Arthur looked at Rhaegar. His long time friend seemed to be growing more and more distant as their voyage to reclaim Dragonstone grew closer. Arthur saw the way his men looked at their would be king, they tried to get him interested in plans of war but Rhaegar seemed to be indifferent as to how they conquered his ancestral home, as long as he reclaimed his home, he didn't care much for the war tactics that would be used. Rhaegar was dutiful, he came to council meetings, heard what his lords had to say and made plans but Arthur could see that his heart wasn't in it. His prince's actions confused the knight. Had you not wanted to wage war with the usurper? Why are you acting indifferent towards the war you called for? Arthur had a magnitude of questions he had for his prince but he had not gotten the chance to convey them to his friend just yet. Planning a war kept him busy and so he requested to have dinner with Rhaegar, just the two of them. His friend complied and so here they were. The food was laid on the table but it was untouched. Rhaegar looked out of the balcony of their Pentos home, looking at the night sky. He was deep in thought. Rhaegar's eyes closed for a moment, he let out a breathy sigh before he opened his indigo eyes and turned to Arthur.
"Is there something you wish to say, dear friend?" Rhaegar's voice was soft. Clearing his throat, Arthur spoke up. "You have spoken of war and vengeance since your defeat at the trident, you have wished death on the usurper and his allies. You have planned a war for years and now that you are finally bringing war to Robert." He hesitated as Rhaegar narrowed his eyes at him. "Now that it is time to wage war, you seem—" Rhaegar's harsh voice caught him by surprise.
"I seem what?" Rhaegar asked. Arthur looked into the eyes of his friend. "You seem reluctant, Rhaegar." He finally said. Silence fell throughout the room. Rhaegar gave him a puzzled look.
"Why wouldn't I be reluctant, Arthur?" His question caught the knight off guard. He was not expecting that response from his friend. Slightly angry, Arthur answered his prince. "Rhaegar, you have planned this war for years, made allies and battle plans. Why would you be hesitating now? Tell me, what has changed since then that has made you question this war?"
"Everything has changed." Rhaegar said coolly. "Robert Baratheon has sunk his claws deeper into my daughter. Yes, I have planned to wage war for years now, but only once her safety was secured. But now—" Rhaegar took a deep breath before continuing. "Rhaenys is no more safe than she was when I left her. I must be cautious, Arthur. I can not fight blindly, I can not let my anger blind me, especially if Rhaenys would have to pay for my crimes, again." He whispered the last word so quietly, Arthur almost didn't hear it. The knight finally understood his friend's reluctance.
"All will be fine, Rhaegar. Rhaenys is Robert's Queen now, he won't hurt her." Arthur tried reassuring Rhaegar. He saw the way his indigo eyes darkened and knew it was the wrong thing to say.
"My mother was the King's wife, that didn't stop him from harming her." Rhaegar said bitterly. "No one protects the King from the Queen, not even the righteous Kingsguard."
Arthur flinches at the man's words. Cold and bitter were Rhaegar's words but Arthur knew them to be true. As one of the shining seven, he knew more than most people about the King's cruelty towards his sister-wife. He shuddered to think what forms of cruelty Robert may inflict on his queen. The usurper could do as he wished and no one would stop him. In the back of his mind he thought of his old friend, Ser Barristan Selmy, and wondered if he would turn a blind eye to the cruelties done to Rhaenys as he once did to her grandmothers. The Mad Kings Kingsguard all stood by as the man they called king abused his queen and sister.
"He will not harm her. She is of too much value. Even if Robert would want to harm her, I doubt a man as wise as Jon Arryn would allow such a thing to happen." Arthur once again tried reassuring his friend. His words seemed to make Rhaegar think. "Yes, I suppose so." Rhaegar finally said. The pair ate in silence.
Arthur walked side by side with Rhaegar as they discussed important matters of the upcoming war. An important matter had come spiraling towards them. The fate of Tywin Lannister. Death for the old lion was inevitable but the matter of his death was proving to be difficult to pin down.
"If we kill him now, we will hold no leverage against the Lannisters." Rhaegar said. Arthur gave him a puzzled look. "We have Tyrion Lannister, you made him Lord of Casterly Rock after you took his father as a prisoner. Or have you forgotten about that Rhaegar." Arthur said. Rhaegar cast an annoyed look at Arthur.
