Dragon's realm
Ashara found Elia where she knew she would.
Turning the corner to the royal nursery, she spotted Elia exchanging a clipped word of greeting with Ser Barristan before turning to enter the room where her children were being cared for.
"Elia," Ashara called, quickening her steps slightly to shorten the wait.
The expression on Elia's face, resembling the one she had adopted as the dinner had moved along and the venison brought out, was quickly wiped away, replaced instead by the appropriate neutrality and small polite smile expected of her as both queen and lady.
She caught up with her by the door and they entered the nursery together, without exchanging any more words for now.
Three nursemaids were in the chamber, two of them talking quietly while the third kept a careful eye on little Princess Rhaenys as she played in a small crimson nightgown, even though the sky was losing the violet and red of twilight for the black of night.
All three hurriedly bowed their heads upon their entrance and sounded a "Your Grace." together, quiet on account of the peacefully sleeping Prince Aegon.
Princess Rhaenys quickly looked up, her dark eyes immediately fixed on her mother and a smile on her young face. The toys she had been playing with, a dragon and a cat involved in either a fierce battle or important negotiation, Ashara was unsure, were quickly abandoned for pushing herself to her feet and toddling over. "Mummy!"
Ashara laid a hand on her stomach as Elia bent down to pick up her daughter. There was no way to say, boy or girl, before the labour and there were still some months until that time. Only the new year would bring that information, nothing else. She could barely wait.
"And why are you not abed already? Hmm?" Elia asked, putting on a happy front for her child.
Instead of answering the question with the words she already knew, Rhaenys only put a finger to her lips, clearly imitating a gesture used on her very recently, forcefully pointed at her brother's crib, and whispered, somehow quiet and yet loud at the same time, "Psshhh! Egg's sleepy."
Ashara smothered a smile and Elia obediently lowered her voice even more, nodding emphatically. "Oh yes, your brother is very sleepy."
Then she glanced at one of the nursemaids, her question clear.
"She would not settle down, Your Grace. We thought a bit more play would be no harm and might tire her out."
Elia nodded her head, accepting the explanation, and walked to Aegon's crib with Rhaenys on her arm. "Give us the room for a few moments."
While the maids left the room and Elia leaned down to gently run a finger over her son's cheek, Ashara matched Rhaenys curious eyes from over the queen's shoulder with a smile. The little Princess looked at her shyly, one hand grasping her mother's dark hair and the other held in front of her mouth.
Elia straightened, turning her head to face her daughter, and then reached out with her fingers and tickled Rhaenys' tummy when Ashara remained the object of attention. The reaction was immediate and loud, high-pitched giggles exploding from the tiny mouth, and the hand formerly held in front of her mouth quickly put to use clutching Elia's dress for a better hold.
There was clearly no mercy to be found in the queen as she walked to the other side of the room, a small moment of respite only used to put a finger to her lips and imitate her daughter from before. "Shh, your brother sleeps."
After that it was back to tickling without quarter, despite Rhaenys' struggles and failed efforts to keep from giving voice to her joy. It did not take long for every small pause to elicit rapid huffing and puffing from the Princess as she tried to regain the air she was losing to the relentless assault. It was also managing to deplete her remaining energy.
Ashara saw the way her eyelids began to droop, though Rhaenys adorably fought to stay awake a bit longer, a battle she was blatantly losing.
"Are we ready for bed now?" For an answer, Elia earned two little arms sleepily hugging around her neck in the affirmative. Crossing the remaining distance, she untangled the arms and lowered her daughter into the small, enclosed bed.
Rhaenys fussed for a few moments, still fighting against drowsiness, but eventually she allowed herself to be tucked under the blanket, her sleepy eyes searching the surroundings before she raised her arms again. "Draggy?"
Elia knew immediately what was meant and collected the dragon toy from the floor for the Princess to hug onto. It was black and red, snarling angrily and baring its teeth, but Rhaenys loved the stuffed toy given to her by Rhaegar.
Despite his long former absence and whatever his faults, Rhaenys adored her father.
Slowly, quiet and peace set into the chamber as breathings slowed and calmed for the embrace of dreams. Ashara saw the way the happy exterior fell from Elia's face, replaced with something far more complicated and severe.
"He seeks to set me aside," came the neutral words, eventually. A statement of fact. Elia had not even looked up, her gaze glued to the now dozing Rhaenys and one hand lightly playing with her daughter's dark locks.
Surprise rose up in her, quickly joined by a shock of worry as she began understanding. The many visits to the Sept of Baelor since his return, the favour shown to the Faith, and now a pending alliance with Tywin Lannister.
"Cersei Lannister?" Ashara asked quietly, sharply aware of the potential for listening ears, whether at the door or in whatever nooks and crannies and secret tunnels existed in the walls around the chamber.
