Chapter 136: Delivery Bed, Argument, and Funeral
In the royal chambers, Queen Aemma lay on blood-stained sheets, the room filled with the scent of blood, amniotic fluid, and a newborn.
King Viserys held the newborn in front of Queen Aemma, a smile on his face, "Aemma, this is our child."
Aemma was very weak, and she showed a faint smile, while a Dornish midwife beside her said excitedly, "Your Grace, please step aside, the Queen is not out of danger yet, she must stop bleeding immediately."
Grand Maester Runciter immediately began to stop the bleeding for Queen Aemma with the midwife and assistant.
King Viserys nervously stepped aside, the joy of welcoming a new life instantly replaced by worry and fear.
Queen Aemma seemed to foresee the stranger lurking outside the door, and she weakly called out King Viserys's name, summoning him to her bedside.
"Your Grace, I am dying. In fact, I had foreseen it long ago. After so many miscarriages, it's hard for me to survive childbirth. My mother also died of puerperal fever in the Eyrie."
Viserys held his wife's hand, "Aemma, you will be fine. You have given us the son we have longed for. Rhaenyra has a younger brother."
Queen Aemma used her last ounce of strength to grip Viserys's hand, "Your Grace, our son will be a great King, just as in your dream. You must take good care of him, and also my most precious Rhaenyra. Our child will be a great King."
These words drained Queen Aemma of her last bit of strength, and then Queen Aemma fell into a coma.
Runciter, the midwife, and their assistants tried to save Queen Aemma for several hours, but unfortunately, Queen Aemma suffered a major hemorrhage and finally passed away in the evening.
King Viserys walked out of the bedroom, holding his newborn son in a daze.
The Sea Snake, Princess Rhaenys, Gael, and others waiting outside the royal chambers were all heartbroken by Aemma's death, except for Daemon, who had long foreseen Aemma's end.
When the midwives left, the Silent Sisters, dressed in black, had already arrived outside the bedroom door, waiting. King Viserys watched the Silent Sisters cleanse Aemma's body and place it into a coffin filled with roses and forget-me-nots.
King Viserys looked at Queen Aemma's body, heartbroken, "Why are the gods so cruel? My wife finally gave birth to a son for me, but she died."
Daemon placed his hand on King Viserys's shoulder, "Viserys, I am sorry. Life is but a cycle, like the Trios of Tyrosh, one devouring life, one giving birth to new life."
Ser Otto Hightower encouraged him, "Your Grace, even for your newborn son, Prince Baelon, you must be strong. Prince Baelon should be immediately declared Prince of Dragonstone and heir to the Iron Throne."
This proposal was clearly aimed at Daemon, because in the eyes of many nobles, Daemon was King Viserys's heir, as according to the succession law established by the Great Council of Dragonstone, male heirs always ranked before female heirs, and the Iron Throne passed to males, not females. Many people therefore believed that Daemon's claim to the throne was above Princess Rhaenyra's.
Now that King Viserys finally had a son, Prince Baelon, he was the undisputed crown prince, his claim to the throne undoubtedly superior to Daemon's. Ser Otto Hightower was eager for King Viserys to confirm this immediately.
King Viserys covered his head and frowned, "Ser Otto Hightower, no one will question my son's claim to the throne. This child is too young, and some things will happen naturally, there's no need to rush. The most important thing now is Queen Aemma's funeral."
Queen Aemma's funeral was solemnly held at the Great Sept of Baelor, but Viserys's son only lived one day longer than his mother. Queen Aemma had not yet been formally buried when Crown Prince Baelon died prematurely. King Viserys's spirit completely collapsed. He slumped on the Iron Throne, his eyes sunken, his expression pained, like a walking dead skeleton king under the gaze of Balerion the Black Dread's dragon skull above his head.
Lord Commander of the Kingsguard Ser Harrold Westerling and Ser Criston Cole stood at the entrance of the Iron Throne staircase. Viserys saw the white cloaks of the Kingsguard and felt a strong aversion, "All of you, leave! The King needs no guarding."
Ser Harrold Westerling said, "But, Your Grace, you look like you need…"
King Viserys said impatiently, "I said, all of you, withdraw! I am safe on the Iron Throne, I just want to be quiet for a while."
Under King Viserys's rising dragon's fury, Criston Cole and Ser Harrold Westerling could only choose to temporarily avoid his wrath. They bowed and left the Throne Room.
At the entrance of the Throne Room, Ser Harrold Westerling and Ser Criston Cole ran into Prince Daemon.
Ser Harrold Westerling, seeing Daemon, seemed to have found a savior, "Prince Daemon, King Jaehaerys does not allow us to guard him, and there are so many twisted and sharp blades on the Iron Throne, we are worried that His Grace might hurt himself."
