Hello all! I've got chapter 2 here for you. I've just finished writing chater 4 and I'm outlining the final chapter. This chapter sits at a comfortable 15,000 words. Thanks so much for all the Kudos! Chapter 3 will be posted when I finish writing chapter 5.

281.

Rhaegon's nameday has come and gone when Serenity announces that she is with child again. Rhaegar celebrates, elated that he and his wife have produced the second head of the dragon. He is obsessed with the prophecy, and it makes Serenity wary. She has told him time and time again that prophecies cannot be trusted, and that they shouldn't be taken as trust. His obsessed with the three heads makes her afraid. He believes that one of their children is the Prince Who Was Promised, and Serenity has no desire for their children to have any part in any kind of prophecy.

Outside, Serenity pretends to be as thrilled as her husband about their second child but within she is terrified.

Motherhood is rewarding, she knows, but she is but fifteen and has gone from the mother of none to the mother of three in less than two years. With Rhaella gone, Serenity is now raising Viserys, Rhaegon, and Daenerys as her children. She refuses to hand her good-siblings off to a governess, for they are just children and they need a mother. She does not want them to have a childhood where they resent their family. They are hers as much as Rhaegon.

Her exhaustion also runs deep. She has duties to the Realm that exhaust her both mentally and physically. She has no qualms with doing her just duties, but Rhaegar leaves for long periods of time and letters are far and few between. He travels constantly, and she is showing before she is finally able to tell Rhaegar they are expecting another dragon because she cannot tell him through letter. Thus she is forced to hide her belly under her flowing empire-waist gowns for two whole turns. By then she is only three turns from birth, and has told no one but Princesses Venus and Mars. She sends a letter to Princess Mercury so that she may come from Casterly Rock, but the Soldier of Ice is still in the Westerlands, and will be for a while.

And she is so very lonely. Although Princess Venus and Princess Mars are still at the Red Keep, Serenity is lonelier than ever. Princess Venus is a sensual being, as all Venusians are, and her time is occupied with Oberyn and the lover they share, Ellaria Sand. Princess Mars is in her yearly solitude, connecting with the Gods, and her husband has less time for her now that he is King. Even when Rhaegar is within the walls of the Red Keep his mind is elsewhere. He is constantly meeting with his small council and securing supplies for the coming winter.

Serenity bides her time with Viserys, Rhaegon, and Daenerys. She watches them sprout and she sees how the three interact. Viserys is fiercely protective of Rhaegon and Daenerys and he lingers just a little too closely to his sister for Serenity's liking. She had hoped that without Aerys, he may forget about the less favorable of traditions that run in his family, but it seems he knows exactly what his ancestors expect of him. Viserys can tell that Serenity is not as happy as she once was. He's five name days now, and he's running around with his sister and nephew under her watchful eye. The days are getting colder; winter is coming and Serenity watches as the flowers in the garden die.

There are some lights in her life, though. Ashara Dayne Stark and Serenity are both expecting and it allows the two to become friends, which Serenity is grateful for. But it is not the same as having her guardians by her side. Her existence has become monotonous. Day in and day out she is surrounded by courtiers. They are like vampires, leeching all of her energy from her. The false flattery, the harsh words, the quiet comments when she leaves and enters the room. She cannot recall it ever being this hard on the Moon, cannot remember a time where she felt this disliked by the nobles. It takes every ounce of her spirit to force herself out of her bed, and it is tortuous dealing with the vicious ladies of her court who simultaneously compliment and criticize her.

Her people are leaving in droves from the eight planets of the Silver Millennium for Westeros. Together, the planets have a population of about nine million. The inner planets carry larger populations, and the outers carry far less. Between Pluto, Saturn, Neptune and Uranus there are only three million people. Jupiter has the highest single population at one and a half million strong Jovians. Venus is just behind them, with just under one and a half million Venusians. Mars holds about one million Martians. Mercury has the second lowest permanent population, with three quarters of a million Mercurians. The Moon currently holds one and a quarter of a million citizens, but less than five hundred thousand are Lunarians. The others have stopped on the Moon before traveling to Westeros. Before she married Rhaegar, the Moon had the lowest population, and was the wealthiest, and most densely populated in all of the Silver Millennium.

Her position is stable as Queen, and so her people have started to abandon the planets that are dying. Each day, thousands of her people traveled to Westeros to settle under the rule of the next Queen Serenity so that they can escape the destruction of Venus and the Doom of the Silver Millennium.

Politically, Westeros has never been better. House Targaryen has complete control over the Seven Kingdoms but Serenity misses her husband and she misses her friends. Her heart aches and the only thing that eases her pain is little Rhaegon. Her only solace in this life is her son. Rhaegon is the light in her life, like a halo of true happiness that radiates. He is a beautiful babe, with a moon upon his brow and violet eyes like his father. She loves him perhaps more than she even loves Rhaegar. Even her love for Rhaegon does not quell the anxiety in her life.

She was fragile, an in turmoil but the thought of another child is what stops her in her tracks. She is especially shaken by the thought of another dragon. Rhaella could not handle the dragon and died a painful death, and Serenity wonders if she will survive this child. Why should she live when Rhaella died? The fear grows as the days turn colder and by the time she is wearing furs, Serenity thinks that she may leave her son, and this new child motherless.

She wants to believe that Princess Mars' vision of her with many children and in love with Rhaegar was the truth but she knows better. Princess Mars Sees only one possible future, and the future can change on a single whim. After all, Princess Mars had seen Serenity's unhappy marriage to Prince Diamond of Nemesis in order to make peace with the Black Moon, and the Doom of the Moon Kingdom and subsequent destruction of the eight due to unstable planetary cores. Neither had come to pass.

As Serenity lies in her bed, hair undone and thighs covered in her husband's seed, she notices that the cherry blossom tree outside of her window is finally dead.

282.

There is little fanfare when Serenity births the second dragon. Rhaegar, surprisingly, is back from his diplomatic discussion with Dorne. He had taken a long trip to meet with Prince Doran, whose gout forces him to stay in Dorne. The Red Keep knows how to prepare for the Queen's labor. They have seen it before, and done it before. She has birthed the first dragon, and the second should be no problem at all.

Her people are stronger, and healthier than the Valyrian princesses and queens that they have helped before. She will be perfectly fine. Nary a woman has died in birth since Selenity III reigned and Serenity will be fine. She is fine.

Rhaegar is ecstatic, if nervous, as he waits outside of her door. She is quieter this time, and he is unsure if that means that it hurts less, or that she has gotten used to the pain of labor. Serenity has been generally quiet lately, in all things. They do not fight often, but the squabbles they used to have over political differences have completely ceased. She gives her opinion about matters of the realm, but says little else save the occasional quip about the harshness of the winter in King's Landing. It's as though she has no opinions that rival his own.

He has seen little of Princess Mars and Princess Venus and he remembers wondering if they had had a falling out, or if they were growing apart. Serenity had not mentioned anything, but he knows that women fight over petty things and take many moons to mend bridges.

He is roused from his thoughts when the sounds from their solar change. There is a cry – and he knows what the sounds is. He is a father again. The maesters call him into the chamber and Rhaegar meets his daughter for the very first time. She burps after her feeding, just like her brother, and Rhaegar is visibly disappointed when she doesn't release fire. When she passes gas moments later however, he is amazed to see a flame expel from her bottom. His daughter is a true dragon, and his wife has done her duty, and produced an heir and a consort.

Rhaegar kisses Serenity deeply, and professes his love for her, and their daughter, and the second dragon, and doesn't even notice when Serenity has no response. She is staring at their daughter, but it seems like she is blank.

They name her Rhaena after Rhaegar's mother, and her dragon who hatches the same day, is named Rhaelle.

When Grand Maester Pycelle approaches Rhaegar nervously, he knows something is wrong. Someone must be dying for the man to look this afraid to speak. Pycelle tells Rhaegar that they need to speak urgently about Her Grace, the Queen Serenity, and Rhaegar is understandably alarmed.

They visit his wife, who hasn't moved since the day before, and Rhaegar is confused. She hasn't cleaned herself since they made love in the morning, and she's lying as still as death in bed. The only reason that he knows she isn't dead is she occasionally blinks her eyes.

Grand Maester Pycelle and Princess Mercury pull him aside.

"Her Grace is unwell, Your Grace," Pycelle says delicately.

Princess Mercury shifts on her feet, "She is unresponsive, but she breathes, eats, and sleeps. I-" she pauses, "Your Grace, did Her Grace witness… the birth of Princess Daenerys?"

Rhaegar nods in the affirmative, with a pained expression in his eyes.

"I believe that Her Grace is in this state for a few reasons. She has been unwell for several months at least, and I wonder if it might be because she was traumatized by what happened to your Queen Mother, Rhaella."

