Hello guys, this is the last chapter before the epilogue, so I hope you enjoy it, depending on your responses the epilogue should be up tomorrow!
Alex.
Year 283. A C.
Next morning Alessandra dressed again in breeches and armor displaying both the Lannister and Targaryen sigils. She met with her Lords in the Throne room and entrusted her children Tywin and Jaime. She then ordered a horse to be brought to her as she was to go with Robert, his men, and Ned and several of Ned's most trusted men to lift the siege and then go to Dorne to retrieve Brandon, she also received word from Ser Barristan that Lyanna was being kept in Dorne too, near the Red Mountains, as her guard she took Prince Lewyn and her Uncle Gerion with her, leaving the other Lords to wait for her in the capital. Before leaving she named her father as her Hand and sent word to Dragonstone that their return would be safe, with Maester Pycelle.
Her party rode with haste through the King's Road, and the reached Storm's Ends as the sun began to fall, she was quick to dismount her horse, sword sheathed at her hip with both Gerion and Lewyin following, she walked to the Tyrell tent with a smirk on her face.
"Lord Mace" she said as she saw the Lord of The Reach who fell into a bow as soon as he saw Lewyn and Gerion.
"My Princess" he said respectfully, she raised an eyebrow.
"Haven't you heard? It's queen now, my lord" she said with a smile, Mace's eyes widened and he fell to a wider bow "None of that Lord Mace, raise, pack your army and return home, war has done enough to this realm, now of you don't mind I shall take several food carriages to Storm's End, I'm sure my sister would appreciate real food and wine" she said, the lord of the roses paled and nodded.
"Of course my Queen, take what you need" he said bowing again, she signaled Lewyn and Gerion and they both walked out with her and commanded several of the carriages to be taken into the keep.
Robert had looked at her gratefully as he dispatched his army, before inviting her into his keep along with Ned and their men. Storm's End was a lovely castle, she had walked in and greeted Cersei with a crushing hug. While she disliked her sister she didn't really hate her as much, and greeted young Renly who was a cute looking kid of only six, Stannis for his part was solemn looking but bowed when Robert announced her as Queen. He held a feast that night and she met Joffrey Baratheon, a black haired blue eyed babe that had nothing to do with his counterpart. She offered Robert to foster Renly as a sign of peace, which he accepted as it would have been an offense to deny the Queen, she promised that once everything had been resolved she would receive Renly at King's Landing.
"Sister" she said as she entered Cersei's rooms before she departed in the morrow, her sister was nursing her babe Joffrey.
"What do you want?" Cersei asked, Alessandra rolled her eyes and sat in front of her sister.
"I came to say goodbye, the realm is in disarray and it falls upon me to fix my late husband's mistakes" she said, Cersei looked at her, interest in her eyes.
"You are the Queen, surely you can command your men to do that instead of sullying yourself" she said hastily, Alessandra laughed.
"I could, but where is the fun in that, little sister?" She said with a smile, she then observed Joffrey "He will be a handsome one someday, you'll have to keep all the maidens from around here away" she joked and Cersei smiled at her.
"He will be" she said, Alessandra stood and brought Cersei into a hug.
"Your husband might be a big oaf, but I think that with a little bit of delicacy he will surely fall to you" she said, Cersei rolled her eyes.
"The man has more bastards than trueborn sons" she said, Alessandra snorted.
"And yet it will be your son that will be Lord of the Stormlands one day, do not fault the children sister, for they have no fault, nor all of them will grow to be like the Blackfyres" she said softly, Cersei looked at her sister and nodded.
"You're talking about your own husband" she said, Alessandra nodded.
"I think mine paid for his sins, now I must go, do remember that while you and I never see eye to eye, I am your sister and will come to your aid should you ever need me" she said firmly, Cersei nodded, then she smiled "And please if Robert asks to foster your child Norh, agree with him, the North makes good men" she said before departing leaving Cersei to analyze her words, before leaving she made a visit to Robert and threatened to cut off his cock if he ever fathered another bastard and mistreated her sister, the lord of the Stormlands made the promise on his home that he would never lay with another woman and Alessandra left Storm's End with a smile on her face.
