The room buzzed with lively chatter, voices overlapping in a harmonious atmosphere. Under normal circumstances, Rhaenys might have found this level of noise bothersome, especially with her children peacefully dozing on her bed. But today, she couldn't muster any annoyance; her heart was too full of warmth.
"They're so adorable," Elia exclaimed with a gush of affection. Oberyn's daughter had nestled herself comfortably on Rhaenys' bed, propping her head up with her hands as she watched Elia and Cassian.
"They're Rhaenys' children, after all. Of course, they're beautiful," Obara replied with a playful scoff, though her eyes betrayed the hint of a smile as she glanced at the twins.
"Can they talk yet?" inquired her younger cousin, Elia, who had been captivated by the children since she'd first laid eyes on them a few hours ago. Rhaenys smiled tenderly as she watched Elia plant a sweet kiss on Cassian's plump cheek.
"They can," Rhaenys replied, her voice filled with maternal pride, "but not much."
Arianne, another of her cousins, chimed in, "It took ages for Tristan to learn how to talk. Father worried he might never, but in the end, he did. And now, he never stops talking," her comment elicited a burst of laughter that filled the room, and Rhaenys couldn't help but join in, her heart feeling light and content.
As the laughter subsided, Rhaenys glanced at her children, Cassian and Elia, still peacefully asleep on her bed. Their tiny forms lay nestled together, unaware of the adoring eyes that watched over them.
Elia, still sitting on the bed, spoke up, "They look so peaceful," she observed, her eyes filled with a mixture of fascination and tenderness.
"They are," Rhaenys replied, her voice carrying a note of quiet contentment. "My little blessings," she carefully adjusted the blankets around her sleeping children, tucking them in a bit more snugly.
"You've become such a wonderful mother, Rhaenys," Arianne said.
Rhaenys turned to her cousin who sat on one of the chairs that surrounded the table, gratitude shining in her eyes. "Thank you, Arianne, They give me more joy than I ever thought possible," she knew that her journey into motherhood had not been without its challenges, but moments like these made it all worthwhile.
There was a moment of pause before Arianne broke it again, "Do they miss their father?" Her voice was soft. A hushed solemnity settled over the room at Arianne's question. Rhaenys sensed that all eyes were now focused on her, and a familiar ache gripped her heart as the mention of her children's father resurfaced.
Rhaenys took a deep breath, her gaze drifting to Cassian and Elia as they slumbered peacefully. She then turned her attention back to her cousins. "They're too young to understand," she replied softly, her voice carrying a touch of sadness. "But I think they do, they're not much younger than I was when I lost my mother and I recall missing her dearly even at that young age. I was lucky to at least have some memories of my mother," she paused, "I worry they won't have any of Robert, they barely saw him after the war started,"
Obara, always forthright, spoke up. "But when they grow older, they'll start asking questions,"
Rhaenys agreed, saying, "Yes and I'll tell them about their father when they're older. They have a right to know,"
Nymeria asked a direct question, "You'll tell them that their grandfather and uncle killed their father?"
Rhaenys responded firmly, "Is that not the truth?"
Nymeria raised her hands in a surrendering gesture.
"I don't envy your position, cousin," Arianne remarked.
"Nor do I," Obara chimed in.
Rhaenys gave them a hesitant smile. Will my children blame me for Robert's death? After all, it was my father that killed theirs.
"I rather not talk about Robert," Rhaenys said firmly.
"Of course," Nymeria responded with a sympathetic expression.
Elia, her curiosity ever-present, was the one to break the silence, "Have the rest of your family met the children?"
Rhaenys responded with a slow shake of her head, a hint of reluctance in her voice. "No, only Rhaegar, and that was largely against my will,"
Arianne leaned in, intrigued. "Hasn't Aegon met them?" she asked.
Rhaenys shot her cousin a sharp look. "Do you truly think I would allow my children anywhere near that wretched boy?" Her voice dripped with disdain.
Arianne chuckled, her tone teasing. "That 'wretched boy' happens to be your brother, Rhaenys,"
With a roll of her eyes, Rhaenys replied, "As far as I'm concerned, I am my mother's only child,"
"I'm sure Aegon thinks that as well," Obara admitted begrudgingly, receiving nods of agreement from the others.
Rhaenys furrowed her brow, seeking clarification. "What do you mean, Obara?"
