Elia had only known her new stepmother for a few days, but already the two were extremely close. They were both similar in age and Elia felt a certain protectiveness towards the woman. She could tell that Reyna was strong on the inside and with a little help, she could be strong on the outside too. Elia had seen Reyna's face after her exchange with Aren Dayne and immediately warning bells rang in her mind. She had followed her father and overheard the couple's fight but unlike Oberyn, Elia was persistent. Tonight, Reyna would finally tell her the truth.
"Are you okay?" Elia asked as she approached Reyna. The older woman was sitting in a pile of her own vomit, tears streaming down her pale cheeks and her shoulders shaking with sobs. Reyna's only response was a shuddering sob as she slapped the stones beneath her.
"You need to tell me what happened," Elia snapped, grabbing at Reyna's elbow and pulling her to her feet. Elia recognized the fire in her stepmother's eyes and for a moment she was impressed.
"You Martell's need to stop demanding information from me!" Reyna snarled, her hands curling up into fists.
"You think your pain is unique!?" Elia finally screamed. Reyna's eyes widened and she took a step away, not in fear, but in shock.
"I've seen many battles and many horrors. Each was worse than the last. Many things have been done to me as well, simply because I am the daughter of the Red Viper! Your pain can either make you strong or weak. Talking about it is the way to strength. Ignoring the pain will only weaken you. So, which will you be Reyna? Weak… or strong?"
Reyna closed her eyes, and for just a moment Elia thought that her stepmother was going to ignore her. Instead, Reyna growled deep in her throat and kicked at a low tree branch, snapping it from the trunk.
"I am not weak," she snarled. She raised her eyes to Elia and the younger woman could feel all of Reyna's pain and anger in that one look.
"Be strong with me, Reyna. We are more than stepmother and stepdaughter. We are friends, great friends. And great friends will help you through your pains," Elia assured Reyna, grabbing onto the woman's hands and tugging her to sit down on a nearby bench.
"You must promise me something though," Reyna hissed, looking around them as if they were surrounded by spies. Elia nodded her head and leaned closer.
"Do not tell Oberyn. I need to do that myself, but I must still find the courage and the right moment. I will tell him, but I still need to work through the pain on my own," Reyna explained, the fire dying in her eyes and being replaced by sadness.
"On my honor, I will not tell a single soul until you are ready," Elia swore, placing a hand on her chest. Reyna smiled at the gesture and stroked her stepdaughter's hair.
"You are the first person I will have told the whole truth to. No one, not even my whole family knows the whole extent of it," Reyna sighed, dropping her hands.
"What did you tell my uncle?" Elia asked.
"I told him that Lord Aren raped me. It was easier to say then the truth," Reyna mumbled, tears streaking down her face again.
"Did he? Rape you?"
"Is it wrong to say that I wish he had? What he did was so much worse than rape," Reyna explained, looking over Elia's shoulder, her mind traveling back in time.
"Tell me," Elia prompted.
"When I was young, I began to write letters to Alora Dayne, Aren's sister. We were very good friends and she eventually invited me to visit Dorne. That was when I first met Aren. We connected almost immediately and after a while, his mother suggested that we should marry. We were ecstatic and I had already fallen in love with Dorne, so I was glad that I could stay. A few weeks after our betrothal one of his cousins was married and we attended the ceremony. The wine flowed freely that night and Aren talked me into sleeping with him. It was completely consensual. Since we were engaged I saw nothing wrong with it, but six weeks later I found out that I was pregnant. I was happy with this for it meant that the wedding would take place immediately, but Aren, on the other hand, did not react kindly to the news.
He said that I had tricked him, and I was a liar. He just yelled at first, then after a week, he started to get physical. He pushed me against walls, tried to trip me, and finally, he hit me. It got so violent that four months in I lost my child. I was so devastated, but I was too in love with Aren to blame him. His tune soon changed after that. He said that I was not strong enough to carry a child and that it was my fault I lost the baby. His parents soon went away on a trip and it was just us three in the castle.
One-night Aren took me to the dungeons and shackled me in a cell. I screamed for Alora, but she was apparently in on the whole plan. She was laughing and provoking her brother. I'm not quite sure who's idea it was. They tortured me for two months until Aren's parents returned and saw what happened. His mother told me to go to Prince Doran and only tell him that I was raped. If I ever mentioned anything else, then my family would all find scorpions in their beds. I told Prince Doran and he immediately sent me home. I told my family the condensed version, but they all saw a change in me after Dorne. I had always been a shy child, but my new pain made me act out. I drank more, gambled, played games with the men at court. Tyrion Lannister, my childhood friend helped me a little, but the damage was done. I was no longer the perfect Tyrell girl. But I think I like myself better his way. Being timid and naïve got me shit. Now I'm calculating and cold. I will never let anyone hurt me like that ever again. And I will never give my heart freely to anyone."
Reyna looked up at Elia and saw tears staining the young woman's cheeks. She had never felt more relieved in her life. She had finally told someone the truth and instead of it hurting it felt liberating. Why hadn't she done this before?
"Why have you never told anyone?" Elia asked, wiping at her cheeks.
"Aren promised to torture everyone I ever cared about and make them believe that it was my fault. I knew what he was capable of, so I never risked it. Now I'm afraid of what he'll do now that I've come to Dorne," Reyna explained, looking over her shoulder as if Aren were right there in the gardens with them.
"But my father can protect you!" Elia reasoned, grabbing Reyna's wrists. Reyna stood up quickly and stepped away from Elia.
"He'll be the first one, Elia! Aren promised me that. He said that Oberyn would be the first one he'd attack. He even said that Oberyn can't always be on his guard and your father proved that tonight," Reyna argued.
"What are you talking about? My father is one of the greatest warriors in Dorne. He can easily defeat Lord Dayne," Elia fired back, sounding exasperated.
"I know my sister told Oberyn to never leave Aren and me alone and that was what he did tonight. I don't blame him for it, but it just shows that Aren was right," Reyna sighed, sinking back down onto the bench.
"Then I will have to be your champion. You can tell my father whenever you feel ready, and until that time I will watch out for you," Elia smiled and squeezed Reyna's hand.
"You cannot always watch me though. Sooner or later some duty will pull you away from me and I will be all alone," Reyna replied, sounding defeated.
"Then I will just have to teach you to protect yourself. You might never be able to defeat Aren Dayne in single combat, but you'll be able to hold your own at least," Elia promised. A smile finally graced Reyna's lips and when she looked up at the younger woman there was a new fire in her eyes.
"It would be extremely satisfying to see Lord Dayne's face when he realizes that I can finally fight back," she smirked, wiping the tears from her face.
"But you must promise me one thing. You must tell my father," Elia warned, her face becoming hard. Reyna immediately nodded, squeezing her stepdaughters' hands.
"I will tell him eventually. I promise you that."
Elia smiled at that and stood up, offering her hand to Reyna. The older woman stood and instead of taking Elia's hand she stepped forward and enveloped the woman in a hug.
"Thank you, Elia. I had forgotten what it felt like to be strong." Reyna sighed as she pulled away.
"I promise you this. While we are friends, I will make sure that you never feel weak again," Elia smiled. The two clasped hands and Elia led them back to the castle, avoiding the party since Reyna was still covered in puke. Once Elia saw to it that Reyna was cleaned up and put into bed, she began formulating a plan. No woman would ever have to go through what Reyna went through ever again. And if Elia had to renege on her promise and tell her father, she would do it. Lord Aren was going to die.