Wife of the Wolf, Husband of the Sun.
Book 2
Chapter One-Hundred and Thirty-Seven
Her world had ended, and yet the day still dawned all the same.
Elia wanted nothing more than to stay in her bed and sleep the rest of the world away, to ignore all the horror and the grief until the Stranger finally came for her, but she had other children who had need of her, a husband whose grief was just as strong as her own and a realm that was ready to tear itself apart.
And so, Elia pushed off her covers and summoned her handmaidens to attend her, all of them were dressed in black as the entire court was as they had entered mourning when the news about Arya had come from Sunspear.
Her maids were silent as they dressed her, Elia was glad for that. She had already heard all the platitudes she was willing to hear from the lords and ladies of the court, most of them truly did mean it kindly, some had even lost their own children after all, but she was too tired to pick the true from the false and so she simply hummed at their words and moved on.
She was just so tired.
As Elia left her chambers and made her way down to the drawbridge that lead out of Maegor's Holdfast she could hear the sounds of a kingdom ready to go to war, knights were mounting their horses and squires and pages were carrying swords, spears and messages.
Some stopped and bowed to her as she passed but most of them were to busy to even notice her, she felt like a ghost.
Her husband was standing in the midst of the chaos, he was already armoured in plain grey steel plate with the only ornamentation being a small snarling head of a direwolf etched into the collar of the plate. "My love," Ned said as she approached, to a stranger he would sound as he normally did. Cold and distant, unfeeling.
Elia knew him better, this man she had married over twenty years ago. She saw how grief clung to him, how it had aged him over night. There was more grey in his hair now, there was a slight redness to his eyes that betrayed how much he had wept.
Elia wanted to hold him, she wanted them both to hide in the darkness of their chambers and mourn their little girl and fuck the rest of the world but they couldn't do that, he was the king and she was his queen and they had a duty to the realm, to their children.
Lyarra was still missing, and Elia would not lose her as well.
"My love," she answered in reply. "Have Torrhen and Mors gone ahead?"
The mother in her had wanted to forbid them from going, the instinct made only stronger with the loss of Arya and yet the Queen in her knew that she had to let them go. Ned knew it as well, why should anyone be expected to die for them if they were not willing to fight and die as well?
Elia knew that, and it did not give her any comfort.
"Yes, they should be by the docks by now," Ned said and then sighed as he reached out to cup her face. "I prayed this day would not come."
"Didn't we all?" Elia asked, wanting nothing more than to lean into his touch but she fought against the urge. "I will not ask you to stay safe, for I know that you can not promise me that. And I know that you cannot promise that the boys will not come to harm, but..."
She didn't know how to finish the sentence, she hadn't when she started and she didn't know now. She knew Ned could not promise her, but she wanted him to do so. She wanted him to hold her tight against him and promise her that all would be well.
Ned sighed and leaned into to kiss her, and Elia sobbed into his mouth but did not pull away. Ned was the first to pull away and pressed a kiss her forehead before letting her go to mount his horse.
And as Elia watched him ride out through the castle gates, she had never felt more alone.
But she would weep later, in the dark shadows of her lonely bedchamber. For now, Elia was the Queen and King's Landing still needed to be ruled.
There was to be a council meeting later on in the day and a court that was to be held in the morning, people still had reasons to complain even in the middle of a war.
But for now Elia made her way to her solar, when she was alone within the chamber she slumped down into her chair and covered her face and wept, biting her bottom lip to ensure that none would her hear her sobs through the door.
Once she regained control of herself Elia sniffed once, rubbed at her eyes, and began to read the letters that she had allowed to pile up.
It took her over an hour to get through all of them, most were simply letters of condolences that she could put off replying to until later when there were not more important things to do.
Some were letters of congratulations and apologies for not being able to attend Torrhen's wedding to Desmera Redwyne, it had been a rushed affair due to her now daughter-by-law's father's insistence that the marriage occur before he gave any orders to his fleet and Arya's death had hung over it like a shadow, Elia did not want to think of it and so put those aside to reply to last.
The other letters were only slightly more important, one from Rickard at Moat Cailin who was writing to inform her that the repairs were going well, though not as quickly as he would like them to be, and wondering if she would be willing to write to other northern houses to ask them to lend some aid.
