DISCLAIMER: Chapter prologue. I'll admit this chapter might be boring as it's her march to meet with Stannis.
Chapter rating: T
XX
Rhaenyra sighed softly as she listened to her dragons shriek and cry out happily as they flew through the trees, her party of 15 might've seemed small but they were quite deadly. Many were Dornish with Tyene leading them. Lynara and Valaena rode beside Ser Barristan who made sure to keep an eye on his queen at all times, Rudy and Edrick rode nearby as they chatted amongst themselves. Rhaenyra hadn't been in the mood to converse with her group despite normally doing so but rode near one and occasionally. Rhaella surprised her by flying close enough for her wings to brush Corlys' hide as the mare nickered happily. She looked up to see her daughters flying around them excited, the dragons were always eating were growing quickly, they loved the flying and refused to rest themselves, never tiring it seems either. When they would make camp they'd be on the ground for a moment or two before they are up in the sky once more, it seemed to make the group happy as they'd all sit and watch them fly. As they'd set up camp the girls still resided in her tent, lounging on the floors to protect their mother in case of an intruder. Rhaenyra sighed as she thought of her husband, missing the second body in bed, she knew the girls missed Grey Wind as they'd eat and look around, no doubt missing the large male wolf when they eat. Her dreams led her into her husband's arms and large dragons in winter, listening to the familiar shrieks of her girls.
XX
The march was slow and careful, the dragons always flew high in the clouds to avoid any attacks but one would spot them feasting when they could. Valaena shared her worries when she noticed them roast an entire herd, 5 adults and 2 fawns. Tyene just claimed they were growing girls, she liked their healthy appetites. Rhaella was becoming more and more bold, hissing and growling at the group when they'd come too close. Many have already decided to always avoid the dragons in particular when they ate or rested. Rhaenyra had left Baela in Riverrun because she had asked.
"Hey Rhae?" the queen herself who had been directing servants to put certain things on certain horses, Oberyn had already told her that Dornish were accompany her along with one of his daughters.
"Yes Baela?" she asked as she carefully moved between two servants.
"I know you are going to a meet," Baela revealed as Rhaenyra paused before coming closer.
"And?" Rhaenyra inquired for her maid's opinion.
"I am to stay," the younger requested as her queen smiled.
"Okay," she nodded, embracing her sister-friend. Baela held her tightly, eyes misting over slightly. "Watch over them," she whispered as Baela nodded, eyes firm. "We'll see each other again," she promised as Baela gave a tight smile.
"I hope they are bigger," Baela hoped as she watched the dragons shriek and squeal in happiness, Grey Wind was chasing a rabbit happily as Rhaenys quickly joined, trying to pounce on it.
"So do I," Rhaenyra smiled as they separated. Valaena and Lynara came into view as Ser Barristan joined them, bringing Rudy and Edrick. "Will you be alright alone?" she asked worried, Baela has always been around her mother and Lynara.
"I won't be alone," Baela reassured her with a smile, Rhaenyra laughed softly knowing her maid has grown close to Oberyn's daughters and paramour as of late.
"Alright, send message if anything happens," she ordered as Baela nodded knowing her queen's order.
"Rhae," Baela and her both turned to see Robb approach them with a frowning Theon. Baela lightly punched her friend's arm as he chuckled while the couple said their goodbyes, Theon hated that Rhaenyra was leaving, but he denied the request of going if he wanted to join.
"I love you," Robb expressed as he held her face making her blush softly, his declarations in public always made her happy and giddy.
"I love you too," she answered, pressing a kiss to him as Corlys came closer, waiting to be mounted. "I will try to hurry," Rhanyra grinned as he laughed, bringing her closer as others started to mount up.