Standing again and facing her, Elia only inclined her head the smallest bit, her mouth a tight line.
For any further words, they retired to Elia's solar, so they might not disturb the sleeping children and reduce the chance of curious nursemaids hearing.
"Do you know or do you only suspect?" Ashara asked, once they had seated themselves.
"Suspect," Elia admitted, swirling the wine in her glass. "Yet what else should I think when Rhaegar makes alliance with Lord Tywin, the details of which no one is aware of. Aerys mocked him for desiring that marriage, but with Rhaegar on the throne there is another chance now. If the Westerlands were to join the rebels instead, I do not imagine things will go well for us."
"You do not think Lord Connington will succeed?" She had harboured doubts as well, from the very beginning. Jon was capable but sending him against his rebellious liege was inviting rashness. They would clash soon, or perhaps they had already. If the ravens had been lost or never even sent, it would be some time before they knew.
Taking a sip of wine, Elia shook her head. "No. The Blackfish is a veteran and will have known of his movements for a long time and Robert and his men are emboldened by glory and victory even after Ashford. Jon will not win, and I hope he sees it early enough to sound a retreat."
Ashara nodded her head, though she worried that the early warning might make a retreat impossible as well. Circling the Gods Eye from Harrenhal would take much time, but there were forests aplenty in Whent lands and a small, determined force might be able to cross the lake on large boats or even rafts, cutting off the way back south-east.
Time would tell in the end. There was nothing they could do now to affect those events. Even Morning would need time to cross that distance, swift though she was, not to mention the delay caused by finding the armies.
Instead, she focused on another matter, the part of the original words that had remained unspoken until now.
"The children..." she trailed off, unsure how to say it. It was horrible enough to think about, but saying it aloud felt even worse.
"Rhaegar will keep them in the inheritance, at least until there is another son, but we both know they won't survive long." Elia nearly choked on the words, her dark eyes trained on the crimson liquid in her glass. "Tywin would never stand for them to take the throne instead of his own blood. If I do nothing, they will suffer an accident of some sort eventually, a sudden sickness perhaps or some other tragedy."
"What will you do?" Ashara asked as the queen slugged back her wine, emptying her glass in one despairingly careless draw. The shadows thrown by candles and hearth were making a ghastly visage of her face.
"I don't know," came the quiet answer. It was an admission of defeat that burned in her ears as much as it must have on Elia's tongue.
A commotion from outside drew their attention, but it was still surprising when the door was opened so forcefully it seemed like it would be torn from its hinges.
Naruto followed immediately behind the heavy oak, his wild, desperate gaze flitting around the room before finding her own.
Ashara had stood up in surprise, a question on her lips, but before she had the opportunity to ask him, he crossed the distance in quick, hurried strides and enveloped her in a tight embrace, his hands pressing her into his body.
"Dear?" she asked, confused.
But Naruto did not answer, only holding her tightly for a few moments more. When he released her, giving her enough room meet his eyes again, they remained unchanged, still desperately searching for something as they roved over her face. They did not find it, whatever it was.
"Dear, what is it?" Ashara repeated, now beginning to worry. What could have happened? She had never seen him like this. She laid a hand on his cheek, hoping to calm him. "What happened?"
He leaned into her hand immediately, his unsettled eyes slowly settling. "Fine. You're fine, completely fine," he whispered, more to himself than her, releasing a deep, relieved breath. "Completely fine."
"Yes, I'm fine," she agreed quietly, uncaring for a moment of what Elia might currently be thinking. "We've just been here, in this room, talking."
"The room," he repeated quietly, before the desperation was back and he hurried for the door and closed it after a quick look around the hallway outside.
Then his head turned this way and that, completely focused as he moved along the stone walls, stopping at one point near a closed cabinet where he knocked against the stones with his knuckles and listened for the sound produced, before continuing until he had crossed the entire chamber.
Only then did he halt, breathing deeply, and seemed like he was truly back to his old self. Hands covering his face, he mumbled unintelligibly to himself, before squaring his shoulders, exhaling another deep breath, and turning to face her.
Before she could finally ask him what was going on, he noticed Elia.
Mouth twisting downwards for a moment, he sketched a quick bow bordering on impoliteness for its shallowness. Ashara knew that he did not like the necessary formal gestures, but he was usually more careful with observing them so that no one had room to take offense.
"Please excuse my manner and interruption, Your Grace. An urgent matter, exceedingly private."
Elia mustered him for a while, her eyes glancing at her now and again, still surprised from the sudden interruption and her worries hidden away. After smoothing down the front of her dress, she folded her hands in her lap.
"I understand." Elia looked at her. "We will speak more another time."
Ashara nodded her head as her husband responded with a quick "By your leave." and began leading the way out of the chamber and Maegor's towards where their own rooms were located in the Red Keep.
