Chapter 21 - Lions Revenge Arc
RhaenysSmall birds flew overhead, singing songs and feeling when their horses walked too close to their trees. At the head of the party, Aegon and Robb rode side-by-side. From what Rhaenys could hear it was joking…with an edge from Aegon that Robb seemed oblivious to. To her side, on a horse so white it was almost silver, rode Dany. Her stance was relaxed, wildflowers of blue and purple sat in a crown on her silver hair, flowing freely in the soft breeze. Father had sent the four of them out today, to hunt the Kings Wood and make amends for what had happened the night before. The boys had agreed to let it go, to blame the drink and the jesting of two young men. Father had been happy to hear them so platonic to one another but the words from last night still reeled in Rhaenys's ears.
"That, that mutt. How dare he hit me, me?! I am the Prince of Dragonstone. I am the next king. I am the future of the Realm, and he dare hit me?", Aegon paced the length of their bed chamber, his bedchamber, Rhaenys did not spend any more time in this room than she needed. She grabbed the bed sheets, her palms sweaty. Rhaenys had cleaned the blood from his pale face. A large purple bruise had formed over his right eye, and a back tooth had been knocked out, but the Maester said he was fine. A good sleep and some ointment to ward off infection would suffice.
"Father is stupid to marry Daenerys to that dog-boy. He wastes our blood on a wilding half-breed. She's close to me in age, I should have her. Or even he should take her, Father. He needs a new bride after Mother was such a failure. Viserys and Maegella are failures, their blood is tainted. We need new Dragons, new Targayerns with pure blood. You and I will further the bloodline, but Father needs to, too. All the women do.
Shaena could have another, and Cersei could, even though their offspring is less pure. Margarey practically gags for Aegon seed so I would not be surprised if the whore is already pregnant again, which is good for us.
Half of the brood is near marriage age, our house has nearly recovered from extinction, thanks to Father and Grandfather, now it is our duty to protect it. Which starts with us securing heirs. If I had two wives like my Sire, Aegon the Dragon, I would be safer", Aegon rambled, pouring himself a drink of strong wine from a glass bottle.
Rhaenys held back a bile in her throat. Aegon disgusted her more often than not nowadays. The way he spoke of women, both in reverence and as inferior. The way he acted now was so alien to her. The new Aegon was mean and cruel, he saw people as tools. To him, she was no more than a womb for his children…but also his only companion. Aegon had never had a friend besides Rhaenys.
"And do not get me started on all of the other things. Father does not tell me everything…he does not trust me. He thinks i may be conspiring against him! Working with Dareon or something, Father is all but sure he is plotting, the Spider has heard it…" Aegon paused by the large window that overlooked the city. Lights from buildings glowed the embers from the fireplace. Her husband stood silently and breathed deeply.
How easy it would be to push him, he was drunk, beyond it. How easy it would be to spin a story…he fell from the open window in a drunken rage, I was powerless to stop him. She would be free of him, the Realm would be free of him. Uncle Oberyn and Arianne would get what they wanted without bloodshed at all, she would be Queen of the Iron Throne…and if her dreams were as she suspected, she may never have to marry.
The sounds of ragged breathing brought Rhaenys back from her thoughts. Aegon had taken a few steps back, but his chest heaved, he was crying. Rhaenys shifted her weight while sitting on the bed. She did not know what to do. Bringing her hand to her neck she raced through things to say, things to do to stop the tears.
"Why does Father not love me, Rhae?", Aegon turned to face her. For a long moment, Rhaenys stared at her brother, a boy in a man's body. The new Aegon was gone for a second. The Aegon of her childhood was back.
She remembered their time as children, playing in the Water Gardens of Dorne, riding horses, training in the yard, and the look on Mother and Father's faces when they made shows or sang songs.
She remembered the first time Father hit Aegon and made Rhaenys clean the wounds so Mother didn't find out, when the lectures began of Bloodlines and Purity, of Duty, Honour, Ice and Fire, when Father told Rhaenys her purpose in life was to serve, to always stand by Aegon, even when he was wrong, especially when he was wrong, and most of all, to put his life over her own.
