Enjoy! Authors notes at end of chapter :)
Prologue
The prince awoke in a cold sweat.
His breathing raggedy and heavy, his heart beating so fast he thought for sure it was going to burst through his chest. He took deep breaths as he attempted to calm himself down.
The night terrors would pass in time.
Night terrors. That is what the Maesters had been calling them. Rhaegar had been having these 'night terrors' as long as he could remember. His mother had said that the first one had occurred when he was at the tender age of 3.
He was 8 now…five years of nightmares, five years of the maesters supposed remedies…five years of ridicule from his father.
Pushing thoughts of his father King Aerys from his mind, he kicked his wool covers off of his legs and went to fetch himself some water from his bedside table.
As he drank from the clay cup, he heard his door open. He turned quickly to see his mother enter his room, with a lit lantern in her hand. Her other hand was supporting her pregnant belly. The maesters were saying that the child was to be a girl…who in time would become his sister-wife.
The thought made his stomach churn, it was Targaryen custom to keep the bloodline pure by marrying brother to sister as his parents had…but the thought of marrying his sister revolted him. It was unnatural…but he would do his duty, as his mother had when she had been forced to marry her brother Aerys.
Rhaegar pushed those thoughts from his mind as his mother approached him, "How did you know?"
Rhaella smiled as she placed the lantern on the table and walked over to the bed, "Your handmaiden said you were talking in your sleep, said she could hear you through the door."
Rhaegar smiled ever so slightly as he sat back down on his bed. When the nightmares had first begun, the handmaidens and maesters attempted to settle them on their own…not wanting to bother the King and Queen with such issues. But once word reached his mother that the nightmares were occurring quite frequently, she ensured that she be woken immediately…it was a mother's duty to care for her child.
"What troubles you, Rhaegar?" his mother asked as she sat down beside him on the edge of his bed. He slouched forward, refusing to meet her eyes. Rhaella scooched closer to him, as to put her hand on his back.
Rhaegar finally looked up and took a deep breath, unsure of where to begin.
"I was in the great hall…it was so quiet. Father wasn't on his throne, the kingsguard were not by his side, and the people of the court were gone." He whispered as his mother began to rub his back comfortingly. "The place had been completely abandoned."
He finally looked up and met his mother's eyes, "And then it grew cold. In the dark I could see my breath as snow began to fall. As the snow began to cover the ground I looked around, and suddenly…I wasn't alone anymore. Dozens of people stood perfectly still, surrounding me. They frightened me, but the most eerie thing about them was their eyes…their eyes were icy blue, burning so bright I could've seen them from a mile away."
When Rhaegar had finished relaying the details of his dream to his mother, he looked back down...he stared at his hands that were folded in his lap, and absentmindedly began to wring them together.
"It's over now Rhaegar," Rhaella spoke softly, "you can go back to sleep. You're safe here. Nothing is going to happen to you…it was only a dream."
"But it felt so real, mother." Rhaegar protested.
"I know my love, but sometimes our minds can play tricks on us. We'll see something that isn't really there." Rhaella tucked a silver lock of hair behind his ears before moving to get up, "I'll awaken Maester Pycelle and have him fetch you some milk of the poppy…try to get some rest, my son."
"Yes mother," Rhaegar said in defeat. He loved his mother with all his heart, she was supportive, kind, and nurturing. Everything his father wasn't. And yet, she didn't believe him…no one believed him.
He wasn't crazy, he wasn't going mad. They weren't just dreams, he was sure of it. His dreams were different.
It was as if something terrible was lurching in the darkness, waiting for the optimum time to strike…and all Rhaegar could do was sit back and watch it happen. 'Well no more' he resolved. Come morning he would begin to piece together the elements of his dreams.
Rhaegar had heard stories of people from distant lands who had prophetic dreams. People who could see things before they happened. Perhaps this is what was happening to him.
Perhaps this was his destiny.
First and foremost. I hope you enjoyed. Leave me a review letting me know what you think!
Second, one of the reasons I love Game of Thrones so much is that there are endless fan theories surrounding practically every character. My theory is that Rhaegar Targaryen had 'the sight' and knew that the Night's King and Army of the Dead were coming, and that ultimately caused the events to unfold the way that they did. (Everything will be covered in later chapters). If you want to have a nerdfest and hear more please message me and I can go into detail. lol.
Lastly...my muse behind this story is Disturbed's cover of Sound of Silence. I highly recommend you listen to it.
I hope to see everyone on the flipside!