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Jaehaera knew it was her duty as Queen Consort that she was to eventually give her husband, King Aegon III children to secure the line of succession and bring forth more Targaryens into the world thanks to her father starting a war after usurping her aunt Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen.
She had just believed she would be 15 years old at most when they would consumate the marriage.
She had just turned 12 years old a day ago really, and a few days had passed when her first moon blood had begun.
She knew this meant she would eventually be able to give her husband children.
However, much to her shock and despair, her husband's regency council had declared she was now a woman and fit to consumate her marriage.
They stated her mother was 13 years old when she had her and Jaehaerys so surely, she should be fine to have children by her age and even then, she was reassured by the maesters that surely it would take a while for her to get with child.
They seemed to have forgotten Queen Aemma Arryn's struggles with her fertility due to being bedded so young.
She of course knew her husband was hesitant, not wanting to touch her for even he disliked being touched, even 4 years after the war ended and he eventually became king.
The 16-year-old king could barely hold her hand or even shared a glance with her all through the 4 years of their marriage.
That very night she was in her bed chambers, brushing her hair when a maid entered her chambers making her pause as she gave the girl a small smile before her heart fluttered hard and fast.
"The king is asking for you."
"It is late," she weakly said to herself before nodding and put on a robe before following the maid to her husband's chambers.
Once she arrived at her husband's chambers she was greeted by him, on his bed, he looked up at her and gave her a small weak smile.
The night was filled with weak whimpers and weak apologies as her maidenhead was taken, and her wifely duties began.
Aegon disliked touching his wife, she was the Spawn of the Usurper, the child of the man who caused his family and his mother's death.
He disliked being touched, the only ones allowed to even remotely touch him were the maids and his older sisters.
Yet.
He knew he had to eventually have an heir, to consumate his marriage so that the realm would be at ease.
Their marriage was that of politics. No need for love, this was for duty and it was their duty to have children to bring back House Targaryen to their glory.
It was her family's fault for their house now being in shambles the way it is.
He asked for her every 3 days or so for three weeks before a maester declared she was with child.
He sighed in relief, for he had done his duty, and had gotten her with child so now he just had to wait.
It did feel worrisome that she was such a small thing and as months passed she looked a little ill as she grew rounder with their child.
He brushed it off as it was her duty to give him an heir and child.
As she got closer to when she would have to be in confinement, his sisters arrived and he relaxed when they came to the Red Keep.
He had been changing the Red Keep, taking away everything that had the 7 Pointed Star anything reminding him of the filthy Greens.
They asked him curiously how he was feeling, to which he confessed he felt nervous.
"She's the granddaughter of the Hightower Whore surely she's fertile," Baela said with a scoff despite her knowing the struggles of pregnant Targaryen women in their family.
He gave them a small smile as he nodded.
He reassured his council he would not make a grand celebration for the birth of the babe or babes for he was still trying to not spend the treasury so carelessly due to the Greens stealing the money and really he needed to see if the babe even survived the craddle.
Eight months after he consumated his marriage with his Queen Consort, Jaehaera went into labor a month early despite her weak cries of it being too early.
He stood outside the chambers as Jaehaera labored for 2 days and at dawn was when the cries of a babe were heard.
He was relieved until he heard the soft sobs of Jaehaera.
A few minutes later a maester came out and gave the young king a small smile.
"It was twins your grace, but... the boy was stillborn, the girl is healthy," he said gently as a midwife came out holding to what he assumed the newborn girl.
He took a glance, the babe had the silver blonde hair, and almost bluish purple eyes as she opened her eyes.
He then looked up taking a step back as another midwife stepped forward to show the stillborn boy.
It was malformed, it was missing a leg, one of its hands was missing fingers and the other hand was missing their arm up to their elbow.
It was also missing a heart.
He sneered, "burn the body, and take the girl to a nurse maid to feed her," he said offhandedly gesturing to his newborn daughter.
"What shall be her name?" He was asked curiously by the midwife.
"Halae, she shall have her royal title of Princess of course," he said with a sigh before entering the room, but was stopped when Baela and Rhaena entered the room.
He heard them cooing at the babe and looked up at him.
"Will Jaehaera not see to her?" Rhaena said softly with a little confusion.
"I ordered the maesters and midwives not to let her touch the babe once born. She's a Hightower Spawn. So who knows what her touch would do if she so much as touched them. Her mother was mad, her father a monster and vile, and her grandmother was a savage over reaching whore," he spat out loudly enough so he could be sure his wife heard.
