The queen was undeniably furious when she found out that someone had set the direwolf free, just like Rhaena knew she would be. She was glad she had made it look like the direwolf had escaped on her own, having also hidden away the collar and chain so that it would not be found however the queen had her suspicions that someone had let Lady free, and her eyes turned upon Rhaena. She could prove nothing, however, and since Lord Stark also had his suspicions, had purposefully kept Rhaena close at hand so that the queen could not corner her or drag her away without him becoming aware of it. Ser Barristan came to Rhaena's aid, however, passingly mentioning to the queen that he had been beside Rhaena during the altercation and would not have been able to free the direwolf without his knowledge. It was very rarely that Ser Barristan would lie, in fact no one but Rhaena knew him to ever have done so, because whenever he did it was always for her safety and benefit. She loved the man for it, thanking him secretly but never spoke anything more of the matter.
Cersei wanted to send men into the woods to hunt the direwolves however the king had no more patience for her nonsense and forbade anyone to hunt the beasts down as he wanted to continue the march without delay. Thus the queen lost the battle and Rhaena relished in her glorious victory and savoured every moment of the queen's displeasure. She could not wait to share this with Tyrion when he returned from visiting the Wall, for he was the only person Rhaena would trust with such information even though he was Cersei's younger brother. He would enjoy her unhappiness just as much as she would. Rhaena missed Tyrion's company terribly as other than Ser Barristan and occasionally Lord Stark, there was no one of any real intelligence to talk to, so Rhaena made do with the other servants. Now they had always been careful with how they treated Rhaena. They could never outwardly show her favour, especially not in the presence of the king, queen, knights, lords, ladies…practically anyone of nobility, however in secret and in private, they were always good to Rhaena. Back at the Red Keep, sometimes Rhaena would come away from the kitchens with food slipped into her pockets though she never knew by who. Their fingers were often too quick.
Being servants, practically all of them were either in the service of Lord Baelish or Lord Varys and each of them willing to tattle on one another for coin, however Rhaena seemed to be their grey area. Because Rhaena had grown up practically as one of them, they viewed her as one of their own. Only the truly desperate would ever report on Rhaena, or the extremely greedy, some had even lied to their employers to protect Rhaena when she had run away to hide somewhere for a time in order to escape whoever had attempted to hurt her at the time. They protected her because Rhaena would often protect them. She would charge a knight who was attempting to force his way onto a maid, she would kick a lord who wanted to flog a cupbearer for spilling his wine, she had even once dared shout at the queen herself to defend a young maid accused of theft when the girl had indeed done nothing wrong, claiming the fault despite the fact that she herself had never touched the jewels either. They talked to her in private, sharing information, gossip and jokes, and it was here that Rhaena drew upon the knowledge of the invisible people to know secrets that were meant to be closely guarded. They were her only true weapon, and more than once knowing the right piece of information had saved her life.
The only servants who were not afraid to speak to Rhaena openly were those in the employment of the Starks. They greeted her boldly and pressed food into her hands whenever she passed greeting with them, some of the older matrons fussing with her hair and pinching at her cheeks whilst exclaiming how skinny she was, the guards and soldiers under Lord Stark began to dote on her also as Rhaena was always ready and willing to entertain them with a song or a story, for she was quite good at those. Soon she was treated as if she were one of them, and Rhaena relished in the sensation twice over because not only was it a pleasing feeling to be welcomed so openly, but also because she knew the queen despised the fact that Rhaena felt any semblance of joy at all. Any victory over the queen was a welcome one, though the closer they came to King's Landing, the more Rhaena's spirits dwindled. She hated the place more than she could say and would like nothing more than to burn it all to the ground just to erase it from the map. It was rife with poverty and hunger, the poor amassed in the streets because there was no work or food for them and it stank something rotten because of the clusters of corpses and waste which filled the streets also. When Rhaena looked upon it again for the first time in months, it took everything she had not to turn tail and run.
King's Landing had not changed in the few months Rhaena had left it. It was exactly the same as before down to the last rat. At least the upper circle was cleaner. She was currently riding with Ser Barristan which meant she was in full view of the people who gathered to watch the royal procession on it's return to the palace. The people gathered together and Rhaena could feel many of them staring directly at her and murmur her name. Being the last Targaryen in Westeros, she was somewhat well known and easily distinguishable. Rhaena was used to being unseen so having so many eyes upon her was unnerving, but she forced herself to bear with it and turned towards the people with her head high but offered them a kindly smile. People gasped when they saw her, and she made a point of looking directly into certain people's eyes. A young man, a little girl, an elderly woman, a poor mother, a craftsman, a trader, anyone who she chose and would nod to them in acknowledgement, causing some to gasp and clutch their hands to their mouths. She even dared a wave or two.
