Disclaimer: I do not own A Song of Ice and Fire or Smallville.
Different families
"Talking"
"Thinking"
Oberyn's head was sore as he woke up. It wasn't from wine. He'd know what that kind of soreness felt like. No, this was a soreness from something hitting his head. Someone had surprised him, knocking him unconscious. But why?
Memories flashed through his head.
A glowing light.
A different land, nothing like Dorne.
And a little girl, a familiar-looking girl.
Rhaenys!
His eyes snapped opened, and his breath came out in a gasp. The first thing he noticed were the man and woman watching him. They weren't nobles, that much was obvious. Their clothes were odd, different from what he knew. The only thing he recognized was the dirt stains. If he was to guess, and going by his brief memories, they were farmers. Yet these were clearly not Dornish farmers.
The second thing he noticed was he was tied to a chair. The ropes chafed at his wrists. "Who are you?" he asked.
The man looked him right in the eyes. Bold of him. "Considering that this is my home and you're the one who walked out of my barn, that should be my question." The words themselves weren't a threat but the tone was.
Oberyn was loathed to admit it but the man had a point. He reined in his anger and tried again. "Forgive me. I am Prince Oberyn Martell." His captors shared a look. So they knew who he was, or at least his House. "I was at my home of Sunspear when I walked through a door and found myself in a different land, one that I had never seen before."
The man's frown didn't change. "Then you chased after my daughter, scaring the hell out of her."
The girl flashed through his mind. "Yes," he admitted. "I had thought she was my dead niece." That got another look. What was going on here? He had to know. "Would it be possible for me to see her?" he asked, hoping they would say yes.
The looks were much longer now. The man didn't want to, but his wife was of a different opinion. They knew more than they revealed, and she was curious about where this would go. Finally, the man sighed and nodded. "Rachel honey?" the woman called. "Can you come downstairs?"
Oberyn heard the footsteps behind him. They were slow, hesitant. Then the girl walked into his view and his breath was taken away again.
It was her. It was Rhaenys.
He knew, right in his heart, it was her. She looked to be seven years old. It made sense, since the Sack was four years ago. She had survived somehow. Survived and lived here. She stood with the man and woman, but she looked at him. There was confusion in her eyes, along with uncertainty. But also something else, something tiny.
Recognition.
"Rhaenys," Oberyn called to her. "Rhaenys, do you remember me?" She kept looking, searching for that recognition. "The last time I saw you, you had found a little black kitten. You ran up to me and showed it. You said it was Balerion disguised as a kitty." He hoped that it would be enough.
She stepped forward, getting closer to him. Her eyes looked at everything, trying to understand what she was seeing. He gave her a hopeful smile and she stopped. "…Nuca Obi?" she whispered.
The smile widened and tears leaked from his eyes. "Yes, it's me. It's Nuca Obi."
Her recognition grew until it turned bright. Before she could say anything else, the man's hand touched her shoulder. She stepped back, to his side. Oberyn was angry by the sight but only because she didn't go to him. Rhaenys felt safe by the man's side. "Did you have a sister name Elia?" he asked Oberyn.
The Red Viper's eyes shot upwards, finding the man. He could've been mistaken for a Lannister, except for the blue eyes and a lack of arrogance. "I do."
What guarded uncertainty he had left. He reached down and undid Oberyn's bindings. "Sorry about that," he apologized. "I had to be sure."
Even though his wrists felt raw, Oberyn didn't rub them. There were more important things to worry about. "Sure about what?" he demanded.
"Who you were?" He looked past his guest, towards the stairs. "Boys, why don't you come downstairs? Eddie's uncle is here."
The words puzzled Oberyn for a moment, then he heard footsteps coming down again. This time, he turned around. A boy of ten years was the first he saw. His blue eyes were darker than his father's, working quite well with his dark hair. If it was black, Oberyn would've thought he was a Baratheon bastard.
Yet when once he looked at the second boy, saw the blond hair that shined white and purple eyes, his heart stopped again. "Aegon?" he dared to ask.
The little boy frowned. "I'm Eddie." Oberyn laughed. The boy might've looked Valyrian, but that frown belonged to his mother.
After that, Oberyn's knowledge of his sister's death changed. It had been widely assumed throughout Westeros that Tywin Lannister ordered his men to kill Elia and her children, especially since Aegon and Rhaenys had been displayed before the Usurper. But the truth had been something different.
