Chapter 1: A Brother Lost

~o0o~

It should be any other Monday, but it isn't. Today, Monday, May 13th is now a bank holiday but under the worst possible terms. All of England is off of work – those in the countryside glued to their tellies and those in London, swarming the main thoroughfares to see the procession begin and pay their respects. It is a day of national mourning. A day that not only England will remember and mark in their history books, but the rest of the world will as well; a day marking the start of the royal funerary services for a young man gone too soon. But for Daenerys Targaryen, it is the day that she can no longer ignore that she has lost her eldest brother.

A week ago, she was shaken awake by her personal Royal guard, Torgo Nudho (whom everyone referred to as 'Grey'). He never came into her rooms unannounced and always held himself among the highest echelons of decorum. Because of this, Daenerys instantly knew something was horribly wrong when she opened her eyes to see Grey standing over her, a worried look on his usually stoic face. She slipped on a robe and he led her to her father's private offices.

His large office was crowded with people, most of whom were familiar faces to Daenerys. Her father, Aerys, King of England, looked far from regal sitting behind his desk with his head in his hands and his thinning silver hair messy from sleep. Many of the other household staff was there and they were quiet when the Princess walked in.

"Father?" Daenerys asked softly as she walked over to him. She glanced at the gilded clock on his desk that told her it was nearing three in the morning. She wasn't particularly close to her father, but she ventured a hand on his shoulder. He lifted his head up and looked at her, the red rings around his eyes betraying that he had been crying.

"There's been an accident…" her father rasped out. Daenerys' eyes scanned the framed pictures on his desk. The one of him and her mother on his coronation day. The family portrait of all of them, taken shortly before their mother passed. Her brothers Rhaegar and Viserys in uniform. Her stomach instantly felt as if it were going to drop out of her body.

The door opened and a few men walked in, but Daenerys only recognized one of them. Captain Jorah Mormont, her brother Rhaegar's equerry and private secretary led the others towards her and her father. She was used to seeing Captain Mormont in uniform, but tonight the sleeves of his white button down shirt were rolled up past his elbows and he wore no tie or coat.

"Your highness, I have an update." He began and Aerys, in frustration, slammed his fist on the desk for him to hurry up and tell it.

"Prince Viserys has been located. He is in Kabul and is safe. He'll be on his way back here within the hour." Jorah began. His eyes darted to Daenerys and she was overwhelmed by the sadness they held. "As for Prince Rhaegar, his unit in Jalalabad has been located and there are only two survivors – one of them is Captain Jamie Lannister, his royal guard, but he is in critical condition. His entire arm was blown off in the blast. Your highness, Prince Rhaegar is no longer with us."

Daenerys' entire world suddenly felt encapsulated in a bubble, as if she was drowning underwater and couldn't see nor hear anything. She could vaguely make out Captain Mormont continuing on about the terrorist attack in Afghanistan, and the hundreds of others dead. About how Rhaegar died serving his country. But it didn't matter. Her father's head was back in his hands and he was crying. And she felt dizzy – so dizzy. The last thing she head was Captain Mormont's concerned voice before she collapsed onto the floor.

The week between that moment and today became a blur for Daenerys. Grey was able to pick her up from besides her father's desk and carry her back to her room to rest that night. Viserys returned to Buckingham early the next morning, visibly shaken, pale, and weary. The remains of Rhaegar were gathered, identified, and flown back to London. Jamie Lannister was flown from the military's critical care unit to the best hospital in the city. All around the palace, plans were being made for the funeral, and Daenerys rarely got out of bed.

All she could do was think about her brother, and how it had been eight months since she last saw him.

Unlike Viserys, Rhaegar was always kind and patient with her, especially when she was much younger. Despite being ten years her senior at 31 and the heir to the throne, he always made time for her and never acted entitled. He was her rock when their mother passed away when she was 11, tragically drowning while on vacation with their father in the South of France. Rhaegar and Daenerys' relationship with Aerys changed dramatically after her passing, not feeling their father did enough to save her. She was sweet and kind, loved by all of England as the Queen Consort, and revered for her humanitarian work and their father could be cold and calculating. Daenerys often bitterly wondered if the people of Britain put up with Aerys knowing that they would eventually have Rhaegar to look forward to as King, the second image of their mother.

Rhaegar was Daenerys' biggest champion in all of her endeavors. He taught her how to ride and play polo, even though King Aerys deemed is a 'man's sport', and how to drink any guy under the table if need be. He protected her from nudges that she should get a boyfriend and allowed for her to have some time to grow up by constantly occupying the tabloids. It was unintentional, but she was always thankful that she wasn't always in the spotlight. But now – she knows all eyes will be on her.

