Dorne: 283 AC: 1 Week Later:
The ride to Sunspear had been hard and fast. Faster and harder than any Arthur had undertaken before. The only time they stopped was when their horses could take no more and had to rest, some of them almost keeling over when they did. Stopping at various inns and taverns along the road to Sunspear, the news had already reached Arthur. Elia had been raped and murdered as had her two children, Aegon and Rhaenys. He did not want to believe it, thinking that no man could be capable of murdering a new born baby and a two name day old girl, however he understood that the men responsible for these heinous acts were no men at all. Monsters and murderers who's names were Amory Lorch and Gregor Clegane following the orders of a power mad lion, Tywin Lannister. Arthur swore on the Mother and Father that he would take their heads before his days were done. Stopping at the final Inn before Sunspear, Arthur and his men dismounted their horses and headed inside, the midwife close beside him as he dare not let her out of his sight for what she carried.
"Get inside." Arthur said to his men and the Midwife, as they all shuffled inside of the inn.
"Welcome, Sers. Please take a seat and come to me when your ready." The bald man behind the counter smiled.
Arthur told the group to sit at a table in the corner that was far enough away from the door incase someone had followed them. He went to the barkeep and asked for water for his group and milk for his Prince. "Must be an important baby if you have six men looking after him." The barkeep laughed. Arthur said nothing to the man and only eyed him up and down to determine whether he was a threat or not. "I didn't mean to offend, Ser." The bald man whimpered, Arthur grunting in response before taking the refreshments to his table. Placing the water down and passing the milk to the Midwife, he sat down, his eyes facing the door.
"How long before we reach Sunspear, Ser Arthur?" One of the men whispered to him, attempting to draw no attention to their table.
"A few hours at most." He replied bluntly.
"What are we to do in Essos. We have no coin, no estate and we have to look after the Prince." Another man mumbled.
"We do our duty." Arthur quietly snapped, his eyes staring a hole into the man. "There are still those loyal to the Prince in Essos. We find them and rebuild our forces before the time comes to retake the throne."
"Impossible."
"How? He is barely a week old?"
"A fools errand."
The voices of discontent rising from the table towards Arthur, his anger rising with it. "Silence." He snapped. "Did you not swear oaths? Did you not vow to give your lives for your charges?" The voices grew silent from Arthurs accusations of cowardice.
As the day turned into dusk, Arthur paid for rooms for all of his men and himself with what little coin he had left from the Tower. The Midwife sleeping in his room with the baby as he refused to let him out of his sight. Before he slept he held the baby close to him, his grey, dusty eyes looking so much like his mothers as did the small tuft of black hair that began to grow atop his head. Arthur was thankful that he did not take on the full appearance of his father as he worried that if he had silver hair like him, his duty would be over far quicker than he would have hoped. Placing the sleeping Prince beside the Midwife, Arthur chose to sleep in a chair close to the door, Dawn leant against the wall beside him.
With what only felt like an hour, Arthur was startled awake by a knock at his door. Immediately grabbing Dawn, he opened the door slightly and was relieved to see one of his men stood there in front of him. "There is someone here for you, Ser. Asked for you by name." The man whispered. Arthur's heart sank to his stomach, his fears that he had been found rising to the back of his mind.
"Who? How many are there?" He gulped.
"Only one, Ser. He wears a black hood. I could not see his face."
Arthur sighed, both at the mans stupidity and that he knew he could be walking into a trap. "Give me your dagger." He said, holding out his hand.
The dagger was passed to Arthur who hid it under his black tunic. "Stay here. Do not let anyone but me enter this room. On your life." Arthur insisted, sheathing Dawn on his back.
