Who Dares Wins
Chapter II
South of Harrenhall, 282 AC
Edward, or rather Rhaegar Targaryen now, surveyed his three companions. He didn't really know what happened to him. He was pretty sure that he died in Afghanistan, but the rest was a mystery. When he woke up, he was confused and disoriented but now, his vision was clear.
His best guess would be that Edward Balwin merged with Rhaegar Targaryen, creating a mix of the two. Despite that, he was actually sure that he was more Ed than Rhaegar. Why, you ask ? Because he couldn't sense any substantial change from before his death.
He only had a feeling in the back of his mind, a great melancholy that was trying to drag him down a dark pit, but Edward was a trained Special Forces operator before his death. And nobody with a weak mind has underwent the selection and came out on top. The tests were hard, truly hard. On the body and on the mind. And yet, he came out stronger. First of his promotion, he led his men, his brothers, from the eliminatory tests in the mountains of the Pyrenees to the battlefields in Iraq and Afghanistan.
If there was something he was not, it was weak. And so Edward Balwin, while taking a few attributes from Rhaegar, mostly physical and all memories of this new world, overwrote his personality. If he had to explain what he felt, he would say that he was now Edward in Rhaegar's skin but with the Targaryen's memories.
He could now put a name of the faces he saw. He remembered the great fire of Summerhall, the tears and the smoke. He saw his father's face, changing from a loving parent to the Mad King he now is. He could perfectly picture his beautiful mother's face, and the sad look she now ported constantly.
But most of all, he saw Elia, his beautiful, sweet and kind Elia. His wife or rather Rhaegar's wife. But they were one and the same now. Edward was never married, he had a few relationships before but his job didn't let him settle down with anyone.
He was always traveling around the world. In France, it was accepted that the Special Ops had less dans 10 days of vacation in the year, and even then they could be interrupted if an emergency took place. And before joining the army he was studying to be an engineer, a common enough cursus for the future great officers of the army, which was not something that was known to leave time for the students.
But Elia was everything he ever imagined he could want in a wife. She was caring and sweet. Beautiful and kind. He couldn't understand why Rhaegar couldn't find it in himself to love her as husband should. He could see in his memories that while they were content together, they were not happy. The closest he could find to describe it would be two friends living as roommates, not an ideal situation for a married couple.
The only point where Rhaegar and Ed were in complete agreement was the children, Rhaenys and Aegon. From a purely objective viewpoint, the names were already beautiful. The two rascals were even more so.
Rhaenys was a lot like her mother, to the point Ed couldn't understand why Rhaegar could love one and not the other, she was sweet and energetic, kind and compassionate. She always wanted to play, with him, with her mother or with her black cat Balerion. Seeing the bond she shared with her cat, he felt an acute pain in his heart for Orso. His dog died with him, and they couldn't even be together in this life. He would always mourn for him, like a father that lost his son.
As he began to feel the melancholy take hold again, the fact that he thought of the being he considered a son brought his mind back to Rhaegar's actual living son. His heir. Aegon. He was only 1 year old for now, Rhaegar's mind supplied the memory of a Maester telling him that in this land everyone says nameday. So his son was one nameday old and he already charmed everyone in the Red Keep, from his wetnurses, the equivalent of a Nanny from earth, to the courtiers.
He was clearly not on Earth now and so he will do as he was taught, he will improvise and adapt. If this was to be his life now, then he would live it to the best of his capabilities. Edward Baldwin is dead. Rhaegar Targaryen was born again, greater and better. Even in his head, he would have to refer himself as such from now on.
Even though he did not understand how or why he was brought here, he could recognize the name he now carried. Indeed, the days were long in the army. Most thought that it was always action and training but all veterans would tell you that it is mostly waiting. He could still remember a phrase he heard when he first arrived in the Fort of Bayonne, all wide eyed with wonder and proud as a peacock :
"Right now, I am waiting for my sergeant, then I will wait for my captain and when he is here we will all wait for the colonel who will tell us to wait for further instructions"
It seemed so long ago now…
But the main thing was that you had a lot of time in the army, not really free time but still time where you could do something for yourself, reading for example.