"Of course I haven't forgotten that. But Tyrion is here, in Pentos, with us. His uncle Kevan Lannister holds Casterly Rock in Tywin's absence, I highly doubt Kevan Lannister would open his arms for us after imprisoning his brother. Tywin is valuable as a hostage, we use him to buy Kevan's support and once the war is over, Tywin will be executed." Rhaegar explained. Arthur understood his friend's reasoning but he still wasn't happy that Tywin Lannister was still alive and would continue to draw breath. His displeasure in the plan must have been written plainly on his face as Rhaegar commented on it.
"I am no more pleased with this than you are Arthur but this is the only way to secure Lannister men for the time being. I wish for nothing more than to kill him myself but I must wait." Despite his great dislike for the plan he says nothing more and follows his king and friend into their private hall where they will be breaking their fast with the rest of the Targaryen family.
Everyone was already gathered there. Rhaenyra and Daeron both sat besides their mother while Dany and Viserys sat at either side of Rhaella. Rhaegar took his seat at the head of the table, he followed after him. They began eating in silence until the king's younger sister spoke up.
"Brother, when will you be leaving for Dragonstone?" The silver haired girl asked.
"In two days time Dany." Her eldest brother replied. Daenerys stayed quiet but Arthur could tell that the girl wished to say more. Arthur saw the reluctance in her eyes as she spoke up again.
"I had a dream last night." She said nervously. All eyes were on her now and so she turned her gaze to her plate, playing with the piece of bread she had just been eating. "It was the same one as before." She says quietly. At these words Rhaella and Lyanna exchanged a worried glance. Viserys shifts uncomfortably and Arthur finds he too is uncomfortable with the girl's words. Rhaegar is the only one who seems interested in Daenerys' words, the younger children were off in their own world not paying any attention to what was being spoken of.
"Again?" Rhaegar asked curiously. Daenerys looked up from her plate and nodded enthusiastically at her brother's questioning. "It was the same as before, only this time I think I saw someone else." Daenerys said. Rhaegar leaned forward. His attention was drawn completely towards his sister.
"Someone else? Who?"
"I think one of them was Aegon but I don't know who the woman was." Daenerys replied honestly. Rhaegar's forehead creased in deep thought.
"It was only a dream Dany, you need not worry about it." Lyanna said gently, Rhaella nodded her head in agreement. The young girl pulled her lips together in annoyance. "No, it means something. I know it does."
The two women at the table exchanged worried glances, both unsure as to what to say to the young girl. Arthur knew that both of the women did not wish to indulge Daenerys' dreams but they did not want to break the girl's spirit by calling her dreams meaningless for her dreams meant a great deal to her. Much like how her eldest brother felt about his dreams.
"Are you sure you saw Aegon?" Rhaegar questioned his sister once more. "Yes, he looked like Aegon but I couldn't see his face very well. All his attention was towards the woman."
"The woman, what did she look like?"
"I could not see her very clearly but she had long brown hair, it was curly. She looked tall but I'm not sure since Aegon towered over her. Her skin was darker than Aegon's." Daenerys paused, looking deep in thought. "That's all I remember of the woman."
Arthur turned his gaze to his friend, awaiting his reaction to the words his sister had spoken. Rhaegar had a blank expression painted in his beautiful face. But his purple eyes exposed his emotions clearly, eyes full of sadness and grief. Arthur did not understand this reaction, Daenerys had not said anything sad.
"I see." Was the only thing Rhaegar said. Then he straightened his back and asked more about Daenerys' dreams. It was a relief that he was not as prophecy-driven as he was years ago.
"This could mean the return of the dragons, our family's true power." He said to Daenerys who looked pleased. Rhaella shifted nervously at that word and Arthur could not blame her at all. Dragons were not simple beasts you could tame, they had great intelligence in them which made them more terrifying than their fire. Uncomfortable looks were exchanged across the table but Rhaegar and Daenerys seemed oblivious to them. They continued talking to one another, almost eagerly.
"I think I heard other dragons but I'm not sure." She tells her brother.
"Hmm, I see. Is that all you saw in your dreams Dany?" Rhaegar questioned his younger sister. The young girl nods her head. Rhaegar asked no further questions and remained quiet throughout the remainder of their shared lunch. Lyanna and Rhaella tried to make some conversation with Rhaegar but he dismissed their conversation with one word answers. In the end they had given up talking to him and instead talked amongst themselves.
Rhaegar left as soon as he finished his meal. Arthur followed him silently.