"Oh Aegon," she said in High Valyrian, she found emotions easier to say in the tongue of their ancestors, "come, come here". It hurt her heart to see him cry. There was so much turmoil inside of him, duty fought desire which was overridden by expectations. Aegon was never Aegon anymore, except when he was drunk, and then he lashed out because the real Aegon did not want to be King, he just wanted to be free.
Rhaenys brought him back to the bed and laid him down. She wrapped him in the blankets and took the heavy boots off his feet. As she worked she sang a lullaby their mother would sing to them, on nights when the wind howled from the North, and the fear of grumpkins and snarks plagued their childish minds. When she was done, Rhaenys turned to leave the room but heard a voice pique up from the darkness.
"Rhae, stay with me tonight? I do not want to be alone. The dreams, they won't leave me alone…Father and grandfather, they visit me in my sleep. Perhaps we can make one another feel better, for a time?", Aegon said softly, his words laced with sadness, "be together as man and wife, for a night?", he asked again. Rhaenys' breath hitched. Her palms clammed with sweat that she wiped on her gown. Her father's words rolled around her mind like marbles.
"I will stay with you tonight, to keep the dreams at bay", she said softly. Turning on a heel she moved back to the bed and removed her shoes. She took off the gown she was wearing but kept her small clothes on. She climbed into bed and felt Aegon wrap an arm around her waist, pulling her closely in and making it near impossible to move.
His head nestled into her neck and he began to kiss it softly. Rhaenys knew that was coming, but it always took her by surprise. She rolled around so that she faced him in the bed, tears still wet his eyes.
"Not tonight, Aegon. I am too tired", she said. Her brother nodded and a tear fell from his brown eyes.
"I know you do not love me either. No one does.", Aegon said. Within minutes he was snoring. And Rhaenys never felt more alone wrapped in the arms of her husband.
Rhaenys clenched the reins of her horse, a black gelding called Coal. His solid muscles and tall build made Rhaenys feel invincible, a world above the ground. Her place was on the back of a great beast, like the warrior queen Visenya of old. Last night she felt small and meek, a wife, a sister, a daughter, a slave to the men in her life. Caught between the feelings of love for her family, and the fear of what they could do if she stepped out of line. But out here, on the back of a horse, she felt free as they rode through the green of the woods.
Aegon on the back of a creme gelding called Gold, halted abruptly on the dirt path. He held his hand up and turned to face Dany and her, a gesture to stop. The King's Wood had fallen silent, the birds had disappeared. Aegon held his hands to his lips and pushed Gold forward. Robb pulled the bow from his back and readied an arrow.
The bushes by Dany rustled and a large brown blur raced across the track. Daenayrs let out a yelp and her horse reared, throwing her from her saddle onto the dirt path. Robb let the arrow fly, hitting its target with deadly accuracy.
Robb and Rhaenys dismounted from their horses and checked Daenarys on the ground. She had already sat up and rubbed the top of her right shoulder. The white long-sleeved shirt she had been wearing was ripped and muddied from the wet ground.
"Are you okay, Dany?", Robb asked, crouching down to her level and staring into her violet eyes, wet with tears. Dany nodded and held his hand. Rhaenys looked at her aunt, so besotted with the boy she was promised to. Rhaenys turned away from the couple for a moment, to her husband. The Prince of Dragonstone had dismounted from his horse and lent over the kill. He held it up by the arrow, which had pierced its heart. Blood dripped from the animal's puncture wound, and a manic fire burnt in his brown eyes, the same eyes as their mother. He licked his lips at the sight of crimson red.
"I'll be fine, just sore. Perhaps I shall turn back, go home. I would hate to ruin the rest of the hunt for you and Aegon", Daeneyrs said softly. Rhaenys kept her gaze on her brother, who held the animal - a rabbit - to his nose and breathed in its corpse.
