Wife of the Wolf, Husband of the Sun
Chapter Forty-Two
It was strange how such little things could have such a firm grip on her heart, she had heard stories of course that the love between a mother and a child was instantaneous. But she had heard just as many stories about mothers who didn't love their children. The septon at Sunspear had always said that a mother that did not feel the love for her child was a miserable creature. That she had rejected the light of the Seven and would spend the rest of her days wandering in the first of the seven hells.
She didn't think it was fair, love took time and love took work. Who was to say that at times the love for children was any different? A child was just a person as well and Elia did not love all the people she had ever met. Children could be terrible as well, they could grew into terrible people.
She was lucky, she did already love her children, she wanted them more than anything in the world. She had done from the moment she had found that they were growing inside of her. She just wondered if she truly deserved to love them, she was willing to kill them and herself in order to bring ruin to the people who had separated her from Ned.
She had not had too, Tywin Lannister had been smart enough to realise that he couldn't fight off the combined might of the North and Dorne and the Stormlands and the Vale. But the thought of how she had been willing to do it, to end all their lives just to bring misery down on the house that had scorned her made her feel terrible, it made her feel like she was a monster. Maybe she was a monster.
But every time Mors sniffled and she soothed him or Torrhen smiled up at her with a mouth will no teeth, she knew that she had made the right choice. Her sons might have been happy growing in the Westerlands but they would never have what they would deserve. Here they would be loved and while they would be no kings or princes or Lord Paramounts but they would be loved, they would be truly happy here and that was more than enough for her, and ensuring that was worth anything.
Elia had woken from her sleep when she had heard Torrhen crying, he had been louder than his brother from the moment that he had left her. He almost seem like a storm that had been trapped inside the body of the babe, when he was upset he did not cry, he wailed. It was not all bad in truth, when her eldest babe was happy he squealed in delight and he was always happy for her.
The only problem was when his wails woke his brother, Mors was a quieter babe by far and she imagined that was something he had received from his father but when ever his older brother's crying woke him from his sleep he could cry for just as loud and just as long. She was still not able to stand, the birth had taken a great deal out of her and her bones ached with a deep tiredness that did not seem to abate.
The thought of standing had been painful and she had already done so once today, when Ned had came to her and she did not wish to stand again. In truth Elia did not think that she could, not now. She had to wake Ned now and ask him to bring both of them to her, he had done with a smile though she had to shake him several times in order to wake him.
Torrhen was in her arms as he had been hungry, it almost seemed as though her eldest babe was never full and thus she often had to give him more milk than she did his brother, which simply had the effect of making her feel worse that she had to spend most of her milk on feeding one of her babes and not the other. She supposed that a wet nurse would need to be found to help her but it would not reflect well on her.
She had learned that in the North it was expected for noble ladies to feed their own children, she had not minded the information when it was given to her though it had come as a surprise. A southern lady was expected to not breastfeed as it interfered with her ability to breed more children for her lord, she hadn't liked that as she had always wanted to feed her own children but even in Dorne she would have been expected to hand her babes over to a wetnurse.
But now even now she had the opportunity, she could not even do that right. Another failure, the North would look down on her for, kinder people would pity her. The frail bride of their lord's second son, how much of a shame it was when he could have been married to one of their strong northern daughters who were at least more likely to survive birthing their children, wouldn't be trapped in bed for days and days afterwards and would have enough milk in their breasts to ensure that all children born to him would be able to grow strong.
When Elia felt a tear rolling down one of her cheeks she brought up her hand and brushed it away, she would not cry. It was a childish impulse and it was not one that she would indulge. She was a mother now, and she would be there to stop the tears. She had to be stronger then she felt than she was, she didn't have any other choice.
Eddard was holding Mors, their younger son was a quiet babe who barely ever cried and she had found that she loved him all the more for that, her own mother had always told her that every mother always prayed for a quiet babe, it would mean that there would be far fewer headaches that they would have to endure. She and Doran had been quiet babes as well according to their mother as had Mors and Olyvar.
Also according to their mother the gods had paid her back for all those quiet babes by giving her Oberyn, who when upset could cry for hours and would not allow any of his nurses even a moments sleep. Elia had been forced to share a nursery with her brother as there was only a year between them, and even to this day she was certain that she could still hear the echoes of those cries ringing in her ears.
