Dragonstone, 129 AC, Before B&C

The screams and cries of the mother who lost her child viciously at the hands of her brother were bone chilling. The Queen, to her side, Rhaenyra Targaryen cried to what appeared to be hours on end. Devastated. Her brother had usurped her throne, and her other brother had murdered her son. Surely, she thought, she did not deserve it. She did not deserve any of it.

The loss of a child is never easy, but the death of a child that one had loved for fourteen years was the hardest thing Rhaenyra had ever endured in her life. She considered relenting, kneeling to her brother and fleeing to Dorne or Essos with her husband and remaining children. But Daemon Targaryen would never have that. He would rather kill himself than relent to the usurper.

How does a mother get over the death of her child? How does a mother avenge her child? How does a mother ever forget her child? Two children dead from the war. Rhaenyra did not understand why the Gods were acting so cruel. Lucerys was an innocent, a boy with a great future in front of himself. And he was dead, what was left of him was but his cape. None of him to bury, none of him to mourn. Just his cape and her memory of him.

"I say... we fall upon King's Landing and murder each and every member of the opposition! We have more dragons!" Daemon demanded at the council, slamming his hand angrily on the Painted Table. Rhaenyra's head was pounding like never before, and she was picking at her cuticles anxiously as she tried thinking of what to do.

"Ah yes... and fall upon Vhagar's jaw like Lucerys did." The comment was brutal coming from Rhaenys but she was not wrong. Vhagar was and will always be their biggest threat.

"Storm's End was not a fair fight, Lucerys was alone! But if we all go... that ancient dragon will never be able to get us all." Daemon implored, but Rhaenyra shook her head lightly. "Nobody is going to King's Landing, not yet." Rhaenyra stated sternly, making Daemon roll his eyes. Nothing had been the same between them since the start of the war, it was clear.

"Then I have another plan... I still have friends... in the City Watch. What if... I snuck into the city and contacted Mysaria? She could help me..." Daemond suggested. The plan had been brewing in his mind since he learnt of Lucerys.

"Help you do what?" Rhaenyra asked as she eyed her husband, wary of him and his plans. "Avenge Lucerys, of course."

"In what way, Daemon? What is your plan?" The Queen asked, narrowing her eyes on her consort. Daemond gritted his teeth together and shrugged his shoulders. "A son for a son. The kinslayer has none of his own yet, and by the looks of his cunt of a wife, she will not be due for a few moons so our best choice would be Jaehaerys..." Daemon said with a cruel smirk on his face. The members of the council looked at him in bewilderment, most of them not even believing he was being serious.

"You want... to send assassins to murder a child? Daemon... that is not... that is an innocent child!" Rhaenyra spoke, clearly stunned at the suggestion that had been brought forth to the table. "Lucerys was an innocent child and where is he?! We could not even find his body! Could not even hold a pyre for him! You want to show mercy to them? When they have shown nothing but cruelty to you?!" Daemon questioned angrily, not caring that he was addressing the Queen.

"But I am not them! I will not condone the murder of an innocent child!" Rhaenyra spat back, making Daemon shake his head in disbelief. "Alright then. The kinslayer's wife shall pay the price. She shall be who we take for revenge." Daemon suggested, making Rhaenyra scoff.

"For what reason should she pay for his crimes? She is but the lady that married him, the kinslayer is my brother, not her." Rhaenyra contested. In her mind, the person that had to pay was Aemond, not anyone else. Not his wife, not innocent children, him. The head that she wanted was Aemond's.

"Your grace, if I may?" Erryk Cargyll would come foward in the council. Rhaenyra turned to the Queensguard, a raised brow happening upon her face as she turned to him.

"I have reason to believe she was the one that coerced him to commit the murder. I know her... I loved her. I know her twisted mind and how it works." Erryk Cargyll pressed, and some gasps were heard around the room at the revelation. Erryk Cargyll was in love with Aemond's consort?

"Do give us your reasons, Ser Erryk." Daemon smirked, raising a brow, very eager to hear the reasoning for such a twisted crime. Erryk took a deep breath and looked around the council, a solemn expression on his face. In his mind, Elyana deserved everything that she would get.

"She used to be... innocent, good. I used to... I fell in love with her as soon as I met her. I offered to give up everything I was for her, but Elyana Rotchamsey is a social climber. All she wanted was power all along, as soon as she found a way into his bed, she took it with stride..." Erryk began, and Rhaenyra shrugged.

"So she should die because she was smart? Because she made a name for herself?" Rhaenyra asked, clearly not following the reasons that Erryk was giving. "She should die because she has already murdered two girls! She is a cruel vixen... eager to do what she must to get ahead in the world. She is a danger, and your grace has not seen the way she controls the prince... He is her sword. He is not himself, he is hers to command." Erryk snapped.

"Two murders?" Daemon asked, shocked. He wasn't expecting her to be a murdering maid. "Two girls died at her behest. One, her tongue was taken and she bled out, the other was poisoned. All because they questioned her morals. She is the devil on the kinslayer's shoulder. She is the one that caused all of this." Erryk spoke with much conviction, because he was sure that what he spoke was the truth of it.

"She shall definitely pay then. She must have coerced the Prince Aemond to be so... cruel." Maester Gerardys implored, seemingly in agreement with Daemon's and Erryk's plan. "The kinslayer is not a saint. He is capable of murdering all on his own, he is not a manipulated man. Aemond has always been unforgiving, relentless, and cruel." Rhaenyra contested. Her brother was clearly the devil, but it was by his own volition, not anyone else's.

"The kinslayer shall pay, yes. He shall die for his crimes, and he will in due time. I will kill him myself, but he must suffer like we have. This is the way. He cares not for anything but for the cunt he sticks his cock in." Daemon spat unforgivingly and angry, looking at his wife improringly.

