Author's Note: Hey everyone, thank you all for continuing to read and keep up the with the story. All the love you give it through favoriting/following/reviewing absolutely makes my day every time I post a chapter. It definitely gives me the boost to continue writing this story that I must admit has become much longer than I ever anticipated it to be. :D
With that said, here is the final chapter of episode ten, and as you know from here I will continue to release chapters comprised entirely from plot events in the book and twists that I make of my own. Happy reading everyone~
THE DRAGON & THE ROSE - EPISODE TEN/PART THREE
Rhaena Targaryen
Rhaena looked to her left at Luke once they touched down in the Vale, both of them nervous despite knowing they shouldn't be. Whether it was nerves about the reception they would receive from Jeyne Arryn or the fact that this was the first time either of them were trusted with any adult matter such as this, they didn't know. After all, when it came to the task as a whole it was they who had been adamant about going, about taking more responsability for their family.
In the end Rhaena thought that they both likely just didn't want to let anyone down, they wanted to be able to return from their task without a single problem in their way and the news that all of the banners they were sent to call would return for Queen Rhaenyra.
After the cousins gave each other a small and encouraging smile, they dismounted from Arrax and Onyx, then walked to the edge of the Bloody Gate.
"I am Prince Lucerys Velaryon, and this is Princess Rhaena Targaryen," Luke started, looking to the guards who stood post at the edge of the long path towards the Eyrie. "We're here on behalf of Queen Rhaenyra to deliver a message to Lady Jeyne Arryn."
"At once, Your Graces," one of the guards nodded, turning to the side to lead them. Rhaena and Luke walked quickly behind him, both of them taking in the great castle with awe. Neither one of them had seen anything like it. The castle sat atop the sharp rock mountain, so tall that it seemed to touch the clouds.
Unlike her parents who had traveled all over Westeros and across the Narrow Sea in their youth, Rhaena had never been anywhere except for King's Landing, Dragonstone, and Driftmark. To see the country that she would one day inherit made the idea of her being Queen alongside Jace all the more real. As well as that, getting to see one of the great houses of Westeros made the war that they were now beginning feel more real as well somehow. It wasn't an idea of a threat looming above her and family anymore, it was a tangible danger they could all see and touch.
At the top of the gate they entered through the tall oak doors of the Eyrie, both of them slightly out of breath from the long trek uphill. As they were escorted into the throne room where Jeyne Arryn was waiting for them, Rhaena and Luke gave each other one last look of solidarity and courage.
Inside, the rest of the lords and ladies of the Vale stood in clusters watching their entrance, and sitting up at the top of another long flight of stairs was Jeyne Arryn in her throne. She seemed to be around the same age as their mother's, with dark brown hair and piercing blue eyes. Directly below her was the infamous moon door, wide open and revealing the deep plummet to the stony rocks of the mountain underneath them. Immediately upon approaching her both Rhaena and Luke knew she was a woman to be feared and respected.
"Lady Jeyne Arryn of the Eyrie, Defender of the Vale and Wardeness of the East," one of her bannermen called out, "I present to you Prince Lucerys Velaryon, heir to Driftmark, and Princess Rhaena Targaryen of Dragonstone."
"Thank you Ser Carlysle," Jeyne said slowly, not breaking eye contact with either of the envoys. "Tell me, Your Graces, to what do I owe the pleasure of this unexpected visit?"
"I have come to deliver a message from our Queen," Luke said, handing a scroll to one of the guards who then took it up the stairs to Jeyne. Everyone in the room stood in silence as they waited for her to respond, for they all knew the words inked into the parchment.
Rhaena could feel Luke look at her as they waited, but she didn't meet his gaze this time. They needed to remain strong if by appearance only, they couldn't show any sign of weakness or fear no matter how stiff and nervous the air was arround them. Rhaena forced herself not to look to him, or to the open moon door below them, staring only at Jeyne and wanting for her to respond.
"Queen Rhaenyra wants-"
"I know what your mother wants, My Prince," Jeyne interrupted, folding the paper in hand to look at them again. "I know that Prince Aegon has usurped the throne, but I'm not sure what I am to do about it."
"The Queen asks that you confirm your fealty to her claim to the iron throne, that you pledge the support of your house and all other houses in the Vale to her cause," Luke said with a slightly wavering voice, "There is a war to come and we need to know that you won't break the oath you swore to her."
"While I support Rhaenyra's claim to the throne, a bloody and gruesome civil war between dragons is not something I can support," Jeyne said sharply, "I will not see the men of the Vale's lives sacrificed for something that has nothing to do with me or them."
"It has everything to do with you," Rhaena finally spoke, unable to help herself. Her eyebrows were knitted tightly together as she took another step forward, unable to believe this was the response she was getting. "If you allow another woman, a cousin of yours at that, to have her seat usurped without consequence from the rest of the realm, what's to say that the same thing won't happen to you? What's to say that the men in your family won't take what is yours by birthright?"
"Thrice have my own kin sought to replace me. My cousin Ser Arnold said that women are too soft to rule," Jeyne responded, her voice fierce as she looked down at Rhaena. "I have him in one of my sky cells, if you would like to ask him more about it. My seat will not be challenged again, I won't allow it."
"Whether you allow it or not is of little importance, My Lady," Rhaena continued, shaking her head. "Men will always try to take what is ours by right for their own desires solely on the argument that we are mere women...standing by Queen Rhaenyra's side will make it known to all your people that a female sovereign is to be just as respected and valued the same way a man would be. If you don't you're going to have your own civil war on your hands one day."