Whispers began to spread and Rhaena smiled slightly as they called her the dragon girl. She even caught the word "princess" every now and then as the continued to process slowly and grandly through the main streets back to the keep. "You are tempting fate, little dragon." Ser Barristan warned her as he positioned his horse to keep Rhaena as far out of sight of the king and queen as well as their guard as possible.
"I do no such thing; I am simply being polite." She countered easily as she spotted a little girl with bright eyes, a freckled face and dirty hair sitting upon the shoulders of a man just as filthy, one would presume her father. Rhaena offered up her most dazzling smile and reached forwards as the girl had been reaching out towards her, stretching as far as she was able and just as Ser Barristan's horse drew level with the girl, their fingertips brushed. A bright rush of delight and amazement lit the girl's features, causing Rhaena to laugh lightly as she drew back, and a few approving shouts came from the masses at her actions. "They would have been my people had things been different. This does not mean that I no longer care for them because I am not their princess any longer. If a few smiles and a wave can bring them a few moments of joy, then what right have I to withhold them?" Rhaena reasoned easily with the tongue of a politician, one she had learned through observation of those around her.
"I have no reply, little dragon. Only concern for what others may think of your actions." Knowing Ser Barristan to be right, Rhaena satisfied herself with only nods and smiles from then onwards as not to draw too much attention to herself. Eventually the procession made its return to the Red Keep where the royal family disembarked and began to disassemble, most of the wagons and supplies being taken away to be dealt with out of sight. "Here we are little dragon. Allow me." Dismounting first from the horse, Ser Barristan then lifted up his hands in order to take Rhaena's slim waist and lift her effortlessly down to the ground, setting her firmly upon her feet. Giving her a smile, Ser Barristan then escorted Rhaena to the quarters where the Hand and his household were to be housed, where Rhaena's new place would be amongst them.
She was given a new room, one directly between Sansa and Arya to which Lord Stark jokingly explained that he was depending upon Rhaena to be the final barrier between his two daughters clashing and bringing down the entire keep. He had sought her out in order to ensure that she would be comfortable, knocking upon the open door and standing in the doorway to wait politely before being invited in. At his joke Rhaena had laughed and promised to do her very best. She gazed around her new chamber which was spacious and even had a balcony which looked towards the sea where she could sit and enjoy some sunlight in peace should she so wish. It was perfect. More than she could have ever hoped for. "Are you content with this room, my lady?" Lord Stark questioned courteously and Rhaena nearly burst into tears there and then for his tenderness.
"Yes, Lord Hand. It is far more than I deserve, and I thank you for it." Turning to face him Rhaena dropped into the deepest curtsey she could manage.
"No, do not say such things. You deserve this and more. I shall see to it that you are provided with new necessities. I know little of such things, so I have entrusted my daughters' septa, Septa Mordane, to see to your provisions. She is a good woman and knows what a young woman requires, but if there is anything you wish to have then by all means, ask her directly and she will see that you receive it." There were no words to convey the depths of Rhaena's gratitude to Lord Stark. Were it appropriate she would have embraced him there and then and possibly even kissed his cheek. All she could do was stand there looking dumbstruck and on the verge of tears. It was this expression which prompted Lord Stark to react in a fatherly manner, which meant taking Rhaena into his arms and embracing her as he would his own daughter. It was the final blow, and finally Rhaena broke down into floods of tears. All her suffering and fears came stampeding upon her all at once alongside the relief that it was now finally all over.
Instincts taking over, Lord Stark tightened his grasp and allowed Rhaena to sob against him as Ser Barristan looked on in solemn silence, pitying the girl for having to hold back all those tears for so long. Looking to the experienced knight, Lord Stark sent a silent command which Ser Barristan immediately understood as a request to leave so that the girl could cry without compromising too much of her dignity. Rhaena cried until her head throbbed and she felt weak at the knees, but even after she had fallen silent Lord Eddard Stark continued to hold her and stroke her hair. "I give you my word. No one shall ever mistreat you again, not so long as I live and breathe." And she believed him, because she knew Lord Stark to be a man of his word. However, what did not occur to Rhaena then was the condition that to guarantee her safety and happiness depended upon Lord Stark being alive, and it never occurred to any of them that the great Eddard Stark would die before his time.