"My answer is no. The one that shall pay is Aemond, not innocents. Understood?" Rhaenyra asked, and the consort nodded his head. Though when she left the council chamber, Daemon gave Erryk a nod.

And off the Queensguard was to contact the citywatch men. He was doing right, this is what she deserved.

-

King's Landing, 129 AC, After B&C

Pray. All Elyana could ever do now was pray. For guidance, for mercy, for repentance, for help. Prayer comforted her, it helped her through the darkest time in her entire life. How was she supposed to live now? Knowing she would never give Aemond an heir? Life was unjust. She did not understand why she had to sacrifice her womb, her daughter, for something that she took no part in.

Elyana never knew Lucerys. She saw him once in her entire life, yet she paid for his death as if she flew a dragon and killed him herself. Aemond did that. And now their daughter was dead. Elyana was racking her mind for the guilty party. She knew who it was, but she would never speak it aloud. Aemond did not mean to kill the prince.

"My sweet, the King requests our presence in his chambers." Aemond's voice echoed through the Sept. Elyana turned to look at him, her eyes hollowed out and vacant from all of her crying.

"Is there a reason?" Elyana asked as she stood from her kneeling position, dusting off her skirts in the process. Aemond moved to his wife, planting a kiss on her head and looking down at her with sheer love in his eyes.

"I've no idea. Come on, my love." Aemond told her gently. Elyana knew he was walking around eggshells around her. She knew he felt guilty. She knew he felt bad for the position Elyana was in. She followed him from the Sept and towards Aegon's chambers. Most people they encountered on the way looked at Elyana with pity, and she detested it with all of her heart.

They went into Aegon's chambers to find him staring out of one the windows, a stoic yet solemn expression on his face. After a few seconds Aegon turned to the pair, his eyes fixed on his sister in law. "Elyana, how have you been? Better?" Aegon asked, and Elyana nodded.

"Physically better. Thank you for asking, your grace." Elyana told him with a sharp nod. Aegon returned it and took a breath, looking perplexed and clearly lost. "You are mourning, as is Helaena. And to an extent, tis why I called you here..." Aegon trailed, looking to the ground then up at the pair again.

"What is this, brother? Speak plainly." Aemond ordered his older brother, who gulped and blink a few times before finally speaking up.

"Jaehaerys' death has taken a toll on us all. It's made me angry, given me a reason to fight this war now. But Helaena... the toll it's taken on her is too much. She doesn't speak, doesn't wake from her bed, doesn't look at the children. She has been hysterical... our sister..." Aegon explained and it was understandable, Elyana would have gone mad too if she were to have watched her child be actively beheaded in front of her.

"I want for you, Elyana, to raise my son as your own. He will still be my Crown Prince but... he needs a mother and Helaena... she isn't much of anything anymore." Elyana was shocked, and somehow touched because of Aegon thinking of her for the task.

"You lost so much... perhaps you can take Maelor... raise him as your own... see what tis like to have a child since I know of your newfound issues..." Aegon gulped, not wishing to offend anyone. Aegon wasn't much of a fan of hers, but he knew how strong willed she was and he knew how tenacious she was.

Aemond looked down at her face, a plain expression on his face as he waited for her answer. Elyana looked between Aegon and Aemond, then she gave him one nod. "It would be my honor to raise your son, Aegon. Thank you for thinking of me."

"Jaehaera will remain with mother... she's older and she in some parts understands why her mother acts like she does. But Maelor is but three... he deserves to be loved. A real mother's love." Aegon was making more sense than Elyana had ever heard him make.

"Why doesn't Maelor go with our mother too?" Aemond asked his brother with a raised brow. He was honored, but he wondered why Maelor was given to Elyana.

"Your wife will never know her own child. I feel for her, and I wish I could take this all back, but this is the best I can give her. And mother... well she isn't very skilled at raising children, is she? An usurper and a kinslayer. Perhaps Maelor can be better than us, better than I'll ever be. I'll trust that to you, Elyana." Aegon shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly.

"I'll raise Maelor to be better than any of us will ever be." Elyana assured the King, and with a nod he dismissed his brother and his sister in law. Aemond and Elyana walked in silence back to their chambers, and she could feel a certain animosity radiating off of Aemond.

"You're not happy." Elyana told Aemond when they entered their chamber. The man turned to look at her, his stern expression turning soft.

"Why would you think that, my sweet?" Aemond asked softly, moving to serve himself a goblet of wine that he thought was well deserved. "Maelor is your nephew, you should be happy that your brother trusts you with him. Us. You don't have to act like all is swell... I know you."

"I am more than happy, Elyana." Aemond told her, trying to force a smile to happen on his lips but failing. "Admit it." She pressed. She knew what his problem was.

"Admit what?" Aemond set down his goblet, his eye narrowing on his wife as she crossed her arms over her chest. "That you're disappointed I won't be able to bear you a child. An heir." Elyana croaked, then gulping to clear her throat from the bile that rose within it.

"That is not true." Aemond stated, and he felt like he meant it.

"I am. I am disappointed. The one job a woman has in this society is to bear children, beautiful boys and girls for their husband. That was why we married in the first place. And now... I can not do that, Aemond. What happens now? To me?" Elyana asked, her intrusive thoughts winning the battle in her mind.

"What do you mean what happens now? Nothing happens, we win the war and we love eachother for the rest of our lives." Aemond stated sternly, he thought the question was stupid.

"In a perfect world... but what happens in reality? Will you take a mistress and have bastards to name your heirs in eventuality?" Elyana asked, her fingers shaking at the thought. Perhaps another maid, young and eager eyed.

"I would never take a mistress."