Elia Martell sat solemnly at the crib of her daughter Rhaenys, the events from the last few hours seemed to play on repeat in her head. She had finally recovered enough after Rhaenys birth to present her to the King, her good-father, Aerys the Second. When her daughter was presented to the King and Queen at court, Queen Rhaella embraced her granddaughter warmly, but she saw the slight abrasiveness in the touch. King Aerys on the other hand refused to touch or hold Rhaenys and complained that she 'smells Dornish'. While all this happened her husband Rhaegar just stood there his mind someplace else most likely in those prophecies he truly loved, or maybe he was thinking of that lickspittle Connington or that traitor Arthur who both followed his every step while listening to his word as if it were from the Gods themselves.
She was broken from her thoughts as her uncle and guard Lewyn opened her door and looked at her. "Princess Elia, you and Princess Rhaenys have a visitor." Though she doubted it, she hoped it was Rhaegar who finally left those books of prophecy and came to comfort his wife. As she gave permission for the visitor to enter, it was not her husband who entered, not one of his sycophants even, instead it was his most vocal rival. Prince Gael Targaryen, the Cold Sword some called him because he fought like ice, slippery and emotionless.
As Elia thought of his nickname she couldn't help but find it ironic the supposedly coldest Targaryen was actually the warmest, even more so than her own husband. Gael was similar to Rhaegar in that they both had the features native to Valyria; silver-blonde hair, purple eyes, and otherworldly grace but how it was expressed between the brothers was where differences lie. While Rhaegar's eyes are dark indigo filled with a detached intelligence, Gael's are more a bright amethyst filled with a tired joy and cold warmth, Rhaegar's hair is long and reached his mid-back, Gael kept his short maybe and inch or two long, Rhaegar was clean shaven, Gael had perpetual stubble, Rhaegar had a build fit for dancing in the heat of battle from one foe to the next, while Gael was broader but still slim build was for taking hits and returning the favor using his opponent's power, the biggest difference though was that Gael was here to comfort her as she cried at the hate her sweet and innocent daughter was going to suffer while Rhaegar was gone studying some old tome or another prophecy, or maybe even embracing the rumours of court and taking that cur Arthur or sycophant Jon to his bed.
She didn't know how long she cried as Gael gave an embrace to her, his usual snark and self-deprecating japes absent as he just stood muttering 'let it out,' along with 'it'll be alright.'s Eventually Elia calmed down and Gael led her to her bed to sit while she rubbed her eyes and tried to regain her voice. She felt when he moved away for a moment only to return and hand her Rhaenys who reached her hands and patted her face with a smile trying to stop her tears.
"Thank you, Prin-" Elia tried to say before Gael cut her off.
"Just Gael, no need for honorifics when with me Princess Elia. Y'know that." He wore a smile that held things she couldn't see.
She merely smiled at him as well. "Well Gael, then you should follow your own words." The chuckle that he had after her remark was strange just like his smile but she could hear one emotion in this laugh, a tone of somber regret.
"Do as I say, not as I do." Was all he said before he took on a more serious look. "Are you ok, Elia?"
"I-… I don't know?" Said the Martell Princess, her face filled with a multitude of emotions even she couldn't place. "I thought that I was happy, happy to marry Rhaegar, I then thought I was not just some lucky girl as everyone said when I was told Rhaenys was coming, I thought Queen Rhaella was somewhat of a confidant so I was happy… but then I nearly died having her, when Rhaegar finally shows his face only to say: 'The first head has been born, but there must be three.' then leaves, and when I finally recover enough to show everyone my pride and joy, a happy little girl I'm met with abrasive smiles and scorn." Her tone was of sorrow and her face was a tired smile as she looked at the infant in her arms. "I'm just confused, Gael. What have I done? What has my little girl done?"
Gael merely looked at her and Rhaenys while saying nothing. Elia moved to apologize for the unanswerable question when he spoke, voice still. "My father, he was always mad. People say he was going to have a slow decline but the defiance sped it up. People are wrong; his true decline started after my brother Aegon was born premature and died, or maybe sooner all that matters is that it became visible to me around that time. Every week the venom of madness in his eyes grew until he left for Duskendale, when he came back all that he was missing was the mask that hid his madness." Elia watched as Gael shook from his tale when she tried to talk, he continued.