Jeyne smiled a little at this, seeming to approve of the fire that Rhaena spoke with. "You make a convincing argument, and I can appreciate your spirit on the matter, Princess Rhaena."
"So will you answer the call your Queen gives you?" Luke asked, his eyes wide with hope. "Will you call your banners in?"
"I will pledge myself and House Arryn to the rightful Queen of the Seven Kindoms," Jeyne said slowly, "But I cannot promise that I'll be able to rally every house of the Vale."
"May I ask why not?" Luke asked, obviously disappointed by this.
"Your cousin who stands beside you is the product of the reason why," Jeyne continued, looking at Rhaena once more. "Her father made an enemy of House Royce and a few others in the Vale after his marriage to one of their own."
"Rhea Royce?" Rhaena asked with confusion. She had known that her father had been married to her before he married her mother, but she didn't know how this could of made him an enemy of one of the great houses of the Vale.
"Many believe that your father murdered her so that he might marry your mother, Princess Elaena," Jeyne said, her eyes narrowed in on Rhaena to observe her reaction. "There's never been any proof other than flying whispers but those whispers have grown loud enough over the years to give this theory credit."
"No, that's not true," Rhaena shook her head, "I know my father, he wouldn't have done that."
"Whether it's true or not doesn't matter," Jeyne shook her head. "Houses Royce, Redford, and Waynwood have already declared allegiance to Aegon's claim for the throne. They refuse to fight on the same side of the man who killed one of their own."
"Then that makes them traitors-" Rhaena started, but Jeyne didn't let her finish.
"And they say that you are traitors," Jeyne said icily, leaning forward in her throne to look down at them. After a moment of silence she sat back into her chair and exhaled, collecting her thoughts. "I don't trust your father, Princess Rhaena, or your mother. But I trust Rhaenyra, for she's half Arryn herself. I will do what I can to rally the other houses of the Vale to fight for her but I make no promises for them to agree. All I can solemnly vow is my own house's allegiance at present."
"Thank you, My Lady," Luke said, bowing appreciatively before her. Though it wasn't as much as they had hoped for, it was better than being turned away and told that the men of the Vale were to all fight for the Greens.
Rhaena bit her lip as she curtsied, knowing that her impulse to keep arguing would likely get them nowhere. She needed to remember that she was here as an envoy, nothing else. It wasn't her job to try and convince the Lady of the Vale to provide more for their cause. Besides, she was too overwhelmed with the accusation thrown against her father to think of fighting for more.
While she had known her father to be nothing but loving and gentle with her, she knew that he had a dark and violent side to him when it came to his enemies. And while she didn't want to think him capable of blatant murder towards anyone who stood in his way, all she could remember was seeing Vaemond Velaryon's head struck from his body by her father's sword for protesting Luke's succession to Driftmark. Rhaena didn't want to think about what he would have done to the people standing between him and her mother.
"I would offer you both a place to the stay for the night, and hot meals before you travel back to Dragonstone, but I'm afraid I have no want for dragons to freely roam the grounds of the Eyrie," Jeyne said plainly. "I hope you understand."
"Of course, My Lady," Luke responded. "Besides, we have another message to deliver in Storm's End."
"Then I wish you luck on your travels," Jeyne said, bowing her head to them from her seat. She then looked to Rhaena with a small glint in her eye, "I look forward to seeing you both again soon."
Rhaena and Luke then turned to leave the Eyrie back down to where their dragons awaited them at the foot of the Bloody Gate. The whole way down Luke seemed overjoyed with the success they had just acheived together, but her mind was stuck on her father. She feared telling him that the reason why they wouldn't have the support of the entire Vale was because of the rumors surrounding him.
But she feared his response to such accusations even more.
Elaena Targaryen
"It's been too long yet again, dearest child," Evie said with a wide smile, placing her hands on either side of Elaena's face before kissing both cheeks. She then turned to Daemon, her smile not fading in the slightest as she went to do the same. "And it is good to see you again, nephew."
Daemon stood awkwardly as the woman approached him, looking to Elaena who only smiled at seeing this. While her aunt was certainly more eccentric than they were used to, both of them secretly welcomed the open love which she displayed for them. Elaena then moved to her Uncle Maesen, giving him a short hug before ending with her other aunt, Elyse.
"I'm glad to see you again, my niece," she said rigidly. Just as Elaena remembered, the woman was the complete opposite to her sister. It made her wonder who her mother had been more like, Elyse or Evie, or perhaps she had been the middle ground to unite the three of them. Over the years the memory of her mother Emylie faded from Elaena's mind, her face becoming a blur each time she tried to recall it.
"I'm glad to see you again too, Aunt Elyse," Elaena smiled softly, "And while I would like to stay for a long while and catch up with you all, I'm afraid we come with more pressing matters than a famillial reunion."
"Come, sit," Maesen said, waving his arm to the table next to them. "We can discuss it together."
"I assume you're speaking of the matter of the ascension," Elyse said,, sitting next to her brother at the table as she dove right in to the topic at hand..
"That I am," Elaena confirmed, sitting down across from her between Daemon and Evie. "My husband and I are here to confirm your fealty to Queen Rhaenyra."
"Well then confirmed it is," Evie said, her voice proud. "We would never turn our backs on the rightful Queen let alone one of our own. You didn't think we would, did you?"
"No of course not," Elaena shook her head, turning to Daemon now. "In truth we're here to discuss more than just the matter of your fealty."
