Author's Note: As promised here is the second part to the very first episode of House of the Dragon. I've really been enjoying writing this story so far. I definitely feel a piece of Elaena in myself. So, without further ado, Happy Reading!
DISCLAIMER: Trigger Warning for Violence and Adult Themes
THE DRAGON & THE ROSE - EPISODE ONE/PART TWO
Elaena sat in silence, watching the crowds that had arrived for the tournament as the rest of the members of the court filled the Royal Viewing Box. It was almost full, save for a handful of people like Rhaenyra who were no where to be seen. Elaena wondered where she had gone off to in such a rush, and in such secrecy. She wondered if it was to see Daemon. She would have continued pondering these thoughts if it weren't for the young girl around Rhaenyra's age that sat stood before her.
"Good morning, Your Grace," the brunette girl said, smiling widely as she curtsied. "I'm Alicent Hightower."
"Yes, of course, Lady Hightower... it's a pleasure to see you again," Elaena said, forcing a polite smile despite the unsettling news she had just pried out of Cley.
"You remember me?" she asked, looking a little shocked.
"Of course I remember you." Elaena nodded, "We met in Harrenhal on my way to Winterfell for the first time and you on your way to the capital."
"That's right," she said, eagerly nodding. "I'm just surprised you remember. You were a young lady at the time, I was still just a child playing with sticks."
"How could I not remember?" Elaena asked, feeling her voice turn a bit sour. "It was you and your father on your way to court to replace me and mine."
Alicent's face fell a bit as she stood before Elaena, "I'm sorry-"
"No, no," Elaena shook her head, "I'm sorry, that was terribly rude of me, I've had a bit of a rough morning that's all. Forgive me, please sit."
"There's nothing to forgive," Alicent said sweetly, pausing to look at Elaena as she sat. "You two look exactly alike you know... Rhaenyra and you. You're both very beautiful."
"You're too kind," Elaena said with a small smile.
"It's true though, you could be twins if not for the difference in height."
"She's the closest thing I have to a sister." Elaena thought out loud. "I'm sure you two have grown very close as well over the years."
"Yes, her Grace is my closest friend." Alicent smiled, looking down at her hands. "Court can be a lonely place without someone in your corner. I'm lucky to have her in mine."
"We both are. Hopefully now that I'm back we can be friends as well. It can't hurt to have you in my corner and I in yours."
"I'd like that," Alicent said sincerely, as if it meant a lot to her. Elaena smiled at her before looking towards the arena as the King began his speech.
Elaena couldn't listen clearly to him though, save for a few words here and there. She didn't even remember seeing Rhaenyra sneak across her to sit in between her and Alicent. All she could think about was what Cley had said to her in the halls, about what Daemon had done. Maybe Aemma and Cley were right. Maybe he was dangerous. And as Cley had said, she hadn't seen him in nine years. Perhaps he wasn't the same as how she pictured him to be in her mind from all those years ago. And yet... perhaps she didn't want him to be.
"Elaena," Rhaenyra whispered, nudging her in the side a bit. "Are you in there?"
"Yes, sorry, I was just thinking," Elaena said, the rest of the world coming back into focus around her.
"About what?" Rhaenyra asked, adjusting her bodice.
"It's nothing." Elaena shook her head, looking back to the crowd of people before them. "What took you so long?"
"I was just changing my shoes, the others squeezed my feet too tightly," Rhaenyra said casually, her eyes glimmering.
"Why didn't you just tell me that, I would have come with you," Elaena said softly, feeling a sneaking suspicion about Rhaenyra's story.
"Father is already suspect of us running around together wihtout supervision, even if we're doing something harmless. Best to keep cautious about it for now."
"Right," Elaena responded, looking out at the screaming crowd of spectators. "Best be cautious."
Rhaenyra turned to Alicent, the two of them talking about one of the men about to joust, Ser Cole.
