A maid walked into the room to see Rhaenyra who was holding her new babe with Alicent next to her.

" Princess........" the maid said causing the women to look at the young girl " The queen has requested that the child be brought to her.....immediately...while you've rested ".

" Why? " Rhaenyra asked with a biter tone as Alicent couldn't believe what Arianne had requested.

The maid remained silent.

" I'll take him myself " Rhaenyra said as she got up with a struggle.

" The queen said you are to remain abed.....while the child is brought to her " The girl said.

" No......I'll take him myself " Rhaenyra said.

⎯

Arianne stood in front of the window cell, looking out of it as she got fitted for a dress. The maid who was tailoring her dress stoped and bowed causing Arianne to look up to see Rhaenyra, Laenor, and Alicent.

" Rhaenyra, you should be resting after your labours " Arianne said with worry as she looked at the Princess who was covered in sweat.

Rhaenyra and Arianne had grown distance as the years passed, ever since her father had left.

" I have no doubt....you would prefer that......Your Grace " Alicent said bitterly to her sister.

" You must sit " Arianne said as she stepped down from the stool she was standing on " Talya , fetch a cushion for the Princess ".

" There's no need " Rhaenyra declined.

" Nonsense " Arianne said with a smile before turning to the maid helping with her dress " We'll finish this later ".

" Your grace " Talya greeted as she walked passed Arianne after putting the cushion on the couch for Rhaenyra.

" What happy news, this morning " Viserys said as he walking into the room causing Arianne to stiffen. Viserys had gotten more violent as he got older and sicker, and had come to neglect his children with Arianne.

Rhaenyra noticed this and looked at her ex-lover in worry, the Princess had noticed that this would happen when ever her father walked into the room, and grew more suspicious of the bruises on her body. That Arianne would hide with long sleeves and beauty paints, she knew her father was responsible but she didn't want to admit it, she didn't want to expect that he was capable of something like that.

" Indeed, Your Grace " Laenor said as he straighten up after helping Rhaenyra on the couch.

" Where is he? " Viserys asked with a smiled as he walked over to them " Where is my grandson? There " he said as Laenor handed the babe over to the king.

" A fine prince " Viserys commuted " Sturdy.......".

Arianne frowned as Viserys was never like this with her children even when they were babe's.

" You will make a fearsome knight " Viserys smiled at the babe " Yes, you will ".

" Does the babe have a name yet? " Arianne asked.

" We haven't spoken-" Rhaenyra started.

" Joffrey " Laenor interrupted " He'll be called Joffrey ".

" That's an usual name for a Velaryon " Arianne said as she looked at Rhaenyra.

Rhaenyra smiled with a nod.

" I do believe he has his father's nose " Viserys commented.

Arianne rolled her eyes at Viserys's blindness and obviously favouritism towards Rhaenyra.

Laenor smiled as Arianne looked at Rhaenyra again, who looked at Laenor.

" If you don't mind, Your Grace " Alicent said " Your daughter has exerted herself heroically and should rest".

" Of course " Viserys smiled and Arianne pulled the blanket from Joffrey's face and looked at him before grabbing him from Viserys causing Rhaenyra to look at her and walked away from the father and daughter as she cooed at the baby, Rhaenyra always warmed seeing her children with Arianne but remembered they would never be the same again.

Arianne then handed Joffrey to Laenor who stood with her sister.

" Do keep trying, Ser Laenor.........sooner or later, you may get one that looks like you " Arianne commented with a smiled as he and Alicent at Arianne with a glare for the comment.

Arianne smiled at Rhaenyra before walking back over to the window to let the maid continue on her dress.

⎯

Arianne sat with her daughter Halaena as she listened to her with interest as Halaena spoke about the centipede in her hands.

" This one has 60 rings......and two pairs of legs on each.....that's 240 " Halaena said as she looked at the bug in her hands.

" Yes, it is " Arianne smiled.

