King's Landing 300 AC.
Arthur.
How he had kept his composure was beyond him, how his king had kept his own was something he'd never be able to explain. Knowing how hard it was for him not to just take Dawn and cut down every single person with the last name Frey, he knew it was only even more difficult for Jae to show restraint. When he'd been told exactly what they had done he'd understood why Jae had been ready to fly directly to the Twins and why Rhaenix had been so angered. What it was that had stopped him? Arthur had no idea but it had brought relief to all of those who'd been there.
For him, it had brought mixed feelings as he was both proud of his king for not giving in to the anger he was showing and yet almost willing him to do so. The knowledge that someone had held Rhaegar's body all this time and hadn't allowed him to be put to rest had left him furious. As angered as he was upon finding it out though, it was seeing it in front of him that had shown him how truly angry he could be. Not even hearing the news of the Elia's. Aegon's and Rhaenys's or even Rhaegar's deaths had made him as angry as he had been when he'd seen where they'd kept his greatest friend's body all this time.
Perhaps because upon learning of them his anger had been overwhelmed by the sadness and regret he had felt, where here it was in its pure unadulterated form. He could barely see the princess's expression as he had instead looked at the table and what lay upon it. As for his king's, that he could only imagine. Jae had kept his back to him until he had not and when he'd turned and bid him help him carry Rhaegar from the room, his face had been expressionless. They had carried the body and laid it on the ground and he'd felt his heart still when Rhaenix moved towards it and as she showed her own emotion as she brushed softly against it.
Then and only then had Jae's expression changed. He'd spoken loudly but firmly and had only come close to giving in to the anger that he was clearly feeling when the weasel had spoken. Listening to what his king said, hearing him include him in his words as he threatened the weasel with what could, what perhaps should befall him, Arthur felt a kinship he'd not felt with Jae until then. Jaime loved the boy like a son and Oberyn thought of him as a nephew but neither had truly loved Rhaegar. Arthur had and did and he loved his son just as truly. Both of them felt the same way and were of the same mind on the atrocity that the Frey's had committed and so he found himself closer to his king than he had ever been before as he listened to him speak.
"Watch and watch closely and know that this is the man you angered here this day. Know this and fear what will happen should you anger me again"
The last of Jae's words had Arthur eager to watch and see what it was he had planned, the Freys he knew would get off far easier than he had liked in terms of the debt they now owed. Knowing however how his king felt it was not out of mercy that he was letting them do so. Instead, there was to be a message sent here today and Arthur found himself looking on eagerly as that message was sent loudly and clearly. It was different than it had been at Hardhome and whether it was a force of will or whether Jae was stronger, there was no tiredness after it.
What there was were bridges, lots of them, the Trident was now full of them as far as the eye could see. Arthur remembered something that Loras had said to him a few days earlier. A tale of their visit to the Twins before Jae had been attacked. He'd said that he told Jae that he should strip the Frey's of their lordship and their lands and that as the king he had the right to do so.
"What did his grace say?" Arthur asked.
"That we didn't need to remove them, all we needed to was build more bridges." Loras said with a chuckle.
Build them Jae certainly had and yet it was how he'd built them that was the key to what message he wished to send this day. Burning down the keep and executing those responsible, while a large part of him still almost begged for it to be done, it would be lesser of a message than this. People knew the power of dragons, Harrenhal stood as a reminder and what Jae had done to the Golden Company made the Field of Fire now pale in comparison. The dragons were power, true strength, and a potent symbol of what would be unleashed upon you should you wake them.
This, this was something else and as he looked around at the faces of lords, guards, soldiers, and servants alike, Arthur could see the message had been received just as Jae wished it to be. Word would spread of what the king had done here today and the spreading of that word would do more to ensure Jae and his family's safety than even the dragons would. He'd been merciful, just, and magical and that magic was of a sort that no one would truly comprehend. How do you deal with someone who can sing stone? Someone who can create bridges simply by singing a song and can that person sing your keep down around your head if he so wished? The answer to that question was one that he could see every single man had already found. He could and he would if you angered him enough to do so.
Jae nodded to him and Arthur saw Jaime speak to the Lords Blackwood and Mallister as he himself turned to follow after the king. Rhaenix was still touching her head softly against Rhaegar's body and Arthur watched as Jae spoke to her for a moment or two before she moved away and Jae bid him help him. As carefully and as respectfully as he could, he helped Jae place Rhaegar's body in front of where he'd sit on Rheanix's back. Jae then tying it to the saddle before they both climbed back down.
"I intend to hold a private service for him on Dragonstone in a few day's Arthur, just family, I'd like for you to be there." Jae said.
"I'd be honored, your grace." Arthur said and Jae nodded to him, a small smile on his face as he walked over and said his goodbyes to the lords and to the men who'd come with them.
Arthur watched as the six Frey's who were to go to the Wall were herded together and placed on a cart and as Walder Frey was dragged unceremoniously back into the Twins. The looks on both sets of captors' faces didn't promise pleasant treatment. He didn't hear the words Jae spoke to the new Lord of the Crossing, though perhaps that wasn't a name the man could call himself by anymore given there were far more places to cross now. There was fear, respect, and what looked to him like gratitude in the man's face when Jae was finished and Arthur found that remarkable.
