A/N: Hello Everyone! This is an actual NEW Chapter! I know you've been getting a lot of updates since I've been reuploading bits and pieces of each chapter since I've been doing some editing so I apologize for that. As always I don't own aything but Helaena and I really hope you guys like this! Please R&R to lmk what you think!
XOXO
M
Catelyn Stark looked down with an extremely displeased expression at the crying babe in front of her. Jon. Snow. The babe had the "honor" of being named after Ned's foster father. Conversely, because the Lord of the North had been spending so much time with Jon, he had neglected to even give Robb, his true born son, even a fraction of that time.
The new Lady Stark didn't want to admit that was partially her own fault as she had been avoiding her Lord Husband and was extremely reluctant to release Robb from her clutches. That little detail was set aside so that Catelyn could focus the full force of her anger on her lord husband and the bastard that he had produced.
She had never imagined that Ned Stark, good and honorable Eddard, would ever betray his vows and lie with a whore and beget a bastard. It was bad enough that most of Winterfell, if not the whole of the Seven Kingdoms, knew he was still very much in love with Helaena Targaryen, but after he had allowed for Catelyn's sister's eyes to be gauged out and sent to their father, Lady Stark couldn't find it within herself to ever forgive Ned for the transgressions he had committed against her. The list was long now and there was no recovering from it.
She debated, for a long moment, of smothering Jon, who laid crying in his crib. Catelyn had a pillow in one hand, contemplating the consequences of doing so. She wouldn't of course, the act being above her as a Lady, but it was so tempting to think about because the bane of her existence quite literally rested right in front of her. It would surely end a multitude of problems—one of them being the fact of Jon Snow's very existence. The other being the worry that Lady Catelyn has of Ned coming back telling her that the Queen had legitimized his bastard and named him heir over Rob, his true born son. It was a possibility that sent a shiver of dread down Catelyn's spine and for her, it was also an all too real possibility.
A knock at the door stopped Catelyn's thoughts from furthering.
"My Lady," Jon's wet nurse bowed. "I've come to attend to the little Lord,"
"He is not a Lord," Catelyn spat, hostility coloring her voice and her hands shaking from anger.
The wet nurse dipped her head submissively, "Of course not my Lady,"
"Leave him, a little hunger never hurt anyone," the statement was cruel and it startled the wet nurse who had only known Lady Stark to be a kind woman.
The kindness seemed to completely leave the high-born lady as she laid eyes on the bastard son before her. It was telling, at to what kind of person Catelyn Tully, now Stark, truly was. A fierce protector of her family, and venomous to any one else—especially those that she deemed dangerous. Honor. Duty. Family. It was written in her former House words and the words were seared into the back of Catelyn's brain. Jon Snow? He was not family and thus did not deserve the loyalty that came with being family.
"I'm sorry my Lady but my orders come directly from Lord Eddard Stark," the wet nurse brushed passed Lady Catelyn and picked up Jon, quickly soothing him and feeding him from her breast.
Catelyn gritted her teeth, and spun away from the sight. Making her way through Winterfell, the Lady went to her own chambers where Robb was waiting in his cot.
"I'm going to send a letter to your Father," Lady Stark announced to her son, who laid in his cot cooing at his mother. "If he doesn't give up these gods forsaken campaign against my family and forsake Helaena and Jon—we are leaving,"
Catelyn pulled out a piece of parchment and hastily began writing away with her quill. She would not tolerate this any longer. Her family and her dignity was at stake.
…
"Hoster Tully," Helaena called from the doors of the Trident. "This is your last chance. Bend the knee, or we will take you in to stand trial at Flea Bottom and let the people decide what to do with your body,"
The armies had easily made their way through the defenses of the River Road and knocked down the walls of the Trident. When the men heard the screeching of two dragons overhead, they either surrendered immediately or were so overcome with bravado and confidence that they tried to attack the Queen directly—foolishly hoping that their bravery would end it all. Which ultimately resulted in them being skewered by her Queensguard or eaten alive by Helaena's dragon children.
Now, Helaena stood at the gate of the inner area of the Trident, waiting for Lord Hoster Tully to come out and face her himself. And she could see him, looking down from his stone tower, reluctant to approach Helaena in the face of her armies and her dragons. Helaena thought it sad, that a once great Lord had allowed himself to fall to his pride and the whisperings and goading of other men, but then again she almost laughed at the very thought as well. All men must die, but she was not a man.