"You're the second wealthiest house in the seven kingdoms in terms of gold next to the Lannisters who have already proclaimed themselves to back the false King Aegon," Daemon started, not afraid to delve into this important business. "And you're the most wealthy regarding crops and fighting men."
"The Reach is the most bountiful kindom in all of Westeros," Elyse said seriously, her eyes narrowing a bit now. "But as the Starks say, Winter is Coming, and it's coming faster and faster each day. Depending on how long the winter lasts, there is only so much crop that we have to be spared for something as costly as war. We have to think of supplying the whole realm for however long this winter lasts."
"We know this is a lot to ask of you," Elaena said slowly, "That of all the houses of the Seven Kingdoms it is you being asked to sacrifice the most food, men, and money. But we have to ask nonetheless, we need all the support we can in this war. The unrest within the Targaryen family will not end until one side brings it about. The more support we have the sooner this unrest can be done with."
"And you're sure that there will be war?" Evie asked, her eyes wide. "Is there no way to make peace?"
"Peace was thrown out the window the moment that the Hightowers crowned their boy-King in front of the entirety of King's Landing," Daemon responded bluntly. "The only way that the matter of the succession following my brother is settled is to fight for the throne."
"I see," Maesen nodded, taking this all in seriously. "And do you have numbers for me? A more precise detemination of the request our Queen is making of us?"
"We don't know the exact numbers yet for crop and coin, not until we know the number of houses that will agree to follow her," Elaena shook her head. "But you can expect that she'll ask for every man that you have to be ready to fight on the field of battle."
"None of the men of fighting age have any real experience in true battle," Elyse refuted, her lips pressed tightly together. "King Viserys was named The Peaceful for a reason, my generation and the one that follows us have never had reason to go to war."
"Well they do now," Daemon responded. "Experienced or not we need every man strong enough to hold a sword or a crossbow ready to stand with us."
"And you shall have it," Maesen said, looking at Elaena now. "I'll make sure that every house under my position as Warden of the South gathers its fighting men to the cause. All four of my sons, as well as Evie's and Elyse's will be sent out at first light to give the command."
"Thank you, Uncle," Elaena said with a small smile. She then looked to Elyse, who seemed a little less than pleased at this agreement. "Speak your mind plainly, Aunt Elyse. I can see you have something more to say, and this might be the last time we can speak as family and not advisors to the Queen on matters such as these."
"Myself and my house have always been loyal to the rightful order of things," Elyse started, her voice cold. "I always had great respect for King Viserys and the choices he made, not only to name a daughter heir to his throne, but for what banishing his own cousin Vaegon to The Wall after it came out that he and Lynara killed my sister...your mother, Elaena. It was no easy thing to do that, I'm sure, and for it I was and still am extremely grateful to Viserys. I feel bound in return to see that his wishes are fulfilled to have his daughter succeed him. But I also feel bound by my promise to the Reach. I don't want to see it stripped bare of every grain of wheat, coin, and man that it has to fight in this war."
"I understand that, truly I do," Elaena said quietly, "So if not for the sake of Rhaenyra's claim to the throne, give your support for my sake, because it is me asking it of you. I avenged my mother after she was murdered. I killed Lynara Stark and I killed Otto Hightower for their involvement in it, not just for me but for you as well. Doing that is one of the many catalysts that started this war, it's one of the many reasons Alicent Hightower has been against me and Rhaenyra over the last two decades. It's the reason I lost my very first daughter and much else. Help me if no one else by giving your full support to Rhaenyra. Please."
"She did what we could not avenging our sister, Elyse," Evie said, her voice swollen with tears. "Let us help her avenge those that hurt her. You know Emylie would want us to, no matter the cost to ourselves...she would have done it for our children should they have been given the chance to ask for it."
Elyse then nodded, her stony exterior cracked and revealing a small sliver of the center of her emotion. Elaena let out a small breath of relief to see that she was in agreement now with Evie and Maesen.
"There is one last thing that we would ask of you," Daemon said quietly, "We need a place for all the men who join the Blacks to have a place to go to, and that place needs to act as a blockade in the enemy's path to King's Landing. The first blockade site will be at Harrenhal to cut off the Lannisters."
"Harrenhal has been long ruled by Larys Strong since his father's passing, since the eldest Harwin became a member of the guard and forfeited his birthright," Maesen responded. "Are you asking us to help you take it back?"
"No," Elaena shook her head, "We can manage that ourselves with our dragons, what we ask that you be the source of the second blockade from Oldtown. Alicent and Gwayne Hightower will try to send troops up through the Reach and towards King's Landing. We need to make sure they can't do that."
"What's to say they won't pass through Dorne and the Stormlands instead?" Evie asked.
"The Martells have made it clear to all that they will take no part in this war, they've made it clear that any Targaryen problem is not one of their own. They won't allow for a Targaryen army to march through their lands...leaving you as the next best place to cut the Hightowers of Oldtown off."
"It will shall done," Maesen nodded. "I'll immediately see to the preparations of Highgarden as a center for troops once you leave."
"Such preparations will have to be made by another, dear Uncle," Elaena responded. "The Queen has requested that you ride to Dragonstone to further discuss matters. Perhaps Elyse could stay and man these preparations, she is obviously more than capable."
"No," Elyse said with a small exhale, "I shall accompany my brother to Dragonstone. While Maesen has more knowledge of the fighting men, I have more on the matters of our family's finances and crop production."
"My eldest son Dalton will stay the seat of Highgarden then," Maesen concluded.
"Thank you," Elaena said with relief, "All three of you, truly. Your support means the world to both me and our Queen."
