Wife of the Wolf, Husband of the Sun

Chapter Fifty-One

The sun bearing down on him was relentless and at the moment, there was nothing that he wanted more than a skin full of cool water or even some sweet wine. The deck of the ship swayed slightly and the uneasy feeling it caused in his stomach made him want to run over to the side and release the contents of his stomach into the waiting waters below.

But Ned managed to keep control even as the sun continued it's assault on him and made his head feel light and made it hard to think, how any man could stand this relentless heat made no sense to him. Elia on the other hand seemed brighter than he had ever seen her, she had spent a great deal of time since they had taken ship from White Harbour out on the deck, more and more energetic as the air began to turn warmer and dryer.

In their cabin, she sung to their sons in a tongue that he did not recognise. Apparently it was an old Rhoynish river song that had been passed down from when Nymeria had begun her voyage to Dorne and it had been taught to Elia by a companion that she had at Sunspear when she had been a girl who had been an Orphan of the Greenblood, who were apparently some of the only Rhoynar in all of Dorne who had never wed with the Andals or the First Men.

The song itself had been sweet and sad, Elia had told him that it was about a young girl whose father and brothers had been killed during the Rhoynar defending themselves against the Valyrians and wondering what she would do now and what new land awaited for her as the ships sailed away from the Mother Rhoyne for the last time.

Speaking of the boys, for fairly young babes neither of them seemed to have much complaint against the heat as he did. It was clear to him that in this, they had taken after their mother. It shouldn't really have surprised Ned, considering how hot Elia often kept their nursery, they were used to almost constant heat. It did make him wonder somewhat how they, and Elia, would fair when they were placed inside a tower house on the Stony Shore.

It was a great honour, and Ned knew that he was a great deal luckier than most second sons, most would often just serve as knights in their elder brother's garrison and if they served well in time then perhaps they might be granted a few tracts of land to build their own tower, to have a tower built for you to start with was a great honour. Still, despite that luck it would not have the ability to pump heat through it's walls.

Before he had truly known Elia, before she had even come North, Ned remember how everyone used to speak of the poor fragile, delicate Dornish princess. Elia wasn't fragile, he was one of the strongest women that he had ever known. Not a man's strength at arms perhaps, though now that such a great deal of time had passed since and so much had happened he could look back at the memory of his tiny wife beating his sister in a sword fight with good humor, but she was strong in a different way. A way he didn't think that he could be.

But at the same time, he had seen the signs of her illness. She had told him herself that when she had been a girl her sickness had been often times been so great that she was forced to stay away from the rest of the children and be confined to her room by the maester who served House Martell until she regained her strength which often took between days and weeks for her to fully recover.

For as long as she had been in the North, the worst Ned had ever seen her was after her fight with Lyanna and she had fainted. Ned remembered how angry he had been at Lyanna at the time, how terrified he had been for his lady wife and that was also when he realised that he had actually, at some point, fallen in love with her. When terror had sunk it's claws into it's heart as he had watched her fall to the ground. How else could you ever know, other than when it was risked being taken from you forever.

It had taken her nearly a day and a half to come back into the world of the living and through all that time, Ned had not left her side. When he wasn't with her, either Ashara or the Maester were instead. That had been the worst that he had ever personally seen her but after she had born the boys in White Harbour when she returned from her captivity at Casterly Rock none had been able to wake her from a deep sleep that fell on her and they had to feed her with honey and water.

She was still weak when Ned had arrived with his father and it took her weeks before she was well enough to even attempt to make the journey back to Winterfell and even then, only in a litter with a dozen furs covering her. But she had seemed stronger at Winterfell as of late, but Winterfell was Winterfell and White Harbour was warmer than most seats in the North due to being closer to the south and the sea.

The Stony Shore was a different matter, it lived up to it's name with beaches made up of nothing but an endless waste of grey round pebbles, some as small as a peach pit and others as large as a small ball. The tide came in quick and sharp, sending spray everywhere and filling the winds with scent of salt and the wind itself was cold and went through a man with a knife.

Ned would be able to handle it, he was a Northman and Lya and Brandon were always quick to tease that he had ice water in his veins instead of blood but Elia was a woman of summer and the babes were young, the Stony Shore would be cold for even a Northman and even a tower house would be could cold. Fires would need to be built everyday to keep them warm.

Well, if that was what it took than that was what he would do.