A soft rain was falling outside of the window and light was streaming in from the late afternoon sun, the sun always seemed brighter when it was raining but it was never as bright as it was in Dorne. Despite the bright light however it did not take long for both of their sons to slip back into the embrace of their dreams once her oldest boy had been feed and her youngest could settle without the threat of his brother once again waking him.
Ned walked over to the two large cradles, which had been gifts from Lord Manderly and Elia knew that she would have to take them back with Winterfell so to avoid insulting him but the cribs were finely made and she would have no issue with bringing them back with her for that reason it was simply the fact that it was clearly a brazen political move on Lord Wyman's part.
She was already in his debt for him allowing her to stay here as a guest, he didn't need to do any more. She knew that it was partly expected but she just hated that someone was already using her sons as pawns in the great game. She had wanted to keep them away from it for as long as possible, if she ever introduced them too it at all.
The North had no time for the game, at least not enough time to play it openly. It would have kept them safe, as would their status as sons of the second son of a great lord. She had once dreamt about being the queen, Rhaegar's Queen, but what she wanted more than ever now was for her children to be safe and for her children to be Ned's.
She had one of those things and she would do anything to make sure that the other happened, anything in the world that was required of her. If she got hurt then that was fine, she was a Martell, a princess of Dorne, she could endure so long as those she loved were safe and happy.
Ned had just finished putting Mors down and walked over to the bed, Elia held out Torrhen for him to take. Once the babe had been moved he squirmed in his sleep and for a moment Ned looked so terrified that he would wake up and cry again that Elia had to place her palm over her mouth to stop herself from laughing.
How could such a man be afraid of something so tiny?
Torrhen was soon placed in his own crib next to his brother's and Ned came back to sit on the foot of the bed before he reached out with his hand and cupped Elia's face, his thumb gently stroking the skin and Elia closed her eyes to bask in the tenderness, loving every single moment of it. The warmth that this man had only for her.
"My lady, are you feeling better?" He asked gently and Elia felt terrible that she didn't feel better, even at the moment her eyes felt heavy and all she wanted to do was to go back to sleep. She always knew that her sickness was going to make it all difficult on her but she had hoped that she would have found some extra hidden strength inside of her but so far, if she had it, it seemed to be alluding her.
"I feel better than I did." It wasn't saying much but it was the only thing close to a lie that she felt comfortable with telling him, and it wasn't a lie. She did feel better than she had and considering after the birth of her sons she had fallen asleep soon after and they hadn't been able to wake her up for close to two days after and they had to feed her with honey and water.
It had terrified her, not so much the thought of dying itself though she imagined that would always hold a certain fear over her, it was simply the fact that she didn't want to leave her children alone. She had no doubt in her mind that Ned would be an excellent father of course, but she had brought them into the world and she wanted to help them through it for as long as she could.
Her words seemed to make Ned feel a bit better as he graced her with one of his warm smiles, rare as they were from what many who misjudged him would assume as a cold man. Ned wasn't cold, shy to be sure and not someone with who it could be easy to speak to at times but she didn't doubt that anyone who could break through the cold shell would see someone who was loyal and loved with his entire heart.
And she had been lucky enough to see that for herself, to be embraced by it.
"I am glad to hear it, I can not wait for all of us to return to Winterfell. I want our sons to see where they came from, to understand what it means to be Starks even if they will never sit there." He smiled and lowered his hand to take hers, holding it gently. "And, when we are allowed a few moments to ourselves which I have no doubt will be few and far between, I would quite enjoy taking you down to the hot springs once again."
Elia smiled brightly, the memory of that day had always been pleasant for her to dwell upon when her sadness had threatened to overwhelm her when she had been a guest of the Lannisters. It wasn't just the act itself that made her smile, it was everything about those moments in the scant light, the feeling of Ned all around her, the feeling of Ned inside of her, the way the water soaked deep into her bones and soothed the deep ache that was always present in them and that she had long ago learned to hide as best as she could.
It had been a wonderful morning, and one that she had hoped to repeat as many times as possible but Oberyn's letter had invited her south and her love for her brother had made her want to see him before anything else. The idea that she would be in any danger hadn't even occurred to her, she had been so foolish, she had known even then that King's Landing was a viper's nest with a mad king ruling over it all.
