Dragons of Wolf and Sun
Toxicfireball
Chapter 2: Breaking of Bonds
Summary:
Robert Baratheon finally arrives in King's Landing. Ned demands justice but Robert is set on vengeance. Jaime is confronted by his father and Elia tells Ned the truth.
Notes:
Here's the second chapter. The first ten or so chapters have already been written but I'l stagger their release.
(See the end of the chapter for more notes.)
Chapter Text
Elia
"So the mighty dragon has fallen! Where is the dragonspawn?" Robert Baratheon The men who killed my husband yelled.
"Your grace, Aegon Targaryen was murdered by the monster Gregor Clegane! A vile act! They were just babes! " Eddard Stark yelled across the throne room. Tywin Lannister stiffened slightly in the corner while Jon Arryn looked alarmed.
"I see no babes, only dragonspawn!" Robert responded. " Which hero ordered his death?"
"I did your grace, as a token of my fealty to you" Tywin Lannister responded.
"Lannister! Of course!" Robert laughed
"Your grace! This is an act unworthy of any lord or knight! Aegon Targaryen was just a babe! This is cold-blooded murder! Gregor Clegane should be gelded and sent to the wall at the very least! He had killed Aegon Targaryen before almost raping princess Elia!" Eddard Stark shouted across the hall. The court grew silent as people began to whisper. Tywin Lannister stiffened as his cold eyes stared at her.
"Is this true?" Robert asked her
"It is your grace, after murdering my son he attempted to raped me and tried to kill me. If not for Ser Jaime and Lord Stark, I would be dead!" Elia said as meekly as she could. Let them think me defenseless.
"Ha! Of course, Ned would rush in! Ned ! The babes are dragonspawn, no better than the Mad Aerys are the rapist Rhaegar!" Robert yelled
"Your grace! You are letting a rapist and child murderer getaway? Is that who you are?" Ned yelled back
"Are you questioning his grace?" Tywin Lannister asked coldly
"Enough!" Jon Arryn yelled, "I raised both of you better than this."
"Lord Stark, may I ask where Rhaenys Targaryen is?" Tywin asked coldly, Elia felt her heart lurch forward.
"Ned! Where is that dragonspawn?!" Robert yelled
"She is safe from murderers" Eddard Stark answered coldly
"Where?!" Robert yelled
"At the Northern camp your grace." Eddard Stark replied
"Are you committing treason Lord Stark?" Tywin Lannister asked
"Certainly not Lannister, I merely kept a child no more than five years old safe from certain disdainfully people " Eddard replied coldly
Tywin Lannister threw Stark a look of pure fury and was about to say something when Robert yelled.
"Ned! Give me the dragonspawn! Enough of this folly! She is no child, she is a dragonspawn born from a rapist!" Robert yelled
"You dare talk of Rhaegar Targaryen rapping my sister being an atrocity yet you stand by while a princess of Dorne is raped? What kind of king are you?" Eddard yelled
"Your Grace , I'm certain…" Jon Arryn tried to defuse the situation yet Robert ignored him.
"Ned! What's gotten into you! You become soft! She is a dragonspawn and to rid her is a blessing to this world! She is Rhaegar's whore! My betrothed was raped and thus it is only fair Rhaegar's whore would get raped! She should be grateful she didn't" Robert yelled in return, his face red with anger. Jon Arryn looked horrified at what Robert had just said. Robert sounds like Aerys
"Robert! That's a Princess of Dorne you are speaking of! Doran Martell still has close to twenty thousand troops !" Jon Arryn yelled. " Ned, can you hand over princess Rhaneys, we can marry her to Robert's heir." My sweet daughter would never marry a son of a child murderer!
"NEVER! I NEVER EVER MARRY MY SON TO A DRAGONSPAWN!" Robert screamed. You descended from the Targaryens you fool. " If the dornish rebel I will bring my army onto them!" He sounds like Aerys, it will be ironic if they got rid of a mad king to install another one on the throne.
"Robert! No one has ever conquered Dorne! Even the dragons could not!" Jon Arryn yelled. That seemed to quieten Robert.