Pycelle strokes his beard thoughtfully, "It is possible, of course. I have seen some reactions to birthing, but never this severe."

"How do we fix it?" Rhaegar demands.

Princess Mercury and Grand Maester Pycelle share a look, "There is a tonic," Mercury begins, "But to make it I need ingredients that we do not have. I must contact the eight and see if they have what I need. If she takes it for long enough, Her Grace should recover."

Rhaegar breathes deeply, "Princess Mercury, you must answer this question as a healer, and not as her friend."

"Yes, Your Grace?"

"Is my wife fit to rule?"

Princess Mercury looks confused and Rhaegar clarifies quite baldly, "I am asking if she has the same sickness as my father."

Princess Mercury rushes to respond, "No, Your Grace. For some reason or another, sometimes women experience this after they are with child. It is not normal, but it is not unheard of. She can and will recover, it will just take time. Until then, she cannot be seen."

Rhaegar knows exactly what she means. The people will talk. After his father, there are still some Houses that distrust the Dragons. Aerys had done terrible things to Lords and smiths alike, and there were other kings who had done things just as bad. The coin had flipped and Aerys was mad but he was not great. If the people knew of Serenity's sickness they would be ill at ease. No one can know about what ails his wife.

He dismisses all but her most loyal servants, and swears Pycelle and Mercury into secrecy.

283.

Serenity knows she should be happy that she finally has her daughter in her arms but nothing seems to connect. She sleeps for hours a day, and barely responds when her husband mounts her.

It isn't until she wakes up surrounded by the maesters that she realizes something is wrong.

They tell her she was still in her bed for an entire year.

Rhaena's nameday has passed, and Viserys has begun his sword training. Daenerys speaks in full sentences, and Rhaegon has started his lessons. The air is frosty, and winter is truly here.

A year passed in a blink of an eye.

She knows what men do when their wives are gone for a year. Or, more specifically, she knows who.

The maesters do not know how to explain her catatonia, but Princess Mercury, who has travelled back to King's Landing to aid her friend, does.

"It happens sometimes, after children are born, Your Grace," Princess Mercury says quietly to Rhaegar, "The mother sinks into deep unhappiness. I've seen it twice before."

Serenity is aware that her husband and her guardian are speaking about her like she isn't in the room but she simply cannot bring herself to care.

"Will she get better now that she is aware of her surroundings?" Rhaegar asks.

Serenity thinks that maybe she doesn't want to get better. Maybe she doesn't want to do anything at all. Maybe her life would be better if she never left her room or spoke to anyone ever again. But she cannot say that. Instead she says, "Do you ask because you wonder when I may birth the last head of the dragon?"

The room gathers a chill. Winter has come, but there is something unnatural about the coldness in the air. Princess Mercury excuses herself.

Rhaegar spins to face Serenity where she lies in bed, "What are you trying to say, wife?" He has never seen such hostility from her. In the years they have been married, Rhaegar has never seen his wife be anything but happy, polite, and kind. She was loving, a pure soul. This anger is out of character. All of this is out of character.

But his anger makes Serenity afraid. This is when Serenity knows that he's fucked Cersei Lannister. He's never called her anything but her name until that moment. They're ruined, ruined.

They shout at each other until they are both hoarse. Rhaegar denies having relations with Cersei Lannister, and Serenity accuses him of only caring about her so that he can create the three headed dragon. They are both upset, and when they are done shouting, they stare at each other in silence. They've had disagreements before, but it has never felt as resolute as it does now. They've never had this much cold between them. Is this marriage? they both wonder, to survive for a few years and then fall apart when times are hard?

Serenity thinks she may have pushed her husband too far. She thinks she's done it now, and condemned herself to a life of watching her husband toss her aside for another woman. So, she makes the decision to eat crow because if she doesn't she'll be even more alone than before. If he leaves her she is alone. If he sets her aside, if he loves someone else, her people are lost and they will all die in the fiery Doom.

"I apologize, Your Grace. Please forgive me," she whispers, tears leaking from her eyes. She isn't sure where they stand and so she is as formal as she was the first time she met him in the Great Hall. It's her fault, she thinks, because she's accused him of something he vowed never to do. She's in the wrong, but maybe he is too. He's away too much, and she doesn't tell him how she feels. Maybe they've both made terrible mistakes.

Rhaegar looks her in the eye, and he seems to soften. He pulls her close and wipes away her tears. "I know. I'm sorry too. I neglected you to run this Kingdom," Rhaegar pauses, "I've told you to call me Rhaegar."

Everything is fine in that moment. They can get to know each other again, and move past the year she stayed in bed. They both make promises to change, to be better, to love each other more. For if they do not have each other, they have no one. A King cannot trust anyone, and neither can a Queen. But if they have each other, they have one more ally to support them through the treachery of ruling.

When Serenity sees her children her heart is full and she regrets ever thinking she would be better off in bed. How could she have left them for so long? How could she have missed so much? What kind of mother can't force herself to move even for the happiness of her children?

They are bigger, and she loves them even more. Viserys is missing several teeth, which he shows off proudly with a wide grin, and Rhaegon and Daenerys are attached at the hip. Rhaena is still little but she crawls after her brother, aunt, and uncle as fast as she can.

They love to cling to her, and Serenity wonders if Viserys' possessiveness over her is a trait of the dragon and not a trait of him because she sees it in all of her children and in her husband. They hold her as though she is the only thing in the world.

"Mama, when I have moon too?" Daenerys asks as she places her hands on her forehead as if expecting to feel the crescent birthmark that her niece and nephew both have.

Serenity's heart hurts because that is when she is forced to remind Daenerys that although she loves her as though she is her daughter, she is her good-sister. And so, Daenery and Viserys will never bear the symbol of the Lunarian Royal family.

Daenerys seems disappointed, but Viserys is blinking slowly as he says, "It's okay, Dany. Mama loves us anyway."

He is testing her and the word, Serenity knows, so she makes no indication that there is anything wrong with her husband's siblings calling her their mother. She vows to teach them about Rhaella, so that they remember her sacrifice, but she reaffirms her promise to Rhaella to raise them as though they have come from her own body. She loved her good-mother, truly, for everything she had done in the months that they were together. And she is in agony every day knowing that if she was the true mistress of the Silver Crystal she could have healed her, could have kept her alive. But she is not the Queen she is only the heir and she has very little control over the incredible power of the Silver Cyrstal. So she will give her good-mother than only thing she can give her: her word. She will love and cherish them, and she will continue to teach them about the traditions of the Lunarian people.

She loves them with all of her heart.

The darkness is no longer closing in.

Cersei Lannister is miserable because her Hightower whore of a husband is drunk yet again. She's angry, and unhappy that she is not Queen. The witch told her she would wear a crown and yet Cersei has yet to have a land to her own. Jaime refuses to bed her, and has refused since he married that blue haired bitch. He had never been unhappy with her in his bed, and yet she had been tossed aside from some boring know-it-all. They were twins. They were supposed to be together? Why didn't he understand?

But her father says that it is possible that she may not have to be Lady Hightower for much longer. According to him, the Moon Bitch may have issue, but there is no guarantee the brats will survive the winter. The conversation alone is treason, and he makes his daughter swear not to mention what she knows to anyone, or let anyone know she knows that anything is amiss in King's Landing.

Cersei is a smart young lady, and she knows exactly how temporary the Crown is. When she says this much to her father he smiles at her triumphantly. Cersei is his favorite child even if he does not have to choose. There is no competition between his daughter and his sons. Tyrion is a monster and worth nothing in his eyes. What child kills his mother on his way out? And is an imp at that? The beast is not his son, even if he is his blood. He is ugly, with mismatched eyes and dirty white hair. He is nothing.

And although Jaime will one day be the Lord of Casterly Rock, he is too soft, and too loyal to the Targaryens for Tywin's liking. The Lannisters are proud lions, and Jaime is weak. He has too many emotions, and he loves too deeply. He cares too much about others when he should only care about her.

But Cersei is something different than her siblings. She rises above them because she isabove them. She is a true lady, but she wields her tongue and her mind like a poison knife. She alone learned the true lessons that their father taught. Trust no one, but family should be put above all else. A Lannister pays their debts, and it is important to make more people need you than you need them. If you have power over them, they cannot have power over you.

So when Cersei's husband has a private meeting Cersei knows that she must hear the conversation. Her husband does not allow her to join in political affairs, so Cersei's only option is to peak in on her husband's meeting from a hole in a tapestry that she is viewing through a passage in the wall. He is a brute, and an idiot and he whores too much. If she had the power that he had she would bring the Moon Bitch to ruin. But she is a woman in a man's world and all her back stabbing must be coated in sugar. Unless, perhaps, she uses her father's gold to make herself the ruler of Oldtown.

