When he woke, Rhaegar could still see his dreams - though he was awake.
Sense them.
Feel them.
He rose from his bed with purpose. These past days had been filled with frivolity, though only he could see it as such, of course - see it all for what it really was. But the king knew he must resolve all these inane matters so he could once again focus on what was important.
Elia was upset, yes, but surely she would move past this, she would come to understand. All of his actions were necessary.
None can understand my plight - what I must do.
Lyanna would birth their child. Is she with child yet? he wondered in a rush. I must go see her after all of this. These distractions have already cost me time. The High Septon would recognize their marriage and Visenya would be trueborn, just as Rhaenys and Aegon were.
His three heads. Strong and united.
And once these trivial lordly games were behind them, he would be able to find out what more was needed of him to defeat the threat ahead.
Yes.
After readying himself for the day, he walked to Elia's room confidently. She should have been awake by now, Elia always woke early as soon as the sun rose. They would go to the High Septon together, deal with Brandon Stark and all would be well. How could it not be?
Bidding Ser Lewyn good morn, Rhaegar entered Elia's rooms and walked to her bed chambers. When he entered, he stopped short and abruptly at the sight before him.
The queen was asleep on the bed, her slender figure curled on her side with Rhaenys tucked into her as well. A long pillow was pushed against their daughter, keeping her snug on the bed. His wife's arm was draped across the toddler, her fingers gently latched to a sleeping basket next to the bed where Aegon slept. He could even hear the rhythm of light snores from his young son.
It was so beautiful, like a painting. Peaceful, blissful.
I should be with them, he lamented silently to himself as his mind calmed for a moment though only a moment. We should all be together.
But too much was at stake to focus on such feelings.
He knew he must be greater. For it was up to him to prevent the danger that was doomed to arise.
Wasn't it?
"You think too loudly," Elia whispered, breaking him from his runaway thoughts.
Rhaegar blinked rapidly as he adjusted to reality and the rising sun glared brightly from the window. "We are to meet with the High Septon this morning," he told his wife quietly, watching as she slowly rose from the bed so as not to wake their daughter. "I thought perhaps we could break our fast together before then."
After rising from the bed, Elia gently pulled the sheet over Rhaenys anew and then looked to him. "She insisted on sleeping here with Aegon last night." He smiled wistfully at that, his little dragon was quite stubborn. Then the queen moved to take her robe from the bed stand, donning it over her shift before walking with gingerly steps towards him. With a small gesture of her head away from the children, he followed as she led the way to her dressing chambers.
She pushed the door carefully so that it was nearly closed, but a small gap remained so she could hear the children if they awoke. Then she turned to look upon him. "Have you come to make sure I support your absurd farce today?"
Must we start like this, he thought, exhaling a weary sigh at her clear displeasure. "Would you prefer she be my mistress?"
The king watched as she perused a few of her gowns. Though her back was to him, he noted how tense her body was suddenly. "I would prefer that you honor the vows we swore to each other."
She swept away a gown.
"I would prefer you think of your family."
Another gown was swept away.
"And I would prefer that you not take actions that threaten the safety of our children." She turned from the array of silks before her to look at him then. " Our children , alive and real, flesh and blood!" A pang went through him at that, thinking of her previous words of his father's threats. "But you have long made clear, husband, that what I prefer is not of your concern."
"I am only acting as is right and necessary, Elia," he explained to her with determination.
She stared at him steadily. "Just because you believe something does not make it true or right, Rhaegar."
He let out a deep breath of frustration. All of this is inconsequential, why must I bear this burden? First his aunt sees it fit to trouble him, now his own wife. Must he bear this weight as well in addition to what the prophecy demanded of him?
A slight shuffle of sheets in the bedroom woke Rhaegar then. "How fares Rhaenys?" he asked.
"You saw her, she is well. Why would she not be?" his wife replied blithely.
The king shifted his weight a bit as he straightened his back. "She still...she will not come to me."
"Because she does not want to. The universe and all of its inhabitants do not all bend to your whims and desires." Elia turned away from him, her hands skimming along the gowns before her. "And just because you have dreamed of something does not mean it shall come to pass. You are not Daenys," the queen finished, turning to face him with a crimson dress in hand.
Rhaegar walked to her, closing the gap between them in a few strides. Elia looked up at him, her eyes both passive and curious somehow. She used to gaze at me with warmth. Her hair was still undone from sleep, tumbling across her shoulder in soft waves. Gently he brushed it away, before cupping her cheek. "I will show you, Elia. You will see that I have acted for all of us, including our children."
The queen looked up at him for a few moments before speaking. "What would you do if you were me?"
Confusion engulfed him. "What?"
"What would you do in my position? If I had done as you have? If I had insulted you thusly? If I put our children's future at risk?"
His body tensed. What an absurd question. "That is not the point. Nor is it the situation we are in."
She laughed softly though it was bitter, not sweet. "You only see what you want, do you not? You cannot begin to imagine what others feel - or how your actions could impact others."
"That is all I have been doing!" he exclaimed. Such bold falsity in the face of his attempts to save them all!
His wife stepped away from him, shaking her head ruefully. "I ask that you excuse me now, my maids shall be here soon." She gave him one more look that he could not discern. "I must get dressed so we may embarrass ourselves before the High Septon."
Of course he had summoned the High Septon to the Red Keep.
If Elia had supported Rhaegar and his actions with the northern girl, if she had any desire to be part of her husband's madness and his insult to her, she would have advised him that it was best if they went to seek the High Septon out, humble as ever.
But the queen was no lackwit, of course. Why would she support such folly?
The holy man looked upon the king from across the large wooden table the three adults sat at. He had arrived not long before, with composed courtesy. And it was barely a minute before they had met that the king spoke of what he wanted.
