BAELA
Baela had never done a sky patrol of King's Landing before, but that does not mean she is not qualified to deem the night unusual. She would have considered the night unusual even if she had stayed home. She would have considered the night unusual even if her vigil over the Sea Snake was not interrupted by the Maester with a raven's scroll.
"Any word of my stepmother and grandmother?" she had asked.
"Both, My Lady. It appears Princess Rhaenyra has entered an early, unpromising labour due to her flight, and Princess Rhaenys has resolved to attend to her. Word has been sent out to all major houses to contact Prince Daemon and relay the King's request for the presence of himself and his sons."
"Why his sons?"
"It does not say."
"I've known Rhaenyra to ride up until the day before her labour; it has never affected her so, aside from needing assistance and the proper saddle."
"I have heard the same, My Lady."
"Grandmother was unaccounted for long before Rhaenyra left, and their relationship is not so warm as for her to offer attendance at the birthing bed."
The Maester offered no response.
"And no direct word from either? Or from Dragonstone?"
"None."
Baela had sighed. "Would you… have someone keep watch over my Grandsire? I need a walk to clear my head."
"Perhaps some sleep would do you well."
"I fear that none but my Grandsire will find sleep tonight."
"Should I arrange for a guard to escort you?
"That will not be necessary, I will have Moondancer for company."
The moon is low and the night is dark...
The dragonpit is quiet as death on the outside, as it should be if they mean to lure Father in.
A burning building catches her attention. She perches on a shadowy roof and watches the mayhem until it dies down. Silent men patrol the perimeter, killing anyone who tries to escape — even the children. She wants to intervene but knows not how without revealing herself.
She then resolves to stick to the outskirts of the city. She circles several times, each lap further and further away from the walls. Erratic activity by torchlight catches her attention on the King's Road and she flies lower to investigate.
One man on horseback hopelessly flees five pursuers. She flies lower and lower and coasted only a story above them for a good listen, being careful not to flap wings in their earshot.
Hightower men.
What would Father do? She circles back for another swoop. Once. Twice. A thir—
"Ser Erryk! Surrender now and we will take you alive! Swear obeisance toward the Crown and the new King will generously overlook—"
That is all she need hear. She circles again and flies toward the men's faces rather than their backs, no longer caring if they see her. She dives once she passes Ser Erryk. The men shout when they see her, but she has but one word for them.
"Dracarys!"
The three riders in the front immediately burn, and she had to double back to finish the other.. She lands in front of the Kingsguard who turns to face her. She knows him, but he is no longer the object of her focus. She dismounts to survey the carnage.
"Those men…" she says. "This was the first time I've ever killed."
"I doubt it will be the last, My Lady. Best make your peace with it now." As if in agreement, Moondancer starts to feast on the horses. Baela does not stop her; she'll need the energy.
She turns back to the knight. "Might I ask how a knight of the King's Guard finds himself fleeing the city limits with the Hightowers on his tail?"
"I presume for the same reason a future queen finds herself investigating the outskirts of King's Landing," says Ser Erryk.
She shakes her head. "I don't even know why I'm here, save that something is wrong. No one is asleep, and no one is where they should be."
"Then I regret to inform you, My Lady. Your uncle, the King, he left us in his sleep last night." Baela sucks in a breath and just stops herself from covering her mouth.
What were you expecting to find?
She composes herself. "And my Grandmother? My stepmother — The Queen?"
"The Greens have imprisoned them, but they do not mean to harm them. Not yet, at least. But I could not reach them."
"So what is it you were hoping to accomplish?"
"Bring word to Lord Hayford before daybreak; send a raven to your father. Him, they do seek to harm."
"Do not worry yourself, my father is well aware something is amiss. He will not come flying into their trap."
Ser Erryk nods in relief. But there is another concern before them.
"My dragon… she cannot bare the weight of a second rider yet. I'm afraid I must leave you. Were those your only pursuers?"
"I believe so. The Greens have reason to keep things quiet until they can apprehend Prince… or I suppose King Daemon." Six years, but still two words she never expected to hear together.
"And what of Queen Rhaenyra? Princess Rhaenys? How do I get to them?"
"You cannot, My Lady. But trust me when I say this, their lives are not in immediate danger. Not now. You need to warn your family immediately. If my own message is not necessary I'll make for the harbour and we can regroup on Dragonstone."
He's omitting something.
Baela knows when to feign acquiescence. "Very well. But all of this is too much for Moondancer to consume; we need to remove it from the road."
Ser Erryk helps her before they part ways. She does not return to Dragonstone though. Rather, she circles the Red Keep.
It is well into the night, yet candles still illuminate many of the windows. She dare not venture into the Holdfast, but the Tower of the Hand is still well alight.
What am I even hoping to accomplish? It's not like I can—
She does know a way to observe the activity of the castle. The activity they would want to keep unknown. Thanks to a rather disturbing story she'd been eavesdropping on earlier, she knows that the castle has several secret exits. She makes four circuits of the Keep to find nothing of interest. the only men she observes walk in silence.
Moondancer takes a much-needed break on the beach before trying again, and this time she finds much of interest. A small procession of torches moves up from the bottom of the cliff, and another single torch approaches from the top.