Obara exchanged a meaningful look with Arianne and Nymeria before Nymeria spoke up. "It's just that Aegon can be—-forgetful and sometimes dismissive of Elia," she explained, her words carefully chosen.
Rhaenys let the words sink in, forgetful and dismissive. It did not take long for Rhaenys to become angry.
"Dismissive of his own mother?" Rhaenys questioned, her voice laced with disbelief. The idea that her brother, Aegon, would treat Elia, the woman who had given him life, with anything less than affection was infuriating to her.
Arianne nodded solemnly. "It's no surprise really, not when that whore helped raised him,"
"He even defended Lyanna when Obara called her a whore," Elia added.
Rhaenys clenched her fists, anger boiling inside her. "He never deserved my mothers love,"
Nymeria patted Rhaenys on the shoulder. "We're just telling you the truth, cousin. You should talk to him,"
"What I should do is get away from them— from all of them, I should have left Kings Landing when Robert died at the trident," Rhaenys said bitterly.
Arianne was quick to counter, "None of that Rhaenys. Why should you have to run and hide? Regardless of how others try to dress up Aegon and his troublesome siblings as princes and princesses of the royal court, they're merely ordinary children. They're ignorant of courtly life, preferring to frolic in the mud and wearing plain fucking tunics and pants," Arianne moved closer, taking Rhaenys' hand into her own, "But you, my dear cousin, are a true Princess, once a queen. You've spent your entire life mastering the politicking of Kings Landing. If you truly wish to seek justice from your father and the rest of your family, you mustn't flee. You must stay and ruin them," she concluded with a determined look.
Rhaenys exchanged a meaningful look with her cousin. The room fell into a hushed silence as her cousins eagerly awaited her response.
"Ruin them?" Rhaenys inquired, a faint smile dancing on her lips. "And how do you propose I do that?"
Arianne sported a knowing smirk, her eyes shining with excitement. "It's rather simple, actually,"
"Is it now?" Rhaenys couldn't help but chuckle at Arianne's enthusiasm.
Nymeria chimed in, her voice carrying a hint of intrigue. "We can turn them against each other,"
Rhaenys regarded her cousin with a measure of uncertainty. "That won't be easy," she replied, pausing to consider. "They've been together for years, and it won't be simple to plant seeds of doubt and betrayal in their minds,"
Arianne couldn't contain her laughter. "Not at all, cousin,"
Nymeria added, "There's already a divide,"
Perplexed, Rhaenys arched an eyebrow at the brown-haired girl. "What do you mean?"
Elia spoke up. "Haven't you noticed, Rhaenys? Your father seems rather distant from the rest of them,"
Rhaenys recalled the distant look exchanged between Rhaegar and Rhaella on the night he had claimed King's Landing, and it did seem like something was amiss. He did look upset after their wordless exchange.
"Tyene has been watching them, and so have we," Nymeria disclosed. "Rhaegar hasn't been spending much time with his other children. He seems to focus solely on Aegon, probably because he's the heir and, well—- you don't want to see him, so he just spends his time with Aegon as he's the only child he actually cares about,"
"The only child he cares about?" Rhaenys furrowed her brow.
"While we were at Dragonstone, I hardly saw your father spending time with any of his children, except for Aegon, of course," Obara clarified. "Even when the youngest boy, Daeron, died, he appeared quite unbothered," she paused, her expression thoughtful, "It was rather unsettling,"
Right, I forgot, the youngest died of some sickness.
"And Lyanna?" the name felt bitter but she ignored it, "Was she upset at Rhaegar's indifference to their son's death?"
"Very much so," Arianne nodded.
Rhaenys couldn't hide her growing intrigue and excitement. The pieces were starting to fall into place, forming a troubling picture of her distant family.
"So, you're saying there's already tension among them?" Rhaenys asked, her voice laced with eagerness.
Arianne nodded. "Yes, Rhaegar's apparent favoritism toward Aegon and his distance from Lyanna's children have caused problems between them. We can exploit that,"
Nymeria chimed in, "If we can deepen those divisions, they'll be too busy fighting amongst themselves to pay attention to you, Rhaenys,"
Rhaenys couldn't help but smile. The support and cunning of her cousins gave her hope. Perhaps she didn't have to face her family alone after all.
"The easiest target would be the little girl, Lyanna's daughter," Nymeria suggested with a sly smile, "she's been quite dear to Lyanna ever since Daeron passed away."