"Princess Rhaenys Targaryen," Lord Boremund Baratheon announced, walking towards the box where all the royals sat. "I would humbly ask for the favor of the 'Queen Who Never Was.'"
Elaena clapped mindlessly as her eldest cousin went to give him her favor. Rhaenyra and Alicent gossiped together as Elaena searched the ground below for Daemon. Of all the knights prepared to joust, he was nowhere in sight. No one representing the Targaryens were. Once her search was deemed futile, she sat back in her seat and relaxed a bit, ready to watch the games. She could feel Lynara's eyes on the back of her head, commanding her to sight up straighter. But she didn't need that in order to do it. Lord Boremund was brutally unhorsed down below, causing everyone to jump forward in their seats. The lance splintered into his chainmail, knocking him from his horse and landing him on his head before sliding face first across the ground. The arena gasped in unison, then erupted into a mixture of cheers and booing.
Elaena continued to clap as Ser Harrold, Rhaenyra's private guard, came over.
"What do you know about this Ser Christan Cole, Ser Harrold?" Rhaenyra asked, not taking her eyes off of the mystery knight below.
"I'm told Ser Christan is a common-born son of Lord Dondarrion's steward. But other than that and the fact that he's just unhorsed both of the Baratheon lads, I really couldn't say."
Elaena listened carefully, finding the knight with her eyes that Ser Harrold spoke of. But as soon as she had found him the drums started up again, and the court's page put up the Targaryen flag to announce the next opponent. The arena erupted into cheers as the line of horsed men rode out. Elaena felt her body stiffen a bit, and nerves bubbled in her stomach.
"Ser Daemon of House Targaryen, Prince of the City, will now choose his first opponent!" the page roared, to which Daemon bolted out from the gates. Elaena's eyes followed the dark steed that carried him, and the bright red hair that was pinned to his helmet. After thundering into the arena he rode slowly, examining the competition in front of him before pointing to a man in green with his lance.
"For his first challenge. Prince Daemon Targaryen chooses Ser Gwayne Hightower of Oldtown, eldest son of the Hand of the King!"
Elaena looked to Alicent, Gwayne's younger sister, and saw that she had begun to pick at her cuticles. They were already raw and red and the match hadn't even started. Her face was filled with worry as her brother rode out from the line to go against Daemon. Elaena certainly didn't want Daemon to lose, but she also didn't know if she wanted for him to win. She wasn't sure how she felt about the news of his actions last night, but whatever the feeling was, it didn't feel good.
She nervously clapped, then joined hands with Rhaenyra, who was using her other hand to comfort Alicent. The arena fell quiet as the two opponents were opposite each other, then erupted into cheers as they both began their gallop towards each other. Elaena watched, forcing herself not to close her eyes despite the pit of nerves in her stomach.
And then it happened, Ser Gwayne's lance struck Daemon, nearly knocking him off of his horse. Elaena jumped up in her seat when it happened, feeling her heart flutter faster for him. But before she could react any further his squire handed him a second lance, and they were charging each other again. Daemon thrusted his lance down, blocking the horse's path and causing it to roll forward, throwing Gwayne off.
The crowd exclaimed as both the horse and the man rolled through the dirt, their limbs flailing around them. Alicent's hand flew to cover her open mouth as she nervously awaited her brother to move. He was then taken away by two other men, pulled off of the list-field along the limping horse. Everyone clapped as Daemon rode his horse towards the three girls.
They all stood, approaching the railing as he looked up in victory.
"Nicely done, Uncle." Rhaenyra smiled, leaning forward over the rail.
"Thank you Princess," Daemon said, breathing heavily. "Now, I'm fairly sure I can win these games Princess..." He paused a moment, then looked over, "...Elaena, but having your favor would all but assure it."
Elaena looked at him silently, then turned to get her wreath of dried baby's breath, ivy, and silver silk. He held his lance up for her to drop the favor, smirking as she did so.
He nodded once, his eyes boring into hers as the crowd cheered happily. "Wish me luck, Princess?"
