Elia smiled indulgently as her son scrambled in her lap. Aegon nestled against her, happy enough to have his hair brushed back lovingly. And, as a mother, Elia wished little more than to express her love for her children. Thus Aegon could always expect a loving touch from his mother.

Rhaenys was standing by the door, visibly excited. In fact, her whole frame was shaking with unadulterated delight. If Rhaegar kept them waiting any longer, Elia expected that at any moment her daughter might start jumping from one foot to the other.

"Rhaenys," Elia called her attention the moment the girl's hands grabbed fistfuls of her skirts puling on the Myrish lace. The delicate stitching might be ruined from all that tugging and the gods knew Rhaenys did not need anymore ruined dresses during the harsh winter when travelling was exceedingly difficult in the face of snowstorms and foul weather.

Understanding at once her mother's meaning, the young girl pouted. She let go of the material bunched in her fists and put her best mien suggesting innocence. "Apologies, mother. I just want father to return."

"Do you, indeed?" the older woman questioned, one eyebrow raised. "I am certain you must by the way you are acting. Alas, you father shall return when he does and not a moment earlier. Do come and sit with me, dearling."

It was not as if standing by the door would help with any sort of progress. Elia beckoned Rhaenys over a second time, patting the wide space next to her in silent invitation. Seeing as she could not win against her mother's demand, the daughter sighed, but nonetheless climbed next to her mother.

"Do I have to stay?" Aegon questioned a few moments later, as if to dispel the silence hanging between them.

"Of course," Rhaenys answered him. "If I have to go stargazing with you, you have to with me when I play the harp."

"That is not fair," the boy complained. "I did not say you had to stay with me."

"Aegon," Elia cut in gently, "you shall stay right here with us. Your father would not be pleased to hear of you complaining so." It was the brother's turn to pout. Alas, Elia was not in any way dissuaded by that. "My decision is made. Now, both of you must get along. Come, children, do not be stubborn."

Rhaenys and Aegon shared a look, silent understanding passing between them. It seemed that the task was not as impossible as they'd wished to present it. Pleased with that, Elia looked towards the door expectantly. Childish glee aside, Rhaegar was bound to return at any point and then they could spend a few moments together as had been promised.

Whenever matters of state did not weigh down upon him, Rhaegar would spend his afternoons with them, her and the children. It was one of the moments Elia favoured most. There was something to be said about their bond. So, as always, she waited.

As expected, the door opened with a loud creak and Rhaegar stepped in. One of the servants followed him in, carrying a harp. The instrument was deposited near the chairs and the servant was then dismissed.

Barely waiting for anything else, Rhaenys jumped down from her place next to her mother and raced to the harp. Rhaegar chuckled at her enthusiasm and shared a smile with Elia. It might just turn out that Rhaenys' greatest passion would be music. Aegon rolled his eyes but was quickly sorted out by a stern look coming from his mother.

"I thought you would never come back," the daughter said, grabbing onto her father's arm tightly.

"I have returned as you can well see, daughter," he answered, picking her up. She laughed. Rhaenys was truly most pleased when she was showered with affection. "What shall we do now?" The teasing was met with a grin from Rhaenys and a groan from Aegon.

"Play the harp," the young girl declared without paying her brother any mind. "I think I can play the whole song this time."

"Do you?" Rhaegar put her down. "Let us play it together then."

Pleased with that Rhaenys did not hesitate to climb onto her father's lap as soon as he was seated. Rhaegar placed his hands over hers and guided her fingers to the strings. If Aegon had inherited the Prince's love for stars, Rhaenys had his love for music. And she was good at it, despite Aegon's complaints.

Father and daughter waded through the melody one string at a time. The tempo was decidedly slower than what Rhaegar usually played, but Elia rather thought it suited well enough. The melody itself was one of those haunting exercises in melancholy her husband was so find of. It was simply beautiful.

"Very good," Rhaegar complimented after the performance was done. "Would you like to play it again?" Rhaenys gave an almost shy nod and her father drew back, leaving her entirely on her own.

Brow furrowed, Elia's daughter began the performance anew. She struggled through the first part, but under the encouragements of her parents, her confidence bloomed well enough that fear dissipated. From there on the melody flowed mostly smoothly, with one or two small interruptions to allow for remembrance on the child's part.

Even Aegon seemed to be enjoying himself by the end of it, much to the mother's delight. It was truly the very best feeling in the world to see them so. Elia leaned back against the headboard, Aegon following the movement. If all went well, then by the end of the year her daughter would be playing all day long.

Elia eyed Rhaegar. He was staring at her. She could not tell what he was thinking of, yet she did not worry. He looked at ease.

The tune came to an end and Rhaenys received her praise. The child fairly glowed with pride at her accomplishment.

"Look!" Aegon exclaimed suddenly. "'Tis no longer storming."