Rhaenys raised an intrigued eyebrow. "And what's your plan?"
"A marriage alliance," Arianne chimed in, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "If you can propose it to your father, I'm sure he won't deny you. But we must act swiftly to make it sting,"
Rhaenys chuckled. "And who would I be marrying her off to?"
Arianne hesitated for a moment. "We're not entirely certain yet. Perhaps the Lannister boy, or even Tristan,"
"The Lannisters," Rhaenys mused, her mind working quickly. "That could upset Lyanna. And Tristan—" She trailed off, considering the possibilities.
Nymeria added, "We just need to make it seem like this is in the best interest of the girl, to secure her future,"
Arianne nodded in agreement. "We'll need to play our cards right and make it appear as if we're merely looking out for her well-being,"
Rhaenys leaned back, her eyes gleaming with determination. "Very well, I'll ask to speak with Rhaegar,"
"And what about the twins?" Elia piped up with curiosity.
Rhaenys observed as Obara rolled her eyes and a trace of annoyance flitted across Arianne's pretty face. Rhaenys had momentarily forgotten about the girls, a fact that surprised her considering the turmoil their birth had stirred in her. Their arrival marked the beginning of her deep-seated resentment toward Rhaegar.
"Do you have any grand plans for them?" Rhaenys asked with a playful tone.
Arianne responded with an exaggerated eye roll.
"A good beating would do," Obara grumbled.
Rhaenys chuckled. "Do they truly vex you so, Obara?"
Obara simply grunted in reply. It was then that Elia joined the conversation once more. "They can be quite bothersome and annoying," she added.
Everyone, even Obara, let out a small laugh.
"And insufferably entitled," Arianne added, her irritation clear.
"How so, Princess?" Rhaenys inquired.
Once more, her cousins exchanged knowing glances, leaving Rhaenys feeling somewhat irritated. She demanded an answer, saying, "Tell me, what is it?"
Obara appeared ready to speak, but Nymeria quickly interrupted her. "There had been some of your mother's belongings on Dragonstone," she began. This was news to Rhaenys, completely unaware that any of her mother's belongings remained on Dragonstone. She thought they had all been lost, with the exception of a few that had been given to her.
"Aegon took some of her belongings," Nymeria continued, hesitating.
"Tell her, Nym," Arianne urged.
Rhaenys sensed that her brother had done something wrong and asked, "What did Aegon do?"
"He took some of Princess Elia's jewelry and gave them to his sisters," Nymeria explained.
Rhaenys' face contorted with anger. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Aegon had taken their mother's jewelry, precious heirlooms that should have been passed down to her, and given them to his sisters— girls who had no right to possess such cherished belongings.
"That's unforgivable," Rhaenys seethed. Her grip on the armrest of the chair tightened. "Those were not his to take, especially not for those girls. They are nothing to my mother. How dare he?"
Her cousins exchanged uneasy glances. Arianne ventured cautiously, "Rhaenys, you must confront him about this. It's an insult to your mother's memory."
Rhaenys nodded, her anger simmering. She wouldn't let Aegon insult her mother.
"Where is he?" Rhaenys inquired of her cousins.
The women exchanged glances, each assuming the others knew Aegon's whereabouts. After a brief silence, Obara finally broke it, stating, "Usually, he's out in the courtyard training at this time of day,"
"I see," Rhaenys replied calmly, rising from her seat. Almost instinctively, her cousins all stood up as well.
"Where are you headed?" Elia asked cautiously. Rhaenys flashed her a sly smile. "Off to find Aegon,"
"And what about the children?" Nymeria gestured towards the small, slumbering figures on the plush bed.
"I'll have Edric look after them," she dismissed their concerns with a wave as she began making her way toward the door.
"If you're going to see Aegon, it might be wise to bring your sworn shield along, Nys," Arianne warned.
Rhaenys rolled her eyes as she turned away from the door to face her encircling cousins. "Please, when I saw him yesterday, I was all by myself. The only thing that would truly frighten me is his face," a lie.
Elia couldn't help but giggle.
"Nevertheless, if you plan on going to see him only to argue with him, consider having Ser Edric accompany you. Aegon likely won't do anything, especially with others around in the courtyard, but having an intimidating presence at your side wouldn't hurt," Arianne advised.
Rhaenys sighed in resignation, saying, "Alright, I'll have Talya and Lana keep an eye—"
A knock resonated through the door, causing all the women to pause.