"I have a feeling you won't need it cousin," Elaena said, trying to keep him from seeing her nerves. "But nonetheless, good luck."
Rhaenyra looked from Daemon to Elaena, sensing the tension between them, then took Elaena by the hand back to their seats. "What's going on with you two?" Rhaenyra asked, her face close to Elaena.
"It's about the alleged spectacle your father was talking about at breakfast," Elaena whispered, watching Daemon as he rode out to rest before his next challenge. Despite going the opposite way, he was still holding persistent eye contact with her, as if trying to read her mind. "I'll tell you later, I promise."
She ripped her eyes from him and sat back in her seat, only to hear hushed voices behind. The girls looked back to see the King leaving his seat. Rhaenyra looked a bit worried, her brows scrunching together and eyes wide.
"Do you think something's wrong with my mother?" Rhaenyra asked, watching her father as he walked quickly from the arena.
"Don't worry," Elaena said, taking her hand into her own, "I'm sure he'll be back in no time to announce the birth of your little brother or sister."
Rhaenyra didn't respond, only giving Elaena a hopeful nod. Elaena smiled softly, squeezing her hand. "Just enjoy the festivities."
"Right," Rhaenyra said quietly, returning her gaze to the joust.
The two continued to watch as the games continued, both of them wrapping their minds around the tournament to escape the gnawing worries they had. After yet another joust, two of the opponents continued in open combat, one weilding a sword and the other an axe. The man with an axe then plunged the weapon into the other's face, splitting his skull in two. Everyone jumped and gasped, then started cheering for the next round of opponents. Elaena clapped politely, watching the bloodshed without batting an eye.
"Ser Christan Cole will now tilt against Ser Daemon Targaryen, Prince of the City!" The page called out, to which the arena roared with excitement. Ser Christan had been the best of the day so far, but Elaena knew her cousin would stop at nothing to win, this much she knew hadn't changed about him in her time away.
Rhaenyra sat up in her seat, an excited smile on her face as the two faced each other. Elaena couldn't tell who Rhaenyra was rooting for to win, but she didn't know who she wanted to win either. Despite her anger with Daemon, Elaena knew deep down that she was wanting him to come out on top of it. After seeing him compete throughout the day, she saw that he had a talent for true danger and violence. But what she feared more than the news of his violence last night, and his display of it today, was that it didn't truly bother her. In fact, she found herself intrigued by it.
She sat up a little as Daemon mounted the horse, her eyes glued to the dark stallion. After two passes at each other, neither of them had knocked each other off of their horses, and the suspense was rising. Elaena could feel her heart beating in her throat, and her stomach had dropped to her feet. And then Daemon was struck right in the chest, throwing him so far backwards his foot became dislodged from the saddle. Elaena held her breath as the horse kept running, dragging Daemon on his back across the barricade until he finally fell off and landed in the dirt.
"SWORD!" He yelled, snatching Dark Sister from his squire.
Elanea inhaled sharply as he started towards Ser Christan, her eyes flitting back and forth between them as the gap narrowed. While most of the other opponents had chosen swords or axes, Ser Christan had a ball and chain he was swinging around, and everyone knew from the day's history that he knew how to use it. Within two blows he had broken Daemon's shield, leaving him exposed.
Rhaenyra squeezed Elaena's hand tightly, both of them could feel each other's bodies jolting with each and every blow the men made to one another down below. And just as they both expected Ser Christan to take Daemon out, Daemon struck him to the ground. In victory he held his arms up in the air, bellowing loudly as he spun to face the whole arena. He stopped and looked directly at Elaena, his eyes smiling at her with triumph.
But with no longer than two seconds of his win, Ser Christan stood and hit Daemon in the back with his ball and chain. Elaena jumped from her seat to a standing position, watching intesnely as Daemon scrambled to reach for his sword, but it was too late. Ser Christan stood over him with the ball and chain raised. The arena was silent, waiting as the two exchanged one word each. Daemon ended up yeilding, but refused to take Christan's hand to stand up. Ser Christan walked past him and towards the girls, taking his helmet off to reveal a more than handsome Dornish face.
