RHAENA


You should thank me for saving your life, Rhaena thought as she watched Baela sleep.

Rhaena hoped that Baela would give her a better thanks than the one Luke gave her. She remembered the clattered knocks on the door, and her betrothed emerging with a furrowed brows and a red face. He stayed at the door, not even wanting to come close to her.

"I want to thank you for saving me," Luke's words came out quick and loud, and Rhaena had to put a finger to her lips, pointing at Baela.

Luke glanced at Baela, hesitated for a moment, and began to turn away. "Jace had arrested your three guardsmen when he captured the castle," Luke said quickly before he departed,"I asked him to free them, and they are outside, awaiting your pleasure." He left before Rhaena could answer, leaving her to ponder his words.

Are you awaiting my pleasure, sister? Rhaena wondered as she watched Baela's sleeping face. Those words echoed throughout her mind as she tried to find the right words to say to her sister when she woke. Baela would not be wanting comfort. Father was bound to die one day, even as Jace said that he would not kill Father. Princes always did that whilst they hid daggers behind their back.

You saw it before me, Rhaena thought as she stroked a strand of Baela's silver hair, Father was a fool. Or did Rhaena see it before her sister, when she wandered to Rhaenyra's chambers to ask to wed the future king?

"I knew then that Father had sought to usurp the queen," Rhaena whispered beneath her breath to Baela,"but it was all a game still. It never occurred to me that we might die in this game. Until Father told me of the feast. If he could kill Jace and Luke and Joff, why wouldn't Rhaenyra kill us?"

What will become of us now? Rhaena wondered to her sister, You and me and Aegon and Viserys. That was truly the question. Jace said that he was sending them away to be safe during the war. Rhaena knew it was exile, but sometimes she wondered if Jace was still hiding his true face. Our ships caught in a storm outside of Dragonstone. A horrible tragedy. It would be so simple to explain it away. "Did I truly save your life?" Rhaena whispered. Baela did not stir, and Rhaena had to be content with twirling a strand of Baela's hair around her finger.

Rhaena looked out the window, and spotted Moondancer chained in the courtyard. She had not brought her own dragon eggs into Baela's chamber, and Rhaena wondered if she should be grateful that her eggs never hatched. Jace need not fear her. It was Aegon and Baela who could threaten him, and Viserys was also a son who could steal Jace's crown. Jace has no need to kill the princess spare. The thought wakened a bitter taste in Rhaena's mouth. What is it with me? Rhaena wondered, Do I want to die?

"All my life," Rhaena whispered to Baela,"I had wished to be you. To be lavished by Father with attention, to ride a dragon like Moondancer through the skies, to wed Jace and be queen of all the realm one day. What would you think of me if I told you that I still wanted it, even after all that we have been through? All those years watching my dragon eggs remain stone in the hearth, scheming and plotting all the ways that I wanted to kill you, to usurp you and be queen, to ride Moondancer or to tame a beast in the Dragonmont like those bastards did. I never believed the whispers until Father told me, because why should they, lowborn scum, ride the beasts of House Targaryen while a trueborn daughter had to settle for a stone?"

She was breathing heavily by the end. Baela stirred in her sleep and turned to the side, but did not wake. Baela's monkey Egg was eating a fruit in the corner of the chamber, and it never even turned its head. Rhaena calmed herself and looked at Baela's sleeping face. "I came too far to go back," she muttered,"I have to do justice to all those schemes and plots. I loved you once, sister." And then she knew that she could not speak to Baela when she woke, and Rhaena rose to leave.

Ser Harrold and Rhaena's old guardsmen were waiting in the hall alongside Jace's Velaryon men who escorted Rhaena to Baela's chamber. Luke fulfilled his promise, at least, Rhaena thought, though Jace's men still stood scarce a few paces away.

Would they have heard me? Rhaena wondered, then dismissed the notion in an instant. She had whispered so quietly that she doubted if Baela would have heard if she was awake, never mind anyone listening through the walls.

"My lady,"Ser Harrold knelt and kissed her hand,"Where might you wish to go?"

"My chamber," Rhaena said,"I must rest."

When she turned the last corner to the hall leading to her chamber, Rhaena saw Ser Lorent Marbrand standing at the door. She prayed that it was not Jace who waiting for her, and she could not bear to meet Luke. Joff, then. Rhaena breathed a little at the prospect. Joff was kinder than his elder brother and gentler than his second.