"My mother on the other hand wasn't always like this, like the King her decline into how she is today started with Aegon as well. Something in her broke, I think it was my fault in a way giving hope and then it being taken away, that's beside the point all that matters is that she was left as a shell of a woman, one Aerys remade into something he preferred. After what he did all that remained was a submissive woman who was filled with nothing but a vindictive hatred of the world and completely reliant on him. All that's left of the real Rhaella is the fact she hates how he gets excited over burning people."
The Prince scoffed as the fact passed into the air.
"Though given how that absolute bastard I call father broke her she probably deludes herself into thinking that he should be more excited over her. Not even Viserys' birth brought back the woman who was my mother. All that remains is some wretched creature wearing her skin." The Cold Sword stopped his shaking as tears welled in his eyes and he rubbed them away while Rhaenys made grabbing motions to her uncle which Elia obliged and the babe merely repeated what she'd done with Elia, patted his face with a smile trying to stop his tears. He merely chucked again and turned Elia. "Thank you, both of you. Sorry you had to see that. My story had a purpose though it seems to have been lost in my rambling."
Elia only smiled at him. "It's fine Gael, if it's not too much trouble could you tell me the purpose of your story."
"The purpose was to give you context so as to not be confused on what to feel. To show you that you did nothing." He scratched the back of his head in a nervous way. "It probably only left you more confused but 'twas the best I could think of."
"You did what you thought was good Gael. Most could learn a lesson in that." They both laughed as Rhaenys joined them with her laughter before they stopped leaving a happy silence. The silence was eventually broken by Elia yawning.
"You alright?" Questioned Gael as Elia rubbed her eyes.
"I'm fine, just tired." The end of her response was punctuated by a long yawn.
"Probably exhaustion. These kinds of talks make people tired, generally speaking, and not including other factors." Elia nodded as Gael got up and took Rhaenys from her. "You get to bed, Elia, I'll put Rhaenys down for you." The Princess muttered a thanks and effectively face-planted on her bed as she instantly fell asleep. Gael chuckled as he heard soft snores from his goodsister, before turning to Rhaenys. "Come on little one let's get ya to bed like Mama don't ya agree Rhae." The infant merely giggled as Gael moved to her crib and set her down.
Gael watched as his niece played with her blanket and the little doll in her crib instead of sleeping and sighed. "Guess it would've been too easy if that's how putting babies to sleep works." Adjusting Rhaenys so she was secure in the blanket while holding the doll Gael started to hum a few tunes before settling on one and singing.
"Why are there so many, songs about rainbows
And what's on the other side?
Rainbows are but visions, and only illusions,
And rainbows have nothing to hide.
So we've been told and some choose to believe it
I know they're wrong, wait and see.
Someday you'll find it, the rainbow connection,
the fighters, the dreamers and me."
As he sang the lullaby Rhaenys stopped fidgeting in the blanket and focused on her uncle who kept singing in a warm tone which due to the silence of the room was heard by the two Kingsguard outside. Smirking lightly while he hummed Gael continued.
"Who said that every wish would be heard and answered
when wished upon thy morning star?
Somebody thought of that
and someone believed it,
and look what it's done so far.
What's so amazing that keeps us stargazing?
And what do we think we might see?
Someday you'll find it, the rainbow connection,
the fighters, the dreamers and me."
Rhaenys started blinking slowly as she fell asleep to Gael's singing; he noticed but decided to finish the song just to be safe.
"All of us under its spell,
we know that it's probably magic…
Have you been half asleep
and have you heard voices?
I've heard them calling my name.
Is this the sweet sound that calls the young sailors?
The voice might be one and the same.
I've heard it too many times to ignore it.
It's something that I'm supposed to be.
Someday you'll find it, the rainbow connection,
the fighters, the dreamers and me.
La, la la, lee dum, la la, dee dum, lee, da laaaaaaa."
The Prince merely smiled and silently left Rhaenys and moved to Elia picking the Princess up and removing the few accessories on her before he slipped her under the covers of her bed. Turning to leave the duo Gael turned near the door and smiled before leaving and mumbled under his breath. "Someday you'll find it, the rainbow connection." As he left and gestured for Lewyn to be quiet in his guard duty and signaled for his own guard Oswell Whent to follow, Gael whistled through the hallways of the Red Keep a jaunty tune leaving the mother and daughter to sleep peacefully.