When Hoster Tully had seen the flying beasts, he had thought he was going mad. When they began to set fire to his men and destroy parts of the foundational structures of the Trident, Hoster realized that this nightmare was very much real. When Walder Frey had approached him, about fighting against Helaena because she was a Usurper, Hoster had been led to believe that no one in the Capital actually supported her.
He had expected an army, yes, but Hoster hadn't expect all six armies of the other Kingdoms, along with a standing army from the Crownlands, the full deployment of all the ships from the various navy's, and the crowning glory: two fire breathing dragons.
However, the Lord Paramount of the Riverlands had too much pride, he wasn't about to swear fealty to a little girl. Especially a usurper like Helaena Targaryen. And it was much too late now, to say that he was going to bend the knee, when the armies from every major kingdom across Westeros had arrived at his door. It could have been the delirium, of the idea of maybe sitting on the throne that drove Hoster to say what he did next, or perhaps it was that he really believed what he was fighting for and was stronger in his convictions than anyone realized.
"You are a usurper Princess Helaena, and it is time you realize that. You do not belong on the Iron Throne, if your brother Rhaegar had lived and his children as well, you would have never even gotten to stand near it,"
"Pretty words coming from a man standing in a high tower, away from all the fighting," Helaena taunted, sending an uproarious laugh throughout her men.
The Lords standing behind her merely smiled, although all of them were looking decidedly uneasy as well, unsure of what Helaena would do next. Would the Queen really take Hoster Tully in to stand for trial or would she end one of the Great Houses? Helaena was unpredictable, her dragons even more so, and the fate of Hoster Tully rested in her hands…or their jaws.
"You are not my Queen," Hoster turned his eyes towards the other Lords. "She is not your Queen! Together, the Seven of Us can stop her. Can't you see? She is as mad as her father, but at the very least he had a rightful claim to the throne!"
The Lords behind Helaena shuffled, all of them glancing between each other. But none made a sound against Helaena. There had been whispers, that Helaena was prone to fits of temper worse than the ones that most people knew of, but no Lord had ever seen it for themselves—and neither had any of their spies. So, whether the whispers were malicious rumors concocted by enemies to the Crown, or actually true, no one knew.
Narrowing her eyes, Helaena pursed her lips and glanced from her dragons to Hoster and back. His comments displeased Helaena, and she wondered how he even had the gall to voice those opinions, and in front of her no less. Helaena was very aware of what the whispers were of her, and she was also very careful about her actions. Thus, unless someone in her inner circle had said something—Hoster Tully was merely pulling this piece of gossip out of the rumor mill with no concrete evidence to support it. But, it was still a piece of gossip that Helaena didn't want perpetuated. Obviously having this man stand trial would be pointless. Hoster Tully would only spit more vitriol at the rest of the Court, giving people unpleasant ideas that she'd rather they not even think about.
"I'm giving you a chance Lord Tully, to surrender and bend the knee. Or face the consequences of treason,"
The threat seemed to make Lord Hoster falter for a moment, but the man did not back down. Helaena, internally, respected him for that. He was strong in his convictions; however, Hoster Tully was also foolish. If he thought that just because he was a Lord of a Great House, she would not end his life, Hoster Tully was in for a nasty surprise. Of all her parents, Helaena was closest to her father, despite his brutality towards her later in their lives—and she had learned all her lessons from her father.
…
"You must be quick and harsh with your judgments Helaena. Quick enough that the people around you barely register it before they are entrapped in another concern of State and don't have time to think about what you just did and the trivial moralities that go with it. But, you must also be harsh enough, so that the sting of the punishment lasts in the back of their minds, so that should they ever think of you in an otherwise negative way—there will always be a sense of foreboding of acting against you" King Aerys' informed his daughter, who was sitting on his knee and had just finished her lessons for the day.
The two of them were alone in the throne room, the King sitting comfortably on the Iron Throne. Aerys was giving Helaena yet another lesson about ruling the Seven Kingdoms, despite Rhaegar being his heir. His little girl was a bright little flame that would grow into a roaring fire, and Aerys knew that she would be destined to be much more than what she was now, more than any one expected of her.
"But Father, I'm only a Princess, Rhaegar's going to be King," Helaena replied innocently, her small legs swinging off her father's lap. It was a conversation that the two had, had before and the little Princess still didn't know why her father was giving her these lessons—only appreciated the time they had together.
Aerys smiled, a knowing glint in his eye—the tip of his finger flicking his daughter's nose, "Yes, but you are Helaena of House Targaryen—and do you know what that means my dear?"
"That I'm the blood of the dragon," Helaena answered promptly, breaking into a wide smile and looking up at her father adoringly.
