The joys of spring
As a mother, Elia felt pride over that Aegon has survived to his second year of life. Infants, toddlers and small children were so vulnerable to diseases that it was impossible to know if they could survive to adulthood. For her, as the mother to a future King of the Targaryen dynasty, everything would be lost if Aegon died in the cradle, for Rhaenys would not be accepted as a reigning Queen in her own right and most likely facing marriage to her uncle Viserys instead. A wife like Elia herself, unable to bear more sons in the future…
She could really imagine that Rhaegar would not hesitate to set her aside, based on that she was unable to have more children than Rhaenys and Aegon, and instead marry another woman as a new queen. He would try that without thinking of what kind of political disaster it would be, how Dorne would take a deep offense of that she was replaced, and without recalling the history lessons telling that in house Targaryen, younger half-siblings tended to cause trouble for the legal heirs down the line…
"Elia? It is your turn," Théodred said, making her return focus to the board game currently played between them. It was called a tafl game here in Rohan and their neighbour kingdom Gondor, a strategy board game played on a checkered or latticed gameboard with two armies of uneven numbers.
"I am sorry, lost my thoughts into something else for a moment."
Elia was skilled in playing cyvasse from her upbringing in Sunspear, and board games had also been used in her education to teach her how to use strategy in different situations and to show why it was dangerous to play politics like a game; real people of flesh and blood had their own will, and could easy break away from plans others might had made for them.
Somehow, with no big surprise, the game was won by Elia when she spotted a unexpected chance to do a different move in her turn. But thankfully Théodred was not someone to sulk about losing in a game, it was not like it was a real battle in which he could be killed if he lost against a skilled opponent.
"Say, Elia...Are you familiar with politics? From time to time, I have seen you listen on what my feder and his advisors talk about when it is not something they fear to be overheard."
So he had noticed it, huh? Well, she would likely be caught sooner or later anyway.
"I may not be the heir of my family, with one older and one younger brother, but until that my oldest brother wed his wife and had his daughter, I was the spare. Even with this health of mine, my parents wanted me to learn as much as possible, so I could be useful for both my family and my future husband."
She tried her best to explain the differences between Dorne and Rohan, without revealing that it actually was two different worlds. Personally Elia liked how the Rohirrim were favoring honesty over lies, but she feared that it could become a weakness if there ever was a situation where it was easy to offend someone powerful from a different culture.
"I knew it," Théodred spoke once she had finished, "I have actually feared for a such situation. Both Éomer and Éowyn are smart, but they would be lost in court intrigue and I would rather have them learn from a early age…"
"It would be a pleasure to be their tutor in how to survive court intrigue, if your lord father allows it. Being naive can be both a blessing and a curse, especially if it is encouraged in some form, or the person is not realizing that not all people works in the same set of morals. Life is not like in songs or in tales, for those are often simplified and does not tell the whole truth about the events they are meant to present."
Elia wanted to be useful in some way, if it could repay the life debt she owned to the Prince of Rohan for saving her and her children. Besides, the royal cousins would have some great use for her lessons at some point, she knew it somehow. Of course, she would have to adjust what she had learned during her lessons to how the royal court of Rohan was ruled, and while she also had no way of knowing how the Steward of Gondor and the Prince of Dol Amroth ruled their realms, Elia still hoped to at least help Éomer and Éowyn grow into a role of being advisers to their cousin as he took over the throne after his father. Maybe it even would prove useful in future personal relationships, if they ended up marrying spouses that did not hail from Rohan.
As it turned out, Théoden was very pleased over the idea, since it would profit his three heirs. He admitted that times were changing, in the past Rohan mostly kept contract with Gondor but over the past three generations, they had started trade with countries in the further south.
"If you starts the lessons after vernal equinox in three days, they will manage to get a starting point before we travels to Aldburg, where we will stay for a couple of weeks before traveling around Rohan across late spring and early summer. The people needs to see their royal family and know that none of us have fallen ill to the point of death."
Elia could see why. Vernal equinox was a big celebration that lasted for the full day, and with Aegon having his second birthday tomorrow, she would be busy focusing on her children in the hope of having a pleasant day together.
"Thank you, Your Highness. I glad to hear that I can be useful during my stay here," Elia said, making a curtsy in respect for the King and Prince before she left to find her children.
~X~X~X~X~X~X
Just like his sister three months earlier, Aegon was treated to a honey cake and a new toy at waking up on the morning of his birthday. He was overjoyed over the knitted ball Elia had stuffed with old rags, since he could toss it and also hold it in his hands while walking around. Today was a lovely day and Elia hoped to spend the whole midday with her children outside.
"Balerion! Wait!"
Spotting a mouse somewhere in the shadows before his three humans could, the now grown cat dashed ahead of them like a black arrow between the wooden houses.