"No, if that is what you want I shall escort you back to the Keep. These woods are dangerous, especially now. Father said the poachers have become more bold because of the limited food coming into the city. They could be here, watching us…It is my duty to protect you", Robb said, taking off his thick fur cloak and wrapping it around Dany, "Mother says your lady should never want for anything, and if she does, it is her lord husband's job to make it happen". He pulled Dany to her feet and walked her back to her horse, a mare named Moon.
Robb helped Daenerys back onto her horse and then mounted his own, a short grey mare called Thistle. Robb's eyes met Rhaenys' and the heir of Winterfell smiled. He was handsome, Rhaenys could not deny; kind blue eyes like the sky, a peachfuzz that grew darker than his auburn hair, board shoulders that rippled with muscles from years of training with the sword and a smile that could break the hearts of lads and maids alike, but that's where it stopped. When she looked at Robb, at Aegon, at any man, she felt nothing, not what she felt when she looked at others. What she felt with others.
"We shall all go back, then. The day is growing late, being in the King Wood is not safe in the dark without a larger party. A rabbit is not a poor prize. Your shot was true, Stark", Rhaenys said with a forced politeness. The words were genuine, yes. But the tone and afflictions did not come easily to her, nor did eye contact or many other normalities. All the things that came second nature to Aegon, the lord of charisma.
"Lord Aegon, come. Aunt Daenerys is hurt, she may need a maester. And the day passes quickly", Rhaenys tried to see the brother she was with the night before, the kind and broken Aegon who felt trapped. But before her now was Aegon the Prince, he was cruel and mean, calculating and cold, everything that their father wanted Aegon to be.
He scoffed and muttered something under his breath but nodded his head. Maybe some of the Aegon from last night was still here. He chucked the rabbit over his horse's back and climbed back on. Together the party headed back from where they came, deeper into Kings Wood.
"Admit it, Prince Aegon, we are lost. We did not come this way", Robb said bluntly, now beyond annoyed. Princess Daenerys took her waterskin from her saddle pack and drank deeply, since her tumble she had gone paler and quiet. Rhaenys had mentioned she may have a concussion, but neither of the men listened to her.
"No, this is just…another path to take to the Keep. It shall take us on new game trails so that we may still find a kill better than the rabbit", Aegon remarked, a tightness in his voice.
"A rabbit I shot, mind you. We should just wait until morning, it is nearly dark and riding at night is dangerous. Lady Daenerys has not improved since she fell, pressing on may make this worse", Robb added. Rhaenys thought about his words for a moment and agreed. Although she should always agree with Aegon, her duty to her husband did not outweigh the health of their aunt, not in this situation. Aegon bawled his fists and tensed. Rhaenys held her breath, waiting for an outburst that never came.
The three dismounted then Robb helped Dany off her horse, who practically fell into his arms. Aegon started a fire and Rhaenys scoped the area, making sure it was secure. Her hand rested on the hilt of a sword by her side. She was permitted to take it with her for the hunt. Although unladylike, especially for a married woman, Father had agreed three blades were more useful than two. Even more so when the third wielder was the most competent with the blade. A dark presence emanated from the woods. Rhaenys knew it was irrational but she felt like eyes were watching her from the treeline. Shadows danced in the darkness from where the fire and the setting sun could not reach. Like the grumkins and snarks from the childhood tales…
Robb laid Dany on his cloak and pressed the waterskin to her lips. While she drank he felt her forehead, beaded with sweat.
"She has a fever", he said matter-of-factly. Rhaenys nodded and kept her eyes on the woods. Aegon broke some sticks and skewered the freshly skinned rabbit. He licked his lips, watching the meat slowly start to brown. The smell of cooking meat filled the air, replacing the aroma of wet mud, moss and leaves.
"Water and rest is all we can do for now. In the morning Aegon and I will ride out and find help. She will not be able to get back on her horse in this state. We will find help and bring it back", Rhaenys returned to the fire and squatted beside Dany. She had fallen asleep and softly muttered words under her breath, words in High Valyrain.