"See to it that it is not given in vain," Elyse responded, her face pinched.
"It won't be."
Rhaena Targaryen
While both Rhaena and Luke rode with a sense of confidence into Storm's End because of their success in the Eyrie, that confidence was quickly struck down. Storm's End was just as they had pictured it to be after hearing about it and House Baratheon in their studies: a cold and dark castle on the violent shores of The Narrow Sea. Though both of them knew it was still daytime, the black stormclouds and heavy rain made it feel like it was the middle of the night.
Rhaena's cloak that she wore around her shoulders and over her head was soaking wet from the downpour, and each time a crack of thunder sounded around them or bolt of lightning lit up the sky, she felt herself flinch. She had known her share of storms on Dragonstone, but they had been nothing like this. Wind blew so wildly that her hood wouldn't stay up, tangling her long silver hair in large wet knots.
Once they both touched the ground Rhaena turned to Luke, relieved to finally be here so they could get this over with.
"Let's make this fast," she shouted over the storm, to which he nodded in complete agreement. The two dismounted their dragons, only to hear a loud grumble in the sky. When they looked up they saw that this sound was not the thunder, but Vhagar. As lightning struck behind her, the great beast's silhouette lit up in the sky. Chills ran down Rhaena's spine for many reasons at seeing this.
While her own dragon was much larger than Luke's, she was still much smaller than Vhagar. And if Vhagar was here that could only mean that her rider Aemond was too. Everything inside of her told her to turn around, to leave now while they still had the chance, for if Aemond was visiting that could only mean bad things were to follow. And yet despite this a small part of her still wanted to go inside. She didn't know what it was about Aemond that intrigued her so, but he did. Every interaction that they had ever had together was so confusing yet enticing, for his attitude towards her existed only in a space of grey.
Rhaena kept her eyes on Vhagar as she and Luke approached the doors, then pulled them away as they entered Storm's End castle. Despite being inside where it was warm and dry, the atmosphere felt even more dangerous than it had outside. And while their parents' said that they would be welcome here, Borros Baratheon's face told an entirely different story. He sat on this throne with beady eyes and pursed lips.
But Rhaena's eyes were not on Borros Baratheon, rather the tall boy with silver hair like hers. He stood facing away from her, talking to what appeared to be one of Borros' daughters.
"Prince Lucerys Velaryon and Princess Rhaena Targaryen," one of the guards announced. At this word Rhaena quickly looked away from Aemond, only to feel his eyes find her as he turned around.
When she thought he might not be looking at her any longer she glanced to the side, only to see him standing with his arms behind his back and a deathly stare on his face. It seemed as if he was less than pleased to see her here on this day, that her presence in this moment was not only unwanted, but upsetting. She turned her gaze back to Borros, trying to fight the fact that her heart was now beating twice as fast with nervousness. Next to her Lucerys seemed to be equally as scared, though, perhaps for different reasons.
"Lord Borros," Luke said slowly, pausing to swallow. "I've brought you a message from my mother...the Queen."
"Yet earlier this day I received an envoy from the King," Borros responded coldly, his legs spread wide as he leaned back against his throne. "So which is it? King or Queen?"
Luke stood silently, not knowing how to respond to this in the presence of his uncle Aemond. Rhaena couldn't bring herself to speak either, for the tension between them seemed to steal any words from her mouth. She could feel his eyes burning a hole in her head as she stood before Borros, an anger and frustration towards her that burned hotter than dragon's fire.
Upon seeing Vhagar she knew that Aemond was not likely to be happy with her presence at Storm's End, for the last time they saw each other she was taking his brother's crown off his head, but his ire seemed to be rooted in something more than that. What it was she did not know.
"The House of the Dragon does not seem to know who rules it," Borros continued, laughing a little after he said this. When it was clear that no one else shared his opinion on this statement being humorous, he continued. "So tell me boy, what is your mother's message?"
"Queen Rhaenyra asks that we remind you of your father's oath to her...She asks that you bend the knee once again and pledge fealty as she is the rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms."
"Remind me of my father's oath? Bend the knee?" Borros scoffed, taking the scroll his guard handed him and tearing it into two. "At least King Aegon came with an offer, my swords and banners for a marriage pact."
Rhaena looked to the side at Aemond after hearing these words, now realizing why he was here. He was here to offer his hand in marriage to Borros' eldest daughter Jocelyn. Rhaena felt a pang of something she didn't recognize in her chest as she looked at both Aemond and Jocelyn, something that felt like a cross between anger and possessiveness. She didn't know why she felt this way though, for it had been she herself to so quickly decline the prospect of marrying Aemond not once, but twice. Despite rationally knowing this, these twisted feelings remained as she looked at him.
If Rhaena didn't know any better she would say that he seemed to be feeling the same way as her, angry that she had just heard the plans for him to marry Jocelyn. Through his own frustration he looked as if he was trying to gauge her response to this discovery, his eye examining her face and micro-movements closely.
This entire exchange only made her head spin ever faster than it already was, for she had no idea what it was he wanted to see from her. Did he want her to be sad or jealous, rejected or angry? Was he trying to scorn her the same way that she had when she refused to marry him? Or was he himself upset that he would be having to marry Jocelyn for the sake of an alliance when it was Rhaena he truly wanted?
But that couldn't be it, it just couldn't. In Rhaena's mind there was no way that her cousin who had always been her enemy could want her. It just wasn't possible for her to fathom. And yet, it seemed to be the only reasonable explanation she could come up with that made any sense for his behavior over the last month.
