Chapter 11: Tristan

Rowan awoke from a fierce pain in his lower arm. He looked around the room. It was in the middle of the night and the fire was hardly burning. When he turned around he saw Ailith. She was breathing quickly and in the middle of her breathing stopped. She clung her nails into his arms. Her face was red and showed pain, yet she did not scream. Ailith fell back on her back and panted. She let go of his arms and covered her face with her hands. Rowan jumped up and took her hands.
'Ailith,' he said worried, but had no time to finish his phrase.
'Saya,' she moaned, 'Bring me Saya.'
Those words were enough for Rowan. He rushed out the room, yelling for Ailiths maids, Saya and the old maester. Even though he woke more people he only allowed those five people in his room Ailith had made him very clear she did not want any other persons around her. by the time they were all in, Ailith sat up rocking herself in the bed. Saya sat next to her and rubbed her back. The old maester yelled for towels and warm water. Rowan did not know what to do, he could see Ailith was in excruciating pain but did not know what to do. Saya saw him standing there.
'My King,' she said, 'she needs you.'
'What should I do?' Rowan asked doubtful.
'Sit next to her, your Grace,' Saya smiled, men could be so clumsy, 'and tell her she's doing well.'
'Alright,' Rowan said and walked towards Ailith. Saya placed extra pillows behind Ailihts back for some soft support. Rowan sat next to her on the bed and took her hand. Ailith immediately clung to it. Then she took a deep breath, fell back on the pillows and looked at Rowan.
'I can't do this,' she sighed, panting.
'You can!' Rowan assured her and moved closer to her, 'You can do this, Ailith! You are doing it already.'
'Row-' Ailith jumped up and stopped breathing again as she almost crushed Rowans hand. But now he held her hand tight too and kept encouraging her.
Hours went by and as she snow flew around thee castle, blown by a hard wind, Ailith was giving birth to her first child. She kept holding Rowan's hand and repeated an old song her mother had taught her. The song was almost enchanting, it started slowly and slowly reached a climax. The words were ancient and Ailith could only pronounce them in her head. But they kept her strong and kept her going. All of the sudden the room was filled with the most beautiful sound both Rowan and Ailith had ever heard. The cry of their baby. Ailith fell back in the pillows and finally tears rolled over her cheeks. Maester Cestron cleaned the child and wrapped it in a warm green and golden blanket.
'It's a boy, your Grace,' he smiled and handed it to the Rowan, who had stand up and walked towards the old man. Rowan took the child in his arms and held it up high. A tear rolled over his cheek. Then he turned and brought the child to his mother. Ailith took her son in her arms and kissed him. Gently Rowan stroke the long brown locks on his head. The newborns fuzzy green eyes blinked against the light as he yawned. He had the brown hair of his mother and the green eyes of his father.
'My Queen, what shall be his name?' maester Cestron asked. In the Reach, it were the mothers who named their children instead of the father.
'Tristan,' he said and kissed her son again, 'His name shall be Tristan.'

'A son! A son! Queen Ailith has been blessed with a son!' several stewards were shouting it through the streets. Ravens had been sent to tell the good news. The people in the streets of Highgarden and in the castle were cheerful and happy. All, except one. Amelia glared over the white garden from an open hallway. She should have stopped that Wolf. Now the Wolf did not only held her son, but also the country. People in the Reach were so dumb.
'Congratulations to you too,' Amelia heard her daughter say. She was slowly becoming a woman and – thank the gods – she looked like Amelia!
'For what?' Amelia spat, 'For another Wolf?'
'Mother, he's also Rowans son,' Alyna sighed.
'Than why name him 'Tristan'?' Amelia almost yelled, 'How dare she call him 'Southern Wolf'!'
'Mother, please,' Alyna sighed. A few hours after Tristan had been born, Alyna and her brothers had come to see their newborn nephew. Even though Rowan had also send for his mother, she had not come. It had not really surprised anyone, but still Rowan was sad about it.
'Don't 'please' me, Alyna,' Amelia snapped, 'You're my daughter, you should be on my side!'
'Mother, there are no sides here,' that was not what Amelia wanted to hear, but she did not want to slap her own children.
'Watch your mouth, young lady!'
'I'm a child anymore,' Alyna opposed.
'My dear child,' Amelia said, 'the Wolf Witch has you in her power too, doesn't she?'
'What-'
'Don't say anymore, I understand. She's slowly taking over.'
'Mother please!' Alyna said sharp, 'That's enough, you don't know what you're talking about!'
'O, I do, my dear,' Amelia assured her, 'I really do.'
'Get a grip on yourself, mother,' Alyna said, 'before you completely loose yourself.'
'On myself? And what about that Wolf-'
'Her name is Ailith, mother and she is our Queen.'
'She will never be my Queen!'
'Mother,' Alyna quickly looked around to make sure no-one was around, 'Stop this nonsense, right now!'
'Or what?'
'Or what! You could be banished, or worse!'
'Rowan would not allow that,' Amelia said, flipping her hair back, 'My son would never give in to that whore.'
'Do you really think that, mother?' Alyna said and looked in her mothers eyes. There was no chance her mother would believe or all of the sudden, and Alyna grew tired of the hopeless conversations with her mother. Alyna sighed and walked away.

