Chapter 08

James and Georgiana were very quiet babies.

Odd for the grandchildren of marauders and the children of a prankster.

Motherhood for Lycoris herself was already difficult with Teddy, but her eldest son insisted on showing his stuffed animals to James, and as he was still two days old and did nothing but sleep and eat, he threw the lion stuffed animal in his face.

Inevitably, she had to be helped by a maid, which angered Kreacher and Winky.

- "Mistress doesn't need a Muggle," - Said Winky, - "I've been raising Master Barty since he was a baby."

- "The mistress is going to give us the cloth and set us free!" - Kreacher dramatized, - "Kreacher will die. Please, Mistress, behead and hang Kreacher's head with the other elves!"

- "I will not disown you," - Replied Lycoris as she nursed Gigi. - "We are a witch and two elves with three babies. You are like family, but we need help. The maid will help, you have permission to read her mind."

That was enough to convince them.

The maid assigned to her was a young girl of about Lycoris' age, a plump, blue-eyed brunette.

She introduced herself as Penny.

- "Teddy will be a year old now," - Said Lycoris when she was alone with Penny and the elves, - "In a few days I'll be well enough to resume lessons with the young princes."

- "I understand," - Penny nodded.

- "Kreacher and Winky will be with you" - Lycoris held Teddy on her hip - "When she wants milk, ask either of them, I always have milk available in bottles, no wet nurses. Teddy already eats fruit in porridge in the morning and eats vegetables the same way."

- "Yes, my Lady."

- "Good" - Lycoris carefully held Teddy out to her, Penny in a nimble movement took her on her hip - "James and Georgiana are still very much babies. They will be in my care and that of my elves."

Lycoris entered Penny's mind, so simply, and noticed that there was no danger.

- "I'll go with Princess Rhaenyra for a moment," - Said Lycoris, putting on the Black's medallion of protection.

Winky helped her into a brown dress, without a corset. The midwives suggested she wait a couple of weeks.

Lycoris kissed the heads of her three babies, before going out into the room. A day after giving birth, she heard that Ser Harwin Strong and his father were killed in a fire at Harrenhal.

Princess Rhaenys and Lord Corlys traveled to Driftmark last night for an emergency.

Carefully and with her head held high, she made her way to the princess's chamber and asked the White Cloak guarding the door, the knight bowed his head and let her pass.

The atmosphere in the place was sad, both princes; Jacaerys and Lucerys were hugging each other, and Ser Laenor was looking at the fire with an expression.

- "Your Highness" - Lycoris bowed to Princess Rhaenyra, who was carrying Prince Joffrey - "I come to express my condolences."

- "Thank you very much," - Said the princess. - "It is a complete pity about the death of my dear Laena."

Laena, Lord Corlys' daughter.

Lycoris opened her mouth to say it was about Ser Harwin, but then remembered the servants' whispers about the princess, her children, and Ser Harwin.

So she decided to remain ignorant of the matter. And now she understood why Lord Corlys and the princess marched home.

- "A complete tragedy," - Lycoris said and then looked at Ser Laenor, - "The loss of a sibling is like having half your soul torn from you."

She remembered George after Fred's funeral. Lycoris spent that night at the Burrow, in the cellar licking her wounds from the war, and she could hear the agonized cries of her husband's twin.

The two embraced, feeling the pain. George for being her lifelong companion, and Lycoris felt her magic burn at the loss of the bond.

- "Thank you for your condolences, Lady Lycoris," - Said Laenor, his voice hoarse and his eyes bloodshot.

- "We will leave in three days by ship for Driftmark," - Said the princess. - "For the funeral, my uncle Daemon will come from Pentos by boat with his sons, bringing the body. We want him to come with us."

- "I understand Princess, Fujur is in Driftmark and I need to see my dragon."

- "Another thing," - Said Princess Rhaenyra, - "With the sudden death of Lord Lyonel Strong, the Queen's father, Lord Otto Hightower has been reinstated as Hand of the King. He will march to Driftmark for the end."

- "I understand, Princess," - Nodded Lycoris, not understanding why she was telling her this.

- "I tell you this to beware of this man," - The princess replied, - "The thirst for power is in his eyes."

Thirst for power was something Lycoris had dealt with before.

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Daemon arrived at Laena's home with two girls wrapped in sadness and an unworldly baby.

When he set foot on the island, Vhagar, who flew behind the ship, quickly hid and Caraxes remained on the rocky parts next to Moondancer.

Stepping onto the Velaryon home, Rhaenys hugged her granddaughters tearfully and then saw Vaenar in his arms.

- "The wet nurse with us died before we arrived," - Daemon said, - "We had to give him goat's milk."

- "I will order a wet nurse to be brought in immediately," - Corlys replied as he cooed to Vaenar. - "The stone coffin is ready. The silent sisters will clean the body again and place it in the coffin."

Daemon nodded his head.

- "Go to sleep," - Corlys ordered him, - "You look awful. We'll look after the children. They're all arriving tomorrow for the funeral."

- "Even Lycoris is coming from King's Landing with Viserys and his family for the funeral," - Rhaenys said.

- "The witch?" - Daemon asked.

- "Yes, Lycoris recently gave birth to twins," - Corlys replied, - "I'll have two three cradles made up for her."

Daemon nodded, just wanting to go to sleep. Carrying his wife's body home was exhausting.

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Daemon watched, the famous witch Laena had been waiting so long to meet.

Beside Corlys and Rhaenys. Dressed in a black gown that revealed her boots, a deep black dress with silver lace, her hair in a long braid that fell over her right shoulder, and a delicate veil that was draped over her shoulder, revealing her face and neck.

As Vaemond subtly called both of Rhaenyra's pups bastards, Daemon let out a laugh to interrupt him.

The witch looked at him, a paranormal green pierced him like a spear.

Baela and Rhaena sobbed in Rhaeny's arms.

After the funeral, after watching Otto's cursed leech proudly wear the brooch of the Hand again, he saw neither Rhaenys nor the witch.

Thinking of Vaenar, he returned to the chambers.

- "Thank you so much for helping," - Rhaenys said, - "Vaenar didn't want to take from the wet nurse."

- "It's nothing," - Replied a second voice, its accent a little different, a little more musical. - "Fortunately, I produce plenty of milk for James and Gigi, but as they are both asleep, your grandson can use my milk."

'The witch,' Daemon entered the room and saw how his son was latched onto the dark nipple.

Seeing this, she quickly used the veil in her lap to cover him and her breasts, even with Vaenar feeding from her breast.

- "Daemon!" - Rhaenys cried out to him.

- "I wanted to come and see Vaenar," - Daemon replied, turning away from the bed where Lycoris Potter lay. - "What happened to the wet nurse?"

- "Vaenar doesn't want her milk," - Rhaenys replied, helping to cover the witch a little more, - "Lycoris has offered to feed him until then."

- "Prince Daemon" - Lycoris lowered her head slightly, still holding Vaenar.

- "Thank you for your help, Lady Witch," - Daemon nodded.

Daemon stood in the corner, gazing out the window, under Rhaenys's judging gaze and Lycoris's shy one.