Chapter seven         𓃦          Seek for help

Though Baelor was able to sleep through the night as if there were no worries placed upon him, this time it was different. After twisting and turning for what seemed like hours, he finally pulled himself out of the bed and walked on the wide balcony, placing himself on the dark green couch. The cold breeze washed over him like the ocean over the shore before a blanket was placed over his shoulders. Without turning around, he sighed, "Genna, go back to bed."

"I cannot find sleep," his wife replied, moving around the furniture, sitting down on the edge of the sofa, far from her husband, a hand on her belly.

"Genna," Baelor sighed again before sliding off the couch and moving to her side, wrapping the thick blanket around her shoulders, despite her protests, "I believe you are more important to not get sick than I."

She tried to protest again but Baelor silenced whatever word wanted to leave her mouth with a kiss on the top of her forehead, just under her hairline. It felt like a punch in her guts. He moved away from her and sat back down on the edge of the couch, placing his legs on the small coffee table, "why can you not find sleep?"

Her fingers twisted the edge of the blanket, staring at the chipped nails, "the babe cannot seem to stop kicking me. I fear they know whenever their father is restless."

"Yeah?" Baelor asked, cocking his head to the side to watch her play with the blanket, almost as if she was nervous in his presence, "does the babe's mother also know when her husband is restless? Or is that just the babe?"

Genna finally looked up at his jest. Her brows furrowed, "why are you acting this way?"

He mirrored her expression, "act like what?"

"Nice."

A beat of silence washed over them and Baelor looked away, back towards the end of the balcony, eyes wandering to the night that took over King's Landing, "am I not supposed to be nice to you?"

Genna looked away, almost too ashamed to say, "you were not before."

"Because, Genna," he started, eyes wide with excitement as he pulled himself on the floor, on his knees, in front of the startled Genna, "things are looking bright for us, how can I not be?"

She looked down at him, at his fingers that gently grazed across the nightgown that covered her belly. She shook her head lightly, "I do not understand."

"I know," he nodded, his tongue running across his lower lip, looking at the baby kicking, "and I cannot tell you what is happening but, rest assure, we will be grand soon. You, I, the children."

If she could, she would move away. But she was trapped by the couch and Baelor's presence in front of her. Her fingers tightened at the edge of the blanket, "what did you do?"

"Nothing," he replied, looking up, "absolutely nothing. All I do is wait and pray for the best. And – if the Seven will be merciful on us – we shall prevail."

"Prevail over who?" she whispered, her fingers gently tracing a scar over his eyebrow as if she was trying to calm him.

"Oh, sweet Genna," Baelor whispered with a smile, pulling himself off his knees, his hands finding her cheeks, pressing a kiss on her lips, whispering against them, "do not fret, alright? Everything is to work just well for us."

"Baelor," she whispered against him, her face inches from his, her eyes filling with tears, "you're scaring me."

"No, no, love," he whispered back quickly, placing a kiss on the edge of her mouth, his thumbs gently rubbing against her cheeks, "I apologize, I did not mean to. But all is well, right?"

Whatever was happening inside his brain was not who Baelor was, Genna concluded. The Baelor she knew would not kiss her like this, would not apologize for his words or actions, would not have racing thoughts and would certainly not tell her half the things he was to. He let go of her cheeks and started pacing up and down the balcony, "because I had it figured, you know? How could my girls get sick? With a butterfly that does not even exist here."

"I should seek for a Maester, right?" Genna's breath quickened, "you are not feeling well, Baelor."

"No, no, no – wait, just wait!" he spoke, his hands flying up and down in the air as if he was telling a story to the children, acting his scenes out, "wait, alright? Wait – the butterfly fever comes from the butterflies from the island Naath. It is located near Essos. Who, in this entire court, knows people from Essos? Has lived there?"

"Baelor," Genna whispered out through tears, the anxiety of his state creeping back up and down her spine, "pl – please, just . . . just calm down. I can get a Maester – or your mother."

"Genna," Baelor breathed out, curling his hands in fists, his thumb running over the skin, "I do not need a Maester, I do not need my mother! What I do need is my wife to listen to me!"

With his yelling, the closed space became even smaller for Genna, who sunk deeper in the couch, refusing to look up at him. Baelor took a breath in, shaking his head, "I am trying to tell you that I took care of the person that hurt our children. Does that not satisfy you?"

Her eyes were blown out of proportion – the usually honey sweet brown eyes were turned in the blue of the waterfalls with the tears – shaking her head, looking up at him, "Baelor . . . what did you do?"

