Chapter 1
Lucerys should have known that the tentative peace between him and Aemond was not going to last.
Their marriage had been a political arrangement by the King who overlooked the fact that Aemond despised the Omega and Lucerys was terrified of the Alpha.
The married couple kept their distance from each other, avoiding the other during the day, sleeping in separate rooms, and only laying with each other during their heats and ruts. Both were slightly content with this unspoken arrangement of staying out of each other's way.
Until Mellos confirmed that Lucerys was pregnant.
Aemond had become strangely attentive after that, walking with Lucerys around the keep, joining him in the library, visiting Arrax in the Dragon Pit with him, and even began sleeping in Lucerys' chambers.
Not in the bed at first, Lucerys awoke one morning to see his husband slouched in a chair near the dying fire. It took about a week for the Omega to come to terms that the Alpha would not stop sleeping in the chair any time soon and had tiredly raised the blankets up and motioned for Aemond to join him.
The Alpha hesitated but slowly shuffled into bed and settled on the side furthest from Lucerys. But Lucerys awoke the next morning with soft breaths in his ear and warm hands against his still flat stomach.
Things began to improve greatly between the two of them after that.
They spoke of names and when they would go to the Dragon Pit to choose an egg for the cradle. Aemond, who was hesitant to do so at first, would rest his hand against the slowly growing bump that their child was currently living in during these conversations.
When Lucerys began to nest around the third moon of his pregnancy, his family visited.
There were surprisingly no fights during the visit. Aemond was polite with Lucerys' family and they treated him with the same courtesy. And Lucerys pillaged their rooms for items to add to his nest.
Daemon's shirt, Rhaena's shawl, Baela's dress, his mother's scarf, Joffrey's blanket, and Jace's jerkin were added to the arranged chaos of Helaena's shawls, and cloak, and Aemond's blankets and his leather coat.
The coat was nestled across Lucerys' pillow.
Before they returned to Dragonstone, Rhaenyra pulled Lucerys aside and presented him with a gift,
"Something for your nest," It was an aquamarine cloak with seahorses stitched along the sides. The scent was faded, but Lucerys could easily pick out the familiar smell that coated it,
"Was this, father's?" He asked, his voice thick with tears as his mother nodded.
Aemond had pursed his lips when he saw the cloak folded neatly beside his coat but he said nothing.
The problems had started after his family left.
Aemond grew cold, or, colder, toward Lucerys and soon stopped coming to his chambers. Then stopped walking through the gardens with him. Then stopped speaking to him altogether.
Servants, lords, and ladies stared at him with a particular look that had him shifting under their gaze.
Criston Cole sneered openly when they crossed paths.
Queen Alicent peered down her nose at him with a grimace when she saw him at the rare family meal.
Aegon would snigger into his cup while grinning broadly at his brother.
Helaena only gave him a sad smile and took his hand under the table.
She would later tell Luke about the rumors that were now surrounding him when they were sitting with Jaeharys and Jaehara.
Apparently, Lucerys had been unfaithful to Aemond.
Apparently, Lucerys had an affair.
Apparently, his pup was not Aemond's.
Apparently, he was carrying a bastard.
He had tried telling Aemond that the rumors were false and that he was willing to swear before any gods that he had been faithful during their marriage, that he was willing to do anything to prove to Aemond that the child was his!
"Anything?" Lucerys nodded, "Then give me your eye!"
The Omega recoiled.
This was the first time Aemond's eye had been mentioned since the beginning of their marriage.
The Alpha sneered and stormed away, leaving the smell of smoldering ash behind him.
When Lucerys returned to his chambers that night, the meticulous nest he had put together was in pieces. The items he had taken from his mother, brothers, stepfather, and stepsisters were strewn across the floor, a few of them with rips in the fabric. But the items that had been taken from Aemond and Helaena were gone.
As was Laenor's cloak.
But the smell of ash remained around the room.
The Omega had cried as he tried piecing his nest back together, but no matter how hard he tried, it wasn't right!
It wasn't right it was all wrong!
He was found by the servants the next morning in the corner, his hands twisting his hair as he stared at the pieces of his destroyed nest as an acrid and putrid smell permeated through the air.
The maesters were called and he had been forced to take some kind of tonic that made him fall asleep.