Ned swallowed deeply as he felt his stomach began to settle, taking a few moments to catch his breath before he made his way back to the cabin, leaving the door open as he stepped inside to try and make it a little less warm. Elia was watching the boys sleep and her smile grew when she saw him come in. "Did the captain say where we were? I can't imagine that we will be far now."

They had taken ship on a Lysene trading vessel that had Planky Town as it's destination on it's way back to Essos, the captain of that was a man that Ned didn't think whose like he would ever meet again, with his copper skin and white hair and colourful silks and extravagant way of dressing with colourful silks and plum feathered caps. "Saan said we should be pulling into Planky Town within the hour."

"Good." Eila's smile could outshine the sun above and at that moment, Ned realised that he could endure the heat and a thousand times worse. "Then we should be at Sunspear by midday, I can not wait for you to see it my Lord. Winterfell has it's beauty as well of course, but I promise you. There is nowhere like Sunspear in all of the world."

"I shall trust your judgement on that, my Lady." He walked across the cabin and poured himself a cup of ice cold water from the flagon, though he wished to drink straight from the flagon itself he managed to restrain himself. He finished the first cup in a matter of seconds and poured himself another one. "Forgive me my Lady, but is it always this hot?"

Elia stared at him for a moment as though she didn't understand the question, blinked and then answered. "It's actually quite cool for Dorne, it is still winter after all." Ned imagined it was the look on his face that made his lady wife laugh at him. "Worry not my love, we shall not stay in Dorne long I should think. Just for my brothers to meet their nephews and for you to meet them. We shall be back in the north to enjoy the last few long moons of Winter, in our new tower house of our own dining on pinecone and pebble soup."

"Nothing wrong with pinecone soup, not sure about the pebbles but they might add some texture." A smile was his token for the jest and Ned sat next to her on the bed, pressing a kiss to her cheek. Elia laid her head on his shoulder as he began to speak. "And, Tower houses grow and expand and become holdfast's and keeps in time.. A second son of House Stark, Karlon was given a tower house and a few tracts of land as reward for leal service. His tower grew, became known as Karl's Hold and then the Karl Hold Starks became known as the Karstarks, becoming a noble house in their own right."

"What shall our holdfast be known as do you think? What will our noble house be known as when we are nothing but bones and dust?" Her voice sounded far away, almost tired. It had been the first time he had heard her so melancholy sounding since they had taken ship, Ned brought up his ran to run his fingers through Elia's hair and Ned felt his wife lean into the touch and into him. "Ned's hold? Eddard's hold?"

"And have our future noble house be called the Edstarks? The Nedstarks? I think our several times great grandchildren would dig up my bones and throw them into the bogs of the Neck as punishment for that, or maybe throw them to the dogs to save on the journey." Elia laughed at that and Ned smiled before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "The Shorestarks? the Stonestarks?"

"The Stonestarks, I like that. When we get back to the North, we should call our new holdfast Stonehold." It was as fine a name as any that he could come up with but he said nothing, merely listened to his wife as he spoke. "And there were will be a large heath with a fire always burning, we don't want it to be too cold. A few grey dogs that chew on bones in front of it. Some hand carved wooden chairs to sit in and bowls and bowls of pinecone soup."

"Sounds wonderful if you ask me." And it did, he could think of anything better. Nice and peaceful and as warm as they could be, with a happy smallfolk. But alas, like most things in life as of late, Ned doubted that it would be that simple. "But that is for the morrow my Love, or the morrow after it. Let us focus on today for now, and you can show me all the wonder of Dorne."

Elia nodded and soon enough a crewman knocked on the cabin wall and called down that they were approaching the dock, they climbed on to the deck with Mors in Elia's arms and Torrhen in Ned's. Both boys were still asleep, it seemed that they also didn't have trouble sleeping on a ship as their father did, he envied them that as he hadn't had a good night's sleep since they had boarded the boat.

When Ned saw the port he couldn't deny that he was surprised at what he saw, it didn't look like much of a port at all. It looked simply like a group of barges had been tethered together at the mouth of a river which he had to assume was the Greenblood. It didn't look like a ship the size of the Lysene ship would be able to find any harbour there and thus they would have to be put on a smaller ship to be rowed across.

Two ships went ahead first with most of the goods packed aboard chests with the rest to go ashore later, Ned and Elia were to go ahead on the next one but only after he had given the captain the payment. The man had kissed him on both cheeks and patted him on the back and wished them both the best of fortune. Ned was almost completely certain he would never meet a man like Salladhor Saan ever again.