Arthur had been fast asleep when he heard an alarming knock on the vast doors of his chambers. He pulled himself up and quickly threw on a pair of trousers and the tunic he had been wearing earlier in the day. The knocking continued.
"I'm coming." He shouts angrily, annoyed that he had been cruelly awakened after he had just finally settled down.
"Arthur." He was surprised to hear the urgency in Viserys'' voice. The knight hastily opened the wooden door to reveal the second son of Aerys Targaryen, looking almost as disheveled as Arthur felt.
"Viserys, what are you doing here?" Arthur questioned the younger man. The silver haired man had a disturbed look on his face.
"It's Rhaegar, he has ordered the execution of Tywin Lannister." Viserys let out. But he said he needed Tywin alive, has he changed his mind so quickly? Though Arthur could not fault Rhaegar for wanting to kill Tywin sooner than expected instead of using him as a hostage. Every second that the old lion is alive, he disgraces the memory of Elia. The knight gives his prince a confused look, Arthur could not understand why Viserys looked so disturbed by the death of Tywin Lannister. The young prince had been loud about his displeasure in keeping Tywin alive.
"Good." Arthur finally says. Viserys gives him an unsure look.
"He wants to execute him tonight." Viserys says. Tonight? Why so soon?
"Why?" He heard himself ask. Viserys gave him an almost regretful look. "I do not know but I think it has something to do with what Dany said earlier during lunch."
Without exchanging another word, Arthur left the privacy of his chambers and headed off to find his friend.
"He is in the courtyard. He gathered some men and told them to get two other prisoners from the cells. Everyone is there now." Arthur all but runs to the massive courtyard to find Rhaegar. The yard is full of people, soldiers, maids and even some children wait in silence to see what Rhaegar has planned. Arthur maneuvered his way expertly through the crowd of people and in just a short couple of seconds, he could make out the tall figure of his friend. Rhaegar appeared to be talking to his mother, as Arthur grew closer, he could hear both of their defensive tones.
"Rhaegar, my son, you can not do this." Rhaella pleaded. Her pleas fell on deaf ears as Rheagar shook his head defiantly.
"Mother, I must do this. If you wish to see House Targaryen restored to all it's glory, then please understand why it is that I am doing this." Rhaegar says gently but firmly.
"No, you listen to me Rhaegar. What you are doing is not a game, what you seek has been gone for years. You listened to your delusions once before and that only brought despair and dishonor upon our house. We can not gain back that of which we have lost, so please son, stop trying." Rhaella said. Rhaegar turns to look at his mother. "I must try mother." He whispers to her. Turning away from his mother, Rhaegar finally seems to notice his presence.
"Arthur." He sounded almost happy as he said his name. "Rhaegar." Arthur said. More harshly than he had intended to. "What are you doing Rhaegar? I thought you had made up your mind to use Tywin as a bargaining tool against the Lannister. His execution was to be delayed until you sat upon the Iron Throne."
"I have changed my mind." Rhaegar answered honestly. Arthur gave him an exasperated look. Rheagar let out a tired sigh.
"And do tell me Rhaegar, what made you change your mind?" He asked his friend. Rhaegar's face turned almost guilty. Immediately Arthur knew what had made Rhaegar change his mind.
"Do not tell me that you are doing all this because of what Daenerys said earlier." Arthur said angrily. When Rhaegar gave no response he knew that the girl's dream probably had something to do with his sudden actions. .
Arthur let out an irritated sigh. He closed his eyes and tried to understand his friend but he simply couldn't, not again. When he opened his eyes again he saw that Rhaegar had focused all of his attention on a group of guards that appeared to be dragging something. As he looked closer he realized that the limp form the guards were dragging was Tywin Lannister. He also saw two men being dragged alongside the old lion.
Arthur reached out to try and get Rhaegar's attention but his old friend just ignored him, all his attention was on the man that had his wife killed.
Arthur watches as the guards drag the men to where the pyre stood.
"Rhaegar stop, you can not do this." Arthur tells him. "Your father was the mad man, not you. Never you." Rhaegar only gives him a sad smile before he turns back around to address the guards. "Tie them to the pyre."
The guards initially seemed reluctant to do so but as they saw the serious look on their king's face, they quickly began tying the prisoners up on the three small pillars that had been erected on the pyre.
On closer look, Arthur recognised the two men. They were one of the many assassins sent by Robert Baratheon to murder the children. They were pale and haggard as they begged for mercy which went unheard by Rhaegar, whose face became steely as he turned to look at Tywin Lannister.