The Frey's were a wealthy house, though you'd never guess it from how they lived, and they had decent lands that really hadn't been used well. Their coin though, their wealth and power came from the bridge, the crossing, and now that was gone forever. Arthur had expected Lord Stevron to show some bitterness, some anger, and yet there was none. Be it fear, gratitude for the mercy he'd been shown, or respect for the king who had placed him in a position he'd sought all his life as well as removing what were no doubt obstacles to his rule, or be it the man's own nature, Arthur felt the man would be Leal from here on.
"Will he hold a vigil, Arthur, for Rhaegar will he hold a vigil?" Ser Richard Lonmouth asked his voice full of emotion as he moved behind him.
"He will no doubt. For us though, Richard, not for the realm. For those who knew and loved him, truly." Arthur said as he touched Richard softly on the shoulder.
They were in the air but a few moments later and arrived at King's Landing just as night was falling. While the other dragons landed in the Dragonpit, they and Rhaenix landed in the courtyard and he and Jaime helped Jae take the body from the dragon's back. They carried it to the Queen's Chambers and Arthur was surprised to see that it had already been prepared. In the middle of the room, a table was covered with the Three-Headed Dragon of House Targaryen and there were lit candles close by that gave off a shimmering light.
"We'll leave my father here for three days, Arthur, Jaime. I'll ask those who wish to, those who knew him to come to pay their respects and those who want can stand vigil over him. I'll do so myself on the morrow, will you stay with him tonight?" Jae asked looking at him.
"I will, your grace, thank you." Arthur said and once again he saw that same small smile on Jae's face as he walked from the room.
King's Landing 300 AC.
Margaery.
She had heard the dragon land and wanted so much to go to him but Elia was awake and she was alone with her in their room. So she sat in her chair holding their daughter and waited for Jae to come to her. Each moment she waited felt longer than the last and so she sat and worried about just what mood her husband would be in when he came through the door. Margaery almost hoping he'd be angry as it would be better than despondency which she feared he may very well have slipped into.
He'd been wroth when he found out and later had told her that it was Elia that had quelled his anger and stayed his hand. From that moment on it was a different kind of rage that she saw in her husband's eyes, a more internalized, more focussed kind of rage and she had feared what he would do to the Frey's when he found his father's body. Not because of the Frey's, they could burn in the seven hells for what they did for all she cared. Margaery's fears were for what destroying them could do to Jae. As the days went by and he let her in on his feelings, his plans for House Frey, and what he intended to do, she relaxed and even smiled when he told her it was truly because of her and their daughter that he was able to remain so calm.
"It had to be you both, Marge, was it just you then I think I may have been too angered to think straight but when I saw Elia, when I saw her in your arms it just left me. I was back in Valyria being spoken to by my grandmother and by Elia herself, they told me I couldn't give in to a desire for vengeance that it was to be justice I sought. So I'll seek justice with the Frey's and send the realm a message that will be remembered for many years to come." Jae said.
After he'd flown to the Twins today, she'd readied what had meant to be her chambers and made them suitable for the body to be placed within them. Jae didn't wish for the realm to come together over this or for his father's body to be laid out in the Great Sept and for people to come and pay their respects to him. He wanted no pomp and ceremony and for it to be only those who truly knew him and knew his father to be the ones to pay their respects. She knew also that he wished to be able to spend time alone with him and to bring Elia to see him, Joy and Sansa too.
She heard the door open and looked up to see Jae enter the room, her smile returned to her face as pulled up a chair and sat beside her. His fingers going to Elia's face and their daughter leaning into his touch.
"All went well?" she asked softly.
"It did, he's at rest where he should be and Arthur will stay with him tonight." Jae said laughing when Elia grabbed one of his fingers and wrapped her little hand tightly around it.
"The Freys?" she asked.
"As we discussed." he said now playing a game where he pulled his finger away and Elia grabbed it even more tightly "She's growing strong" Jae said making her chuckle.
"Grandmother will be so pleased to hear it." Margaery said as Jae kissed her cheek.
"Have you spoken to Lady Roslin?" Jae asked catching her by surprise.
"No, did you wish me to?"
"No, just wondering. I'll speak to Genna on the morrow."
"You intend to reward her?" she asked curiously, they'd discussed it but not truly and he'd not told her his mind on it.
"Aye, I'd not have known without her coming, it would never have entered my head. The thoughts that they may have…they might have….sought to get rid of my father's body are ones that I can't let go of. I dare not imagine how they'd have accomplished that and find that my mind goes to the worst of places."
"Then she should be rewarded." she said firmly and saw him smile and laugh when Elia belched and threw up a little onto his finger."
"Were you saving that for me, little dragon?" Why I thank you, so very very much." Jae said as Margaery moved to clean Elia and he sat there looking at his finger for a moment.
She cleaned and changed Elia while Jae washed his hands and then walked out to the balcony to look at the sky. After laying Elia down in the crib she walked out to join him and took his hand when he offered it to her. In the sky, she could see the dragons flying. All five of them closer to the Red Keep than anywhere else and they seemed to be flying in circles almost.
"What are they doing?" she asked softly.
"They're standing vigil." Jae said as he looked at the dragons.
They didn't stay too long on the balcony as neither of them wished to leave Elia alone for more than a few moments. Jae sent for and they ate their meal in the room and once done she fed Elia and Jae put her down to sleep. She watched as Jae spoke to the Indigo Dragon and then to Ghost before they went to their own bed. Margaery woke up more than once during the night to find Jae standing over Elia's crib. His words barely heard as he spoke to Elia about her grandfather and told her that though he was gone, it would not always be so.