"Safe travels My Love," he prayed, kissing her forehead. "May the Old and New Gods watch over you and the girls," he mumbled as she repeated it to him. Quickly she moved away as she brought up her hood to cover her hair and crown, she now started to keep her long hair in a single braid going down her back, it kept all of her hair out of her face, a few tendrils slipping out as her crown kept everything in place. Catelyn had already left and had been told that Rhaenyra was going to meet with Stannis, she warned the girl to expect nothing but hostile nature from the Baratheon man.
Rhaenyra did expect it, but she also hoped that him saving her also played a small part in him accepting her proposal of plans. Despite her knowing she and Robb should parley with the two 'kings' as it was she figured it'd be an insult to Renly with her good mother going to treat with him and not Robb while she is treating with his older brother. Ser Barristan has been telling them which roads to take, mostly for Rhaenyra's safety along with her dragons. He swore to see them survive, give them their own fighting chance.
"Your Grace," Ser Barristan softly called as he joined her making her quickly rejoin their world. Some days they would rest others they would continue on until the horses had to take a rest, only then did they set up camp. The dragons did not seem to tire though, they liked flying all over, on some occasion Rhaenyra would sit and watch her dragons just play while she'd pet one. Rhaella was so common to shove her head into her mother's lap as it took two hands to cradle the scaled head and still be able to stroke the neck with one of them. As of late Rhaella seems to focus on her mother suddenly and would watch her with caution. Tyene joined her sometimes to try and bond with the young queen, it was not hard. Rhaenyra got along with the Dornish members quite quickly, she always spoke about the North and their culture which was different from Dorne's.
"Yes, Ser Barristan?" she asked as the dragons flew higher.
"Are you alright?" he asked worried as she smiled.
"I am. It's just… the first time I've traveled from Robb. As odd as it is," she mumbled softly as he smiled.
"This is all new for you, you've grown up Winterfell so long and now you've been pulled into war," Ser Barristan claimed as she hummed softly. "We should reach Dragonstone within two weeks if we keep at this pace. And if the winds favor us," he revealed as she nodded.
"I was born there, was I not?" she asked as he paused before nodding with a small frown.
"Stannis Baratheon had your mother buried there, with all of your ancestors before the rise of the temple of Balor the Blessed," he spoke as she listened with a small smile. She spotted her dragons landing once more to feast, they shared a stag with Rhaella eating most of the stomach. Staying on Dragonstone will not be easy, Your Grace," he warned as she nodded.
"I know," she spoke softly. It was closer to King's Landing than she wanted to be at the moment, but she hoped her dragons might like it, where their ancestors nested and made their home. "Do we have a safe travel?" she asked.
"My father has sent Uncle a message asking for a ship to meet us there and then wait for our return back to the army," Tyene called out as Alysanne flew around her trilling.
"Can your Uncle spare so many people?" Ser Barristan asked worried as she smiled.
"Of course, otherwise he would not ask," she shrugged as that got a small chuckle from the group while Valaena remained quiet, the last time she was on Dragonstone was during the worst storm in the world, the night Rhaenyra and Daenerys was born.
"You okay?" Lynara asked worried as her friend nodded with a tight smile.
"Yeah," she nodded as they continued on bypassing the road and village nearby.
XX
(King's Landing)
Sansa sighed softly as she sat in her room while Shae tidied her room for her.
"My Lady?" Shae asked worried as she overheard her charge sigh for a few more times. The young girl hummed softly to her maid with curiosity as Shae paused. "Are you alright?" she asked, a frown on her face as she laid down Sansa's food plates.
"Yes, I think so," the prisoner spoke as she looked back out of Blackwater Bay. "Shae," she called as the woman perked up when she returned to her job. "Do you know how far Dragonstone is?" Sansa asked curiously.
"Um," Shae thought, having asked Bronn what Dragonstone was to King's Landing. "I am not sure My Lady, I can ask Lord Tyrion or Lord Varys for you," she offered instantly, figuring either would know.
"Please don't go to any trouble I was just curious. I overheard it was the landing place for the Targaryens," she smiled softly thinking about her good-sister.