The look in Rhaegar's eyes was firm and unyielding and Arthur knew then that no matter how much he tried to reason with his friend, nothing would come of it. Rhaegar had made up his mind on the matter of Tywin Lannisters execution and there was nothing Arthur could say to change his mind. Arthur observed the former lord of Casterly Rock, the man was bloodied and had open cuts all around his body. He had chains around his legs, though Arthur doubted the frail man could make a run for it even if he were freed from the metal chains. The Lannister man was almost naked except for the small clothes that covered his manhood. It was strange to see a man such as Tywin Lannister be reduced to such a state. The man had always been proud, and yet here he was, looking like nothing more than a beggar.
Arthur felt some pleasure at the crippling state of the savage man. He could hardly feel bad for the man despite being uncomfortable for the matter of which he would be killed. But if anyone deserved to be killed by fire, slowly roasting alive, it was Tywin. To sympathize with the killer of his princess was irrational and so Arthur said nothing more as Rhaegar ordered for the pyre to be lit. No amount of pain will ever compare to what Elia had to go through alone.
He looked around and saw the worried look engraved on Lyanna's face. Viserys stood next to him, his distress raided off of him in waves. Arthur placed a hand on the younger man's shoulder in an attempt to calm Viserys but unsurprisingly, it did not do much to calm the nerves of the son of Aerys, as he witnessed his brother burn men, much like how their father did. Taking his eyes off the silver haired man, Arthur noticed the small figure standing besides Rhaegar. Immediately he knew who it was. He had not seen Daenerys when he first entered the yard, she must have just joined her brother. Arthur grew uneasy as he saw brother and sister talk in hushed tones. He could not hear what they were saying but they seemed to be oblivious to his concerned stares.
Suddenly Rhaegar rotated his body so that he was now facing the crowd. And with an impassive face he spoke loudly and forcefully.
"Tywin Lannister has been found guilty of orchestrating the unjust and cruel murder of my wife, Princess Elia Martell of Dorne. His punishment for this crime is death by fire." Rhaegar's voice was hostile as he spoke. Then Rhaegar nodded at the two guards off to the side.
A new wave of anxiety came over him as he saw two guards carrying a trunk and rested it underneath the pillar in the middle that Tywin was tied to. Arthur immediately recognized the trunk, it was the box that housed the three stone dragon eggs that Magister Illyrio had gifted Rhaegar. A small part of Arthur finally understood why Rhaegar had suddenly changed his mind about the execution of Tywin but he did not want to believe it. Arthur did not want to believe that his friend would so foolishly believe Daenerys' dreams, not after the disaster his own dreams caused. The knight thought he knew his friend well but as he watched the fire begin to lick the wood the pyre had been made of, he began to question all that he knew of his friend. Arthur had wanted to believe that Rhaegar had left behind his prophecies and dreams when he had lost on the trident. That he had abandoned all talk of magic and dragons but perhaps Rhaegar had never truly forgotten about his dreams, he had never forgotten about the three headed dragon or the prince that was promised. Perhaps Rhaegar had kept his beliefs a secret, held them close as to not concern anyone.
His thoughts dissipated as he heard the awful howls of the men tied to the pyre. They sounded like wounded animals, it made it nearly impossible for Arthur not to cover his ears. He tried not to look into the burning fire in front of him. He did not want to see the flesh of burning men. But as the fire grew brighter and hotter, he could not stop his eyes from gazing up at the red glow. Suddenly the shrieking voice of a woman cut through the night.
"Daenerys NO!" Rhaella shouted. Confused by the sudden display of emotions. Arthur turned to look at where Daenerys stood. But she was gone, she was no longer by her brother's side. He watched in horror as Daenerys walked closer to the flames. He pushed past the Viserys, as he stood frozen, and moved to stop Daenerys from walking closer into the flames but as he tried to reach for her, Rhaegar suddenly grabbed him by the shoulder.
"No, let her." Rhaegar told him. Arthur gave him a look of horror at the words his friend said. Angrily, Arthur yanked himself from Rhaegar's hold but before he could keep Daenerys from walking into the flames Rhaegar's voice gave a loud command to the guards who stood idle by.