She had been a fool, she had let her heart get in the way of her head. If she had half as much sense as she liked to think that she had then she would have written back to Oberyn and tell him to run back to Dorne as fast as possible, it was a wide gaping pit that drew everyone in and kept them there. She had to wonder if Aegon the Conqueror would have begun to build the city where he did if he had any idea of what it had turned into now.
She wondered what he would think were he to see what had become of his family, the man sitting on the iron throne barely more than a giant scab who barely eat or drink because all around him all he heard and saw were treasons being plotted against him. A man who was a monster to his own wife, who terrified his youngest son. Only Rhaegar was a true dragon, and there was little that he could do.
"I can not wait for us to return either." She spoke, trying to get her mind away from the thoughts about the family that if things had been different she might have been a part of. "Soon we shall go, each day a little more of my strength returns to me. I do not think it will be very long now."
"You may take as much time as you need, my lady. I do not wish to rush, all that matters to me now is that you are here with me, and you are safe. And they are safe." Ned cupped her face and joined their lips together once again and Elia allowed herself to melt into the embrace until Ned pulled away from her. "Do you plan on telling your brothers that you are here, of course you will."
Elia frowned slightly, she would normally not waste any time in writing to Doran and informing him that she was safe but with the Mad King's paranoia and his actions as of late he would more than likely be watching for any ravens travelling long distances and if Varys told him about one that had been sent from the North to Dorne...it would not be a good idea.
If nothing else Doran was not stupid, he would have spies in the Westerlands and at least one or two in Casterly Rock but none of her brother's agents would be foolish enough to approach her, it would simply tip the Lannisters off. Doran was more than likely aware that she was no longer in Casterly Rock and was now finally home, the only thing she had to wonder was did he think that she had been heading for Dorne?
If he had found out that she was no longer in the custody of the Lannisters then she supposed it was only natural that he would assume that she would be heading straight for Dorne, it was a much shorter journey from Lannisport to Dorne then it was from Lannisport to White Harbour. It was odd but at the time, while she had been making up her plan on how to get Lord Tywin to let her leave she hadn't spared much of any thought to Dorne, she had been thinking about White Harbour, the North and Ned.
That realisation made her feel awful, not only was she a terrible mother but she was also a terrible sister who didn't care that her brothers were both probably worrying for her at this very moment, of course with Oberyn there was no probably and he was more than likely tearing at the walls this very moment, she hated to think what Doran would be doing to keep him under control. Their older brother would not have Dorne dragged into a war that they could not wine, it was possible that he had imprisoned their brother and his daughters in the Spear Tower.
She hated to think of her nieces being imprisoned, Obara was a strong headed girl but Elia wasn't sure how she would be able to cope with being imprisoned, worse yet she didn't know how she would react on finally being let out. Nymeria had a cooler head but when angered she could be just as rash as her elder sister, thankfully it took a great deal for her ire to be raised.
And Tyene. poor, sweet Tyene who was little more than a babe. The thought of her sitting in a dark cell and crying for her father and her sisters was as painful to her as a dagger being planted in the dark. She could only hope that she knew Doran as well as she thought that she did and that he could never be that cruel, but then wasn't that part of the problem? She knew Doran Nymeros Martell, her brother. She understood him. She wasn't sure if she truly knew Doran Martell, Prince of Dorne.
They weren't the same people, she had learned that lesson along time ago. When their mother had died, Doran had taken over planning her betrothal without a second thought. He always asked her opinions on how it was going but there was never any doubt that she would have to be married. When Doran was the prince, he was not her brother. It was a lesson that she had learned but Oberyn had not yet.
Ned seemed to notice that she was in a dark mood and so he placed his hand under her chin to tilt her head up to look into her eyes, he offered her a smile and Elia tried her best to return it. Though. it was clear by the frown that soon replaced the smile on Eddard's face that it did not seem convincing. "Write a letter to them, I think I know what you are thinking and I agree. We do not know how the Mad King will react if he learns that you are returned but I think that we can assume that he will not take it well. Regardless, a single rider has no reason to be stopped."
The thought did grant her some little comfort, despite what was said about him the Spider wasn't everywhere at every time, he couldn't be. She would write a letter, and then she and Ned would confer with Lord Rickard about it. She wouldn't want to place either side of her family in any danger, not unless she had too. Not again.
There was a sudden knock at the door and Ned stood up from the bed and walked over to the door, he pulled it open a crack to see who was outside and then turned her and told her that he would just be a moment before he stepped out. She frowned slightly as she was left alone for those few moments but soon the door opened and Ned stepped inside. "My family is here, they want to see and meet the babes but if you don't feel that you are ready then I can send them away."
