The days that followed passed in a blur for Rhaena. Grief overtook every thought and feeling she possessed, and only through sheer force of will was she able to accomplish anything useful. After Jon had been taken into custody, the Unsullied had turned to Rhaena to lead them, and so she had stepped into her sister's place and begun to take over the reestablishment of the Seven Kingdoms. Upon her order, ravens were sent to each house of every realm, narrating the events that had led to Cersei's dethronement, the death of the Dragon Queen, and a summons for the Lords and Kings of the land to journey to King's Landing in order to take part in a grand council to determine what was to be done. Some began to call Rhaena queen, but the moment she heard the word pass someone's lip she had snapped, forbidden anyone to call her queen. It was too much. Too soon. She could not bear that burden and had no intention of doing so. Instead, she simply…she simply forged ahead and did what needed to be done, starting with the numberless dead.
Not wanting to minimise the truth of the terrible devastation that had been wrought, Rhaena ordered that each and every single body was to be counted and tallied so that no one was forgotten, no life left unchecked, and that those responsible would forever carry that final count branded into the minds for the rest of their lives. As they were counted, they were then gentle carried away in order to be buried or further cremated, Silent Sisters and septons assisting in the morbid work which needed to be done. The Unsullied and the soldiers that remained of the Lannister army were also set to work beginning to clear away at the rubble so at the very least the streets were passable, whereby the long beginning of rectifying the destruction of King's Landing could begin. One of the very first acts Rhaena made, however, was to release Tyrion. Grey Worm had initially protested, but in the quiet, dead voice that Rhaena now possessed, she had softly told him that she could not continue alone and that she needed him to help her. Although Tyrion may have committed treason against Daenerys, it had been done with pure intentions, out of love for a brother, and the hope to avoid the carnage that had inevitably followed. Grey Worm had looked at Rhaena then, truly looked at her, and likened her unto a walking corpse. There was no life left in here now. She coughed often, sometimes even spitting up blood, and she moved in a slow shuffle whilst shivering, always cold and seemingly empty. Pitying the creature he saw, Grey Worm had softened, and agreed to release Tyrion, under the condition that he must still face justice for his crimes. He fetched the little man himself, who had blinked at him in surprise when Grey Worm had arrived only to order him to follow him after removing his shackles.
At first Tyrion thought that he was being led to his execution, not knowing what had happened beyond the door of his makeshift cell. Instead he was brought to the queen's chambers in Maegar's Holdfast, one of the few parts of the keep left untouched, where he was all but thrust inside. When he saw Rhaena, however, a strangled cry tore from his throat and he found himself striding to her before his head had even caught up with his legs. Taking hold of her hands, Tyrion found them to be freezing cold. "Boil some spiced wine for the princess. Now!" Barking with such ferocity, his order was immediately followed by a pair of quivering maidservants. Softening, he turned back to Rhaena who had lost her lustre and vibrancy entirely. "Rhae? Rhaena? What has happened my dearest Rhae?" Hearing his voice, Rhaena forced herself to raise her head and look at Tyrion, but even when their eyes met, it felt to Tyrion that she was seeing through him, not entirely registering that he was there.
"Dead. She's dead, Tyrion. She's dead."
"Who's dead? Who?" Shaking her head, Rhaena was unable to speak any further, and so Tyrion turned to Grey Worm for an explanation.
"Jon Snow murdered our queen. She has been carried away by her dragon. She is gone." A thousand thoughts and emotions began to assault Tyrion in that moment in reaction to the news, a heavy breath escaping him, but all of that would have to wait. Right now, Rhaena needed him, seemingly more than she ever had done before, because this was the first time he had seen her truly broken, and that was a terrifying concept.
"And you have simply left our princess to wallow and decay like a corpse herself?!" Rage built through Tyrion's entire body, which even though was not tall, made him feel like a giant in that moment. "Why has no one been caring for her?! What has she eaten? When did she last eat? Does she sleep? Have you thought to console her? To offer her comfort? To send for a maester? Well? Did you?" Having done none of these things, Grey Worm could only lower his head.
"Unsullied…are not trained in these things." But this excuse was not enough for Tyrion. Not when his Rhaena was suffering because the people around her were incapable of showing any genuine emotion or empathy. Grimacing at Grey Worm, Tyrion began to list off orders, taking up the role as caregiver, friend, confident and administrator as he insisted that Rhaena take to her bed and not rise from it at least until the morrow. He wanted to send her back to Dragonstone to rest and grieve in peace, but she refused. Rhaena would not hear of any plan to be sent away somewhere else. Not to Dragonstone, not to Dorne, not even to Winterfell which she loved best. Her place was here in King's Landing, where she vowed to remain until the kingdom was restored and peace was assured. Once there was no longer any need for her to stay, only then would she leave. Knowing that it was impossible to argue with her, Tyrion could only stand by her side to support her as she commanded during the day and console her when she wept throughout the night. Despite all his efforts, Rhaena remained wallowing and lifeless, staring into oblivion as thick beads fell down her cheeks whenever they pleased. As Tyrion watched her, his heart ached.