"Don't let them stop her." Rhaegar's voice rang through the yard, over the screaming of the burning men. Two guards grabbed him, then came another and another. In the end, five guards held him back as he tried to make his way to Daenerys. Arthur tried to push the guards off of him but there were too many of them holding him back. By the time he was able to free himself it was too late. The scream that Rhaella let out was haunting, Viseryes was holding her back, keeping her from running into the flames to save her daughter. Viseryes himself had tears in his eyes, Arthur saw as he tried to comfort his mother but Rhaella was hysterical. Daenerys had walked into the burning fire, Arthur could not hear her screams but perhaps that was only because the yelling of the burning men was much too loud to hear the screams of one young girl.
Arthur fell to his knees feeling defeated. He did not know how long he had stayed there, on his knees but a while had gone by. The sun began to rise from the sky. He was not sure when the crying of the burning men had stopped, he thinks it was probably soon after Daenerys entered the flames but he could not be sure. The silent wails of Rhaella could still be heard, she had not moved from Viserys' embrace. Lyanna had joined Viserys in trying to comfort Rhaella. The Stark woman stood next to Rhaella, soothing her with reassuring words.
Arthur turned to look at Rhaegar. Anger coursed through his veins as he saw how calm Rhaegar was. His sister just walked through the fire and he did not do one thing to stop her. He stood by and watched as their mother screamed for her only daughter, as his brother comforted their mother. Rhaegar watched the horrified looks of Lyanna and Arthur and did nothing to stop his sister from entering the burning flames. With a new sense of desperation and determination Arthur got up from his knees and marched his way to Rhaegar. The knight pulled Rhaegar by his tunic and let his anger out.
"What is this Rhaegar? What have you done?" He asked desperately. Rhaegar's blank stare only fueled his anger. "Look at what you have done? Look at your mother." He yelled to Rhaegar's face. The sudden mention of his mother seemed to snap Rhaegar out of whatever haze he had been in when watching the pyre burn. "Mother." He called out, he reached for her but Arthur pulled him back.
"No, you do not get to comfort her. Not after what you allowed Daenerys to do." At the mention of his sister Rhaegar turned to look at the pile of ashes. Where his sister's body had been turned into nothing more but gray ash. But Arthur was speechless as he saw Rhaegar let out a small smile. He has lost his mind. Arthur was about to punch his long time friend, in hopes of making him see sense but he was stopped as Rhaella pushed past them both and ran towards the remains of the pyre. She called out to her daughter.
He heard them before he saw them. An animalistic shriek was heard against the silence of the morning sky. He heard it again, only this time it was slightly higher pitch than before. His eyes looked at the burning mess and saw it. He dropped his hands, letting go of Rhaegar and walked closer to the burned pyre.
There she was, alive and unburned, and Arthur could scarcely believe it. Gods, what is this? The girl should be ashes like the men that were burned on the pyre but here she is, alive and well. Standing on her shoulder, Arthur could see clearly what had been making the animalistic sounds. Standing on its legs was a small gold and cream creature, a dragon. Another dragon, green and black was swaddled in Daenerys' arms, she held it like a mother would hold a newborn child. And above them, flying in the morning sky, was the last one, the dragon was as dark as night and Arthur knew that the creature would have been impossible to see in the night were it not for the red scales that illuminated his small body.
Arthur stood there, in shock, as Rhaella climbed over the ruins of what was left of the pyre and embraced her only daughter. Viserys had gotten closer, but he made no move to join his mother and sister, he stood there in shock. Lyanna was a few steps behind them and she too, stood frozen in place. After a few minutes of complete stillness, Rhaegar gracefully moved towards his mother and sister but he stopped himself halfway and turned to face Arthur.
"You have all seen for yourselves the start of a new age. You have witnessed the new coming of the Targaryen dynasty. Spread the word. My sister, Daenerys Stormborn, had done the impossible and hatched these dragons of stones. Let it be known that tomorrow, the dragons sail west to reclaim what is there. And we will do so with Fire and Blood." After giving his speech, Arthur finally remembered the crowd of people that had been present to witness the execution of Tywin Lannister. Arthur looked around and saw that still a large majority of the crowd remained. They came to see a man being burned alive and instead they witnessed the birth of dragons.
Rhaegar turned back around and walked closer into the ruins. Rhaegar had taken off the red cloak he had been wearing and wrapped it around his sister's body. Rhaella let go of her daughter and the younger sister embraced her brother warmly, the two dragons still on her gave excited shrieks at the sibling's embrace. Rhaegar whispered something into Daenerys' ear but Arthur could not make out what was said.