Aerys' nodded, "You are my dear, more so than even your brother Rhaegar,"
A frown came about Helaena's face, still unsure with her Father's logic. "But if Rhaegar's going to be King, won't people listen to him instead of me?"
Aerys lifted Helaena off his lap and stood up. Stretching a hand out he waited for his daughter to take his hand as well, "I think it's time that I showed you something Helaena,"
Helaena placed her hand in Aerys', "Show me what, Father?"
Walking forward, Aerys began leading Helaena down to his private vault—of which only he had access to, "Your soul has been kissed by fire Helaena, just like the Targaryens of old, like all the ones who came before us. I had a seer confirm it when you and Rhaegar were just days old,"
"What does that mean, Father?" Helaena asked, curious as to where they were going—having never been in this part of the Red Keep before as she wasn't allowed to.
"It means my dear, that you are destined to be a mother, the Mother, of Dragons. You are going to return the Targaryen dynasty to its rightful legacy," Aerys announced, both pride and envy coloring his voice.
Helaena cocked her head to the side, confused as to what she was just told. "But Father, all the dragons are gone,"
Aerys pushed open the door of his vault—after having already entered the combination into the lock, "Not all of them Helaena, not all of them,"
The door swung open, and there, resting in an open chest, were 3 dragon eggs. Helaena's eyes widened and she quickly rushed forward, tearing her hand out of her Father's grasp. Placing a hand on the eggs, they pulsed underneath her touch with life. The shell of the eggs glittered, making Helaena's eyes shine and sparkle with delight.
"These ones are still waiting for you to hatch—the others are petrified and will most likely never see the light of day," Aerys stood back and watched his daughter hold the eggs. "In this vault, which only you and I now have access to, lies the secret to how to hatch them. Find out how Helaena, and fulfill your destiny,"
…
With one last look at the face of Hoster Tully, Helaena turned her horse around and rode away, back toward the entrance/exit of the Trident.
"Dracarys" The Queen hissed, loud enough for all the Lords to hear.
Two very loud screeches echoed throughout the Trident, before streams of fire rained down upon the wooden and stone structures. Sunfyre and Meleys circled around the whole compound, setting everything on fire. And while Hoster Tully stood at the top of the tower, Sunfyre flew by and grasped the Lord with his teeth.
All the Lords from below, backed away as well so that they were not in the line of fire, and watched with morbid fascination as Meleys took the body of Hoster Tully by the feet and pulled it the opposite way that Sunfyre was. The two dragons seemed to be fighting over the screaming man until his body was ripped in half, ending the screams completely.
Tossing the part that they had into the air, Sunfyre and Meleys ate Hoster before continuing to burn down the Trident.
The screams of men, women, and children could be heard all throughout the Trident as fire engulfed the land, scorching it beyond repair. The walls fell, and the wagons carrying barrels of supplies burned—everything seemed to disintegrate into ash, burning beyond recognition under the extreme heat of the flames. The dragons eventually stopped spitting fire and merely landed in order to eat the cooked bodies of those who had died.
All the while, all the remaining Lords of the Seven Kingdoms and their armies, from a top of a hill, watched as the two dragons rained mass destruction upon one of the Great Houses at the command of their Mother, the Queen. Fear and trepidation rang throughout all of them, as each Lord knew that this same destruction could be the fate of any of their Houses should they act against the Queen. But at the same time, if they were to join their family with hers, there would be an opportunity for their own grandchildren to be dragon riders as well. The diametrically opposed feelings roared within everyone, as they watched everything fall further a part.
While the rest of the men were distracted, watching her babies rain destruction upon the Twins, Helaena turned—looking around before she saw the smirking face of Lord Walder Frey. Raising an eyebrow and shaking her head subtly, Helaena approached the Lord. At her expression, Walder's face fell in contrition, before he bent his knee and bowed his head to his Queen.
"Lord Walder Frey," Queen Helaena's voice drew the attention of everyone, who swung their heads to see her addressing the man who was prostrating himself on his knees before her.
"My Queen, I swear my fealty, the fealty of my House, to you," the man's voice was calm and strong, this moment was one that he had been waiting for, for years. It was what was promised to him and Walder could hardly hide the excitement in his voice.
"Brilliant," Helaena smiled widely.
"And I shall name you the next Lord Paramount of the Riverlands, as you were the first of the vassal houses to pledge your loyalty when I first came to rule and have done so once again. But let this be a warning to you Lord Frey," the smile quickly dropped from Helaena's face. "Of what happens when you commit treason and cross the Crown,"
"Of course my Queen," if it was possible, Walder Frey bowed his head even lower to the Queen, afraid to stand up and instead choosing to remain on his knees.