Naruto did not speak all the way there and she could see the determination it took not to hasten his pace even more displayed on his face. It was what made her keep her own questions until they arrived and were behind closed doors, though they tingled on the tip of her tongue all the way there.
It was not until they were inside, the door locked and bolted, and the listening holes attached to a hidden nook next to the fire place checked for one of Varys' little birds, that the time for talking had truly come.
"I screwed up," Naruto said, sourly, once he had tiredly seated himself in one of the chairs, the fingers of his right hand massaging temple and forehead while those of the scarred left restlessly fiddled with the chair's unadorned armrest. "Just because I couldn't keep my damned mouth shut."
Taking a chair opposite his own, Ashara leaned forward and laid a consoling hand on his knee. "Tell me."
His left immediately sought her hand, abandoning his fiddling to thread their fingers together. She felt the heat, marked and decidedly unnatural, given off by the crimson mark on his skin. It was still as furiously red and hot as it had been when they met the first time, a persistent reminder of the horror and fury unleashed in Old Valyria during and even before the Doom, as she had learned.
There were also the small punctures in his palm, flecks of dried blood remaining on the surrounding skin. From their even spacing, she knew how they had occurred immediately.
"Rhaegar…" Naruto began quietly. "He spoke of Valyria and his family, at first. Of Daenys the Dreamer and escaping the Doom. Of things known for many centuries, things that must and would be. What the point of it all was originally supposed to be, I don't know. We never reached that point."
He sighed heavily, frustrated. "Prophecy and fate and destiny, that is what it is all about, for him. All this." His hand swept the room in an encompassing gesture and there was a spark of anger in his eyes. "All predetermined, in his view."
Ashara squeezed their joined hands, trying to show support while also wordlessly asking him to carry on. There had to be yet more to all of it.
A few moments of empty quiet passed between them as he seemed to search for the words, the corners of his mouth turning downwards in what seemed to her a mixture of remaining anger and guilt.
"I acted out of anger – unwisely – when I realised the extent of it. I provoked him when I shouldn't have and nearly did something very drastic when he alluded to certain threats."
Ashara knew, by the way her husband looked at her and by the near animalistic fury displayed as he bared his teeth when thinking about what had happened, just what kind of threat Rhaegar might have alluded to. It explained very clearly why he had acted the way he had upon seeing her.
Her throat was tight for a moment, the breath she had sucked in on reflex colder than it should be for all the things implied and understood without direct words. She did not know the king, she had to remind herself. She was not his friend even as one of Elia's ladies, not anymore. She was another subject now, another noble lady among many.
The moment of panic passed eventually, the cold grasp on her heart loosening slightly. Taking a deep breath, Ashara did her best to reconsider the matter carefully.
She did not know the king well, that was true, but she knew the man somewhat better, and she knew her brother, who Rhaegar called his closest friend and confidant. That led her to a somewhat different conclusion. "Only a warning, I think. A reminder. No more than that."
'I hope,' she allowed only in the confines of her mind, a slight tightness lingering in her throat.
Naruto did not look reassured. Leaning forward he took her other hand in his own as well, turning them in his palms and letting his thumbs trace across her skin. "I dislike it all the same. Warning, reminder, or more than that."
Ashara saw the thoughts and intent in his lowered eyes and the stubborn set of his jaw. It felt like a stone dropping in her stomach. She forcefully stopped his caresses and urged him to meet her gaze. "You cannot truly consider this foolishness," she hissed. "I will not have us live in infamy, have our children raised as outlaws."
As expected, her husband was not cowed. "He is mad, just like his father. Different maybe, but no lesser for it."
"And why would that be?" She did not give him time to answer. "Because he sees some deeper meaning in it all? Have there been secret burnings I am unaware of? Wanton murder in the streets on his orders? Crue–"
"He has Lyanna Stark." His voice was simple, calm, but something cold lurked in the depths of his eyes.
"Of course he does," Ashara exhaled, all the rebuttals leaving her with the breath, and buried her face in her hands. It was too much, all of it, and she could not quite decide between weeping or laughing at the absurdity of it all. In the end she did neither, barely, simply sitting and trying to give her mind time to think through it all.
She did not even consider a lie or half-truth. It fit too well, explained too much too easily. Rhaegar's original departure, the paths Naruto had found in his attempts to track him down, and the continued absence of her brother and Ser Oswell.
Gentle arms embraced her, picked her up like she weighed no more than a feather, and she simply buried herself further in his chest while Naruto carried her to a wide, cushioned seat and whispered sweet nothings in her ear as he stroked her back.
Ashara gladly accepted the comfort he gave, the sheltering warmth she felt whenever she was in his arms. She took no joy in quarrelling with him, short-lived as it had been, though better this than to have unspoken disagreements fester below the surface.
