(Baelon's POV)
"No." I said firmly as I stepped away from Rhaenyra, "That cannot be."
"Baelon." Rhaenyra said as she looked at me, "Listen to me."
"No. You listen to me." I said as I pointed at the woman, "This is not right....that cannot be.....that cannot be my child!"
Rhaenyra frowned, "Baelon...." She said, "We have had this conversation...the possibilit-"
"No!" I exclaimed, "I....I...."
"Baelon." She said as she walked up to me and grabbed me by my shoulders, "I need you to calm down."
I shook my head, "Calm down?" I said, "How do you expect me to calm down? That is not my child, that is not my-"
"It is." Rhaenyra said seriously, "Look at her. Look at her closely, she is yours. She has your eyes, your face....she is your daughter...."
I looked over to the woman, who was holding the babe, the little one's eyes were curiously looking up at the ceiling as the light of the fireplace illuminated their side. I focused on the girl's face, seeing that her eyes and face, despite being an amalgamation of Valyrian and Essosi, looked familiar.
I looked at the woman, "Who are you?"
The woman had tears in her eyes, "I..." She said softly, "My name is Min..."
"Min...?" I said, "You are Essosi?"
"I was born in Volantis..." She said softly, "But my father and mother were from YiTi. I....I am so sorry, P-Prince....I..."
"She came to us, Baelon." Rhaenyra said, "She is scared. She is as much of a victim as you are."
I stood there, looking at not just Min, but the girl in her arms. I could not believe it. I had just managed to move on, to get that thought of my head. To ignore the fact that I had been with women who were not my wives.....
And this happens.
The looming idea, the possibility, of having an illegitimate child....a bastard....
It haunted me.
But....
Could it be true?
Was she truly mine?
"Min." I said, "Tell me the truth."
"Y-Yes?" She said as she backed away a step
"Whose child is that?" I pointed at the babe, with a serious expression, "Do not lie to me."
"Baelon." Rhaenyra started
"No." I told her, "I was not the only one that was there, Rhaenyra. That woman's brother was there. And they claimed they had another brother. They are pure valyrian, they have the Targaryen features, and they are our distant relatives!"
"But that child has your face. She looks like Valerion!" Rhaenyra said, "Look at her, she looks just like him!"
"She is YiTish." I said
"But she is your blood." Rhaenyra said, "I know it!"
"I-It is true.." Min said
I looked at her, "L-Listen..." I said, "I know....I know that you were one of them....that was forced on me....when I was drugged....but....."
"I swear it...." Min said as she looked down and sniffed, "S-She is yours....the babe is your child....the others did not touch me...."
"The others?" Rhaenyra asked
"E-Erys..." She said softly, "And the other one. They do not have interest in YiTish women..."
"Erys....." I said, "The brother...he was there..."
She began to tremble, "Y-Yes...." She said, "H-He beat us.....he told us that if we did not do as She said, he would kill us....that he would cut is into pieces and scatter us around in King's Landing...A-All of us...."
"And then it happened...." I said, "The...the scream....that was him beating you?"
She nodded, "It was one of the others. He nearly killed her after he struck her..." She said as tears ran down her face, "I....I was so scared....I....we were all dragged across the Narrow Sea with them both.....I did not ask for any of this....I did not wish to carry the child...a...a Targaryen....it would put a target on my back....but She threatened to kill me if I tried....she wanted me to bear it..."
"Baelon." Rhaenyra grabbed my hand, "She is scared. The fear of being punished, imprisoned, by a Targaryen Prince for claiming her child to be his bastard..... is nothing compared to what she probably felt with them. She was smuggled out of Essos and fled here.....She is scared..."
"This could probably be a trap." I said as my face hardened, "A ploy....."
"N-No ploy, Prince...." Min said, "I....swear it....I swear it!! P-Please....please show me mercy...I did not ask to bear your bastard child, I swear it! All I wanted was to help my sick brother, who was dying! Even then, he died.....and it was for nothing!! I-I swear it.....please....!!"
"Do you understand why I am starting to get skeptical?" I said, "Those people did something unbearably terrible.....not just to me...but to you. They could have killed me but they did not. Why? I will tell you why. To mess with my head, to let me know that marrying Rhaenyra was a mistake that would have cost me. And perhaps they are right...maybe it is costing me....and the fact that you are here, with a child who looks like me....maybe it is their way of relaying that information to me."
"I..." Min started, "Please.....I beg of you....I do not want to go back...I would rather die....but I did not want to leave the girl by herself....she gets hungry...she could get sick....I did not know what else to do....I swear...."
"Do you truly think she would risk coming to us if she was not saying the truth?" Rhaenyra asked me
"Rhaenyra, this could be a trick for all we know." I said, "You should be aware of that, you of all people."
Her face hardened, "Hm..." She said before
"M-My clothes...." Min said, "I will prove it to you....I will prove to you that I am not lying...t-they treat us horribly..."
"What about your clothes?" I asked
"I need to take them off.." She said softly, "I...."
Rhaenyra walked over to her, "Let me hold her..." She said softly as she took the babe from her, "Continue..."
As she stepped away, the woman immediately began to take off the first layer of her clothes, revealing the majority of her arms and legs.
I winced as I saw a massive amount of scars on her arms and legs, seeing some on her waist as well.
Rhaenyra gasped, "What.." She said softly
"Wait..." I said as I raised my hand, "W-What are you showing me?"
She had turned around and lifted her shirt up to show me several whip scars on her back, "T-This is what they do to me...." She said, "They treat us like slaves....even though we were supposed to be their workers...t-their servants....they beat us....they whip us.....they even rape us...."
"Including you?" Rhaenyra
"N-No..." she said, "I was....I was taken in when I turned ten and seven....I told them that I was a virgin....and She told me she would reserve me for a special occasion...T-The Prince was m-my....first one....and I have not been touched since then..."
"She...?" Rhaenyra asked
"Gael." I said as I clenched my fists, "Saera Targaryen's daughter....."
"So that is her name?" Rhaenyra looked at me
I nodded, "Yes."
"T-There were times were I was so scared...." Min said, "So fed up with this....that I tried leaving....at the very least, they would care for the girl.....because they needed her as leverage against you.....but...they caught me...and they whipped me for hours...I could not walk....I could not do anything for days.....it was unbearable....I could not handle it...."
"The others." I said, "D-Did they also bear children?"
"I..." She said, "I do not know...we were all separated....I did not see Her much either....."
"That is horrible...." Rhaenyra said softly, "To think you would go through that...."
"I...I had a friend....she knew a smuggler who would take me out of Essos for the right price.." She said, "I did not know what to do.....b-but I stole a necklace that belonged to a Targaryen Princess.....allegedly...and I gave it to him.....He confirmed the value of it and was willing to bring me here...."
"Put your clothes back on." I told her as I turned around and sighed
"Baelon..." Rhaenyra said
"What?" I said
"She is telling the truth." She told me, "I know it....."
"Even if she is, this complicates things...." I said softly
"She will stay here...we will bathe her....we will feed her..." Rhaenyra said, "Until we can figure out the next move. She may have information on them, their entire operation. You burning their fleet was not enough.....you need to end this..."
I nodded, "On that, we can agree." I said, "Fine then.....have her bathed, fed, and make sure she gets rest. The both of them."
"We will speak more on the morrow."