"Nothing," he spoke, leaning forward, "absolutely nothing. Yet."

Her lower lip wobbled as he approached her again, leaning down, pressing his hands on her cheeks again, whispering, "Genna. I swear to you, I shall not hurt you. Not anymore. If I did, I do apologize. But no more, alright? Glory is to come for us – to us."

With pressing another sickly-sweet kiss on the edge of her mouth, Baelor smiled down at Genna before he rounded his couch, moving back inside the chambers, "glory, Genna, glory!"

The dining hall was loud when Genna entered it in the morning – Alyssa was rounding the table quickly, going from one member of the family to the other, placing a lily from the garden, Rhaella was seated between her grandfathers, babbling nonsense but they both seemed interested in it, Alicent excitedly thanking Alyssa for the flowers with smacks of kisses across her cheeks, Helaena was busy with the twins, Aegon drowning himself in cups. All was happy but Baelor, Aemond and Myna.

Baelor stared at the eggs on his plate, seemingly out of touch with everything. Myna played with the edge of her dress, Aemond mirrored his elder brother's expression. Genna said her good mornings to the family, sitting herself on the empty chair by her husband's side as the twins quickly made her ways to their mother's side, greeting her with smacks of wet kisses on her cheeks.

"You look like you saw a ghost," Tyland expressed concern for Genna, her face plane and sickly, "are you alright?"

Genna bit the inside of her cheek, nodding with a false smile, "I am fine, thank you, father. I just . . . simply could not find sleep during the night."

"Should I send the Maester in your chambers later?" Alicent asked, leaning her palms against the table's edge, looking at her daughter-in-law.

Genna shook her head with a grateful smile, "no need, your Grace. I think that once I get my sleep, I shall be fine."

Without saying a word, Aemond pushed his chair back, making it tilt and trip which made his wife flinch. He quickly walked away from the table and out of the dining hall, his mother calling for him. Just as Myna wanted to stand, rush after him, Genna offered herself, "I can go check on him, you eat."

Myna nodded silently, looking down at her plate, not even daring to look at Genna who excused herself and moved after Aemond, her thumb rubbing circles on a sore part of her belly. Without thinking twice, she moved towards the Godswood, meeting Aemond's back, "are you alright?"

At her voice, Aemond turned around, his fingers fidgeting over the wrist that he held behind his back, "not truly, no."

Genna took a step forward, voice so gentle it could make Aemond cry, "why?"

"She lost the babe."

Her brows softened as she stepped closer to him, "oh, Aemond, I am so sorry."

For a moment she thought about hugging him, only to be remembered her brother-in-law hates any touches. Her trail of thoughts was interrupted by Aemond wrapping his arms around her shoulder, yearning for the safe touch Genna could – and did – provide for everyone.

Her fingers gently grazed his back, as she felt his shaky breathing on top of her head. She whispered, "I truly am sorry, Aemond."

Stepping back, he nodded, pursing his lips in a line, "thank you."

Words went unspoken – both painfully aware who the child belonged to, Genna too aware the sudden death of it had Baelor involved in it. Her fingers fidgeted against the collar of Aemond doublet as she pushed herself on her toes, pressing a gentle kiss against his scar covered cheek. He watched her with furrowed brows, but she only offered him a sweet smile before moving away from him and back inside the Red Keep.

Back inside, Myna already broke the news to the family. While Alicent tried to show some sympathy for the girl, the rest of the members didn't share the same views. Baelor continued to stare at the plate in front of him or dealing with one of the twins, Otto without saying a word, show daggers Baelor's way. Tyland had no reaction to the loss of a girl who was unknown to him. Aegon was too deep in the cups to care. Helaena hummed something, seemingly out of touch with the world. Still, Genna walked to Myna, squeezing the arm she rested on the table, "I am truly sorry, Myna."

Myna looked up with a bit of her tongue, "thank you, my lady."

It was Baelor this time that pushed his chair backwards, making it tilt. Alicent quickly looked his way, almost as breathing do not do anything stupid. But he only offered a thin smile, "if you excuse me."

With quick steps, Baelor passed his younger brother in the hallways, not looking up at him. He turned down the hall and down a course of steps he was all to familiar with. For some unknown ray of hope, he thought he might not need to go down there again (or so soon, at least). But hope was a dangerous thing, especially for a man like Baelor was.

Without knocking, Baelor opened the doors of the chambers, "I need help."