"No, no of course not. I would love to see them, I've missed them all." She spoke and Ned smiled at the words before he turned and opened the door and ushered his father, sister and younger brother inside. She was pleased to see that Lord Rickard seemed to have recovered from the heart attack that he had suffered, he was standing as tall as he had done before the incident though she couldn't help but notice that one of his hands did seem to be trembling somewhat.
Lyanna seemed taller than when Elia had last seen her, when she had first met the girl she had just begun to turn from a girl into a woman but now she was almost completely a woman now. And that could only mean that her wedding to Robert Baratheon was getting nearer and nearer, which she was more than certain the girl was waiting for with baited breath.
To be fair to her the girl had not been complaining about the match as much after what had happened to her father and she did have a legitimate reason to complain, while it had not been much Elia at least had some say in who she was wed too, Lyanna had none what so ever. It was a ridiculous practice, to wake a girl up one day and tell her that she was to be wed to someone that she had never met before in her entire life.
Elia had been lucky, she had met Ned once or twice before at a few small feasts here or there and it did not take her long to grow fond of him and from that fondness had soon grown love. She was beyond lucky in truth, more women than men would like to admit never became happy with their matches and simply endured in their misery until their husband died, taking what little joy where they could and when they could.
She hadn't spoke to Ned about it yet as he knew how much he cared for Robert, he had included him in the names he considered for their sons just after his brothers by birth. It would not be an easy topic to bring up as she knew that Ned loved his sister but Ned loved Robert as well, he probably knew him better than he did any of his actual brothers. It was a hard position to be stuck in, she knew. In truth there was little that Ned could do, even if Ned decided to protest the match which Elia did not think that he would do as the second son there was little that his opinion meant in this matter.
It made her feel sad for Lyanna, the girl had been something of a pain at first but after time had passed Elia had found herself growing quiet fond of the girl and by the time they had left to go to King's Landing she had been close to calling the girl a friend, though she had always been closer to Catelyn and Ashara instead of her. It was a shame, if ever a girl had been born in the wrong place then it was Lyanna.
She would do well in Dorne, she thought. She could almost see the girl on the back of a sand steed, riding through the dunes with the sun shining down on her and her lovely black hair flowing behind her in the wind. Yes, Lyanna would more than likely be happy there.
Of course, then she thought about Lyanna meeting her brother and the thought sent a chill up her spine and made her realise that perhaps the gods were wise to keep them as far apart as possible. Lyanna and Oberyn, Elia did not see how the realm would be able to survive a fortnight.
Benjen did not seem much different either, he had grown taller slightly and his face seemed to be shedding the plumpness of childhood. As soon as he saw her he offered a warm smile that Elia was only too ready to return to him, it hadn't occurred to her until now exactly how much she had missed the boy until right this moment.
There was no sign of Brandon or Catelyn but that did not surprise her, after what had happened to Lord Rickard, Brandon had begun to take on greater responsibility and it was often the duty of the firstborn child to rule in their father's stead when they were gone. Catelyn would have course stayed by his side, if they weren't married by now then Elia would be extremely surprised as she did not think either Lord Hoster nor Lord Rickard would be willing to wait much longer.
What did surprise her however that there was no sign of Ashara what so ever, her absence hurt more then she had expected. But of course, she hadn't been expecting her to be absent. Ashara had always been there when she truly needed her to be and to see that this time she wasn't after all that had happened, it did hurt. "Where is Ashara?"
"She wanted to come, but Lauryn was feeling unwell and she didn't want to leave her alone. She sends her love and she says that she can't wait to see you. Also, she wants to be their godmother." Lyanna explained as she came to sit at the foot of the bed, Elia laughed at the words and shook her head. "Are you feeling alright? We've all been worried about you."
"I am feeling much better than I have been, thank you for being worried about my Lyanna but I am honestly well enough. I am home now and there is nothing for any of us to be worried about." Of course that wasn't true, after what had happened she could feel it deep in her bones just as clearly as she could feel the ache.
War was coming on the wind, all it would take was one tiny spark and it would ignite a wildfire that might leave nothing standing once all was said and done. She hated to think what it could be that would set it all in motion, whatever it was would likely not survive to see the end of it.