"Wait!"
Naturally, Rhaenys ran off after Balerion, Elia sighing and following after her daughter, Aegon pulling on her skirt to not be left behind despite that his mother was simply taking longer steps instead of chasing after Rhaenys.
Rhaenys followed after Balerion towards a smithy near a stable for the common people's horses.
"Shoo, you little black pest! This is not your home and I do not want to drop this piece of white-hot iron because of you," a older woman commanded, Rhaenys peeking in through the open door. A woman dressed in the leather apron and thick leather gloves to protect herself far up on the arms, was holding a white-hot piece of iron with a set of tongs, but Balerion happened to be blocking to where she had intended to go, since he chased the mouse around in circles.
"Madam Brynhild! I am sorry for Balerion!"
The female blacksmith recognized the child's voice, and turned around after quickly placing the iron in a small barrel of cold water.
"Little sun, it is dangerous to have your cat run around here when you are visiting, a forge is not a safe place for playing."
Rhaenys and her family had met the woman, in her early 40s or so, a few times before from time to time. Brynhild was a female blacksmith, a profession where both men and women could work in, and she was a well-known face in this area of Edoras as it was where she had her forge.
"Oh, we have that little furball and his mistress again on visit?" another voice laughed, and another woman around the same age as Brynhild arrived out from her part of the shop. Her wife in all but name, Kreimhild, a leather carver famed for beautiful designs in the leather she worked with.
"Mistress Brynhild, mistress Kreimhild! I hope that Rhaenys and Balerion have not been bothering any of you during work?" Elia asked as she arrived with Aegon still holding her skirt, and Kreimhild smiled as a greeting.
"No, they have not, unless you count in that black furball chasing a mouse into the forge."
For Elia, who had seen how same-sex relationships was not accepted in the same manner in the rest of Westeros as in her naive Dorne, it had been a secret joy to find out that Rohan did accept relationships between people of the same gender, especially as there had been many shieldmaidens in the past who had been open about preferring their own gender, though it generally was a norm of a traditional marriage between a man and woman that resulted in children. But that was understandable, the population needed to be kept stable and many children was often needed because there was so much that could cause a child's death before adulthood.
"I am looking forwards vernal equinox, it is always a joy to see young and older couples having a good time together."
Elia admitted that it would most likely be a vastly different celebration than she was used to from her home country, since Rohan did not have the same traditions as Dorne, but she still thought her daughter and son would have fun with their friends. As for herself, she hoped to enjoy a chance to explore their culture again.
"Right. This might be nice for you to have, then. A nice little amulet for luck and protection against things that we may not be aware of."
Brynhild walked back into her shop, and came out with some bronze amulets that was shaped differently.
"A joyful little sun, like you," she said while hanging one like a necklace around Rhaenys' neck, "and a sun in the hope of that you will be able to return to your southern homeland eventually without dangers, lady Elia."
"Thank you, they are beautiful crafted."
Even Aegon got something, though in his case it was a brooch which he would not wear until that he was a little older and unlikely to keep pulling it off with his hands.
"Right, we have to finish our works for the forenoon, but it will be pleasant with a visit again, little sun, just keep your cat away from the forge while I works."
Rhaenys promised, holding the now protesting Balerion harder so he could not keep running into the forge since Brynhild did not want to trip over something on the floor as she worked.
~X~X~X~X~X~X
Author note:
Viserys is born in 276 A.C, making him four years older than Rhaenys, and they would hardly be the first Targaryen uncle-niece marriage in the dynasty.
Divorce in Westeros is not common. Instead, man and wife might decide to live separately (like Doran Martell and his wife Mellario). However, marriages in the Seven Kingdoms can be ended in several ways. A king is able to put his queen aside – even if she has given birth to his children – and marry another. In the Faith of the Seven, a marriage that has not been consummated can be set aside by the High Septon or a Council of Faith. Even a marriage that has been consummated can be set aside, even a marriage of many years with children. Neither bride nor groom needs to be present for an annulment; however, it must be requested by at least one of the wedded pair. The role and procedure of a Council of Faith has not yet been stated in the books or by Martin himself.
Another way of ending a marriage is by having the bride join the silent sisters. Similarly, when a man takes the vows of the Night's Watch, his marriage is over.
Tafl games (also known as hnefatafl games) are a family of ancient Nordic and Celtic strategy board games played on a checkered or latticed gameboard with two armies of uneven numbers.
Cyvasse is a game played by two players and features ten types of pieces, each with different powers and attributes. Martin has likened it to chess
Brynhild and Kreimhild are naturally named after the two female characters in Der Ring des Nibelungen, since I think it would be a nice twist on two iconic women actually being in a relationship with each other
Leather Carver is a person who works with leather by cutting and carving designers into it