It took a moment for Arthur to finally snap out of his shocked state. Rhaegar called out to him. Looking in his direction Arthur saw as the three that were standing on the burned ruins of the pyre began walking away from the ashes and came to join Viserys and him.
"We must make plans." Rhaegar told the duo as he helped guide Daenerys and his mother towards them, the mother and daughter were embracing one another once more and seemed to be lost in their own little world together.
Rhaegar's words had perked up Arthur's ears. "Plans?" He asked his friend. "We have already made plans, My Lord. What else is there to do?" Rhaegar gave him an excited smile.
"Yes we made plans but they were incomplete. We must take the dragons into account now Arthur."
Dragons? Does he wish to bring the dragons to war? Arthur looks at the dragons and wonders if the small creatures would even survive a war. They did not look even a quarter as menacing as the skull of Balerion the Black Dread, the Targaryen antique that hung in the Throne Room. Arthur struggles to believe that the small dragons could ever grow up to be even half the size of Balerion. And even if they did, it would take years for them to grow up to be even half that size.
The Targaryen family along with Arthur and the newly hatched dragon left the courtyard, which was now filled with loud chatter and gossip. They followed Rhaegar as he led them into his private chambers, alone and with trusted company, Rhaegar shut the doors behind him.
Rhaella freed herself from her daughter's arms and marched towards Rhaegar. She raised her hand and a loud smack was heard in the otherwise silent room.
"Mother." Daenerys yelled. Rhaegar stood still, not even clutching the side of his face that had struck.
"What is wrong with you?" The oldest Targaryen said. "How could you let her do that?" She said,almost in agony. Arthur saw the tears that streamed down her beautifully haunted face. Arthur averted his eyes at the scene before him and tried to give mother and son some privacy but there was no escaping the commotion in front of him.
"Mother no, I begged him to let me walk through the fire. I knew I would not be harmed." Daenerys tried to tell her mother. The young girl situated herself between her mother and brother in an effort to try and calm the situation but her efforts proved to be futile.
"Have you lost your wits? You let your sister walk into the fire just because she asked you too?" Rhaella said angrily.
"Mother stop it." Dany pleaded. Her small dragons began growing uneasy as they sensed her distress. A low yelp was heard but Arthur could not say which one of the creatures made the noise. "He did not want me to but I convinced him. Mother, do not blame him."
Rhaella turned to look at her daughter. Sad tears fell from the mothers eyes as she cupped her hand on her daughter's face. "He should not have let you walk through the fire, Dany, no matter how much you asked him to."
The older woman faced her son. "Why? Why did you have to drag your sister into your delusions?"
Rhaegar said nothing for a while. "I am sorry." His apology caused a scoff to fall from Rhaella's lips. "She could have died and you would have done nothing to stop her." She said, "You would have let her burn in order to prove your delusions correct."
"Mother you do not understand. This had to be done." Rhaegar said.
"Then why didn't you do it? Why did you not walk through the fire? Why must it have been Daenerys!" She yelled. Arthur had not seen the old queen this angry in years.
"I will not work for me. I would have burned." He said.
"And so you let your sister walk in your place." The silver haired woman said firmly.
"No mother. If I was not certain that it would have worked, I would have never allowed her. This was something that had been done." Rhaegar said. It seems to Arthur that Rhaegar did not fully understand the gravity of what he had done. He had let his sister walk through fire for the rebirth of dragons without thinking of the consequences. I thought he was past this.
Desperate to make Rhaegar understand, Lyanna stepped in. "Your mother witnessed her child walk into the fire. Surely you must understand why she is angry at you for allowing such a thing to happen." Rhaegar said nothing.
"What if it had been Visenya or Viserra who walked into the burning flames. Even Aegon or Aemon, I am sure you would be just as distraught and angry as your mother."
"No, I would have known that it needed to be done. The birth of the dragons is necessary for the wars to come. They would have been safe." Lyanna let out a sigh of disbelief.
"What if it had been Rhaenys? What if Rhaenys had walked into the fire?" Rhaella questioned her eldest son. The mention of his eldest child caused Rhaegar to look away from Lyanna and towards his mother. Arthur watched as a pained look painted its way onto Rhaegar's face.
"That's different." Rhaegar said defensively.
"Is it?" Rhaella said. Rhaegar said nothing.