Elia had been attacked by Tywin's men, that much was true. But she had managed to take her children and flee. Somehow, she ended up here, in this strange land, and had been founded by the Kents, the same couple who had taken Oberyn hostage. They had tried to get her care, but her wounds proved to be too much, and she died. According to Jonathan Kent, her last wish was for them to take care of her children.
It was a wish they were happy to grant. Knowing their actual names would make them stand out, Rhaenys and Aegon had been changed to Rachel and Edgar. Aegon had grown up thinking that was his name, but Oberyn had noticed there were moments Rhaenys would hesitate. It gave him hope.
But there were problems. Since Oberyn knew his niece and nephew were alive, he wanted to bring them back to Sunspear, to their family. The Kents didn't share his thoughts. They had come to see the children as their own. What's more, they weren't willing to have this discussion with only Oberyn. The fact they wanted to talk to both him and Doran surprised him.
Yet it was a demand he was willing to accept. It didn't take long for him to reenter the barn and find himself back in Sunspear, only three hours after he had left. Making note of the room he had been transported to, a storage room near the dungeons, he quickly sent word to Doran to return to Sunspear.
The fact it took his brother nearly a week to do so didn't bother Oberyn. As soon as Doran had arrived, Oberyn took him to the room. Doran's eyes widened as they appeared in the barn. "What is this, Oberyn?" he demanded.
"Something strange, yet wonderful, brother." That was the only answer Oberyn was willing to give as he pushed him out into the open.
The Kents were waiting just outside their home, along with Rhaenys and Aegon. Doran saw them and lost his breath. "Oberyn—"
"It's not a dream, Doran," he said. "It's real. Elia's children are waiting."
Strange as it might've seemed, the Kents treated their appearance as if they were visiting. There were no guest rights to be had yet they made every effort to make the brothers feel welcomed. Jonathan Kent even helped Oberyn bring Doran into the house. Together, they all sat at the table. While the Kents sat on one side and the Martell brothers sat on the opposite, neither denied the children from sitting where they wanted.
Rhaenys was a strange mix of hesitance and welcomeness. She was glad to see her uncles again, but she had a doubt. Oberyn hated to see that doubt and did his best to make her feel welcomed. Aegon had no such problems. He saw them as the uncles they were supposed to be. Constant questions poured from his lips, filled with happy curiosity, about where they lived, what they did, if they had children. The brothers answered each question as they were asked, happy to speak with their nephew.
It was the third child that caught Doran's attention. The eldest Kent boy watched from the other room. Doran noticed a hint of sadness in the boy's eyes. There was jealousy there too, but it was beaten back by self-acknowledged shame. A strange mix.
But Doran also noticed that the boy didn't look much like either of his parents. Considering how easily the Kents adopted his niece and nephew, it made sense they had done it for him. So, the jealously must've been because of the sight he saw.
"Young man," Doran called. "There's no need to stay there. Join us." The boy looked to his father, who nodded. Rhaenys went to his side, giving him a quick hug. "Might I have your name?"
"Clark, sir," the boy answered.
"None of that," Doran said, waving it away. "My nephew and niece consider you their brother. You can call me Uncle Doran, just as you can call my brother Uncle Oberyn."
Martha Kent smiled, just a little. "Not Nuca Obi?" she asked.
Her husband chuckled while Rhaenys frowned. "Mom," she whined. Her uncles laughed at her expression. It reminded them both of her mother.
But Clark stayed focus on Doran. "Are you going to take Rachel and Eddie away?"
The good mood around the table faded away. The question was an innocent one, not meant as an accusation. Yet it brought the matter to the front. The Kents' smile faded as they looked at the brothers. "Clark, why don't you take your brother and sister upstairs?" Jonathan suggested. "The grownups have to talk, and it'll be boring for you guys."
While his siblings might've accepted it, Clark knew he made a mistake. "Sorry."
"It's not your fault, Clark," Martha Kent assured him. "We were always going to talk about this."
They waited until the footsteps faded away upstairs. None of them ever doubted at least one of the children would be listening in. "You want to take Rachel and Edgar back with you," Jonathan Kent said, a statement of fact rather than an accusation.
"Rhaenys and Aegon," Oberyn retorted. He liked the Kents, even if they were different, but he did not like those names.
Doran placed a stopping hand on his brother's hand. "Their names, at the moment, are not important. But yes, we would take my sister's children back with us, to their kin. You have done House Martell a great service and we will reward you." The Kents shared a look. Much to Doran's surprise, there was no sign of greed.
"Would it be safe?" asked Martha Kent. "For them to live in Sunspear?"
"They would be protected."