People often called her daughter Halaena a freak, because she spoke in riddles and liked bugs but that just made Arianne love her more, she loved all her children equally and she knew that Viserys would never love them as much as he did Rhaenyra but she tried to make up for it with her children, they were her everything.

" It has eyes.......though......I don't believe it can see " Halaena said.

" And why is that so, do you think? " Arianne asked with interest.

" It is beyond our understanding " Halaena said as she looked at her mother with a smile.

" I suppose, you're right....some things just are " Arianne said as she reached over and squeezed Halaena's arm causing the girl to lean into her mothers touch.

" Your Grace " a guard said as he walked in holding Aemond's arm.

Arianne looked at and sees her son cover in dirt " Aemond " Arianne said with worry as she rushed over to him " What happened? ".

" He did again " Halaena said looking at her younger brother before turning back to her bug.

" After how many times, you've been warned.....must I have you confined to your chambers " Arianne said with worry as she looked over her son scanning him for any injuries.

" They made me do it " Aemond interrupted.

" As if you need the encouragement " Arianne snapped before grabbing his shoulders " Your obsession with those beasts goes beyond understanding-".

" They gave me a pig " Aemond snapped.

" A what? " Arianne asked in confusion.

" They said they found a dragon for me " Aemond explained " but it was a pig ".

Arianne looked solemnly at her son.

" You will have a dragon one day " Arianne reassured as she rubbed his arms gently " And it will be the biggest and largest of them all.......I know it ".

" They all laughed " Aemond said as he looked away from his mother.

Arianne looked at her son in sadness before pulling him into a hug causing him to hold onto his mother tightly as he began to silently cry in her arms and Arianne noticed this and hugged him tighter.

⎯

" They made wings for it apparently and a tail " Arianne said to Viserys pacing around the room as the older man worked on his giant stone statue of Valyria.

" The lad shouldn't have been so credulous " Viserys said not really caring for the conversation.

" He's a child " Arianne snapped.

" He thought they'd happen upon some wild unnamed dragon " Viserys said.

" Your grandsons are a menace " Arianne snapped causing Viserys to turn his attention to her.

" They're more children than he is " Viserys said before returning to his work.

" They're savages and it's not surprising " Arianne said pacing as she picked at her nails causing them to bleed even more.

" Are you sure, it wasn't our Aegon, who put them up to it? " Viserys said causing Arianne to roll her eyes as she stopped pacing but continued to pick at her nails even harder, the pain making her feeling better.

" It's a wonder to me, their eggs ever hatched " Arianne muttered causing Viserys to look up.

" And why is that? " Viserys asked.

" You know why " Arianne said with frustration at her husbands blindness.

" I'm afraid, I don't " Viserys said.

" Don't " Arianne snapped before she took a breath to try and calm herself " Viserys....... " Arianne sighed giving him a look.

" We shall continue this afternoon, Eddard " Viserys said to the young stone maester, who bowed before leaving.

Arianne walked over to Viserys.

" I have raised this matter before " Arianne said " And you forbad me to speak of it, so I've held my tongue ".

Viserys looked down trying to contain his anger as he played with the ring adoring his finger.

" To have one child like that is a mistake......but to have three is an insult....." Arianne snapped " to the throne....to you....to House Velaryon and the match you battled so hard to make for her......not to mention decency itself ".

She knew she was being hypocritical knowing Aemond was a bastard.

" I had a black mare once........black like a raven " Viserys said looking at his wife as Arianne looked at Viserys in defeat " One day, she escaped her pasture and the neighbouring stallion sired a foal to her " Arianne placed her hands on her flattish stomach as Viserys continued " ........The stallion was as silver as the moon on a winter's night and the foal, when it was born chestnut........" Viserys laughed before continuing " Just the most unremarkable brown horse, you ever saw..........Nature is a thing of mysterious works " Viserys finished before continuing his work.

Arianne shook her head slightly as she looked at Viserys in defeat once again.

" How do you know? " Arianne swallowed a lump in her throat as Viserys looked back at her " ......The silver stallion....How do you know, it was him? ".