Elia had almost forgotten that Ned had given Moat Cailin to the boy, Lyanna's son. Fortifying the North was important, but most of their supplies were focused on restoring the wall and making sure the monsters on the other side of it could not get through.
Monsters were real, and born of man or born of ice and snow it made no matter.
Elia shuddered slightly, unable to hold the fear back for a moment. She started her reply to Rickard, but she only made it halfway through before a knock came to her door and Ser Waymar poked his head inside. "Forgive me for the interruption your Grace, the Princess Meria is without and she is insisting that she must speak with you. I told her that you left instructions not to be disturbed, but-"
"It is quite alright Ser, let her in," Ser Waymar nodded and shut the door, half a moment later the door was opened and Meria stormed in. Her second eldest daughter was dressed in a man's shirt and trousers, a pair of daggers hanging from a belt that was loosely cinched at her hips and her crossbow was slung over her shoulder, Elia supposed she should be grateful that she had not brought her hounds with her.
"If I did not know better, I might think that you had come to kill me." Elia meant for it to be a jest, and yet perhaps it was her voice rough with grief and tiredness but it seemed as though her words stung her daughter.
"I would never," Meria hissed and Elia wanted to go to her and hold her close, kiss her forehead and tell her she knew that but she didn't have a chance before she spoke. "I want your leave to go, I cannot just sit here while father and my brothers sail off to war. I can help them, I will be more help them than I would be here."
Elia sighed and rubbed at her eyes, this had been the cause of more than one argument since the news of Lady Lelianna sailing against the Iron Island had reached them and yet no matter how fiercely Meria had railed against them neither she nor Ned had relented in their decision.
"I had thought that I had heard the end of this," Elia muttered as she rose from her chair and walked around from behind her desk. "Do you think your father and I want your brothers away at war? If we could then we would have them here safe within the wall's of Maegor's Holdfast, but they have to fight because they most and I must spend every second besides myself with worry, your father must make proper strategy while worrying about them, while knowing his decisions could get them killed and make them regardless."
"And you would add worrying about you on to our minds as well? We cannot cope with more, it takes all I have not to summon Sansa and Brandon back from where they were fostered, we have enough fear to deal with already, your father and I have already lost one child and we might well lose more before this insurrection is done. So might I beg that you do not run head first into the fray?"
Meria was silent, her head bowed and her curls obscuring her eyes. Elia wouldn't have known that she was crying, if not for the wetness in her voice. "I lost a sister, she died thousands of leagues away and I was here and there was nothing I could do while it happened, I was probably joking with those little fools I call my friends or flirting with some servant while it happened."
"I cannot be helpless, I cannot just sit back and do nothing. Please mother, let me go. I can help, I can save them. I can." And with that Meria broke, her shoulders shaking with sobs.
Elia felt her own tears coming back up as well, all her children had grieved when the news had come. Torrhen had exploded, screaming and shouting until his voice was gone and his shoulders were shaking from a rage that could only be fuelled by grief.
Mors had been the opposite of his twin, he had been so quiet that he almost seemed to fade into the background but Elia had seen him in his chambers, he kept his grief to himself until he was alone where he could rock back and forth with tears in his eyes and sobbed only when Elia held him close.
Rohanne was similar, her perfect princess who always hid her worries and fears behind a façade of perfection. Even when it came to her mother and father, it was her companions who came to her and told her that her eldest daughter was barely eating, that she had nightmares when she tried to sleep within her bedchambers in the Maidenvault where she had been sleeping more often than not these days.
And little Rickon, such a small thing who had to deal with such fear and such sorrow. Elia had held him tightly as he went from sobbing to screaming and back again.
And word had been sent to Sansa and Brandon at Bear Island and the Gates of the Moon but Elia had not yet heard from Lady Mormont or Lord Royce how they had reacted, and that killed her that she could not be there to give them any comfort.
And Lyarra, wherever she was, she might not even know. Whoever was holding her might not have told her anything about it, she might still think that she had four sisters instead of only three. Elia envied her, Elia pitied her.
And the babe was still growing inside of her, would never know one of it's siblings.
Elia stepped forward and pulled Meria tight against her, kissing the top of her head even as she shook against her. Elia whispered comforting nothings to her, all the while trying to hold back her own tears.
She didn't know how much time passed until another knock came from the door, and once again Ser Waymar addressed her. "Your Grace, please forgive me once again but Lady Nymeria is here and she says that it is of vital importance."