Walking down the stairs to the main room of the inn, Arthur could see one man and one man only sat in the dead center of the room. His features he was unable to make out as he still wore his black hood and hid his hands in the sleeves of his shirt. Arthur approached the bottom of the stairs and stopped. "Reveal yourself, lest you wish to die here." He ordered, the uncertainty in his voice clear. The man removed his hood slowly to reveal a bald man. His piggy eyes and stoic features marking him for who Arthur knew him to be. The Spider. Immediately, Arthur unsheathed Dawn and pointed it at the man before him, still not taking a step closer as he was unsure if this was still a trap.
"Rest easy, Ser Arthur. I am not your enemy." The spider smirked, holding his hands out to show he was unarmed.
"You fucking traitor. I should kill you where you sit, Varys." Arthur spat.
"The only traitor here is the man harboring an enemy of the Crown, Ser. At least in Roberts eyes you are." Varys warned. "You know he has every rider from Dorne to The Wall looking for you. After what you did with Ned Stark, he was furious. So furious that he vowed to kill every last Targaryen and anyone who supported them. To see them expunged from the annals of history."
The hairs on Arthurs neck began to rise. "Were they that close already?" He thought. "How did you find me." He eventually said, Dawn still pointed at Varys.
"My little birds are everywhere, Ser. There is no song that they sing that I do not hear."
"So your here to turn me in? Gain favor with that fucking usurper, is that it?" Arthur spat.
"Not at all, Ser. Please sit and talk with me." Varys said motioning to the seat before him. "I wouldn't be so foolish to lure you into a trap, Ser. I know you would kill me before it could be sprung."
Arthur relented and lowered Dawn and walked over to the seat in front of Varys. Sitting down, he placed Dawn against the table. "If you're not here to give me up, why are you hear, Varys?"
"I am here to advise you, Ser. To give you an advantage against your insurmountable odds.
"Speak clearly, Varys. I've no time for your games."
"Very well. You carry with you the true King, do you not?"
Arthur didn't answer and only placed his hand on the dagger beneath his tunic, his eyes narrowing.
"I wish for the same thing you do, Arthur. To see the rightful King in his rightful place." Varys assured.
"You do? Is that why you've sworn to Robert? So you can see him in his 'rightful place'? Arthur accused.
"For you to be successful, you will need me close to Robert. Close enough to hear his secrets, close enough to sow discord and close enough to divulge those secrets to you."
Arthur laughed, the enormity of the challenge now revealing itself to him. "I am but one man, Varys. How can I be successful? All of the Princes family are dead. His mother is dead, his father is dead. It's only me now."
"There are others, Ser. The Queen Rhaella has fled to Dragonstone with the young Prince Viserys. My little birds also tell me that she is with child."
Arthur widened his eyes in disbelief. "How? The city was sacked."
"She escaped with Willem Darry, before Tywin came. Before the Kings death." Varys explained. "Whatever you're planning to do, you must get to Dragonstone, Ser Arthur. It is the last hope we have." His voice almost pleading.
"I planned to go to Sunspear. The Martell's. They're loyal." Arthur replied.
"You cannot. The death of Elia... they see it as the fault of Rhaegar's just as much as the Mountain's. Had he not fled with Lyanna, she would still be living today. If they see you carrying a baby as a result of their passions, they will turn you in faster than you could imagine."
Arthur sighed. "Where do I go then?"
"Ghost Hill. You can get there in a day from here. I've already arranged a ship for you. The men aboard it are loyal to us, do not worry." Varys reassured, noticing the hesitant look in the former Kingsguards eyes.
"Very well. I'm putting my trust in you, Varys. Betray me and I will come for you, I swear it." Arthur warned.
"I would not expect anything less, Arthur." Varys smiled as he stood up to leave.
"Before you go, Varys. Was it you who told Aerys about Rhaegar's plans at Harrenhal?" Arthur asked, shooting an accusing look at Varys as he stopped in his tracks. He already knew the answer to his question, he just wanted to hear it from the Eunuchs own mouth.
"All I did, I did out of a sense of duty, Ser Arthur. As would you. When the Mad King burnt Rickard Stark and allowed his son to strangle himself in a vain attempt to save him, did you stand by and watch, Ser Arthur?"