Rhaena tore her eyes from him and looked back to Borros, shoving these thoughts back down inside her to be locked away. This wasn't a box that she had time to open, and even if she did have the time, she didn't know if she even wanted to know what was inside. For once she looked in she would be forced to come to terms herself with how she felt towards him.
So she avoided his persistent gaze and stared at Borros, forcing herself to listen to him to take her mind away from its thoughts.
"If I do as your mother bids, which one of my daughters will you wed?" Borros asked Luke, anger seeping through his voice. "Which one of my daughters will your brother wed?"
"Neither me or my brother are free to marry, My Lord," Luke shook his head, turning to Rhaena now. "We are both betrothed, me to the Lady Baella and him to Princess Rhaena."
"So you come only with empty hands and the girl your brother is to marry to scorn my daughters," Borros said stiffly.
"My Lord I am here only as an envoy," Rhaena finally spoke, "I have not come to scorn anyone-"
"You're here on that large black dragon of yours to scare me into fealty," Borros said more angrily now, standing from his seat to look at her. "You mock my daughters with your presence and you mock me with your ridiculous attempt to incite fear. Leave, now, and tell your Queen that Storm's End is not a dog she can whistle up and set against her foes."
"I shall take your answer to the Queen, My Lord," Luke responded coldly, for he didn't like how Borros had just spoken about his mother or Rhaena one bit. He then turned to Rhaena, holding his arm out for her so that they might leave. Rhaena gladly took it and turned around to follow him, relieved to finally be leaving and going back home so she could avoid any personal encounter with Aemond. But after only a few steps away he finally spoke, his voice ringing loudly in the large hall.
"Wait, Princess," Aemond said, to which both Luke and Rhaena stopped and slowly turned back around. "Did you really think that you could steal my brother's crown and then fly about the realm to try to steal his throne without cost?"
Perhaps she had been wrong about his feelings towards her, perhaps she had been mistaken. For after seeing the menacing look on his face as he spoke of her actions in King's Landing she felt that maybe his anger towards her was for his brother, not because of tangled feelings between them.
"As I told you back in King's Landing," Rhaena said softly, unable to bring herself to speak above a whisper. Not only was she scared, she refused to give him the satisfaction of allowing him to provoke her into anger. "I didn't steal anything. Everything I have done has been in service to the rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms."
"The rightful ruler of the Seven Kingdoms is my brother," Aemond responded, walking from his position at Jocelyn's side towards her.
"We both know you don't believe that," Rhaena responded, shaking her head. "I was there the day he was coronated, I saw the look on your face. You didn't want him to be crowned King anymore than I did."
"Come, Rhaena, let's just go," Luke said, gently tugging at her arm.
"I'm not finished," Aemond said fiercely, looking at Luke now with a narrowed eye.
"We are here as envoys, and envoys alone," Luke said with as much strength as he could muster to stand between him and Rhaena, "Now that we have delivered my mother's message we are returning home. We won't be fighting you today."
"I don't plan on fighting," he shook his head. He then shifted his eye back to Rhaena, his jaw clenched tightly as he spoke, "I plan on taking her back to King's Landing to answer for what she did, just as my brother has requested of me to do should I run into you again."
"I'm not going anywhere with you," Rhaena shook her head, feeling fear bubble in her stomach.
"Oh but you are," Aemond said slowly, his eye narrowing on her.
He then darted forward, his trajectory aimed straight towards her. Rhaena quickly withdrew the small sword that hung from her waist, as did Luke, ready to try and defend herself against him. Luke jumped in front of her despite him being smaller and younger than her, ready to defend his future sister-by-law against his uncle. But Aemond shoved him out of the way with ease, causing him to fall down with his sword clattering on the stone floor.
"Not in my hall," Borros warned louldy, watching on edge as Aemond moved towards Rhaena.
She quickly ran backwards, holding her sword up to prepare for his attack. But with one sharp swing Aemond knocked the sword from Rhaena's hands, then pointed his directly into her chest with an agility that Rhaena had never even seen either of her parents have when it came to skill with a blade. She was now pinned with her back literally against the wall and without any protection, completely at the mercy of his sword pointed into her skin.
"Not in my hall!" Borros boomed, standing from his seat angrily. "They were sent as envoys, I will not have and bloodshed or kidnappings happen beneath my roof...save your war for outside of these halls."
Rhaena's breathing rose and fell quickly as she stared at Aemond who now stood still, and she could feel the cold metal tip of the blade pressing ever so gently into the skin on her chest. Tears welled in her eyes, blurring her vision, but she refused to look away from him, she refused to let him know how scared she was more than she already had.
"Put down your sword at once, Prince Aemond," Borros yelled, his face turning red as he watched this display not end.
Aemond slowly lowered his sword from her, breathing equally as heavy as he looked at her. Once the blade was removed, he saw a small cut that he made, that a tiny stream of blood now trailed down her chest. Rhaena looked down as she put her hand over the small wound, then looked to him again only to see that the look of anger and intimidation on his face was gone.
She could see in his eye that he was at war with himself for what he just did, a glimmer of regret flashing across his face. But that guilt quickly disappeared, his demeanor returning to one of malice. Every ounce of her being felt puzzled by him, by his motives. One second he was her greatest threat and the next he felt guilt for harming her. It was so frustrating and confusing that it made Rhaena want to scream. But before either of them could exchange any words, Borros spoke again.
"Take the Prince and Princess to their dragons," he commanded, turning to the guards.