"If the mistress of whisperers says that it is vital then I am not like to gainsay her," Elia said and reluctantly let her daughter go, Meria rubbed at her eyes but made no effort to excuse herself as Nymeria walked into the solar.
Elia had know Nymeria since she was a little girl and Oberyn had brought her back to Dorne, and she did not ever think she had ever seen the girl look so angry before in her life. "Nymeria, what is it?"
"The Small Council has gathered, your Grace." Elia blinked, completely confused.
"The meeting is not until this afternoon," Elia said slowly.
"Indeed, your Grace. That was the plan, but it seems that the Lord Hand had taken it upon himself to summon the meeting earlier, without informing either of us." Nymeria hissed, her eyes narrowing and in that moment looking so much like her father that it was truly frightening.
It took Elia another few heartbeats, but she finally understood. And the rage was easier than the grief, and so she embraced it readily.
"Ser Waymar, find your sworn brothers and have them meet us outside the small council chamber, if you would be so good," Elia began as she made her way out of the solar. "Meria, go and find your sister and stay with her in the maidenvault, I shall see to you both later."
Elia's rage did not abate as she made her way to the small council chambers, Nymeria following closely behind her. Each step only seemed to make it grow stronger, her grief fuelling it to greater heights.
The Kingsguard had left the capital to protect her husband and sons while they were at war so the guards on the door were Tully men-at-arms, Elia was fairly certain that they would not stop her from entering if she pressed the matter but she was not going to risk it under she had her own knights at her back.
She did not have to wait long for them, the knights she had chosen for herself when her husband had made a new law that the queen would have her own protectors. Clad in their black armour with their burnt orange cloaks, Elia did not think she had ever seen a more beautiful sight. "Your Grace, what would you have of us?" Lord Commander Mandon asked her
"Follow and obey, Ser Mandon." And with that Elia walked over to the small council door with her niece and her knights right behind her, the two men on the door yield before her quick enough and the council chamber was open to her.
It was not all the council at least, Jon Arryn had left the city after Torrhen's wedding to prepare the fleet outside Gulltown, Alderman Pate was not here either and nor were most of the kingdom representatives either.
But Grand Maester Ryam was here, as was Ser Martyn Sand as Commander of the City Watch, and that betrayal stung, and Lord Sebaston Farman who was sitting on the right of Hoster Tully, who was sitting in the King's seat at the head of the table.
To his credit, Hoster Tully did not flinch. He simply stared at her evenly. "Your Grace, this is a pleasant surprise. I did not think you would be joining us so soon."
"This was a surprise to me as well my Lord, but I cannot claim that it is a pleasant one." Elia did her best to keep her voice even, even if all she wanted to do was order the arrest of every single person within the chamber. "To find that a meeting of the small council is being held, and I was not informed of it. And that the mistress of whisperers was not informed of it either."
"No ill intent was intended your Grace, nor any disrespect," Hoster Tully spoke gently, his eyes not looking away from her for a second. "I called this meeting of the small council in response to news that has just reached us, two items of news in fact. Both very dire and both needed to be addressed as soon as possible and considering both the circumstances of the day, your Grace's own grief and what the news is about, I thought I would try and spare your Grace for as long as I could."
Elia watched him for a moment, trying to gauge if he was trying to save face or if he was telling the truth and it disquieted her that she could not be sure. "And what is this news, this is so dire, that I must be shielded from it."
Lord Tully glanced at Lord Farman who sighed and spoke. "There is news from my castle your grace, Lord Tywin is marching on the Golden Tooth with all his strength, and while my lady mother can not confirm it it seems as though the Reach is moving as well, if they have united and making war upon us then there is great terror ahead for us all."
It was not word that Elia wanted to hear, the fear in her gut was cold and sharp. "Has Lord Garth been taken in hand?" Was the first thing she asked, she liked the man well enough but if Lord Tyrell had joined in this treason then the master of coin would need to be taken in hand.
"It is already done your Grace, he has been confined to his chambers until we learn the truth of the matter," Elia nodded, though something was niggling at the back of her head.
"What is the other matter?" She asked.
Lord Hoster sighed then, and the way he looked at her, Elia felt her stomach tighten in response. "Your Grace, their is hard news from Dorne."
End of Chapter One-Hundred and Thirty-Seven