The white cloak swirled around Marbrand's feet as he knocked twice on the door and then marched towards Rhaena, greeting her with a curt nod. "My lady," Marbrand said,"Her Grace Queen Rhaenyra requests your company."

"Her Grace is too kind to come all the way here," Rhaena said, then realized that she did not hide her surprise well in courtesies. She breathed, and made her heart calm,"Her Grace could have commanded me to attend her in her solar, and I would have come just as eagerly."

"Her Grace knows that the last two days have been tiring for my lady," Ser Lorent Marbrand said as he strode back to the door and opened it.

The queen was seated on one of Rhaena's velvet cushions, drinking from a silver goblet. Rhaena's handmaids were attending to the queen, Cafferen braiding the queen's hair whilst Celtigar held a tray in her hands. When Rhaenyra saw Rhaena, she put the goblet down on the tray and gestured. Celtigar and Cafferen curtsied and then strode out of the chamber past Rhaena.

Rhaena did not realize that she was frozen until the queen beckoned. "Come," the queen waved. As Rhaena stepped across the threshold, Rhaenyra put her hand back,"Your guards may wait outside." Rhaena waved her guards away, and Ser Lorent closed the door behind her.

The queen beckoned for Rhaena to come closer, and Rhaena shuffled forward slowly until she was two steps from the queen. "Your Grace," Rhaena curtsied.

"Sit," the queen said, gesturing to another velvet cushion beside her, and Rhaena gingerly took a seat.

"How is your sister?" Queen Rhaenyra asked,"Has she awoken yet?"

"She is still asleep, Your Grace," Rhaena answered,"but Maester Gerardys said that she is well. The maester said that after a taxing time, a long sleep is the best healer."

"The Grand Maester," Rhaenyra said,"Keep that in mind. We are no common lords."

"Yes, the Grand Maester, Your Grace," Rhaena said,"He is the best in the realm, and I have faith in his silver link."

Rhaenyra studied Rhaena for a moment, staring into Rhaena's eyes until she could no longer stand the violet gaze. Finally, the queen broke the silence,"The person most needing the Grand Maester's healing is you, Rhaena."

Rhaena did not know how to answer, so Rhaenyra continued.

"I heard Luke visited, to thank you," Rhaenyra said,"and my son did it in the worst way possible. He stuttered, barely got his words out, and left before you even knew what was happening. Hardly the gratitude due to someone who has saved your life." Rhaenyra smiled,"I suppose I have to offer my thanks, Rhaena. Without you, my sons would be dead."

"It pleased me to be of service to Your Grace," Rhaena managed.

"It is very good to have those who are loyal when treason plagues us so," Rhaenyra said,"Ser Alfred claims to be one of them, and spun me a tale of how he did not know of my husband's treason, and when he did, he gathered men to rise for his true queen. But I have very much cause to doubt him. Tell me, Rhaena, what truly happened here on Dragonstone whilst I was confined in Sea Dragon Tower?"

Rhaena bit her lip, and looked back into Rhaenyra's violet eyes. They were not cold like Jace's, but they had the same sharp glint. "He knew, Your Grace," Rhaena said,"just like every man on Dragonstone. They knew that you were being imprisoned in your chamber, and Luke as well, but they did nothing because Prince Daemon rode Caraxes. But when they heard the Prince of Dragonstone had returned to Driftmark and Luke escaped with three of the dragonseeds, they knew who had more dragons and turned." The words spilled out of her mouth, and she dreaded Rhaenyra's next question. Did you know? But Rhaenyra did not ask it.

"Very well," Rhaenyra nodded, and Rhaena could not read her eyes,"It seems that I should not trust the words that come out the lips of my guardsmen. There is another matter I must know the truth of. Luke told me only so much of the treason before his escape, and I do not trust Ser Alfred's accounts of what came after. Tell me, Rhaena, what happened after you let Luke go?"

I fled back to my chamber and wept, Rhaena thought, fearing that Father would burst open the doors and seize me. She feared that Father would hang her guardsmen and make her watch, and then bring her to the headsman's block. But Rhaenyra would not want to hear of her fears.