They walked across the wooden walkway that all of the barges were tethered too before Elia stopped and ducked into one, Ned raised an eyebrow before he followed her inside. The inside of the barge had been made into a tavern, it was cramped and the air was filled with strange scents but Elia did not seem to notice as she strode through. If anyone in the barge was surprised by the sight of a noblewoman with a babe in her arms in their tavern then they did not show it. They did seem slightly more surprised at him however, Ned held Torrhen tight and followed after his wife.

A rotund woman with grey hair and a patch over her eye looked up from the wine stain she was trying to scrub out, letting out a cry of delight at the sight of Elia. "Princess, oh you are sight for my sore eye you are." She ran around the long plank placed on top of barrels that served as a bar and, most incredibly of all, embraced her like she was her daughter. "How beautiful you are, oh and this little one! He's your son?"

"Yes Yalla, my baby. Well, one of them." Elia gestured for Ned to come closer and she gestured at Torrhen. "He's Torrhen and this is Mors, but that's not why I'm here. Doran knew I was coming but he wouldn't know when, could you?"

"Of course Princess." Yalla ran back around the bar and picked up a large silver bell and a wooden spoon, she hit the bell hard and a low ring filled the barge which got the attention of all of the people and made them look up from their drinks, sadly it also woke Mors from his slumber and the babe began to wail in his unhappiness which alas woke his brother and set him off as well.

Yalla looked as though she had just been told that she was about to lose her other eye but Elia was quick to sooth her before moving to sooth their children, once all the sadness was forgotten with only a few stray tears to act as a reminder the woman spoke. "Right then, listen up ya lot. Ride up to Sunspear and tell the princes that their sister is here, whoever gets their first get's half year's worth of free wine."

Ned was certain that a stampede of rampaging Aurochs would have been a more peaceful exit, only one or two older patrons were left in the bar and Yalla gestured for them to follow her into a small back room which had been made out of a private cabin in the barge. A few strange trinkets and charms decorated the room and another scent filled the air but this one was less heavy and more sweet and Ned could almost convince his nostrils that he enjoyed the smell.

They took seats at a small round table and Yalla reached out to pick up a flagon from the middle of the table and quickly filled three cups. "I was keeping this for something special. And you coming to see me is special enough, considering that you didn't come and see me before you went to freeze beyond the mountains."

"I'm sorry Yaya, I meant to come and see you but everything happened in such a rush." Elia didn't take her cup as she made sure that Mors was safely settled in her arms before she spoke again. "At any rate, this my husband. Eddard of the House Stark, Ned my love. This is Yalla of the Orphans who served as a maid in Sunspear since my great-grandfather's day and was nursemaid for me and Oberyn."

"A pleasure my lady." The old woman laughed at that, one full of life.

"No Lady me my lord. Never have been one, just a woman with a tavern." Another laugh escaped from Yalla before she turned her attention back to Elia. "So then, how you've been since you left for the North Princesss? Everything been alright? Not too cold?"

Ned turned his attention once Elia and Yalla felt into conversation, his eyes ran over all the trinkets on the walls. He also bounced Torrhen every now and then to make sure that the babe was properly settled. It seemed that more time had passed than he had realised as there was a knock on the cabin door and when Yalla opened it, one of the old men said that someone had come for the princess.

Elia let go of the old woman, kissing both of her cheeks like she was her mother, before following Ned out of the barge. Waiting for them at the end of the wooden walk way were twenty men, all of them dressed in copper armour and orange silk, spears strapped across their backs and shields on their arms with the vigil of House Martell blazing on them, the copper of the shields shining as bright as the sun.

The leader of the men, tall for a Dornish man with broad shoulders, leapt off of his horse and strode towards them. Elia let out a cry of delight when his dark face stepped into view. "Cousin!" She cried out before rushing to meet him, the man embraced her, taking care not to crush Mors, and held her for a moment. Elia pulled away, the both of them laughing. "Ned, my love. May I introduce Ser Manfrey Martell, my dearest cousin and Castellan of Sunspear. Manfrey, my husband and my sons. I wasn't expecting you to come and get me."