"Your Grace, I can lead me to take Rhaenys to custody where you can do whatever you want with her!" Lord Tywin said. Robert was about to say something when Eddard opened his mouth
"No. You do that Lannister, and you fight your way through the Northern army and me. Robert you will have to kill me to get to her." Eddard said coldly
Robert stared at him, sputtering, unwilling to let her daughter go yet refusing to kill his best friend. I doubt they would remain friends for long.
"Ned! What would you do with her then?" Jon Arryn asked calmly.
"I will bring her and Princess Elia to Dorne after I relieve the siege of Storm's End," Eddard said calmly.
"What is to stop the dornish from using her as a puppet to rebel, Stark?" Lord Tywin asked
"I can foster her in Winterfell after Dorne yields. Unless you question my loyalty to the rebellion? Lannister?" Eddard Stark replied coldly, when no one said anything, Eddard Stark opened his mouth again. "Robert, I thought you a good man, it seems I was wrong."
With that statement, Eddard Stark turned around and stalked out of the room with her being escorted by one of Eddard Stark's friends, a crannogmen named Howland Reed. As she exited, she could hear Tywin Lannister talking about proposing a marriage to Robert with his daughter Cersei.
Eddard
He had never felt so furious in his life, except when news reached the Eyrie of his father and brother's death. His friend, Robert Baratheon had not only not condemned of the murder of a baby and had allowed a Princess to nearly be raped, he had let the rapist go scot-free and had justified it. Hearing Robert words had made him sick and he finally understood when Lyanna had hated Robert so much. Love is sweet Ned, but it cannot change a man's nature.
He stalked through the red keep gates, with the Northern party with him. The northern lords had been horrified at what Robert Baratheon had done.
"We had put a child murderer on the throne" Ser William had said under his breath as he exited the throne room. Maege Mormont had told Ned that she was furious that Robert had allowed someone who attempted to rape a princess to go scot-free.
"Ned! I was hoping to catch you!" He turned around to see Jon Arryn run towards him.
"Jon." He said respectfully, feeling anger build up in him for Jon's reluctance to argue against the killing of Aegon.
"Ned, about what happened just now, you should apologize to Robert. Tywin Lannister would try and use this and drive a wedge in between you two. " Jon Arryn said
"Apologise? For what? Weren't you the one who told me that justice and honor extremely important values?" Ned replied aggressively
"Yes, but now we must…. Compromise. The realm is torn apart by his rebellion, you two being at each other's throats would cause lots of problems. Give me Rhaneys and I will swear no harm comes to her, I will try and convince Robert to marry her to his son or we can send her to the silent sisters." Jon Arryn said, clearly exhausted.
"No. Robert will never allow his son to marry a Targaryen. I trust you Jon. But Robert is king and with Tywin Lannister whispering in his ear, Robert might not listen to you. I will not compromise my honor just to let Robert feel he has gotten his revenge over a long-dead Rhaegar." He said firmly
"How about Jaime Lannister? Tywin wants his son back." Jon Arryn asked.
"You can ask him yourself Jon. Is there anything else? Has Robert dismissed me from his chain of command?" He asked, frustrated that his mentor was stooping so low to satisfy the Lannister's.
"Roberts orders are still the same, relieve storms and try to persuade the dornish to stand down." Jon Arryn said in a weary tone. "I would sail for Dorne once things are settled in the capital. Thank the gods Clegane didn't kill Elia Martell or this war could have dragged on."
"So be it, Jon, I hope when I return, Robert would have repented." He replied before leaving the red keep.
"Could you talk to him? He would have calmed down by now. Robert is a good man, Ned. For my sake, could you talk to him?" Jon Arryn asked him
Ned run his hand through his hair and sighed, "I would"
Back at the stark camp, Elia Martell had requested to talk to him.
"Lord Stark, I need to tell you something. I know where your sister is." Elia Martell said quickly.
Ned felt his heart froze, Lyanna!
"Where? Why didn't you bring it up just now?" Ned asked furiously
"You must promise me something Lord Stark, you will not tell your…..king anything about this and you will not harm anyone if possible." Elia Martell said with so much strength that he could not believe this was the same woman half the realm ridiculed as weak. Unbowed , unbent, unbroken. Ned felt his brain churning at her request, deciding that if Elia Martell was willing to share with him, this was not something he would be expecting. He then remembered the conversation he had with Benjen at Winterfell
"Ned! This war is a mistake! Lyanna did not mean this to happen!" Benjen had said a face full of tears.