The High Septon looked upon the new king, seemingly contemplating the words spoken just then. He let silence reign as he pondered the King's request - it was really a casual command, I suppose - that he recognize Lyanna as his second wife.
Rhaegar said it as though he were merely asking for a daily blessing.
Finally words of reply came. "I am afraid that is not possible, your grace," the man of the Faith spoke.
Rhaegar blinked. "But of course it is."
The thin man paused, blinking back. "It is not."
The king's eyes blinked more rapidly. "It is."
"Pardon, your grace - but if you repeat your words, it shall not change mine," the High Septon explained slowly as though Rhaegar were a small child. "Thus I maintain that it is not possible."
Elia watched as her husband's jaw tightened so much, she wondered if it would break. Had he ever been told no by anyone other than his father?
"Why ever not?" he finally asked.
"Your grace, surely you are aware that the Faith does not permit such practice."
"And surely you are aware that exceptions have been made for House Targaryen," Rhaegar declared happily, confidently.
"Not that exception," the holy man argued.
Silence. Rhaegar had nothing to say. This was beginning to become a pattern.
"If I recall," the High Septon finally continued, "it was your ancestor Maegor who last took more than one wife - and he was exiled."
"And then he was King," the silver-haired royal replied sharply.
"He had dragons," the High Septon replied with a smile, enunciating each word. The implication was, of course, that they had no dragons to force the issue.
Rhaegar clasped his hands together placing them in front of him, centered and tight on the table. "But you see, High Septon, she must bear my child. As such, I cannot imagine you would wish a child of the King to be illegitimate. I am, therefore, attempting to do right by the gods."
"But whose gods, my King?" The man asked it so pleasantly, one might be forgiven for believing this was not a discussion of the King challenging the realm's primary worship. "It is my understanding that you have embraced the northern gods."
Rhaegar's eyes narrowed. "By whom do you understand that from?"
The sun seemed to shift then, shining in from the large windows that spread across the room and landing on the High Septon as though to bless him. "Oh, word travels around the capital, as you know. Is it not so?"
"The Lady Lyanna and I...did exchange vows in front of a heart tree, that much is true."
"So by way of the old gods?" he confirmed.
The king cleared his throat, shifting in his large chair uncomfortably. "Indeed."
"That is not a ceremony I know nor do the Seven," the septon replied softly though there was a chill like a sharp breeze cutting the warmth of a sunny afternoon in his words. "Though of course they do appreciate the majesty of the trees and their bounty that spring from the bosom of our lands," he added with a small bow of his head.
Elia liked the High Septon. He was all overwhelming courtesy but each word seemed to throw its own dart of poison Why, replace his gown with a silken dress and top him off with a wig from Norvos and he might soar to the greatest heights at court.
"My Queen," he said, now turning his attention to Elia. "Do you approve of this path?"
She could feel Rhaegar's gaze on her.
And she did not give a fig of it.
"I was raised to follow the Seven." Her words were sweet and soft, her smile demure. "And I have no wish to break with them nor insult them." The Seven clearly didn't give a fig about her, of course, but if she could use them to her advantage now - well, font of mercy and all the rest.
"Your work for the children of the city could only raise you in their esteem, my Queen," the High Septon said with praising warmth before turning his attentions back to the king. "To recognize your act with Lady Stark would be both an insult to the Seven and to your wife, the Queen. If you wish to live with the lady without formal recognition, that is beyond our scope, of course."
"You prefer that I live in sin than to deem our vows true?" Rhaegar asked incredulously.
The High Septon quirked his mouth, making a clucking noise as he seemed to ruminate in thought. "I do not support that either. But your choice to live in sin does not require my recognition. A marriage does. And that is something I simply cannot do."
"Simple? Simple? To deny your King is something you regard as simple?" the king demanded.
Rhaegar was met by a defiant raise of his chin from his opponent and a cool gaze. "Before you, I must answer to the Seven, you grace. And to honor your request would be to dishonor them." Elia watched as her husband took in this stance of defiance, rage beginning to ripple in his eyes.
Then the High Septon spoke. "If I can offer some counsel, your grace."
"Why restrain yourself now," Rheagar said in a gritted, tight tone.
"After your father's actions over the most recent years, I wonder how others might receive your attempt to challenge the laws of our land in such a fashion."
Looking upon her husband, normally calm and melancholy, Elia wondered if his eyes had even been indigo - for now they were near black in anger. "I am King."
"I believe that was your father's reasoning as well."
Rhaegar stood up swiftly from his chair at that. "And I wonder if it is not time for the Crown to reevaluate our taxation policy towards the Faith, High Septon, as well as your land holdings. They are quite generous, are they not?"
For the first time since they walked into the room, the holy man seemed to lose his mask of calm. His eyes twitched slightly before a thin smile crossed his lips.
You fool, the queen thought as she fought the urge to roll her eyes at her husband's threat. Now you've threatened his coin and property. No man, holy or not, will stand for that.
"If you feel that is what is right, then you must do as you see fit, my King." He rose from his own chair then. "And I will do as I see fit and pray that the light of the Seven shines on you once more...to bring you away from such darkness." A chill went down Elia's spine.
For as calm and quiet as the man's words were, somehow the hint of dangerous warning lingered in his voice all the same.
'Sometimes it is best to create new paths, Rhaelle had advised her.
And suddenly Elia knew nothing else would be more important than that now.
Note: I don't really think Rhaegar would honestly have pressed for the "marriage" to be recognized but it's kind of boring seeing so many fics make it seem like polygamy would be no big deal when that just would not be the case. Hence this plot line and why the High Septon entered the story a few chapters back.