"I swore a vow, Spider." Arthur pointed out.
"As did I, Ser." Varys retorted before leaving the inn finally.
Arthur watched the Eunuch don his hood from the window and mount his horse. He stood up and watched him ride away, still unsure of his motives and why he would be helping him. Arthur sighed and rubbed his eyes, his tiredness becoming too much for even him. Sheathing Dawn, he made his way back upstairs and reassured his man that everything was alright and bid him to get some rest. Arthur entered the room and double checked that Aemon was still where he left him, a sense of peace coming over him when he saw him sleeping next to the Midwife. He placed Dawn against the wall and sat in the seat closest to the door again and sat down. Sleep came to him much faster than he thought which he was grateful for.
Once, dawn had broke, Arthur was awoken by the Midwife who was holding a crying Aemon. She explained to him that she must feed him from her breast lest he grow week. Arthur, not wanting to take any risks, bid her to do her duty. Once she was finished they both made their way downstairs to find his six men already breaking their fast. Joining them, he explained what their new plan was.
"Dragonstone. We must get to Dragonstone." Arthur started. "The Queen still resides there, along with Prince Viserys."
The mumbles of astonishment rang through the group. "How do you know, Ser? Kings Landing was sacked. The royal family was butchered." The man closest to him murmured.
Arthur rubbed his temples in frustration. "Please. I know what I am doing. There is a ship at Ghost Hill waiting for us. From there we go to Dragonstone and get to the Queen."
After more discussion between the group they all eventually agreed with Arthurs plan. Some men were concerned about sailing past Storms End or running into any rebel ships. Arthur quelled these fears quickly but he himself could not be so sure they would be so sure. For Arthur however, this seemed like the only way out of Dorne. Once they finished eating, they all mounted their horses once more and set off on the road to Ghost Hill. Arthur said a quiet prayer to himself, a prayer that he could make it to Dragonstone and uphold his vow as a Kingsguard. Now not only to his Prince but his Queen as well.
Kings Landing: 283 AC: 5 Days Earlier:
Robert was on his knees in the throne room of the Red Keep. All around him the skulls of the Dragons looked down on him as if they were judging him for being there. Before him lay the body of his best friend, his brother by choice and the best man he ever knew. The tears in his eyes clouded his vision as he ran his hands over the two open wounds on Eddard's chest. Beside his friend, lay the love of his life and the woman he wished he could be his Queen, Lyanna Stark. He had sent outriders days before as he had not heard from Eddard since he left for the Tower of Joy and he worried for his friend. What he did not expect was for them to bring back the bodies he saw lay before him. Around him stood Varys, Grand Maester Pycelle and his brothers, Renly and Stannis. The throne room was filled with minor Lords who offered their apologies for what Robert must be going through but he didn't hear any of them. His wails of sorrow drowning them out. Sorrow which very quickly turned to anger.
"How did she die?" Robert blubbered to Grand Maester Pycelle.
"From the pale color of her skin and what the riders reported, I would say blood loss. Possibly from childbirth, my Lord. Though I would have to perform a full examination to be sure." Pycelle stammered.
"Childbirth? That fucking Dragon. He raped my love and she gave birth to his spawn." Robert spat, his anger rising as his fists clenched. "Did you find a dragonspawn?" He asked, looking up at the two riders present before him.
"No, my Lord. Only the graves of everyone who died. Freshly dug. This sword we found in the grave of Lord Stark." One of them said, holding out Ice towards Robert.
Robert stood up and took Ice from the riders hands. Looking at the sword of his best friend, the shimmering beauty of it. He felt the welling of tears begin to form behind his eyes. "Barristan! Get over here!" He yelled.
The injured Kingsguard limped towards him, still having not fully recovered from his injuries at the Trident. "I am yours to command, my Lord." He mumbled as he bowed his head slightly.
"How many Kingsguard did Rhaegar send to the Tower?" Robert seethed.