Rhaena stepped to the side and then past Aemond, sniffling once as she left him out of view. Once she stepped into the rain she immediately made her way towards Onyx, glad for the waters above to mask the ones falling from her eyes.
"Rhaena are you alright?" Luke asked, grabbing her hand before she could mount Onyx to check on her.
"I'm fine, Luke," she muttered, pulling her hand away. "Let's just go home."
Luke stood at the base of her dragon for a moment, looking as if he wanted to say something else, but then moved to climb onto Arrax. Wanting to get away from Storm's End and back to Dragonstone as quickly as she could, Rhaena turned to Onyx with her command to fly, "Soves!"
Onyx took a running start across the long courtyard and lifted into the sky, Arrax flying closely next to her. Rhaena could barely see the air in front of her, for the storm had become so brutal, the violent wind blowing the rain sideways and into her eyes. She squinted into the darkness as she leaned forward, then jumped a little in her saddle as a loud crack of thunder sounded around them.
She looked to the side at Luke, the two of them giving a silent nod to each other to ascend higher into the sky so that they might fly above the storm. Lightning lit up the castle of Storm's End below them here and there, but when it disappeared it felt like they were flying blindly.
All of a sudden Onyx let out a screech of distress, and when Rhaena looked to her right at Luke she could see that he was struggling to keep Arrax in check. As soon as she looked forward again she saw Vhagar swoop right over them. Onyx nosedived downward to escape so quickly that Rhaena nearly flew off the seat. Onyx let out a bellowing screech as she flew back upwards, circling the area to look for her brother Arrax.
"Luke!" Rhaena shouted, squinting her eyes to see through the downpour around them. "LUKE!"
Just as she screamed his name she saw a short flash of a very small dragon dart across the sky, with Vhagar close behind.
"Naejot, Onyx!" Rhaena commanded, leaning forward as the dragon flew towards them.
Though this wasn't what she intended for Onyx to do, the black dragon flew quickly above Vhagar, her sharp talons ripping into Vhagar's back. "No, Onyx!"
Rhaena quickly steered her dragon to the right to escape, then looked back to see that Onyx had been successful in diverting Vhagar from Arrax. But this meant now that Vhagar was coming after her.
Rhaena breathed heavily as she flew forward towards Luke and Arrax, trying to quell the fear pulsing in her veins. Suddenly Arrax flew into one of the crevices of the mountain, but Onyx was too large to fit into the same tunnel of rock as him. So Rhaena flew as fast as she could over the top of it, looking back and forth below her and above her to keep track of the other two dragons in this game of chase.
When looked down again she felt her stomach drop, for she could no longer see Luke or Arrax. She pulled hard on the reigns to the left, circling around to see if she could find him again, only to see a short and dismal blast of fire blast towards Vhagar.
"Dohaeras, Arrax!" Luke yelled, obviously not meaning for his dragon to have done this.
Vhagar roared loudly, turning to follow Arrax now for what he did.
"No, no, no, no, Vhagar!" Aemond shouted, looking as if he was struggling to keep his dragon from retaliating.
"Aemond stop her!" Rhaena screamed, her eyes widening as Onyx flew forward after them all.
He didn't respond, but he didn't need to for her to understand that Vhagar was doing this of her own accord and he was trying his damndest to stop her. The dragons were no longer obeying their riders, they were finishing the fight that had just been started.
All three dragons flew forward through the storm in pursuit of each other, not one of them listening to their riders pleas to stop and turn around. The lump in Rhaena's throat grew as she realized they had lost complete control of them, that whatever happened next would not something any of them wanted. It became more and more apparant to Rhaena in this moment that she might not make it out of this alive if they couldn't get their beasts in check.
As quickly as she could blink, Onyx carried through the edge of the storm and into the daylight, only for her to see Vhagar's jaw clamp down over both Luke and Arrax. Rhaena screamed as she watched them quickly be split in half, their maimed and split carcasses falling instantly from Vhagar's mouth down through the clouds below. For the briefest of moments her eyes met Aemond's, and when they did she saw that he truly seemed equally as horrified as to what just happened.
He had started chasing them so that he might capture Rhaena and bring her back to King's Landing, he hadn't meant to kill anyone in this pursuit. But his intentions were irrelevant, for Luke and Arrax were now dead all the same at the hand of his dragon who was on the warpath.
Before Vhagar could attack again Onyx flew forward as fast as she could in the sky, fleeing for her life and her rider's and knowing that she was no match for Vhagar. Rhaena expected for Aemond's dragon to appear out of nowhere again and end her life as she did Arrax and Luke's, but after a long while of it just being her alone in the sky without anyone following behind Rhaena realized that she was truly alone.
She held weakly onto the pommel of her saddle as they flew, deep sobs racking through her chest as the weight of the loss she just witnessed set in. This wasn't supposed to happen, this task they were set to wasn't meant to end in one of their deaths. She wanted to hate Aemond for every moment of this night, she wanted to blame him for it all, but she couldn't bring herself to hate anyone aside from herself.
She had seen with her own eyes that he hadn't intended for this to happen, and if she had never gone to King's Landing on her own in the first place he never would have tried to capture her and take her back. In the end it all felt like her fault.
If it wasn't for her, Luke would still be alive.
Elaena Targaryen
After concluding matters with her family in Highgarden, Elaena flew with Daemon back to Dragonstone to await the other messangers' returns. Rhaenyra seemed quite pleased with the news that the Tyrells were willing to back her claim with any form of support they could, and was even more pleased to hear that Maesen and Elyse would be traveling to Dragonstone over the next two weeks to discuss matters further in person with her.
