Chapter 2: Plans and Apologies

Barristan Selmy:

It was a somewhat dark day at the Red Keep, the clouds were covering the sun and giving the impression that a storm was coming.

Ser Barristan was giving the Prince his sword lessons.

The Prince had demonstrated a gift for battle and swordsmanship at a very young age, as soon as Barristan recognized his skill, he and requested the King to train the Prince. King Robert agreed without any type of complaining as opposed to the Queen who thought that Raziel was too young. The King just dismissed her and was glad that his son was already taking an interest in combat. Though it was obvious that the Prince's talent was with a sword and bow, he insisted his son learned all types of weapons from maces, axes, daggers and spears.

Today Barristan was teaching him about half-sword.

Half-sword was used for leverage advantage when wrestling with the sword, as well as for delivering a more accurate and powerful thrust. Both of these were critical when fighting in plate armour because a slice or a cleaving blow from a sword was virtually useless against iron or steel plate

For Barristan's luck, Raziel was a very quick charged at the Prince who managed to thrust the sword into his breastplate.

"Good work my Prince." Ser Barristan praised but noticed that Raziel was quiet during practice. "Is something in the matter?"

"Well..." The prince was trying to find the right words to say it. "I'm worried about Dany."

Barristan was aware of the friendship that the Prince had with Daenerys Targaryen, something that he was actually relieved since he did not agree with the King's treatment of her. But he was somewhat worried about the attachment that she develop towards the Prince. It's unknown to Raziel but it was Ser Barristan that told Daenerys about her niece and nephew's death, he visited her from time to time and told her bits about her family and had conversations with her at times. He noticed her attachment because she talked about Raziel a lot. But he also couldn't falter the reason for this attachment, she's a prisoner for the Crown since birth and the King made certain that she was treated as such. Barristan felt sorry for the Prince since he would rather fight Maelys I Blackfyre again than to break the news to her.

"My prince, I understand you're worried but it's your duty as Prince." Ser Barristan explained to him.

"I don't really care about duty Lord commander, I just said yes because I would get to explore the Seven Kingdoms." Raziel responded. "But then I realised that I would be out of King's landing for 8 Years!" The Prince explained.

Barristan was aware of it, though he was surprised that the Prince managed to figured out so easily, if his calculations were correct the Prince will only return to King's Landing when he was fifteen years old.

"The only piece of advice I can give you is to be honest with her." Barristan reasoned.

The Prince simply looked down. "You're probably right."

Robert Baratheon:

Robert was sitting in the tower hand with Jon Arryn in order to discuss Jon's idea.

"I already sent a raven to Tywin Lannister explaining about my plan, I received the confirmation a few hours ago." Jon was explaining to Robert. "The Queen and the Prince will depart at the end of this month."

"Why did you call me here if you already had the shit figured out Jon?" Jon felt an urge to slap his own forehead.

"Robert, we are discussing your son's future here and you should be more present in this sort of thing." Jon lectured his foster son. "You're not even a little bit sad that you won't see your son for at least 8 years?" Jon questioned him.

"I am Jon, I'm gonna miss the boy but so did a lot of father's that sent their son's to foster somewhere. I'm more worried about his mother because only the Gods know the hard time she's going to give me without him around." Robert pointed out to Jon.

Both Robert and Jon were aware of how Cersei was clingy towards Raziel.

Robert remembered when their second son was a stillborn. After the baby's death, Cersei had become way too attached to their first son which was strange to them.

Cersei used to ignore Raziel as a baby, letting the wet nurses and caretakers do all the work. Three months after Raziel was born she got pregnant again with their second son and she was much more enthusiastic about that one that she ever was when she was pregnant withRaziel, but the boy was born dead.

"You're probably right but she'll have to deal with it." Jon countered.

"It's easy for you to say, you're not the one who has to deal with her." Robert whined.

"Gods be praised Robert will you quit your complaining already." Jon was now regretting having summoned Robert. "This is one of the times I really miss Ned."