She misses half the conversation, because the meet starts earlier than her husband told her, and so she only catches the last hour of the meeting. But in that hour she learns many things.

Not all is well at the Red Keep. The Moon Bitch nearly died birthing Princess Rhaena. One of their group mentions something about the Faith and Targaryen practices when Cersei accidently crushes a stone under the heel of her boot. It echoes, loudly, far too loudly to go unnoticed.

She freezes when the men look around in confusion, and when her husband stands to search the room, Cersei makes a panicked flee down the passage and towards the farthest exit that leads her straight to the library. If anyone asks where she was, or what she was doing, Cersei was simply reading about the history of the Hightower family.

284.

Princess Mercury's tonic has given Serenity the energy she needs to leave her bed and face the court duties she's been neglecting. She and Rhaegar fear that telling the courtiers of her catatonia may remind them of the Mad King. Instead they say she was recovering from Rhaena's birth. It isn't a lie, really because she was recovering. But while the ladies at court are sympathetic and believe that she came down with the birthing fever, she was truly locked in her mind in her solar.

The winter is especially harsh this year, and it's impacting all Seven Kingdoms in the a terrible way. The winter will be long, the maesters predict, and brutal, perhaps the coldest in several hundred years. The cold is chilling, and it is so painfully fierce that Serenity is chilly even under the thick furs and with her husband beside her in bed. Her people withstand harsh temperatures, and this cold is nothing compared to the cold on the dark side of Mercury but she feels the chill no less. And if she feels the chill she can only imagine how cold the smallfolk are in Flea's Bottom.

The only area of Westeros that is still warm is Dorne but even they are wary. The midlands are relying on the food growing at the southernmost tip of Westeros in order to survive and it is putting too much strain on what little crops that Dorne grows naturally.

The common folk are dying from disease at higher rates than usual, and King's Landing has been far below freezing for weeks before Serenity realizes that they need to change the way they deal with the winters. She has spent all of the allowance her husband gives her on blankets and bread for the homeless people in the city, and on a particularly harsh night that sees cold temperatures so low that their children all climb into bed with them and they pile furs high until her young daughter stops shivering. In fear that the smallfolk are bearing the cold on the streets, Serenity and Princess Mars start taking all the homeless in to sleep in the throne room on palettes with furs and hot soup. Freezing mothers hand the Queen their children, crying that they can no longer feed or clothe them against the falling temperatures of Winter.

She begs Rhaegar to add another position on the Small Council, someone who will prepare Westeros for each winter using agriculture, and Rhaegar agrees. Once again, the pair are at odds with Tywin Lannister, and they both think it may become a problem.

He and Serenity share a look. Jaime Lannister had admitted that Aerys had placed wildfire cachets all around King's Landing, and it was taking a network of little birds to dismantle them and return them to storage. Tywin had apparently known about the wildfire, but had never mentioned a word to Rhaegar.

"He's gotten bolder as of late," Rhaegar says, "He's not openly working against me, but Varys assures me that he is unhappy about losing the control he had over my father. And their gold is running dry."

"That can't be right," Serenity whispers as she and Rhaegar discuss what they've heard.

"Varys is very infrequently wrong."

"But… how?"

"They've been mining Casterly Rock for eight thousand years, and although Tywin Lannister is excellent at making golden dragons he's just as well at spending them."

"So that's why he wanted you and Cersei matched so badly," Serenity reasons, "Political strength, and because it ties Lannister gold to Targaryen gold."

Rhaegar nods, "And the Crown treasury is separate from the family fortune. Access to the family money would make him a very wealthy man.

Serenity frowns and Rhaegar moves to explain, "During the Dance of Dragons both factions of my family feared financial ruin if one group took hold of the Crown. Since then, the Crown fortune and the Targaryen fortune are separate. We've twice the amount of gold stashed away in the Iron Bank and at Dragonstone under our family name than under the gold we call the Crown holdings. I have an account for our family, the Kinghas a vault for our family that is much smaller, and the Iron Throne has a holding. It keeps the wealth of the throne away from the family, and more importantly, the debt."

"It's smart," Serenity agrees, "Especially if you consider that the Crown's gold is not being managed by the Crown at all," she pauses again, "By chance, does the Iron Bank also hold Tywin Lannister's gold?"

"Most likely," Rhaegar responds, "They are more secure, and they're discreet. Why?"

"Is there any chance as Hand he was able to touch Crown finances?"

"No," Rhaegar says, "It's impossible. Every transaction between the Crown and the Iron Bank requires my seal. And I have never given it to Tywin Lannister."

"Oh," Serenity replies, "Then there's no way he could bankrupt us?"

"Why do you keep asking about this?" Rhaegar askes curiously, and not angrily at all.

"I'm asking because Ned told me that your father owed a vast debt to pay for the tourneys he hosted. And the wildfire. And… everything else. You told me to be wary of the Lannisters so I am trying to be wary."

"You shouldn't worry about it. Our debts are nearly paid from my father's reign, but we're tiring our coiffeurs paying for grain in the winter."

Serenity nods, "That's why you want to add a new position to the Small Council."

"Yes," Rhaegar agrees, "But it's unlikely to help us until next winter."

"What if you set up more trade routes to Essos?" Serenity finally asks, "Could that help us get through the remainder of this winter?"

"Now?" Rhaegar questions, "it could take months to set up diplomatic discussions like that."

"Maybe," Serenity admits, "But, what if we take a state? We can lower our tariffs on goods that come from the kingdoms that agree to supply us with grain."

"It could work," Rhaegar reasons, "I'll discuss it with the Small Council."

Serenity and Rhaegar agree to keep a close eye on the Lions of Casterly Rock, and then contact Ned Stark to become Master of Agriculture. They wonder if there is anything else Tywin Lannister, Hand of the King has kept from them.

Rhaegar begins to plot directly with Varys.

"There is something odd about him," Mercury whispers to Princess Mars, "And I can't put my finger on what it is."

"They're all like that, sister," Princess Mars reasons, "The Maesters are an odd folk."

Mercury nods in agreement, "But it is not that. He is… peculiar."

Princess Mars sets down her holy scroll. Princess Mercury is a serious woman, and her genius has never steered them astray.

"Out with it, Amaeline," Princess Mars says.

Princess Mercury glares at her friend before replying, "Do you not find it odd that he is only ever around when someone is near death? He always seems to be away from the Red Keep."

Mars raises her eyebrow, "Is that a crime?"

"It wouldn't be, Rhaeye, if he didn't do it so often. He is always away or sequestered in his solar, and never with a mistress."

"Maybe he is pious," Princess Mars replies, "Not all men are whoremongers."

"Maybe," Mercury reasons, "Or maybe he is up to something."

"And what do you suppose we do about it?" Princess Mars asks, "Tell His Grace?"

"No," Mercury replies, "We have no evidence. I'm going to speak to Varys."

Princess Mars looks thoughtful before she sits in her favorite chair, "Do you think that is wise? The Spider is more slippery than a snake and more poisonous too."

"I have not forgotten," Princess Mercury replies sharply, "But he is loyal to the Targaryen family, and if Grand Maester Pycelle is spying or something similar, he is working directly against the Crown."

"So you believe him to be a spy?"

Mercury shrugs, "We cannot know without more information. But it fits. He is constantly away, and is secretive. But the question is only who he is spying for."

"Tywin Lannister," Princess Mars spits with annoyance. Mars had disliked him from the moment she arrived at King's Landing. He did little to quell the Mad King's rage, and although he paid off many of the debts that the Iron Throne had, he accumulated too many by indulging Aerys' need for tourneys.

"Perhaps," Mercury repeats, "But he could be spying for the Citadel, or even the Faith."

"You think the Faith has employed Pycelle? And that they are plotting?" Princess Mars asks in alarm, "Sister, that is a serious cause for concern if it is true." The Faith have a following, a very large following. They are the most powerful religious body in the Seven Kingdoms. Only the North follows the Old Gods, and the only other prolific faith is her own, which is the natural faith of the Lunarian people.

Mercury agrees with hard eyes, "That is the precise reason I believe we should watch him. And that is why I need your help. You are the only one here who has a good relationship with the Faith, even if they see our religion as barbaric."

Princess Mars is the best ally that Mercury could have. She brought something unique to the Queensguard. Venus is the leader of their group, the strongest of the inner scouts, with access to special powers that the other girls would never have, like the ability to wield the Holy Sword, and the Chain of Aphrodite. Any room she entered she commanded completely, and although none of the other girls would mention it, she was Serenity's best friend and closest companion. Jupiter was the most physically strong member of their group (although they could each lift loads with no problem) and had a mind for war and strategy. Princess Mercury was analytical, the brains of their group. She was highly intelligent, with an intellect that couldn't be rivalled, and was perceptive to the point where she noticed small patterns, mistakes, and inconsistences where others did not.