"Search the vaults, raid the stores if they are not destroyed or burnt. I want a full report, before we even reach King's Landing," Helaena ordered Ser Gerold, who was standing beside the Queen and watching with fascination at the destruction that the dragons were causing.
"Of course my Queen, and if there are any survivors?"
"Round them up and put them in cages. We'll bring them back to King's Landing and have them made as an example—I did promise the citizens of Flea Bottom after all. Plus, there's an egg that still needs hatching Gerold, Meleys and Sunfyre are going to want to meet their new sibling soon,"
Bowing his head and retreating quickly, Ser Gerold rounded up a number of other men and began to do as the Queen ordered, after the fires had begun to die down.
Riding to the top of the hill, Helaena dismounted from her steed and waited for her dragons to finish before she decided to address her armies. The men stood, waiting for their Queen to speak, watching her and the dragons flying behind her. No one made a sound, either from the anxiety of what was occurring or the fear of what could and was about to occur. The dragons flew back into the air, circling a few times—their screeches echoing through the valley, only to obediently land next to their mother.
"My loyal subjects, I wish to express my sincerest gratitude to you all for marching and sailing your way here—to defend my rule. The time for war is done, the last of the traitors have been dealt with and the Seven Kingdoms will be at peace," Helaena called out to the men standing in the valley below her, her speech met with cheers.
"Return home, enjoy your lives, and as a reward I will be sending food and supplies to your liege Lords so that they may aide you during this time of recovery," Louder cheers rang out amongst the soldiers at the news, happy to return home and thankful that their Queen was aiding them.
Helaena glanced solemnly at each face in the crowd, watching as they watched her, "And I hope this will be a reminder to you all of what happens when you poke a sleeping dragon. Anyone who even dares to try and defy me, your Queen, or any of your Lords, will be met with swift and timely justice,"
The cheering continued, although the other Lords very much doubted that the simple soldiers heard the veiled threat that was placed within Queen Helaena's speech. Even if it was very thinly veiled. But they heard it, and a shiver of apprehension slithered up the spines of all Lords.
They had all better start watching their step much more carefully.
…
Ned Stark watched in amazement as the two dragons laid waste to Riverrun. His army standing behind him silently as they all watched with fervent attention. The minor lords teetered and twittered together, all of them whispering about the scene before them, their eyes moving from the dragons, to their Queen, then Lord Stark and back again.
When Helaena had sent him the letter, asking him to aide her, Ned had been hesitant. He didn't want to offend his lady wife more than he already had, but Ned knew that what Helaena was asking of him was a part of the oaths he had taken when he had sworn his fealty. And Ned Stark was not an oath breaker. So rarely did Helaena ever ask him of anything that Ned knew when she had begun her letter, without even reading most of it, that this was something important. It was only after he had read the whole thing that he had found himself slightly hesitant.
When the dragons were done, and the fighting was all over, Ned waited for Helaena to come and greet him. They were close, the two had always been close. Thus, it wouldn't be an unfair assessment that Helaena would come greet Ned personally. Instead, a man on a bay colored steed approached him and as he got closer Ned recognized him as the new Lord of House Rosby, Alton.
"Lord Stark," Alton bowed his head in deference to the Lord Paramount of the North.
"Lord Rosby," Ned acknowledged.
"How may I help you?"
Raising his head, Lord Alton Rosby rode closer until he was side by side with Ned, "The Queen has sent me to deliver a message to you,"
Disappointment flooded Ned, knowing that this meant Helaena wasn't going to come further North to see him. The Northern Lord had hoped that if they met face to face, he would be able to convince the Queen to take a short journey North—as part of her victory, before heading back to King's Landing. Jon wouldn't be able to meet her now, and Ned had finally come to the conclusion that he wanted his nephew to know her aunt, to know his true heritage—even if it was dangerous.
"Oh? And what did the message say?" Ned tried his hardest to keep his tone cool, not allowing the displeasure to color his manner at all.
"She would like for you to send back your army to the North, so that they may protect it, while you and a select few meet her back in King's Landing,"
Ned's eyes widened at the news, not expecting this invitation, "And how long will this invitation last?"
Alton shrugged, "The Queen did not specify an expiration date. However, she did insist that I relay to you that she would like you to accompany her to the Tourney that will be held at Pyke in three moons. After which, you may return to the North if you wish or return to King's Landing,"
"There is going to be a Tourney at Pyke?" the skepticism could be seen all over Ned's manner.