"I miss him too you know." Robert has said, "By the way, Raziel will foster with him at the North right?" Robert asked.

"Yes but I want him to go to Winterfell last." Jon informed.

"Why is that?" Robert questioned.

"You plan to betroth him to Ned's daughter don't you?" Jon questioned in return.

"Yes." Robert answered.

"Good but let's wait until he and the girl are a bit older to propose the match." Jon explained to him. "He will return to King's Landing after his stay at Winterfell and maybe Ned's daughter can accompany him back to the capital." Jon explained his plan to Robert.

Daenerys Targaryen:

Daenerys was sitting alone in her room waiting for Raziel's visit.

She considered his visits to her as the highest point of her day since it was the only time where she got to talk with someone. As long as she could remember, she was a lonely girl. She spent most of her time alone in the room where she was confined. Until the day Raziel accidentally entered and the two became best friends.

She was aware of her family's crimes, how her father was a madman that liked to burn people alive with wildfire and how her brother stole Raziel's father's betrothed. But Raziel also told her her family's history from Aegon's conquest to his Father's Rebellion.

Daenerys still blushed when she thought of their kiss. Daenerys wished she could marry Raziel when they were older, but she knew it would be impossible due to his father's hatred of her.

She heard the door opening and when she turned her head to see, it was the one she was waiting for. But she instantly started to worry because he had a strange expression on his face.

"Hi Dany." Raziel greeted her like always.

"Hi Razi. What's wrong?" Dany asked her friend.

"Something happen and I don't know how to tell you." Dany heart clenched in worry "My father has returned from the rebellion. They won."

"But that's a good thing isn't it?" She asked him, though she wouldn't have minded if the King died in the rebellion.

"Yes but..." Razi tried to say it. "The reason this rebellion happened was because Lord Greyjoy though that my dad didn't have the support of the rest of the Kingdoms." Raziel explained to her the same way Jon did to him. "So Jon Arryn has formulated a plan to send me to foster in the great houses in order to build alliances."

Daenerys eyes widened and her expression became very hard to read. "How...long?" She struggled to ask.

"If my calculation is correct... 8 years." He said.

The next second Daenerys fell into her knees and burst into tears. Raziel quickly fell into his knees as well and held her close.

"YOU CAN'T GO!" she sobbed as she wrapped her arms around him and held him into a bone breaking hug.

"Dany, please don't scream, someone will hear it." Raziel tried to shush her but she wouldn't listen.

"YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME, I'LL DIE!" She blubbered as she held him even closer.

"Dany, Please listen to me." Raziel stared at her violet eyes as he spoke "I'm not leaving you ok? I know I'll be gone for a long time but it's not forever and I will come back, ok?" Raziel consoled her. "You have to promise me you'll be strong, otherwise I won't be able to do what I need to do if I'm worried about you."

Daenerys still having tears in her and dreading the idea of him leaving. "I...I promise."

"Good."

Before Daenerys could say anything he pressed his lips onto hers just like they did in the Sept the other day.

"Another seal for another promise." Raziel said with his usual smile.

Even with tears in eyes Dany smiled at what he said.

Cersei Lannister:

Cersei was waiting for her son to join her for dinner, she knew about his friendship with the Targaryen girl. Though she has no problem with her, she was worried what Robert might do if he finds out. While sitting alone in the dining table, a dark memory came through her mind. A Dark prophecy.

"Begone," she told the girls, in a croaking whisper.

"We came for a foretelling," young Cersei told her.

"Begone," croaked the old woman, a second time.

"We heard that you can see into the morrow," said Melara. "We just want to know what men we're going to marry."

"Begone," croaked Maggy, a third time.

"Listen to her, the queen would have cried if she had her tongue. You still have time to flee. Run, you little fools!"

The girl with the golden curls put her hands upon her hips.

"Give us our foretelling, or I'll go to my father and have you whipped for insolence."