"Your brother's wife's ancestors?" Shae asked, Tyrion often spoke of the girl softly, sweetly even. He claimed while Robb was cruel and rude she was the completely opposite before mentioning quite deceitful when he mentioned dragon rumors.
"Yes, I surprisingly miss her and Arya a great deal. I used to complain when they'd rather do boy things rather than girl things like girls were meant to like," she spoke in a sentence to Shae's amusement.
"Tell me more about her," she implored, sitting across from her lady who perked up at being able to talk about the exiled princess. A few have asked about the princess but that was at the beginning of her stay and now many have gone silent. Tyrion smiled as he listened and tensed when he heard footsteps, turning he saw Varys standing there.
"I overhear the dragon marches upon their birth," Varys warned as Tyrion frowned. Not completely understanding. He watched as Varys looked to Sansa once more before walking away, discreetly hiding the letter behind a vase of red flowers. "A council meeting has been called," he spoke as Bronn jogged in with a sigh and glare to the whisperer who gave him a smirk.
"Please tell me you have an answer," Tyrion asked in a whisper as Bronn growled.
"No," he sighed as Tyrion looked to him stunned. "The bastard hid before I could reach the letter he left. I turn around it was gone," he informed the dwarf who paid him. As of late Tyrion noticed Varys reading something before burning a letter, but it's becoming harder and harder to catch him doing something, Varys must know someone is watching him.
"Was there anyone else in the hallway?" Tyrion asked.
"Servants," Bronn shrugged. "I swear he has his own little network-"
"Everywhere he has someone who cannot be bought," Tyrion growled out as Shae came out as well.
"What are you two doing?" she asked confused, closing the door as Sansa retrieved a parchment from her table to read it.
"Nothing," Tyrion smiled as she quirked an eye. Crossing her arms as he sighed. "I am honest, we are trying to…"
"Figure out if Varys is with or against us," Bronn finished as the whore frowned.
"Is that so?" she asked softly as Tyrion frowned.
"He's a dangerous man Shae," he tried to reason as she nodded.
"No I understand, you want to make sure everyone is exposed," Shae claimed before sighing softly. "I, uh," she paused spotting something, "need to go retrieve something for Sansa, excuse me," she spoke, stopping a moment to examine some dark red flowers, she remembered them being called 'Dragon's breath' Varys showed them to her in the Godswood here. Before looking down and dashing off at a steady pace.
"How is Shae and Sansa getting along?" Bronn asked curious.
"I think they're getting along nicely," Tyrion commented as they made their way down to the meeting room. "Shae seems to like her, loves hearing about her," he smiled.
"Did she adopt her or something?" Bronn joked as Tyrion smirked.
"I don't know," he shrugged as they entered while Bronn remained near the front with a younger Lannister guard who was curious about the sellsword who was actually quite friendly if you didn't upset or piss him off in general.
"We have to deal with the Baratheon brothers and the Stark boy. I overhear that Dornish have fully joined up with him and now roost in Riverrun with him," Varys revealed as Cersei breathed a hiss.
"So the Dornish have betrayed us as well," she hissed.
"The Dornish have never been loyal to Robert since their princess' death, along with her children," Littlefinger spoke as Joffrey growled.
"Kill all of them then demand obedience from that weak prince of Dorne, if we keep Oberyn alive we can barter him back," he slumped against the chair as his council looked to one another.
XX
(Rhaenyra)
Try as they might they could not avoid villages forever, Rhaenyra would not enter nor would the dragons. Making sure to keep their covers over their faces they would buy what they needed before being back on their way. Rhaenyra kept her dragons contained with a dead carcass as they feed, happy and becoming quite full. Rhaenyra spent this time thinking about Robb, missing him after a week she noticed her girls gorging more and more, becoming quite big now they were flying longer and faster, but they were easily trainable as she learned. Have them fattened up then teach them, Rhaella though is more stubborn and would growl at her mother with a warning. But she refuses to back down from the dragons, knowing they were looking for weaknesses in their human mother.
