Chapter Text
The third child and second daughter of King Viserys Targaryen was born in the middle of a heatwave and the longest drought the seven kingdoms had seen in decades.
Queen Alicent had been laboring for two days since her water broke; the king had visited a few hours in, but had since left the castle with the Princess Rhaenyra and her betrothed, Ser Laenor Velaryon. Alicent’s own father had left the capitol months ago and had yet to respond to the raven she had sent months beforehand about him returning for the birth of his second grandchild. Her solitude paired with the unbearable heat of the summer was making for a difficult birth.
Alicent had begun to think that she would not survive. She had been lucky enough; she had given the king a healthy boy- a proper heir for the realm- a feat which even his beloved Aemma Arryn had been unable to accomplish. Her lord father had impressed upon her the importance of a spare and Alicent had obliged like she always had and had gotten pregnant shortly after Aegon’s first name day.
However, Alicent wasn’t stupid; women died in childbirth all the time and she feared she would not be an exception. Most likely, after the proper mourning period had elapsed, the king would wed Laena Velaryon like his small council had wanted. Hopefully, the girl would treat Aegon and Alicent’s soon-to-be-born child well and, if she didn’t, perhaps there was still enough love between her and Rhaenyra that the princess would take over the care of her siblings.
Soon, it was decided that it was time for Alicent to push again and, much like she always did, Alicent did as she was told.
Unfortunately for her, it was still hours until her babe decided to grace them with its appearance. It wasn’t until mid afternoon that her baby finally came.
“It’s a girl!”
Falling back against the pillows, Alicent couldn’t help sighing in relief between breaths as her child’s cries filled the room. She still had the afterbirth to deal with, but she had forgotten how good it felt to not be with child. Though her skin was still clammy and a dull pain persisted between her legs, she could feel her body cooling down and began to feel some comfort for the first time in months. However, her heart jumped in her chest as thunder cracked outside.
One of the maids immediately rushed over to the window, watching how the sky darkened as rain began to fall for the first time in ten months. “Your grace, it seems like our princess has brought luck with her and ended both the drought and the heat wave.”
It wasn’t long after it began to rain that Viserys returned to the castle and thought to visit her upon learning that she had given birth.
“The queen has delivered a lucky baby, Your Majesty,” One of the maids, Gerda, insisted as she handed the wailing babe over to him. Alicent had yet to hold her child. “Her cries brought rain to end this terrible drought,”
“Really?” He smiled down at the princess who squirmed in his arms and Alicent tried not to panic. Viserys’ disinterest in Aegon was her only solace and the source of most of her anger. She didn’t know how she would feel if he were to take an interest in their new child. “You’ve brought relief to the realm, have you?” Though she had ceased her crying, the little princess still squirmed in his arms as Viserys approached Alicent’s bed. “You’ve done well,” He praised and Alicent did her best not to move away when he put- what was supposed to be- a comforting hand on her head like he had done to Rhaenyra so many times. Viserys smiled down at their daughter again. “I’ll hand you over to your mother now.”
Depositing the bundle into Alicent’s arms, Viserys made to leave, only to be stopped by Gerda. “Perhaps your grace would like to name the child?” She suggested, earning a glare that Alicent didn’t attempt to conceal. Viserys had named Aegon (a name as great as the birth right Viserys had denied him by naming Rhaenyra heir even after his birth) and would likely name any other boy they had. The girls, though, Alicent had already claimed the girls for herself; they were hers.
Thankfully, Viserys simply waved Gerda off. “ I’m sure the queen has decided on a suitable name for the princess,”
A smile, the first genuine smile she had given him since Aegon’s name day, graced Alicent’s face as she nodded and looked down at her daughter. She had stopped squirming once she had been settled into her mother’s arms and pressed her face to the exposed skin of Alicent’s chest; her dark hair had revealed it’s dark red color upon drying out and Alicent felt blessed to know that she would have, at least, one child who looked like her.
“...Visenya,” She decided after a moment. “Visenya Targaryen,”
Viserys nodded. “A wonderful name for the Realm’s Relief.”