When Lucerys awoke, he was back in his bed. The remaining pieces of his nest were haphazardly thrown across him. Lucerys took to sleeping on the chaise by the fire after that.
He refused any blankets offered to him.
He even refused Helaena when she tried to return her items that Aemond had taken from Lucerys' nest.
Seeing how easily his last nest was destroyed, by his pup's sire no less, Lucerys knew there was nothing stopping Aemond from coming back and doing it again!
"You need to make another nest, Luke," Helaena said as she placed the clothing she had brought on his bed, "It will help make things easier during and after the birth. It will also help soothe you, and by extension your pup,"
Lucerys violently shook his head.
It wasn't safe to build a nest here! It wasn't safe!
The maesters gave him another tonic and Lucerys slept through the day.
I have no friends here but Helaena, mother. The rift between Aemond and myself has grown to the point that even Vhagar would become weary before reaching the edge.
My dear aunt tries to give me the safety to rebuild what was destroyed, but I'm afraid her efforts are all for naught as I will find no comfort here.
I wish I could be with you, Daemon, my brothers, and sisters on Dragonstone, but both the king and queen agree that I should be here when my child is born.
- Lucerys
He rolled up his letter and slowly stood from his chair, grimacing as he placed a hand on his rounded stomach. Another contender to prove his false infidelity.
Mellos and Orwlye both agreed that he had to be around eight moons instead of seven because of the size. They said it meant his pup was conceived a month before he saw the maesters to confirm he was with child.
They said it meant that Lucerys had committed his infidelity after his heat when Aemond had returned to his own chambers.
And speaking of Aemond, Helaena had told Luke that the Alpha had launched his own inquisition into finding out who had impregnated Lucerys. And the Omega told his aunt that if Aemond was so determined, he need only look in the mirror.
Helaena thought it was funny.
Aemond did not.
He burst into Lucerys' room and cornered him against the wall,
"When I find the one who dared believe he would get away with you spreading your legs for him, I will kill him! Painfully! And slowly in front of you!"
"That's enough Aemond!" Helaena shouted.
The raised voice of the normally soft-spoken princess had the guards outside rushing in as Aemond stormed out.
Lucerys sank to the floor, the letter he had written crumpled in his hand.
Helaena tried getting him back into the chair when there was a subtle shift in his scent and an iron smell in the air.
His labors had started.
It was too early, but his labors had started!
The room became crowded with midwives as Helaena was pulled away and their hands pushed Lucerys toward the bed.
He struggled against them. He did not want them! They were not the midwives that had been sent from Dragonstone!
Lucerys could hear them trying to get in and arguing with someone outside the door!
He tried getting up to let them in, but was pushed back by the sour-faced midwives he did not know.
They prodded at the space between his legs and ignored Lucerys when he asked questions. They did not listen when he begged them to stop touching him!
Then Mellos came in with a tray of tools.
He didn't even look at Lucerys as he began to prepare them while saying,
"It's been too long,"
Too long? How much time had passed since his labors started?
"How-How long-" Lucerys cut off with a sharp cry that had one of the midwives ducking between his legs before shouting,
"He's crowning!" She then looked up and addressed Lucerys for the first time, "You need to push. Now!"
His mind was a mess and his body was shaking, but Lucerys curled over his stomach and pushed.
He felt something at his entrance and was told to push again.
One more time!
Then-
"It's a girl!" Someone exclaimed as a sharp cry filled the air while Luke collapsed against the sweat-soaked pillows.
He felt something being laid across his chest and looked down.
A small, squirming, red thing was there.
His child.
His pup.
His daughter.
And he felt...
Nothing.
There wasn't even the relief that she had been born.
Lucerys remembered both his mother and Helaena telling him about the joy they felt when it was over and they saw their children.
Why didn't Luke feel that?
His daughter was here and she had white hair, showing that Aemond was her father. She proved them all wrong by simply being born!
So why did Luke feel nothing but emptiness as he held her?
He didn't register the door being opened until someone called out,
"The queen demands that the child be brought to her. Immediately," The room went quiet as everyone looked at who Lucerys recognized as the queen's head maid and Mellos who grabbed a pair of scissors from the tray of tools.