But Mars? She was without a doubt the most valuable member of their group. Maybe not in combat, or in her ability to comfort their Queen, but in other ways. Where Venus commanded respect, Mars led silently. She had a way about her, a sense of intuition that allowed her to control any man within her gaze. She could see the hearts of men in a way that the others could not. And she saw the future, could connect with the Sacred Flame to see visions of what was, what is, and what would be. Where the other girls were born from the last Sailor Soldiers to become guardians, Mars was chosenby her own people to take on the position. Her support was invaluable. If Mars could see something was amiss, then they were onto something.

Princess Mars sighs, "Fine. I will help you. But first we must gather our own information. Call for Seraphina and Selena."

"Seraphina and Selena?" Mercury questions as a servant rushes to retrieve two of the Queen's handmaidens.

Mars smiles knowingly and explains her plan. When she arrives, Seraphina is given a task and the girl smiles brightly and nods as she dots perfume to her wrists. Selena cuts and dyes her hair and then, dressed in rags, she wanders to the Sept of Baelon to pledge herself to the Faith as a Septa.

A turn after negotiations are reached with Myr, Mereen, Volantis, Pentos and Qarth, the Targaryen family set across the Narrow Sea. They are on a diplomatic mission, and they are traveling with an entire fleet of ships, knights, and all four children. Serenity will not be left behind because she is excellent at charming, and she refuses to leave their children in the cold.

Rhaegar and the Small Council meet with the Magisters by day, and when they have discussion on trade routes and tariffs, Queen Serenity is taken on tours of the cities with the children. She does her best to charm and impress the Essosi. This is their only chance for Westeros to survive the winter, and she must leave an impression on all those she meets.

It is in Qarth where everything changes.

Serenity does as she is told by her handmaidens and adopts the Qarthi dress, much to her husband's pleasure and annoyance. Serena paints Lunarian runes upon her breast with a moon to frame her and that is when, perhaps, they make the third dragon. Rhaegar is angered when the gaze of men lingers on her too long, but he is pleased to see that men desire what is his, and this makes an erotic combination on the warm Qarthi nights. After Rhaena's birth he has become more gentle. He touches her softly, as he did when they first married. He enjoys gliding his fingers across her skin, and his lips closely behind. He gives to her more than he ever did before, and when they are together she makes sounds that should make her blush.

He's become more adventurous, and he is insistent that she mount him, or that they make love in strange places. She loves her husband, and although he is often absent, she knows her husband loves her in return.

But he is also obsessed with making the third dragon, and Serenity notices that during their travels he is overly attentive to her moonblood. When she asks him about it he simply states that he wants more children, and desires for his House to grow as it did before Summerhall. When Serenity doesn't reply, Rhaegar asks her if she wants no more children. He looks afraid, and Serenity is unsure how to respond. She loves children, and if she could have a dozen, she would, but she worries that her husband wants children only to carry his name, and for the dragon, rather than to love them himself. She wonders if he cares only of the Prince Who Was Promised rather than his child.

As it is, Rhaegar rarely visits the nursery to see his children or his siblings. He is King, and busy, yes, but he is also a father, and Serenity wonders whether her husband remembers his promise to be good to their family despite his Crown. How can he father more children when he barely fathers the ones that they already have? So she only replies that she loves children. Rhaegar seems placated, but Serenity decides to explore Qarth and escape from the throughts in her head.

She is escorted by the Pureborn who is housing them when she makes a discovery. A woman, old, worn, and missing an eye tries to sell her baubles. She politely declines, but in sympathy of her crippledness, she asks her if she might have something to take home to her husband.

The One Eyed Woman looks at her with her good eye and Serenity is certain that this woman is not normal. Her eye is cloudy but she speaks in a voice so clear that it chills Serenity to the bone.

"Fire and Blood," she rasps as she presses a vellum scroll into Serenity's hands and points to her belly. And when Serenity looks up from the weight in her palms, the old woman is gone, and the only evidence Serenity has that she was there to begin with is a scroll that no matter how hard she tries, Serenity cannot open.

When she gets back to their solar, she has forgotten about the gift completely, but knowing that Sailor Mercury enjoys puzzles, she tosses the scroll into her trunk where it is promptly lost at the bottom under the Qarthi dresses that expose one breast, and the thick furs that emphasize her elongated neck.

As they cross the Narrow Sea back to Westeros, Serenity kisses Rhaegar and tells him that the third dragon is coming.

"Another one?" asks Brandon's son, Robert.

"Aye," Brandon replies, "And he will have the same fate as the last."

When Robb watches his father raise his sword and cleave off the deserter's head, he cannot help but feel a bit sick inside. The blood soaks the snow, and he can't unseen what has already been seen.

"Why don't we just send them back to the Wall, father?" Robert asks. He is ever the peace-maker, honorable like his namesake uncle, and kind like his mother.

"When a man deserts the Wall once, Robb, he will do it again. He took the Black for life. He cannot undo what is done, so he must pay for his decision."

Robb is hesitant but nods, "He cannot be trusted not to leave again."

"Yes," Brandon says to his oldest son, "One day you will be the Lord of Winterfell and so it will be your job to pass judgment and sentence. Just I have done today and your grandfather did when he controlled the North."

Robb is smart and so he replies, "For honor."

Brandon nods sharply, "For honor, yes. But also for respect. He who passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man's life, you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. And if you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps that man does not deserve to die."

Robb nods his head. He understands. This will be his duty one day, and one day, he may swing the sword on a man who has made the same decision as the headless man in front of him.

When the execution ends, Brandon turns to Maester Luwin, "Have there been no ravens today?"

Maester Luwinshakes his head and Brandon growls in frustration.

"I thought King Rhaegar would be different than his Mad father, but clearly he only cares about courting the money of the South!"

Catelyn gasps and warns her husband that what he is saying could get them in deep trouble with the Crown. She has no desire to be at war with the South, for surely they would starve in the cold of this winter.

"We're already in trouble," Brandon says angrily, "The Wall is in terrible condition, because it hasn't been reinforced in over a century. If it is to last we need to continue to fortify the wall. And more men desert every day. How long until there are no men left?"

Maester Luwin frowns, "The ravens are troubling to be certain. Master Aemon has assured me that they have lost six parties of Rangers north of the Wall this year alone. That's twice as many as last year."

"If their numbers continue to fall at this rate there will be less than a thousand men manning the wall. We cannot continue to lose men."

"To the wildlings?" Catelyn questions.

"Aye," Brandon replies, "Or something else."

Catelyn's heart freezes. She's heard the stories from Old Nan, but they are simply fairy tales. The part of her heart that believes in the mythology of Westeros cannot help but reason that if there was nothing to fear beyond the Wall, then there would be no Wall at all.

"There is nothing but wildings and ice North of the Wall," the maester says.

"There is great evil," Brandon insists, "I must send a message to my brother."

With that, Brandon Stark sends a rider to Castle Black to Benjen Stark, the only Stark son to take the Black.

285.

They are three years into winter when Serenity gives birth to the last head of the dragon. Rhaegar is wary, after seeing how her last birth affected her, but Serenity assures him she is better now, and is excited about another baby. The third head of the dragon.

After Serenity comforts him, he is less worried when he waits outside of the birthing chamber. It has been a hard nine months. She has been very ill, and there were several times where Rhaegar wondered if their child would make it to his birth Unlike her last birth, she is vocal this time. Vocal enough that it begins to worry him. She's been in the room for almost a day, far longer than she had spent with Rhaegon and Rhaena.

Ned assures him this is nothing to worry over and so he is patient.

When the agonized screams become so loud he can hear them from the Great Hall, he begins to panic.

He meets Princess Mercury halfway to the chamber and his heart nearly stops. She is covered in silver blood that could only belong to Serenity. They race to the chamber and Rhaegar cares nothing of impropriety and so he throws open the doors.

There is blood everywhere. It is on the bed, the floors, on the maesters, the servants, and the nurse maids. It is even on the ceiling, and as Rhaegar gets closer to Serenity, he realizes there is so much blood that it's even in her long, white hair.

Her skin is pale, like nothing he's seen before and Rhaegar thinks this might be the end of his wife. She would die today, and all Rhaegar can think is that he pushed her for another babe; that she never said she wanted more children. He's done this to her. It's his fault. The Gods are punishing him for his mistakes.

"Save her!" he shouts at the maesters. If the Gods will not fix her then the maesters must. Someone must. Anyone must.

Pycelle looks pained and responds, "I am trying, Your Grace, but there is nothing I can do until the child is out."

"The child is stuck in the birthing canal," Princess Mercury informs him clinically and he is reminded again that the level-headed ice warrior is a healer first and foremost, "Each time the child starts to descend, he goes back up."