Since he was a young boy Edward always loved to read, a trait shared with Rhaegar. But after the selection, he began to read a lot more and nearly all genres of books. He got a profound love for fantasy novels and his favorite was hands down the Iron Throne Saga or more commonly known as A Song of Ice and Fire.
That explained why he was so shocked when he was first called "Rhaegar". He knew the history and the lore behind this character and if he was not wrong, he merged with him just before he committed his second biggest mistake : his wedding to Lyanna Stark, the young girl who spoke to him earlier. The first is obviously her abduction.
Rhaegar, as he now called himself because that's who he is from now on, had absolutely no intention of committing the same folly. He will not bring Fire and Blood to his own kingdom.
It was actually weird to consider himself a Royal. Being French, his perception of Royalty was of a tyrant that the people needed to bring down but it was tempered by the original Rhaegar's memory who considered royalty as a burden and a duty to the people.
However, the new Rhaegar was not a man without ambition. He had risen quickly through the ranks in the army and one of his dreams was to engage in politics after he was made general.
And now it seemed that absolute power was just a step away.
But first he had to deal with the problems at hand.
It was clear that the tourney of Harrenhall had just passed and from his memories he could see "himself" defeating all opponents and crowning Lyanna the Queen of Love and Beauty.
Rhaegar didn't care at the time, but now that he was inspecting his memories he could see that something was not right. During the jousting, Rhaegar beat everyone without even trying, or at least that's what it seemed. And his mind was completely blank when he crowned Lyanna, his eyes were empty and he looked like a puppet.
In the back of his mind, he could only hear a whisper :
"The dragon must have three heads"
With the experience he now had and the knowledge from the books, Rhaegar suspected that the problem came from beyond the Wall, from distant kin with too many eyes. But it was only a suspicion and no fact could support this theory. For now at least.
He needed a plan to act now.
He was currently with Lyanna, Ser Oswell and Ser Arthur, in the south of Harrenhall, he would say about three days of riding away from the great fortress. The original Rhaegar's plan was to marry Lyanna in the Isle of Faces but the new Rhaegar could not accept that.
There was also the problem of her brothers and father. The news that he had "abducted" Lyanna must have reached them by now and if Rhaegar remembered correctly, the books always said that Brandon Stark rode directly to King's Landing to demand his head.
If you had no issue with exhausting your horses, you could reach King's Landing from Harrenhall in 6 days. That meant Rhaegar and his party could never reach them in time.
If he remembered correctly, after the wedding the original's plan was to bring Lady Lyanna to the Tower of Joy, which was in the north of Dorne.
The easiest choice would be to bring back Lyanna to Riverrun and beg forgiveness from the Starks but there were two problems with that.
First, he would probably lose his head, and he had no intention of dying again so soon.
The second problem was that he now knew that Rhaegar never kidnapped Lyanna. She went willingly and even worse, it was her, the proud She-Wolf of Winterfell that begged Rhaegar to take her with him. Lyanna wanted absolutely nothing to do with Robert Baratheon or any betrothal.
And it was that more than anything, that made Rhaegar unwilling to bring her back and leave her to her fate. Maybe it was not really him, but he still gave her his word that she would be free and he will not go back on it.
That didn't mean that they could just escape together and leave everything behind. Rhaegar had a family and a responsibility to them, he will never let them be hurt by his choices.
He knew why Bloodraven, if his suspicion was correct, wanted him to marry Lyanna and get her pregnant. But he will never follow that way. His mind was stronger now, the manipulations of a sorcerer far away no longer held sway on his choices. And if Jon Snow was not born because of that, so be it.
Getting back to his planning. He still had to get to King's Landing as fast as possible in order to try and smooth things over, maybe he could still prevent a war by saving Lord Stark and his heir.
But he knew that he could not bring Lyanna to court. She would be killed on the first day, by his father or by his wife.
That left only one reel choice.
Rhaegar refocused on his companions.
"Change of plans. We are going to Maidenpool." Said Rhaegar, the musical lilt in his voice was still alien to him.
The lady and the two Knights were looking at him with incomprehension.
