What Becomes of the Brokenhearted
Disclaimer: I don't own Game of Thrones
Summary: ELIA MARTELL DESERVES BETTER. Interconnected one shots revolving around the unlikely friendship between Elia Martell and Robert Baratheon set in modern times. Rhaegar breaks his engagement to his college sweetheart and Lyanna dumps Robert and they elope. When they meet, Elia and Robert bond over their exes, becoming friends and later, maybe, eventually…something much more.
Part I
"Did you see them? She is positively glowing. She seems so much better suited for him than Elia Martell. Elia is sweet but Rhaegar needs someone with a bit more fire and spark. "
"Speaking of the princess of Dorne, I wonder where she's hiding. She must be so embarrassed. I mean, she and Rhaegar were together for 3 years and then he just dumps her and marries Lyanna. I heard Elia was furious but what could she do?"
"Its got to be so humiliating for the crown prince to put you aside for some wild tomboy. Oh well, Elia is a lady of the realm and wealthy to boot, so she'll be fine. Lets get out there and find some lords of our own."
Elia waited until she was sure the two women had left the bathroom before exiting her stall. She then went to the main door and blocked it with a chair to prevent anyone else from entering.
She sat, taking deep breaths to prevent the tears from spilling over. The last thing she needed was to be seen, in public, crying over Rhaegar Targaryen. She had done enough of that in private.
Three years, that's how long she and Rhaegar had been together. They met freshman year of college. She hadn't been looking to get with Rhaegar but rather she had been trying to flirt with his best friend, Arthur Dayne, who was from Dorne, the region of Westeros her family oversaw, and the brother of her best friend. However, it had been Rhaegar who reciprocated her flirting and from that, their relationship began, culminating with Rhaegar asking her to marry him. The princess of Dorne and the heir to the kingdom would be married, a perfect fairytale. That had all changed during senior year and homecoming. Rhaegar had been crowned homecoming king and instead of choosing Elia as homecoming queen, he had chosen Lyanna Stark, a freshman and the daughter of the Lord of Winterfell. Elia had been upset and annoyed but Rhaegar explained it away and Elia continued planning her wedding. She thought it was well behind them when she found out she was pregnant a few months after graduation. That summer had been the happiest Elia had ever been. Until two months before the wedding when she miscarried her baby and found out she had endometriosis, greatly reducing her chances of getting pregnant and carrying a child to term. They had decided to postpone the wedding until Elia completely healed.
It was then she felt Rhaegar pulling away, until finally she received a call from him 4 months after the loss of her child saying that he was sorry and that he would always love her but he was in love with Lyanna and he had married her. Elia's brothers had wanted her to return from Kings Landing and begin her career in Dorne but Elia embodied Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken as much as Oberyn and Doran. She had built a life in Kings Landing and loved her job at the non-profit organization she worked for.
Which brought her to tonight, she was at a charity ball for Trident Hospital and apparently Rhaegar and Lyanna thought this would be a great event for their first public appearance. Elia sighed and got up from the chair, moving it back to its position. The door opened as she was repairing her makeup and she noticed the looks of pity. Plastering on a smile, she walked from the bathroom back into the ballroom. She made her way to the bar and ordered a shot Essos tequila.
"Make it two and put it on my bill," and deep voice rumbled from behind her. Elia turned and strained her neck to look up the 6'6 wall of muscle that had purchased her drink. He was dark and handsome, with blue eyes that were full of fury.
"I don't think we've been officially introduced. I'm Robert Baratheon of Storm's End." Elia understood now, Robert Baratheon was Lyanna's ex. He had been just as blindsided by Rhaegar and Lyanna's marriage as she had. Elia lifted her glass and clinked it with his as they both downed the liquid. Elia got up and mumbled a thank you to Robert as she walked away. Some time later, Elia heard a commotion several feet from her. Robert and Rhaegar were engaged in an argument, as Lyanna looked on worried. Several of Robert's and Rhaegar's friends were trying to move the two men away from each other to know avail.
Elia went over and placed a small hand on Robert's chest saying, "I believe I owe you a dance, my lord. As a thank you for my drink earlier."
Robert stared down at the petite woman, who was pleading with her eyes for him to walk away from the man who had ruined his life and not make the scene the paparazzi had been dying for since the scandal of Lyanna and Rhaegar's wedding had broke. Earlier, he had seen Elia earlier at the bar, wearing the same look of sadness mixed with anger that he so often saw in the mirror. The least he thought he could do was buy her a drink, although he knew well enough she could afford to buy out the entire bar, it was the thought that counted.
"They aren't worth it, Robert." Elia said, loud enough everyone in the area to hear.
"Elia," Rhaegar said, reaching out to touch her arm, voice full of sadness.
Elia snatched her arm and stared Rhaegar down, "don't ever touch me again, Rhaegar." She then slipped her arm through Robert's and the two jilted exes danced the night away. By the end of the night, there had been lots of tequila shots had by the two. Somehow they ended up at an all night diner eating fries and commiserating over the heartbreak that had been inflicted on them. That had been the first night Robert had slept on her couch. There had been countless others, such as when he showed up with a case of Dornish red wine when Lyanna announced her pregnancy. Soon though, the two found that they enjoyed each others company without talking about the royal couple and their drunken sleepovers now included other occasions such as when Robert found out the exotic dancer he had been fooling around with was pregnant with his child. Last night Elia, when she read that Lyanna announced her second pregnancy, waited patiently for her doorbell to ring and at midnight, there was an apologetic Ned Stark walking a drunken Robert to her couch.
"Sorry about this Elia, but he insisted," Ned said, softly. Poor Ned, he still didn't know how to handle speaking to her. She had told him several times that she didn't blame him for the choices Lyanna made regarding Rhaegar, but Ned's deep sense of honor would not allow him not to feel some shame over Elia's treatment.
Elia never complained about Ned dropping off Robert or Robert just showing up with bottles of liquor. Somehow, in the two years since the Trident benefit, Robert Baratheon had become her best friend. The paparazzi had a field day with their friendship. The Sun Princess and the Stag Lord were the talk of the press whenever they were spotted out together. Elia had stopped partaking in drinking to forget the pain Rhaegar caused her. She was over it and him. But Robert was still angry and hated Rhaegar. If he could get away with it, Robert would kill Rhaegar in a heartbeat.
Elia stopped her contemplation as she got out of the shower and brought her thoughts back to the present. She stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped in her robe, hair still dripping and sighed as she looked at the lump of humanity snoring on her couch. She then went to her kitchen and began making breakfast. Robert awoke to the smell of bacon and strong Volantis coffee brewing. He stretched before getting up and shuffling into the kitchen of the woman who was the last person he ever thought he would be friends with.
"Morning, sunstar,"he said, smirking at her glare. Oh, how she hated that nickname he had drunkenly given her when their unlikely friendship had begun. He took a big gulp of the coffee Elia had placed in his spot at her breakfast bar.
"You can't keep doing this, Robert. You're only hurting yourself when you go on these drunken benders. They don't care and they're not worth the heartache," Elia said softly as she placed a plate in front of him.
"I do believe those are similar to the first words you ever said to me," Robert replied with a wink.
Elia shook her head, wondering why she put up with the hotheaded, stubborn young lord.