The three girls moved towards him, looking down to examine him.
"I was hoping to ask for Princess Rhaenyra's favor," he said, out of breath with blood trickling down his forehead.
Rhaenyra smiled giddily, unable to help herself. Normally, Elaena would be just as excited to see such a handsome man, but she couldn't take her eyes off of Daemon as he drank from his flask. Rhaenyra returned with her dark red favor made of roses, then tossed it down to him.
"I wish you luck, Ser Christan." she smiled at him.
"Princess." he nodded, taking his favor and leaving.
But just as it had been before, hushed talking resumed behind the girls. They turned around, seeing the Hand of the King begin to whisper to all of the small council members with a grave face. One by one they all stood and left their seats.
Rhaenyra's smile dropped completely off of her face, leaving a look of horror and fear.
"Ladies and Gentlemen, the tournament is officially ended!" the Page bellowed, which was met initially with boos. "The new heir, has been born!"
The crowd immediately turned from anger to cheering, but both Rhaenyra and Eleana could see that something was wrong.
"Go," Elaena said urgently, "Go to your mother, now."
Rhaenyra nodded, rushing with Ser Harrold out of the Royal Box.
"I'll see you at the castle." Elaena nodded, giving Alicent a quick and forced smile before turning towards her own knight. "Ser Cley- what's happened?"
He looked at her with a fallen face and leaned towards her ear to whisper, "The queen has died."
Elaena's head snapped back as she looked at him with disbelief. "What?" she whispered. "Were there complications with the birth?"
He cleared his throat uncomfortably before leaning back down, "I heard The Hand say that the King had to choose to cut the babe from her, or loose them both. He chose the child, Your Grace."
Elaena stood still as stone, tears welling in her eyes. "I need you to take me to the castle, immediately. Fetch a carriage."
"Yes, Your Grace." Ser Cley nodded.
She turned around, facing the arena to take a deep breath. Every moment following now would be complete chaos. People had already started leaving to go celebrate the birth of the new heir. Her eyes flitted around only to find Daemon looking at her with confusion. Her chest rose and fell quickly as she shook her head at him to alert him that something was wrong, then Ser Cley approached her, leaning into her ear again. Daemon took a step forward, shifting his weight as he stared across the field at her, trying to figure out what was happening.
"There are no carriages, Your Grace. The hand and his daughter Lady Alicent took the last one."
"Then we'll go on foot," she said firmly.
"It's too dangerous, the streets will be flooded with people. The rest of the guard is escorting the others, so we must wait-" Cley protested.
"I don't care," she said numbly, looking at Daemon one last time before turning. "I'm going now, with or without you."
He wrapped his cloak around her quickly and pulled the hood up to disguise her white hair, then took off. They walked as quickly as they could without raising suspicion in those around them. She could feel her feet begin to blister and bleed from her shoes, but she didn't care. She needed to be ready to be there for Rhaenyra. Elaena knew what it was like to lose a mother. And she also knew what it felt like to have your father be the one to make the decision that resulted in a mother being taken from this world. The pain was devastating in every way imaginable. And more than anything, Rhaenyra needed to know she wasn't alone, that she was going to make it through this.
Cley pushed through the crowds, sweat dripping from his face down his neck. The streets were beginning to get more crowded, filling with drunken people celebrating. It all made her feel sick inside when she knew the truth of what just happened. She could feel her skin flushing red, and it was difficult to breathe from the corset being so tight.
"To the new heir!" a man shouted, lifting a flaggon of ale into the air. People around her roared with excitement, and when she thought it wasn't possible for more people to be out and about on the path, the number grew exponentially around her. Ser Cole had his hand on his sword, ready for something to go wrong as he lead her through the sea of people. She held tightly onto his arm with her head down, partly to keep from being separated, partly to keep from falling.