"My Prince… I do not understand… What changed your mind ?" Asked Ser Oswell, confused , he was a solidly built man of around five and thirty. Extremely gifted with the sword, he was a loyal man of the Prince known to be sarcastic and sharp with his words.
"I did not take everything into consideration when we left Harrenhall, I fear the troubles we have caused." Rhaegar answered before pausing and saying softly "The troubles that I have caused."
Lyanna came closer to him and took hold of his hand.
"Rhaegar…" The knight behind her bristled at the informality "You told me that you would marry me in front of the Old Gods… But the only weirwood tree around here is on the Isle of Faces, why would we go to Maidenpool ?"
"My Lady, I will not marry you, I am sorry. My family is waiting for me in King's Landing" Rhaegar answered gently with a soft smile, behind Lyanna he saw Arthur and Oswell exchanging a look, probably questioning his abrupt change of mind. As he saw the paling face of the Lady, he added "But I will not betray my vow to you, you will be free. Just not with me."
Seeing that she was not reassured, he got up and walked two steps before turning to them.
"My Friends, please trust in me. I have made a foolish mistake but I will try my best to correct it. For now, we have to ride to Maidenpool." He said sincerely before heading to their camp, intent on leaving immediately.
He could hear the two kingsguards already walking behind him, which was not surprising as they were honor bound to obey him and they were nothing if not loyal.
Then he heard hurried footsteps and when he turned his head he saw Lyanna running to catch up to him.
"But why Maidenpool ?" She exclaimed when she joined him. "At least answer me that, I deserve to know !" Gone was the sweet girl around the fire it seemed, and the She-Wolf was out now.
Ser Arthur, who was just behind them decided to intervene too.
"It's true, My Prince" He said respectfully, even as he spoke his eyes were travelling all around, looking for any threats. "We could go Sow's Horn, it's closer to us. I'm sure Lord Hogg would be happy to host us. Going to Maidenpool would take us 3 days and we would need 5 more to join King's Landing"
"I know, Arthur. But we need to go to Maidenpool to assure Lady Lyanna's safety. I know Myles will protect her." Answered Rhaegar confidently.
He could see understanding in the eyes of his guards, which reassured him.
Lyanna was another story however.
"What !?" She screamed, red faced "So I am to become a prisoner in Maidenpool, Your Grace ?" She finished with a mocking tone.
He could see Arthur and Oswell glaring at her and putting their hands on the pommel of their swords. With a simple gesture, he bid them to let him handle it.
"It is not that simple, my Lady. I cannot bring you to the capital with me, you would be considered a shamed woman and the King would be cruel with you." As much as it pained him to admit that his father was mad, it was the simple truth. He would probably imagine a slight committed by Lyanna and have her killed.
Rhaegar continued.
"We cannot go south as we would be in Baratheon lands and we would be captured. The same is true for the west of the Riverlands. My influence can only protect you in Maidenpool as the lands are ruled by my former squire's brother Lord William Mooton." He was speaking softly to make her understand that he was on her side, but iron was still in his tone. He was the Prince and she would obey.
He turned from them and they continued on the short walk to the camp in silence. He could understand that she was not happy with him but he hadn't thought that she would be this petulant.
When they arrived in the camp, they stamped on the fire and got their bags on the horses.
They would ride through the night, darkness was their ally in these troubles times.
Three days later, Around Maidenpool
Ser Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning, was confused and it was not a welcome feeling, nor an usual one.
Arthur was many things. Damn good with a sword in hand, that was true. Honorable and just, that was correct too. But whenever someone asked him to describe himself, and Gods know how many fair maidens asked that question, he would only answer that he was a loyal man.
He was loyal to his vows, loyal to his family but most importantly he was loyal to his Prince,
Rhaegar Targaryen.
He had known of the Prince all his life, hells all the realm knew of the Silver Prince, the Reader Prince or the Singer Prince.
But he had only known Rhaegar about three months after he met him.
He was only seven and ten and at that time, Arthur was the youngest knight ever to join the members of the Kingsguard. It was a great honor then and it was still now, even if he somewhat wished that the King he served was a different one.