"No one would know it was me, if I did not want them to," Naruto said quietly, and she allowed the words hang in the night air for a time. She thought not of Rhaegar or his father, but of Elia and her children.
Tywin would not spare Aegon or Rhaenys if he had the opportunity, but until any alliance with the Lannisters was finalised in the way Elia envisioned Rhaegar was the only thing guaranteeing his own family's safety. His death would wreak chaos in the realm unlike Aerys' demise. With only children remaining as possible heirs there would be dreadful consequences.
Robert Baratheon would not bow to or accept terms from a child, whether a son of Aerys or Rhaegar, and she could not imagine that a majority of the other great lords would do so either, not when three were aligned against them already.
The realm balanced on a thin knife, put there by Rhaegar and Aerys both, but wilfully tipping it to either side without anything in place to balance the weight was just as mad.
"No," Ashara answered eventually, though some anxiety remained from the potential risk to her and her child. She raised her head from where it had been tucked under his chin and met his eyes, calmer now than they had been. "At the moment it would only make things worse, I think."
Naruto held her gaze for a few quiet seconds before his eyes softened and he leaned forward to press his lips to her forehead. "Then I'll play along for now, until you are safe. If I can find the Stark girl after that, maybe we can somehow resolve all this."
Before they could meet with her brother the next day, court demanded their attention.
Rhaegar sat the Iron Throne, high up above all those gathered in the Great Hall of the Red Keep, whether courtiers, nobles and knights that were part of the armies gathered at the capital, or smallfolk come to petition the king and his council.
Ashara found her eyes drawn to him as he sat and listened to the words, wondering if there would be some sign she would spot of whether his words had truly been nothing more than a sharp reminder of unalterable realities.
But Rhaegar did not spare her or Naruto even a glance, attentively listening to the issues and concerns brought before him, though he spoke little.
Many of the judgements he left to his newly appointed Master of Laws, among them a dispute about bread size and another about the quality of arrowheads blamed in turn on the iron delivered, a case of inheritance with two conflicting wills, and a marital conflict where the wife's father accused her husband of having gone beyond the lawful six strikes as punishment for adultery.
Grandmaester Pycelle was asked to determine the truth of the matter and inspected the welts on the woman's thighs and back, before pronouncing that more than six strikes had taken place. The husband had attempted to hide the additional marks by striking the same spots again but had lacked the accuracy to do so successfully.
In the end Lord Tarly gave the father leave to take a rod to the husband for those strikes beyond six that had taken place, as recompense for the wife. Then he ordered the king's Justice to repeat the task as recompense for the broken law. With all sides satisfied, the matter was dismissed.
Rhaegar's words whenever he chose to speak them were usually a matter of exact punishments. Compared to the severe and harsh Lord Tarly he seemed a notably merciful king, though Ashara thought that without the direct comparison no one would have made note of it. Most likely, that was part of the reason for the appointment.
Eventually, no further petitions were entertained for the day, and the remaining line of merchants, craftsmen, and other workers was ushered from the large chamber after a loud call from the herald. Usually, a significant part of the morning might be filled this way, but today something else was planned.
Rhaegar gave a signal to his Small Council, gathered around a long table at the foot of the Iron Throne where Ser Jonothor and Ser Barristan stood guard, and the topics turned to the realm and the war.
It was quickly apparent that Rhaegar had been busy making many a decision for some time now, decisions on the realm as he wished it to be after the rebellion was dealt with, most of which were now being announced to the court for the first time.
There were plenty of lands and titles that would change hands by the end of this rebellion. Keeps and towns with new lords or knights, a border shifted one way here and another way there, houses centuries old finding themselves with little more than their name and history, and other benefits and positions of influence handed out generously to those supporting Rhaegar's kingship against all threats.
Lord Qarlton Chelsted, who had been returned his position as Master of Coin for now, stood from his seat, a large sheaf of papers in his hand, and pitched his voice to carry across the hall as he read the King's words.
"His Grace, Rhaegar of the House Targaryen, First of his Name, King of the Andals, the Rhoynar, and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm hereby decrees that," he cleared his throat, raising the parchment slightly, "decrees that Gulltown with all its incomes and titles shall be returned to House Grafton through its closest remaining heir, the young Lord Gawen Grafton whose well-being we all pray for."
"In addition, the lands of House Royce of Runestone shall be reduced, so that the following villages, farms, and settlements may henceforth pay their dues and taxes to the Graftons of Gulltown and their lord instead. These settlements are: Stonecliff, Rivertown by the spring, Wheatbay of the east,..."
There were more names after that, near all of which were too small to be found on most maps, though Ashara did not doubt that House Royce would know quickly exactly how much they stood to lose once word reached them.
