-Chapter 3-
-POV Rhea Royce-
As I kept replaying my conversation with my father and its implications in my mind, I was snapped out of my thoughts by the laughter of Aemon and the Queen.
I instantly stood up and opened the doors to my apartments.
In front of the doors, Queen Alysanne, Aemon, and a third guest were waiting. I frowned, aware of the king's clear refusal regarding the closeness between Urrax and Aemon.
"Your Highness, I thought the king had forbidden..." I began, glancing between them and my son's dragon, who waited quietly like a little puppy at his master's feet.
"I will speak to my husband, and I would have you know, Lady Rhea, that as the queen, I still have a say in certain trivial matters concerning my House. You know perfectly well that I cannot deny him anything," she said, handing me Aemon.
"Thank you for him," I said, taking my son into my arms and tenderly kissing his forehead.
"He has thanked me enough. He cried a lot for me to agree, but once Urrax followed us, he has not stopped smiling and showering me with kisses."
I smiled and then said, "He is very intelligent, and I know he understands more easily than other children."
"When he has learned to speak, read, and write, I am sure he will be as intelligent as Vaegon and Jaehaerys," said the queen.
"Thank you for your praises, your highness."
I was about to enter our room, but she stopped me by holding my arm and said, "I do not wish to seem intrusive, but for Aemon's well-being, you will need to quickly choose your place within this family. Either you are Aemon's mother, or you remain Rhea Royce."
My heart raced, but I said nothing. I simply bowed and then turned on my heel, taking my son into my private apartments.
---
-POV MC-
I frowned upon hearing my great-grandmother's words but cleverly nestled into my mother's neck to hide my surprised expression.
Although great-grandmother Alysanne's expression remained ever smiling, I could sense the implication of her words.
She was threatening to keep me away from her forever if she continued to behave like a Royce and did not fully embrace her role within the royal family.
I loved my great-grandmother a lot, but I loved my new mother even more. It was something deep within me that helped me fully reincarnate into this world.
---
-POV Rhea Royce-
"I will never abandon you, my son," I said, placing him on my bed.
Then, I closed my eyes for a short moment, positioning myself next to him and gently wrapping an arm around him so he wouldn't fall. Fatigue quickly overtook me.
"I love you," I heard softly.
I opened my eyes in surprise at the voice I had just heard and, seeing no one, realized it was perhaps either my son or my mind playing tricks on me.
---
-6 moons later-
-14th day of the 1st moon of the year 99 AC-
"Come on, my big boy," said my mother, standing a few meters away with her arms wide open, trying to encourage me to walk for the first time.
What she didn't know was that I had already been able to stand up by the end of my 7th moon. I had been practicing crawling since my birth while hiding my true capabilities from everyone.
My father watched this from the side and smirked almost mockingly at my mother's antics. Emptying his cup, he said, "This is ridiculous; he won't learn anything this way."
His remark was just a casual comment, but today was my name day, or as it would be called in my old world, my birthday.
I was just one year old, and for this occasion, the family gathered, and my always-absent father was also present. Since my birth, I had seen him on very rare occasions, and it was for the best because he lacked paternal instinct.
He preferred to spend his time in brothels rather than take care of his family, and honestly, I couldn't blame him. I wouldn't have any regrets exploiting him in the future.
The reason I didn't want to draw attention was that I didn't want to inadvertently drag my mother into a series of disputes with the future queen. At nearly two years old, Rhaenyra was just an ordinary baby, unable to walk or talk properly. She wasn't delayed or anything; she was just a normal baby.
Aemma Arryn, though a pure example of kindness, was just an ordinary young woman, and I didn't want to test the patience or magnanimity of my aunt.
"It's nothing. Rhaenyra can't walk either, and she only started babbling a few moons ago," said Aemma Arryn, my uncle Viserys's wife. Viserys, who seemed unconcerned about it all, was talking with the king, who, in contrast, kept an eye on everyone.
I was about to pretend to want to play with my cousin again, but then Daemon said, "Ah, but you haven't heard the latest. I learned from Yorbert Royce, the Protector of the Vale, that I'm lucky because my heir is a very intelligent child, also capable of speaking."
Once he said this, everyone stopped their conversations and subtly turned their attention toward us. The atmosphere suddenly changed, and I realized Daemon had deliberately said it in front of everyone to cause problems for my mother, who had been, to put it kindly...ferocious with him since my birth.
From what I understood, Daemon initially believed I wasn't his son, and his failure to apologize created a chasm between them, wider than the one already present due to their mutual indifference.
It had never come to anything physical, but the arguments between them were quite frequent. I stopped them with my cries, but as I grew, it became less effective, especially on Daemon.
