A/N: Ok, so, quick warning, this is full of my own headcannons (Not really sure how to spell that.), which, for various reasons, I will fully explain at the end of the story. This was written for a prompt on the ASOIAF kinkmeme. Basically, the prompt was to take The Tale of the Three Brothers from Harry Potter and project it onto a set of three siblings from ASOIAF.
Disclaimer: I don't own the Song of Ice and Fire series, or Harry Potter, for that matter. Just a fan that is trying to bear the wait for Winds of Winter in any way she can.
One last thing: *SPOILERS* sorta. You have been warned.
Even before he takes them for his own, Death knows them, for they have known death. One met him in a tower smelling of blood and blue roses, one met him on the day he was born (not today, not today, not today), and one sees him, even now, on the edges of her vision and in dreams that are really nightmares.
Death takes the youngest in the far north, where he has lived (and will die) with no knowledge of his true parentage. He dies as another Stark did, long ago, straining for his sword with his sister's (cousin's) name on his lips. As the man breathes his last breath, his last thought is of a life lost long ago, of soaring towers and rooms warmed by hot springs and the last thing he hears is the howling of wolves and the laughing of children. And Death takes Jon Snow (Targaryen) as his own.
One died for love.
Death comes for the other son in the same place where he first met him, in a palace of pale red stone with the empty eyes of dead dragons watching. The pale haired, purple eyed boy (still a boy, always a boy, even at nearly eight and ten) is too much like his grandfather and has too little of his father (the last true dragon). He enters the pit with his head held high, staring down the black dragon definitely and without fear (fire cannot kill a dragon). Still, when his aunt stares down at him with cold lilac eyes and gives the command, he burns like any other, and Death takes Aegon Targaryen (the dragon that was no dragon at all, just a snake) for his own.
One died for power.
Death does not so much come for the last one as accompany her, a silent companion, watching as she grows, as she takes the throne when the dragon queen dies, ruling well (for of Rhaegar's children, she alone knows how to play the game and win), as, though she takes no husband, she gets with child (the smallfolk whisper that it was fathered by her dragon, Rhaegal), and as she makes peace with those who killed her family. He watches, soundless, as she proves that, yes, while the Targaryen words are Fire and Blood, blood is necessary for living and fire is the only thing that fights the grasp of winter and they're not completely destructive. He watches until her time comes when she's old and lined and gray and she smiles and freely walks into his cold embrace, ready to leave this world and see once again the dead she has carried in her heart all these years. And so Death leads Rhaenys Targaryen (the dragon that would not bow, would not bend, would not break) into his realm.
One greeted Death like an old friend.
A/N: So, the headcannons I used in this piece were, firstly, R+L=J, and my personal favorite, 'Rhaenys Targaryen is alive". I wanted to pick a set of three that wasn't so obvious, and this is what I came up with. I originally had Rhaenys and Aegon switched, since she canonically (not sure if that's a word) did die so that the Lannisters could stay in power, but I thought about it a bit and decided to do it this way.
As always, reviews are very welcome. However, I want to be flamed as little as the next person, so please save all of your bashing for YouTube comment wars. Constructive criticism is very appreciated, though. After all, that's why I share my writing. To get criticism and become a better writer.
So, yeah. I think that's it. If you have any questions, you can PM me or leave them in a review.