Ser Criston Cole echoed, "Yes, Prince Daemon, we can only trouble you to take our place as Kingsguard and look after the King. The Iron Throne has truly killed people!"
Maegor the Cruel died on the Iron Throne. It is said that his wrists were pierced by the swords of the Iron Throne, bleeding profusely, and he died on the Iron Throne. To this day, whether King Maegor died by suicide or murder remains an unsolved mystery.
Ser Criston Cole had charcoal black hair and light green eyes, handsome and charming. Even Daemon had to admit that the white cloak of the Kingsguard suited Criston Cole very well. Gentle in appearance, but a beast in reality, Daemon disliked Criston Cole very much.
Daemon bid farewell to the two Kingsguard. He walked alone into the shadow of the Iron Throne, looking up at King Viserys on the Iron Throne.
"Brother, you should attend Queen Aemma's funeral."
Viserys seemed to have put on a mask of pain, his face twitching uncontrollably, "This is not just Aemma's funeral, but also my son's funeral. I had originally ordered the kitchens to prepare a birthday feast, but it turned into a funeral feast. The gods are simply too cruel, how can they mock me like this?"
"It's all my fault. I told Aemma that our child would be the Prophet Prince, a Governor of the Free Cities, a Westeros Knight, a Dothraki warrior, revered by all. He would sit in a carriage, with tens of thousands of Dothraki riding around him. A Khal would personally crown him with a golden crown, and he would marry the most beautiful woman in the world, with silver hair and purple eyes, incomparably beautiful. Aemma endured so many miscarriages and ultimately died in childbirth because she wanted to give birth to the son of my dream."
According to King Viserys's description, Daemon immediately thought of a familiar future Targaryen prince, but this prince was clearly not Viserys's son.
Moreover, King Viserys understood too little of Dothraki customs. He mistakenly believed that riding in a carriage in a Dothraki tribe was an honor. In Dothraki tribes, Dothraki believe that those who cannot ride horses have the lowest status. Only children, the elderly, men with the shortest braids, eunuchs, and cripples ride in carriages.
Daemon had no intention of correcting King Viserys's misunderstanding. After all, King Viserys was going through the most painful moment of his life; he needed comfort. Let him keep his dream, let him keep his anticipation for his future son!
Daemon looked up at the dragon skull above his head. The great dragon skull of Balerion the Black Dread was gazing at Daemon with its hollow eye sockets. Daemon said, "Brother, what's past is past. The past cannot be changed. All we can do is pull ourselves together and move forward. How mighty Valyria once was, yet it was ultimately destroyed by volcanic eruptions and tidal waves. Our ancestor, Princess Daenys the Dreamer, dreamed of Valyria's destruction, and so House Targaryen migrated west with their dragons to Dragonstone, ushering in a new era. If House Targaryen had clung to the mansions and comfortable life of Valyria, then House Targaryen would probably have perished with the Dragonlords of Valyria long ago."
Viserys had been a fervent fan of Valyria since childhood. He even personally learned carving and sculpted models of the ancient Valyrian Freehold from white marble. Daemon's bringing up Valyria was to awaken Viserys and help him recover as quickly as possible.
King Viserys said gloomily, "Valyria? Whether you are a Dragonlord of Valyria or a slave laborer deep in the mines, don't the gods mock us all the same? I rode Balerion the Black Dread, but he died soon after, so soaring through the sky, looking down on everything, is nothing but a futile dream."
Daemon said, "You are still so young. You will marry a wife in the future, and perhaps your next Queen will give you the Prophet Prince."
King Viserys pondered for a long time, "Aemma has passed away, and she has not yet been buried. Do you think I am in the mood to consider another wife?"
Daemon smiled, "Brother, of course I wouldn't ask you to consider the next Queen's candidate now. What you need to do now is to pull yourself together and attend Queen Aemma's funeral. This is your responsibility."
Ultimately, responsibility awakened Viserys's grieving heart. Viserys finally raised his head, stood up from the Iron Throne, and slowly walked down the steps of the Iron Throne.
When Ser Otto Hightower entered the hall, Daemon was at the Iron Throne staircase, supporting Viserys.
When Otto Hightower heard that King Viserys was heartbroken in the Throne Room and had dismissed the Kingsguard, he immediately rushed over from the Hand's Tower. Otto Hightower believed that if he offered comfort and encouragement to the King in his grief, then King Jaehaerys might listen to some of his suggestions during this painful time.
However, the ambitious Otto Hightower, upon entering the Throne Room, was disappointed to see Daemon guarding the King. Otto Hightower was deeply frustrated.
"Your Grace, I heard that you dismissed the Kingsguard. Your Grace, now is not the time for sorrow."