"What do you mean? Ben! What do you mean Lyanna did not mean for this to happen?" Ned had said confusedly
"Lyanna, she….had affections for the crown prince. She was the knight of the laughing tree." Ned was not surprised at that, Lyanna was a great rider and he had suspected it was her the moment she appeared at the jousting area at Harrenhal. However, Lyanna had refused to say anything about it. What came next truly surprised Ned.
"Rheagar found her, me, and Howland but had refused to turn us over to his father. I bet he crowned her queen of love and beauty to express his admiration for her." Benjen had said. He then hesitated and then continued. "She hated Robert Ned! She probably ran off with the prince."
Ned felt his heart lurch forward, he could not believe what he had heard and replied in an angry tone. "She's a fool! Robert would have been a good husband! The prince is an irresponsible fool for doing that! She should have done her duty instead of causing fathers and Brandon's death! You encouraged her Ben! Now we are in a war!"
With that Ned had left to gather his bannerman for the march to the Riverlands and had never spoken to Benjen.
Ned could guess what Elia was going to say next, so he decided to say something first.
"Are you going to tell me that my sister wasn't kidnapped by your husband and that they ran away together?" Ned said as seriously as possible.
"You knew?" Elia Martell nearly shouted, "And yet you started this war over a lie?"
"I didn't know, princess. I suspected, and I fought to avenge my brother and father." Ned said coldly, then he softened his tone. "I thought Robert would make a good king and a good husband, but I was wrong."
"Lord Stark, you are wrong about many things." Elia Martell said with contempt. "Yet, here we are. "
She took a deep breath before continuing "Rhaegar took Lyanna to the tower of joy in Dorne. Gerold Hightower, Oswell Whent, and Arthur Dayne are there. For Ashara's sake, Lord Stark, don't harm any of them. Especially Arthur, he was the one who told me the tower's location"
Ned felt extreme sadness and anger at the mention of Ashara Dayne. If not for Aerys we could have been married…. Elia seemed to have noticed his face and said in a kinder tone "She spoke highly of you lord Stark. From what I have seen, she was mostly right."
With that Elia Martell left to take care of her daughter. Ned decided to head to where Ser Jamie was.
"Lord Stark"
"Ser Jaime, may I ask what your plans are?"
Ser Jaime looked exhausted and stressed. The once golden lion no longer looked like the proud knight he had seen at Harrenhal but someone who looked like he had been through hell. I can guess being Aerys kingsguard is the closest you can get to being in hell. Ser Jamie sighed and replied
"I don't know, My father is probably demanding Robert release me from my kingsguard vows. Which I am sure he would agree, just to reward him for killing Aegon."
Ned felt disgusted that the man he once called his best friend would reward a murderer. I know why Lyanna ran away now, I should have listened to Ben. He then thought for a while.
"Ser Jaime you could go with Princess Rhaneys to Dorne if you would wish to stay away from your father. She is to be fostered in Winterfell at a date Robert would decide in the future."
"Lord Stark, you must understand my father would hate you for this." Ser Jaime replied
"Let him. The offer is yours, Ser Jamie, you acted honorably, the north would be glad to have you."
"I accept lord Stark." Ser Jaime said
"Ser Jamie, could you follow me to Dorne? I am sure the Martells would want to thank you for saving Elia and….. I need you to negotiate with your other brothers." Ned asked him.
"Anything to get away from this city Lord Stark." Ser Jaime replied
"Alright, we leave at dawn tomorrow." He said. " And one more thing Ser Jaime."
"Yes, lord Stark?"
"Men would call you kingslayer, oathbreaker, and a man without honor but these men would never understand what and why you did it. You have done well Ser Jamie, you may be one of the most honorable kingsguard."
"I killed the King."Ser Jaime had replied " I broke my oath. How is that honorable?"
"What you did today that took more courage and honor than the rest of every knight had" Ned had replied
"I killed an old man." Ser Jamie had replied
"A defenseless old man yes, but you killed a man who caused a war, nearly doomed this city into oblivion." He said. " You are a kingslayer yes, denying that is denying the color of the sky is blue. But you are an extremely honourable kingslayer, do not let people judge you, those men will never understand and you should not pay attention to their views."