With every step she felt sicker and sicker, her lungs filling with less air with every breath. With her free hand she tried pulling at the corset under her dress to loosen it, but it wouldn't budge. When she looked back up, the hood fell from her head and shoulders, revealing the bright white dress and silver hair.
"It's The Lost Princess!" a man shouted, spotting her as she moved through the crowd. Suddenly everyone around lost focus on celebrating and turned to her, cheering and surrounding her like flies to a piece of rotting fruit.
"STEP BACK!" Ser Cley shouted, drawing his sword to push through the crowds.
"PRINCESS ELAENA!" people shouted, all reaching towards her.
"YOUR GRACE!"
"What do you think you're doing?" a voice bellowed behind them. Elaena turned shakily to see Daemon standing with his sword drawn as well. "Why didn't you wait for a carriage to take you back, this is madness!"
"Her Grace is needed at the castle at once, Your Grace," Ser Cley shouted back over the noise of the crowd.
"I don't care," Daemon said angrily, "This is reckless!"
"Daemon.." Elaena mumbled, reaching for his arm. She was starting to see dots in front of her instead of people, and his face became fuzzy before her eyes. Her skin paled even further as she tried to breathe in, but it was no use. She couldn't get any air.
"GET BACK!" Daemon shouted at the crowd, warning them all with his sword as the three of them trudged forward.
"Daemon-" Elaena said more forcefully, feeling as if she might be sick, "I can't- I can't see-"
"Just keep moving Elaena, we're almost there-"
All of a sudden she felt a blow to her side, a sharp gutting pain in her chest. A man had fallen into her, his elbow ramming into her stomach, knocking her to the ground and knocking the wind from her lungs. She felt a searing pain in the back of her head as she looked up to where the sky should have been, but only saw darkness. She could hear Daemon and Cley speaking frantically, but their words faded from her consciousness with the rest of the world.
Later That Night
When Eleana woke up, she felt like could finally breathe again. Distant voices pulled her closer and closer to consciouness, but when she opened her eyes it was still dark. She slowly sat up, seeing the flickering of candles around her. She was in her chambers. She looked down to see her dress and corset ripped open, leaving only her shift underneath to cover her. She held the fabric close to her chest as she listened into the voices.
"I don't give a fuck what my brother said about me staying away, I'm staying until she wakes up and I see that she's alright."
"His Grace should at the least be informed-"
"Then by all means go inform him, but you'll have to cut me down to keep from being here."
She sat up further, moving to stand up, but the old wooden frame of the bed creaked loudly, alerting them immediately. Their voices silenced as soon as they heard the sound, and then footsteps came closer to her.
Daemon, Ser Cley, and the Grand Maestor walked towards her, all of them with worry on their faces.
"What happened?" she asked slowly, still taking in her surroundings.
The Grand Maester opened his mouth to begin, but both Ser Cley and Daemon stepped in front of him to be closer to her, interrupting his train of thought.
"Some drunk fell into you and knocked you over. You hit your head on a rock- you... you were barely breathing," Daemon said, his voice filled with anger but his eyes with concern.
"I'm sorry, Your Grace, for the indecency," Cley said slowly, his eyes lowered to the floor, "But we had to cut you out of your dress so you could breathe again."
"It's a shame, you looked beautiful in it," Daemon said softly, standing over her.
"I don't care about dresses or indecency," she said shortly, "I don't even care about me right now. Where's Rhaenyra?"
"She's with my brother," Daemon said, his face hardening.
"I need to go to her-" Elaena said, pushing the blanket off of her legs to stand.
"Oh no you don't," Daemon lunged forward, grabbing her arm firmly in his hand. "You need to rest."
"I'm afraid Prince Daemon is right," the maestor said shakily. "I cleaned the wound on your head, but you are still very weak. Rest and relaxation is surely the only way to-"
"I don't care- just let go of me-"
"Well I do care," Daemon said, pushing her back down forcefully. "You're staying here even if I have to hold you down. You need to rest."