The maester approached Lucerys who tried scrambling away and clutching his daughter to his chest as one of the midwives began to peel her out of his arms,
"Help the prince dress," Mellos said as he cut the chord attached to the baby, "It would not be wise to keep the queen waiting,"
Lucerys' mind could not keep up with the activity that rose up around him as a simple robe was pulled over his bloodied shift. He stood on shaky legs as his daughter was placed back in his arms and he was urged toward the door.
None of the midwives said anything about the blood still dripping down his legs. It, must not have been as bad as it felt, Lucerys' dazed mind reasoned as he was gently pushed into the hall.
His daughter was still crying.
Lucerys tried to gently rock her like he had seen his mother and Helaena do before to their children, and it seemed to work since her wails quieted some,
"Lucerys? Lucerys?" He tensed at the hand on his shoulder but relaxed at the familiar lilac scent that clung to his aunt, "What are you doing? You should be resting!"
"Her grace wants to meet her granddaughter. And I don't think Mellos will let me back in the room," He said while taking one shaky step in front of another,
"Lucerys-"
"She and her son will see I did not lie," He said while continuing, "My daughter is Aemond's. She will see that,"
"My mother will, Lucerys. They will see that your two dragons are from Aemond. But you need to go back-"
"I will show that I did not lie," There was intense pain in his abdomen and he grits his teeth, "And then I will go to Dragonstone. I will not have- I will not-"
A pained groan passed through his lips as a sharp pain brought Lucerys to his knees.
Helaena's voice was sharp, but he could not make out what she was saying.
There was another pain and he felt his back pressing against something hard as hands held his arms.
His daughter was taken from his arms again and Lucerys tried to protest but screamed instead.
He tried focusing on Helaena's voice as the pain continued rolling through him until he finally heard,
"Push!"
There was a second shrill scream that joined the wailing of his daughter.
He once again felt something being placed on his chest and looked down.
Another babe was in his arms.
Another pup.
And he still felt nothing but pain and emptiness,
"Another girl, Lucerys," Helaena told him, "Two girls. Two dragons. Twins,"
He weakly nodded,
"Ser, may I use your blade?"
"Princess, I can-"
"And as I have said, Mellos," Helaena glare over her shoulder at the maester and midwives who were now standing in the hall, "You have proven that I cannot trust you with my nephew! Now, Ser Arryk, your blade!"
Ser Arryk was standing just behind Helaena, looking slightly green, with Lucerys' first daughter in his arms. The knight managed to pull his sword out with one hand and followed Helaena's directions to hold the blade steady. She wrapped the chord connecting the second child to Lucerys and tugged it down to sever it,
"Here, princess," A voice behind Lucerys said as a slight movement jostled the Omega, "I apologize, my prince,"
Ser Erryk had been the one supporting Lucerys as he gave birth to his second child and was now offering his white cloak to Helaena to wrap the new babe in.
Helaena gently swaddled the newborn as three women managed to shove their way through the crowd,
"Princess, may we please help him?" Helaena eyed the three with distrust, "Princess Rhaenyra sent us to help her son through his labors. The maester would not let us through,"
"It's okay, aunt," Lucerys said, drawing her attention to him, "I know them. I know them,"
His aunt's gaze softened and glazed over before she nodded to allow the three forward. They quickly got to work, one replacing Ser Erryk and pulling Lucerys' legs back while the other two began checking for tearing before both exclaimed that he still needed to deliver the afterbirth!
Lucerys' gentle aunt was angry again as she rocked her youngest niece and glared at Mellos before turning to the end of the hall where a sharp gasp was heard,
"What?"
"I-I- The queen wanted-" The maid was cut off by a squelching noise as Lucerys slumped back against the midwife holding him up as the afterbirth finally passed through,
"No tearing. Good,"
"Is-is it over?" Everyone looked at Lucerys, taking in his flushed and sweat-soaked face as he trembled with pain and exhaustion.
The midwife holding him gave his shoulder a gentle squeeze, "Yes, prince. It's done,"
The shaking Omegan prince nodded before slowly rising to his feet with a hiss,
"Lucerys-"
"The Queen, wishes, to see them," Was all that he said while taking his second daughter from Helaena while swaying, "She wants to see that I- I want this to be over!" Lucerys whimpered with a sob.
Helaena gazed at him with sadness before nodding,
"I will go with you,"