"Please," begged Melara. "Just tell us our futures, then we'll go."

"Some are here who have no futures," Maggy muttered in her terrible deep voice.

The memory echoed Truth Cersei's mind.

"When will I wed the Prince?"

"Never. You will wed the King."

"Will I be queen, though?"

"Aye. Queen you shall be... Until there comes others, younger and more beautiful, though your child won't allow them to cast you down."

"Will the King and I have children?"

"Oh, aye. Six-and-ten for him, and two for you. Gold shall be the Crown of the first and gold the shroud of the second. And when the night that never ends finally arrives he shall be the one that will bring Dawn back in this world."

Cersei thought about those words for as long as she could remember.

At first she thought they were lies after The Mad King had refused to betrothed her to Rhaegar. But then the Rebellion happened and she married Robert who was King. For a time she thought it was all a coincidence but then Raziel was born then shortly after she got pregnant with Joffrey. Gold shall be the Crown of the first and gold the shroud of the second. Gold is the crown that Raziel will wear when Robert dies and gold is the shroud that Joffrey had when he died after his birth.

Cersei now was just trying to understand the rest of it. Aye. Queen you shall be... Until there comes others, younger and more beautiful, though your child won't allow them to cast you down. What exactly did she mean by others? Cersei asked herself.

"Mother?" Cersei was broken from her though by her son who finally arrived.

"Hello darling." Cersei greeted her beloved son.

"Are you ok?" He asked with his sweet voice.

"Yes, I was just waiting for you." Cersei said "Now sit down and let's eat."

"Ok" He said with a smile.

Raziel sat on the table and Cersei just stood there staring at him like she usually does.

When Raziel was born, Cersei resented him due to his resemblance to Robert. She would ignore him and let the wet nurses and caretakers care for him. Jaime came to visit her two months after his birth and the two had a passionate night on a secluded area of the Red Keep. A month after she was pregnant again but this time she knew it was Jaime's. As opposed to Raziel, she looked forward to this one, she was hoping that it looked like her and Jaime and she couldn't wait to see him.

When the time finally came for him to be born, it was a very messy ordeal. Cersei had an easy time birthing Raziel, he took 5 hours to be born while Joffrey took nearly two days and the pain was unimaginable. And when he was finally born he was dead. Cersei still remembered what his small lifeless body was like, he looked just like Jaime.

Cersei became very depressed afterwards, she barely left her bed and didn't eat much. Until one day when she was sobbing in her pillow, she heard a cry coming from one of the rooms. When she went to check, it was her first son Raziel that had fallen from the crib. She quickly grabbed the baby and cuddled him in her arms and he calmed down instantly.

It was the first time she had actually picked him up and took a good look at him. When she first saw him, she was disgusted by his black hair and blue eyes. But now that she took a good look at him she saw it. His nose and cheeks were hers, he had her fair complexion and she was sure that he would have her cheekbones when he grows up.e also had Jaime's mouth and the shape of his eyes were similar. But when the baby opened his blue eyes and stared at her green ones Cersei couldn't stop staring at it.

"You're my son." Cersei said to the baby and he just smiled at her in return a smile that looked just like Jaime's.

After that day, she dismissed all the wet nurses and caretakers and started to feed,wash and play with him herself. She started to breastfeed him which she didn't do it when he was born. "Sorry I made you have to drink that filthy woman's milk." She said as the baby suckled on her breast for the first time. The baby started to cry everytime Cersei put him down which made her very happy.

Robert was annoyed by how much she cuddled him, but his annoyance was put aside when Raziel took an interest in combat so he didn't complain much.

"Mother?" Raziel spoke.

"Yes my sweet?" Cersei asked.

"Aren't you going to eat?" Raziel asked in return.

"Yes." Cersei realised she was daydreaming and started to eat the food on her plate.

"And when the night that never ends finally arrives he shall be the one that will bring Dawn back in this world."

Those words echoed through Cersei's mind still trying to understand what the witch meant by that.