Epilogue

"Hope is being able to see that there is light despite all of the darkness."

Desmond Tutu

"Three grand essentials to happiness in this life are something to do, something to love, and something to hope for."

Joseph Addison

The Serpent Lady stared at the horizon. The sun was rising.

Athelinda slowly turned back to her eldest brother, and her second older brother.

In her arms was a peacefully sleeping baby boy, with a mop of liquid black hair and pale skin, like hers- and the father that can never be named.

"You know what I have to do," she said. "I'm not running away. But we have to live- for my son's sake."

Rhaegar nodded. He understood. Willamar felt the same way, she sensed his understanding.

"You'll see me, often." She said.

Rhaegar nodded again. "Where will you go?" He asked her. "What will you do?"

Athelinda sighed and turned back towards the horizon.

"First, I'll have to keep him safe." She said. "Help him grow to be better than I was, and to teach and love him so he would never be like him. Second, I'll have to spend a great deal of time, a lifetime even, to atone for my mistakes and bring his dark vision crashing down. I don't know where to start, but I have an idea." She paused for a while. "He has many pure-blood followers, it would seem."

"As you say," Willamar finally spoke. He ran his fingers through his hair. "What shall you do?"

"First, I have to find a weak link," Athelinda said. "Just because they have been raised to uphold their family's ideals, does not mean the reality will be less horrifying to those who actually do have some hidden honour inside. And once I get inside, I'll have to find his thing. And destroy it, before he destroys the future. I'll turn my regrets into my greatest weapons, and lie in hiding, like a snake, waiting for it's prey to go near, before I strike- when my son is old enough to survive without me- not that I plan on giving up my life so easily. There are many things that need to be done."

Rhaegar nodded. Athelinda looked at her brothers with pain and longing. Her little sister watched as well, not too far away.

"I love you," she whispered. "I'll miss you. More than you know. I always have, and I always will. I'll come back, but not just yet. Not yet. For all of you, and for my son- For Sigurd."

Athelinda looked once more at the horizon. The boy's silvery-green eyes opened. He looked at her, as if he knew and understood everything and he approved. The eyes were so clear, like shallow, filtered sea-water touched by sunlight, or a jewel or coloured crystal lit from behind, and yet seemed to have a misty dream-like quality to it. One pupil was small and round. The other was long and winding, stirring like a snake waking and easing towards the warmth of the sun.

First off, I can say that Lady of Serpents was, by far, NOT the best fanfiction I have written, but I wrote it for a purpose. The purpose being sequels. I can promise the next part of the series will be better than this- by far. If not, then you have permission to send me a PM and say that I suck! Just this once! The sequel is called Roaring Dragon. It involves the same family, but I'm not giving any details. Sigurd will make his mark eventually- not that I'm giving any spoilers. For those who bore with this, thank you. I'm just so sorry it was so crap.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, the canon characters of Tom Riddle, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Dippet, Merrythought, Slughorn and Alpahrd Black. I only own their family here, and most of their friends.

Edit- 26/09/2015: I admit, the reason I thought this was crap was because so few seemed to like it, compared to my Lord of the Rings fanfic.

The Sequel is up- Roaring Dragon. It will feature the same family beginning in the 1950s.