Thanks to everyone who reviewed, you were all very helpful, knowing it or not!
Suns and Stars Both Light the Way
Chapter 7
Aemon Estermont arrived in Starfall just a few weeks after Edric and Elia's return – and the best that could be said about him was that he was young. He observed all good manners and was unfailingly polite but the fact that he had more men than belongings did not foretoken an easy co-existence.
"Does he think we're going to start a rebellion to crown Aegon?" Ashara asked angrily as soon as her betrothed made his excuses and went to tour the castle – and the nursery in particular. "Or that we're going to smuggle him out of Starfall to deliver him to his loving father? What?"
"I think," Edric said regretfully, "that I might have done you evil without wanting to. I wanted a young and vigorous husband for you. I'm afraid I didn't take into account that an older one might have less time to waste on suspicions."
"Yes," she agreed, "you might have overestimated my charm. But I think I still prefer him to his father. He's comely enough and with time, he may be… persuaded. "
Elia didn't say anything. Ashara could not do much but hope but Elia had seen the man's face upon seeing her. About as much emotion as a rock, it had shown. Not even the slightest delight at seeing Ashara crossed his face, when he could have at least shown some delight at wedding such a beautiful maiden; with a sinking heart, Elia realized that he likely believed that Ashara was not a maiden. If she could find out who had started this ugly rumour, she would claw their eyes out without waiting for Edric's spear or Arthur's sword! They could have what would be left of him.
Before the second day of the stormslanders' arrival, there were posts of theirs placed all around the castle and Elia ground her teeth each time she as much as crossed the main courtyard – she was always followed! Edric and his father tried to hide their irritation at someone else blatantly taking charge in their castle. Arthur, who had been delighted in his freedom to act outside of his vows, took his leave from Starfall before he did something unrational and Allyria let out a startled cry each time she went out and found herself followed. Really, couldn't they do the counting and see that she was clearly not three-year-old? Not Rhaenys, in other words. No interest to them. Sadly, it seemed that they couldn't. Everyone kept their irritation in and when they could no longer keep it there, they took it out on each other because they could hardly do so on the King's men, in a situation like this one. In a few short weeks, Elia had had more marital discords than in her three years with Rhaegar together. It was a good thing that they always made up in bed.
In this prepossessing atmosphere, the preparations for Ashara's wedding went on, with the man paying her a visit every day and not staying a moment longer than the prescribed half an hour, too busy with his inspections and attempts to make sure that Elia and her new family would not succumb to any temptation to do something unreasonable. The nursemaids taking the children outside looked askance at his men and despite any logic, their fear infected Elia as well, although the first thing Aemon Estermont had done had been to assure her that she and her children were safe.
"It won't go on like this forever," she often said and tried to believe. "Just until we get used to each other."
Ashara would smile in reply but her eyes would stay troubled.
Old Lady Dayne seemed to be the only person who truly delighted in the newcomer's company. "Aemon," she had said, smiling, at their first meeting. "My brother was called Aemon."
To Elia's surprise, it turned out that the man's lips could form a convincing smile; a few days before the wedding, a ship arrived carrying a very special present. Winter oak seeds that Princess Rhae planted in a deep pot, the delight on her face transforming her into a much younger woman; behind the loose skin and the few spots that had come with age, her true beauty showed. How had the Targaryen princess gotten used to this life that was so different? If Rhae had been able to, then it should not be out of reach for Rhaenys and Aegon.
But Rhae belonged to Starfall on a deeper level, her roots were planted here as well as King's Landing. Her mother had been a Dayne while the father of Elia's children… was not.
"Stop obsessing over it," Edric said curtly one night as she sat before her dressing table and he slowly brushed her hair out. "The children will always have a place here. You belong with me and because of this, so do they. Think of this as a gift. Starfall is a bright place that seems made for children and there hasn't been one toddling around since Allyria outgrew this age."
She stared at his reflection. He had recently suffered from one of his splitting headaches and she could feel a dull ache in her own skull as well, so they had only a few candles lit up. Their bedchamber was full of shadows and their play hid his expression from her. Did he know just how much he had lost by not seeing Allyria toddling around? Was he bitter that he would not see children of his own doing this? She clasped his hands and pressed the palms against her face because the very thought of this was unbearable.
