DANCING WITH DRAGONS. | D. Targaryen

XXXI.

DANCING WITH DRAGONS | XXXI.
"YOU HAVE TO PROTECT THEM"
( 'THE PRINCESSES ' )

Alysanne makes her way trudged slowly into the castle and into a room where Daenerys lies still with the feeling in her gut that Bran wasn't going to be the only important person she lost on this night. She saw the blood-stained sheets and Alysanne placed her sword on Daenerys's bedside as she kneels beside her.

"Alysanne," Daenerys said softly, her forehead covered in sweat, despite the freezing temperatures.

"We won," Alysanne told her with a small smile, though it was forced.

Daenerys smiled, "That's good."

Alysanne took Daenerys's hand into her own, squeezing it gently, "You're going to be okay."

"I don't think so," Daenerys told her with a weak laugh, "My last pregnancy didn't end too well."

"This will be different," Alysanne told her, feeling another ache in her heart. She had just lost Bran and she'd be damned if she lost Daenerys as well.

"If they survive and I don't, will you take care of them?" Daenerys asked her.

"They?"

"Twins," Daenerys told her, "I have the worst luck."

Alysanne laughs tearfully, "I think my luck is far worse than yours."

Daenerys exhales a shaky breath, "I'm so sorry for everything."

Alysanne squeezes her hand a little tighter, "Apologize to me later. You'll have a lifetime to make it up to me."

"You have to protect them," Daenerys tells her, "Promise me that you'll protect them."

Alysanne shakes her head, "I'm not going to protect them, because you're going to be around to do that."

Meera enters the room with two wrapped bundles. Alysanne watches as they're both placed in Daenerys's arms. Unable to help herself, Alysanne moves closer to get a better look. The twins weren't identical, one had silver wisps of hair and the other had dark brown hair. Meera offers them both a polite and sad smile before leaving the room.

"They're both girls," Daenerys told her with a small smile.

"Have you named them?" Alysanne asked, looking at the girls.

"This," Daenerys says offering Alysanne the silver-headed baby, "Is Rhaella, named for my mother."

Alysanne took the newborn and held her, remembering how her mother had always told her to support the head. Rhaella's eyes were closed, but there was a small smile on her little lips. She was much smaller than a normal newborn should have been, but she had been born earlier than she was supposed to.

"And this is Alyssa, Alys for short," Daenerys told her, "I would have named her Alysanne, but I felt that would have been too obvious."

A laugh escaped Alysanne, "It would have been."