"What's in the next room is not him, my love, not truly. One day I'll take you to meet him, him and your grandmother. They'll love you as much as your mother and I do, they'll spoil you and laugh with you, play with you and watch as you and your dragon take to the skies. We will fly there together, Elia, and I'll show you where we came from, where our family came from before they came to this place."
Margaery left them to their private words, closing her eyes and drifting back to sleep only to be woken by both of them early the next morning. Not even hiding under the pillow was sanctuary enough for her as Jae stood by their bed with Elia in his arms both of them pulling on her shoulder to make her et up. That she could see the exact same smile on both their faces was the only reason she wasn't more annoyed.
"Go away." she said hiding under the pillow.
"Wake up, it's time to wake up. Tell your mother to wake up, little dragon." Jae said and under her pillow, Margaery laughed as she heard her daughter gurgle "Not exactly what I had in mind, but it'll have to do." Jae said as Margery laughed more fully when he then gurgled too.
"Leave me alone, Ghost, protect me from these two dragons, protect the maiden fair." she said laughing all the while and then even more so as rather than protect her it was a tug from the white wolf that she felt on her nightdress.
"Good boy, Ghosty." Jae said as he grabbed the pillow from her.
"Very well, I'm up, I'm up what's so important?" she said as she lost her only protection and watched it fly through the air and land perilously close to the Indigo Dragon.
"It's time to break our fast and we're both hungry, this one especially." Jae said and Margaery looked to see Elia biting down on her clothes.
"Jae, Gods don't let her eat her clothes." she said frustratedly before taking her from his arms as Jae walked from their bed-chamber.
After she had fed Elia and she and Jae had eaten something themselves, she joined him when he walked to where his father lay. Jae carried Elia in his arms and when they entered the room she gasped loudly as she saw the body laid out. Even though she'd thought she'd prepared herself for it, seeing it there as it was, really brought it home to her and she was relieved she'd not been carrying Elia herself as she feared she'd have scared her.
"Jae I'm so sorry." she said reaching out to take his offered hand.
"We won't stay long." he said and she nodded at him.
They only stayed a few moments and Jae told Arthur to go and get some rest and had Barristan take over the vigil for a few moments while he walked them back to their room. He then kissed them both and spent the rest of the day standing vigil, only coming back to their room later that night. It was three days later when he asked her if she wished to be there for the funeral and she found herself torn and unclear on what it was she wished to do.
"One of us should stay with Elia." she said softly and Jae moved to her kissing her softly before turning to walk to the door.
"I won't stay too long and should be back before nightfall, I love you both."
"We love you too, go put him at rest Jae."
She watched her husband walk out the door and she was happy to see he was still coping so well with all he'd learned and seen over the past week or so. Whether it was the knowledge that he intended to bring his family back and that he would see his father once again or that he'd had time to process it all and so was more composed. Or whether it was some other reason, she cared not, only that it hadn't broken him or caused him more pain than it had.
Dragonstone 300 AC.
Jaehaerys Targaryen.
They'd all stood vigil, Arthur, Jaime, Barristan, Richard, and himself, all of those who had truly known his father had stood and watched over his body. His family too had played their parts and all of them would play an even bigger part now. Jaime had asked him if he wished for him to join them on the flight to Dragonstone and though he had welcomed his father by choice's words of comfort and the offer, he felt on this he needed to only have one father who he was focussed on.
Barristan too had offered to come and it had felt wrong to deny the man but with Arthur with him, Jae didn't feel comfortable leaving Margaery and Elia without both Loras and Barristan. So other than his family and Arthur, it was only Richard that he had join them. Something that his Master of Whisperers was most thankful for. The flight itself took almost no time at all and Jae wondered if that was true or if like Rhaenix, his mind was elsewhere. Both he and his sister had shared their anger, grief, and relief that they could do this, and Rhaenix had now accepted that this was only his body they were laying to rest and not his memory.
One day they would bring him back, bring them all back, and so they took as much comfort in that as they could and after they had landed on Dragonstone, Jae gave his sister some time to say her own goodbyes to their father. It was a strange thing for him, there had been three fathers he'd known in his life at different times. The man who'd brought him home from the war, the man who'd set him on his path, and the man who'd been his sire. Each of them were as different from the other as possible and yet each of them held a place in his heart that couldn't be denied. He thanked the gods for the two that were still with him and swore an oath to himself once more that he'd bring back the one who was not and then when Rhaenix finished, he, Arthur, and Richard placed the body on the pyre.
His father still wore his armor and Jae had personally polished and cleaned it so it looked as if it was new. He'd considered replacing the damaged rubies but for some reason, it had felt wrong to do so. Looking to Dany, Tyrion, Aemon, and Shiera he could see they were somber, and yet other than Dany none of them were truly sad. Aemon had corresponded with his father, Shiera and Tyrion hadn't known him and their own relation to him was, therefore, more distant. Dany mourned the second brother she'd come to see given to the fire, memories of the funeral they'd held here for Viserys, and regrets about not having had the chance to know his father both causing her tears to fall. Jae moved over to her and whispered in her ear as he wiped her eyes.
"We will see them again, you will get to know him, I swear it." he said softly.
She smiled at him and he then moved to the Pyre and took one last look at it and the body that laid atop it before he moved to his sister and reached his hand out to touch her head.