The twins looked at him wearily, but didn't argue with him, promising to send him people that knew of Old Valeria so that his future children knew of the Fourteen Flames.
When he walked into his wife's birthing chambers, there laid Queen Consort Jaehaera.
So tiny, in a bed covered in sweat and blood, a lady-in-waiting to her cleaning her sweaty face. She looked up at the young king and quickly bowed.
Jaehaera wearily looked at her husband.
"The girl lives, boys will follow, you are young," he said with a huff before turning away.
"Your grace if I may-" a midwife walked over to him.
"I do not care, she is my Queen Consort, she will resume her duties once she's healed," he said with a wave of his hand.
One month is how long she was allowed to heal. Jaehaera had spent one month only being allowed to be given updates about her daughter through the nurses attending to Princess Halae.
Halae, close to her sweet mother's name, as if to mock her.
She wasn't even allowed to touch or hold her babe.
She was getting ready for bed when she heard a knock, her heart froze, surely it was just a lady-in-waiting of hers updating her on her daughter.
Sadly it wasn't.
Her husband, the King called for her.
She begged in her head that same night for her to get with child, for this time to let her bring forth a boy.
She was bedded once a week for several hours before she was declared to be with child a month later.
Although, she knew it took because her moon blood didn't come during the 3rd week of that month when it was supposed to be.
So every night she prayed to The Seven to help and save her. To bring her a son so she could reassure the realm and bring forth a new generation of Targaryens.
Sadly, four months later during a small get together with her ladies in waiting she felt the pain. She doubled over a little at the pain, her ladies worried for her and caught her before she could fall a bit.
She felt a hand reach under her dress and gasps came about as one of her ladies hand came back out with blood.
"My lady we have to take you to your chambers," Lady Viria Hightower said.
King Aegon had taken many Hightower children to become knights or ladies-in-waiting, some became septas or a maester.
Lady Viria was 18 years old, the oldest of her ladies and a member from her grandmother's family.
Her ladies took her to her chambers where they witness their mistress crying out in pain as she delivered a stillborn babe, that after a maester looked over had declared it to be a boy.
She lost her salvation a month after her 13th nameday.
A month later he husband visited her, a quiet man with a cold and sad demeanor.
He grimaced as he asked for her that night, to try again. For another try.
For a son.
For another child.
Every month that followed, she prayed to the Sept for her to deliver a boy.
Sadly, a girl was born a week after her 14th nameday.
She heard from her ladies that the new babe didn't look like a Targaryen, yes she was pale and had a few features, but she had auburn hair and brown eyes.
The newborn had the features of the very person her husband and his regency council so despised.
The long dead Dowager Queen Consort Alicent Hightower.
She was named Alae Targaryen, and she was another daughter her husband kept away from her.
She heard from lady Viria that the midwife told King Aegon that she needed to rest, the labor was harsh on her body as it had been with Halae, but she was brushed off.
She was allowed one month to rest, only being given small updates on her babes, and only being able to see them once a week for an hour or two.
Her husband had been ignoring her, for Prince Viserys had been revealed to be alive and well, that he was wed to a Lady Larra Rogare who was 9 years older than the 15 year old Prince.
They also had a 4 year old son, Aegon, whom King Aegon gave the title of Prince, and the Lady was pregnant with their 2nd child.
She bit back protests as a month after Alae's birth, her husband asked for her again as she was getting ready for bed.
It was always at night, as if wanting her to be a little secret at night.
Rough hands weakly gripped her hips, his chambers was always chilly, the room too quiet even when the King had his Queen over for marital duties.
There was no enjoyment in these nights, no love or gentle touches.
Just a King in need of a son and heir that despised touch and didn't have love for the woman under him while a Queen Consort laid in silence, trying to quiet her small sounds of pain.
To endure her duty as Queen Consort and give her husband a son.
A month later she was with child, and her heart prayed for her to have a son.
For her to bring reassurance to her King and the realm.
Only for six months later for her to wake up at night, to her night gown to be drenched in blood between her thighs.
She had screamed and sobbed as she delivered a stillborn boy
Her sobs filled her chambers as she held her salvation.
A boy missing its legs, and their heart.
The boy's hair was black, the very colors of her deceased older cousins, the Valeryon boys.
This was punishment.
She was being punished for the sin of her family.
For usurping her aunt Queen Rhaenyra.