"But would it be safe? There's no chance that someone would say they're alive?"
The question made the brothers stop. Oberyn's first answer would've been no. Sunspear was loyal to House Martell. But there was always the possibility that a stranger would see them. One loose tongue and the Usurper would know.
Doran had similar thoughts. The only outcome he could think of to keep the children safe would be to hide them. And there was one option staring him right in the face. "You wish to keep them here," he said to the Kents.
Jonathan nodded. "Your sister had us promise that we would take care of them before she passed."
"I can respect that. But the fact remains, they belong with us, in Sunspear."
"Well, what then?" His hand rose, stopping Oberyn before he spoke. "I don't mean if it'll be safe for them. I'm assuming that's going to happen. What will you do once the kids are with you?"
"We will restore to them their birthright: the Iron Throne and rule over the Seven Kingdoms of Westeros." The fact neither of them reacted to the news was very telling to Doran. "You already know about that."
"Elia did tell us a little about Westeros," Martha agreed. "Including how she was married to the Crown Prince."
"It's also why we think they should stay here," Jonathan said. "So they could get a better education." That wasn't a point Doran had considered. Just how was the education better here? An interesting thought.
"They would also be safe," his wife told the brothers. "If they stayed, they wouldn't have to worry about looking over their shoulder for threats. I think that's the most important thing, don't you?"
It was, and it was a tempting idea. But Doran saw something else. "If they stayed, would you let them return when they are of age?" Oberyn flashed him a quick look and then stared at the Kents.
"We would let them choose," Jonathan Kent answered. "If they want to return, we won't stop them. If they don't—"
"Don't?" Oberyn repeated. "You think they would refuse, Kent? Refuse their birthright?"
"I don't know. That's years away, a decade probably. We don't know what they'll grow up to be. Perhaps Eddie will become a man of God and become a priest."
The Red Viper bristled but it was his brother who asked, "Is that a threat?" Out of the two, his calm voice was the more dangerous.
Both of the Kents were surprised. "No, of course," Martha assured them. "It's something that could happen, that's all. If Eddie wants to become a priest, a soldier, or an athlete, it's his decision, not ours. If they want to go back, we won't stop them. If they don't, we won't push them."
From that, Oberyn's perspective of the Kents turned. Ever since he first woke up, he had considered them to be just like other highborn of Westeros. If they wanted to do something, there would be something they wanted, rewards or a favor. Something they could hold over House Martell.
But that wasn't the case. He was starting to see that. The Kents actually cared about Rhaenys and Aegon as if they were their parents. They worried about them, thought of their future. They wanted the children's choice to be theirs, not someone else's. It was intriguing.
And it also helped him with his decision. "Brother," he whispered to Doran, "maybe we should let them stay here." His brother's surprise was faint. He must've been thinking the same thing. The Kents were right about one thing. The children would be safe here. Robert Baratheon and Tywin Lannister would never find them.
But there was one issue left in his mind. Staying in contact. "Might we be allowed to write to them?" he asked. Sending letters seemed the best way at the moment. He could only hope that if they left messages in that storage room, they would appear in the barn.
"Of course," Martha Kent said with a smile. "And the kids could write you back. Stay in touch."
"And if you'd want to, you could come visit," Jonathan added. "We would just need a notice ahead of time, so we can get ready." He noticed the brothers were staring at him. "What's the matter?"
"…You would be willing to let us visit?" Oberyn asked, hope daring to rise in his voice. He had accepted that if they went on this course, the chances of seeing Rhaenys and Aegon weren't likely. He didn't like it but if that was the excuse to keep them safe, he would give it. Yet now that might not be.
"Of course." He smiled at them both. "You're family." It was that smile, warm and welcoming, that made Doran and Oberyn realize that the Kents were something else, something different from the people they usually dealt with. And it was a welcoming feeling.
After that, the Martells and the Kents came to an agreement. The Martells didn't like they couldn't come over when they wanted, but they understand it. After taking in the children, the Kents spread the story of how Elia had simply run onto their farm with her children one day, without any kind of identification. Since it was the same for the children, the Kents simply adopted them. Suddenly having their family be over constantly would raise questions and cause problems.
Doran and Oberyn accepted the fact. It might gnaw at them but what the Kents told them held weight. Still, they could still see Rhaenys and Aegon if they wanted. That much, they would take gladly. They went back to Dorne after spending the rest of the day with their niece and nephew. Even when they were back in Sunspear, the brothers' thoughts stayed at that farm.
