Don't Blame Me, Love Made Me Crazy
(Closed starter for @black-queen-rising)
Daemon had only felt the kind of fear he had when Rhaenyra fell unconscious one other time in his life; in the long hours when all he could do was watch as Laena died after delivering their stillborn son. In the initial panic, he had quickly taken charge, locking down the Red Keep until he was certain their new Queen would not die. His wife hadn't had the chance to appoint a Hand yet, but he'd been the Master of Wars nearly as long as Rhaenyra had been Hand, and poisoning the Queen was absolutely an act of war. He spent the first few hours interrogating any and everyone who could have possibly had a hand in the attempt to kill his wife; it didn't get him very far, but terrifying the usually-simpering nobles did always make him feel better. He doesn't sleep that night, staying awake at Rhaenyra's bedside, and holding her hand as if he could will some of his own life force back into her. The Maesters said she was lucky to be alive, the poison had certainly been meant to kill, but had failed to do so after only a couple of drops managed to pass her lips.
The following morning Daemon left the bedchamber reluctantly in order to help manage what he could of The Court. He went to check on his children first, finding Rhaena and...Aemond? Dozing after spending the night watching the youngest ones. He had no idea what Prince Eyepatch was doing helping his daughter when he was no longer under orders to assist in her duties as punishment. With much more pressing matters at hand, however, he tucked the knowledge into a corner near the back of his mind and made note to keep an them going forward for Rhaena's safety...and sanity, though, at least in that moment, she didn't seem to mind the boy's presence. He found Baela and Jace next, taking comfort in one another's presence as Baela did whatever she could to assist Jace's efforts in taking up command of the Castle and Kingdom in his role as Crown Prince. Daemon filled the rest of his morning taking report from the head and deputy of the Gold Cloaks on possible suspects, though they had not gotten any further than The Rogue Prince himself had managed the night before.
Later that afternoon, Maester Gerardys' lead assistant came to inform him his wife was awake but Daemon doesn't even hear the rest of the man's words before he's darted off towards their rooms once more. As he walked through the door he heard Rhaenyra arguing that she had to get dressed and start tend to responsibilities the Queen herself was fit to oversee, he couldn't help but smile alongside a small shake of his head, at least it seemed her personality was perfectly intact. The relief on her face when she sees him is immediate and he could feel his own expression shift to mirror hers. He toes off his boots, and immediately climbs into bed with her, wrapping his arms around his wife and pulling her against his chest without a moment's hesitation. He didn't care that there were other people in the room, he needed to hold her, needed to feel her heart beating against him, everyone else was irrelevant.
Rhaenyra looked up at him with a smile and he returned it before pressing a kiss to her forehead, "Please don't scare me like that again, I don't think I could ever handle losing you." He admitted, his throat tight with emotion, "Our son has done a wonderful job holding things together in your stead, you would be so proud of him. It's only furthered my belief he truly is the best of all of us." Daemon added in an attempt to redirect the conversation, then lets her speak, before inquiring further, "Did you dream at all last night?" Their family was famous for its Dragon Dreams, he had never had one, but his brother had at least claimed to many a time, and he couldn't help but wonder if in all this chaos, something had been drawn from the corners of Rhaenyra's own mind.