When Arthur joined the illustrious order of knights, Rhaegar was only one year younger than him and it was only natural that they became fast friends.
The King, once of sound mind, seeing the closeness between his heir and Arthur decided to appoint the knight as Rhaegar's personal guard and swornshield.
From that point onward, the two young men spent nearly all their time together. Be it training, talking or traveling the kingdom, never was Rhaegar without The Sword of the Morning to guard his back.
And so, It was only natural that among the Prince's friends and courtiers, it was Arthur that was his closest confidant. Even Jon Connington was not quite as close to Rhaegar, a fact that was probably heartbreaking for the redhead.
It was this closeness that made Arthur worry for his Prince and best friend.
It has been three days now since they left the forests south of Harrenhall, three days since the Prince decided to completely change his mind and ride to Maidenpool.
If he had to be honest, Arthur was relieved. He has never been fully on board with the plan anyway. Yes, saving Lyanna from Robert was a noble intention but in practice, they probably could have probably done it better. All the secrecy could and would bite them in the ass.
But for as long as he has known him, Rhaegar has always been set in his ways. He would get an idea and go to extreme lengths to accomplish it.
The best example would be when he decided that he wanted to be a warrior just from reading about Dunk and Egg. It was his extreme dedication that made Rhaegar the formidable warrior he now is.
And it was why Arthur was worried for his Prince, it was not in his habits to change his mind that suddenly.
It was not the only change he noticed either.
Rhaegar has always been confident in his demeanor but everyone could see an invisible weight on his shoulders. His melancholy was part of him and it was also why all his songs brought everyone hearing them to tears. He sang with his heart and it was a terribly sad melody.
Even the Queen, before she became a shell of her former self, could not get her son to cheer up.
The only times where Rhaegar was truly happy were during the moments he shared with his children. But now they were few and far between.
The Rhaegar Targaryen that was now riding ahead of him was a different man. There was an air about him, of greatness and quiet confidence. The air of a man that knew his place in the world, embraced it and accepted it.
He was seeing a man that was used to lead and being obeyed.
Something changed in him.
They were currently on the outskirts of Maidenpool. They would arrive in the Pink City in the next hours and Arthur decided that it was time to talk to the Prince.
Rhaegar has been silent for the entirety of the ride from Harrenhall. Something which, while not unusual, was unexpected considering the company they had.
Not even Lady Lyanna could get an answer from the Prince, he was just riding his horse and staring ahead, lost in his thoughts.
Currently, Lyanna and Oswell were riding in the front. Talking and japing with each other.
Rhaegar was a few feet behind them while Arthur was in the back, closing the march.
The Sword of the Morning decided to urge his horse forward to catch up to the Prince.
"My Prince…" He began "Please, I am worried about you…What will happen once we reach Maidenpool ? What are your plans after that ?" He finished while trying to hide his worry.
Rhaegar seemed to not hear him at first and then he turned his head toward Arthur.
One blink.
Two blinks.
It was when Arthur opened his mouth to ask the same question that Rhaegar seemed to focus on him. And his lilac eyes were clear, perhaps for the first time in the last three days.
"Arthur ? My plans ?" He asked, a confused note in his tone. Then he cleared his throat. "Ah yes, my plans….Well, I think we should enter Maidenpool discretly. I shall speak to Myles myself and bid him to protect the Lady Lyanna for a few moons. Then you, Ser Oswell and I will ride to King's Landing."
Rhaegar spoke with growing confidence, like he was taking strength from his words.
Arthur decided to ask the question that was plaguing his mind from that moment in the forest.
"What happened to you ?" He boldly asked. "My Prince, you were so sure of yourself when Lyanna asked us to take her away. What changed ?"
Rhaegar turned his head toward the front, where Lyanna laughed at something Ser Oswell said.
"I opened my eyes, Arthur…" He began wistfully. "I was blinded by my beliefs and my dreams. But no more." Rhaegar said firmly. "We need to stop what I created."
Arthur was confused.
