2Disclaimer: All ASoIaF belongs to G. R. R. Martin, no money made, no ownership claimed.
Kick
When Rhaella gets confirmation that she is with child, she finds herself going to the Great Sept of Baelor to pray. She finds comfort in the near solitude she finds there, and with a trembling hand, she lights a candle to the Mother; her voice shaking as she kneels and prays from a healthy babe.
The days seem to crawl by, but she finds a respite from Aerys, who upon learning of her pregnancy stops himself from visiting her bedchambers. It's a poor comfort, but she takes it and enjoys it.
When the fourth moon passes, there is a formal announcement at the court and a celebration. She tries not to think of the babes she lost before the fourt moon and takes this small victory and spends the celebration sitting down with a hand on her still flat stomach.
The moons pass and she grows round and she holds her breath, she waits to see if the babe will kick, she hopes and doesn't not dwell on the other possibility. When the baby finally kicks, she relishes the feeling and weeps for joy.
Birth
She wakes in the middle of the night to labor pains.
She yells at her ladies to fetch Maester Pycelle and takes deep breaths, tries to calm herself. To think that all will be well. She speaks to her belly and holds onto the pillows as another wave of pain hits her.
Grand Maester Pycells enters her bedchamber in a hurry and out of breath alongside a midwife to assist him. He bows hurriedly and immediately turns his attention to between her legs. Tells her to breathe, that she is doing fine.
Fine. It's said in such casual manner that bothers her, she had done 'fine' before to sad results. But she says nothing and takes a deep breath and closes her eyes.
Hours pass and she feels hoarse due to her screaming, she can hear him instruct her to push, that the babe is coming and she does, she pushes with all her might, hands tangled in sheets and her brow is sweaty, but she does push. And pushes again and screams.
It seems like forever to her until she hears it, the strong wail of an infant. And feels like her heart beats faster. She gulps and swallows air, her babe is screaming. The babe is alive and she lets herself cry.
Maester Pycelle has done his job when he turns to her with a bundle that moves. A boy, a healthy boy he declares as he settles him in her arms.
Viserys. Her boy, her baby.
Smile.
There is no joy that can compare to her time alone with her child, she decides. Rhaegar, she loves him, but she must share him with Aerys, and she wants to be selfish for once, so she holds onto every little moment alone she can with Viserys.
Celebrations had taken place to honor his birth, the High Septon had blessed the baby and joy seemed to have found her again. But still, she holds onto her child as a drowning man to a lifeline.
She enjoys every little precious minute she has with her child and tries not to think of the ones that came before him.
And so, she finds herself feeding her boy, a soft smile on her face as she holds him close. And when he is done, and has burped, she stays with him, humming a song and rocking her baby to sleep when it happens, he opens his eyes and smiles. And she feels her eyes fill with tears.
Crawl.
One of her duties as Queen is to entretain her ladies, and she hates that it takes time away from her son. So, one day, she has the sevants set a pillow and blanket fort and Viserys is laid down there, so she can watch him while she and her ladies sew.
Their talk is quieter, as if they don't want to disturb the young prince. They all had given gifts to her, wished her the best and gone to prayer with her.
And she is broken out of her concentration with an exclamation from one of the ladies, she rises her head and looks at her to see her pointing to Viserys, and that is when she realizes her son's awake and holds her breath as she sees him crawl towards the pillows.
And she rises and abandons her sewing and it takes all her effort to not run to her child. And Viserys is crawling and her heart fills fit to explode.
Walk.
She takes to sitting in the floor watching her son make attempts at walking. First he rises and it doesn't take long before he is back on the floor on his bottom.
Until one day, Viserys stands as he can and tries to give his first steps. She holds her breath and holds her arms by his side as he takes a wobbly step forward and the another and then a third before he loses his balance and ends on his bottom yet again.
But she rises him and cradles him close, and is proud of her boy.
Words.
He is a loud baby, she decides one day.
He is seldom quiet, always gurgling or screaming, never calm like Rhaegar had been. She knows that this baby will not be a quiet one, this one would soon be terrorizing the Red Keep going about playing and being loud as children are wont to.
And she finds that she doesn't mind the thought at all. Let him be loud and mischievous and be a normal child she prays.
And is one of those days that he screams 'Mamma' and she runs to hold her child at her breast. This one was hers and hers alone.
1st Year.
Aerys throws a big celebration in honor of Visery's first year. And for once, she finds that she doesn't mind the fuzz, for she is in similar joyous mood.
Her baby lived.
A/N: All comments, constructive criticism and reviews are welcome. Thank you for reading.