"Dragons are fire made flesh and my father was as true a dragon as there ever was. We are here today because of him, not just to say our goodbyes but we are here today because he existed. Without him the world would be a very different place and our House would have fallen. For me, for my sister, for our house, you have my thanks, father. You have my love and my oath. I now give you back to the world, back to the fire from whence you came. We will see you again, but not today." Jae said his words carrying as he looked to Rhaenix.
"Not today." he heard the voices say from behind him.
"Dracarys." he said and Rhaenix and Rhaenix alone let loose her flames, Jae feeling the heat of them as the pyre was enveloped in her fire.
His sister gave it all she had, her flames coming for some time, and when they finally stopped the pyre was no more. The ashes flew in the wind and drifted down over the cliffs, into the air, and onto the water below. He leaned his head against Rhaenix's and felt her sadness and yet she wished to take him back to King's Landing right away and so they waited no longer than was needed to mount the dragons. When he arrived back at the Dragonpit she and the rest of the dragons took to the sky almost as soon as they'd dismounted. He smiled when he saw Joy on Apples with the guards when they came to escort them back to the Red Keep.
"Ride, Jon?" Joy asked as he walked over to Winter.
"Aye, let's ride." he said enjoying the beaming smile on her face when they set off in one direction while his family rode off in another.
They spent a few hours riding through the Kingswood, just him, Joy, Arthur, and some men of the hundred. He found he needed it and when they rode back to the Red Keep and he climbed down off Winter he thanked her and placed a kiss on her cheek. Seeing both Martyn and Tommen waiting for him, it was then to the sparring yard he and Joy walked, and soon enough he had sparred with both his squires as well as any other who had wished it of him. That this included Arya and Lyanna, all four of his youngest cousins, and their father, he could only put down to Margaery and when he finally made his way into his room, he thanked her for it.
"I only suggested the sparring, Jae, the ride was all Joy's idea." she said as he lay down on their bed.
"Aye, thank you, all the same, I needed it, I needed both. Is she asleep?" he asked looking to the crib and Margaery nodded, his wife laughing when she saw the look in his eyes and he reached his hand out for hers.
"My husband has other needs it seems." Margaery said her lopsided smile present as she moved to the bed.
Later that night they ate with almost all his family other than a few who had already made other plans., Dany and Aurane spent the night with each other but Jaime, Dacey, and Joanna joined them as did Genna, Emmon, and her boys, and Gerion, Ashara, Joy, and Cregan. Robb and Wynafred, Arya and Lyanna Mormont, Sansa and Willas, and Alys Karstark much to both her and Cregan's delight. Oberyn and Ellaria and his cousins however held their own meal with Tyrion and Arianne and his aunt and uncle joined them only briefly.
He found he enjoyed it immensely, though he missed having Oberyn, Ellaria, and his cousins there and he had wished for both his squires to attend. Martyn and Tommen though were eating with Kevan and his family back at the Lannister Manse and Myrcella joined them rather than eating in their private dining room. Genna had told him of the girl's reticence to be here and that certain places within the Red Keep were worse for her which was why the Lannister Manse was so much more to her liking. During the dinner, he tried to give everyone equal time and knew he failed. His attention had gone to Joy and Arya, Lyanna, and Joanna far more than to anyone else as he got lost in their conversations and japes.
The next morning he broke his fast with Genna and after assuring her that he was as well as he could be and that despite things he was at peace, he asked her about Lady Roslin and what it was she wished for. He was both unsurprised and completely taken by surprise at the same time and it completely changed the course of the rest of his day. Jae soon finding himself readying for a meeting he had not expected to be at, once he'd left the manse and made his way back to the Red Keep.
"You're sure this is what she wishes for?" Margaery asked.
"Genna says it is." he said looking at her and Margaery laughed loudly "What's so funny?"
"Gods I wish I could be at this meeting." Margaery said laughing still.
"I should make you take it, he'd not hit a queen." Jae said and she laughed even more.
"Perhaps you should bring Elia with you, she'll protect you from the giants." Margaery said, Jae, laughing as he shook his head and walked to his solar.
He didn't have to wait too long for both men to arrive, The Greatjon looked confused and the Smalljon nodded to Arthur who stood behind Jae as he sat at his desk. Bidding both men sit, he had Tommen pour out the ale and looked at the two men as they both took large swallows from their mugs. Jae wasn't sure whether he should be thanking the gods that they'd waited until Robb was ready to leave or cursing them they were still here and it wasn't a letter he was sending to ask them what he was about to.
"I know you prefer bluntness and so I'll not spend time speaking on things of no relevance, I've asked you here to speak on an offer of a betrothal." Jae said and saw the Greatjon smirk while the Smalljon paled.
"Really my king, your not my type." The Greatjon said with a booming laugh.
"I know it's an odd request I make of you, but it's one that's come to me from a worthy lady who has my favor and one that should you accept it, will place me in your debt. As well you know, Lord Umber I was raised by a house that always pays its debts." he said to another laugh and again a worried look from the Smalljon.
"Make your request, my king." The Greatjon said looking curiously at him.
"Lady Roslin Frey, my lord. It was she who informed me of the truth of my father's body and I'd seek to reward her for finally allowing me to put him at peace. Her wish is a marriage, my lord, to your son." he said looking at the Smalljon who paled even more.
"A Frey, my king?" The Greatjon said his face one of almost thunder.
"A different sort, my lord. Her mother was from House Rosby and Lady Roslin takes her looks from her."
"Thank the Old Gods." The Smalljon said.