"What you created ? Rhaegar, I do not understand." He then continued hesitantly, with a softer tone. "If you have…regrets…over Lyanna, we could still turn back and go to Riverrun. The Starks would hear us, I would vouch for your innocence."
The Silver Prince laughed softly.
"It is far too late for that, my friend." His musical voice was sad. "I fear that what we began will only end in blood."
"You speak of war ?" Arthur asked.
Rhaegar shook his head. "I am speaking of a rebellion, of a conflict that will shape the Seven Kingdoms for centuries to come." The Prince lowered his head before looking back to the knight. "But I believe that if we are fast enough to reach Maidenpool and then King's Landing, we will be able to stop it. Or at least mitigate the fighting."
He stopped to gather his thoughts before speaking again.
"I am not blind, Arthur. I know the kind of man my Father is. After the failed attempt at the tourney, it is now a matter of time before something breaks him completely."
Arthur took a moment to digest what he had been told before speaking again.
"Whatever comes our way, I will be there to guard your back, my Prince" He stated resolutely.
"I know, old friend. I know." Rhaegar replied fondly. "Now, come. We have to see Myles."
The Prince then urged his horse forward to catch up to their two companions.
Arthur took a moment to watch the scene before shaking his head and following Rhaegar.
Two Hours later, Maidenpool
They had left the horses on the outskirts of the coastal city in order to avoid drawing attention to themselves.
Ser Oswell accepted the, admittedly shameful, duty of guarding their mounts with only a little grumbling.
But Lyanna Stark could see that it was only for show.
Ser Oswell was a completely loyal man, Rhaegar could probably order him to jump from the city walls and there was a not so insignificant chance that he would obey.
Ser Arthur and the Prince left their armor on their horses and decided to keep only their swords on them.
They all wore cloaks to cover their identities but only Rhaegar's was tightened.
After all, his silver hair would immediately draw attention.
Maidenpool was a coastal city and one of the mains trading hubs in the Riverlands. It was not unusual for the guards to see people wearing cloaks moving about in the city.
Moreover the Kingdoms were currently at peace, which means that security didn't need to be as severe as during war time.
Which is why Lyanna was worried at seeing the surprise on the faces of the two men with her when they saw the line of people waiting to enter the Pink City.
During peace time, there was absolutely no reason for the guards to stop the traffic of people coming in or leaving the city.
Lyanna, Arthur and Rhaegar exchanged a look and positioned themselves in the way they spoke about just before. Ser Arthur at the front, Lyanna in the middle and Rhaegar in the back.
They began to push their way in the throng of smallfolk waiting in line. Lyanna heard people muttering their surprise at the wait they would have to endure and some cursing the guards and Lord Mooton.
However she was a bit confused when she heard her own name muttered a few times, often with a bitter tone.
Nonetheless, she followed Ser Arthur as he navigated the line of people before reaching the city guards.
Lyanna saw the knight approach the one that looked like the leader and bend his head to speak directly in his ear. She could only catch snippets of their conversation.
"….never saw us." "Lord Mooton…" "…news ?"
She saw the guard frowning and Arthur realized it as well. He immediately took out his pouch and deposited a small mountain of Silver Stags in the hands of the gate keeper.
The guard widened his eyes before nodding to Arthur and moving to the side.
Lyanna was not surprised. In Winterfell, a guard earned a Stag every two months and it was considered a good salary.
Ser Arthur walked past the guard and soon they found themselves in the first market place of Maidenpool. A square with a few merchants calling their prices and people visiting their shops.
Arthur kept walking at a fast pace. He clearly did not need directions as every turn they took was done without thinking about it.
Lyanna could feel Rhaegar walking behind her, his long legs easily keeping the pace.
It was the first time she visited Maidenpool. The first time she left the North, to be honest.
She decided to ask the question that was on her mind.
"Where are we going ?" She had to quickly step to the side to avoid hitting a beggar in the middle of the streets. If she had more time, she would have tried to give him something.
"To the castle of Maidenpool." Ser Arthur replied without turning.
"Why were the guards stopping everyone ?" All the walking was making Lyanna frustrated and she needed to talk.
"I intend to find out." It was the knight again that answered, although she was more than aware of the Prince listening just behind.