Rhaegar is looking at them in horror, "Can you not… Open her?" He hates suggesting it. He's heard what happens to women who must be sliced open to birth their babes. The wounds fester, and they die of the birthing fever. His wife is about to die and there is nothing he can do about it.

"It would not solve the problem, Your Grace," Princess Mercury replies, as she wipes Serenity's head, "She's lost too much blood to do that. We just need to keep her alive, and wait."

"Wait?" he screams in a terrified panic, "She could die!"

Serenity is crying now and then lets out the most blood curdling shriek he's ever heard and suddenly the head of a dragon is sticking out between her legs.

Princess Mercury jumps quickly to take hold of his child so that he cannot go back to whence he came, as Grand Maester Pycelle falls to a dead faint on the floor and Princess Mars swoops in to catch him. This is when Serenity also passes out, but from the pain or the blood loss, he is unsure. The nurse-maids put smelling salts at her nose and fearing she may die, Rhaegar helps shake her back to consciousness. She opens her eyes but her breathing is short and shallow.

"Rhae-" she stutters, "Pl-" she gasps with difficulty, "promise – her – not – me."

Rhaegar knows exactly what she is saying. Serenity also thinks that this may be her end, and so she is making her choice clear. If he must choose between his wife and his child he is to choose the child that is killing his wife. Rhaegar knows if he makes the decision his wife wants him to make he will never be able to love the third dragon. If he defies his wife she may survive and hate him, or she may still die and he will still feel nothing but resentment when he sees his child.

"He's morphed back!" shouts Princess Venus, "Push him out, NOW!"

With the last ounce of strength his wife has she lets out a silent cry and a great heaving breath and his child is born.

"A girl, Your Grace," Princess Mercury says as the maesters try to save his wife's life.

"See – her?" Serenity questions, and Princess Mercury kneels before the King and Queen with a baby in her arms.

She hasn't even been cleaned yet, and she is covered in silver blood and fluid. What is the most terrifying is the silver blood in her mouth and on her lips and the great hanks of silver flesh stuck underneath the claws that have yet to return to human shape. He and Princess Mercury come to the same conclusion when they see that though the birth is over, Serenity is still bleeding. His wife had quite literally birthed a dragon, and that dragon had been ripping its mother from the inside out.

"Rhaenys," Serenity manages as the baby is placed on her chest, "Third – dragon."

"Yes, my love," Rhaegar agrees desperately and hating himself in one breath, "Her name is Rhaenys."

Rhaegar can hear the guttural gasping in her throat, and when she chokes on the air he winces and tries to force her to keep her eyes open.

Grand Maester Pycelle is shaking his head regretfully his face so unhappy that Rhaegar wants to cry and throttle him in the same breath, "There is nothing we can do, Your Grace."

Rhaegar cries then, not caring who saw. His wife was going to die in the same breath that the third dragon lived. He had been obsessed with the dragon having three heads, and now that it did, that dragon would have no mother. "I love you," he whispers as he kisses her forehead, "Six years is not enough." He picks up his daughter and Princess Mercury takes her quickly.

Rhaegar will be burying his wife, he thinks, when she is only just nineteen. She is younger now than he was when they married, and her life will end before she sees her children grow. His wife is only nineteen, and he believes she is going to die until he sees a bright white light. Princess Jupiter gasps and the rest of the guardians say words in High Lunarian that he has never bothered to learn before making a star symbol over their hearts.

With amazement he realizes exactly what he is seeing, but he doesn't know how he is seeing it. It is supposed to be with Queen Selenity on the Moon, but it is right in front of him, so close he can feel its heat.

The Legendary Silver Crystal.

It shines brightly, and is shaped like a flower he cannot name. It rises from her chest, and it blinks erratically before letting out the warmest, most blinding light he's ever seen. He covers his eyes and squints and when he opens them he sees the true power of the Silver Crystal.

The cherry blossom tree outside of the window is in full bloom, and the sun is shining. The Crystal brought summer.

But what was a true miracle was where she lay on the bed, Queen Serenity was entirely healed, and inside the rock formation the crystal had created.

Time does not move for Serenity while she is in her Long Sleep.

She wished upon the moon to see her daughter grow.

She wished upon the moon to see her son marry.

She wished upon the moon to have a second and third son.

She wished upon the moon to hold Daenerys.

She wished upon the moon to kiss Viserys.

She wished upon the moon to marry her husband again, to lay in his arms.

She wished upon the moon to help her people.

She wished upon the moon to save Westeros from what was coming.

The Moon heard her.

286.

Rhaegar is determined to be a better husband and a better King after Rhaenys is born.

As his children grow, he makes sure they know their mother. "She's asleep," he says, "But one day she will wake."

It is true, he knows. She will wake someday, but he is unsure how long will pass until his children see their mother. He's terrified that Rhaenys may never meet her at all. What if she sleeps until their grandchildren are grandparents?

His children ask when the Long Sleep will end and he hates that question because he simply cannot answer. He doesn't know, and nobody seems to have any idea when she will wake at all, just that she will, eventually. But Princess Mercury assures him that Serenity will wake and so he makes a point to be a better man than he was before.

He begins to learn High Lunarian from his wife's guardians and speaks it with his children. They speak it better, because Serenity had been teaching them from birth. Viserys and Daenerys speak Lunarian far better than him and Rhaegar is embarrassed of himself for never bothering to learn the language or traditions of his wife's people when she had learned and embraced the traditions of his family and of his Kingdom. Even the ones she found distasteful.

He notices things that he never had before. Viserys' fixation on Daenerys, and Rhaegon's interest in the lore of the Valyrian people are only two of the things he sees now that he never noticed before. He realizes that he has been both an absent brother, an absent father, and an absent husband. He'd been better after Serenity's illness, but he had only realized after the Long Sleep how neglectful he had been. He would be better.

After what he's done, he would be better.

Brandon Stark hears that there are not one but two Kings above the Wall.

When the near hundredth raven to the King is ignored, the Starks take matters into their own hands.

"We cannot allow the Wall to fall apart," Brandon rages, "So we must take care of these matters ourselves.

He sends one thousand of his bannermen to Castle Black, where they will work with Maester Aemon to fortify the weakest points of the wall. It is a daunting task. The Wall is merciless, and even in the summer that the rest of the Seven Kingdoms are experiencing, the cold is so strong that without furs, a man would not live out an hour in the North.

The North is cold, far colder than it should be for the summer, and although Brandon is grateful that Queen Serenity has brought this would-be summer, he is bitter that that summer has not included anyone north of the neck.

Once again, the North is forgotten, and they alone stand against the true evil beyond the Wall. Brandon thinks back to the troubling letter he received from Benjen only a fortnight prior. His ranger party had been obliterated, but before Benjen and one other ranger escaped the bloodbath, they managed to find out that Mance Ryder was not the only King Beyond the Wall.

There is another, Brandon reads, something more sinister is beyond the Wall – something so sinister that the wildlings are risking death and execution to cross the Wall.

There could only be one thing more sinister than Mance Ryder, and Brandon refuses to accept that the stories that Old Nan has told are true. Because if they are, then Winterfell is doomed, and the North will follow.

"We do not need the South," Brandon gripes as he sends for gold dragons to pay for the upkeep of the wall, "And we will not ask for help that they refuse to give!"

That is when he vows he will not send another letter to the Hand of the King.

"That makes no sense," Princess Mercury says as she examines her findings again.

"What makes no sense?" Princess Mars replies in a quiet voice. They can't be found out or they will both be in trouble.

"I compared some of Her Grace's blood samples from when we lived on the Moon to the blood from her birthing and it's… wrong."

"What do you mean 'wrong'?" Mars questions.

Mercury pushes forward the results of her testing on her compact, "Everything. It still has all her genetic markers, and there is residue of Silver Crystal power, but there is also traces of some type of… plant?"

"You sound unsure," Mars points out, "Is it there or not?"

"It's there," Mercury says with finality, "But I don't know what it is. It could be mineral based on the composition, but, it I think it might be a plant."

"Something she's eaten?" Mars asks, "They have different food here. Maybe she can't digest it?"

Mercury hesitates, "I don't think so. This is a high quantity, as though it's been ingested every…" Mercury sits up, "Day. As if it's been ingested every day! That's it!"

Mars looks up, alarmed, "What? What is it?"

Mercury spins on her heels and leans in close to Mars, "Whatever is in her blood is something she's been consuming every day."

Mars looks confused so Mercury continues, "That means it has to have been something that was available to her everyday since she's moved here. It can't be a food, unless it's bread, because none of the foods that were available during the first Summer were available during the winter. But we've all eaten the bread with her every day and I haven't found this in our blood. It can't be that."

"So then something she drinks? A specialty wine, maybe?" Mars asks, and then she opens her mouth in horror, "Amaeline, are you… Has Grand Maester Pycelle been poisoning our sister?"