"Prince Oberyn is here to see you," Edric's familiar voice echoed from the other side of the door.
Rhaenys shared meaningful looks with her cousins.
"He wants to see you," Nymeria spoke gently.
"Well, I have no desire to see him," Rhaenys retorted with irritation.
"He's just concerned about your well-being," Nymeria insisted.
"My husband is gone, I am no longer queen, and my child won't ascend to the throne—all of this could have been prevented if my uncles had been by my side," Rhaenys lamented.
"We understand, and he understands too," Arianne consoled, her voice soft. "Just hear him out, please," she added.
Rhaenys let out an exasperated sigh, her frustration evident. "He's already outside my door, so it seems I have little choice," she remarked.
"Please, send him in," Rhaenys called out to Edric. Turning to her cousins, she added, "I'll catch up with all of you tomorrow," subtly signaling for them to depart.
She retraced her steps back into her room.
As Rhaenys neared the chair she had been sitting in moments prior, the door creaked open, and she could hear the muffled voices of her cousins greeting their father and uncle. It didn't take long before the door swung shut once more, plunging her chambers into a hushed silence, the only noise were the footfalls of her uncle.
Rhaenys composed herself, her expression firm, before turning to meet his gaze.
He appeared unchanged from their last encounter at Harrenhal, a memory that was distant and remote. I had been Queen then , a different time altogether.
"Rhaenys," he started, he was smart enough to maintain a respectful distance. Rhaenys noticed his eyes briefly drifting toward her twins.
"Prince Oberyn," she replied evenly.
Oberyn took a step closer, his demeanor earnest. "I came here because I wanted to talk to you, Rhaenys. I want to see if there's anything I can do to help,"
Rhaenys's gaze remained steady, her emotions guarded. "Your help comes too late, My Prince. My husband is gone, my crown is lost, and my children's future is uncertain," she replied, her voice tinged with bitterness. "All of this could have been different if you and your brothers had stood by me, instead of siding with him,"
Oberyn's eyes filled with remorse, his voice carrying the weight of his regret. "I know, and I'm sorry for the choices we made. We should have stood by you, but—"
"But what?" Rhaenys interjected angrily, her gaze unwavering.
He let out a heavy sigh, sensing her intense scrutiny. Rhaenys stood before him, her eyes locked onto his, demanding an explanation.
"I— I didn't have a choice," he admitted, his words coming slowly. "We couldn't allow Robert Baratheon to remain King, not after what he had done. It had to be a Targaryen on the throne. We didn't fight for Rhaegar; we fought for Aegon and for his descendants to rule, for Elia's grandchildren to inherit the crown,"
Rhaenys scoffed in disbelief. "Cassian is her grandson. He was destined to be King. And all of you took that away from him just to give it to a spoiled boy who doesn't even care about my mother,"
Oberyn's expression looked pained. "The boy has his issues, yes, but he has goodness in him," he said earnestly. Rhaenys might have believed him had she not met Aegon herself.
Rhaenys couldn't help but shake her head in disbelief, her frustration ever growing, "Goodness or not, Oberyn, Aegon has shown nothing but disregard for your family's legacy and the sacrifice that my mother made,"
Oberyn's shoulders slumped, and he appeared torn between defending Aegon and acknowledging the truth in Rhaenys's words. "I understand your anger, Rhaenys. I do. But the decisions we made, however flawed they may seem now, were made with the hope of preserving your mothers memory,"
Rhaenys crossed her arms, her gaze unwavering. "Preserving my mothers memory, or just ensuring that the Martells continue to have a place of influence in the realm?"
Oberyn hesitated for a moment, then met her eyes with a solemn expression. "Both, perhaps, you were only Queen Consort ,Rhaenys. With Aegon, Dorne has more power, "
Rhaenys sighed deeply, the weight of their conversation taking a toll on her. "If that's truly what you believe, Oberyn," she began wearily, "then I have nothing more to say to you."
Oberyn met her gaze, his expression filled with regret and resignation. He realized that further discussion might not yield any resolution at this moment.
"I understand," he replied softly, stepping back from her. "We can talk another time, Rhaenys,"
Rhaenys nodded, her anger dissipating into exhaustion. "Perhaps that would be for the best."
With a lingering glance, Oberyn turned and made his way to the door. The door closed behind him, leaving Rhaenys alone.
Much too tired to confront Aegon now, she laid next to her children and closed her eyes.