"Prince Daemon called me down to Daenys's Yard, Your Grace," Rhaena said,"Aegon and Viserys were already there. Stormcloud, Moondancer, and Caraxes were saddled. Prince Daemon told me that he meant to take us beyond the Narrow Sea, where he had friends in Pentos. Ser Alfred came and informed Prince Daemon that Baela was unforthcoming and asked to see him, and Prince Daemon went into the castle. He never came out again. When a knight emerged saying that Prince Daemon asked for Aegon, Lapel was suspicious. When Caraxes and Moondancer flew away, Lapel realized what had happened and told Aegon to mount Stormcloud. But then Ser Alfred's men in the yard drew their swords, and outnumbered Lapel's men three-to-one. They took Aegon before he could reach his dragon, and the rest closed around me and Viserys. Stormcloud burned some of them, but they had Aegon and the dragon would not burn his master. They slew Lapel, most of his men, and hanged the prisoners they took. I was relieved that I did not take my guards with me, for Ser Alfred's men hanged those who guarded Aegon and Viserys."

"So your father decided to flee," Rhaenyra's voice was curious," Ser Alfred told me Prince Daemon was amassing an army to invade Driftmark and kill my sons. That is what I would have expected of him. But it makes no matter. A craven traitor is still a traitor. I am curious where Caraxes went. We have not found my husband's dragon, and the fisherfolk say that they have sighted Caraxes taking roost in the Dragonmont alongside Grey Ghost and the Cannibal." She smiled at Rhaena,"But the true question is this. Are you a traitor, my dear Rhaena?"

"I…" Rhaena found herself at a loss for words.

"Never mind," Rhaenyra laughed,"I trust your loyalty without a doubt. Remember when you came to me, and moved the cyvasse piece to take my king. I had the measure of you that moment. I knew then what you would put at the end of your father's letter, and you would free Luke."

"How?" was all Rhaena could manage.

"Because I gave you the power to decide," Rhaenyra said,"and that was what you always wanted. That was what your father took away from you, even as he promised to wed you to the future king. You knew that only beneath my reign would you truly have power."

"I do not want power," Rhaena felt a cold chill crawl down her spine,"I only wanted to end the strife within our house."

"And be content with your exile on Driftmark?" Rhaenyra sniggered,"and not even as its lady. I trust you know that your betrothed will no longer be lord. Our dear Luke promised the land to my husband's bastard." Her voice dropped low,"Jace wanted to contain knowledge of those offers so as not to rally Tyrell and Baratheon against us, but Hugh and Ulf were boasting of it, and the castle would know before long anyway." Rhaenyra's eyes grew sharp as they burrowed into Rhaena,"Tell me, do you truly want to go to Driftmark, and suffer Addam Waters' glances? Bastards are lecherous and treacherous by nature."

Rhaena bit her lip, wondering what game Rhaenyra was playing. After a long time, Rhaena gave up and answered,"No."

"Very well," Rhaenyra said quietly,"I shall tell you some tidings that you do not know. Our dear Jace is not as wise as he thinks he is. He has the power of a king and the mind of a boy, and does not know that he dances upon the strings of that Stark. He gave Aegon to the mermen, and promised Joff to the Night's Watch. Every man of sense knows that the mermen and the black cloaks are stooges of the Starks, but Jace gave the North two dragons anyway. Jace broke his betrothal with Baela, and wishes to wed some northern bastard. I will give the throne to the Usurper before I allow that. The Starks will bring a host of northmen to plague the courts if one of their own is queen. We can give the northmen gold to play with in their wastes, but Seven help the realm if we allow them to rule."

"You mean to wed the prince to someone else," Rhaena whispered.

"While he still listens to wiser men who can guide him in the right path," Rhaenyra whispered,"I need someone by his side to convince of wisdoms he does not want to hear. Someone who can have him to be careful of the words whispered in his ear, be wary of the lords he favours, and deal justly with those he wants stripped of power. These are duties that a mother could never accomplish. I need someone who could rule at his side, as Alysanne did with Jaehaerys."

Oh, Rhaena knew, and her mind raced as she stuttered, fearing that she would say a word that would make the queen change her mind.

"You know that we are flying soon for King's Landing," Rhaenyra said,"I would have held Jace back even if he would not wish to listen to me, but Lord Corlys tells me that the Usurper has fled King's Landing with all his dragons. With the dragonseeds, victory is all but assured in the city. But we must think of what comes next."

"Ruling the Seven Kingdoms," Rhaena said.

"Ruling the Seven Kingdoms," Rhaenyra nodded,"and I would like you to come with me to King's Landing."