Rhaegar 2

"We should turn around and find him," Arthur muttered, while re-saddling their horses to resume their journey, "He should have overtaken us by now."

They were camped in Lannisport and Rhaegar could tell that Arthur was becoming increasingly concerned that they had reached the west coast of Westeros without Brandon catching up to them. No doubt this was partially his fault as he was purposely trying to stay ahead. He was not ready to deal with Brandon until he got to know his sister better. But that meant convincing Arthur to keep going. "Arthur, Brandon will come. You plan to go to Dorne anyway. We just have to keeping going until he is informed of our whereabouts – I'm sure he would follow us all the way to Starfall for Lyanna. And I'm sure seeing Ashara will make it harder for him to refuse you."

Arthur gave him a searching look and Rhaegar could tell if he was anyone else Arthur would be demanding answers right about now. "I will send a raven to Jon that we are heading towards Highgarden, and then Oldtown. Then if there is any news he knows where to send a raven. I need to consult with the arch maester at Oldtown anyway, then we can take the back roads to Starfall." He wondered what the arch maester would say about his questions. Would a second wife be feasible now, even for a Targaryen? He could consult the scrolls too, maybe the three headed dragon was not what he thought.

Arthur nodded, but Rhaegar knew he was not convinced and waited for his interrogations. "You plan to take the Stark girl with us all the way to Starfall?" he questioned, a troubled tone in his voice. "Just say it," Rhaegar demanded hearing the accusations in his tone.

"My prince, you visit the girl every night and she rides unbound now. What kind of hypocrite am I to demand satisfaction from Brandon for my sister if you are dishonoring his?"

Rhaegar took a deep breath, he had been waiting for Arthur's questions. "I am not dishonoring her Arthur. The Ghost of High Heart confirmed that the dragon needs three heads and then promptly sent me to Lyanna Stark. The Starks are the embodiment of ice, and Targaryens are fire. The prince that was promised has to complete the prophecy of ice and fire. I thought myself, then Aegon, but what if he's neither?"

"Rhaeger stop. If is no less dishonorable if you compromise her for the sake of a prophecy."

The disgust in Arthur's voice dismayed him. Did he really think he was going to force the girl? If that had been the plan he hardly needed to drag her all the way to Dorne. "I am not going to dishonor her Arthur. No more than we already have with this action. I am going to make her my second wife if the maesters allow. She could be the mother of the prince who was promised, the great warrior who brings back the dawn. What greater honor can you imagine?"

He stopped when he saw that Arthur still was not convinced – he wasn't fully himself. Not until last night when he had woken up in a sweat like he always did with these sorts of dreams. There was a young man on a green dragon and nothing else but Fire and Blood surrounded him. The man was clearly Northern, no doubt like his mother. And yet he saw himself in him.

"Then you will dishonor Elia," Arthur argued and Rhaegar felt annoyed that his friend brought up the issue that he himself disliked about the whole thing. "I never asked to marry Elia," he shot back, knowing as he said it that he sounded petty. It had hardly been Elia's idea either, and his wife had nearly killed herself giving him his son. His son who was only newly born. But the needs of the many...

And somewhere along the southern coast on their way to Dorne Lyanna fell in love with Rhaegar and they were married. Whether they truly loved each other, or the idea of each other can hardly be determined now. But Brandon Stark went straight instead of turning right… and he burned and the others bleed because of it. And from all that blood and ash only a little baby remained.

THE END