"How long will I need to stay here ?"
"I do not know, my Lady." The calm tone in Ser Arthur's voice somehow increasing her frustration.
The kept walking in silence for a bit, making the odd turn here and there before Lyanna spoke again.
"When will I go back to the North ? to my family ?" Lyanna started her question with confidence but finished with a worried voice.
This time it was Rhaegar that answered. "We do not know, my Lady. I need to explain everything to the King and we will need to find a solution."
"A solution ? What for ?" She asked naively.
Ser Arthur began to walk a bit slower. It was clear that he too wanted to hear the answer.
"My Lady…What we did in Harrenhall…leaving with you… It was a mistake and I am sorry." Rhaegar spoke softly. By now all three of them had stopped walking.
"Sorry ? But it was I that convinced you to take me away !" The frustration was beginning to boil over, combined with the hurt from the Prince's decision to not wed her.
"You are still young, Lyanna." Rhaegar said with understanding and sadness. "I should have known better. You know that it was a mistake from the start."
She deflated. The enormity of the things she did and said weighing heavily on her.
Arthur decided to take pity on her. "Come, my Lady. We are close to the castle now."
They began to walk again. Their conversation was put to the side for now but definitely not forgotten.
Rhaegar felt like the world's biggest fool.
It was hard to have two points of view from completely different worlds.
On one side, a little voice in his head was telling him that he was not completely at fault for the situation he now found himself in. After all, he was not on earth anymore. In Westeros, a fifteen-year-old girl was considered a woman and she was supposed to be old enough to make choices for herself. Hells, a lot of fifteen-year-old girls were already mothers here.
But on the other side, all of his instincts were telling him that he was a pedophile. The worst sort of people.
And he actually agreed with this side of his mind. Even if the fifteen-year-old girl wanted to do something, Rhaegar was the adult. He was supposed to put a stop to it and not encourage her.
It was a good thing that they merged when they did because he didn't think he could stomach the thought of actually fucking a young girl.
But for now he had to focus on the present. They were walking toward the seat of house Mooton and he dearly hoped that Myles had enough influence on his brother to make the Lord protect Lyanna.
They were now walking side by side. There was no need for a specific positioning as the closer they got to the castle, the less people they encountered. Something that worried Rhaegar if he had to be honest.
Something was not right.
He was even more sure of that fact when they crossed the place where Jonquil's Pool was located.
He remembered travelling to Maidenpool a few times before with Myles, Richard and Arthur. Mostly to visit the former's family.
One fact that was supposed to be always apparent here was that Jonquil's Pool was always full to the brim. It was rumored to be a sacred place where you could bath and let the holy waters heal your ailing. Sort of like Lourdes in France now that he thought about it.
Privately, Rhaegar was of the mind that it was an easy way to make a lot of money from the travelling nobles while gaining a standard with the Faith. A win-win situation all things considered.
But today, the place was empty.
No noble Ladies in sight or their attendants running about to get them everything they need.
Rhaegar was worried. But he could not let it show.
He could feel the anxiousness emanating from Lyanna. Her steps, already shorts due to her size, were now hurried. Her fists were tightened and her breathing was too fast for their pace.
Arthur, on the other hand, seemed calm and collected. Not surprising from a warrior of his caliber.
Rhaegar took strength from his best friend and kept walking.
They were now approaching the last stairs leading to the keep. He hoped Myles was around as he clearly did not have the time to wait for him.
In his bones, he could feel the storm coming.
As they climbed the last steps, they could see that the gates of the keep were open. From their spot, they had a clear view of the main hall of the keep, where the Lord was supposed to be holding court.
Except that today, there was nobody here.
Rhaegar could see that even Arthur seemed to be unsettled by that. A worrying fact indeed.
As the three of them entered the keep, they heard a shout coming from a distant room in the back of the corridor on their right. Then they heard the sound of a door slamming and someone hurriedly walking their way.
As they prepared themselves to justify their presence in a Lord's keep without revealing their identity, the person they heard came to a full stop in front of them.
"My Prince ?!"
It seemed they found Myles.