Shortly after that Jace and Cley were the second to arrive back from their journey North, also bearing good news. While they knew that it would have been highly unlikely for them to gain the support of the northerners because of Elaena's past with the Starks, with the help of Cley being a man of the north they suprisingly acquired the Karstarks, Manderlys, and Dustins to join their cause. Aside from the Starks these were some of the greatest houses in the north, and would prove more than useful when planning strategy against Cregan's troops in the battles to come.
Next to come in were the riders to the Riverlands, much to the relief of the envoys' parents.
"Aemon, Viseryn!" Elaena said, exhaling with a smile when her two sons were the next to walk into the small council room. She quickly walked forward, placing proud kisses on their foreheads to see them come back home in one piece.
"Mother," Viseryn grumbled a little, gently pushing her away.
"I'm sorry, I'm just glad to see you alright," She responded, placing her hand on his shoulder as she suppressed her smile. She then took a step backwards, allowing them to approach their queen with news of their success.
"Your Grace," Viseryn greeted her, bowing once next to Aemon.
"What news have you?" Rhaenyra asked them.
"We come with good news, Your Grace," Aemon started, being better with words than his brother. "After delivering your message we have confirmed support from Houses Tully, Blackwood, Frey, Mooton, Darry, Piper, and Mallister. The Lords of each of these houses will arrive on Dragonstone within the fortnight to repledge their fealty to you once again."
"The Princes of Dragonstone were excellent in delivering your message, Your Grace," Harwin added, looking at the boys with a nod, "They did not need my influence in the slightest to gain these allies."
"Very good," Rhaenyra nodded, looking to Elaena with a small smile herself.
Elaena looked to Daemon proudly, only to see the same pride glistening in his eyes as he looked at their sons. They had done well with the task they were given, better than anyone had expected of them. Perhaps Elaena was wrong to doubt that they could do it, perhaps they were old enough to handle adult matters such as these.
Standing before her delivering news like this to their queen certainly made her see them less as her little boys and more as young men.
"The only ones left are Rhaena and Luke now," Elaena said softly to Daemon, pulling his attention to her. "And I suspect that they will bring equally good news concerning the Vale and the Stormlands as our sons did."
"I think they will too," Daemon nodded, smiling down at her. "With this level of support from across the realm, I expect that I'll be sent on Caraxes to Harrenhal very soon so that the troops can rally there."
"You expect you'll be sent?" she asked, raising her brows a bit as she smiled. "And where will I be if not by your side to reclaim Harrenhal for our queen?"
"You'll be by our queen's side," he responded, his gaze warmer than the fire lit before them. "Guiding her in what to do next."
"As her Master of War it should be you by her side as well," Elaena said quietly.
"Then perhaps we send Viseryn and Aemon to take it back while we stay here. They've proved themselves worthy today."
"Don't misunderstand me, my love," she started, her smile fading a little. "I'm over the moon with pride of what they did today, but do not think that pride outweighs reason in my mind. They're still not ready to ride into battle yet."
"When is anyone ever truly ready?" he asked her, his voice so low that only she could hear. "They'll be called to fight just the same as other boys their age are called to do in our name."
Before she could respond the doors to the council chambers opened again, revealing Rhaena by herself. She looked entirely different now than she had leaving Dragonstone, so much so that Elaena hardly recognized her. Not only was she completely soaked from head to toe with a head of tangled hair, there was something different about in the look in her eye. Elaena immediately recognized that her daughter had seen something that changed her entirely.
"Rhaena, what happened?" Elaena asked, walking towards the girl who stood paralyzed in the door frame.
"Your cloak Ser Cley," Daemon said quickly, taking it from the knight to wrap around his daughter's shoulders.
Both of her parents waited for her to say something, to give any sort of indication as to what happened in the time they had been apart, but she remained silent. It wasn't until Rhaenyra spoke that she finally seemed to be aware of the world around her. "Where is my son, Rhaena?"
She looked into Rhaenyra's eyes, her own watering immediately with tears. Her mouth fell open to try and speak, but no words came out.
"Rhaena you have to tell us what happened," Elaena said, putting her hand on her daughter's cheek to try and get her to focus.
"Luke is dead," she muttered. After she spoke these words the whole room fell to grim silence, each person standing around wondering if they had heard her correctly.
"What did you just say?" Rhaenyra asked, her eyes wide with shock.
"We were in Storm's End, delivering your message," Rhaena responded slowly, her voice small as she tried to explain. With each word that left her mouth the tears in her eyes welled even further, the memory of Luke's body in Vhagar's jaw burned into her mind. "Aemond was already there asking the same of Lord Borros as we were...he wanted to take me back to King's Landing...to answer for stealing the crown...he chased us on Vhagar through the storm to capture me, and Luke-"
Rhaena stopped herself, unable to speak these final words into existence. It hurt too much for her to think about let alone say that the Queen's second son had died.
"No," Rhaenyra mumbled. She slowly started shaking her head as she took a step backwards, unable to believe that this was the news she was being brought. "No-"
"I'm so sorry, Your Grace," Rhana cried, her lip trembling violently, "It's all my fault...It's all my fault."
"Leave us," Elaena said sharply, turning to anyone in the room who wasn't family. They all quickly filed out, leaving only the closest people to them left in the room. When she turned around her eyes flitted to the pain of everyone in the room.
First to Daemon who was holding their daughter in his arms and assuring her that it wasn't her fault, then to her own sons who stood beside Jace with red eyes. Luke had been a brother to them all growing up on Dragonstone, they felt the pain in their hearts of his loss just as much as his own blood did.