Rhaegar always looked forward to serving in the British military and although she wasn't there with him in his last moments, knows that he did everything he could to help others during the unplanned attack and was brave until the end. Aerys always wanted him and Viserys out of harm's way in their military positions, but Rhaegar always fought that. Prince or not, he never wanted to pull rank and enjoyed the camaraderie with his unit.

And one of the saddest bits of it all is Lyanna. Rhaegar had confided in Daenerys that he intended on proposing to his girlfriend of five years after he returned home from his latest tour in the Middle East. One more month and things might have been so different. Daenerys was the one who had to suffer through the call to Lyanna Stark and tell her. Aerys wanted nothing to do with it. He had never been fond of the Duke and Duchess of Norfolk, but they did have royal blood in them and were as noble a family as any. Daenerys invited Lady Lyanna and her entire family to London for the funeral, including her much older brother Eddard and his wife Catelyn. Lyanna, through tears, thanked Daenerys, who in another world would have been her sister-in-law someday, and promised all of the Starks would be there.

And today, as promised, they were all there for the funeral at Westminster Abbey. She recognized the Starks with their flashes of red hair in the ornate pews on either side of the aisle. Daenerys, Viserys, and Aerys sat at the head of the church, patiently waiting on the procession to bring Rhaegar's remains, covered with the Royal Standard. Viserys, sitting next to her in his jet-black Gucci suit, leaned over to her and whispered that it wouldn't be long now.

She looked around the crowded church and her heart ached. It seemed surreal to see so many people in the same place, all for her dead brother. Prime Minister Tyrion Lannister was near the front, looking somber. He had always been a supporter of her father, and was no doubt thankful that his brother had survived the attack as well. To his left is his sister, Duchess of Cleveland, Lady Cersei Baratheon and her larger than life husband, Robert. Their three golden-haired children sat quietly besides them. It had been ages since Daenerys had seen them – since the oldest was maybe four. They looked so much like their mother.

Beyond them were the Duchess of Kent, Lyssa Arryn and her son, Lord Robin. Her husband, Jon, Dean of Westminster, was standing behind Daenerys, waiting to preside over the ceremony. On the other side, the Duke and Duchess of York, Mace and Alerie Tyrell and their beautiful daughter, Lady Margaery.

There were others too – those from the House of Commons and the House of Lords. She saw Edmure Tully representing the Conservatives, Davos Seaworth from Labour, and Varys – she could never remember his last name, from the Liberal Democrats. There was also a large showing from the military, including Rhaegar's General, Barristan Selmy.

Finally, Daenerys let her eyes roam to the Starks. Eddard looked so much older than when she last saw him, as did Catelyn, the lines apparent around their eyes even from her vantage point. Lords Rickon and Bran had come out of boyhood, but were not 18 yet. Lady Arya looked uncomfortable in her black dress, her eyes sharp and darting around, and her sister, Sansa, just a few years older than Daenerys, was as poised as Daenerys wished she felt inside right now. Her long red hair was done up in an exquisite French knot and her modest black dress somehow seemed nothing short of glamorous on her. To her right were her older brothers, Jon and Robb, friends of Rhaegar's. And then – Lyanna. She couldn't be missed. Beautiful flowing brown hair, a heart-shaped face with delicate features, and her lace handkerchief constantly dabbing at her nose and eyes.

Daenerys wanted to hug Lyanna. She had been crying herself for days and it comforted her to know someone else was just as sad.

She was pulled out of her thoughts by the gun salute outside of the church that announced her brother's arrival. She stood, trying to hold Visery's hand in a show of support, but he pulled away. She looked to her father, who was blinking back tears as the procession breached the threshold of church. 'God Save the King' played as the casket was slowly marched forward to the position it would rest at for three days, to lay in state for the public to mourn her brother as well.

The first two pallbearers were Captain Mormont, looking as if he hadn't slept all week, and Captain Lannister, with the right sleeve of his black suit hanging limp, reminding everyone of the arm he had just lost. He looked as if he shouldn't be carrying a casket, let alone standing upright at all, but Daenerys respected that, as his Royal Guard, he was staying next to her brother until the very end.

The six pallbearers placed Rhaegar's casket in the middle of the church and then filed up to the front, the first to give their condolences to the Targaryens. Jamie Lannister kneeled in front of Daenerys and kissed her hand. She could see the sweat on his brow and the haunted look in his eye as he whispered his 'sorry for your loss' and moved on to the Prince and King. Captain Mormont was next, the stubble of his slight beard scratching against her hand as he kissed it. He didn't say a word to her, just looked up at her with the same look he gave her the night he told them all her brother was dead. She gave his hand a gentle squeeze before he pulled away and she was greeted by one of Rhaegar's university friends.