"Thank you, lord Stark, I never thought you would understand." Ser Jaime had said exhaustively, the eager boy that had kneeled to be inducted into the kingsguard was long gone. With that Ser Jaime had bowed and left.
Jaime
"Ser Jaime, thank you for saving my life and my daughter. We owe you our lives, Dorne owes you a debt. " Elia Martell had thanked him on her knees
"Princess, it's not right you should kneel. I failed to save Aegon" He had told her
"No it is not, but what is right now? You could not have saved Aegon, you saved me and Rhaenys." She replied. "You saved me from being raped."
" It was my duty." He replied simply.
"Wasn't it your duty to protect Aerys?" Jaime felt like he had been punched in the gut, Elia seemed to have taken note of his reaction as she gave a small smile and then said earnestly "Don't worry good ser, I know why you did it and that makes you the truest knight of the kingsguard."
I'm being compared to Ser Arthur?
Elia seemed to have noticed his stunned face and she said "Ser Arthur, Ser Gerold, and Ser Oswell are in Dorne following my fool of a husband. They are why Aegon is dead. Ser Barristan has kneeled for someone who supports the murder of children and my uncle as well as Ser Jonthor are dead. You are the only living kingsguard that have followed your oath. For that Ser Jaime, you are a true knight, remember that."
Elia had smiled at him in a way that reminded him of Cersei yet had a kindness he rarely saw in Cersei's eyes. At that moment, Jamie felt happy for the first time he was inducted into the kingsguard.
"Ser Jaime, your father requested your presence. in the red keep." A messenger conveyed to him after Elia Martell left.
The sun was setting when he finally approached the red keep. The streets of kings landing were completely deserted, with only Lannister and a few Baratheon and Arryn men patrolling. The castle was bustling with activity to his surprise, with different lords that would most likely attempt to seek favor. It seems Robert isn't crowned yet and the lords have started to play the game of thrones again.
He was admitted and escorted by two Lannister guardsmen to his father's guest chamber. As he approached he heard voices of his Uncle, Kevan Lannister, and his father.
"A pity Rhaenys lives, she is a great threat to whatever children Cersei has with Robert. Our influence will grow following Cersei's marriage, a rift has opened between Stark and Baratheon. Stark's honor will cause him to protect the Targaryens which will allow us to exploit it to gain influence."
"Are you so sure Robert will accept Cersei's hand? He is still besotted with Lyanna Stark."
"Lyanna Stark has likely been ruined by Rheagar, Robert would likely not want a ruined bride. Cersei is far prettier than that Northern wrench. Between the two, Robert will definitely choose Cersei."
"We need to push for a seat in the small council, Pycelle is in our pocket but we need a Lannister or close ally as—Jaime!"
"Father, Uncle Kevan," He said simply
"Jaime, I must say your act of protecting the Targaryens was unexpected, nevertheless, it has opened up a great opportunity. I have spoken to Robert , he is more than happy to release you from your vows and did it nearly instantly the moment I asked him to. You can return to Casterly Rock and marry, maybe a Leofford or a Marbrand. " His father said Ah of course he wants his heir back.
"Tyrion is your heir, I want no part in being your heir." He replied
He could see his father grind his teeth at the mention of Tyrion.
"Jaime, House Lannister needs you. Besides, I don't think you will want to be a kingsguard under Robert. Not with Cersei as his wife." Kevan said calmly yet his last sentence felt like a dagger in his gut. He knows. Yet it seemed his father did not notice.
"I will not marry anyone, father. You can dismiss me from my vows. I do not care, I will be heading to Dorne with Stark. I plan to swear my sword to her." He said with as much determination he could muster, which isn't much considering he was talking to Tywin Lannister.
The room fell silent, Kevan looked shocked while Tywin Lannister glared at him with utter anger. He had never seen his father so angry.
"Why?" His father asked in barely concealed rage.
He would have dearly loved to keep his mouth shut or run away, but he stood his ground.
"I don't want Casterly Rock, nor a wife. That's for Tyrion, not me." His father looked murderous at that statement but he continued "I swore oaths and I intend to keep in. Besides, it's the right thing to do. I am no Lord, I am a knight and I will do what Knights are sworn to do. I am not you, to kill babies and little girls as well as to defend a rapist." He replied
"Jamie, please listen to your father—" Kevan attempted to cool things down but his father interjected.