"Mother please let this go." Daenerys pleaded once more. Rhaella seemed satisfied at Rhaegar's reaction, her son had finally understood the gravity of what he had done. And so she said nothing more. A long silence filled the room. Rhaegar looked lost in his own thoughts while Lyanna looked to be fighting back tears. All while Viserys and Daenerys played with the dragons. Desperate to cut through the silence, Arthur spoke up.
"Rhaegar, you said we need to make plans." Arthur reminded him.
"Yes, come with me," Rhaegar said after giving a pleased and content look at Daenerys and Viserys with the dragons. "We have plans to make new accommodations that must be made."
They stood around the table. Each of them seemed eager to learn of Rhaegar's new plans.
"The dragons must sail west with us." Rhaegar said. "The Lords of Westeros must see the power of our ancestors, the new power that Daenerys has given us." He said.
"I suppose that makes sense." Viserys said as he held the green and black dragon.
"We shall be leaving tomorrow morning." Rhaegar said. He gave a reluctant look at his mother before speaking again. "Daenerys will be joining us on our voyage in reclaiming Dragonstone."
As soon as Rhaegar spoke those words, his mother protested against it.
"No. Dany will remain here with me." She said firmly. Rhaegar nodded his head, not even bothering to go against his mothers wishes. Instead it was Daenerys herself who spoke up.
"Mother please. I wish to go." The girl pleaded with her mother. Rhaella pulled her lips in a frown.
"No, sweetling. I can not allow you to go with your brother. It will be dangerous, you will be safer here." Rhaella pauses. "We will make our way to Dragonstone once your brother has reclaimed it. Until then we must wait here in Pentos with Rhaenyra and Daeron."
But Daenerys continued to be stubborn. "No mother, you don't understand. I must go where my dragons go. I can not let them leave without me." Her eyes were filled with tears but none fell. Rhaella gave her daughter a sympathetic look. "Dany, you are my only daughter, I can not risk losing you." She repeated.
"Please mother, let me join my brothers in reclaiming our home." The silver haired girl continued to plead. Her mother shook her head.
The shrieking of the dragons drew all the eyes from the room. The gold and cream dragon rested on Dany's shoulder while Viserys held the green and black dragon. The black dragon flew around the room and finally settled onto the table. It let out a small roar as he stretched his winds wide. A puff of black smoke left his mouth as he let out another roar. The young girl grew distracted and instead of continuing to try and convince her mother of allowing her to join the voyage to Dragonstone, she turned her attention to the black and red dragon perched up on the table.
"He's beautiful isn't he?" Daenerys asked with a wide smile on her face.
"Yes. He is very beautiful, Dany." Rhaegar replied. The purple-eyed girl looked like a proud mother as her brother complemented her dragon.
"Have you come up with any names, Dany?" Viserys asked.
"I am still thinking of them," she said absentmindedly as she stroked the hatchlings. She looked fondly at the green and black one that her brother held. "That one will be Viserion, after you brother." Daenerys said with a bright smile on her face. Viserys looked shocked that his sister would name one of the beasts after him but he quickly recovered. "Thank you sister." He said gratefully.
Daenerys turned to look at Rhaegar, a shy smile on her lips. She held up the cream and gold dragon, as if presenting it to her elder brother. "This one shall be Rhaegal." She said shily. Rhaegar gave her a small, almost shy grin. "That is a very kind gesture sister but I do not deserve it." He said.
Daenerys gave her brother a bewildered expression, not quite understanding her brother's words. "What do you mean? You are my brother and king, there is no one more deserving of it than you." She said innocently. Rhaegar's eyes became distant.
"There is someone more worthy than me." Rhaegar said absentmindedly. "Who?" Daenerys demanded. Arthur's curiosity piqued. Who did Rhaegar believe was more deserving of a dragon after them than a king?
"Rhaenys." He proudly said. "The dragon is the most beautiful amongst his brothers. He appears to be sweet and kind. He reminds me of Rhaenys. I used to hold her the same way you hold him Dany. If you wish to honor me, name the golden dragon after my child, my Rhaenys."
Oh. Arthur had not expected that. Sadness radiated off of Rhaegar as he seemed to remember his lost child. Daenerys walked over to where her brother stood and wrapped her arms around him. She pulled away and looked her brother in the eyes. "His name shall be Rhaelyx, in honor of my niece." Daenerys said with a grin. Rhaegar gave her a smile in return.
"What about the red and black dragon, Dany? Lyanna asked. Danerys turned to the northern woman. "I'm not sure."