"Can I hold them?" Benjen asked and Elia turned her head to see the thin boy standing over Mors's crib, staring down at her little baby. Ned stood up with a small frown, walked over to the crib and grabbed his younger brother's upper arm and began to drag him away, ignoring his brother's complaints.
"We only just got them to settle down Benjen, I don't want them to wake up." Ned said sternly and Benjen crossed his arms and pouted heavily. Elia and Lyanna shared a smile and it only grew when Lord Rickard came up and swatted Ned behind the ear. "Father!"
"Oh enough Ned, they won't wake up if we are just to hold them. Princess Elia, may I?" Elia nodded and Rickard smiled as he walked over to Mors crib and picked the slumbering babe out of the crib, Ned sighed and walked over to Torhen's crib and took him out as well.
There were coos and mutters and promises made and kisses pressed to foreheads and tiny hands, Lyanna was terrified both times as she held both of her nephews, staring down at them having gone so pale that she was almost see through and her eyes had turned to the size of dinner plates and while Elia did not say it out loud she was glad that the girl was sitting on the bed with her and Elia was ready to lunge forward if she happened to drop either of them.
But she didn't, she was clearly not comfortable but she did not drop them and that at least was the more important thing.
What surprised her was how well that Benjen actually managed, as the youngest of the Stark children Elia couldn't imagine that he had ever held any babies before now but he hold both of his nephews with an effort less ease, if it looked as if they were going to wake up he soothed them and Elia saw the surprise she felt mirrored on Ned's face.
It was Lord Rickard who nearly made her cry however, the man did not smile often. He was stern and serious and commanded respect but when he held his first two grandsons and pressed a kiss to both of their foreheads, perhaps for the first time Elia did not see Lord Rickard of House Stark, she saw Rickard Stark who had just become a grandfather and was holding his grandsons for the very first time.
It seemed like hours passed but at the end of them both of the boys were placed back in their cribs, she had Ned keep an eye on which was which as she did not want to start calling them by the wrong names, and Lyanna and Benjen were both sent to the rooms that Lord Wyman had made up for them and so it was only herself, Ned and his father in the room.
"There are things that I need to discuss with the both of you, important things that can not leave this room. The first matter, I've already spoken to Brandon and Lady Catelyn about this, is that I will be leaving the North for a short time to head south." Ned suddenly sat straight up in the bed and stared up at his father with wide eyes and an open mouth as he tried to speak, only half form words and chocked of air coming out.
"I will not hear any arguments on this matter Ned, there is a reason that I did not tell your brother or your sister. This is important and I am going, there is nothing more that needs to be said." Ned looked like he was going to say something but instead he simply closed his eyes, let out a sigh and nodded his head. Elia reached out and stroked his back.
"Where are you going?" Ned asked, his voice did not hide his disapproval of the idea but he did not question it.
"I can't say."
"You don't trust us?"
"I do trust you, it is other people that I don't trust. There can be no word slipping out about where I am going, as far as the rest of the realm is concerned I am still in the North, not completely recovered from my little incident. When you return to Winterfell you will say that I suffered another attack and it has left me much weaker, I can not stand nor even try to get out of the bed." Lord Rickard said, each word seemed to be filled with hidden commands.
"When shall you be leaving Goodfather?" Elia asked.
"As soon as possible, I will be staying in White Harbour for a time but as soon as possible I shall be riding for Moat Cailin. I shall return as soon as possible, now there is another thing that I must discuss and it is a delicate matter and I would not bring it up if I did not think that it was not important." Lord Rickard let out a sigh and folded his hands together, the sight sent a chill up Elia's sign as she imagined this is how the Lord of Winterfell would look as he was about to take the head off of a criminal. "Lord Wyman told me that you asked Ser Jaime to accompany you in the birthing room?"
Elia got the sense that her head being taken off would have hurt far less than this, Ned suddenly pulled away from her and he looked at her like...like she was a stranger. She didn't think anything had hurt her more in her entire life. Still, she had made her choice and she would not bow her head or shy away from it now. She locked eyes with Lord Rickard and spoke. "Yes, Lord Stark I did. May I ask why it matters?"
"Did you stop for a moment to consider how it might look? Ser Jaime escorts you all the way back to the North and then, when you are ready to bear my grandchildren. You ask him to attend to you when no man should ever have a place in a birthing room." The lord of Winterfell shook his head, his eyes were stormy. "Of course, I am assuming that they are my grandchildren. They do not look much like Starks to me."