"Grand Maester, Ser Cley," she said shortly, breathing shakily out of her nose, "Please leave me and my cousin for a moment."
"Your Grace, I-"
"I will explain to the King should he question it, but right now I need you both to leave."
She ripped her arm away from Daemon, waiting for the two men to go. Once the door shut, he looked at her with pursed lips.
"I don't care if you're angry with me-"
"Angry?" she scoffed, "I'm livid, Daemon. Rhaenyra needs me-"
"What Rhaenyra needs is to be with her father, to say goodbye to them before the whole world finds out what happened."
"Them?" she asked, her heart sinking.
"The boy lived only a few hours longer than the mother."
She sat back in her bed, feeling the same sickness from before. Elaena closed her eyes, feeling a tear escape as she squeezed them together. Silence washed over them for a few moments, neither one knowing what to say next.
Finally, he broke the silence. "What you did today was reckless. You should have waited."
"I know," she whispered. "I wasn't thinking clearly, I couldn't. And you certainly weren't helping."
"How so? I was down in the tournament the whole time-"
"I needed to leave for Rhaenyra, but I also needed to leave because of you-" she exhaled, avoiding his eyes. "It felt like you were burning a hole in me the whole tournament with how you were staring, and I didn't want to see you- I needed to be there mind, body, and soul for Rhaenyra- not you."
"If I recall correctly, you were burning a hole in me as well," he said, his voice deep and low. "Why is that?"
"I heard what you did last night, with the Gold Cloaks," she said, finally meeting his eyes. Tears blurred her vision but she refused to wipe them away. "You butchered dozens of people."
"Criminals," he corrected her, "I butchered criminals."
"They were still people-"
"Would you feel safer knowing that criminals roam the streets freely? Ones who are dying to get their hands on a pretty princess like yourself?" he asked, standing up abruptly.
She sat silently, not blinking.
"Maybe if I hadn't done what I did last night, you wouldn't have walked away from today with a bump on your head. Maybe you would have been raped or murdered-"
"Stop it, Daemon-" Elaena breathed shakily, as she stood to face him.
"No, you stop it," he said, standing tall over her, closing the space between them. "I did what I did to keep these streets safe. To keep you and Rhaenyra safe. Because even if I butchered dozens last night, there are still dozens more roaming those streets waiting for a taste of the Lost Princess' cun-"
But before he could finish his sentence she struck him across the face with every ounce of her power. He barely moved, only lifting a hand to his lip which now bled. She breathed heavily, feeling her heart race in her chest as he stood quietly. She half expected him to return a blow, or at the least shout at her, but he only stood and spoke calmly.
"Maybe next time you'll thank me for doing what I did. Now stay in bed and rest. There's plenty of time for you to hate and fear me tomorrow."
"That's the thing...I don't fear you," Elaena whispered. "That's what I'm afraid of."
He looked at her without words, breathing in and out. His lips parted, as if he was about to say something, but changed his mind. "You should."
With that, he turned around, calmly leaving the room. Elaena felt herself fold over onto the floor, burying her face in her hands to wipe the tears away.
The door slowly opened, revealing Ser Cley.
"I'm sorry to disturb you, princess," he said softly, "I just wanted to tell you that I'll be stationed outside your door tonight. So you can rest easy."
She sniffled and quickly wiped her eyes as she stood. "Thank you, Ser Cley. I appreciate that.
"Would you like me to send in your Septa, or perhaps-"
"No, thank you," she said, "I'll just be going to sleep now. Goodnight."
"Goodnight, Your Grace."
With that, he shut the door, leaving her alone at last.
One Week Later
Elaena stood hand in hand with Rhaenyra, staring silently at the large funeral pyre before them. The air from the coast blew wildly around them, their long silver hair getting tangled in the wind. Elaena looked up at Syrax, Rhaenyra's dragon. Even the great beast seemed to know that today was a day of mourning.