"The red scales on the dragon remind me of the red sap that bleeds from a heart tree. It has a remarkable resemblance to the heart tree in Winterfell. The red sap from that tree was redder than that of other heart trees. Perhaps you would like to name him something reminiscent of that?" Lyanna said hopefully. Daenerys looked deep in thought as she thought over what Lady Lyanna had said.
Rhaella spoke up then. "What about Aegarax? He was the creator of the first dragon." Daenerys smiled at that and nodded her head enthusiastically. "That is the perfect name for him mother." An uncomfortable silence filled the room. Daenerys was much too busy petting Aegarax to notice the tension.
"Perhaps it is best if we rest." Arthur said. "It has been a long night and we need all the rest we can get."
"Yes, let us rest." Rhaegar agreed. "Dany, you need some sleep." He tells his sister. The girl looked ready to protest but Rhaella grabbed her daughter and began guiding her out of Rhaegar's room. "Come, you must rest sweetling." She tells her daughter. Daenerys seemed to want to protest but her eyes grew droopy, she fought to keep her eyes open. The poor girl was tired. Walking through fire and birthing dragons from stone is surely a most tiresome endeavor.
The doors shut behind the duo and the Targaryen brothers, Lyanna and himself were left in the room.
"I too am tired. I shall go and rest." Lyanna said. Rhaegar nodded at her and with that dismissal the brown haired girl left in a hurry.
"Do you really want Dany to come with us to Dragonstone?" Viserys asked. With a deep sigh, Rhaegar responded to his brother. "Yes. She will be needed if we wish to take the dragons west."
"But why?" Arthur heard himself ask.
"Daenerys is the one who birthed the dragons. They are hers, not mine nor Viserys. We will not be able to control them without her." Rhaegar explained.
"How do you know this brother?"
"I don't know. I mean I can only assume that the dragons will only listen to their mother." Rhaegar said. "I highly doubt the dragons will listen to the two of us." Viserys gave Rhaegar an amused smile. "What?" Rhaegar said.
"Mother?"
"Huh?"
"You said Dany was their mother." Viserys said. "Well she is their mother." Rhaegar replied, slightly annoyed at the amused look plastered on his younger brother's face.
"Don't you think Dany is too young to be a mother?" Viserys had a disgusted look on his face at the prospect of his little sister being a mother.
"Our mother was younger than Dany when she gave birth to me." Rhaegar said solemnly. All amusement dropped from Viserys' face.
"Right. I forgot." Viserys said quietly.
"The night has been long, I wish to rest." Rhaegar said but Arthur knew that Rhaegar only wanted them gone.
"Of course." Arthur replied and walked out. Viserys remained in the room with Rhaegar.
Melisandre looked at the red flames as she had grown accustomed to. Her eyes watched intently as her God showed her all that he wanted her to see. For the past couple of days she had seen nothing at all from her flames. Her Lord, Stannis, had gazed upon the fiery flames as well but he saw nothing at all, though she doubts that he would have been able to see anything had there been anything in the flames. He was not a true believer yet.
She was about to turn around and leave the room that the fire was brewing in and step into the wet and gloomy weather of Dragonstone when she saw the flames rise slightly. Upon closer look, she was able to see the flames clearly.
There was a girl. Beautiful was the only way to describe the silver haired girl. She stood atop a burned out pyre. Melisandre gasped as she saw what rested on the girl's shoulder. No, this can not be, she told herself but she knew her lord would never show her lies. Her God only shows her the truth and that of which he deems important.
With a shake of her head she looks at the fire more closely, waiting to see more. But the image in the flames remains frozen. The same girl with long dead creatures surrounding her.
No, this girl can not be. My Lord Stannis is the chosen one. He was chosen by Azor Ahai. She told herself over and over again. She tried to convince herself that whatever she had seen in the fire was nothing more than a farce. That somehow she had seen the wrong thing but she knew that she was only lying to herself.
I was wrong. Lord Stannis will not awaken the dragons from stone. I was foolish to believe so, especially since the Targaryen's still live.
She knew that she had to make a decision. She could stay here and continue to serve her false lord or she could try and seek the girl she had seen in her flames.
Melisandre looked upon the flames one last time and made up her mind. She will not continue to serve her false lord. Her beloved God showed her the truth that she was too blind and stubborn to see. But with this revelation she would right her wrongs and serve the girl she saw in the fire. For that is what her lord wants.