"There is a considerable dowry, my lord." he said and the Greatjon looked at him with a smirk.
"There would have to be, my king." The Greatjon said, Jae, chuckling at the look on the Smalljon's face.
"House Frey will put up 20,000 gold dragons and the crown will match it and will add 10,000 for the lady herself." Jae said and he saw the surprised look on the Greatjon's face.
"You truly do wish this match, my king." The Greatjon said and Jae nodded.
"Don't I get a say?" The Smalljon asked, Jae laughing when the Greatjon told him no he did not.
"The lady truly is as far from a Frey as you can imagine, Smalljon. Both in looks and in temperament. It was her suggestion that I approach you and so there is obviously something she sees in you that pleases her." he said and saw the Smalljon puff out his chest out a little "She could have sought a southern match, I had expected her to but she's no soft southern lady and I believe she'll thrive in the North." he said, though they were Genna's words and not his own.
Two hours later he sat facing the lady herself and though she was nervous it was far lesser than it had been when last they'd met which he was happy to see.
"Lady Roslin, I've already thanked you for what you've done with my words, it's time for me to do so with my deeds. Lady Genna and I have spoken and it seems a certain Lord's heir has caught your eye, is this true?"
"It is your grace. I find myself thinking of him often and though he's not who I had ever expected would make me feel this way and I know my brothers would think him a strange choice, he is who I would choose, were it up to me." she said her voice soft and light.
"And if I told you that I've spoken to the Lord and his son and would seek you matched it would please you?" he asked and she nodded vigorously "Then I'm pleased to announce that Lord Umber has agreed to the match, my lady. Your dowry will be paid both by the coin your house took as payment from my uncle and from the crown's own coffers and there will be a further sum paid to yourself to do with as you wish."
"Your Grace, the coin, it's not necessary." Roslin said shaking her head.
"Indeed, and yet I'll see it paid regardless. I would make arrangements to travel North, Lady Roslin, you'll need warm clothing for you and your brothers and I've asked Lady Genna to see you right in this regard. I thank you for what you did, my lady, were it not for your intervention I'd never have known and I'm most grateful for it. On behalf of her grace and myself I wish you good fortune and all the happiness you wish for." he said smiling at her.
"I thank you, your grace, truly." Roslin said rising, the smile on her face true and broad.
Later that night as he held Elia in his arms he told Margaery how the day had gone, first looking at her confused and then laughing when his wife turned to him and spoke.
"Well, I guess we found out, it's Roslin." Margaery said making him frown "Who's next for Goatsbane." his wife added as he laughed loudly.
King's Landing 300 AC.
Oberyn.
He'd been surprised that Jae had taken things as well as he had since they'd recovered Rhaegar's body. True, his nephew's first instinct and reaction had been what his own would have been had he found himself in a similar situation. After he'd calmed down and then what he'd done at the Twins though, Jae had surprised him. Tyrion told him that it was because of Jae's belief that he would bring them all back. That when he dealt with the threat beyond the Wall, he would see his family returned to him. Oberyn though felt there was more going on and so just like Jaime Lannister would do, he sought to spar with his nephew and to have him speak his mind to him.
It took him far more spars than it took Jaime but then again Jaime and Jae had been doing this a lot longer than Oberyn and he had. So two weeks after they'd laid Rhaegar to rest, he and Jae were sparring alone in the yard at night and he'd just been beaten, again, when his nephew finally opened up to him. They took a seat and Jae poured him some water, the two of them sitting silently for a moment before Jae began to speak.
"Was it different for you, uncle?" Jae asked.
"Different?"
"When Obara was born, when you had a daughter in the world?"
"It was, with Nym, Tyene, and Sarella too. Different again with my girls with Ellaria." Oberyn said.
"Because their mother was with you?" Jae asked.
"I...with my older girls, their mothers, and I, it was not what I share with your aunt. So my life was different with my girls but more so with mine and Ellaria's." he said not able to put it truly into words.
"Because you had a family." Jae said and Oberyn smiled before nodding "I feel it each day, you know. The difference, how she has changed me, both me and her mother. It scares me, terrifies me, inspires me, and lifts me up when I'm down, all at the same time. With the Frey's each time I wished to go as far as I could, it was seeing her that stopped me, that calmed me as I found myself wondering what she would think of me?"
"She'd think of you as I do, nephew. As Margaery does." he said and Jae smiled at him.
"And that's how I want her to think of me. I know I may have to do questionable things or have them done in my name. We have peace now and the realm is mainly behind us but it'll not always be like this and I'll not make the same mistakes my family has made before. Yet I fear that one day she'll look at me and think of me how I do my grandfather's." Jae said taking another swallow of his water.
"That you fear it shows you can never and will never be thought that way, nephew." he said patting him on the back and they sat silently again for a few moments before getting up to walk away.
"Prince Garin should arrive soon." Jae said as they walked from the sparring yard.
"I find myself most eager to meet this prince from another age." he said with a chuckle.
"Dorne and Chroyane will have much in common, uncle, I'd ask you to show him the city when I cannot."
"Of course, nephew." he said.
Ever since she'd been told, Sarella had been reading up on Chroyane and Prince Garin, his daughter was fascinated by the idea of the city coming back to life and of the tales the man could tell. Tale of the original Rhoynar and of Nymeria herself and while Tyrion and Arianne had left to go back to Dorne, he knew they too sought to speak to this new prince. Culturally and economically Dorne could do well out of another Rhoynish kingdom and Chroyane was all set to be another kingdom, the Eighth Kingdom.