Daemon took a slow step forward and leaned down in between Elaena and Rhaenyra's ears.
"They're waiting for you," he said softly.
Elaena looked behind over her shoulder to him, her eyes red and puffy. He looked at her gently, pain in his eyes. It had been a week since they last spoke, and he'd tried on multiple occasions to seek her out, but she didn't want to hear it. She turned away and looked to Rhaenyra, who was staring forward.
"It's time, Rhaenyra," Elaena said in High Valyrian, her voice tender.
"I wonder if in the few hours that my brother lived, my father finally found happiness," Rhaenyra muttered.
Elaena looked down to the ground at their black silk dresses flapping in the wind. She didn't know what to say.
Daemon stayed behind them. "Your father needs you now more than ever."
"I will never be a son." was all Rhaenyra could reply with. She let go of Elaena's hand and walked forward towards Syrax, leaving Daemon and Elaena alone together in the crowd of people there for the funeral.
"She doesn't deserve this," Elaena whispered, a tear rolling down her cheek as she watched Rhaenyra.
"Neither did you," Daemon said softly.
The two of them stood in silence, waiting for her word. Rhaenyra looked back to her father, but he only stared forward at the pyre, refusing to look at her. Her face scrunched together to keep from crying for a split second, then returned to being stoic.
"Dracarys."
They all watched as the great dragon walked forward, blowing hot flames onto the pyre. Everyone stood as the bodies burned, watching the black smoke rise in the sky, that is everyone except Rhaenyra. She turned from everyone, walking to Syrax and mounting him. Before anyone could even attempt to stop her, she had taken off with him, flying out over the ocean before them.
One by one, the members of the court started to leave, giving the King space to mourn his wife and child on his own. Elaena turned over her shoulder, only to have Daemon step in front of her.
"Can we talk, please?" he asked looking down at her. "I shouldn't have said what I did that night-"
"Not only was Queen Aemma Rhaenyra's mother, she was also like a mother to me in the year after my own mother's death," Elaena said sharply, looking up at him as the wind blew through them. "Forgive me if I have more on my mind to care about than whether or not you raised your voice."
"I'm trying to apologize, Elaena-"
"I know I was just a girl the last time I saw you...but that was a long time ago," she said quietly, trying to keep from crying. "And I'm certainly not stupid enough to think that what happened that night is more important than properly grieving the loss we all feel right now. I'm going to the Godswood, and I'd like to go alone so I can pray for the souls we have lost. So please... don't follow me."
She walked past him, then past Ser Cley, who followed suit silently behind her. Her feet were sore from the day before, her head throbbed with pain, and her chest felt heavy from grief. But she didn't care, she didn't care about any earthly thing. She needed to be alone. Though she had hated most of what the north had to offer, the only thing she truly cherished during her time in Winterfell was the Godswood. When she felt alone in this world, she'd go there not to pray or plead with Gods, but rather to feel like she was with her mother. The trees helped her to feel less alone despite her technically worshipping the Faith of the Seven and not the old Gods.
Once there, Cley turned around, keeping his distance so she could feel alone. She sat on the ground at the base of one of the weirwood trees and touched the bark, looking at the face that stared back at her.
"I'm scared, mother," she whispered, then looked down at her hands. "I'm scared for what the future will bring. Please look after us all. Protect us from anymore pain and grief that may try to come our way."
She paused, feeling a strange pain in her chest. She had never talked to anyone else other than her mother in the Godswood before.
"Aemma," she said slowly, feeling tears fall freely from her eyes now. "I understand that The Seven needed you more than we did, that they felt like it was time for you to return home... but Rhaenyra still needs you. With a pain and loss like this, she needs you more than ever, and you're the one person who can't be here for her. So please, do your best to watch over her. Guide her the best you can and protect her from any more pain like this. I hope that your soul is at rest with your other children now, that you finally get to be at peace with them. Just know-"
Her voice cracked, a small sob escaping her lips.