For her family killing so many people.
She was allowed at least two months to rest, for King Aegon was busy interacting with his family and his nephews, the Prince Aegon and Prince Aemon.
Then her moon blood didn't come during the 2nd month of her husband going back to asking for her every few nights.
It was her 15th nameday when she learned that she was with child.
She was grateful to not have to endure rough hands gripping her thighs as she silently prayed that she would have a son soon.
A silent husband who was rough and quick about his duty, not finding any of what they did enjoyable, especially when he had the council chastising them for not having a son.
Another healthy girl came from her womb, a month too early and far too hard on her during her labors.
This one was named Alyssa, for Aegon's paternal grandmother. The Princess Alyssa, wife of Baelon the Brave.
For this one had the same hair and eyes of her namesake.
And was another daughter she could not touch.
She had named each child she lost, she never told anyone that.
Not her ladies-in-waiting nor her husband.
Jaehaerys for her firstborn son. After her dear twin brother.
Her 2nd lost boy was named Viseros after her grandfather.
Her 3rd lost boy was Alecor, after her grandmother. Even if that woman terrified her before her death she had been so kind.
Before the war happened.
Her 4th and 5th loss were another pair of twins that she had lost 2 months before her 17th nameday.
A girl and boy.
She would've named them Maelor and Maera after her younger brother.
After that she would wake up to bed sheets covered in blood 2 months after she was announced to be with child.
Her health weakened, she could barely do her duties as Queen Consort as she was bed ridden every few months.
And she slowly began to not be able to see her daughters. Eventually she only could see them once every 3 weeks.
It was difficult to do her duties.
She heard the whispers though.
How she was failing at her queenly duties.
How she has failed at giving her husband a son.
Sometimes she could see her Halae peak through her doors if she looked. Even then her eldest daughter was weary of her.
When she was 18 years old she had become pregnant, and after months passed, she could feel strong kicks. Her worries subsided, she felt relief that surely this babe would make it at least 9 months.
Her husband was still cold, not touching her that much, but a little warmer despite not smiling at her.
He still made sure she ate well and that she was attended to.
They acted like a good married couple, but barely talked and even then she was rarely at court due to being bedridden after each failed labor or miscarriage.
She sobbed in relief when she delivered a boy, finally!
An heir for King Aegon III, the court whispered when they heard the news.
Her husband ignored her for two months, enjoying his time with his son, Rhaenor, after his older sister Rhaena, but in private he informed his sisters that he was named after Queen Rhaenyra.
She even was able to see her daughters more often. Twice a week for 4 hours each time to where she spent her time talking with her eldest daughter and Alae since Alyssa was still too young to really interact with her.
Until tragedy struck when the 3rd month came, and Rhaenor became ill and passed in his sleep.
The court could hear the heartbroken screams of Queen Consort Jaehaera.
Her salvation was gone, her little boy was gone.
And the week after his funeral her husband visited her, his face more pale and his eyes tired as they did their duty to bring forth another child.
This pregnancy was harder on her, she felt weaker and her appetite never was there, but she ate.
She still got to see her daughters, but they would leave after just an hour with her, she at least had family members in their household.
But Halae was the only one who she knew prayed to the Seven.
While her two other girls believed in the 14 Flames.
It was 4 days before she was 20 namedays old when she went into labor, a month too early like the previous pregnancies.
She labored for 3 days and 2 nights before a maester decided to cut her open to deliver the child.
She had gotten too weak to push and by then they realized too late that the babe was breech.
Her screams of pain didn't pain King Aegon, for he told the maesters to do what was necessary to deliver the child.
At a day before her 20th nameday, Queen Consort Jaehaera Targaryen passed in childbirth bringing forth a son that was stillborn.
Leaving behind the 7 (almost 8) year old Princess Halae, the 5 (almost 6) year old Princess Alae, and the 4 (almost 5) year old Princess Alyssa.
The realm was sad of course, but for a while before the 25 year old King's council told him he needed to remarry, 3 months after Jaehaera passed.
To which he did not protest and many noble ladies came to be seen, but 2 months in, his sisters brought over their cousin.
The Lady Daenaera Valeryon.
The girl was 17 years old and extremely beautiful.
He courted her and wed her when she turned 18 years old.
They had 8 children in the spam of a decade and a half of their marriage.
A total of 5 sons and 3 girls.
Children he cherished and adored, while he ignored his two eldest daughters from his first wife and was a little warm to Alyssa.