It didn't take long for them to return, only a matter of months. As it turned out, Doran's hope about leaving letters in the room turned out to be true. Both sides were able to communicate via letters and it was always a joy for the brothers when they found a new one. They devoured each word about what Rhaenys and Aegon did. There was an occasional letter from Clark, and they did write back but the focus was on their kin.
The latest letter mentioned that a special time for the Kent's land, something called the 4th of July, was approaching and Rhaenys wanted them to come, along their families. There was an additional note from Jonathan Kent saying if they said yes, there would be a plausible story to shield them. It was a tempting lure but one neither Doran and Oberyn needed.
It didn't take much to make the necessary arrangements. On the day, both brothers brought their families to the storage room and through to the barn. Their surprise, and some of the children's fear, took a moment to adjust. Once they stepped outside and saw they were somewhere new, the children turned curious.
That curiosity grew when they met the Kents, and their cousins. Once Arianne remembered Rhaenys and therefore figured out who Aegon was, things became much easier. Elia's children quickly roped their cousins into a tour of the farm. Ellaria and Clark followed, she more amused than him.
Jonathan Kent welcomed the brothers once more into his house. It might've been the third time Oberyn stepped inside but he was amazed by it. The house was filled with love and care. He could tell that this was a family home. He noticed a mound of paper on the table. "What's all that?"
"Ah, just the bills," Jonathan said from where he leaned against the counter. "It shouldn't bother you." There was a slightly strained note in his voice.
It was a note they both heard. "Do you need money?" Doran asked. "The offer still stands." They had offered to give the Kents a stipend of gold for caring for the children, but it had been refused. It was another thing that surprised the brothers.
He waved it away. "No, just something we've always gotta do. Besides, if I started paying with gold, people would notice." And it wasn't important. "Look, like I said in my note, we've come up with a story for your family. We're gonna tell folks that you're Spanish nationals. Oberyn got lost while traveling through Kansas, found our farm to ask for directions and saw the kids. So, if we get visitors today, you are Don Doran and Don Oberyn, not princes."
The details were brief, which made it work. But Doran did have questions. "Will it work? Being Spanish?"
Jonathan nodded. "It will. You and your families look Spanish. Originally, we were going to say Mexican, but Clark pointed out you seemed more European."
"European?"
"Europe," he explained. "Spain is a part of it."
"Sounds confusing, and exciting," Oberyn remarked. "Tell us more." He smiled at Doran's look. "If we are to play the part, we must know the details, brother."
"Don't worry. Clark's got a couple of books for you to read. Including an English to Spanish one," Jonathan told them. "They're yours to take back when today is done. That why, we can keep this up if you decide to come around again."
Doran's smile was brief. "Thank you again, Jonathan Kent. If you were a man of Westeros, I would've made you a lord for what you did."
"I did what any man would've done. The right thing." That was all he was gonna say on the matter. "Now, c'mon." He headed for the door. "We've got food that needs cooking. Since you're my guests, I think I should you two how to make some BBQ."
Despite the strangeness of the day, and how different the food was (both Oberyn and Quentyn became enamored of what was known as a "hot dog," much to Doran's amusement), no one doubted how much fun they had.
Rhaenys and Aegon loved having their cousins, both the trueborn and the bastards. To them, they were all family. Obara and Nymeria were theirs at that declaration. Doran saw his wife talking to Martha Kent, smiling quite happily. Arianne stayed close to Clark throughout the day. She found it interesting to meet a boy who only saw her, not her title.
When the Martells left that night, after the fireworks (something neither of the brothers had ever seen before) it was with many goodbyes and promises they would visit. Doran and Oberyn were still sad their sister was still dead, even with bringing her actual bones back with them, but they were happy her children were alive. Alive and with loving people. It was a small revenge against Tywin Lannister, one that he wouldn't have noticed.
But it was a revenge all the same. And it could grow into something more.
End
Author's note: Thank you for all the reviews you've sent me.
I'm not exactly sure how this idea came to me. There are plenty of stories where Elia escapes King's Landing. Some are with her children, some only have one, and some just have her. Yet it always seems her escape takes her to Dorne. So what would happen if she ran somewhere else? Next thing I know, I get the idea that she and the children wound up in Smallville.
Don't ask me how the barn works, I'm not quite sure myself. All I've got is that directions matter. And it's not just Sunspear it's connected to. There's plenty more of this universe, on both sides of the barn (now, that's a phrase). Rachel and Edgar are going to shake things up if they go back to Westeros.
I'll see you all next chapter!