"Your Grace," Rudy called out as the dragons finished their dead animal and hisses at him, alarming both.
"Quiet!" Rhaenyra hissed back, two out of three flinched while the other growled, but looked to her mother instantly. "Yes?" she asked worried.
"Lannister scouts were spotted to the east, we should move quickly," he warned as she nodded and stood to leave when an arrow hit where she had been just seconds. It brought an alarmed gasp from the queen as her dragons tensed, readying themselves for an attack. "Get behind something!" Rudy ordered as another arrow flew near him. Cursing herself for not having her weapons she did as she was told and hid behind a boulder as she listened. Her dragons quickly greeted her as Rhaella hissed a warning behind and dove for a soldier who had followed the white haired woman only for Rhaenyra to realize her hood had fallen free.
"Shit," she cursed herself once more as Alysanne sat in front of her hissing and snarling at the man who screamed when he caught fire by the golden dragon who had launched herself in the air before barring down on the hidden men. Ser Barristan and Dornish quickly intervened themselves, successfully dodging the dragon attacks as the girls lit men on fire.
"Rhae?" Lynara called out offering her hand as she looked around. "You okay?" she asked softly as the queen nodded with a shaky breath.
"Yeah," she felt her heart thud in her chest. Breathing slower as Alysanne crooned to her mother and rubbed her face against Rhaenyra's hip while her mother pet her. "Rudy, where is he?" she asked worried she didn't see her guard.
"I don't- I don't know," Lynara stuttered not realizing it was Rudy who was missing. Tyene and a few of her men came through with a frown.
"Tyene? What's wrong?" Rhaenyra asked worried as the Dornish woman normally kept her face normal.
"I found Rudy," she spoke shakily. Rhaella shrieked loudly as her mother and sisters followed her voice.
"Rudy!" She called out as she and Valaena both fell to the man's side. An arrow had hit his right shoulder but it was the stab wound to the stomach which was fatal for him.
"Your okay," he grunted relieved as a bloody Edrick held his hand, crying softly as the older man softly pet the boy's dark hair. "Hey, it's okay," he reassured the young boy as Rhaenyra pulled him closer, allowing him to cry against her shoulder. "I got careless," he spoke softly as the two cried. Ser Barristan tried to stop the bleeding before sighing, realizing he couldn't help the younger soldier.
"It's too deep," Tyene revealed, having already tried to help herself.
"It's okay," Rudy repeated as Rhaenyra felt the worst guilt. "It's not your fault. It was my job to protect you! I swore to Robb to keep you safe," He growled as Rhaenyra cried a bit more, not being able to keep it all in. "One was aiming for Rhaella, I couldn't let her get hurt," he told as Rhaenyra looked to her red dragon who trilled sadly and came closer to the male who had protected her and had been her friend. Softly nudging his hand the Dornish set around the man who coughed softly as Lynara tried to ease his breathing.
"Isn't there anything we can do?" Rhaenyra cried as Edrick wailed before being pulled away by Valaena who held his head softly, shushing him as he continued crying unable to stop.
"No, Your Grace," a guard spoke. "He would need a Maester and there not one near," he spoke a bit defeated as Ser Barristan carefully gave Rudy some water as the man breathed heavily.
"We should end his misery," another spoke to Tyene who looked to him sharply before sighing, realizing the same thing.
"Your Grace-"
"I know," Rhaenyra cut off the bastard as she continued to hold Rudy's hand as he breathed heavily. Tyene understanding it was harder for the queen to let her people go, gave her time to say goodbye. Ser Barristan said a shorter farewell to the young man he had served alongside. Allowing the ones from the girls and Edrick to say their own farewell.
"A damn sword wound. Swear to the Gods I thought those dragons or wolf would be the end of me," he gave a laughing cough as they all laughed with him. Knowing that the animals loved Rudy to much to hurt him.