The funeral seemed to take hours. The music, the psalms, the readings, the speeches – soon it all became too much for Daenerys and all she could focus on was holding herself in a perpetual state of paralysis so as to not cry. The entire thing was televised, being watched by millions, and she wanted to seem respectful and strong, not like the weak 21 year old she was. Not like the normal sister who had just lost a brother. Her father had told her how to compose herself, and she did as told. Despite a few leaks from her eyes during particularly moving sentiments, she held it together. She would cry for days later, just as she had cried for days before.

Finally, when it was all over, she found herself in a black town car with Viserys, heading back to the palace, with a long line of identical cars in a caravan behind them. All of the noble families, military generals, Rhaegar's closest friends, and politicians had been invited back for a small gathering. Although it wouldn't be a happy affair by any means, Daenerys still didn't feel social and hoped that she could makes her rounds and then maybe talk to Lyanna in private.

Her plans to fly under the radar were quickly shattered when Grey found her not long after the crowd had gathered in Picture Gallery, nibbling on hors d'oeuvres and sharing fond memories of Rhaegar. He said that the King requested her presence and walked her to his office. It was odd to find him already back at work, scribbling something as his Chief of Staff and Head of Council, Petyr Baelish, patiently waited next to his desk.

"Come in, Dany," he said without looking up. Not many people called her that. Her mother had long ago, and he only used it when he was in a particularly decent mood. She followed his orders and stepped further inside of his office. Viserys sat on a chair with his Private Secretary and Equerry, Melisandre, standing next to him. Daenerys simultaneously always felt uneasy around her and also bad for her, considering her brother was such an arse. Although she had a high-ranking position in the household, he basically used her as a glorified assistant. Beyond that, the only other person in the room was Captain Mormont.

"Father, we should be out there," Viserys sighed, his voice whiny and annoyed. He asked Melisandre for another sparkling water and she stepped out to fetch it. Although Dany didn't agree with his delivery, she did think her brother had a point. They should be with their guests, mourning their loss.

"There will be time for that, but right now, there is business to attend to." Aerys continued and signed another paper, handing it to Baelish. "Viserys, I am signing the declaration that you will become the next King of England should anything happen to me. Due to the nature of Rhaegar's death, you are henceforth excused of your military duties and will take up Rhaegar's quarters here. Since Captain Lannister is still convalescing, we will need to find you a Royal Guard for the Interim."

Daenerys watched Viserys' face change from annoyed to pleased. It made her nauseous. One of the things she disliked about him was his greed. She could see the wheels turning in his mind at the thought of being King one day.

"Your highness, I would be honored to be the Prince's Royal Guard," Jorah Mormont cleared his throat and spoke up. Aerys looked up at him and waved his hand dismissively. "I propose Captain Sandor Clegane for Viserys. Captain Mormont, you are now appointed Private Secretary for the Princess. Dany – Rhaegar had a small list of things he wanted if something were to happen to him. Captain Mormont moving to your service was one of them."

Daenerys looked across the room at her new advisor, who gave her a polite nod. She was touched that Rhaegar had thought of her, though it seemed an odd request. She was sure the other items on his list must have to do with Lyanna.

"You'll also be moving out of Buckingham and taking up the residence in Kensington. Captain Mormont will follow you, as will Torgo Nudho and some staff of your choosing." Her father continued. He was all business, beckoning both her and her brother forward to sign papers changing the order of succession to Aerys, Viserys, and Daenerys and for their new residencies. When they were finished, he dismissed them all and asked Grey to bring Lyanna to him, alone.

"I'm honored to be at your service, Princess."

Daenerys, already lost in thought again as they left the King's offices, looked up to find Captain Mormont standing besides her.

"It is kind of Rhaegar to make sure you stay employed," she tried to lighten the mood, but it fell flat and she blushed at how it sounded, " I just mean, I know he thought very highly of you."

"He also thought very highly of you, Princess. I've enjoyed my service to the Royal Family. No complaints here." He gave her a small smile to attempt to ease her discomfort.

"Thank you, Captain Mormont."

"Jorah, please just Jorah." He asked of her. He had gathered many titles throughout his years – Captain, KBE…but he had never been so fussy as to enjoy them. "I'll start making arrangements to have your things moved to Kensington tomorrow."

She thanked him and the parted, both going their separate ways out into the crowd of people, each mourning the one they had lost.