Suddenly a fury that Elia did not know that she could possess filled her and if she could then she would have jumped out of her bed and would have thrown herself at the man, not to say that would have done much as Lord Rickard was one of the biggest man's she had ever seen in her entire life with only Gregor Clegane being larger than him.
And so, Elia simply settled for levelling a glare at him and tightening her grip around the white sheets of her bed, imagining that it was her goodfather's neck. "How dare you? How dare you?! You would dare insinuate that I and Ser Jaime? No, no we did not. I was pregnant before I even left the North, I only found out after we had reached the other side of the Neck! And I know of no Lannisters with grey eyes!"
"Very well, those maybe my grandchildren. In fact I know they are, I am merely speaking what I think many already believe. You were to wed Prince Rhaegar, you were put aside and married to my son. You ask my son to take you to King's Landing after a letter arrives from the capital, you go to the capital and meet Ser Jaime, Ser Jaime crowns you queen of love and beauty, the king, whose dearest friend was a Lannister, breaks apart your marriage and the Lannisters take you back to Casterly Rock where you spend months and months."
"When you finally do return to the North, it is will a full Lannister escort and with Ser Jaime accompanying you, and then you ask him to attend the birth of your children. Now, pretend this wasn't you. Pretend this was gossip you had heard about a noble lady. Without knowing anything else, what did the picture I just pant for you seem to suggest?" He asked and Elia hated to admit it but it did seem to look quiet bad.
"But there are different circumstances, the letter was from Oberyn and I didn't know that Ser Jaime would crown me Queen of Love and Beauty, I didn't!" Suddenly she felt tears burning her eyes and breathing suddenly seemed a great deal harder as she tried to stay calm, if she started crying then she might wake the children and she didn't want that. They needed their sleep.
"Father, please your upsetting her. There is no need for this, I know that Elia would not do it. And I knew those were my children the moment I looked at them." Ned's words and how strong and steady his voice was filled her warmth but somehow all that made her want to do at the moment was weep even more than she had done, a few tears spilled over the banks and rolled down her cheeks.
"And I know that they are my grandchildren, I am sorry Princess. I truly did not mean to upset you but you need to understand what you have done. It matters a great deal what people think is the truth. It is known that your mother and Joanna Lannister were friends of old and that a betrothal between you and ser Jaime when you were children was considered. It was only the death of the Lady Joanna and Lord Tywin's rejection that stopped such a thing from happening. You spent time with him, whose to say that you may not have developed feelings for him in that time? There will a thousand stories now."
Elia felt her chest heave and for a moment she thought that she was going to be sick but she managed to catch her breath before she wiped her tears away quickly. "I am very sorry that when it felt like I was being torn open as I brought my children into this world that I did not take a moment to think of the political consequences of needing a hand to hold."
"Again, I do not blame you Princess. All I am saying is that this has now caused us a problem. I will leave the both of you alone for now, Ned, there is another thing to discuss." And with that, Lord Rickard turned and left the room. Soon Ned and Elia were left alone and a heavy silence filled the room, all that could be heard was the soft breathing of the twins.
"Ned...I swear I didn't...I wouldn't...Before we arrived in the capital I hadn't spoken a word to Jaime Lannister since we we're children and I only asked that he came with me because he was one of two people at Casterly Rock who was kind to me and I knew Tywin Lannister would spare no expense to make sure his son was safe. Ned, I promise you." Suddenly it was all too much, her body heaved with every sob and she had to cover her mouth.
Soon two strong arms which she had loved more than anything came up to hold her and she felt a kiss being press to the crown on her head but that did not stop the sobbing, it simply kept coming.
Ned didn't let go of her.
End of Chapter Fourty-Two
And there is our newest chapter done and dusted, I am not unware of how Jaime staying with Elia would look but a story with little to no conflict would be boring and the conflict doesn't need to be between Elia/Ned/Jaime.
Not to say there won't be a bit of conflict to relate to that.
Now, speaking of that the next chapter will be from Jaime's perspective, the one after that will be from Rhaegar's and the one after that will be a new P.O.V. All I will say is that it is not Rickard and it's not a character that had a P.O.V in the books and I have not seen them have a lot of P. in fanfics.
If you guess who it is, I will tell you in a private message.
Welp, please review, follow and favourite.
Love,
Doctorwhofan12345.