So being asked to spend time with the prince and his people was something he was very grateful for as was finding out that his nephew was simply finding a new balance in his life. One that he himself had found much harder and longer to find. While the birth of his children and his relationship with Ellaria had given him some sort of balance, it wasn't truly until he met his nephew and niece and brought the Mountain down that he was at peace. Jae it seemed was getting there far more quickly than he had and so after they bid each other goodnight, he hurried back to his room to tell Ellaria their worries were for naught.
"He truly feels well?" she asked him as they lay in their bed later that night.
"He does, fatherhood, having a daughter, It's changing him." he said and Ellaria smiled at him.
"I told him it would." she said surprising him.
"You did?"
"Not in those words, but when we returned to Casterly Rock and we spoke on the attempt on his life, I told him that Catelyn Tully was no parent, she was no true mother. That a mother could not seek to harm a child, a parent would not wish to see a child harmed, be it directly or indirectly" Ellaria said turning to him
"I always wondered what it was you had said." Oberyn said with chuckle.
"It hurt him that she'd done so, even given all he'd felt about her, it hurt him that a mother could seek his death. The loss of his own, what he knew about Tyrion's that we'd not learned yet, the attempt on his life. He needed to be told it was her and not him, that it was never him and so I spoke to him as a mother would." she said and Oberyn kissed her.
The days after his talk with Jae quickly passed and their routines bored him. Jae was busy, his girls were busy and even Ellaria was busy. Other than getting to see his grandniece on some of the days, his own left him unfulfilled and his work was dull and uninteresting. He'd reformed the City Watch and had rooted out the bad apples with Ser Richard's help and then under his guidance, they'd cut crime down to almost nothing. That the city was far more prosperous and Jae and Margaery actually thought enough about the people to make sure they were well fed and cared for helped, but it then left him with very little to do.
So when he was informed that the ships had been sighted, he found himself eager to go to the docks to welcome the Prince and the Rhoynish fleet to King's Landing and he was pleased when he was given the go-ahead to do so. His oldest girls and Ellaria joined him as did Ser Richard Lonmouth and as they stood on the docks he found himself fascinated by the ships that sailed in the bay. Though not as impressive as the Pinnacle ships, they had a certain elegance about them, and the colors of the flags they bore brought a smirk to his face.
"Are we sure these aren't from House Martell." Ser Richard said with a laugh as he stood beside him.
Other than the sun and spear they could very well be, the colors were their own, and the clothing that was worn by the sailors was the same as what those who manned their own ships would wear. The gasp that came from Ellaria when the first ship docked was one his daughters had joined in with and it took Oberyn a moment to see the man who had made his love gasp so. He was tall, his hair and eyes dark and he wore a bright orange open coat very much like his own. As the man moved closer to him, Oberyn found himself back in front of his looking glass, so alike was this man to the face that he would find there looking back at him. So stunned was he that the man was standing in front of him introducing himself before he knew it.
"Prince Garin of Chroyane." the man said with an easy smile upon his face.
"Prince Oberyn Nymeros Martell, his grace's Master of Laws, welcome to King's Landing." he said as he turned to introduce the man to his wife and children.
King's Landing 300 AC.
Ser Richard Lonmouth.
Seeing a Rhoynish prince in the flesh had been an experience and though he wished to spend more time to learn as much as he could about their newest kingdom and allies, his work called and so he bid both princes farewell. He'd only joined Oberyn at Jae's request, the king not wishing Jaime Lannister to be there as he wanted Oberyn to be the highest-ranked member of the Small Council to greet Prince Garin. It was not to be taken as a slight but more to show how valued the Rhoynar were in their kingdom.
After he left Oberyn and the prince he then made his way to his building eager to gather up his kisses and to speak to his lips in person. He set them to task to speak about what had happened at the Twins and to spread the tales far and wide. Richard had also set minstrels to sing songs about the fall of the weasels and the building of the bridges, even if their fall had been lesser than he had expected. While he understood the message his king had wished to send, a large part of him was disappointed that he'd not used fire and blood instead.
It had enraged him when he'd heard about Rhaegar's body and the girl was lucky that she had gone to the king instead of coming to him with it. As for her family, he'd at one point considered sending every bard he had to the Twins as he felt their actions demanded a swift and merciless response. He'd felt it even more so when he'd seen the body being carried out by Arthur and the king and again much later when he'd stood vigil in the room. Jae though had shown restraint and sent a different type of message and so Richard would ensure that message had been received and understood.
"Ser Richard." Lomas said as he walked into the room, the former Master of Whisperers had proven himself a good man and Richard was glad to have him by his side.
"Are there many kisses?" he asked and Lomas nodded.
"Aye, there are, I was in the process of sorting them out, the ones from Dorne are before his grace's visit to the Twins." Lomas said.
"The lips?" he asked.
"Have been set to task, Ser Richard."
"Good man, you saw our new guests?" he asked as he took his seat.
"I have lips seeking kisses from them as we speak, Ser Richard." Lomas said and Richard nodded.
He welcomed the glass of wine and the plate of cold meats, taking a bite of one of them and a quick sip before he got to work reading the oldest kisses first.
The North.
Roses take root in the snow and ready for Winter, though lack protection. The crown of queens grows larger every day and is ready to weather the winter storm. Lessons abound as men learn to fight those who are not, training themselves for battles yet to come.