"So you want to play as an over-glorified bodyguard to a girl of less than five? To follow an honorable fool? To help a woman who stole your sister's rightful place? You will regret your decision, Jaime, you will return to Casterly Rock one day begging for my forgiveness." I will, over my dead body father. " Very well then, get out!" His father said venomously and angrily. His father's eyes bored into him like a crossbow. Yet, he did not flinch and walked away.
As he walked through the halls of Maegor's holdfast, he heard extremely loud shouting coming from the throne room. The doors opened and Eddard Stark stormed out, his face full of anger. It seems my father isn't the only one getting pissed off.
"Ser Jaime" Ned Stark said as he walked out of the throne room.
"Lord Stark," He said simply. "I take it your meeting with Robert didn't go well?" He added a little sarcastically.
Ned Stark did not seem offended by that statement and instead replied "I suppose it went as well as yours with your father?"
He laughed and replied "You might even say it went better. Judging from what I have heard"
Stark's face darkened as he said "I should have listened to Lyanna. Robert who I thought I loved is gone. A friend of mine and the North he is no longer."
Soon, he and Lord Stark returned to the Northern camp. He watched as Ned Stark organized the men assigned to him. Mostly Northern troops but a few thousand Tully, Arryn and Baratheon troops. Overall, they numbered around twenty-five thousand. While they outnumbered the Tyrell forces at Storm's End, he seriously doubted Mace Tyrell would even fight. He remembered the war council meetings at Kings Landing, Mace Tyrell had dragged his feet throughout the war. Refusing to commit significant forces to fight the Rebels. He had claimed credit for Robert's only defeat throughout the war at Ashford. Yet everyone knew it was Randyl Tarly who smashed Robert's forces.
At dawn the next day, the Northern Army marched away from King's Landing and to Storm's End. With Princess Elia and Rhaenys in tow. He guarded both of them with Lord Stark's blessing despite protests from certain Lords.
Free of his Kingsguatd vows he had sworn his sword to Princess Rhaenys the night before
"I am yours, my lady," He had said, drawing the sword he used to kill the mad king "I will give counsel when asked for, I will shield your back and give my life for yours, if it comes to that.By the old gods and the new, my sword is yours, my lady."
Princess Rhaenys was still too young to fully understand and Elia Martell instead had said the words back, in a voice full of emotion. "And I vow on behalf of Princess Rhaenys Targaryen that you shall always have a place by my hearth and meat and mead at my table, and pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you into dishonor. I swear it by the old gods and the new."
Eddard
The banners of Stark, Baratheon, Arryn and Tully as well as their bannerman swayed in the wind as they approached Storm's End. To his surprise, his scouts reported no hostile forces have been detected except for the main Tyrell forces.
He was extremely surprised that Storms End had stood so long against the Tyrell siege. "My brother is a boring, hard man. He rarely smiles and is grim all the time." Robert had once told him . Only a grim hard man could hold against the full power of the Reach ground and sea forces. The memory of his argument with Robert was still fresh in his mind. The last quarrel was particularly nasty.
"Is that who you are Robert? You can stand by murder of babes, a princess being raped?"
"They are not babes Ned! They are dragonspawn! She is Rheagars whore! She deserves to be raped just like how your sister was raped!" Robert had yelled. "Hand me over that dragonspawn! I can let that Dornish cunt go! But the inbred dragonspawn must die!"
"No" He had said coldly. " I have said before and I will say again. I do not stand by the murder of babes and rape. Attempt to take Princess Rhaenys to kill her and I will kill anyone who attempts to murder her."
"God damn you, Ned! You are betraying me over your precious honor! You are committing treason Ned! I demand you give me that—"
"Robert!Enough! Either kill me or let Rhaenys go." He had replied angrily. "The choice is yours! All I know the person I grew up with is no longer there."
He had then stalked out of the throne room and ran into Ser Jamie who had looked rather shocked and amused at the same time. Lord Arryn had looked horrified and had attempted to talk to him but he had left the red keep before Lord Arryn could catch him.
The Stormlands were a rather depressing place, at least to him. There was constant rain, there were many small woods in the area. The ground was rather muddy, though nowhere near as bad as the swamps around the neck.
