When she calmed down she pulled away from his arms and studied him. His face wasn't covered in scars but was very similar to Viserys'. Rhaegar was much more beautiful than Viserys.
"How did you survive? How did you find me? Where were you all these years?" she was full of questions that she allowed herself to ask once they were left alone.
"Robert almost killed me at the Trident. I was drowning in not too deep waters and I had forgotten about everything and everyone at that moment. I felt unbearable amounts of guilt wash over me because of the family I had and because of the all the lives that had been lost because of my selfishness. I thought about the Lady Lyanna and my children.." he looked down. Dany knew little about the history of her brother's life and it had all been romanticized so she was curious to know his side – the side that she never thought she'd get to know. "I ran from home, I wanted to be with my Lady Lyanna and I was foolish enough to think that the northerners wouldn't want their lady. I thought that Robert Baratheon would settle for someone else but I was a fool. Robert and the Lannisters were just as big of villains as I am in this story, sister. The blood of my family is just on their hands as much as it is on mine." Dany could hear the pain in his voice. She hugged him.
"Ser Arthur saved me from the Trident when everyone thought I was dead. He found me almost dead, floating in the river and he had built a small pyre but I guess fire does wonders to our family." He smirked. "After a while I found out of the destiny that our family had suffered and I wanted to fight for King's Landing when Robert was still weak but Arthur advised me to run to Essos and stay as close to you and Viserys as I can in hopes of a better future. After all three dragons are better than one." He had that sad smile on his face. Dany didn't know what to say.
"You mean to tell me that you were close to us all this time and you didn't say or do anything to help us?" she couldn't tame her accusing tone.
Rhaegar understood fully her blaming tone. The guilt from not being there was crashing over him in waves over and over since it had all began.
"Can we talk in the morning, my lady?" Rhaegar looked at Dany. He needed some time to himself so everything could sink in, because like her, he didn't believe that she'd allow him to even step inside Meeren.
Dany didn't object his leaving, she only watched him walk away, and hoped that he wouldn't leave for good. It was normal for him to want some space and she was willing to give it to him.
Rhaegar walked out of the big bedroom that he and Dany had went in to speak and as he stepped out of the room, he turned around only to see the figure of his sister who was now leaning over a bowl of water and apparently washing her face. The room smelt like roses and it reminded him of the intense smell of roses in Highgarden that one time he had visited it.
'Is everything alright, your grace?' Of course, the second he had stepped out his loyal friend was at his side.
'It is. I am going out for a walk and I'd like to spend some time alone.' Typically for Rhaegar he wanted time to think. Arthur was already used to it since he'd watched the prince grow up to the man he was and never truly left his side.
'Meeren isn't safe enough for you to walk around alone, your grace, but I'll be close enough without invading your personal space.' Rhaegar nodded and started walking. He was grateful that his friend was always at his side because even in the moments of weakness he had always been there and always comforted him and helped him move on.
Rhaegar decided to step on the sandy road that was leading to the sea. He thought of everything he had been through, of everything he'd heard about, he thought of Dany seeing her ambivalent image – the scared, helpless child that clung to him as if he was the last bit of air left, and the powerful, emotionless queen that had accepted him in her small kingdom. She thought of her surroundings – the slaves and the paid soldiers.
When they got to the beach, Rhaegar sat down on the shore and stared at the sea. For a moment his mind drifted off to the moment when his son Aegon was born and how he thought that he was the saviour. He was going to be the song of ice and fire. Rhaegar was bitter about that point of his past self, because the ambitions to be the father of the 'song of ice and fire' poisoned not only his life but his whole family's.
He remembered how weak Elia was after giving birth, he remembered how beautiful every little expression that Aegon made was. He remembered how restless she was and how much she resembled her mother. Rhaegar might have not felt that burning true love for Elia but he appreciated the fact that she'd done her duty and she was loyal to him even before death.
It hurt a lot when Rhaegar thought about King's Landing and how he betrayed his family. He recalled the old steps that he'd take in a jog running after Rhaenys who was always accompanied by that silly little cat Balerion. He recalled his little daughter's laughter and how much she liked just sitting there with Balerion, mumbling made up songs to Aegon.
Rhaegar wanted to avenge them. He wanted to make the dogs pay for what they'd done to the dragon. It angered him that the Dornish weren't strong enough to do them when the dragons were exiled but maybe, just maybe it was better this way. Perhaps the false reigning of the Usurper was good for now, perhaps once he and Dany go home they'd make them all pay. Or at least those of them that were still alive.
Upon learning of Robert Baratheon's early death, Rhaegar laughed so much that Arthur thought that the Prince was perhaps drunk or choking, or maybe both. Rhaegar pictured him dying because of a boar. He'd found out that Robert had married Cersei Lannister and they'd spawned many children.
The Prince's thoughts went back once again to a time that had been more peaceful. He thought of young Viserys walking beside their father and reciting the names of the kings that had ruled before them. He recalled how whenever he got them all right the old king, who still had almost all of his wits, would give a sweet to the young prince. He recalled Viserys' attachment to their mother Rhaella. He closed his eyes and he could see them bundled up by the fire and he could hear his mother's faint whispers. He understood that the queen was doing her best to protect her younger son from their father's insanity. Rhaegar remembered Viserys' reaction upon finding out that his mother was expecting a child. He had asked about marrying her if she was a girl and to that their father had only nodded. Rhaegar knew that the Mad King had been disappointed that Viserys hadn't been born a girl because if that had happened now Rhaegar would've been king.
When he opened his eyes he was back at the Meerenese shore and he could feel that his face was wet with tears. He thought of his sister, Daenerys who had the burden of continuing the Targaryen line on her shoulders. He thought of how much she'd been through and he tried to picture the way Viserys had treated her.
Rhaegar had seen Viserys only once as a grown man and from a far. He recalled how much he looked like their father and how cruel his laughter sounded like. He felt pity and guilt for Dany. But he was there now and he wouldn't let anything or anyone harm her. Not under his watch, ever again.
'Arthur?' he called and his friend was at his side within seconds. 'Can you ask the servants back at the castle to prepare the room that is closest to Daenerys' and I'd like for you to call over ser Barristan. We need to talk.'
A/N: Please keep the constructive criticism coming, i do feel like i need it for motivation! Hope you enjoy this chapter and I'll see you really soon! x