Disclaimer I do not own A Song of Ice and Fire.

Hi all, I know I said before that I would make sure to update this story on a regular basis after long gaps between updating but life happened and unfortunately I had no motivation for a long time to continue this story. However luckily I have now gotten my shit together and I decided to read back on this little fic of mine and decide if I want to continue it ... which I have decided to do I realised that I have a really good idea going here and I still love this story and I do want to finish it for you guys. While I cannot promise constant updates I will make sure it wont be years before you have another chapter because you guys deserve so much better than that. Sorry for the long Authors note just thought you guys deserved an explanation for the very long wait. Love you all and hope everyone is doing okay during these crazy times 3

Rhaegar

Staring silently into the flames that were burning brightly from the fire in his solar, Rhaegar thought of what was soon to come. On the morrow he and his merry band of misfits would all be on there way to the Riverlands, to hopefully end this madness that the young Baratheon Lord had started when he had taken one of the things that Rhaegar cherished above all, his Elia.

Running a tired hand through his long silver hair and letting out a mournful sigh, he could not help but think what an absolute mess this entire rescue mission was going to be. The group that was accompanying him on his search were full of capable men, great warriors and cunning men amongst them. Though the problem was they all had their own agendas and different personalities that were sure to clash in the worst of ways.

But they all had one thing in common. As of this point in time they all hated him.

Oberyn Martell had never liked him, he thought that Rhaegar was a man with a head full of dreams and nothing else of value to his character. Most of all he despised him because he married Elia who was without a doubt the most important person to Oberyn and up until their betrothal he had manage to scare all the other suitors of sister away.

Brandon and Eddard Stark did not trust Rhaegar as far as they could throw him since the Tourney and he could not blame them. Even now he had intentions towards their sister, which have had to take a back seat due to Robert Baratheon's meddling. Rhaegar didn't need to look at Brandon's wolfish snarl or look into Eddard's cold eyes to know they would not approve of his plans.

Lewyn Martell was so angry at Rhaegar that he had refused to see him until the search for Elia begins so he had no idea what sort of reaction to expect from him on the morrow when they would come face to face for the first time since the Tourney. Eyes shooting fire at him as hot as a thousand suns most likely.

Arthur was a curious one. Since the Tourney he had been oddly cool with Rhaegar to the point where their interactions seemed to freeze up any time he spoke to Arthur directly. Rhaegar knew Arthur was close with Elia, they had grown up together in Dorne after all but Arthur was also his friend so he had expected him to be more favourable to him than the others had been. But each hostile look Arthur sent his way any time Rhaegar had spoken up in regards to their search had proven otherwise.

Jaime Lannister was now also coming along on the search due to Arthur's insistence that the young Kingsguard could be of use. Rhaegar could not see how a young green Knight would be of more use than one of his fathers other, older more seasoned Kingsguards but if Arthur wanted him to come then he would let it be. At least one of the men on this search would not hate his very being.

Coming out of his dark thoughts, sitting up quickly in his chair as a firm knock on his solar door sounded before it opened and in came his mother. Dressed in a long black gown, with red lace up the sleeves and around the bodice his mother would look every inch the Targaryen Queen that she was if not for the pale drawn in face, sunken over sharp cheekbones and haunted violet eyes that had seen more horrors than most people could even imagine.

Standing up Rhaegar made his way over to her bowing lowly in front of her figure before taking one of her frail hands in one of his own and placing a soft kiss on the back of it.

"Mother, what brings you to my chambers at this late hour?" Rhaegar asked as he straightened back up so he could guide her to one of the chairs sitting next to the table he was sitting at mere moments ago.

"Thank you my son." Rhaella said in her iron tones as Rhaegar pulled out a chair for her to sit in. Taking a seat she brought her haunted eyes up to his and gave him a look that was so filled with hostility that he was shaken, his mother had rarely gotten angry at him ever since he was a small boy.

"You do realise that your foolish display at that dreadful tourney towards the Stark child has caused all of this mess?" Rhaella snapped at him narrowing her eyes and gripping the arms of her chair as she leaned forward into Rhaegar's face.

"Mother, I-" he tried to say.

"NO! Do not even speak you foolish boy! You do understand your wife could be dead? Raped? Beaten from an inch of her life all because you got a taste for some wolf cub!" Snarling in his face as he flinched letting all those possibilities run through his mind, no he could not think like that. The thought of his Elia being hurt in any way and worst of all because of his actions was too much for him to bear.

Leaning back in her chair, Rhaella never took her angry eyes off him. Staring back at her face, once incredibly beautiful now harsh with stress and age, surrounded by her wild halo of silver hair Rhaegar thought to himself numbly that gone was the frail woman that was broken from his father's cruelty. This was the Queen Rhaella making a rare appearance.

"I will get Elia back Mother I promise." Rhaegar spoke firmly, willing himself to believe it with all his might as he grabbed her hand on the table.

Staring at him with those haunted eyes suddenly the fight went out of her and she sighed as her shoulders sunk in on themselves. Suddenly she looked much smaller.

"I hope so my son." Rhaella whispered as she clutched his hand back. "Elia is one of the only people to show me kindness. But she also does not treat me like I am made of glass like the rest of the fools in your father's court."

Looking down guiltily Rhaegar knew he was included in that assessment of hers.

Snapping to attention he looked back up as his mother stroked a hand through his hair, before she clutched his face between long, thin, desperate, bony fingers.

"You should not treat Elia as though she is made of glass either my sweet boy." She stared hard into his violet eyes with her own willing him to see.

Rhaegar felt his breath catch and freeze in his throat at her next words before a horrible anxious feeling overtook his entire being.

"Because Elia is the sun, fly too close and you will burn. But some people like being burned and I have a feeling this young Storm Lord is one of them."

Sorry if it is a bit short but I wanted to ease myself back into this. Hope you all like my brief introduction to my version of Rhaella :) she is definitely not happy with Rhaegar's actions! If you have time guys please review it would mean a lot to me to know if people still care about this story!