Princess Mercury clasps her hand across the fire guardian's mouth, "Quiet! We don't know for sure yet, and our greatest asset is that neither Pycelle nor the Faith know we are looking into them."

"We cannot sit on this, sister!" Mars whisper-yells, "If Serenity never wakes then Grand Maester Pycelle has killed our Queen!" Mars clasps her hands together, "Please, Amaeline. We must at least inform Maena and Laetys. We can sit on this no longer! He will poison her when she wakes if he poisoned her before!"

"If we inform them, then we must also involve the King," Mercury points out, "And he has enough on his plate. And you know how rash he is. He could ruin any plan we make in a moment."

"He should know!" Princess Mars booms in an angry whisper, "Pycelle could be killing our nieces and nephew! And Prince Viserys and Princess Daenerys!"

"Fine!" agrees Mercury, "But if he ruins our plans than it is your responsibility to assassinate Pycelle!"

Mars is shocked by Mercury's outburst and then snorts quietly. It's always the quiet ones that are up to no good.

Viserys, who is now days from ten namedays begs his brother to move his good-sister somewhere else. She's been in their solar for too long, and although Rhaegar sees her every day when he wakes and every night when he sleeps it ruins him to see it. So he does as Viserys asks and as soon as he does he is amazed at what occurs. It takes twenty knights to lift the Queen and the crystal that surrounds her onto a solid platinum slab. It is extravagantly decorated, with precious stones and an inscription of how Serenity fell into the Long Sleep on the sides.

The common folk begin to call his wife the Summer Queen. Rhaegar opens the Queen's Ballroom to the people and they worship his wife there. They leave flowers, gold, and gifts. They ask for blessings, and they pray in front of her unmoving form. After the first sickly child is brought in front of the comatose Queen and is cured of all ailments, men, women, and children flock from across the Known World to seek the healing powers of the Summer Queen.

She heals them all, and the sick walk away healthier than they day they were born. But the people are not the only ones who prosper during Serenity's Long Sleep.

Agriculture booms, and as much as Rhaegar and Ned would like to say it is due to their plans for food security during winter, they both realize that its due to the Silver Crystal. They have so many crops that they could survive a winter of fifteen years without expending all of the materials they have stored. The food grows seemingly overnight under the influence of the Silver Crystal, and for the first time in memory, Westeros has enough food supply, labor, and money to support better trade routes, and mass industrialization. The roads in the North, which had badly decayed under the years of frost, are entirely rebuilt, and new bridges are added across the many rivers that run across Westeros. The schools, and social welfare measures that Serenity had paid for as Princess of Dragonstone are given ten times the amount of funds they had had before and Rhaegar is able to restore Summerhall to its former glory so that when the Queen wakes she has a place to call her own. Queenscrown is restored because of its significance to Queen Alysanne, who was the great love of Jaehaerys I. Serenity is Rhaegar's love, and so he sends Jon Connington to oversee the rebuilding of the Northern ruin in her name.

Westeros had been wealthy during the Mad King's reign but only because Tywin was smart with the Kingdom's gold and had done an excellent job guiding the Master of Coin to make more money than the Kingdom spent. With the growth they had experienced since the Sleep, the Crown had no debt, and the treasury of Westeros had nearly tripled. They had so many agricultural supplies that they were selling the excess in Essos and it had earned a fortune.

As much as the Long Sleep has helped the Seven Kingdoms it is a danger to the Targaryen family. Rhaegar and the guardians fear that those who wish Westeros harm may find out exactly how the Queen grants miracles, and so through Varys, they spread a whisper that the Queen is the reincarnation of the old Goddess of the Moon, Selene and that her powers are innate only to her. The High Septon is unhappy about these rumors but accepts that it is done for protection rather than faith. Rhaegar could not care less though, because it's not entirely a lie. Truthfully, Serenity is Selene, or rather, was supposed to become Selene. Yet, somehow, she is Selene while her mother still lives on the Moon. It is unusual, but stranger things have happened.

The Long Sleep is too long, and even through the warmth of summer, the Red Keep mourns.

Tywin Lannister broaches upon the subject of Rhaegar taking on a new wife and Rhaegar all but explodes before removing Tywin's pin, and sending him back to Casterly Rock. Rhaegar is so furious he has no care that his family has publicly snubbed Tywin Lannister for the second time in less than a decade.

"After all I have done for you!" Rhaegar yells, "I released your son from his vows so he could marry and continue your miserable line and this is how you repay me? By snubbing my wife, and asking me to become an adulterer?"

Qarlton Chelsted becomes Hand of the King, and Petyr Baelish becomes Master of Coin.

"What this?" asks Rhaena as she holds up a worn scroll of vellum in front of her father's face. It's thick, and it has a ribbon with a seal that's in High Valyrian. Honestly, Rhaegar isn't even sure how Rhaena lifted the thing. She's still very small, and so even on her tip toes and with her arm extended above her head at her father's desk, the scroll barely reaches his neck.

Rhaegar pauses. He's not sure what it is, but whatever it is, it certainly does not look like something that his four year old daughter should have her hands on.

"Where did you find that, Rhaena?" he asks sternly. If she's stolen yet another one of the notes that the court Scribe has sent him he's going to give her a talking to.

Rhaena looks really guilty. It's the same face that Serenity used to make when he would wake in the middle of the night to find her snacking on a piece of cake in their bed.

"Mama's solar," she whispers and shuffles her little feet a little, "I know I not supposed to goed there."

"Then why did you?" Rhaegar asks gently, even though he thinks he already knows the answer.

"I miss mama," Rhaena sniffles and Rhaegar knows because he misses her too. He picks up his middle daughter, and gives her a big kiss on the cheek as he plops her onto the large chair he was sitting on moments earlier.

"Let me see," he says as he takes the scroll. The second he unties it, it falls open and Rhaegar is drawn immediately to images of dragons. He cannot read what it says -the language is unfamiliar-, but he puts the scrolls gently down on the desk before him and Rhaena climbs from the chair onto the desk to see what it says.

She points at the scroll and says, "Moon."

Rhaegar agrees to placate her until he realizes that his daughter is pointing at a word and not an image. In shock he wonders aloud, "You can read this, Rhaena?"

She looks at him sagely and then points at a different word and says, "Egg."

That is when Rhaegar realizes that the scroll must be in some form of Lunarian. He has yet to learn to read the language of his wife's people, and his speaking ability is still limited.

He calls for Princess Venus, who arrives in the solar only a short while later.

"Can you read this?" he demands, pointing at the scroll.

Princess Venus is surprised by his shortness of temper, but leans in to look at the scroll, "Of course," she replies, "It's middle-Lunarian. This is the form of Lunarian that High Valyrian is based on."

Rhaegar thrusts a piece of vellum and a quill into Princess Venus's hands and then says, "Would you translate this?" he pauses, "I think… this might be the key to hatching dragons."

Venus nods and begins to write down the translation of the scroll in Valyrian. When she finishes she looks at Rhegar with astonishment, "There is a way to hatch dragons, if we have eggs. We need the light of the full Moon, fire, and blood."

"Full moon, fire, and blood," Rhaegar repeats in a murmur before his jaw drops, "Fire and Blood!" Then he lets out a howl of laughter.

Rhaena is startled, but then Venus begins to laugh in shocked realization too.

The Targaryen motto had been more than a saying after all. That night they make plans to breed Viserion and Rhaelle and months later Rhaelle is nesting a clutch of five eggs in the Dragonpit.

He is pleased to hear that his wife's people are coming in higher numbers each day to fulfill tasks that Westeros has no one to finish. The Mercurians, Martians, and Venusians have finished leaving their planets and have fully moved to Westeros. Under his direction and Princess Mercury's council, they have begun to create artificial land on the western and southern coasts of Westeros. They are known to be the scholars of the eight. Mercury, Rhaegar is told, produces the smartest, most driven, and most learned people in the Galaxy. When the Lunarians colonized Mercury, they had figured out a way to build underneath Mercury's surface, so that they could live in the planet's harsh and unforgiving climate.

The Venusians flee to Westeros in droves out of fear of the Doom. Their core is so unstable that many of the Venusians had begun to migrate only days after the union between Serenity and Rhaegar. They are champions of beauty, masters of song, and the worship elegance. The Venusians had taken well to Dorne, because their customs of sexual freedom, and their love for the heat made them compatible.

The Martians are third to abandon their planet. Their planet was far colder than the Known World, and so when they had begun to filter to Westeros they had headed straight to the North. The Martians were a religious people, and so they had built their homes in treehouses across the Northernmost point of the North. They were frighteningly close to the Wall.

