WARNING: SPOILERS AHEAD! IF YOU ARE NOT CAUGHT UP ON SEASON 6 LEAVE! AND IF YOU STAY DON'T BLAME ME! NOW GO! I AM NOT KIDDING! I CAN STILL SEE YOU… LEAVE!
I own nothing. I've read a couple of fics similar to this and I thought it would be fun to have a go as well. Enjoy. WinchesterGranger
Chapter one: To sing of Ice
Ruby red blood glistened in the sun as it ran into the river, neither more beautiful nor horrifying as each other. When Rhaegar fell and Robert finally swung his mighty Warhammer crushing the Dragon Prince's chest, the prince looked up to the heavens. Not caring if Robert could hear him, whispered let out his last words, "Lyanna."
The next thing he knew Rhaegar was waking up in his chambers at the Red Keep. Dazed and confused, the Prince felt his chest. He was healed. There was no gaping hole, no blood, not even a scratch. It was almost as if nothing had happened. As if it was all a dream.
Rhaegar leapt out of bed to seek out his children and their mother. If it truly was a dream, he would find them playing in the Red Keeps nursery. But he didn't even need to leave the corridor that lead to his chambers to know that there was something wrong. There were no guards positioned outside his door. His father would never allow the King's Guard to neglect his son's safety. Even when Rhaegar objected to it. He made his way to the Throne room, only to freeze once he stood in the corridor that led straight to it. The doors were wide open so he could see who stood in the grand hall.
To his surprise, it was filled with men and women with the same silver blond hair and vibrant purple eyes as himself. They seemed to be engaged in a sort of celebration as they were dancing around the hall, laughing and cheering. Rhaegar could now make out a couple of guests who certainly weren't Targaryen's. There were some red heads from the house of Tully, a couple of blonds that must have been Lannister and even some Dronish were engaging in the celebrations. The prince moved closer only to feel the shock hit him once more.
Sitting on the iron throne watching the celebration with the air of amusement surrounding him looking exactly like his portrait was no other that Aegon the Conqueror, his ancestor. Flanking his side were Visenya and Rhaenys, scowling down at the rest of the Targaryen dynasty. The three were beautiful, powerful and fighting.
As if his legs had a mind of their own, Rhaegar entered the ball with his head lowered and eyes cast to the floor. The prince didn't feel much like celebrating and he didn't wish to be questioned by any of those he assumed were his ancestors. He still wasn't quite sure if this was a dream, dreamt up by injury and blood loss. But his feet kept bringing him closer to the throne he remembered his father sitting on. To his horror, the Dragon Prince looked up to see himself standing in front of Aegon and his sister wives.
Rhaegar wanted to turn back, but it was too late. The conquerors had seen him and Aegon had already gotten to his feet causing the room to fall silent. To the Prince's surprise, his ancestor smiled down at him.
"My dear friends. My dearest family. Our guest of honour has finally awoken!" Once Aegon had finished, the room erupted in applause and cheers. Rhaegar stood frozen unsure what he was meant to do.
"I see the young dragon is speechless," Aegon chuckled at his decedent's confused appearance. "What is it, my boy, why are you not smiling? You have returned home to your family."
Remembering his manners, Rhaegar gave the conqueror a bow before answering, "I'm sorry, Your Grace, but I must admit that I am confused. If I may, where am I?" The crowd chuckled once more which served only to confuse and infuriate the Prince once more.
"I will never know why the dead, refuse to understand that that is what they are," Aegon said gaining another chuckle from the crowd. Even his sisters seemed to enjoy their brother's antics as small smiles crossed their faces.
Rhaegar, however, felt his stomach drop. He was dead? How could this be? He was fighting Robert! That blasted stag, must have killed him. His thoughts turned back to his family. What would this mean for his children? What would this mean for Elia and Lyanna? Lyanna! What would Robert do to Lyanna when he would learn that she came to him? What would he do to their unborn child? Despair began to spread in his mind and he only barely caught the next words Aegon spoke to him.
"Alas, I believe it is human nature to wish this to be a dream. Perhaps it is, and we are all dreaming the same wonderful dream. " He sighed before descending the stairs so he could look at Rhaegar more closely. "Perhaps I should explain. My dear boy, you are dead. This is eternity given to us by the Gods. Though which one I cannot tell you." He smiled at the younger man. Rhaegar numbly wondered why the masters never told them how much the man smiled and how incredibly infuriating it was. "Now, now, young dragon, don't look so glum. Come walk with me. I have something you may wish to see."
Still in a dark mood, Rhaegar bowed dutifully and followed Aegon out of the room. Apparently, the exchange between the first King and the 'would be' King wasn't interesting enough to hold up the celebrations as most had returned to dancing and drinking. The Prince followed Aegon through the Red Keep out in to the gardens remaining silent for most of the journey. Rhaegar noticed that the Keep wasn't quite the same. It was the same castle but it was brighter, cleaner and there were no servants yet everything seemed to be perfectly in order.
He didn't get a chance to dwell long on the strange place as a flash of blond hair caught is attention. When he looked over to it, his heart stopped. His daughter, Rhaenys, came sprinting across the gardens her favourite doll given to her by Oberon Martell in her arms. Behind her, her mother and brother followed with their septa. "This, my boy, is one of the view places we can see the living," Aegon informed him.
"Can they see us?" Although Rhaegar knew the answer he had to ask, he needed to know if he could speak to his daughter.
The older King gave him sad look. "I am truly sorry Rhaegar but unfortunately they can't. Believe me, I have tried." He patted the Prince on the shoulder. Standing there silently for a moment, both men watched the young Princess play happily with her doll whilst Elia cradled baby Aegon in her arms. After a long silence, the first king spoke up once more. "My boy, I have to say you acted foolish in life. You have a dutiful wife and two beautiful children yet you perused the Stark girl."
Rhaegar sighed watching his daughter and son, with sad eyes. "Yes, I was a fool. But a fool in love. Have you never been a fool for those you love, Your Grace?"
"Of course, I have my boy but I have never started a war over it." He frowned at the younger man. "However, I can understand your need, my boy. Starks love true and it is rather appealing. You were married to the sun yet your heart sung of ice." He smiled became warmer. "Come along, now I believe you would like to see something."
Aegon pulled Rhaegar along out past the gates of the Red Keep, but instead of walking on to the streets of King's Landing they stepped in to the tower of Joy. To see a young woman seating at the window, her dark hair flowing past her waist. Her belly swollen fiddled with a crown of blue winter roses.
"Lyanna!" Rhaegar called out. But she didn't hear him. He pushed forward to see the woman he loved smiling lightly as she hummed the tune of the song he would play for her on the harp.
"Lady Lyanna expects a child." Aegon spoke from behind him. "Your child as you know. I though you may want to visit her. You may come and go to anywhere you wish you may visit whoever you wish—"
"Thank you, Your Grace", Rhaegar interrupted him.
"Not so fast my boy. I have a condition."
"Anything, Your Grace."
"You must explain yourself to her family."
Rhaegar looked up at his ancestor, before he nodded slowly. "Of course, Your Grace."
"Oh and another thing. Please stop calling me Your Grace. Half the current occupants in the Red Keep happen to be Kings and Queens. It would be rather confusing if we called one another Your Grace."