"Rhae…this goes far beyond grief," he whispered to her one evening as he stroked her hair and held her hand which she clutched with all the strength she still possessed, as if fearful that if she were to let go, he too would disappear. "This is guilt." Having spoken to Jon Snow of what needed to be done, Tyrion had never imagined that Rhaena would take up the task herself. He did not know the details for he could not go to Jon to ask, but as he studied Rhaena whom he knew so well, it did not take much wisdom to realise that Rhaena's grief was fuelled by something far deeper. At his words, Rhaena had opened her eyes and giving Tyrion a tired, dead look. It was all the answer he needed. "We shall not speak of it. Never. Not to anyone. We shall not give the truth any life from our breath. It shall die with us, and Jon." Vowing to her ardently, Tyrion pressed a firm kiss to Rhaena's hand as he held it. "I only wish I can take this burden from you…that I had acted in your stead." Knowing that he meant every word he spoke, Rhaena began to withdraw a little from her internal shell, opening her eyes to the outside world the way one might delicately draw aside a curtain, testing the intensity of the sunshine. Her fingers twitched against Tyrion's and she drew in a deep, steady breath. Tyrion spoke no further, but never once did he move from her side.
Since there was no cure for grief, Tyrion felt more than useless each night he attempted to console Rhaena as he stroked at her hair and sought to raise her spirits in every manner he could concoct, telling her funny stories and jokes as well as delivering several very badly sung songs. Sometimes he might succeed in bringing a faint smile to her face, but then it would vanish, and the long process would begin all over again to seek the next one. Although it was not evident to him, Rhaena was grateful for Tyrion's presence, and did not know how she would have coped without him beside her day and night in those which followed her sister's death and the demand the kingdom made upon her until the council could convene of the Lords and Ladies of Westeros. At least, those of them that still remained living. They had even sent for Varys upon Dragonstone, for Rhaena knew that she would need every capable man at her disposal in order to place the pieces where they needed to fall, preparing for whatever might come next. She would have been content to simply pardon both Tyron and Varys for their crimes against Daenerys, but the Unsullied would not accept such mercy. Unable to risk losing their strength to maintain the fragile peace, Rhaena knew that there was only one way to pacify them. A trial was held for both Varys and Tyrion so that they might declare their sins, with Rhaena standing as their judge and the Unsullied standing as witnesses. She listened to what they had to say and asked for Grey Worm's opinion, knowing that he keenly felt the need to enact justice on her sister's behalf owing to how unwavering his loyalty was to her. She listened to all those who had something to say, considered, then reached a final verdict.
"Lord Varys, Lord Tyrion, you stand accused of conspiracy and treason against my sister, Queen Daenerys of House Targaryen, First of Her Name. How do you plead?" Without hesitation, both freely admitted their guilt. "I have listened to your words as well as the opinions of those who had something they wished to say. I find you guilty of these charges…however, I acknowledge that these treasons were not done out of malice." Taking a deep breath, Rhaena closed her eyes in order to settle her emotions so that she could appear calm and collected before those who bore witness to the trial. "Your love for my sister was genuine, I know this to be a fact. Your actions were wrong, but with them you intended to serve a purpose greater than that of any single person. That of justice for the people." Casting her eyes towards Grey Worm and his Unsullied, Rhaena dipped her head towards them as she held Grey Worm's eyes. "The war is over. My sister is gone. I am tired of bloodshed and suffering. I would have it end, here and now. So here is my decision, and this shall be your punishment. Lord Varys, Lord Tyrion…I hereby command you to continue to serve the Seven Kingdoms faithfully and loyally. You shall be the voices of the people and the protectors of the weak. Whomever sits upon the throne of the Seven Kingdoms hereafter, you shall serve them as best as your abilities allow, and you shall do so until your dying day." Once she was finished speaking, Rhaena allowed herself a little smile to the two men who had seen her through many dangers and sufferings, and for the briefest moment, Tyrion saw a hint of her old self in that expression. It allowed him to hope that perhaps one day, when the potency of grief had lessened, Rhaena might once again thrive with life and laughter as she had before.