(Baelon's POV)
[Two Months Later]
The incident was kept secret. Not many know about the truth, at the very least that we are aware of. Father had Otto investigate all around the Capital, searching for those who might have been involved with anyone from Essos.
But there was nothing that came out of it. Lord Caswell was questioned and punished; sent to the Wall for gifting me the wine that drugged me. He swore he didn't know anything, but Otto was not buying it. To keep the truth hidden, The Lord-Hand fabricated a lie about his "crime", telling the court that Lord Caswell had simply been speaking ill about Rhaenyra and Helaena, something that Father wanted everyone to know was not to be tolerated.
I did not know how to feel about it but considering it was him that gave me the barrels of wine, I was not going to protest his punishment. He was fortunate; keeping his life but Otto could not find anything regarding answers.
I had Larys Strong investigate as well, but he did not find anything either.
At that point, I decided to simply enjoy my life with my son in it.
Two months have passed and Valerion was growing nice and healthily. Helaena had gotten even more beautiful, the way he looked at our son while she held him. She glowed brightly in my eyes, she was like the sun.
I could not believe that I was deserving of a woman like her.
She is perfect. She is everything.
She was understanding of the entire thing. She had promised she would have me every night but after the revelation, I was unwilling to do anything for weeks after. I wanted to sleep by myself afterward, something that both she and Rhaenyra understood and respected. But after the second week, Helaena snuck into my bedchambers and crawled into my bed, simply hugging me from behind as we slept.
That is not something I could refuse; she is my Wife. She deserves to comfort me.
But the guilt was too much.
I tried my best to get over it, and eventually, I stopped sulking.
Now, I was sitting on the couch next to her as she read from her book. Valerion was asleep in his cradle, the dragon egg sitting atop it. It was tradition, to place an egg atop the cradle and Helaena chose one from Syrax's clutch.
Rhaenyra was overjoyed by this, choosing an egg that her dragon laid.
The egg was a dark grey one, which was an unusual color.
I looked at Helaena, her hair was neatly combed. The light of the candles was illuminating her beautiful skin nicely, causing her to glow.
I stared at her for so long, enamored by her sight.....
"What is it, love?" Helaena said without looking up
"Hm?" I said
"Your eyes have not left me..." She said as she flipped a page, "Do you have something on your mind?"
I reached for her hair, "Not really...." I said, "Well.....that is a lie...."
"Is that so?" she said, "What is it, then?"
"I have you in my mind." I told her
She looked at me and smiled warmly, "You are ridiculous." She said, "What is with this flatter?"
"Nothing." I said as I leaned in closer to her, "Can I not admire my wife's beauty?"
"You are unbelievable." She leaned in and kissed me on the cheek, "What is it that you want to do? Our son is asleep...."
"Right..." I said, "Perhaps we can take this to the bed."
"Already?" She asked, "Interesting...."
I leaned in and kissed her on the lips briefly, "Yes."
She chuckled, "We should wait until after supper." She said as she patted my cheek, "Rhaenyra said she will wait for us at the table."
"Hm..." I said as I placed my hands on her waist, "Very well."
"You seem...." She said softly, "Happier....."
"I am." I said, "I am happy."
"That is good." She smiled, "You deserve to be happy."
I leaned in closer to her face, "With you, I will always be happy." I said softly, "My beauti-"
I was cut off by a knock on the door.
"My Prince." a guard called out, "There is something urgent that you need to see."
I frowned, "Huh?" I called out, "What is it?"
"You have to see it, My Prince." He responded
"I..." I said, "I wonder what it could be...."
I pulled away from Helaena and stood up from the couch as she grabbed my hand gently.
"Do you know what has happened?" Helaena asked me
I shook my head, "No." I said, "Stay here with Valerion. It sound urgent, I will have someone guard the door."
She nodded, "Alright...."
I walked over to the door and opened it, seeing that the guard was standing there, a few feet away.
"What is it?" I asked him
He had a serious look on his face, "You should follow me." He said as he turned around, "It is difficult to explain...but the Princess Rhaenyra is there as well.."
"Did something happen to her?" I asked him as he began walking, prompting me to follow, "Is she alright?"
"She is fine, My Prince." He said
*************
"What is happening, Rhaenyra?" I asked her as I rushed over
The guard had taken me into the Painted Table's room, where Rhaenyra stood over by the fireplace.
I reached her and gently grabbed her arm as she looked at me, a serious look in her face.
"Baelon..." She said softly
"What?" I asked with a frown, "Did something happen....?"
She gestured over by the fireplace and I followed her gaze. I then saw that there was a woman sitting in a chair, holding what seemed like a babe wrapped in blankets. The woman's hair seemed wet, like she had walked through a storm.
The weather in the sea outside the island had a bit of a tempest.
She seemed familiar, foreign, possibly from Essos, perhaps YiTi....
But she seemed very familiar.
She had a scared expression in her face, her pale complexion seemed paler the moment she saw me.
"Who....?" I started
"We had caught her trying to sneak into the castle not too long ago." The Guard said, "She had been smuggled out of Essos, allegedly. She came on a small rowboat from an unknown ship that has departed already. The only reason we did not throw her out was because she constantly told us that she had to speak to you. And not only that, the Princess did not feel right to harm a babe."
I nodded, "I see...." I said as I took a step forward, "And who might you be?"
The moment I took a step forward, she immediately stood up from the chair in fear.
"I...!" She said with a thick accent, "Do not hurt me...!"
I frowned, "What?"
"Baelon...." Rhaenyra grabbed my hand, "Wait.."
I looked at her, "Who is she?"
Rhaenyra looked at the woman, "Show him."
I looked at her as well, "Show me what?"
The woman's lips began to quiver as she looked down, tears rolling down her face, "I....I did not w-want this...." She said softly, "I-I swear it....."
"Show him." Rhaenyra repeated, "Nothing will happen to you."
She slowly lowered the babe from her chest and moved aside the blanket, revealing the sleeping face.
I frowned, "Your child?" I asked, "What about it....?"
"Look closer." Rhaenyra told me
I looked at her and then back at the woman who had a very scared look on her face. My gaze then set upon the babe and examined the features closely from where I stood.
The babe had what looked like black hair but there were some white streaks in them. That did not tell me much.
"Okay..." I said with a shrug, "What about-"
"Wake her up." Rhaenyra told the woman
"But...." she started
"It is fine." Rhaenyra said, "He needs to see her eyes."
"Her? Is it a girl?" I asked
The woman then gently squeezed the babe's cheek in an attempt to wake her up and after a few seconds of her wiggling the cheek. the babe squirmed awake. She opened her eyes which caused me to widen mine.
They were purple.
Her eyes were a Targaryen purple.
"W-What?" I said, "What is the meaning of this?"
The woman looked at me, "I did not want this..." She said, "I swear it....I was forced, you know that! She forced me! That woman!"
I then realized who she was. I remembered.
She was one of those that were in that room, that night. One of the women that were forced to be on me while I was drugged.
"No...." I said, "T-That cannot be...."
Rhaenyra looked at the guard, "Leave us."
He nodded silently and left us.
As soon as he exited the room, Rhaenyra squeezed my hand, "There is no doubt...." She said as she pointed at the babe, who was merely looking around the room, "That....child....."
"She's yours."