She then along with Ned's men and her two faithful guards rode to the Red Mountains of Dorne. They arrived a fortnight after their visit to Storm's End and promptly met Ser Gerold, Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell who were guarding the Tower of Joy, Alessandra dismounted her horse and approached the guards.
"Sers" she said as a greeting, then she looked at Arthur at the same time that Lyanna screamed, she narrowed her eyes "You better let me up that tower or so help me"
"We cannot do that my Queen" said Ser Gerold, she rolled her eyes.
"Rhaegar made me promise to guard his son before he left, I promised to love that child as my own, now you three are Kingsguards, I am the Queen of the seven Kingdoms, wife of your Prince, there is a girl up there that is probably tired, a girl that Rhaegar married because of some stupid prophecy" she said, the three paled at her words, "If you feel better come up with us, but I promised Lord Stark that I would retrieve his daughter, so move along, that's an order"
Soon enough the three guards moved and joined Lewyn as they went up the stairs of the tower with Alessandra and Ned while Gerion and Ned's companions stayed down to guard the place. When she walked into the room followed by Ned she saw Lyanna covered in blood and sweating, a maid standing in the shadows holding a babe, she immediately knew that Lyanna wouldn't last long. Ned ran to his sister's side, but the girl kept her grey eyes on Alessandra who sighed before sitting on the other side of the bed.
"It's okay Lya" said Ned as he held her hand, Alessandra wiped the sweat from the girl's forehead.
"None of this was your fault Lyanna, Rhaegar acted foolishly" she said softly, Lyanna nodded.
"He told me I would birth Visenya" she said, Alessandra smiled sadly.
"And yet you didn't, have you thought of a name?" She asked, Lyanna shook her head.
"I wanted to name him Brandon but naming children after the dead seems a bad idea" she said and Alessandra snorted.
"Brandon is alive Lya" she said softly "I couldn't let him die, so I saved him and his friends, he is in the Water Gardens with Prince Oberyn, that is where I am headed"
"That's good, I don't want to name him Brandon then" she said and then looked at Ned.
"How about Jon" Ned said with a shaky smile, I smiled.
"Jon Targaryen has a ring to it" Alessandra said, Lyanna smiled despite her tears.
"Will you take care of him?" She asked, The newly named Queen of the Seven Kingdoms nodded.
"Like one of my own" She said.
"promise me" she said a little frantically, Alessandra could see Ned's grip on Lyanna's hand tightening.
"I promise Lya, he will be loved" Alessandra said her own tears threatening to fall, Lyanna took one last deep breath and smiled before closing her eyes and dying, Ned and Alessandra exchanged looks before the maid moved forward and handed her the baby, She swallowed her tears and smiled at the bundle in her arms "Hello Jon" she said softly before handing the baby to Ned.
Alessandra helped the nursemaid, Wylla, to clean Lyanna's body and they wrapped her in the finest silks that they found. She then sent Ser Gerold and Ser Oswell with Ned and Lya's bones and Jon to the Red Keep, while Arthur, Lewyn and Gerion rode with her to the Water Gardens to retrieve Brandon and his friends. When they arrived three weeks later Brandon enveloped her in a crushing hug that she returned as she let my tears finally fall from her eyes. Oberyn lent them his solar and Alessandra told them all about the war, about their losses and when night dawned, Brandon and Alessandra met alone and she told him about Lya and her babe. He had raged and cursed Rhaegar's name, but held Alessandra through the night despite it all.
The party left three days later, riding to the capital, Alessandra reminding Oberyn that she would foster any of his daughters and even more than one at the time. He had smiled cheekily at her before she departed. They arrived at the capital a fortnight later as they rarely stopped, the lords who's sons had been arrested embraced their sons immediately and thanked Alessandra once again for her daring rescue, Alessandra had approached Rickard and Ned and hugged them both. Rickard assured her that he held no ill will towards her and allowed her to keep his grandson Jon to raise along with her own children.
Alessandra also welcomed Queen Rhaella and Viserys, who had returned from Dragonstone. She also, after talking with her father, had proposed to Lord Stark a marriage between her and Brandon, the excuse that they told the people was to appease the Starks after Princess Lyanna's death, but several others knew the real reason of that proposal, Lord Rickard agreed to the marriage and Brandon renounced his claim to Winterfell leaving it to Ned and Ned's sons.