Manfrey shook his head, grinning before he ran his fingers through his dark curls. "Well, your brothers wanted to make sure that you got back to Sunspear safely. Oberyn wanted to send a hundred guards, Doran wanted to send ten and Aero Hotah. I eventually got them to compromise. A pleasure to meet you Lord Eddard, how are you enjoying Dorne?"

A part of him wanted to say that at least for the moment he hadn't been enjoying Dorne at all, it was hot and dry and he already wanted to have something else to drink and as the sun kept beating down on him he also wanted to strip himself off his clothes and throw himself into the sea but he imagined that he shouldn't say any of that. "Dorne has been most hospitable Ser, I am most eager to meet my goodbrothers and to see Sunspear itself."

"And I know that they are eager to meet you my Lord, and see their newest nephews." Ser Manfrey ducked his finger to tickle Mors under his chin, filling the air with his cries of delight. "We knew that you had the babes so the wheelhouse is waiting." It was certainly one of the strangest litters that Ned had ever seen, it was small even compared to some of the most modest that he had ever seen, looking like at most it could perhaps hold only half a dozen people.

In terms of design it was similar to the one that had brought his Lady wife to the North but unlike that one, it looked like someone had cut it in half meaning their bodies would be exposed to the elements. Well, as it was Dorne he imagined that it would truly only be the one element. Attached to the front of the wheelhouse were two pure white horses with golden manes, they were smaller than most horses but Ned had to assume that they were the famous Sand Steeds of Dorne that could ride for days and nights with only a mouthful of water.

He wondered briefly if his Father should consider arranging a match between House Ryswell and a Dornish house that was renowned for the breeding of Sand Steeds, they might learn from one another and perhaps breed Sand Steeds that were as large as a regular horse. One of the Martell guardsmen opened the small door for the wheelhouse and Elia stepped inside, Ned giving her Torrhen once she had settled Mors on the floor next to a small mound of cushions. A brief parting kiss and Ned was lead over to a free Sand Steed which had been brought for him to ride.

Ned had been riding fully grown stallions since he had been twelve and while a Sand Steed wasn't, he had to admit that once he had saddled it he did feel partly that he was riding a pony. Ser Manfrey rode over to him and handed him a square of fabric, at the raised eyebrow Ned gave him the Martell knight was quick to explain. "Wrap it around you face and cover your mouth, it's unlikely this close to the castle but if we get hit by a sandstorm then it will keep the worst of it out of your mouth and keep the sun of off your head."

"My thanks." Ned said as he wrapped the fabric around his head, it seemed to make the heat worse but the Dornish knew how to endure their land better than he did and thus he followed their lead. Ser Manfrey nodded his approval once he had seen him finish before he rode on next to the litter and handed a few other squares of fabric down to Elia, who deftly put one around her own face but did not give the boys one. Ned knew that she had been terrified of them chocking on a bit of fabric when they were in their cradles and thus he decided to trust her judgement.

The ride was more enjoyable than he had been expecting, he had never ridden a horse on sand before but the steed seemed to know where he was going and the old master of Horse at Winterfell when his grandfather had been the Lord and before Hullen had taken the post had always told him that the horse knew that ground better than the man who rode them and it was best to give them trust.

Dorne had it's own beauty in it's way, it had none of the fertile valleys of the Vale, the never ending meadows of the Reach or even the great forests and hidden coves but the sands looked like gold in the light of the sun and the few tiny streams through out the desert were oasis of green, the water shining like silver. But even now, Ned couldn't deny that he longed to be back in the North, to breath in the cold air that could only come in the morning and to look out on the moors with a cup of hot spiced wine, some venison stew and black bread still hot from the ovens.

But Winterfell would still be there, waiting for him and his wife and his children. Elia had wanted to come to Dorne and he could not deny her that, perhaps Dorne would grow on him as the North had grown on her. Dusk was falling on the land when the began to reach the outskirts of Sunspear, his Lady Wife had not been expecting to have to wait for the guards to come to them when she had said that they should be their by midday but that didn't matter. They were here.

He had to admit, it was impressive. In truth Sunspear was actually slightly smaller than Winterfell and the Shadow City that clung too it's walls didn't look much larger than Winter's Town. The Shadow City itself seemed to have building made of mud and sandstone while Winter's Town buildings were made of stone and timber and straw but then it occurred him that the buildings of the North were built to keep the cold out while these were meant to let it in.