She first investigates the procession moving up the stairs, but encounters only silence. But those are the same robes from the fire, she realizes. The ones who had swept the streets for survivors.
She decides to investigate the lone flame instead. The closer she gets, the more clear she can make out two figures rather than one. One carries the torch and supports the other figure, who's leaning and gasping…
And pregnant.
"How far are we?" asks a familiar voice.
"Not even a third of the way," Rhaenyra gasps. She moans with the impact of each downward step. Far too many steps for someone in her term. "Ah!" Rhaenyra groans in pain.
The men likely continue their ascent. Whether Rhaenyra's health holds or not, they're not making it to the bottom.
Not without Baela, that is.
The steps are narrow and slick-looking, but she has to chance it. Baela lands precariously, one wing tucked against the rock "Grandmother! Rhaenyra!"
They stop in their tracks. Shock flashes over their faces, making way for fear in her Grandmother. But Rhaenyra… Rhaenyra is gaunt. Exhausted. She clutches her stomach with one arm and Grandmother with the other. And then shock wears off.
Rhaenyra is resigned.
"What are you doing here?" Grandmother hisses. Rhaenyra just sways.
"I came to investigate. Ser Erryk told me what's happened."
"Corlys?" Grandmother asks.
"On Driftmark. Still abed."
They don't have much time. "Rhaenyra, Grandmother, there are men coming up the steps."
"It should not matter," Rhaenyra says. "There's an etiquette to these steps. Heads down, no eye contact, no questions."
"There's an etiquette to the secret sex tunnels?" Baela cannot help but ask.
"Gods be damned, Daemon," Rhaenyra mumbles.
The weakness in her voice makes her regret her impertinence. She continues. "It does not matter; I have seen these men. They're the ones who set the fire and killed anyone trying to escape."
Recognition flashes over Rhaenyra. "The rogue agents. The view."
Baela is confused but Grandmother nods. "Those must be Alicent's men."
Baela has been running the scenarios. "I… I cannot take us all back. Mayhaps I can get us to a ship though, if we all hold on —"
Rhaenyra interrupts between pants. "Baela, I'm not getting on anything. And Moondancer is definitely not carrying all three and a half of us." She winces again and sinks into Grandmother.
Baela looks back nervously, wondering how close the men are. Grandmother takes charge. "What if you burn them?"
"If she lights up a procession of men, next to the castle… She cannot set everyone on fire. It will only draw attention. And the archers will take her out." Rhaenyra is resigned once more. "No, I have to go back up."
"Rhaenyra," Grandmother says. "What are you proposing?"
"Getting back up will be easier than down. I'll outrun Alicent's men and then…" She grips her stomach again and groans. "Fuck." Rhaenyra gathers her skirts and reaches up her leg.
Her hand is covered in blood.
"Fuck." She wipes her hand off on her cloak. Baela exchanges looks with her grandmother. She's not going anywhere. Baela puts the thought away.
But Rhaenyra does not. "Rhaenys."
"Absolutely not."
"I cannot get on Moondancer… but you can. She may not get you all the way, but she'll get you far enough."
Hopefully. But she is right, Moondancer had never had a second rider, let alone a third.
Grandmother still hesitates. "And what of you, Rhaenyra? You can barely walk." She can barely stand.
"Give me a better option then. It's fight or flight. And even if we fight, we still have the flight problem remaining."
"No," Baela and Rhaenys say in unison.
"I'm not asking as your mother, or as your cousin. I'm ordering you, as your Queen."
"Well, then I'm not leaving my Queen," Baela says.
"Yes, you are," Rhaenyra orders. "They will not kill me, but they will shoot you down. We need you and Moondancer. Jace, my heir, needs you. Your grandparents need you. Rhaena needs you. Your father needs you. After me, you're the only one who understands him." Baela cannot speak, so she just nods.
Rhaenyra turns to Rhaenys. "Tell Daemon I told you, but not that I told you everything. Ask for Addam." Rhaenyra rustles in her robes and pulls something out. "And tell him while wearing this."
Grandmother steps back. She says nothing.
"Rhaenys, I need you. You're the smartest person I know. You have the respect of the realm. And you're going to ensure Daemon brings us another rider."
Grandmother had refused to show much emotion until now, but something in Rhaenyra's words gets her attention.
"Besides," Rhaenyra continues, "I've done the math. I have a good moon and a half before… you need to get on your dragons and come rescue me."
Grandmother nods, but Baela has not seen her so strained since she was a child. Rhaenyra helps Grandmother remove her burdensome cloak and takes her torch. She pins something onto Grandmother before seeing her on to Moondancer.
She's really getting ready to mount. We're really doing this. Baela offers her hand and Grandmother swings herself around to sit behind her in the non-existent space. Moondancer already protests under the extra weight.
She will not get us far.
Grandmother asks before Baela can. "What will you do, Rhaenyra? I have no trust for the Greens."
"You are wise not to. However… you can trust that I will come up with something."
"How can I know that for sure?"
Rhaenyra actually smiles. "I grew up in King's Landing."
Her grandmother actually laughs for but a moment, and Baela turns back askance. But she does not look to Grandmother's face; something else captures the torchlight, as well s Baela's attention.
Grandmother wears the pin for the Hand-of-the-Queen.