"What's that supposed to mean, Daemon?" said Rhea, standing up, ready to fight.
"Nothing. I'm just wondering why the Protector of the Vale knows about the feats probably imagined by your vicious mind that even I am unaware of."
I quickly understood he was trying to portray her as an opportunist and sour her relations with the royal family members who had always protected her, isolating her from the rest of the royal family to advance his pawns and eventually repudiate her.
I frowned and sighed lightly: 'Whether I want to or not, I must also start to fight; otherwise, I will end up being considered a bastard once Viserys becomes king.'
---
-POV Rhea Royce-
Hearing Daemon's slanders, I immediately became enraged because I had never talked to my father about the 'I love you' incident. The only people aware were my ladies-in-waiting and the Queen, given our close connection with Aemon.
That bastard, who without exception started and ended his days in a brothel, had the audacity to lecture me and call me a vicious woman in front of the entire royal family on the name day of our...no, my son.
I retorted angrily, "You dare call me a liar and a vicious woman when..."
"Go on, finish your thought," he prodded, but his words had already lost their importance to the spectacle unfolding before my eyes.
"Shut up," I said, mesmerized by my son's determination to stand up straight on his own and annoyed by the voice of this man sounding like the noise of a fly invading my space.
'Go on, show them,' I thought as he raised his rear high while stretching his hands and legs as far as they could go.
He resembled a little bear trying to take its first steps.
He remained in that position for a few seconds before squatting down.
I felt a wave of frustration and sighed, ready to pick him up and encourage him, but to my surprise and everyone else's, he suddenly stood up as if trying to propel himself into the air to touch the stars.
I clapped, extremely proud of him, but my heart leaped into my throat as I saw him lose his balance and fall on his behind.
I thought he would cry, but he simply said "Ow" before bursting into laughter and clapping. I smiled, and then he raised his arms. I shook my head, then picked him up and spun him around a bit before he completely calmed down and put his thumb in his mouth.
Turning to the rest of the Royal Family members, the king said, "Your father was not lying; your son is indeed very intelligent."
I nodded and smiled, saying, "Thank you, Your Majesty."
He smiled back silently, and then Prince Heir Baelon asked, "May I?"
"Of course."
---
-POV MC-
Ok, I know I'm a genius actor and too cute, given the Targaryen blood running through me, but seriously, I'm not a mascot or a doll.
After my little distraction was performed brilliantly, I was passed from hand to hand, and everyone had their turn admiring my little self.
Grandfather Baelon, Uncle Viserys, Aunt Aemma, Aunt Gael, and even my great-grandfather His Grace, the King of the Seven Kingdoms, Jaehaerys Targaryen.
None of them spared the cheek pinches or tickles.
I underwent all kinds of torture before ending up in the arms of my great-grandmother, who simply allowed me to rest and pretend to sleep in her embrace.
For a long time, nothing happened, but just as I was about to actually fall asleep in my great-grandmother's comforting embrace, I suddenly heard my great-grandfather's voice softly say in High Valyrian, "This child is special."
"I know," said my great-grandmother, continuing to rock me.
"You must be careful with the love you show him," said Jaehaerys.
I felt the good queen tense up and say in a confused tone, "The love I show him?!"
"Look at our grandchildren. Viserys is starting to become jealous of his brother," said the king.
The queen softly smiled and said dismissively, "It won't create a rift between him and Daemon, if that's what you're worried about."
"That's not what worries me, Alysanne. What worries me is that he becomes obsessed with the idea of having a son," said the king.
"That's a trait he probably inherited from you," she said with a hint of spite.
"My dear, don't be so spiteful. You know very well the conflicts it could cause between Viserys and Aemma and inevitably between Aemma and Rhea. Once a real rift forms, do you truly believe the boy will sit idly by without defending his own mother?"
"Let me remind you, this child, as you call him, is our blood, Jaehaerys," said my great-grandmother in a displeased tone.
"I know, and that's why I'm asking you to distance yourself for a while. Spend some time with Rhaenyra. You hardly take care of her or even Gael since Aemon's birth," he said in a calm and detached tone as if he wasn't talking about members of his family but about people he had met the day before.
"I will raise Aemon properly," said my great-grandmother with all the dignity her title as queen bestowed upon her.
"He is not our son, Alysanne," said the king softly but sharply.
I felt her tremble for a moment, then she calmed down and said, "I will spend the day with Aemma tomorrow and ensure I spend time with all members of my family."
I could sense that no one was satisfied, but the king said nothing and simply stood up to talk with my grandfather.
"You are my little dragon," my great-grandmother whispered in my ear as I did my best not to move and not give myself away.