After the last Tourney at Harrenhall, the Lord of Winterfell wasn't sure why Helaena would want to attend another one so soon. From what he could remember, Helaena had a singular distaste for the whole event because of Rhaegar. Ned had been on the receiving end of a scathing rant about the conduct of both Rhaegar and Lyanna. Voluntarily attending another Tourney was not very in character for Helaena.
"Yes," Lord Alton confirmed.
"Her Majesty's Hand and the Small Council insisted one be held in order to pick at least two viable suitors, if not one more, for the Queen so that one can ultimately be chosen to be the next Prince Consort. Lord Balon volunteered Pyke,"
"Then why would she need me there?" Ned scowled, displeased that Helaena was going to pick a potential Consort and he had to potentially bear witness to it.
Lord Alton shrugged, "Her Majesty did not say, but she gave me this letter to give to you," handing a small scroll to Ned, Alton turned and rode away after giving a brief goodbye.
Ned stared at the scroll for a moment before unraveling it, the familiar signs of Helaena's handwriting appearing before him.
My dearest Eddard,
I want to thank you for bringing your men to Riverrun in order to defend my rule. As much as I would have loved to come to your side and greet you, there are matters that I must address back home. But, as I am sure Lord Alton Rosby has relayed to you, I would sincerely like you to come to King's Landing.
We can spend some much needed time together, like we did when we were fostered at the Vale. Robert will be there too, of course, but I'm sure he'll be leaving us to go hunting in the King's wood more often than not. I do not want to cause more trouble between you and
There are matters at the Capital of which I must attend to, unfortunately. However, your safe advice is always welcome and very much appreciated. I do hope you will come to King's Landing, and to the Tourney at Pyke. I won't be able to survive these next few months without you, my dearest friend.
Ever yours,
Queen Helaena of House Targaryen
The official seal marked the end of the letter but Ned's heart swelled just reading it, his eyes scanning over the letter again and again, following each dip and curve of the letters Helaena wrote out. Who was he, Ned Stark, to deny his Queen? Especially when nothing but a cold bed and crying infants awaited him back at Winterfell.
For once, Ned Stark was going to follow his heart (as it also aligned with his duty to his Queen). Turning to the men behind him, Ned Stark addressed the Lords of his Vassal Houses.
"You're all to return to the North, let all the men, women, and children know of our Queen's success and of her dragon children. I, and a few of my bannermen, will be accompanying the Queen to the Capital as she has asked us,"
"Lord Karstark," Ned turned to look directly at the man who sat a top his horse watching his Lord stonily.
"Let my wife know of what has occurred. I will be expecting ravens regularly, in order to be updated about what is occurring in the North. And send Jon to me, to King's Landing, along with his nurse and a few of our men for protection,"
"Is this prudent my Lord? The North needs you," Lord Karstark cautioned.
Ned sighed, knowing what Lord Karstark said was true, "It is by order of the Queen that I go South to King's Landing. I would stay in the North otherwise, but until then I need men I trust watching over Winterfell,"
The men reluctantly agreed—wary to see their Lord ride further South and away from home, but a few stayed behind in order to accompany Ned. Eventually, as the men began to pack away their belongings and take a part their base camp, those of the North began to go back home, leaving the Lord of Winterfell to chase after the woman he loved South. Even if it meant that he would have to eventually watch her marry someone else.
…
"When were you going to tell me?"
They were all riding back to their respective Kingdoms and Helaena was leading her army at the front back to the Crownlands. Her Queensguard were placed strategically throughout the men, should there be any trouble.
The dragons were in the air, circling the whole army and keeping watch. Every now and then, the line of men would stall as soldiers would look up to gaze at the beasts. They were a magnificent sight, and having though that they were just myths previously or at the very least very much extinct, all the Lords and men in their armies were fascinated by the sight before them.
It was Jaime, however, who had been selected to accompany her at the lead and Jaime who was currently looking at her accusingly. It seemed the Kingslayer had finally tired of holding his opinions to himself.
"Tell you what?" Helaena asked, feigning obliviousness. Really, the Queen had been dreading this conversation, knowing that it was coming but not particularly feeling like addressing Jaime's concerns.
Jaime looked around before leaning in as close as he could, given the fact that he was still on his horse, "About the dragons," he hissed.
"I'm not sure why you are whispering, considering that everyone now knows about the dragons," Helaena stated bluntly, causing Jaime to huff.
"You're avoiding the question," Jaime jeered. "Arthur Dayne seemed to know exactly what was going on before we even got there,"
Helaena shrugged, "Arthur Dayne is privy to a lot of information that most others are not,"
"Oh? And who else was privy to this information?" Jaime scowled. "I am your Queensguard, as much as every other Knight in it. Did you deliberately leave me out?"