The Vale was dealt with quickly after that. With so few remaining loyal to the Iron Throne it was far easier to wait for the deciding battles to determine who would be able to retain their lands and titles or to simply punish the entire region as a whole by raising taxes. The Stormlands were tackled instead.
Unsurprisingly House Connington was to be richly rewarded, their lands doubling in size, while House Baratheon and Robert's closest supporters lost land and incomes in the droves. House Caron would gain much as well, with a new lordship and seat for Lord Bryen's second son in addition to the lands stripped from his neighbouring lords.
Ashara wondered for a moment if Jon might not also become Lord Paramount of the Stormlands by the end of it all, reducing House Baratheon to their legendary seat and little more, but if any such change was planned, it was not announced today.
When all the decisions and changes had been declared Chelsted used the natural pause to wet his throat with some wine before matters turned to the Riverlands.
The Whents, still besieged at Harrenhal, gained lands and honours from Rhaegar, as did the Darrys and Mootons, though both had been ousted from their keeps and lands by the rebel armies that had descended on them. A few other houses west of the Gods Eye stood to gain as well, but the far larger part would be subject to attainder or a significant reduction in their influence and station.
Some smaller nobles were reduced to landed knights and some others retained only their title without any of the accompanying means. House Tully was chief among the losses incurred, for they had been given their positions and titles by Aegon I after the Conquest and had forfeited any claims besides Riverrun itself by turning against House Targaryen.
Queerly absent from that deluge of loss was House Blackwood of Raventree Hall, though whether it was the Blackwood blood of Rhaegar's great grandmother influencing the decision or some other development she was not aware of, Ashara could not say.
When the herald suddenly called for, "Ser Naruto of the East," to present himself, her throat seemed to close, fingers digging harshly into her husband's arm.
Their eyes met for a moment, understanding passing between them, and that singular moment was all the panic she allowed herself before loosening her grip and allowing him to move before the king.
Naruto betrayed no discomfort in his movements or posture as made his way through the crowd of courtiers, knights, and nobles. Standing in front of the steps leading to the council table and Iron Throne clad in shades of yellow and red, he knelt.
Though she wagered most others would not have, she saw the way he subtly tightened his hands into fists in an attempt to work out the tension he was feeling. One of her hands came to rest on her stomach, for the tension she herself felt creeping in.
Lord Chelsted cleared his throat and announced, "It is the wish of His Grace that leal service be rewarded appropriately, no matter its origin. For his valorous deeds during the defense against the treacherous assault on Dragonstone by rebel forces as well as his continued actions supporting the Iron Throne and House Targaryen, Ser Naruto shall henceforth be Lord Naruto and thereby create his own house and sigil. His lands shall stretch from Fairmarket to the headwaters of the Blue Fork and, once restored with the crown's assistance, Oldstones will serve as his keep."
Still on his knees, Naruto raised his head, looking at Rhaegar. "You honour me, Your Grace."
They held each other's gaze in silence and there was an unspoken challenge there that Ashara should have expected. Her husband was too stubborn to not show defiance, if only in this small way while she was still in King's Landing.
"Your deeds demanded rewarding, my lord. You honoured yourself," Rhaegar replied calmly before motioning for things to proceed.
As Naruto stood and walked back to her side, Ashara wondered how the honour had been meant in truth. Was this Rhaegar forgiving words spoken in anger and extending an olive branch or simply another reminder opposite to the last?
Generous as the rewards were, understanding them for the empty gesture they currently presented, was easy enough.
Ashara had never visited Oldstones herself, but she knew enough. It was a decrepit ruin and if there was much more than the foundations remaining, she would be surprised. Most likely, near every brick would have been pilfered to build septs, holdfasts, or anything else in need of cut stone. Two years, if not more, before a new stone keep would be finished, though it would be liveable before that.
Surrounded on all sides by lords whose lands they had just been granted, there would be numerous disputes whenever someone got it into their mind to test them. A king's favour would deal with much of that and therefore the message clear.
Naruto reached her as the next announcements were being made. His slight frown faded for a smile, and he pressed a short kiss to her lips, before standing next to her and drawing her as close to his side as propriety allowed.
"Those are good, fertile lands and control over the Blue Fork has many advantages," Ashara whispered so that only he could hear the words as matters turned to the fate of House Ryger. The two of them would lack for nothing if things proceeded as Rhaegar was planning.
Naruto glanced at her, one hand distractedly running over the sapphire and emerald set into the hilt of his Valyrian steel dagger.
"It is another game," he replied, grumbling. Clearly, all the implications had not escaped him. But he said no more of it, listening attentively as matters turned to the North.
It was where there came another surprise. For there was next to nothing even resembling the treatment the Riverlands or Stormlands had received.