The Reach.
A huntsman readies his bowmen and has their strings taut and ready to fire. Roses sharpen their thorns daily and apples of green and of red ready ripen nicely. Foxes adapt quickly to deal with a new enemy and the towers so high are ever vigilant.
The Riverlands.
A wolf settles into a river of but one fish and secrets thought lost are revealed. A flock of ravens readies to stretch its wings and a red stallion is eager to be let loose of its reins. A babe from a pink maid, a small weeping willow, and a bend of blue bristle and bemoan a dragon's rise and a fish's fall.
The Stormlands.
A baby stag finds more love than those fully grown ever did and her call is answered eagerly. Stags, Turtles, and Swans seek each other out and take heed of the onion's tears about the night and the darkness within it. All seeking light to protect them from its terrors.
The Iron Islands.
A Kraken stretches its tentacles and those beneath it ready to do its bidding, yet the Kraken waits for a dragon's call.
Dorne.
A cockatrice mourns a loss while a spotted leopard rejoices and a black leopardess readies to dine on a lemon. The dragon, the snake, and the blue hawk's will is carried out and the Rhoyne flows as smoothly as it ever has.
The Vale.
Black iron studs are ready to be forged and seek only a hammer to put them in their place. While nine stars and a raven with a red heart seek to regain honor and favor. A broken wheel's spokes spin faster and truer than ever before.
He smiled as he read the last of them, Jae's orders had been carried out as he had asked them to be and it appeared at least as if they were being done without question. Other than some fools in the Riverlands, there was no one that even needed his closer attention and he wondered if he should intervene more with the floppy fish's former friends or bring it to his king's attention first. Secrets to be revealed in Riverrun interested him and so he wrote a message to be sent to Pearl, eager to find out what they were. Taking another swallow from his glass he read the rest of his kisses, these ones were more up-to-date and few and far between but only concentrated on the events in the Twins.
Everywhere but Dorne he'd received word back from and Dorne itself would have kisses to share with him on this soon enough. Richard found the more of them he read the more he began to believe that Jae had been more right than he. Some lords had already traveled to the nearest bridges to them. From Moat Cailin and the Neck in the North to men from the Bloody Gate in the Vale. Maidenpool, Antlers, and others had sent out riders to see if the tales they had heard were true. For the North especially he knew this would be something they would welcome. Not having to deal with the Freys or pay their toll though was something everyone in the realm would much appreciate.
Isle of Faces 300 AC.
The Three-Eyed Raven.
Her new life had taken some getting used to, the voices in her head far more controlled and understood now than they had ever been. Food was provided to her and soon enough she found that meat wasn't something she missed. The fruits, berries, and vegetables that grew on the Isle were tasty enough and the Children made dishes that pleased her palate as much as any she'd ever had before. If anything they made her feel stronger and more vibrant and though some of that she put down to the magic of this place. Some of it was simply that she ate regularly now. It had not always been that way.
At times back in the Hightower, she'd go days without eating, either forgetting to or the voices in her head were so loud and so painful that food was literally the last thing on her mind. Now though she would wake and break her fast, eat a luncheon and at night sit with the Children and eat dinner. Her days were spent training her mind with Leaf's help and with the help of the other children. Malora being thought how to sail the river at will, traveling backward only at first and over places that were known to her.
Baelor receiving his first sword and the look on his face. Humfrey earning his spurs, Lynesse telling her that she was in love with a bear and her niece laughing when Malora showed Margaery the view from the window at the top of the Hightower. Her father mourning her mother's death and the first time she tried and failed to fly. The day the voices begun in earnest and Malora ceased to be and became the Mad Maid of the Tower.
She had traveled down the river of time but only to the places she knew and then after a while it was much further back she'd been allowed to go. To places, she'd only heard about and had never been, to people she had never known and things she'd not been sure she wished to see.
A boy crying as he sat alone in a keep of grey and a red-headed woman shouting loudly at him. The same boy watching as a man with golden hair showed him how to wield a sword and then dancing with a girl with golden brown eyes and long brown hair. Three men in white standing outside a tower while a dragon circled overhead. A man falling into a river while rubies flew from his chest and a woman lying in a bed of red as her eyes closed for the final time.
Further and further she traveled backwards down the river, more and more she saw.
A man with straggly long hair wearing a crown shouting out "I Burned them" before forcing himself on a woman who tried to fight back. A keep exploding in green flames while a woman screamed out and a child was born. Arrows flying in the air and men falling beneath them, dragons fighting dragons, and a woman screaming as a dragon feasted upon her. A dragon falling from the sky and its rider crawling from its body, the bolt in its eye bringing tears to the eyes of the woman who tried to remove it.
She walked in a land where the buildings rose higher than the sky itself and where the sounds of dragons singing were ones she longed to listen to. Then she looked on in horror as flames burst forth from the ground and both dragons and those who sought to escape upon them became flesh turned to fire. A small young girl beckoned her forward and she found herself walking on a cliff facing out into a bay. A keep shaped like a dragon at rest behind her as the girl said she'd been waiting for her to come to see her.
Each day she went further and further back and though she learned much, she knew she had still much more that she needed to know. She'd seen the Wall being built, Winterfell called forth from the ground and the Hightower sang into existence. Malora had looked on while battles were fought and won, while dragons flew against men and themselves, and while two very different armies faced off in a field full of ice.
"It's time to sail forward." Leaf said and Malora closed her eyes.