The wedding day came, bright and radiance with sunlight, and imbued with hope which surprised Elia after the last bleak weeks. Even she felt deep emotion and longing, and even joy for Ashara. No matter what, she was getting a husband of prominence, and one who was not ugly, at this. The women in the castle had worked day and night to make her ivory wedding gown, just like they had for Elia. Elia herself had attached the small silvery dots that would make the stars on the cloak look like real and when Rhae clasped a necklace against her granddaughter's throat, everyone gasped.
"These… aren't amethysts, are they?" Ashara's mother asked at last.
"No," her goodmother replied. "Lilac sapphires."
The silver casing was wrought in a way that had been outmoded for many years but it was so elegant and delicate that this particular jewel could never be anything other than flawless or desired. The gems were all perfectly limpid. Ashara slowly turned her back on the mirror and her face, to her grandmother. "This is… I've never seen the like of it! I think only Queen Rhaella owns things this magnificent."
The silence grew heavy. Elia stole a look at the few women from the stormslands who had come to help prepare the bride but although one of them looked outraged, the others seemed understanding of such lapses. Rhaella had been Queen for so long. It would take time.
"I don't think I've ever seen you wear it," Ashara said. "What a shame."
"Because I never did. I didn't even try it when I was presented with it."
"But why?" Lady Amira asked.
Rhae smiled slowly. "It was a guilty gift," she said. "When Jaehaerys and Shaera turned the Reach against our House, my brother had to make great concessions. And of course, they had to come at Dorne's expense. I was no longer welcome for a long stay at his court and my husband was stripped of his office as Master of Ships to have it given to a Redwyne, as well as permission to expand the number of their ships to what is now knows as the Redwyne fleet. Before I left King's Landing, Aegon had this made for me. He knew I loved unusual colouring of my gems – Rhae the Deceiver, my lord father called me – and ordered the most magnificent lilac sapphires to complement my eyes."
"But you never put it on."
Rhae shrugged. "I prefer things that I have received with love. I've worn many of Aegon's gifts on many occasions. But I never knew what to do with this one. I thought of giving it to you." She looked at Lady Amira. "At your wedding. Or to my daughter. But it never felt right. It does now."
The lady of Starfall just smiled. Elia had seen some of the fantastic jewels that she had received from her goodmother – truly things that few men other than royals could afford to give their daughters or sisters. Unbidden, the earrings that Rhaegar had given her upon Rhaenys' birth came to her mind. Rubies, dark as blood and just as flawless as the sapphires here. There had been an official gift as well, of course, but he had given this one to her in the day she had risen from her bed after six endless months. Something just between the two of them. She had put them on each time they matched a gown. She had been wearing them at Harrenhal. For a while, she had truly believed that the two of them could be content with each other. He had looked so besotted with his daughter. Sometimes, she still woke up thinking that it had all been a bad dream. Rhaegar could not have turned Rhaenys and Aegon into bastards. He could not have used them to threaten Dorne into helping him, all the while knowing that he'd discard them for Lyanna Stark's offspring.
Now, she wondered what had happened to the earrings. Had they been abandoned in her chambers in the Red Keep, to be found later and taken by Robert to give to his new betrothed, Lord Tyrell's sister? Or had Rhaella had the presence of mind to take them to Dragonstone? Were they adorning Lyanna Stark's ears now? Elia shook her head. She would not think about this right now. This was Ashara's day.
"And this is for you," Rhae went on, handing her a velvet box as well. A chain of old gold with a single huge amber, almost dark-red, with streaks of gold and white here and there. Elia immediately realized that it had been meant for an olive-skinned woman. On Rhae and other pale-skinned ladies, it looked nice but nothing more; on skin like her own, it would sparkle, all shades burning like flames.
"This is a gift that my grandfather, Daeron the Good, ordered for his wife, Mariah Martell, in their youth. She loved wearing it and I loved playing with it even as a babe, so she left it to me. It's yours now."
Elia smiled, gladdened by the gesture and suddenly insecure at the same time. Ashara and Lady Amira smiled at her. She hesitated. "Are you sure this is for me? The family story is so nice…"
"And who are you, are you not of this family?" Rhae demanded. "You're Edric's wife, my dear. Put it on."