The Jovians are half way done migrating. The Jovians were the most active and explorative branch of Lunarian descendants. Their standing army was half their population and Rhaegar had put this to use. There were only a small population of Jovians in Westeros, most at King's Landing. The rest had left as sellswords to gain gold and glory. Most of this gold returned to Westeros in exchange for goods and services, adding to the overall wealth of the Seven Kingdoms.

The outer planets were slowly migrating because they had much further to go than their counterparts. When the Plutonians and Saturnalians had arrived, many of the Westerosi had been afraid of their dark hair and eyes. Used to solitude, cold, and quiet, most of the inhabitants of the outer planets had elected to go beyond the wall and they had found many a thing there. Rhaegar had expressed concern of this being dangerous to Princesses Pluto and Saturn but both had agreed that Westeros could benefit from expansion, and that their people were used to and preferred the bitter cold and solitude beyond the wall. They had all agreed to send the Uranusians past the wall and the Neptunians had agreed to settle beyond the Wall as well. Some stayed in the North, but many travelled to the Land of Always Winter.

When the Duke of Copernicus approaches Rhaegar and the Small Council, Rhaegar remembers that he has more nobles to please now than he did before – and he must do it without his wife's guidance. The Duke, who is a kindly old man with crinkling eyes and silvery hair petitions Rhaegar for the Lunarians to settle the ruins of Valyria.

Varys is immediately against the idea, "It may cause friction between us and the Free States, Your Grace. Volantis especially."

"Yes, they do believe they are the next Valyria," agrees Petyr, "But we all know that to be untrue what with the way they nearly destroyed their own city after the Doom."

"Please, Your Grace," the Duke asks, "the Lunarians miss our home. We see it in the sky but we cannot go to it. Queen Selenity is due to return to our Princess's side soon and then we will never return to see the Sea of Serenity again."

"Queen," corrects Rhaegar without a beat, "She is a Queen." It's petty, he knows, because she is a Queen in name but has given up her rights to an empire and a Crown to be no more than a consort. Many of her people still call her Princess, because in their eyes, she is still the Princess of the Silver Millennium, and that outranks her title as Queen.

Jon Arryn cuts in, "And how do you suppose you will do that? What remains of Valyria is cursed. They call it the Smoking Sea for it still burns."

"Aye," says Princess Jupiter, "It does. But Lunarians have tamed worse. My own planet of Jupiter is made of nothing it all. It has no land, no water, no air. Yet when my ancestors colonized Jupiter fifteen millennia past they created bridges, tunnels, and structures that lean on tension weights and move through the core of the planet and around the surface. If they can make a planet of gas a home, they can make Valyria a noble land again."

"That is precisely what we should be wary of," Varys points out, "If the Essosi find out how far we have surpassed them by using Lunarian technology, we risk open war."

"Yes," Princess Mars admits. Then in an ominous voice, and with eyes that are suddenly glazed over she continues, "That which lies beyond the blessed doors brings the age of Gods."

The room is silent and when Mars blinks her eyes go back to normal and she is met with the horrified stares of Jon Arryn and Ned Stark.

"She prophesizes?" Petyr hisses, "How long has this been secret?" He spins towards Varys, "Did you know about this?"

Varys shrugs delicately, "If any of you had bothered to learn the history of the Martian people you would know that they have the gift of foresight." He looks to Princess Mars, "That is how you became the ruler of your planet, Your Grace, is it not?"

Mars twitches almost impassively and then replies without emotion, "It is known, Lord Varys. In each generation there is one who has the true Sight, and she can communicate with the Sacred Fire. I have thrown prophecies before, and they have been true. That is why my Queen married His Grace."

Rhaegar couldn't contain his surprise. He hadn't known that Princess Mars' visions had played into Selenity's decision to marry her daughter to him at all. But he supposes it makes sense, after all, Queen Selenity would not have allowed her daughter to marry him unless it meant their people would survive the Prophesized Doom.

"Regardless," Ned cuts in, "There could be consequences if we lay claim to Valyria."

"Yes," Jon Arryn concedes, "But there may also be glory. If this prophecy is to be believed something that we need is in Old Valyria."

Rhaegar stands, and speaks to the Small Council, "I am the Blood of the Dragon, and my ancestors were the only dragonlords to escape the Doom. We have right by blood and birth over our home land. We will take it."

He leaves no room for argument, and the Duke of Copernicus makes plans with the Small Council to sail the Lunarians across the Narrow Sea.

When Queen Selenity arrives with a transport of Lunarian refugees, Rhaegar realizes that his good-mother's support in Valyria will allow him to control the region without setting foot in the land.

287.

When the Queensguard tells Rhaegar of their discovery he is a dragon enraged with fire. "You mean to tell me that Grand Maester Pycelle has been poisoning my wife?"

Princess Mercury nods her head, "That is correct."

"Why are you so calm about this?" Rhaegar questions angrily, "My wife is in an enchanted sleep, we have no way to wake her, and she might be in the sleep because of Pycelle!"

Venus tries to calm the King by replying, "We are not calm, Your Grace. Amaeline and Rhaeye have been gathering the information necessary to prove that something about him was off. They have only just told Laetys and I what they found out."

Rhaegar breaths a bit better at that, and then demands to hear what they have found out.

"Seraphina has been sharing Pycelle's bed for many moons now," Princess Mars informs him without inflection, "And she has been going through his things each time they… and she gives him a sleeping tonic so he does not wake while she searches his solar."

"From what she has found, what Varys has found, and our own research, we know that Pycelle is spying, and that Her Grace has been continuously fed something toxic since she arrived in Westeros."

"Varys knows before I do?" Rhaegar growls angrily.

"Please, Your Grace," Princess Mars replies, "If we did not know for sure something was amiss and told you that it was we may have tipped our hand."

"I am your King-" Rhaegar begins before Princess Venus cuts him off.

"That is incorrect, Your Grace. We bow to you because Serenity bows to you, because until the Silver Millennium falls, we are still sovereigns in our own right. We call you with respect because Serenity calls you with respect, and we do as you command because Serenity does as you command. She is not here, and when the future bearer of ourCrown is under attack we do not act rashly."

Rhaegar feels truly threatened before Princess Mars continues, "We respect you, Your Grace, but you are not our King. Until Queen Selenity passes the Crown to Serenity, we follow her orders, and they will never be against yours as long as Serenity is Queen on this continent."

"Fine," he grinds out, "But next time, I will not be informed after Varys."

"We agree," Princess Jupiter replies, "This was all done poorly, but we cannot take it back now."

"As I was saying," Princess Mercury cuts in to avoid another rant, "We compared the plants and minerals found in Westeros to the ones on the Moon and we found some that correlate. You have something here – moon tea?"

Rhaegar nods in horror, "Pycelle gave Serenity moon tea? How did-"

"No," Mercury replies firmly, "He gave her one plant that is found in moon tea. It's an herb and it's harmless for anyone who is not with child. It was in the draught that Serenity has been taking during her pregnancies.

"From what I understand, it makes the mother very sick. The pregnancy is more difficult, and there is more pain, bleeding, and the birth is prolonged. And, it affects the children after the birth."

Rhaegar is alarmed and before he can ask more questions, Princess Mars pipes in, "We think, we are not sure, that it makes the milk of the mother toxic to the child."

"But," Rhaegar says in fear, "Viserys and Daenerys both fed from my wife, as did Rheagon and Rhaena and they are both fine."

"Aye," replies Princess Jupiter, "And we figured out why they are all still alive. Viserys and Daenerys share no relation to Her Grace, and so they were fine. We think the poison works by exploiting the cord that connects the mother and child. Only the mother's milk is toxic."

"What about Rhaegon and Rhaena, though," Rhaegar replies worriedly, "Will they become ill?"

Mercury shakes her head, "We think we know why they are fine. Your father sent you and Serenity traveling for several turns, and this is also why Viserys survived. Aerys watched Pycelle very closely during your mother's later pregnancies and Serenity's pregnancy with Rhaegon. We don't think he suspected Pycelle, necessarily, but we think Pycelle knew that he would be found out with the King's paranoia, so he didn't dose either of them, then."

"He dosed my mother?" Rhaegar near shouts.

"Please, Your Grace," Mercury replies, "Let me finish and then you can ask as many questions as you like. Viserys and Rhaegon were unaffected because of your father's paranoia. After he passed, Pycelle must have felt comfortable dosing Her Grace and Your Queen Mother. He could not have given her more than a handful of doses before Rhaegon was born, and that made the concoction ineffective. It must be given regularly you see, and that's the reason that both Rhaegon and Rhaena survived. While you were away, Serenity told no one of her state until nearly three moons from the birth. But Queen Rhaella was dosed many times, and it is most likely the reason that she passed in the birthing. She did not even live long enough for Daenerys to drink from her.