The Queen grumbled in annoyance before turning to meet Jaime fully in the eye, "Jaime Lannister, you are not the only member of my Queensguard that was not aware of the existence of my dragons. Do not try to play victim with me right now—I am not in a generous mood,"
"Well, then when were you going to tell me?"
"By the gods," Helaena cried in irritation. "You are such a nuisance sometimes; did you know that? I would have told you when I deemed it an appropriate time to tell you,"
The cryptic answer did not seem to satisfy Jaime, who continued to just stare at Helaena. The intensity of the stare only managed to annoy Helaena more, making her swiftly kick her horse in order to move faster so that she would not have to be beside Jaime. The Kingslayer however, only kicked his horse in the side as well, causing it to catch up with Helaena.
"Do you not trust me?"
Helaena turned sharply at the accusation, although she is mostly surprised at Jaime's blunt honesty, and when she turns she sees the anger and hurt in Jaime's eyes. Sighing tiredly, Helaena turned her head back.
"That's not an answer," Jaime pointed out, not willing to let the conversation go.
"I wasn't aware you required an answer to that ridiculous question," Helaena snorted, continuing on the road and not bothering to glance at Jaime. How dare he take her victory away from her like this, when she was feeling such joy at having burnt down the people of the House who were set to betray here.
"I think it deserves an answer,"
Helaena turned toward the rest of the man, shifting her horse around so she could address everyone, "We're going to halt here for the night! Set up camp!" swinging down from her horse, she grabbed it by the reins and grabbed Jaime's horse as well, leading all of them toward a set of trees, with Jaime protesting at the movement from on top of his horse the whole way.
The men quickly obeyed, starting to set up camp, to busy to notice that after dismounting from the horse, Jaime Lannister was being dragged away by the Queen to a more sequestered area, down in a nearby stream.
Once they were fully settled and away from the general populous, Helaena swiftly turned toward Jaime, her eyes blazing.
"Is your ego so fragile? Your confidence so weak?" Helaena hissed, jabbing her finger into Jaime's chest and causing him to flinch. "You are a member of my Queensguard, one of the best Knights in the Seven Kingdoms, and now you need reassurance from me? Why? Is ickle baby Jaime Lannister still sad that Ser Arthur Dayne won't talk to him? Does he need to cry into the skirts of his Queen to feel better?"
Jaime flinches but refuses to concede, "You have no idea what you are talking about!"
"Please," Helaena scoffed. "Everyone knew you worshipped the ground he walked on and now Arthur barely acknowledges your existence. Don't push your insecurities and broken trust with him onto me. I am your Queen, what I deem you worthy of knowing is up to my discretion,"
"Oh! So now I am not worthy?" Jaime's eyes were raging with fire, and now he was right up in Helaena's space, their chests pressed against each other.
"You are deliberately being obtuse," Helaena bit back, her eyes flashing with anger.
Jaime's blood roared with anger, with fire, and also with desire. And before the Kingslayer knew what he was doing, he had pulled Helaena into a violent, forceful kiss.
At first Helaena was stunned, but she returned the kiss just as ferociously. Neither was holding back. The excitement of war and their argument was making their bloods sing. They tore at each other aggressively, hands groping, nails scraping, and breathing harsh as they lost themselves to one of the most intense kisses in either of their lives.
Helaena regained her senses first, tearing her mouth away from Jaime's and opening her eyes to stare at him. Jaime, whose eyes were still closed and breathing still very ragged, was holding Helaena closely to his chest. Eventually, the Kingslayer slowly opened his eyes and green met purple.
Moving her hands from their position at his chest, Helaena wrapped her hands around the back of Jaime's neck, pulling herself closer to him. The action startles Jaime initially, not expecting, but certainly hoping, for a positive reaction. The pair stared into each other's eyes, Jaime leaning his forehead down against Helaena's and nuzzling her nose with his.
"You do trust me, don't you?" Jaime whispered, his breathing caressing Helaena's skin as it escaped from his before he nuzzled his nose against her again.
Gazing into his eyes, Helaena pulled Jaime down into another breathless kiss before pulling herself slightly away.
"I want you to compete in the Tourney at Pyke," the Queen whispered against the Kingslayer's lips, both of their eyes still closed.
It took Jaime a second to realize what Helaena had just said. And when he did, Jaime opened his eyes to stare at Helaena's. It took a moment for Jaime to remember what it meant to be a competitor at Pyke's upcoming Tourney. The Queen observed silently how his face was filled with surprise and wonderment. Perhaps even a bit of joy.