The women from the stormslands looked quite uncomfortable with this Targaryen reminiscencing. Elia saw Rhae's quick smile and knew the old woman was provoking them purposely. "You can rarely win a war by constantly retreating," her father's voice suddenly echoed in her head.
Enough! She had had enough of this humouring King Robert, cowering and being constantly on the alert to not step out of line for a moment, lest she irritated King Robert's man and this way, the King himself. If she went on like this, she would soon turn into a captive in her own new home and her children, even more so. Aemon Estermont had come to live with them and not the other way around. She spontaneously kissed the old lady's cheek. "Thank you," she said as she clasped the pendant on and Allyria eagerly straightened out her sister's overgown – "You're the most beautiful bride I've ever seen, Ashara!" and Elia laughed, knowing that while she was undoubtedly lovely and beautiful above comparison to Edric, she had not made the same dazzling bride.
"Are we ready?" she asked and everyone filed out, headed towards the sept full of everyone of note who could have received the word and made the journey in the short time that they had. Arthur had just arrived and a good thing this was because he would have never heard the end of it if he had missed Ashara's wedding. Doran and Mellario were here while Oberyn had pointedly refused to attend the unnecessary sacrifice of one of Dorne's finest ladies to the stupid fears of the new King – Elia did not doubt that he had used those exact words. King Robert's brother had made the journey and Elia gasped at seeing how gaunt he had become, just a tad better than a walking corpse. By the Seven, what was left of Storm's End after this siege if the lord looked like this? Many of the men who had come bore fresh wounds and glared with disdain at their Dornish counterparts who were mostly intact, as if being pulled out before a battle where a victory would have brought them nothing was a grave crime.
She felt her spirit recover somewhat when she saw how the bridegroom's eyes lit up at the sight of the vision in ivory, violet and silver coming to him as if dancing on a moon path. A moment later, his face became shuttered again but Elia had seen. Scowl all that you want, she thought. Now I know how you truly are. She looked up at Edric and smiled, remembering their own, far lesser-scale wedding. He returned the smile and she thought that there might be something wrong because he was… no, she was mistaken. He looked just as usual.
Turned out, she had not been mistaken. As soon as they left the great hall where the feast had finally started getting quieter and entered their own chambers, he told her that in the early morning, ravens had arrived. Rhaegar had left Dragonstone, avoiding the fleet that had been coming to lay siege by mere hours. "Robert Baratheon is furious. Claims that he'll have his brother's head for this. He thinks that if Stannis had assumed command, the ships would have reached Dragonstone in time…"
Elia shook her head, amazed by the man's willingness to always find a villain. Sometimes, things just happened and no one was to blame. This was their new king? But why not? They had put up with Aerys, Aerys for years. But a moment later, something more serious occurred to her and the Baratheon brothers fled her mind. "How is Rhaella?" she asked urgently. "Don't tell me that he dragged her aboard a ship in her state?" But what else could he have done? Leave her for Robert's fleet to find?
Edric did not reply at once. Instead, he looked away and Elia stared at him, not understanding, not wishing to understand. Then, she started weeping. It was over. After cheating the Stranger so many times in the birthing bed, Rhaella had finally found herself facing him – and losing. Even in death, Aerys had managed to get his revenge on his hated sister-wife. Aerys, Aerys, Aerys! She wanted to scream, so she brought her hand to her mouth and bit hard. Blood gushed through cuts that had almost torn skin off and she lifted the other hand, wanting this pain, this relief. But Edric would not let her, grabbing her hands and keeping them immobile. Then, wishing to say it all and be done with it, he went on, "Her babe was born alive and healthy, they say. Daenerys, she named her, much to Rhaegar's displeasure. Lyanna Stark refused to leave and demanded that she and her babe be left in the castle, so she could meet the rebels and return to her brother but after a few minutes of conversation with Rhaegar behind closed doors, a nursemaid took the babe out and onto the ship and Lyanna followed obediently…"
Have they drifted apart this far, Elia wondered in a blur but while in other circumstances, she might have gloated, she now did not give Rhaegar or the girl another thought. She wept for kind Rhaella and tried to believe that the other violet-haired bride, the one downstairs, would have a better fate.
Ashara Dayne and Aemon Estermont's first marital discord raged this same night and became known to all who had not passed out drunk in the night castle where the only other sound was the soft splash of the Torentine.