Queen Rhaella was under the Grand Maester's watch with every child born after you and before Viserys. That is the reason that your siblings passed. Even one feeding after the birth is poisonous, and had there been a Maester in residence when your mother had you, Your Grace, you may not exist. But you were born when the new Grand Maester was being elected. So, Rhaegon and Rhaena were safe from Pycelle. But Rhaenys… Serenity was exposed for the entire pregnancy, because Pycelle travelled with us to the Free States and stayed in residence at the Red Keep. That is the reason that the birth was so brutal, why it…"

"Will she be safe?" the King demands, and Venus feels her heart break. The King has tried to love his youngest child as much as he can, but sometimes when he looks at Rhaenys there is a sadness in his eyes and she is certain that somewhere, deep inside, Rhaegar blames his daughter for the Long Sleep.

"Yes," Mercury replies, "Because she never drank from Serenity's breast. If she had, Her Grace, Princess Rhaenys might have died. Maena has theorized that even then, Rhaenys may have survived solely from living with the Silver Crystal in close proximity for so long. However, we cannot be certain of how their Lunarian blood might have helped them. We truly cannot be entirely sure."

"We do know," Princess Venus says, "That Queen Selenity confirmed the Silver Crystal left her possession after Rhaena was born. It has been within Serenity since then, and it might have been the reason that she healed from the catatonia. The Crystal has a mind of its own, and it must have noticed something was wrong with Serenity. Our guess is that it knew that without Serenity well, there would be no host for Selene after her death, so it moved on from Queen Selenity into Serenity."

"Then why did it not stop the Sleep?" Rhaegar question, "Could she wake up sooner?"

"We cannot know for sure," Princess Mars replies, "It could be that there is a bond between Serenity and the Crystal being created, or it could just be healing her. Selene moves into the new host with an act of miracle, and the start of the summer and the curing of disease that is happening suggests that Selene has occupied Serenity. The Silver Crystal works in mysterious ways, and from what we know of the Crystal and from Queen Selenity, the Crystal itself caused the Sleep in some way. Whether it is from the damage of Rhaenys' birth or Pycelle's poisoning, it matters not, because his actions created the damage in the first place."

Rhaegar begins to pace at the window, "How do we catch him?"

Princess Mars smirks, "You are a smart man, Your Grace."

"Well, we can't go after him alone. If the information you've gathered is correct, Pycelle is not working alone. It means that every Maester after my birth has been poisoning our family."

"That is correct," Princess Venus replies, "Which means that there is a larger conspiracy, which means that unless we annihilate them all at once, then they could continue whatever scheme they've concocted. We cannot let our guard down."

Rhaegar angrily storms from one end of the solar to the other and then stops shortly, "We must use Varys' spy network and we must employ the Sand Snakes to gather information."

Venus smiles like a shark for blood, "I will call for them, immediately, Your Grace."

From the Sept, Selena sends a coded message.

When Selena arrives at Princess Mars' solar, bruised, beaten, and bloody, Princess Mars knows that they have lost their spy on the Faith.

"I came as soon as I could, Your Grace," Selena says as she curtseys, "But they found me out as I sent my last raven. They locked me up, but I escaped."

Rhaegar arrives immediately and cannot stop himself from questioning how a lowly handmaiden has escaped the dungeons of the Faith.

Selena politely reminds her Mistress' husband that she and all the other members of the Holy Handmaidens are skilled in many things, and have been trained to be the last line of defense to protect the Queen and the Heir should their guardians fail. "They shot down my raven but I used powerful blood magic to seal the scroll. They will never know what it said, although I do remember."

"What have you learned, Lady Selena?" Rhaegar demands, quite forcefully.

She gives a toothy grin, "We were right to spy on the Faith. They cannot be trusted. During my time spying for the last two and a half years I have learned many things. One of those things is that the Faith has records of every Targaryen child born since Aegon IV. The other is that they are uncannily close with the Maesters of the Citadel."

"But that's over a century ago!" Rheagar explains, "Why do they need that information? We have birth and death scrolls here."

"It is not for the reason you believe, Your Grace. They are keeping track of more than just births and deaths. I believe that they have been poisoning the women of your house for many years and are keeping track of which children have fallen to the poisons. They're honing their craft, Your Grace."

"They've been poisoning the family since Aegon IV?" Princess Mars presses.

"Perhaps," Selena allows, "But perhaps longer. They are spiteful about the more… traditional practices of His Grace's family."

"They're still angry about that?" Rheagar asks angrily, "I knew they were unhappy about it, but to go out of their way to…" He pauses, "That's why."

"Pardon, Your Grace?" Selena asks.

"That's why Pycelle was poisoning my wife, why he poisoned my mother. The Faith wants to end the Targaryen dynasty." Then he stands up and begins to pace, "It all makes sense. The Faith has been employing the Grand Maester for who knows how long to carry out this task."

"That is correct," Selena says, "But there is something else."

When Princess Mars and Rhaegar look at her expectantly, Selena continues, "I also stole this scroll, which has a signed order to kill the Maester who was Grand Maester when you were in your mother's womb, Your Grace."

Princess Mars catches on immediately, "You believe that the reason that the Grand Maesters rotate so frequently is that they are refusing to poison the family. You think that the faith has them killed when they do not comply"

Selena nods sharply, "I stole all this information and used one of the devices that Princess Mercury gave me to send it along. I also started a fire in the dungeon, and left a body in my cell burnt enough that they will assume I died in the fire. You have some time yet to deal with the Faith and the Citadel, Your Grace, but do not wait long. I left fake clues that would make them believe that I was a Red Priestess. If they suspect anything, it is that I was spying for the Red God."

Rhaegar is too busy considering his options to even notice that a servant has given him an order. That is when he demands a meeting of his most trusted advisors and his good-Queen-mother.

288.

Winter was a short three years, and Summer has been blooming for just over three years when Serenity finally wakes.

She becomes aware of her own thoughts and her own dreams. She sees a castle of ice, and a pair of blue eyes. Then there is nothing but white-hot cold, so frozen that it burns and then there is nothing.

She sees the Doom of Valyria, and the future destruction of her own Kingdom. She watches Princess Saturn drop the glaive, and sees herself in the arms of a dark-haired man. She sees a child, with rosy hair and eyes. The vision changes and she is watching King's Landing burn with ice. It covers everything, and bodies line the roads.

She sees her family and her friends dead, and then she comes face to face with herself. But when not-Serenity opens her eyes they are not the molten silver ones she has seen her whole life but blue eyes that seem to glow. From behind her, a skeletal being, with a crown askew on his head snakes his arms around her waist and onto a full belly. He locks eyes with Serenity and his rotten mouth stretches into a smirk. Not-Serenity leans her head back against the creature and before Serenity can react she feels hot – truly boiling and the scene melts away to black.

When she opens her eyes the room is very crowded, but she knows no one around her. They are townspeople, beggars, and sick children crying at her feet to be saved.

She is confused, unsure of anything except that she is in the Queen's Ballroom and she is lying on a solid platinum slab. She cannot move, because she is surrounded by crystal. Almost as soon as she thinks this, the crystal fades and she is sitting up.

The surprised cries of the smallfolk confuse her until she realizes that her wings are present. They are spread across her back, leaving pure white feathers as warm as the breeze behind. She concentrates hard to get them to dissipate, and when they do the crowd is gazing in wonder.

The commoners rush to get closer to the Summer Queen but the Kingsguard intervene.

She is a little dizzy, from sitting up too quickly, and that is when she is helped off her metal grave by Ser Arthur. Her hair is so long that when it falls to the ground in a heavy pool, she must wrap it around her arms to keep it from dragging behind her. It's silver now, the same silver that her mother's was. Selene's silver.

The townsfolk are trying to get past the guards and they are enthusiastic that the Queen is awake. "Please, Your Grace!" a young mother cries, "My son – he has a fever!" Other townsfolk join her, begging and pleading, and Serenity is moved to near tears. Her own children have not seen her. She misses them, for they are the joy in her life. All children should be saved, she thinks, and in a blinding light, a scepter she has seen her whole life but has never wielded is before her.

The Moon Stick floats before her, glowing as it always has. The crescent moon of the wand is silver and it sparkles as though it is made from diamonds. The handle is the same iridescent Lunarian silver that she remembers. She knows what it means that this wand lies before her.

She is Queen of the Moon Kingdom. She is Selene.

She grips the scepter in her hands and raises it above her head. It becomes longer and longer until it is a staff and it begins to glow as the moon glows.

"Moon Healing Escalation!"she breathes in Lunarian and all of King's Landing is warmed by a healing light of love, peace, and Serenity.

"The Summer Queen is woke!" the townsfolk chant together, and they overcome the guards and suddenly she is being held high above their heads and they are carrying her out of the Red Keep where word has gotten loose that the Long Sleep is over.

It is June 30. It is the Queen's Day.

Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! Chapter 3 should be up soon! Please Review :) It gives me motivation!