"I'm sorry," Rhaenyra cried as he laughed softly, hiding his pain.
"You're my queen," he spoke breathing harder. "My job was to make sure that you survive and my only hope is that I can still watch over you. To see you make it to Dragonstone and back to our King. You will not back down from any threats or attacks," he demanded as Lynara helped him sit up to ease his breathing. She was sniffling softly as Valaena smoothed his brow.
"I should have grabbed some herbs," Valaena mumbled as she felt the boy's sweaty brow with a frown.
"They wouldn't have helped," he warned as she snapped back.
"Better than to feel all this pain," she hissed out, tears filling her eyes as he frowned.
"Pain don't hurt anymore," he slurred as everyone tensed while Ser Barristan sighed.
"He's lost too much blood," he mumbled as Rhaenyra closed her eyes.
"Someone ease his passage," Rhaenyra begged as Valaena nodded herself, pulling a dagger as Rhaenyra softly pulled Edrick away. Knowing he'd see worst but she still wanted to block as much out as possible.
"Rhae?" He asked, voice thick with tears and embraced his queen before full out bawling as she held him tightly. Head against her chest as she had knelt to embrace him. "Why him? Why couldn't the dragons protect him?" he asked as she winced, sniffing as she rubbed his back.
"Because they can't stop all attacks. They're not invincible Edrick, they're creatures made of flesh and blood, just like us. Rhaella must have been unaware of her danger," she spoke as Ser Barristan came back to her as she looked to him. He nodded as she stood.
"He has asked to be burned Your Grace," he spoke as she smiled softly.
"Of course he would," she sniffed as Edrick laid his head on her side. She followed Ser Barristan as he led them to Valaena and Lynara who have settled his body in a more peaceful sleep. Edrick whimpered softly, the arrow had been removed and his cloak covered the gash, it also looked like someone had placed flowers in his hands. Alysanne unsure had tried to nudge her friend who remained still, she didn't understand why he wasn't getting up when she nudged him. Trilling she looked to see her teary eyed mother who sniffed and pet the dragon. "I wish you could understand that he is gone girl," she spoke before standing and ordering everyone to do the same to back up as well. "He was my friend and guard before the start of this war. I had hope to bring him back to his family and he return to his home. But he instead died for his queen and did what he was meant to do and what he vowed. I will miss you Rodyrn Cerwyn," Rhaenyra spoke as the rest said their own farewells. "Dracarys," she spoke calmly as all three dragons did as they bid, Ser Barristan worryingly watched the queen who looked down before back at her calm girls as they all watched the fire burn. Soon Rudy's body was consumed by the flames as Rhaenyra walked away her dragons followed, walking behind her. The rest followed, watching her pull her hood up as the dragons growled and started to burn and eat the scout bodies. Rhaenyra walked to the tied horses, grabbing Corlys and Rudy's horse reins, softly petting the stallion's nose.
"We'll use his horse for extra things that might hurry us along," Ser Barristan decided as Rhaenyra nodded. Rhaenyra felt a small tug on her hand and turned to see Edrick staring at the dragons who continued to feast.
"Does this bother you Edrick?" she asked softly as he shook his head.
"No," he looked up to her with sad eyes. "I hope Stannis Baratheon listens to you," he spoke as she nodded.
"I do too," she agreed as they loaded the stallion up which would lesson their horses burdens as well.
XX
End of chapter! I hope I did okay!
RHatch89: Thanks! Enjoy
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NicoleR85: I can't wait either, I'm nervous about writing it.
Patriot-112: Thanks, I can't either. I hope I do him good writing.
LunaDoesArt: I love your list of people, it's definitely one of them. I was finally able to shove this out because I was watching scenes of Dany and the dragons and a few videos of the Targaryen family tree. I hope you enjoy school, I liked it, occasionally. But I hope you get all your stuff soon.
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~Rusty14~