Three weeks had past and Tristan was a fabulous baby. Ailith spend almost every minute of the day or near him. Even now, when the sun was setting and the wind was softly blowing. Ailith sat on a rocking chair, holding her son in her arms and humming some tune. When all of the sudden Amelia stormed into the room. Ailith jumped up and pressed her son close to her chest. The two mothers looked at each other.
'You took my son,' Amelia hissed, 'Now I shall take yours.'
'Don't even dare to come closer,' Ailith warned her.
'You took my son,' Amelia hissed again.
'Take one more step and I will have your head,' Ailith warned.
'My son!' Amelia yelled now.
'Go back to your cave, lion,' Ailith said.
'You don't threaten me,' Amelia said haughty.
'Just as must as you threaten me,' Ailith snapped back.
'You will pay, Wolf,' Amelia said, 'One day.'
'For what? Making your son happy? Getting the country through the Winter?'
'You'll pay,' after those words, Amelia turned around and laughed. It gave Ailith shivers down her spine. She looked at the small Tristan and kissed his head. No-one would ever dare touch him as long as she was around.
'Honey,' Ailith laid in bed. Rowan laid beside her, exhausted from his long day. He was almost asleep.
'Hm,' was the only response he gave
'I'm worried,' she said and sat up in bed.
'Hm,' he just said again.
'Wake up, Rowan!' she sat and gave him a small slap.
'What is it?' he said and yawned as he sat up next to her.
'Your mother,' she said and cleared her throat, 'I don't think its safe for Tristan. Her being around him.'
'Don't you think you're overreacting?'
'Overreacting? Rowan she told me I took you from her and she would take our son from us.'
'She… I'm sorry she said that.'
'You can't apologize for your mother, Rowan. She's a grown woman.'
'I know, I know,' he said and yawned, 'I'll talk to her tomorrow.'

But tomorrow was too late. Maester Cestron entered the room when Rowan was still asleep with his wife in his arms. When he saw the serious and sad face of the old man, his first thought was with his son. Yet, when old man assured him young Prince Tristan was safe and well, another thought crossed Rowans mind. Quick as the wind he threw some clothes on and ran down the hall towards his mothers room. Ailith awoke when Rowan pressed a kiss on her head and followed him in her nightgown and dressing-gown. When she walked into the room, Ailith saw Rowan still stood in the doorway.
'Sent for my siblings,' he said and slowly walked further into the room.
'Rowan-' Ailith wanted to ask what was wrong, but when she stepped beside him she immediately saw it. Amelia laid against the back of her bed, on the floor. Her eyes were wide open, but completely empty. Through her chest, on the place of her heart, was a large bloodstain and the hilt of a dagger. Ailith covered her mouth with her hand, but then thought about her husband. She took his hand in both her hands and helped him sit down on the ground.
'Don't let Alyna see this,' Ailith told maester Cestron.
'Who did this?' Rowan asked, anger boiled up in him.
'We'll find him,' Ailith told him.
'Sure,' he said not believing.
'Listen, Rowan,' Ailith said and turned his chin towards her, 'I may not have liked her and I may not have been her best friend. But she was your mother, and I will be sad for your loss. Still, no matter what kind of a person she was, no-one deserves to die like this. Alright? We will find the one who did this!'
'I love you,' Rowan smiled.
'I love you too,' she said and kissed him and pressed his head against her shoulder.

Want to know something funny? I thought & wrote the part of Amelia's death watching a Christmas movie….
Let me know what you think of it (: