It was Alysanne's very first pregnancy and she felt as if she couldn't do it without her.

"I HAVE NOT, my love," Cregan sorrowfully says, running his fingers over the sweat soaked strands of his Wife's hair and pushing it back to allow her visage. "I've sent a raven but I'm afraid it won't make it in time before the babe arrives," he continues, urging his Wife to lie back down. Alysanne let out a groan of frustration once she processed the words her Husband spoke to her. It all wasn't going according to plan and that terrified her. She needed her sister and she needed her now.

"FUCK," ALYSANNE whispered, grasping onto the arm of her Husband as she reluctantly laid back down but changed her mind last second, sitting on the edge of the bed so she faced Cregan. "I do not know if I can do this," she cried, delicately rubbing her swollen and hardened belly. Her mind was running a mile per minute on everything that could go wrong and that was going wrong. She didn't want to end up like her late Mother whose deathbed was her birthing bed. She couldn't do that to Cregan nor the babe that refused to exit her womb. Rhaenyra was experienced in this field and Alysanne felt as if her eldest sister would know what to do, especially what to do if one's mind was preventing them from birthing something as big as a melon from out her cunt.

"NO, NO YOU CAN do this, Alys," Cregan whispered back, straightening his back so he was eye level with his Wife, taking her face into his hands. His rough and calloused hands felt comforting against Alysanne's soft cheeks, the pads of his thumbs running against her cheekbones. "You are the Dragon of the North. You are Alysanne Targaryen, second of her name. You are a dragon and can do this," he continues, his own eyes getting watery from the prolonged anxiety of this entire situation. As much as Cregan wanted to see his child, he knew that Alysanne needed comfort and support. He just hoped that he didn't have to choose between her or the babe if it ever came to be.

BEFORE LORD STARK could utter another word, shouts and rushed sounds of footsteps bounced off the halls before the bedchambers Alysanne was in. "Sister!" A familiar voice called out, anxiety riddled in its tone as the owner got closer and closer. "I am here!" It continued, shouting other words and curses towards those who tried to stop and prevent them from entering the Queen of Winterfell's chambers.

ALYSANNE FELT HERSELF relax at the familiarity of her eldest sisters voice, calling out Rhaenyra's name as the maids rushed to open the doors in order to prevent them from slamming up against the stone walls yet again. "She's here. She made it," she wistfully said to her Husband, gently smiling at him as he nodded at her observation and gave her this biggest smile he could muster in his anxious state. Alysanne felt some of the stress and tension leave her body as she saw the figure of her sister appear in front of her, hurrying through the opened doors of her bedchambers. "Nyra," she whispered, a new set of tears forming as she watched her sister stride towards her.

"ANNIE," RHAENYRA whispered back, grasping her sisters free hand into the both of hers as she kissed it, mumbling apologizes against her damp skin. "I came as quick as I could. I could feel that today was the day. I mounted Syrax as soon as I woke," she explained, cooing and fretting over Alysanne as she pushed back some of her silver flyaways on her sweaty forehead. The eldest smiled down at the youngest as she took in her appearance, empathy filling her senses as she could only imagine how Alysanne felt during the hours she wasn't at her side. Rhaenyra couldn't imagine the kind of panic she felt during the time of her absence. Alysanne always came months before a babe was due in order to aid Rhaenyra in whatever she needed. The future Queen felt awful for not being here earlier. Should've left when she hit the eight month mark, she thinks to herself as she urges her sister to lie back against the maid that situated herself behind the Lady.

"JUST PROP YOUR LEGS up, my Lady," the maid requested, helping her prop one of her legs up slightly to the left as Rhaenyra did the same to the other one. "You need to push whenever you feel the urge to, Lady," the same maid suggested as Alysanne grunted as she made herself comfortable, arching her back slightly from the impending pressure she was starting to feel once again on her womb.

HOT, BLINDING, AND intense pressure began to build in the lower half of Alysanne's body, causing her to scream out as she began to push once again. Everyone surrounding the Queen of the North were encouraging and reassuring her as she delivered push after push. From a great distance, a low rumbling of sorts could be heard from the in progress Dragonpit Cregan Stark had ordered to be made to place his Wife's mount. Vermithor was roaring and spitting fire at the discomfort and pain he felt from his rider. The ground around the large pit even shook from the intensity of the dragons thrashing and roaring. Until finally, Vermithor stops his roars and settled down, shifting himself as he anxiously began to pace the limited amount of room in the pit given to him.

WITH ONE LAST PUSH, Alysanne had croaked out a scream and felt all pressure leave from her body as the child exited with a squelch and an ear piercing cry. "It's a girl, your majesties!" A maid exclaimed as she caught the babe and patted it backs to allow airflow into the lungs as it began to cough and breathe. All around the Queen had praised her for doing a fantastic job and congratulated her on birthing a healthy baby girl.

"YOU HEAR THAT ALYS?" Cregan happily whispered, "It is a girl!". Neither Alysanne nor Cregan much discussed what they thought their babe would be, only hoping that it would be healthy. They did discuss potential names they would like to give their child once they were born but only a selected few had made it to the top of their list. The couple only wanted the best for the child and now that she was here, wrapped in a soft cloth in Alysanne's weary and tired arms, they both knew that they would do anything for that to be achieved.

"I DID. I DID," she responded back, a happy smile on her face as she saw the excitement on her Husbands. She was fearful that Cregan would only want a son as his firstborn but was relieved to hear him so excited about having a daughter. Tears had spilled between the both of them and everyone else in the room. The firstborn child of Alysanne Targaryen and Cregan Stark was a girl. The news was to be urgently shared amongst Winterfell and the other kingdoms for they all desired to know the gender of the child of the Realms Diamond.

"WHAT DO YOU WANT to name her?" Rhaenyra softly asked, lovingly gazing at her sister and brother-in-laws look of awestruck at their daughter. Alysanne refused to let Rhaenyra in on the kinds of names the two were thinking of for their child. She wanted it to be a surprise everytime, that's if she was willing to have more children in the upcoming future.

THE COUPLE LOOK at each other for a brief moment before nodding at one another. Alysanne looked up at her sister and answered her question, "Lyanna. She will be named Lyanna.".

RHAENYRA SMILED AT Alysanne as she delivered her child's name, "That is a beautiful name sister.". The eldest Targaryen stroked her sisters hair as tears dropped from her eyes in happiness. She was so happy and proud for her sister, willingly going through such a scary and traumatic thing in order to give birth to a wonderful child. Everything seemed wonderful in Alysanne's life, even before she was with child, and Rhaenyra was sure that her newborn daughter would only add more happiness to it. She knew that the idea of children and childbirth scared her younger sister. It did too for Rhaenyra at first. But both sisters came to realize that the only people who got to choose this kind of outcome for them was themselves. And it helped that Cregan Stark was willing to wait however long for her to be ready and even if that was never, he was content with living a full and meaningful life with his Wife. So Rhaenyra was proud of her sister for going through something as traumatic as childbirth and thankful to the Gods that she was alive to take care of her child and that she had such a wonderful Husband to support her.

"I WILL STAY HERE for as long as you need, Annie," Rhaenyra commented, laying a kiss on her sisters damp forehead as the maids rushed to clean up the child and the afterbirth. "I can aid you in the first steps of motherhood," she whispered, chuckling at her words as she pressed her forehead against Alysanne's.

"I WOULD LIKE THAT," Alysanne giggled back, relishing in the warmth she felt from the love of the people around her. She felt grateful for having the kind of support she did in Winterfell and with her sister. She knew that she was lucky compared to others she knew.

BUT EVEN WITH THE loving warmth that surrounded her and held her in its arms, that didn't stop her from feeling the cold bitterness she felt from those she loved at King's Landing, the ones that sent her to Winterfell in the first place. Not even the love she held for her family stopped them from killing each other and those who tried to stop them.

authors note!
— aly is such a happy girl, for now 💀