One of the many grievances of children during violent storms was that they could not run about and play outside. With the storm gone, Elia knew it was only a matter of moments before the son and daughter insisted upon going outside.

True to prediction Rhaenys relinquished her hold on the high harp and rushed to her feet in a movement so fast that she nearly fell back down. "Marvellous. Can we have a snowball war? I will defeat you this time, brother of mine." Her assurance was met with a scowl from Aegon.

"You shan't," he promised, determination clear in his voice. "Father, may we?"

Twin stares of a pleading quality concentrated their combined power of Rhaegar. Elia stifled an amused giggle at her husband's expense. He looked from her towards the children. "I suppose you might," he began, and then, to Elia's surprise, included her as well in the scheme, "as long as you convince your lady mother to join you."

Caught in the trap as well, she no longer felt like laughing. Instead, Elia tried to steel herself against the onslaught heaped upon her. Alas, she could not possible refuse. Not when both her children united their forces.

"I do not know; 'tis so cold." She tried to avoid their pleading gazes.

"A thick cloak should take care of that," Rhaenys replied.

"With fur," Aegon added.

They continued to give her reason upon reason for which she should join them. In the end, Rhaegar too sided with the two. "We shan't be long. A bit of fresh air would do us all a world of good."

Thus decided, the children were passed on to their septa to be properly attired for their frolicking in the snow. Rhaegar left to find his own garments and Elia simply called upon her companions. With the departure of Ashara, she'd been left with no one of particular good qualities, but they were tolerable.

Elia bade them to search for her thickest dress. She was then bundled up in it and a cloak was wrapped tightly around her. The fur trimmings were wide and the inside was woollen and soft, retaining heat. It ought to keep her well protected from the cold. Pleased enough with that, Elia dismissed her ladies-in-waiting, assuring them that they would not be needed.

"When I return, however, I should like some mulled wine." She trusted that her order would be carried out and left her women to their own.

Rhaegar awaited her in the hallway. He offered his arm and together they descended lower. Not unexpected, they were met by Rhaenys and Aegon who had probably ran all the way down the steep stairs with little heed to any danger. Elia would have chastised them, but the two children took off as soon as they saw their parents, assured that the couple would follow them at their own pace.

Which they did.

The coolness of the yard struck her hard when she first stepped into the open space. Elia shivered involuntarily. "'Tis much too cold, Rhaegar," she complained, drawing herself into his side.

"Give it time; you shall grow used to it," he assured her.

Before them, Aegon and his sister had already begun amassing small amounts of snow into tight balls, flinging them at each other. Rhaenys' first attack caught her brother in the shoulder, Aegon retaliated by aiming at his sister's head, but the snowball smacked her middle instead. They flung snow back and forth between the two of them, exuberant and loud, filled with joy at being outside.

"Should we join them?" Rhaegar asked, a small smile on his face.

His playful moods were few and far between. Elia was tempted to refuse, but she hanged her mind as her lips opened to form that refusal. "Aye, let us do so."

Having picked up upon the conversation, Rhaenys ran through the snow to them and wrapped her arms around her father's torso. Aegon gallantly accepted to partner their mother with nary a protest although at a close perusal one could tell he was not extremely pleased with that.

"Come, father," Rhaenys urged pulling Rhaegar away to another side.

Aegon led Elia away as well to his own side.

Separated from his spouse, Rhaegar followed Rhaenys to what she'd designated to be her camp. "I truly want to win this time," she was telling him, pacing back and forth, flattening the snow beneath her boots.

"Then we had best observe the enemy," Rhaegar suggested. They both turned to observe as Aegon and Elia were arming themselves with snowballs. "It seems they are preparing a fierce attack."

Following the brilliant example given by their adversaries, father and daughter worked upon their own weapons. The confrontation was just around the corner, after all, and no one wanted to lose. Once a sufficient amount of ammunition had been produced, it was time to launch the attack.

Rhaenys lifted her hand to throw the first snowball, but Rhaegar caught her just in time. "Nay; first, we determine their own strength."

Aegon, who had lifted his own snowball in retaliation, could not stop in time. As a result, the snowball sailed through the air and nearly came in contact with his sister. Luckily, Rhaenys had pulled back so as to avoid it.

"Did you see that? He replies on his right hand. We should try to catch his left side." That particular piece of advice doled out, Rhaegar guided his daughter hit. Her attack was a success.

Time for speech was past. Of course, Elia and Rhaegar left most of the snow flinging to the children, they intervened only once in a while and even then more to make sure there were no injuries than anything else.

It went on and on until the siblings were exhausted. Aegon was the one who capitulated, much to Rhaenys' delight. "We won, father. We won," she exclaimed, jumping up and down in joy.

"So we have," Rhaegar agreed, brushing away snow from his shoulder. "Come along then; we have been out in the cold long enough."