A tax on timber and furs from the North, raised by one part in twenty for the next five years. No more. All in all, the gold raised that way would be significant for any one lord on either side of the Neck, but that meant little when the talk was of former kingdoms, especially the one near as big as the all the others put together.
Ashara wondered if they had misjudged Rhaegar's views of Lyanna Stark. That perhaps it was more than only another child he cared about. Or perhaps Naruto was even more right about him than she thought.
Before she could come to an actual conclusion on the matter, the realm was handled for today. There was one last matter to be addressed.
"Ser Jaime Lannister," the herald called as two Targaryen guardsmen half escorted half dragged the shackled member of the Kingsguard into the hall, trailing behind Ser Gerold Hightower.
Quiet set into the Great Hall, the importance of the situation readily apparent to everyone.
Though he had clearly been given the opportunity to wash, Jaime Lannister had been sitting in a dark and dirty cell for a quarter of a year and the toll that had taken was obvious. The muscles and strength gained by years of training as a knight had begun a retreat from his frame, leaving him lean and pale and wasted, but he still held his head high and proud.
The space in front of the steps leading to the Iron Throne was quickly cleared of people, and that was where the group of four stopped. Ser Gerold bowed his head to Rhaegar before positioning himself at Jaime's back, hand resting on the hilt of his sword.
With a twist of a heavy iron key and a metallic rattle, the shackles binding his hands together were opened and the two guardsmen stepped away to give him some room. Without a blade and surrounded by armed men in armour, even someone as talented as the young Lannister did not present any threat.
Jaime used the freedom he had been given to rub his wrists while looking around the room and meeting the many faces gathered in the hall.
His cat-green eyes glanced over the Septon of the Most Devout in his crystal coronal and silver vestments, the pyromancer in his thick brown robes standing at the back of a group of onlookers, and the gaggle of young knights from the southern Riverlands peacocking in their fine doublets as they met his gaze. He ignored the Lords Rosby, Stokeworth, and Staunton, as he did all the other nobles from different corners of the realm familiar and not.
He stopped for a moment on the face of his uncle, flanked by two Lannister knights. Ser Kevan had adopted a stony expression upon his nephew's entrance and gave only a shallow nod of acknowledgement. Jaime Lannister finished his inspection of the surroundings by sneering at the white swords at the foot of the throne.
"Such an impressive group of people gathered in this hall. My noble lords and ladies must excuse me, if I had known who was gathering to see me, I would have attired myself more appropriately." Ser Jaime shrugged shoulders covered by nothing but a thin linen shirt and smiled a lion's smile. Then he looked at Rhaegar seated high above and bowed with a mocking twist of the lips. "And before our new king as well. Forgive me, Your Grace, it truly does not befit me."
Much as Ashara could understand the reasons for Ser Jaime's behaviour, she did not think it particularly wise in the current situation.
Ser Gerold clearly did not approve either. Scowling fiercely beneath his helmet he raised his hand for a reprimand, but Rhaegar stopped him by raising a hand of his own, wordlessly demanding attention.
"Ser Jaime, I did not have you brought here so that you might have an audience to address. You are to stand trial today for the crimes you have been accused of."
Lord Tarly rose from his seat as Master of Laws, his face hard as he spoke. "Ser Jaime of House Lannister. You stand accused of murdering your charge, treacherously and cowardly in the black of night as he slept. You stand accused of regicide and of breaking your sworn oath as a knight of the Kingsguard. You stand accused of treason. What say you?"
"I say that it wasn't me."
"Lies!" shouted Lord Symond Staunton, who had proposed Ser Jaime as the true identity of the mystery knight at Harrenhal to Aerys' ears, a theory the late king had heartily embraced for two days even if it had been obviously impossible. "Brazen lies!"
"You blame another man for the crime? Who then?" Rhaegar asked calmly.
"A faceless one or a sorrowful one or one of the stable boys. Find whoever you wish to blame, so long as it is another. I deny any crime. I have stayed true to my vows without fail, as a knight and a member of the Kingsguard both. My sword is clean of king's blood. My dagger as well, before any here think to ask," he quipped defiantly.
Rhaegar continued, seemingly paying the manner of his answer little mind. "On the night in question, you guarded my father's bedchamber, correct?"
Ser Jaime glanced to his back and seemed to bite back another quick-witted response. "The Lord Commander had assigned me the night's watch."
Rhaegar nodded, accepting words he already knew to be the truth. "Who then, were the last people you granted entrance and exit to the king's bedchamber on that night as you stood guard?"
"The chambermaids," came the answer after a moment of silent thought, this time without any snark. "King Aerys had been visited by one of the Grandmaester's servants before and complained of discomfort. They brought him different pillows and left again, and the king slept soundly."
"Grandmaester Pycelle?"