"Are you serious?" Jaime's voice quivered a little, as if he wasn't entirely sure of what he just heard and hoping with everything in him for it to be true.
"I want you there, as a competitor," Helaena confirmed, a small smile making its way onto her face, her eyes gleaming with mischief. "This will mean that you have to leave my Queensguard though. Become the heir to Casterly Rock and the Westerlands again,"
Jaime hesitated for a second, "Becoming part of the Queensguard has been the goal of my life,"
Internally, Helaena rolls her eyes but the Queen nods outwardly, as if acknowledging Jaime's words, "But is it your destiny? Imagine it, if you are Tywin's heir again, no one would dare speak a word against your, call you Kingslayer, and you'd be eligible to marry,"
"I could compete at the Tourney at Pyke," Jaime whispers disbelievingly, his mind a wonder at all the possibilities of the future that lay before him.
Helaena nods, "You could compete at Pyke,"
Jaime hesitates for a moment, "You'll be the Queen of Love and Beauty?"
"If that's what will please you, I will be there in the stands waiting for the victor to crown me." came Helaena's simple answer that caused Jaime to smile.
"That would please me infinitely, Helaena," sweeping her into his arms, Jaime placed another kiss on Helaena's lips.
…
Rhaella Targaryen crumped the letter in her hand before throwing it into the fire. She wanted to scream. Who did that insolent little tart think she was?
Quickly turning around and heading for Danaerys' room, the fabric of Rhaella's dress twirled around her causing the former Queen to make a misstep and fall. Crashing onto her hands and knees, Rhaella screamed in frustration.
I will claw her eyes out… have her hanged! She can't…she CANNOT DO THIS.
Standing up shakily, Rhaella started heading toward her youngest daughter's room, as Danaerys had started to cry from the resulting crash of Rhaella's fall. Viserys, who was still very much locked in his room previously, opened his door slightly to see what the commotion was.
"Mother?" the little boy called as he watched his lady mother storm by, "Mother, what happened?"
Rhaella by passed her son, not even bothering to answer, before she reached Danaerys' room and swept the crying babe into her arms. The former Queen cried into Danaerys' fluffy, down head. Her tears scalding her own cheeks.
A creaking sound made Rhaella look up at the startled handmaiden who had come to most likely give Rhaella poppy milk to calm her.
"Did you know?!" Rhaella hissed dangerously, glaring daggers at the handmaiden she suspected was spying on her for Helaena.
"My lady?" The handmaiden tilted her head to the side in question but was unfazed by the unkempt demeanor of the woman before her.
"Did you know what that traitorous bitch planned?"
The handmaiden shook her head, "I'm not sure who you speak of my lady,"
"No!" Rhaella screeched, jostling Danaerys a moment and causing the babe to wake and begin to cry. "You know exactly who I am speaking of! That back-stabbing whore I called daughter. Did you know of Helaena's plans?!"
The handmaiden's eyes went from Rhaella to the crying Danaerys, "My lady, perhaps if you could just give me the babe…"
Rhaella flew backwards, with Danaerys in her arms, causing her to hit the wall and making Danaerys cry even louder because of the abrupt motion, "No, you will not take my daughter away from me! Not my baby! Helaena can't have her! Let the gods' strike her where she stands, she is not betrothing my baby girl to some Lord that is already a fucking adult!"
Danaerys began to cry louder at the commotion, causing Rhaella to falter and begin to cuddle the babe harder, cooing and attempting to calm her child.
"It's fine Dany, it's fine. I will not let your evil, mean sister take you away," Rhaella promised, singing softly to her daughter in between her ramblings. "My little dragon, it's fine, it's fine. Please stop crying. Don't cry. I won't let you marry some old, dastardly Lord for your sister's games. I'm going to protect you, yes, yes I am,"
As Rhaella continued to ramble on and on at Danaerys who was not quieting, and only seemed to cry louder, the handmaiden began to slowly back away. On her way out, she caught the eye of Viserys, who was watching everything happen with a curious look in his eye.
"My little Lord, please, let me take you back to your room," the handmaiden took Viserys by the shoulder and began guiding him.
"Is my mother okay?" the little boy inquired, still so sweet and innocent to the ways of the world.
"She will be," the handmaiden promised emptily, knowing that the former Queen was most likely losing her mind just like her husband did.
"Is Helaena going to come get us soon? I don't like it here," Viserys confessed tearfully, as he stepped into his room and turned back around to talk to the handmaiden.