Viserys looked at Arianne with annoyance as his anger rose.

" Did you witness the act itself? " Arianne asked and she flinched when Viserys slammed his carving tools on the table in front of him.

" The consequences........of an allegation like the one you toy at " Viserys said with a threating tone " Would be dire ".

" But it is the truth.......you just refuse to see it........" Arianne started as Viserys got up and looked down at the short girl ".........that your precious Rhaenyra, has birthed bastards ".

Viserys then proceeded to slapped the girl causing her to fall to the ground with the taste of blood in her mouth, she touched her lip and winced as she felt the split skin of her lip. Viserys grabbed her neck roughly letting go and slapped her again.

" Do not mention this again " Viserys said with a softer tone kissing her cheek before walking away.

Arianne grabbed her cheek before walking out of the room as Ser Criston followed next her with a worried expression as he looked at the split lip and bruised cheek on his friends face.

" Are you alright, Arianne " Ser Criston said with worry as he handed her a handkerchief.

" I'm alright, Criston " Arianne said with a pained smile as she gabbed the handkerchief and placed it on her bloody lip " Nothing that hasn't happened before ".

They walked in silence.

" Have I lost my sanity? " Arianne asked her friend as they walked " Do my senses lead me astray? Or is everyone else asleep, dreaming the same woolly dream? ".

" Sometimes seems so, Your Grace " Ser Criston said.

They were silent before Arianne spoke.

" She flaunts the privilege of her inheritance without shame. She expects everyone in the Red Keep to deny the truth, our eyes can all plainly see and the king, her father—" Arianne said getting out her frustrations.

" He knows " Ser Criston interrupted.

" Of course, he knows or did once, but has convinced himself otherwise " Arianne snapped " He'll do naught but make excuses for her......and her children ".

" The Princess Rhaenyra is brazen and relentless.......a spider, who stings and sucks her pray dry..........a spoiled cunt as are her bastards " Ser Criston said bitterly knowing Rhaenyra and her children are the cause of the abuse his friend suffers from the king.

Arianne stopped and gave him a look as she stopped walking.

" That was beneath me, Your Grace " Ser Criston said " I apologise ".

" I have to believe, that in the end honour and decency will prevail " Arianne said " We need to hew to that........and to each other ".

Ser Criston nodded.

Arianne squeezed his arm before walking into her eldest son's room. And stood and watched as he stood on the window cell as he pleasured himself.

" Whose idea was it? " Arianne asked.

As soon as Aegon heard his mothers voice he looked over at her before falling into his bed and covered himself up.

" The pig " Arianne said raising her eyebrows " Was it your plot? ".

" No.......it was Jace and........it-it was the two of them " Aegon said panting " I couldn't be sure ".

" Aemond is your brother " Arianne said in a soft tone.

" Well, he's a twat " Aegon commented.

" We are family...........you may cuff each other much as you wish at home...but in the end, we must defend our own" Arianne said.

" It was funny " Aegon defended in a small voice.

" Do you think Rhaenyra's sons will be your playthings forever? " Arianne questioned " As things stand...........Rhaenyra will ascend the throne and Jacaerys Targaryen will be her heir ".

" So? " Aegon asked causing Arianne to groan in frustration.

" You are nearly a man-grown " Arianne said " How is it that you can be so shortsighted? ".

Arianne the bunched up her dress and sat on Aegon's bed.

" If Rhaenyra comes onto power............yours and your siblings lives could be forfeit " Arianne said ".........She could move to cut off any challenge to her succession........and I can not let that happen to any of you, I'd rather die ".

" Then I won't challenge her " Aegon muttered.

Aegon looked at his mother, who took a deep breath.

" You are the king's first born son.......allot of people wish for you to be their king " Arianne said softly to her son.

" But I do not want it " Aegon said.

Arianne moved closer to him and creased his face " I know sweet boy, and you won't ever have to ascend the throne if you don't wish it....not as long as I'm alive.......".

" Get dressed " Arianne said kissing Aegon's cheek before walking out of the room.