The grey man stood, one hand playing with the end of his long beard. "A simple sleeping draught meant to soothe the mind and body. The late king had professed dissatisfaction with his rest to me some days before and the potion's effects had been helping him."
Rhaegar signalled for the old Maester to sit down again. "If none else entered afterwards, how then do you explain my father's passing? After all, there are no other doors leading to the chamber. Or do you accuse the chambermaids of the foul deed?"
"I wager they are equally as guilty as I am. I presume that means they should be fetched so that they might be accused equally as well. It would only be fair, after all."
Ser Gerold did not raise his hand for a strike as he had before, but he leaned forward, angry revulsion written plainly across his strong features, and said something Ashara could not hear.
Jaime flinched, for a moment just the boy of sixteen that he was, and then scowled fiercely as if daring anyone to mention the momentary lapse.
"If I may, Your Grace," Grandmaester Pycelle asked, standing from the council table. When Rhaegar motioned for him to speak, he explained. "Though there are no other doors to the king's bedchamber, two large windows present enough room for one who is so inclined to pass through."
Ashara's eyes found her husband for a moment. Naruto noticed her questioning glance and gave a distracted, near imperceptible nod, answering the unspoken question.
"That is a forty-foot drop onto hard iron spikes, all the while scaling a sheer wall without handholds," Lord Tarly countered roughly. "That is no option at all, Grandmaester."
Pycelle accepted the words with a nod, thin lips downturned. "I thought only that the matter should be mentioned for all to hear, so that none may be able to twist the facts laid out by this council and His Grace."
"I thank you, Grandmaester, but Lord Tarly is correct," Rhaegar put in reasonably. "Though the act of climbing in that situation is not inconceivable, we are talking of murdering a king after all, the facts do not support the option. Only equipment would make the feat possible and there were neither traces left behind nor did anybody hear the accompanying sounds. The door is the only way, and Ser Jaime maintains that none entered as he stood guard."
Ashara saw the moment the young Lannister reached his limit. Even if it meant he was innocent, implying that he had failed in guarding the door clearly gnawed at his pride as well.
"Enough of this," Ser Jaime said, looking first at the Kingsguard at the foot of the throne and then at Rhaegar. "There is an easier solution, one that keeps me from having to listen to another word of this farce. Let the Warrior decide. I demand trial by combat."
For a moment a hush fell over those gathered in the Great Hall, which was quickly replaced by excitement. Whispers and mutterings rose, considering implications, potential fallout, or simply expressing enjoyment for the drama of the proceedings.
As heralds called for silence to return, Ashara looked at her husband again. There was a storm in Naruto's blue eyes, fixed on the young lion standing in the centre of it all, and his hand was restlessly fiddling with his dagger again.
She knew he felt responsible, and it was not difficult to realise what he was considering.
"That is your right, Ser Jaime," Rhaegar said when order had been restored. He nodded his head again. "That is your right as both a knight and noble son."
"I ask for the honour, Your Grace," Ser Gerold's voice boomed in the hall. "So that I might erase this blemish on the Kingsguard."
Jaime sneered, mouth twisting viscously at the righteous anger in the Lord Commander's voice.
Rhaegar mustered the two knights standing below him, before solemnly inclining his head at Ser Gerold. Then he looked at the young Lannister again. "Considering you physical state, do you wish to make use of a champion?"
Naruto looked ready to offer himself for the role, but before he could open his mouth and say the words, Jaime Lannister angrily chose himself.
"I'm no craven. My own sword will prove my innocence. I have no need for another to fight my battles for me."
"Very well," the king accepted, letting the insult slide. Then his eyes found the Septon in his crystal coronal for a moment as he stood from the throne. "The Gods shall decide your fate, innocent or guilty. In consideration of the situation, the trial will take place in a moon's time."
With those words, Rhaegar dismissed the matter and the court.
A few hours later, with Naruto next to her and her elder brother mustering her harshly from the opposite side of a table in their chambers, Ashara sipped lemonsweet.
"Have you lost your mind, Ashara?"
Setting down her glass and calming her husband with a touch, she met Alaric's eyes. "No, I have not. I wish to benefit you and House Dayne while also admittedly gaining something for my own family as well."
"I fail to see of what benefit this proposal could be for anyone but yourself. Please, enlighten me."
She breathed deeply, reminding herself that Alaric was not necessarily reacting this way to the situation. Grief was finding another outlet here, and seeing her and Naruto with a child on the way to boot was only bringing it to the surface. Being separated from Carella by a call to arms certainly had not helped.
"You fail to see because you don't yet know what I do."
Had the situation been different, had there been no rebellion or disagreement with Rhaegar, Ashara would have been content taking things slow.