Elaena then saw Cley with his hand on Harwin's shoulder, trying to give him the courage he needed to deal with the fact that he had just lost his son. And finally she looked to Rhaenyra who was doubled over and clutching her stomach from the pain of this grief. Elaena walked to her side and put her arm around her, trying to fight the tears in her eyes. Everyone in this room needed her to be strong so that they might get past this, and Rhaenyra needed her strength most of all, even though Elaena felt this pain the same as everyone else. Luke was her nephew, a boy that she had had a hand in raising. In the same way that her sons saw him as a brother, she felt a mother to him as well.
"I thought I knew the pain of losing a child when Visenya was born dead," Rhaenyra choked, shaking her head. "I thought I understood loss-"
"Listen to me," Elaena said shakily, inhaling deeply to try and collect herself. "We are going to get through this. You are going to get through this-"
Rhaenyra remained bent over as she tried to catch her breath, as she tried to stop her tears. This happened much quicker than Elaena expected it to, her eyes a bit wide as she watched Rhaenyra stand up straighter, sniffling to try and regain composure.
"I want his head," she muttered, looking at Elaena with dead behind her eyes. "The only way I can get through this is to see Aemond meet the same fate he bestowed upon my son."
"Your Grace," Rhaena started, her voice wavering as she spoke. She was the only one in this room that knew the truth of what happened, and while Aemond was technically at fault, she truly believed that he hadn't intended for what happened to occur. If there was anyone to blame she felt it should be herself. "I don't believe Aemond meant for this to happen. He lost control of Vhagar- we all lost control of our dragons. Aemond wasn't trying to kill us, he was only trying to capture me as Aegon wished him to do so that I could answer for stealing his crown."
"Of course it was Aegon's wish," Rhaenyra said flatly, looking to Elaena again. "Which means it was Alicent's wish. Yet again she and her treasonous son have taken a child from me."
Rhaena stood still, her mouth hanging slightly open in response to how the Queen interpreted her words. She felt a fool not to see it before now, for of course the true culprit of the night's events was Aegon. Aemond was only doing as his brother had asked him, that was why he was so adamant on trying to take her back even though in the past he had let her go. It was why he looked pained and guilt-ridden when he saw that he had hurt her. None of this was of his own deciding, it was of Aegon and Alicent's, their true enemies.
The whole room stood silently, too scared of this quiet fury radiating from Rhaenyra to provoke her by saying anything out of turn. The first to speak was Harwin, who stepped forward amongst them freely. Since there was no one else around to hear except the family, since he was filled with fury and heartbreak himself, and since he knew that they all knew he was Luke's true father, he felt safe enough to speak plainly.
"Allow me to avenge him, Rhaenyra," he said fiercely, his reddened eyes filled with tears. "Allow me to avenge this loss we all feel so painfully."
"How would you do this, Harwin?" Elaena asked, feeling no need to use formal address towards him. He was just as much her family as anyone else in this room.
"I have friends still in the City Watch that I made in my time as Lord Commander," he began, his voice shaky with anger. "There is a former serjeant that I know can infiltrate the Red Keep for me, a serjeant that I believe you know as well Daemon. He's particularly skilled in assassinations if I remember correctly."
"Blood," Daemon said slowly, looking at Harwin who nodded once with a stony face. Rhaena looked up to her father, suddenly remembering what she had been told in the Eyrie of the suspician surrounding him being responsible for the death of Rhea Royce. She unconsciouly took a step away from him, no longer finding the same comfort from his closeness that she had moments ago.
Elaena watched as her daughter did this, not knowing the reason behind this micro-movement, but noticing it all the same.
"And who do you suggest we put this assassin against?" Rhaenyra asked. "Aegon himself?"
"No, not Aegon. He'd never get past the guards surrounding their false King," Harwin shook his head, glancing to Daemon once more then back to Rhaenyra. "I suggest we send the assassin after his children, they'll be less protected than he is... He took our children, so it's only fitting that his be taken in exchange."
Everyone paused a little at him saying our children, for while they all knew, none of them except for Elaena had never heard him or Rhaenyra admit to it out loud.
"Jahaerys, Jahaera, and Maelor," Rhaenyra nodded, turning to look at Elaena now. "In exchange for the three children we have lost. I think it fitting, is it not?"
Elaena felt her chest tighten at these words, the memory of her own daughter being taken at the hands of the Hightowers flashing across her mind. While she knew Aegon's children were innocent in this matter, Aegon himself was not. War required sacrifice, war required compensation...no matter how brutal it seemed to be. And after the events of the night this brutality felt warranted.
Revenge for her daughter had been something she long awaited, and as she looked to her husband they both knew that it was finally the time to reap that vengeance. So Elaena looked back to Rhaenyra and Harwin, giving them a small nod in agreement.
"For Emylie, Visenya, and Luke."
Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and would love to know what you all think!
What did you make of Rhaena and Aemond's interactions in Storm's End? What do you think of Harwin becoming more involved in the story now? How do you think the news that Daemon actually did murder Rhea Rhoyce will be taken by both Elaena and Rhaena? What do you think/want to happen with Blood and Cheese enterring the story? What will the ramifications be from sending them to kill Aegon's children?
And finally what do you want to see in the coming chapters when the Dance of Dragons truly breaks out? Your opinions and wishes are always valued when I'm writing, and a lot of the time the suggestions I receive find a way into the chapters...so don't be afraid to let me know!
Until next time, friends! -J❤️