"Dont be stupid, Rhaenys. We cannot leave Daeneyrs with Robb in the woods, alone, unchaperoned. What would Father say? What would Lord of Honour, Eddard Stark say? No, I will stay here and you and Rhaenys will go and find help", Aegon shot back. Tightness clenched Rhaeny's heart, and their argument from last night made anew. The words they exchanged this morning meant nothing, these boys did not want to play nice at all. Father was not here to rein Aegon in, and he only listened to her when he was drunk.
"I would not leave you alone with a dog, knowing what I know about you, Prince Aegon. How many women have you been with? How many of them wanted you in their bed? I have seen the way you look at my betrothed, she'd be safer on a horseback stumbling through the woods than left alone with you", Robb spat, his fists clenched. The two men rose and stared one another down, the bump on Aegon's brow twisted from last night's brawl. Aegon opened his mouth to speak again but Dany groaned. All three of their heads turned to the princess. She clenched Robb's ankle with an iron grip, and the veins in her arm bulged. She muttered in Valyrian while her eyes flickered open, they had rolled back into her head.
"What is she saying?", Robb asked panicked, falling to the dirt next to her. Aegon looked at Rhaenys, his Vaylrain was passable but poor, and not meant for crisis.
"The woods, she keeps saying the woods over and over. Mark of the King, enemy of the King, too. She said that a few times", Rhaenys spoke softly, the words playing in her ears
"Is this what happened, at the Golden Festival, when the dragons…", Robbs's voice trailed off. He had been in the stands when it happened, but very few besides the Targayerns knew the full story, the delirium many faced in the time leading up, the dreams and nightmares of what was to come.
"It may be a Dragon Dream. It was Daenerys who…birthed the dragons, but many of us saw it happen before it did, in a way. They take a toll on the mind and the body; seizures, comas, fevers…they can last hours or weeks, depending on what message is trying to get through…", Rhaenys explained.
"Did we cause it? The fall from the horse, the rabbit… it's all my fault", Robb pressed his head to her rapidly rising and falling chest, "We dont have time to wait until the morning we have to go now. Rhaenys, would you watch her? You might know how to keep her stable until Aegon and I can return with help", Robb placed a kiss on her forehead and rose. Aegon and Rhaenys were both lost for words. Before either could reply, a man's voice broke the silence.
"Now what do we 'ave 'ere, aye boys?", a man stepped into the light, followed by two others with nocked arrows.
Aegon, Robb and Rhaenys sat around the fire, bound but unhurt. They'd been surprised by loaded bows. Before they could draw their weapons the men had reached Dany, they surrendered fearing for her safety, and the arrows that could be let loose. The horses were tied to a nearby tree and nickered softly. Ciceads and other night bugs filled the air with a pleasant noise. It did not match the mood at all.
Their weapons were being searched by the trio of men, jesting among themselves. The leader, a middle-height man with an old Flea Bottom accent dressed in brown, kept flicking their looks. The two others, brothers by the looks of it, from the Reach, due to their last name, Flowers, divided their loot among themselves and munched on the rabbit. Daenerys groaned and spoke more Valyrian in her sleep.
"Now, I ain't gonna 'urt ya. But me and the Flowers are 'ungry and you lot 'ave food to spare and things to sell. We can't all be from a castle now, can we boys?", the leader asked, his mouth full of meat. The two agreed and smiled, one nearly had no teeth.
"Do you know who we are, who I am? I am the Prince of Dragonstone, heir to the Iron Throne. This is the heir to the North, that is my wife, future queen of the Realm. You will be hung for this. I am Aegon Targaryen!", her brother said from the dirt.
Toothless laughed and his brother replied, "We know that that is why you castle cum-stains aren't gonna have a single royal hair hurt…if you behave".
"We are gonna take what we want, and you're gonna sit there all pretty-like on your pompous arses", Toothless added. The three of them laughed.
"And what will stop us from attacking and killing you, right here, right now? You only stopped us before because we were caught off guard, that will not happen again", Robb replied. The leader smirked and threw the now bare rabbit bone, it hit Dany on the head.