She might have reminded her brother of the common view that the Red Mountains harboured plentiful resources. Difficult to access maybe, but plentiful nonetheless. Reminded him of the old silver mine near Starfall that had been abandoned once it had run dry centuries ago.
She might have played on the tales of Princess Nymeria she herself had recalled when seeing Naruto's abilities for the first time or strung together some story about queer abilities from the far east.
Just showing him was rather blunt, but also evocative and simple.
Though they only intended a demonstration, they had covered the listening holes in the wall and done another sweep of the chambers for any other means of spying. The door was bolted as well.
Turning to Naruto, she gently squeezed his hand. "Show him, please."
"Gladly," he smiled and reached for the carafe of water standing on the table. Filling a goblet, he let his right hand hover over the rim and closed his eyes.
Water moved, undulating in curious patterns as it rose to meet his hand. Naruto turned his palm so it faced the ceiling and the liquid followed, gathering over his hand in a calm sphere. Splaying his fingers outwards, the sphere began spinning slowly.
"Gods be good."
For all the shock of the exclamation, there was calculation in Alaric's pale violet eyes, his mind already at work making the conclusion she had come to months ago, on that fateful day on Dragonstone.
She indicated to Naruto that this display would suffice, and he allowed the water to drop away from his control. "And that is not even the end of it. I am giving you the option of accessing a resource unseen in Dorne for perhaps a thousand years and even more beyond that. None else know, yet, but you are my brother."
As Naruto sat back down next to her, Alaric stared off into space, his mind somewhere far away. But he did not linger long, quickly returning fully immersed in his role as the Lord of Starfall.
"Mining, you said?"
"Among other things, yes. Silver, gold, copper, iron; he can pinpoint it among the surrounding rock," she said, simplifying. "What exactly will be found I cannot say at this point, but it is guaranteed that something will. Perhaps not the bounty of the Westerlands, but a bounty. More than it currently is."
Alaric considered her carefully, one finger tapping a rhythm on the desk. "Let us say I believe it all. Even if my initial costs are made whole first, eight parts in twenty is too much."
"High, I grant you, but worth it. In the first place, the bounty would be largely useless without us. But there is room to speak of exact amounts," Ashara allowed. Below the table, Naruto ran a thumb along the back of her hand, the amusement he felt clear through touch alone.
I hope you enjoyed chapter 42.
This chapter was not meant to turn out this long, but oh well.
The first part continues the last chapter from the other side. Rhaenys hides under Rhaegar's bed during the Sack in canon, which would indicate that she thought of it as a safe place, so I can't imagine Rhaegar didn't have any interactions with his children, though he was gone for much longer in canon too.
The Lannister plan is inspired by Renly's suggestion in AGOT of marrying Margaery to Robert. I think Renly's character is more interesting if he doesn't know that Joff etc are bastards, so it would be necessary to have Robert set Cersei aside without any treasonous crimes being exposed. Which is sort of weird, no Targaryen king ever set their wife aside, but I can imagine some of the King's before the Conquest might have, so the idea is out there. There is no strong church to oppose the practice, as the Catholic church did in much of Medieval Europe.
Since this would not be annulment, Rhaenys and Aegon remain the lawful heirs and there would be Dornish blood on the throne once Rhaegar kicks the bucket. Even if Tywin might consider simply positioning his own grandchildren as better suited for the throne, killing Aegon and Rhaenys is a lot easier. And final.
I won't go into detail about switching sides, for Elia and her children and also Naruto and Ashara, right now. Next chapter will touch on that.
I don't think it needs to be said, but reacting the way Naruto does to prophecy and fate is irrational. Now, Rhaegar is mad in his own way, but Naruto definitely overreacts in the last chapter, leading Rhaegar to react with comparable aggression in the moment.
This chapter is him looking at the bigger picture afterwards. It's another reminder, it positions Naruto close to the Neck, and thereby the North, and it works as a PR move. Visibly rewarding someone of such low status in Westerosi society reinforces the illusion that everyone can make it.
The benefits to House Connington are basically what Robert does to them after the rebellion in reverse. They lose everything but a tenth of their land and are only landed knights and not nobles. Here they gain tremendously. The bit on House Tully is part of the reason why I can sort of respect Hoster Tully. Joining the rebellion as he does is pretty brave. If they lose against the crown, House Tully is done. Aerys would probably have them all killed and not just attainted.
This is the Jaime, he himself sees in Loras Tyrell. Talented, arrogant, and willing to prove himself against any challenge. But there is also the fact that he is completely innocent and was accused and is hated by those he thought would be his brothers in arms. This "trial" is somewhat inspired by Tyrion's after the Purple Wedding, but the exclusion of witness accounts and the like is intentional. If Rhaegar wanted, things could be much worse.
As always, thanks for reading and reviewing. Until next time.