The king's bedchambers stunk of piss, mild rot and collecting mildew.

Not new of course, aegon's late father the king had pissed and shat himself on the course of his 4 year long illness as he rot down to the core until of course Viserys had died drooling moaning on and on about a dream Aegon was sure his mother had lied about.

Usually the luxury of a second son was that he could wish to be whoever he liked and nothing would face except bouts of endless drinking maybe one political marriage with a wife of a great house he despised and whatever the fuck he wanted while the throne went to rhaenyra.

Not that he doesn't enjoy being king. he's sure he has the callibre for it. Who else marries a cousin that was your father's ex wife's sisters daughter. Caella Arryn who married his father's uncle Valerion Targaryen and had a daughter Vaella Targaryen

He fell for her at 12, secretly wed her in the Septons rather preferred cousin marriages than the incestuous superiority complex targaryens had. Nevertheless, Mother Alicent Hightower woman if great ambition wed him to Helaena. She did not care who we bed or how many wives he had as long as he sat the throne.

Vaella did not give him children. He did not bed her till she turned 18. Although in a drunken pursuit mixed with duty he had bed Helaena. They had twins. Jahaerys and Jahaera. gone was jahaerys from blood and cheese. Gone was Helaenas sanity with the loss of their son. And gone was Vaella's who's rage made her flee with her dragon Aelyx.

He knew she was somewhere stewing with her herbs and potions.And gone was his handsome stature. Half his hair had been burnt when he fell from his dragon, legs and back shattered beyond repair. And a part of his ear too.

Mornings were blurred with a haze of pain when his nose picked up on the familliar smell of rosewood and the damp smell the soil gave out before rain.

Vaella. Wife. Challenger. Confidante.

"I'd almost thiught you abandoned me, though it looks your wifely affections have not waned." He quipped, smiling his voice strained with pain and damage to his vocal chords. "You've brought wine."