However, the most striking thing that he could see even from as far away as they were was that a dozen long and narrow towers rose up into the air, made of white stone and topped with gold. The longest grew more and more narrowed towards the top with a long golden spire reaching up into the sky, the one next to it was shorter but it had a great dome of gold at the top. If he had to guess and from what his wife had told him, he was looking at the tower of the Spear and the tower of the Sun.

Ser Manfrey cried for the threefold gate to be opened as they rode through the Shadow City and approached the first wall, the great wooden gates swung open as did the two pairs of gates behind it. The inside of the walls seemed more like a city, to be truthful. With noisy bazaars and large courts with fountains and indeed, it seemed at a glance, more people.

They rode through the next pair of gates and soon reached the keep of House Martell, the stronghold at the heart of Sunspear. Ned leapt from his horse and rubbed at his legs as one of their escort held the door open and Elia stepped out, both of their babes asleep in her arms. They walked into the inner courtyard and came to a stop once they saw the welcoming party.

Prince Doran was standing all though he did lean on a carved wooden stick, he was at least a decade older than his brother and his sister. He shared his black eyes, black curls and dark olive skin with both of them. Once he saw Elia and the babes a warmth seemed to fill him, the woman standing next to him was who he had to assume was Prince Doran's wife. She was beautiful, her features delicate and her head bare with rings of gold encircling her long and narrow neck. At their feet were two children, a girl who was the elder with dark olive skin and curls and a boy who was younger with his curls falling into his eyes.

Oberyn was a familiar and welcome sight, dressed in silk robes of orange, red, yellow and gold. He almost looked to be a fire made flesh, Obara was standing next to him and she had grown since Ned had last her saw her, if he had to estimate then she was about an inch taller than Lyanna. Nymeria stood next to her sister, dressed in lilac and sea foam silk, a golden snake encircling her arm.

Little Tyene was holding on to her father's arm, dressed in a gown of pure white. Ned had to take a moment when she realised that Oberyn's other arm was full with a little girl, barely more than a babe. She was as black as ink and her curls were as dark as her father's but her eyes were the brown of warm honey.

Doran approached them then, his stick clicking against the ground as he moved towards them. "Sweet sister." He embraced Elia deeply, holding on to her tightly before pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "You are as always, a sight for sore eyes and weary hearts. And indeed, these must be my nephews." A hand came out to gently cup Torrhen's cheek before he bent down to press a kiss to his forehead before doing the same to Mors.

"Thank you." Elia spoke at tears welled in her cheeks, Doran quick to wipe them away before he walked to stand in front of Ned. Ned was taller than the prince by half a head and yet, for all the frailness that the stick he required to help him walk implied, Ned sensed that he had a strength in him as well. An authority that could only come with years and years of being raised to rule.

"Well, I won't deny that I was not sure what to expect when I arranged for you to marry my sister, Lord Eddard. According to everywhere north of the mountains, those north of the neck are nothing but savage barbarians who open the throats of babes and animals and feed their blood to their tree gods." Ned felt something that might have been anger curling in their gut but before it could truly set in Prince Doran let out a laugh. "But then, according to those north of the mountains, our women our wanton and our men our wild and care for nought but blood. I think we should take their opinions with a grain of salt, don't you?"

That had soothed the anger, quelling it like a hot forged blade plunged into water and Ned nodded with a smile. "I quite agree, my Prince." He nodded towards the keep before he spoke again. "You have a fine keep, my Prince. If I may say so, we have nothing like it in the North."

"Thank you Lord Eddard, we are quite fond of it as well." Prince Doran spoke with an easy smile before he beckoned forward his wife, who strode across the courtyard with long as easy strides, the children following after her. "May I introduce my lady wife, Mellario of the free city of Norvos. My daughter and heir, the Princess Arianne and my son, Prince Quentyn."

Mellario gave him polite greetings in the thick accents of the east, Quentyn who didn't seem much older than his own sons stared up at him with wide eyes for a moment before he turned his attention to the rag doll in his hands. Princess Arianne stared at him at him for a shorter moment before she performed a curtsey. "The hospitality of Sunspear is yours, Lord Stark."

A small chuckle escaped from Ned's mouth as knelt in front of the girl as Elia pressed kisses to Mellario's cheeks and leaned down to show their sons to Quentyn before Ned spoke to the girl. "Thank you my princess, you hospitality is most welcome after our long and perilous journey. But I must inform you that my Father is Lord Stark, please call me Ned. If this is agreeable to you, and please know that any service you would ask of me. Ask, and I will see it done."