"Lord Stark, our forward scouts have spotted the Tyrell siege camp." The Greatjon informed him.
"Thank you, Lord Umber. Howland, inform the man to set up camp, set up a perimeter. Get the men ready. Form them up, get the heavy cavalry and knights ready, followed by men-at-arms." He told Howland Reed
"Yes My Lord, " Howland said before bowing his head and moving off.
He gathered his bannermen as well as the different commanders in the main tent.
"The Tyrell forces are in no shape to fight. They are disorganized, they have not formed up any lines, I doubt they have even noticed our presence" Howland Reed said
"Ha! These flowers won't know what hit them!" Greatjon Umber cheered loudly, causing much laughter.
"Nevertheless, they boast a force that is much larger than us. Will the Redwyne fleet post any threat?" Tytos Blackwood asked
"Unlikely," Lord Royce said "Our men are battle-hardened while the Tyrell men have spent their last few months feasting. Lord Stark, what is our attack plan."
He started, "We will use the Vale, Stormland knights to punch a hole through their Northern outer perimeter, then—"
Suddenly a messenger burst through, a squire by the look of it.
"My Lords, Lord Tyrell is approaching."He said
"That's impossible!" William Dustin said in a slightly panicked voice"How would Tyrell gather his men in such a short time?"
"No my Lord, it's only Lord Tyrell and a few dozen Knights and Lords. They carry a banner of peace." The messenger said swiftly.
"Looks like Tyrell has given up without fighting." Lord Mallister said.
"A craven Tyrell is. He would not fight unless he had no other choice." Lord Forrester said.
"William, Howland, Ser Brynden bring Lord Tyrell to me. Keep his men out of the camp." He said
Lord Tyrell arrived on top of a white stallion dressed in light armor and wearing a golden helm with a feather on top. Southern fools.
He ushered Lord Tyrell into his camp and decided to get straight to the point.
"Lord Tyrell, you are here to surrender are you not?" He asked
"Not exactly Lord Stark, I merely wish to swear fealty to his grace, King Robert Baratheon" Mace Tyrell said, with confidence in his voice. Spare me your false southron horseshit
"In other words, you want to surrender? Am I wrong Lord Tyrell?" He asked impatiently.
"Not exactly, May I ask the condition for surrender?" Mace Tyrell asked.
"House Tyrell and its bannermen will keep all its incomes and land. You will immediately stand down all forces. You are required to go to king's landing and swear fealty to King Robert." He said then adding on "And to give your food supplies to the garrison of Storms End."
"If that is the case, House Tyrell accepts your generous offer." Mace Tyrell said
Storm's End was an imposing massive castle, with large walls facing the sea that dwarf Winterfell's largest walls. Its no wonder it's nearly impossible to take by force.
He rode towards the gate which creaked open, revealing a frail-looking half-starved man who walked with a cane . Nevertheless the man's face had a look of grim determination. This must be Stannis Baratheon.
"Lord Stark I presume," he said
"Well met my Lord. You are Ser Stannis? The food your garrison needs is in those wagons." He said.
"Thank you my Lord. May I ask where my brother is?" He said.
" He is at Kings landing." He replied.
"Of course he is." Stannis said with hints of anger " I hope he is satisfied with murdering a babe."
"He demands more blood," Ned replied
"Of course he does, when he wants something, he would take it and I would clean up the mess." Stannis said bitterly." If you would forgive me, My Lord, I need to take care of my men."
"Of course." He replied. Ned then left the area, gathering his commanders.
"I will travel to Dorne to rescue my sister after we have settled matters here. I don't want to march into Dorne with an Army., Lord Royce, you take the Vale forces, Lord Estermont, you take command of Stormland forces and Lord Karstark, you take the Northern host.Lord Blackwood, I give you command, bring the forces back to king's landing, and await Robert order."
"You honor me, my lord." Lord Blackwood said.
And so, the armies of the rebels marched back to king's landing. While a small force of Northerners of about a few dozen., including Ser William Dustin, Ethan Glover, Martyn Cassel, Theo Wull and Howland Reed moved towards Dorne. Alongside Elia Martel, Princess Rhaenys and Ser Jamie headed for Dorne.
Notes:
I hope you enjoyed it, I'll appreciate your feedback. Next up is the tower of joy. It should come out next week. Thanks for reading.