King Viserys forced a bitter smile, "With Daemon's encouragement, I have emerged from the shadows. I am ready to shoulder the responsibilities of a King. Ser Otto Hightower, how are the preparations for Queen Aemma's funeral coming along?"
Ser Otto Hightower looked troubled, "Your Grace, I believe there is something suspicious about Queen Aemma's death. I suggest postponing the funeral, dissecting the body, and holding the funeral after the cause of death is determined."
Viserys was shocked, while Daemon looked at Otto with disdain. Otto was stirring up trouble again. Viserys's mouth hung open, "Suspicious? Did someone poison Queen Aemma?"
Ser Otto Hightower nodded slightly and said gently, "Your Grace, Queen Aemma has proven her fertility. She gave birth to Princess Rhaenyra for Your Grace eight years ago, and after that, she experienced multiple miscarriages, none of which ever endangered her life. Yet this time, she died in childbirth, isn't that suspicious?"
Daemon snorted lightly, "Ser Otto Hightower, where is the suspicion? Childbirth is a battlefield for pregnant women, and the mortality rate for pregnant women in childbirth is astonishingly high. Moreover, Queen Aemma had multiple miscarriages and a weak constitution. There is nothing suspicious about her death; she died from a major hemorrhage."
Ser Otto Hightower raised his stubborn chin and said coldly, "Prince Daemon, you have just returned to King's Landing from across the Narrow Sea and are not very familiar with the situation in King's Landing. This time, among the birthing team, there were additional Dornish midwives, those Greenblood orphans' midwives. Princess Nymeria brought them to the palace, and the first time they assisted Queen Aemma in childbirth, Queen Aemma died in childbirth."
"Your Grace, the Dornish are all venomous. They have always hated House Targaryen, and this hatred has deepened since Prince Daemon, with his dragons and army, allied with the Duke of the Stormlands and the Duke of the The Reach to conquer Dorne. This is Princess Nymeria's revenge! It must have been her who instructed those Greenblood orphans midwives to tamper with things during childbirth, leading to Queen Aemma's fatal hemorrhage."
Viserys was half-convinced. Ser Otto Hightower said, "Your Grace, please order the Kingsguard to immediately arrest Nymeria and the Dornish midwives she brought. I will personally interrogate them, and the truth will surely be uncovered."
Viserys turned to Daemon, "What is your opinion?"
Daemon immediately realized that this was simply Ser Otto Hightower's slander. It seemed that Ser Otto Hightower was not satisfied with Dorne's current submission and wanted to start a war to gain benefits.
Daemon cleared his throat, "Your Grace, Ser Otto Hightower's accusation has no factual basis. Your Grace was present when Aemma gave birth, and furthermore, Grand Maester Runciter was the primary midwife. Among dozens of midwives and assistants, Princess Nymeria only brought a few. Many of those few didn't even have the chance to get close to the bed or touch the Queen. How could they possibly have had the opportunity to murder the Queen?"
"Dorne has already surrendered. How could they poison the Queen in childbirth? Princess Nymeria arrived in King's Landing months ago. If she wanted to murder the Queen, why would she delay for so long? What benefit would Nymeria gain by murdering the Queen?"
Ser Otto Hightower was very unconvinced, "Perhaps Princess Nymeria dreamed of replacing the Queen. She is a promiscuous woman and has always been eager to marry."
Daemon sneered, "So, every noblewoman in the court who wants to become Queen has a motive to murder Queen Aemma?"
Ser Otto Hightower wanted to retort, but King Viserys impatiently waved his hand, "Enough! Ser Otto Hightower, if you insist on accusing, you must provide sufficient evidence. This matter is closed."
Ser Otto Hightower could only bow stiffly and leave the Throne Room with heavy steps.
Queen Aemma's body lay in state at the Great Sept of Baelor for many days, allowing commoners and nobles to pay their respects and mourn. A few days later, the funeral was held in the plaza in front of the Great Sept of Baelor.
Daemon arranged the funerals for Aemma and Prince Baelon. Tens of thousands of commoners and nobles, all dressed in black, formed a black ocean.
Rhaenyra, in a black silk dress, was heartbroken. Daemon walked over to Princess Rhaenyra.
"Rhaenyra, you must be strong."
Rhaenyra said indifferently, "My father didn't love my mother at all. If he hadn't forced her to keep getting pregnant and miscarrying, my mother might not have suffered such misfortune. Why do they call my short-lived brother the Crown Prince? Ser Criston Cole told me that if that child had lived, I would have lost my position as Crown Prince."
Daemon was speechless.
Daemon, riding Caraxes, read the eulogy, sprayed dragonfire, and ignited the pyre of Aemma and the one-day Crown Prince.
Afterward, every noble set their sights on the Queen's position.
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