Despite herself, the handmaiden found herself nodding, "Yes, I'm sure she'll come get you soon. Once it is safe, everything is going to be find my little Lord,"
Seeming to believe her assurances, Viserys nodded before turning back around and going to stare out the window of his room, gazing out in the ocean.
The handmaiden closed the door, and quickly walked away. She had to send a raven to the Queen. Her Majesty needed to know about the deteriorating state of Rhaella's mental health.
…
"Dragons. She has dragons," Mace Tyrell whispered both reverently and in fear to the rest of the men in the Small Council.
After Helaena had called a stop to their marching, the men had decided to gather together in order to discuss what they had just seen. Her Queensguard and the Lord Commander were still busy rounding up the few survivors that were left at Riverrun and setting up camp for the night.
Robert Baratheon was out in the woods, with Ned Stark, hunting game but the men wouldn't have wanted the other Lords there anyway. They would have not been objective in what they had seen, especially because it concerned their foster sister. Even Lord Arryn, the Master of Laws, was having a hard time processing this information even though he loved his foster daughter dearly.
"So this is why she wanted to the Dragon pit restored,"
"Good job stating the obvious Balon," Tywin sneered, the Greyjoy had decided to allow his younger brother Euron take the ships back to the Iron Islands while he rode with the rest of the men back to the Capital.
"Do you think the knights of her Queensguard knew?" Stannis Baratheon asked, though he was not a member of the Small Council, the second Baratheon son was heir to the seat in Storm's End and thus the other Lords did not have any qualms with him being there.
"The more important question is why none of your little birds have heard of this Lord Varys,"
Said Lord flinched at the reprimand from the Queen's Hand, "The Queen has kept herself sequestered mainly in her chambers. None of my birds had managed to get in…I guess now we know why,"
"Who knew…little Helaena Targaryen, the first true dragon to be born in centuries and now she'll be ruling the Seven Kingdoms with them at her feet," Maester Pycelle chuckled darkly, earning himself various looks from the Lords surrounding him.
None of them were all that comfortable with what this could possibly mean. Especially should any of them anger the Queen in anyway. However, this also meant that any children she bore would more than likely be able to control the dragons as well, which made it even more imperative that Helaena choose a proper Consort.
"She'll be unstoppable, should she decide to take more land," Tywin observed.
"Helaena wouldn't do that, her concern is the well-being of King's Landing and the Seven Kingdoms," offended on behalf of his foster daughter, Jon Arryn was always ready to defend her vigorously.
"If people were doubtful of her right to rule before, there's no way they can be now. She's the Mother of Dragons," Varys commented, in awe at the spectacle in front of him.
Live dragons, ones of the size that people hadn't seen in hundreds of years, flying above them and breathing fire. It sent a shiver of both trepidation and excitement through Varys. He had always been a Targaryen supporter but his allegiance laid firmly with the Realm. Whether or not these dragons would prove beneficial to the Realm as a whole was yet to be seen.
"If men weren't vying for her hand before, they will be now. Consider it, having your own children be the first dragon riders in centuries," Tywin stated, a hint of reverence and longing in his voice.
How he wished he was young enough to be put into consideration, or how Cersei was a boy, if Jaime hadn't taken Queensguard vows, or if Tyrion wasn't a dwarf. There were to many possibilities, if only fate had been kinder to House Lannister. No amount of maneuvering would allow this to play favorably into Tywin's hand, at least, none that the Lord of Casterly Rock could see right now.
"My Willas is more than a good match for Her Majesty." Mace boasted proudly, ignorant of the fact that many of the men around him wanted their owns sons or brothers, if they had them, to be put up for consideration.
"Willas is crippled and unable to fight which makes him unfit to even think about the possibility of being a real suitor," Balon countered. "Euron on the other hand is perfectly healthy,"
Jon rolled his eyes, "Euron is also a notorious man-whore with about a dozen bastards throughout the Seven Kingdoms. He would bring shame upon Helaena,"
"You're one to talk Jon Arryn, you have no heirs!" Stannis retorted heatedly.
"I am not yet betrothed and neither is my brother—both of us are much more respectable options,"
"Please, neither of you have fought any real wars, only your brother has! The Queen needs someone who has experience,"
"And are you saying you have more experience?"
"More than you do!"
The men continued to squabble, pushing the fear of Helaena's dragons into the back of their mind in favor of debating who would become her next Prince Consort. Now that the Seven Kingdoms were (mostly) united, it was important to establish a legacy and each man wanted their own House put on top. The issue with the dragons would be thought about later; however, whether ignoring the issue was a prudent move would be up to fate.