(Baelon's POV)
"A child is inside...." I said with a smile while patting Helaena's stomach, "Can you believe that? I cannot....how can a life be stirring inside such a small space?"
She chuckled, "It is the mystery of life." She said as she gently patted my hand, "To be responsible for bearing such beautiful souls...."
We were in her chambers, I was kneeling down in front of her as I gently rubbed her thighs while she sat on the chair. I could not help but be entranced by the fact that she is with child, there was a certain air to her, a glow to her. I found her to be more beautiful than ever, and she was already the most beautiful woman in this world.
I looked at her, she had a smile that was so warm that I could feel it against my own cheek, "Hm..." I said, "In just a few more months, your belly will grow and soon, you will birth my son...."
"Yes." She said as she patted my cheek, "I will be a Mother....and you a Father....does it excite you?"
I nodded, "It does." I said, "And it worries me too."
"How so, love?" She asked
"I do not know." I said, "Will I be a good one?"
"You will be a great father." She said, "I know it."
"Right..." I said as I looked back at her belly, "When this is much bigger, I will be tempted to pat it every day....haha...."
"Of course." She said, "The babe needs to know how much it is loved by you."
I leaned in and kissed her belly, "I will kiss your belly like this as well." I said, "Every night, every day, I do not care. Because I love the both of you....."
She gave me a smile, "I know." She said, "Your love knows no bounds."
I grabbed her hand, "My love." I said, "If there is something you need to confer to me, your doubts, your fears, anything.....just tell me....I will not hold it against you. I know you did not wish to be a mother just yet.....we waited for two years for this..."
She nodded, "I am sorry for that." She told me, "But it is just that....."
"Tell me, do not worry." I said
"The dangers aside....." She said softly, "I was scared...."
"Of what?" I asked
"We spoke about this already but I was scared of leaving you...." she said, "What happened to your Mother was terrible.....and I did not want to repeat that. The gods are cruel, indeed. And I do not want that to happen to you....for my child to survive but I ended up passing, leaving you alone and broken..."
"I will be honest...." I said as I squeezed her hand gently, "I, too, was afraid of that. I did not want to be torn like that. To lose the woman I love, leaving our child alone without her mother....it is not an easy thing to even think about. I was fortunate to have a mother like ours....but Rhaenyra and my Mother...Father loved her deeply..."
"Yes, Baelon...." she said, "It is my greatest fear....."
"But...." I said as I looked at her, "I am sure that it will not happen. You will bring my child into this world without issue, I can feel it. We will live happily, we will raise our child together.....and if we decide to have more, then so be it. We will start a big happy family, Helaena...just like you wanted..."
She smiled, a tear in her eyes, "You....do you want that?"
I nodded as I leaned towards her, "Yes." I said, "Of course. I want nothing but that for us...."
"Baelon....." She said, "I want nobody but you...."
"I feel the same about you." I said, "But here's the issue...."
"What is that?" She asked with a frown
"I don't wish to insult you, Helaena." I said, "That is why I am against this marriage."
"Oh, my love." she said as she kissed my forehead, "I am fine with it."
"But why? How?" I asked
"You are already mine. I am carrying your child. There is nothing anyone could do that will change that." She said with a smile, "You could have a hundred concubines and yet, you will never look at them the way you look at me."
"That is exaggerating." I said, "I would never do that. Not to you...."
"It is an example." She chuckled, "I understand your feelings, Baelon. I do. I want to be against it, I wish to be frustrated with the fact that another woman will be married to you.....but I cannot....it is our sister, our elder sister.....mayhaps, if it were someone else....I would be angry....but I cannot be angry at Rhaenyra...."
"I understand." I said, "Well....when you put it that way, Yes, it makes sense. You are too kind for this world."
"If you say so." She said, "Do not reject her, Baelon."
I looked at her, "Helaena...."
"You are angry still...." she said softly, "Do not take that anger out on her. It is tough, I know....to try and move past all those emotions. What that man did.....it will scar you for life....he pit the two of you against each other, he wanted to tear our Family apart....do not let that get in the way of what we have....it is all I ask of you."
"What you ask of me...." I said, "I cannot do it so easily...to...."
"You must try." She said, "I know you will fiercely defend and fight for our family....but you must let go of that anger...it will eat you out from the inside, it will harm your relationship with her more.....I hate seeing you like that."
"I understand...." I said softly
"It will take time, I know." She said softly, "But please try."
What she was asking me to do was not easy. I cannot just let go of that anger that still dwells inside me.
"I said some terrible things to her, Helaena..." I said, "She may forgive me, which I doubt it...but I cannot forgive myself. I was so angry at the time, so angry. "
"The two of you will heal with time. That anger is not easy to quell, I know..." She said softly, "I know that you will heal fully in time. For now...."
"Let us just await the arrival of the child..."