"Just know that we'll all miss you."
Elaena exhaled her tears and breathed in the clean air around it deeply, as if it were the last breath she would ever take.
"You don't have to worry about me, Elaena," a voice said behind her, "I'll be alright."
Elaena turned over her shoulder to see Rhaenyra walking towards her. She sunk into the ground next to Elaena and looked up at the weirwood.
"I thought you were with Syrax-"
"I was just taking him back to the Dragonpit. I thought I'd come here and see if the Old Gods could help, since it was the Seven that took my mother."
"I'll leave you alone if you wish-"
"No, stay," Rhaenyra said, looking to Elaena with tears. "Do you think she heard you? My mother?"
"Yes." Elaena nodded, "I do."
"I hope so... and I hope you're right. I hope she found peace with my brothers and sisters," Rhaenyra said slowly. "I hope one day I'll see them all again."
"You will," Elaena smiled sadly, "Just as I'll see my mother. But not for a long, long time. We need each other here until the Gods decide otherwise, and so do they."
"I've never understand faith like you do." Rhaenyra thought out loud. "You've always known exactly what to say or do... exactly how to believe."
"I needed something to cling to after my mother died. I needed to have faith that I would see her again."
"Even before that, when we were little, before you discovered the Godswood in Winterfell...we would go to the Sept and you always knew the right thing to say and do. I don't feel the Faith of the Seven or the Old Gods how you do. Everything I want to say to her feels wrong, like I'm an imposter," Rhaenyra muttered, beginning to cry silently.
"We all connect to the Gods in our own way, Rhaenyra. There's no right or wrong way about it," Elaena said, gripping Rhaenyra's hand. "And there's certainly no right or wrong thing to say to her now. Just tell her, whatever it is, she'll understand."
"And follow your speech to her?" Rhaenyra laughed dryly. "I don't think so."
"Don't be ridiculous," Elaena said, taking Rhaenyra's hand and placing it on the weirwood's smooth trunk. "You're her daughter, not me. It's you she'll want to hear from."
Rhaenyra smiled and nodded through her tears, then looked to the tree. "Do I have to say it out loud too?"
"No." Elaena shook her head, "She's already listening."
"Alright," she said nervously, looking at the tree with fear.
"Would you like for me to pray with you?" Elaena asked.
"Yes," Rhaenyra replied quickly, "Please."
Elaena only nodded, then placed her hand on the tree next to Rhaenyra's hand. Rhaenyra took her free hand and grabbed Elaena's, holding it tightly. The two sat in this position for a long time in silence, praying and speaking to their mothers. When they had finished, they both stayed without speaking. Elaena knew this is what Rhaenyra needed most. She didn't need to have the right words for how she felt, she didn't even need to be praying. She just needed to know that she wasn't alone, and that her mother wasn't truly gone.
"How do I know if it worked, that she heard me?" Rhaenyra whispered, keeping her eyes shut.
"We never really know, or else it wouldn't be called faith," Elaena said softly, "But I like to think they send us signs."
"Signs like what?"
"Open your eyes," Elaena smiled gently, squeezing Rhaenyra's hand. The wind had picked up, blowing the golden red leaves from the tree. The leaves rained down around them, swirling around in small twisters of wind until they hit the floor of the Godswood.
Rhaenyra laughed through her tears, holding her hand up to feel the wind as she watched her mother's response fly around her. When the wind settled and leaves all dropped to the ground, Elaena saw her cousin's face fall, small sobs racking in her chest. She leaned forward, enveloping Rhaenyra into her arms.
"It's going to be alright, I promise," she whispered, holding her tightly. Rhaenyra's body relaxed, allowing the grief to settle in as she cried silently into her arms. "I'm here."
Author's Note: And we are at the end of the first episode of the show/first two chapters of the story. I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing. Make sure to follow the story to get updates for the second episode of the show. Both parts covering the second episode will be out before the third episode airs this Sunday. - J❤️