"Three, Your Grace. Ser Gerold Hightower, Ser Oswell Whent and Ser Arthur Dayne." A murmur of discontent came over those present at the mention of Arthurs name.
"We only found two bodies of the Kingsguard, Your Grace. An old man and one with long brownish hair." One of the riders interrupted.
"So you're telling me the Sword of the Morning lives and is harboring that fucking Dragonspawn?" Robert growled. However, in the back of Barristan's mind, he was overjoyed at the thought that Arthur may yet live but he kept his thoughts to himself.
"It seems that way, Your Grace." Barristan said, attempting to hide his smirk.
Robert turned apoplectic at the thought that the son of Rhaegar lives. The thought that the living embodiment of Rhaegar's defilement of Lyanna was out there, somewhere, breathing and living, made him furious. So furious that he threw Ice against the Iron Throne behind him. The blade bouncing harmlessly off of it. "I want him found and killed. I want that fucking Dragonspawn dead like its siblings!" He exploded. "Varys. I want them found, do you understand me?" He growled as the Eunuch winced away from the furious mess of tears before him. "Stannis, I want you to assemble the a new fleet immediately and sail to Dragonstone. Anyone you find there I want dead, Targaryen or not." Stannis nodded to his brother, never seeing him this angry before before walking away from the harrowing scene.
Barristan couldn't believe what he was hearing before him. A King wishing death on an innocent child so openly. He wondered if Robert may be the Mad King come again as his anger only served to paint him so. What worried Barristan the most was that his brother was now the main target of the Crown and should he be found, he feared for the fate that may befall him. He watched on as Robert continued to rant and rage about Dragonspawn, how he continued to slander and denounce his Princes name. Barristan had a hard time keeping his mouth shut at the accusations of rape and kidnap. He knew the truth of it, the truth of their marriage and the truth of the child Lyanna had born. If he wasn't so injured from the previous battles, he thought he may strike Robert down now albeit at the cost of his own life. A cost he would gladly pay. If anyone here had known Prince Rhaegar as he did, they too wouldn't believe the words coming out of Roberts mouth, but alas anyone who did was either dead or missing. Barristan continued to watch the Stag King blubber, before he turned his attention to everyone else present. All those craven Lords who now so easily bent their knees to a usurper just to keep their lands and titles. Barristan however, thought different as his knee did not bend so easily. His only bent to one King.
Once Robert was finished with his fury, he ordered the covering up of the Starks bodies, both of them being wrapped in the banner of the Direwolf. He commanded that Ice be sent back to Winterfell as a sign of respect and so his son, Robb, could use it to one day spill dragon blood, in his name. He watched the bodies of those he loved be carried away to Grand Maester Pycelle's quarters to be prepared for burial before he himself left the throne room and his subjects behind. Finding himself in his bedchambers, he called for wine to be brought to him so he could spend his night drowning his sorrows away. His thoughts were haunted with the memory of Lyanna, how he couldn't protect her from Rhaegar and the guilt he felt in failing her and her brother. In his dreams, he killed Rhaegar over and over, his lust for vengeance never satisfied. In some other nights, he could see Arthur Dayne, standing over his best friend, Dawn raised high in the air before he brought it down on Eddard with Robert being powerless to stop it. He saw visions of Arthur spiriting away, a black scaled babe in his arms. Over and over a voice in his dreams would repeat the same words to him night after night.
"Kill them. Kill them all."
A/N: Many thanks for all those who've reviewed and favorited, means a lot to know people are reading what I write. I struggled a little with this chapter as I wrote myself into a hole with what to do about Arthur's situation but I felt that going down the fAegon route with Varys would be the best option or at least the most plausible. It is to me at least. I know there's some theories that Varys is a Blackfyre but I'm going more going off of show Varys rather than book Varys. Why would there be a need for a false Aegon when there's a real Targaryen Prince there, you know? Regardless, I've got some ideas for this story and I can't wait to begin writing. Many thanks.