Chapter Text
He was beautiful. Perhaps the most beautiful baby she'd ever held, certainly since Joffrey had been born, at the least. The two even had the same little nose.
Rhaenyra rocked her grandson as he dozed in her arms. Red-faced and more than a bit wrinkly, he looked just the same as her boys had upon their births. Though the bits of wispy hair on top his head were a pale silver, nearly white.
"Egg's asleep, finally," Jacaerys announced as he quietly closed the inner door that led to his bedchamber. The birthing room, as it had swiftly become. Though the servants had changed the sheets a certain air likely still hung over the room.
Her son sagged against the wall beside the door, eyes squeezing shut for a moment. He exhaled slowly. Shoulders slumped. His head fell back.
No birth was painless, or easy, but Aegon's had been difficult. Rhaenyra had faced longer births. Both her own and others. The labors for Lucerys had taken nearly a whole day even.
Length was not the only factor in such things though. Aegon had been unable to take any tonics or elixirs that might have eased his pain, and all of the usual aids they'd prepared were on Dragonstone.
Still, several hours of contractions, and pushing, had left Aegon exhausted. Her brother had stubbornly refused to sleep though. He'd wanted to hold his baby, and then he'd not wanted to let him go.
On this matter too, Rhaenyra could relate. She smiled down at her grandson. Tracing a finger over his cheek, she watched the baby boy squirming against her chest. Intently.
"Did the two of you hire a wetnurse already?" Rhaenyra asked, head rising to find Jacaerys, face red as he met her eyes. She arched a brow, "We can find a tempor-"
"Egg wants to do it," Jacaerys told her, biting at his bottom lip. His gaze flicked around the room, from her to Alicent. The queen blinked. Jacaerys rolled his shoulders back.
She sat in a chair, legs curled up beneath her. As stubborn as her son, Alicent had spent the whole labor with Aegon and still refused to leave him or the baby, even now.
"He, uh, well, the books on Dragonstone said he'd produced milk, at least for the first few weeks, maybe longer," Jacaerys explained. He pushed off from the wall and ran a hand through his curls. His head rose, gaze hard as he met their eyes, "The milk came in a couple days ago and he's... he's quite insistent that no one else will feed Aegon."
"Aegon?" Alicent's brow furrowed and Rhaenyra quirked her head. Jacaerys blushed again. A smile twitched at his lip as he approached her.
She let him take his son back. Jacaerys smiled, a soft chuckle slipping from his lips as the baby settled in his arms. He looked up to catch their eyes once more.
"The baby's name will be Aegon too," Jacaerys rolled his shoulders back, "We're aware it might be... slightly confusing." Rhaenyra snorted and his jaw clenched, "Egg's the one who'll be birthing our children, it's only fair our eldest son have his name."
"If it's what the two of you decided," Rhaenyra shrugged. She ducked her head over her grandson, grinning brightly as she cooed, "You'll be our little Egg then hmm?"
Jacaerys' shoulders sagged again as Alicent quickly agreed with her. The queen's eyes drooped. Her whole body slumping in the chair. She laughed, voice slurring, "Aegon'll be your consort, and Aegon'll be your heir. Quite fitting."
A knock at the door was quickly followed by Alicent startling awake. Rhaenyra pursed her lips to muffle a laugh and headed for the door. She blinked as she took in the sight of her younger sister.
Helaena stood, hair mussed and clothes disheveled, in the hallway. A dragon egg in arms. Her fingers red. Rhaenyra quickly ushered her in quickly.
"Your hands, Helaena, are they blistering? How long have you been holding that egg?" Rhaenyra fretted. Any attempt to take the dragon egg, scalding as it was, met only a stone expression.
Obviously all of the queen's children had inherited her stubborn streak...
"I brought it from Dragonstone," Helaena hummed, smiling as she leaned closer to her nephew. She lowered her voice, "I have an egg for the little Egg, isn't that fun?"
"How did you..." Jacaerys gaped at her, trailing off as Helaena arched a brow. He snapped his mouth shut and inclined his head towards a bassinet a servant had brought in after the birth.
Head quirking to the side, Helaena narrowed her eyes, "That's not his cradle." Jacaerys arched a brow and Helaena huffed, lips puckering, "He's hungry anyway, not sleepy."
As if on cue, the baby cried, starting to squirm. He pressed his face to Jacaerys' chest, burrowing against him, just as he'd done with Rhaenyra.
"Jace~" the elder Aegon whined, creating a chorus with his son. With a groan, Jacaerys looked to her, eyes wide. His head tilting towards the door he'd only just closed a short while ago.
Rhaenyra dutifully opened it. Jacaerys trooped inside, Helaena right behind him. She helped Alicent to her feet and the queen leaned heavily on her as they stood in the doorway, watching their sons, their grandson.
Just as she expected, Jacaerys settled behind Aegon, providing support as little Egg began to nurse. A giggle rose up from her brother.
Aegon watched his son, a smile spreading wide across his face. He tilted his head back, looking up at Jacaerys. He hummed, lashes fluttering, "It worked.
"Of course it did," Helaena scoffed. She placed the actual dragon egg beside the baby, right in Aegon's lap. He inhaled sharply. She clicked her tongue, "Vermax would only let me take this one from his nest, so he must agree that it belongs with the baby."
Jacaerys kissed Aegon's head, hand rubbing at his back, "That one book said you'd heal faster, with a dragon or an egg in your bed, right?"
Nodding slowly, Aegon looked down at it. His gaze flicked to his son. Tears clung to his lashes and Aegon hiccuped. Jacaerys shushed him softly. A hand rose up to brush through Aegon's hair.
Rhaenyra suspected her brother's hands would be quite busy for some time, between the baby and the eventual hatchling. She sighed, laying her head on top of Alicent's as the queen dozed against her shoulder.
Their sons were happy. The line of succession was secure. Rhaenyra rocked Alicent in her arms, drawing her slowly away from the nursing baby and the prying eyes of their children. Footsteps slow and sluggish, half automatic at best.
"Aegon and his two eggs are not the only ones who ought to be in bed," Rhaenyra reminded her and Alicent managed a vague nod. The queen fell asleep before Rhaenyra got her into a bed.