"You see, lord north, there's three of us, and we 'ave all the weapons. There are two of yous and someone who needs to be tickled by a maester, or a septon. She's got a demon in her, all you dragon women do", he spat in the direction of Rhaenys, "all of you lot are witches, should burn like you did to Lord Edmure". The brothers with sandy hair and green eyes nodded in agreement.
"We'd be doing the Realm a service ridding them of you lot, the dragons. God rejects abominations, sister-brother fuckers and witches. No one wants you 'ere. Bring back the good lords, the real men, Lord Twin, Lord Edmure. Wolf boy, you surprise me being with this lot, I 'ought you northerners had betta standards than this", Leader said gesturing to the Targaryens. Robb stayed silent, his eyes panicking. Tooth looked up and winked at Rhaenys, she shuddered.
"Now, we're gonna take ya stuff. And you little pricks are gonna pass a message on to king cock-o-lot, up there in the White Hole. Tell him the Lions are coming for him, and already we have dragons and lords on our side supporting us. Tell him he can give up now. Take him and the 'ole lot of yous back to Essos and fuck off. Leave Westeros and never come back", Leader said.
"And if we don't?", Aegon tested. Tooth stood up and smacked his thigh with a rabbit bone.
"Well you see, Prince Silver-pubes, you 'ave a Spider and Little Birds, well we 'ave Maggots and the Wyrm, a Fish and a Lion and a Kraken, and 'ew knows what else the fancy-shits call themselves. We know more about what goes on in that white fucktower than yous 'ought to believe", Leader interjected before Tooth could reply.
Overhead the trees rustled and the sound of the cicadas that came with the night died out. Wafts of smoke filled Rhaenys's nose and made her eyes water. Beside them, Dany shook and her head threatened to hit a rock.
"Please, captors. Untie me, let me help Princess Daenerys. She needs help", Rhaenys pleaded, avoiding the eyes of Aegon. The three men looked at one another, Toothless rose and walked over, standing right in front of Rhaenys.
"What can you do for the Witch? This is the gods will, a punishment for conversing with demons and bloodmagic. Did you know she uses the blood of septas to keep her young and beautiful? Then she feeds their bodies to her dragon", Toothless spoke with spittle flying from his mouth. He grabbed her chin, and looked deep into her eyes, eyes of a Dragon. Robb yelled in protest and Tooth punched him in the face, sending him to the dirt with a smack. Daenerys spoke more words under her breath. Robb and Aegon strained against their bonds, trying to break free.
"I wonder if the Wyrm would reward us for bringing her a Dragoness. She does favour her female family after all. Even if they are witches and bloodbinders, they have magic in their blood", Tooth looked over from standing over Robb, "she could use that for her plans for Es-", Tooth continued. Leader made a loud noise, cutting off his man's words and shaking his head. The smell of smoke became thicker and closer, more than what the campfire should have been able to give off. Rhaenys shook her head to break free of Toothless' grip and looked to the sky.
"Smoke", she said aloud and pointed with her chin. The three men spun around. The dancing of embers rose into the sky, thick smoke from the trees of the King's Wood. From the darkness of the night, a blackened figure soared with lightning speed.
Daenerys shot up from the ground, awake, and blood leaking from her nose, ears and eyes like a demon. She coughed loudly and yelled into the night a single word.
"Dracarys", she said. Torrents of flame came from above and Rhaenys dove the the ground on her face. The two boys copied in motion while Dany stared above. The black figure, the size of a boar with scaly wings of the same size flew around the clearing. It sent red-orange fire from its mouth, hitting Leader and sending him screaming to the floor.
Rhaenys sat up and threw her body into Toothless, crashing him to the floor. She climbed on top of him and pummeled him with her bound fists, directly on his face. Blood spilt from his nose with a crunch. She fumbled for the knife he held at his waist and cut herself free. The boys struggled to their feet, Robb raced to Daenerys who had entered a dream-like trance, repeated the word of fire over and over. Aegon stood in disbelief, his hands still bound, watching Leader run manically, consumed by flames.