She shivered when she saw them, an army the likes of which she'd never seen imagined. Closer to them than she ever wished to be, their smell and look repulsed her. They marched, south, always south, and then she looked at the Wall as it finally loomed in front of her and them. Malora felt him rather than saw him, and she watched as he moved in front of his army and as he began to sing.
Her eyes opened and she looked to Leaf begging her to find her something to write on. She called the raven to her and when Leaf returned she hurriedly scribbled down the message. The bird was in the sky a moment later and she closed her eyes to make sure it was heading where she wished it to. He needed to come to her and to come now, he needed to see as the time was drawing close. Only his magic could stop the magic of the Night King and only his song could be allowed to be sung.
"Come to us, my prince, come and see." she said softly as Leaf looked at her and then to the sky.
King's Landing 300 AC.
Prince Garin.
The first thing that hit him was the smell, the city didn't smell like a city should and it didn't feel like the type of place that Jaehaerys would name as his home. Next, it was the people themselves and he saw some of his own people look at the Dornish with looks akin to wonder. His prince had explained to him that those who had followed Nymeria had found a home in Dorne and it was their descendants that ruled there now and yet it was still a shock to him and to his people to see just how alike they were to themselves.
Prince Oberyn in particular, as for Garin it was like he was looking at himself and clearly it was the same for the prince and the women he introduced as his wife and children. On the ride to the Red Keep he asked about the smell and was told that it was so much worse before Jaehaerys had taken this city for his own. What he was smelling was an improvement and he dared not imagine what it was like before now. He enjoyed the way the prince spoke and his lady wife was a delight. Garin finding that the woman kept catching herself as she stared at him as they rode in the carriage.
"The resemblance throws me just as much, Princess Ellaria." he said and the woman smiled as Oberyn looked at him.
"You are truly Garin the Great, the wonder of the Rhoyne?" Oberyn asked.
"Among many names I've been called, Prince Oberyn, but the true wonder is the man I travel to kneel before is he not?"
"My nephew is pleased that you've come, Prince Garin, I'm sure he'll feast you tonight but if you'd allow, perhaps Ellaria and I can show you the delights the city has to offer?" Oberyn asked.
"I'd like that very much, Prince Oberyn, Princess Ellaria, very much." he said as they reached the Red Keep.
He climbed out of the carriage and was joined by his guards and the steward of his house. Marchos carrying the book of Chroyane with him as they were met by more guards and then led into the Red Keep. It was less impressive than he had expected, this keep wasn't Valyrian and hadn't been sung and compared to his own palace it left a lot to be desired. It was most strange and he tried to remember the things that Oberyn had said and the things his prince had told him when they'd spoken in Chroyane.
Westeros was not Valyria and the magic that had once existed was not the same was it was back then. There were no more Stonesingers and Dragon Dreamers, even Water Wizards were unknown to the world where once they were found anywhere along the Rhoyne. The world was a very different place and it would take some getting used to. The Throne Room was at least impressive and seeing his prince sitting on the Iron Throne brought a smile to his face. Garin taking in the men in White Cloaks who stood beside him and the pretty young woman who sat to his side.
"Prince Garin of Chroyane." a man said loudly and Garin stepped forward with Marchos and took a knee in front of his prince.
"I come to swear fealty to the One True King of the Eight Kingdoms. I come to offer you my words of loyalty and my oath that Chroyane will come when called, just as we have now your grace."
"Rise Prince Garin and be welcomed and named as our Lord Paramount of Chroyane. I vow that you shall always have a place by my hearth and meat and mead at my table, and pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you into dishonor." Jaehaerys said before he moved down to embrace him and Garin eagerly returned the embrace.
He spoke only briefly to his prince before the feast and though he wished to meet his wife and babe, it was to be later that night before he met either. At the feast, he sat beside Jaehaerys and spoke to him eagerly, his wife, Margaery welcoming him to the city and apologizing that their daughter was resting and that it wouldn't be until the morrow until he could see her. Garin found himself enjoying the night, he danced with the queen and with Ellaria and spoke to both more in-depth.
Yet all through the night, he found his eyes drawn to one of the men in the white cloaks. He was younger than the others, of an age with his prince and there was something oddly familiar about him. It was only when he spoke to Oberyn that he found out that the man, boy, was the queen's brother and his prince's closest friend. He caught the boy's eye more than once and saw there was interest there, his smile was returned and he wondered if his attention was welcomed.
Garin would enjoy his time in this city, despite its smell. He looked forward to getting to know how much like them the Dornish truly were. Did the blood of the Rhoynar still flow in their veins or had they become Westerosi for true? Was the boy just like he and if so was that something he could pursue? And if he did then how would those around him react? He had many questions he wished to see answered now he had finally come to this land. Two questions he had above all however and only his prince could give him the answers to those.
How powerful was their enemy if he could defeat those who had broken him and his army? And against an enemy such as that, was there truly any hope in fighting?
A/N: Thanks to all who've read and reviewed: I will get to all the reviews on Tuesday. There won't be a chapter on Thursday I'm sorry to say, work, life, and a trip to the ophthalmologist's means I have to forgo a second update this week. Up Next Once again Jae is forced to take flight, to the Isle of Faces, Winterfell, and the North as he meets with the Three-Eyed Raven, Ned, and the Company of the Rose before meeting with Benjen and stopping off at the Wall. In King's Landing Garin finds life interesting and Beyond the Wall the Night King shows off his power.