Arianne stared at him for a moment before she giggled and ran over to Tyene, taking her hand and whispering something into her ear. He supposed that could have gone worse, Oberyn came forward with the new girl in his arms and Obara and Nymeria following behind him. "Well, it's been a while and much has happened brother but you don't seem to have melted at all."

"And I imagine, my prince that if you ever came to the North, you would find it in yourself to not turn into an ice cube." Oberyn laughed at that and Elia sighed as she came closer to look at the babe in her brother's arms.

"Oh, Oberyn. Another one?"

"Another one. What can I say my dear sister, there is so much off the world to savour and I am not one to refuse to partake in it. A ship from the Summer Isles came in carrying silk, spice and this little beauty." Oberyn placed a kiss to the top of the girl's head and spoke with a gentleness that Ned would not have expected from him. "Say hello to your Auntie, Sarella."

The girl stared at Elia for only a moment before she let out a whimper and buried her face into her father's chest, clinging to him tightly. Elia sighed and reached out to run her fingers through her dark hair after she had handed both of the boys over to Mellario and Doran to hold for the nonce. "Never mind my love, there will be time enough for all of that later. The Mother?"

"She was the captain of the ship and she doesn't stay in one port for anything longer than a fortnight, she went to Pentos to give birth and only went there during the last few weeks. She tried for her, to be fair. But she came to the conclusion that ship life is no place for a babe and has thus decided to bring her to me. She did mention that she may come visit her at times and I saw no reason to refuse her that."

"Fair enough." Elia said before she pressed a kiss to the girl's crown once again, Ned had to wonder if any woman of the Riverlands or the Reach or the Crownlands or the Stormlands or the Westerlands or even from the North would be so accepting of her brother bringing home another bastard. Well, even if she did disapprove it didn't matter. The girl was here now. "Doran, might we unpack and refresh for the night?"

"Of course, I mean to hold a feast to celebrate your arrival and the fact that I am an uncle twice over. I will see you then, Mel, would you please attend me. Hotah?" The large man with an equally large axe slammed the butt of it down on the ground and followed his prince and his prince's lady into the keep, Oberyn fell into a low bow and followed his brother into the keep, his daughters following after him.

Ser Manfrey ordered his men to take their posts and took it upon himself to lead them through the bright and airy corridors of the keep and up a set of stairs into a large room, he made his farewells and soon enough it was just Ned, Elia and their sons. Someone had taken the forsight of having some cradles set up in the room and Elia placed both boys down before she went to lay down on her bed. "So, what did you think of them."

"They seem noble and kind and as wonderful as you told me that they would be." Ned went to lay down next to her, his fingers brushing through her hair. "Was it good to see them?"

"It was, though I must admit. It surprised me to see Mellario and my brother in the same place." That made Ned frown and Elia spoke again. "My brother and his wife, well. They aren't able to see as much of one another as they would both like too." Again, that made little sense to him. They were wed, why wouldn't they be able to see one another as much. At any rate, Ned was not about to question it.

"It's a shame Ashara didn't come with us, she could have seen her family. They must miss her." Elia's voice sounded far away and Ned's hand came out to stroke her cheek, her dark eyes met his own.

"Ashara made her choice, it doesn't reflect on you."

"She's my lady, I should have ordered her to come with me."

"You didn't and it's done, don't worry about it now. You came because you missed your brothers, your nieces. And now, you've got a new one. Enjoy the sun while it lasts." Elia let out a laugh at that and pressed a kiss to his cheek.

"When did my lord get so wise?"

"My love, would you believe the day I married you?"

End of Chapter Fifty-One

Welp, another chapter done and dusted. Writing about Dorne is always fun and we will be coming back here right after the next chapter that I will be keeping a secret for now.

I wanted to point something out that a lot of people brought up, what is Rhaegar waiting for. For one thing, it's important to remember that he really at the moment is only allied with the Lannisters. STABM is against the king but that doesn't automatically mean that they are for him, remember that Robert is his cousin. He's trying to find a way to convince them support his succession.

Another thing is a quote from a storm of swords "Changes will be made. I meant to do it long ago but...well, it does no good to speak of roads not taken." Rhaegar is conflicted, he's taking about going to war against his own father. Not an easy thing to do and I believe that doubt made him wait too long.

With much love,

DiscordantSymphony