Now free of her bonds Rhaenys planted the knife deep into Toothless' chest and rose, Tooth had disappeared deep into the woods during the chaos. The fire around the area grew, filling the air with thick smoke. The horses fought against their reins as the flames grew more wild. Rhaenys raced over and cut the other two free from their ties.
"We need to go, Aegon. Now, the fire", Robb yelled. He picked up Daenerys bridal style and placed her on the back of Moon. Aegon's mouth was held ajar as Leader crumpled to the floor, silent, his screams stopped, dead. Rhaenys nodded but Aegon was still frozen, staring at the charred corpse.
"Prince Aegon, we need to return to King Rhaegar now. Inform him of what happened. We must protect the family", Rhaenys pleaded, appealing to his sense of duty. Aegon nodded weakly, still shaken. The three climbed their horses, Aegon on Gold, Rhaenys on Coal and Robb supporting Dany on Moon. Robb's horse followed behind, tied to the back of Rhaenys' saddle.
"We are still lost, Rhaenys. Aegon lead us deeper into the woods", Robb complained, a bead of sweat trailing down his redening face. Rhaenys took a deep breath and looked to the sky, Danys dragon still circled overhead, waiting for its next command. She closed her eyes and prayed to any god or magic above. She had not prayed since her mother died.
For a moment she was in the eyes of the dragon, she saw all the trails and paths through the woods from a birds-eye-view. She was the heat outlines of their bodies below. The smells of the forest were ten times stronger and more vibrant, she could taste them and see their colours like a painting.
As quick as it happened, it was gone. And Rhaenyss was just Rhaenys. She shook her head in disbelief. What Jojen and Meera had said was right, she did have magic in her blood. But she doubted she would ever be able to do that again, not on purpose.
"That way", she pointed into the darkness as the smell of blood and fire rose through the woods.
"So what you are telling me, dear daughter, is that Prince Aegon did nothing while you and Princess Daenerys single-handedly staved off three attackers in the night?", King Rhaegar asked with a cool demeanour in High Valyrian, "Daenerys controlling her untrained, small, hatching dragon and you, by warging? And besting a man who had tied you?", Father shook his head in disbelief. He sat on the Iron Throne, and Robb, Aegon and Rhaenys knelt before him on the mosaic floors. Rhaenys nodded meekly. The other two stayed silent.
"Rhaenys it is a great crime to lie to a King and to your father", Rhaegar tisqued. She kept her eyes fixed on the floor. The king spun a small blade in his hands, a valyrian steel blade named Catspaw, her father had recently taken to that blade, never letting it leave his side.
"And Prince Aegon, what do you say happened?", Father asked the prince who knelt beside her.
"Father, we were riding and Robb shot a rabbit, with my help. Aunt Daenerys had begun to feel unwell after she was thrown from her horse and I recommend we stop so she may recover. While Rhaenys and Robb sat around doing nothing", Rhaegar made a noise, like an empty cough.
"While Robb sat around doing nothing, Rhaenys tended to Daenerys and I secured the area. Robb tried to convince Rhaenys and me to leave Robb and the Princess alone while we searched for help. As the male protector, I could not allow this. As we argued we were caught unawares. We were bound and the trio revealed their weakness' in time, as Rhaenys explained, something of a Wyrm favouring female Targayerns in what sounded like Essos, and traitors to you, Father.
"In an act of great bravery on my behalf, I threw coals from the fire and a great blaze caught. Using it as a distraction I freed myself and Rhaenys. Sister dealt with Princess Daenerys who started seizing and I single-handed bested two of the three men, while one did manage to escape. Robb, the poor lad, frightened at the sight of burning corpses, was unable to do more than stare", Aegon twisted his voice into something of sympathy.
Father, from his throne, smiled and agreed.
"And that is what really happened. Varys has already sent his Birds to search for the remaining man. Lord Celitgar has a whole legion scouring the King Wood and subduing the blaze. You did well, my son. Lord Stark will forever be in your debt for saving his son", Father spoke calmly, "your word is law, Aegon. Anything you say is the truth, anything we say is God's word".