Chapter 15: The Moon Sets, The Sun Rises
Last chapter: Baby Jon is born. Lyanna tries to make sense of things. Elia has another meltdown. Jaime comforts her… everyone looks at him suspiciously.
Elia
Jon slept peacefully — breaths deep, features at peace — in a crib that had been made for a different child, being cared for by a woman not his mother.
Rhaenys, however, was all mine and wide awake, looking up at me with narrow, suspicious eyes.
"Baby Jon isn't my brother. My brother is my brother. Baby Jon isn't Egg."
And wasn't that the truth? I did my best not to flinch at those heartbreaking words thrown out so innocently, but it was a tough thing. She was right, of course. Jon was not Aegon. He never would be, nor did I expect him to be. He was, however, a child without a mother, and I, a mother without a child. He needed someone to care for him, love him, and I selfishly wanted to be the one to do so. He was not Aegon, no, but it hadn't taken long for me to become attached to the newborn, and despite never having kids of my own in a past life, my maternal instincts seemed to have been thrown into overdrive ever since arriving in this strange place.
"Of course he's not Egg, sweetling, but Egg… he had to leave and," I grasped at some way to explain to a child of near three the cataclysmic and very grown-up changes happening in our lives, unsuccessfully, "and he has sent Jon to us to keep us company since he can't be with us anymore."
Rhae's eyebrows rose in (justified) disbelief. It would seem the girl's bullshit meter was in fine working order. "Egg sent Baby Jon to be my new brother?" she asked, tone full of skepticism.
"…yes?"
I suppose children here are bound to be far less naïve than the world I come from. It was dangerous to fill kids' heads with rainbows and happily-ever-afters when they were more likely to face storms and miserable bloody deaths.
With a sigh I shook myself hoping to dispel the dark mood that I could feel descending upon me once more. There was no time for it.
"Is that so hard to believe? Your brother loved you very much and he didn't want you to be lonely. He left you that other gift as well, didn't he?" I let my gaze slide to Rhaenys's lap and her eyes followed. Her little fingers slid over powder-white scales and her face smoothed out into wonder-filled eyes and a big grin.
"Yes. This is a better gift than Baby Jon. I just want him, not Baby Jon."
My hands flew up in frustration and supplication.
For fuck's sake! Gods have mercy!
Of course, I suppose I can't really blame her.
A baby human would hold little appeal when compared to a baby dragon.
It had taken our party little over a week to make it to Starfall following Lyanna Stark's death.
The mood of the group had been understandably low. I had half expected it to rain the entire way there, but there had been nothing but blue skies and starry nights. It felt… wrong. So very wrong.
When we finally reached our destination, Ashara was quick to usher us inside, and I couldn't have been more grateful when — after a brief hug with her brother — she offered to guide me to a guest room to rest, leaving her father behind to be updated on the happenings of the realms and to be reunited with his son. Ashara only raised an eyebrow at the gold-clad knight that followed us as she guided Rhae and myself away from the men and further into the castle.
Once inside the rooms that had been prepared for us, and once the door had been shut with Jaime standing guard on the other side, she unceremoniously pulled me into her embrace — taking care not to crush the bundle in my arms — and pulled away just as quickly to take in my face. I wasn't sure what she saw there, but her own eyes were shining with unshed tears.
"Oh Elia, what has happened?"
I almost broke down again at the care and concern in her voice. I tried to speak, but I couldn't choke out a single word. Biting my lip I looked down at the child holding my right hand, and Ashara was quick to react to my unspoken plea. With a well-feigned smile she crouched down in front of Rhaenys and spoke directly to the little girl who looked back cautiously even as she tried to hold back a yawn.
"Hello, sweetling. Do you remember me?"
Rhaenys gave her a shake of the head.
"Well, I'm your mama's friend. I used to carry you in my arms when you were this little," she replied, making a gesture with her hands to indicate the small size.
At that Rhae perked up some, turning to look at me and the infant in my arms before looking back at Ashara. "Like Baby Jon?"
The young woman's perfect eyebrows scrunched up ever so slightly, and after a quick side-glance at the blankets in my arms and a subtle shake of the head from me, she turned back to the little girl as of nothing was amiss and gave her a bright smile.
"Just like Baby Jon. Are you hungry, Rhaenys? I had Cook make some delicious treats just for you. They're in the other room…"
Rhaenys turned back to me with a question in her wide eyes.
Even given the circumstances I couldn't help a smile. That girl had the worst sweet-tooth.
"Go on, I'll be there in a moment."
"Promise?"
My heart broke at her obvious need for reassurance. It had always been a given before then that she would see her mother again, but so many people had left her life in a very short amount of time.
I crouched down with some difficulty, and gave Rhaenys a soft peck on the forehead, and whispered, "I promise."
After a quick look into my eyes to verify the truth in my words she gave Ashara a shy smile and made a dash for one of the connecting rooms.
As soon as she was out of sight I felt like I might crumple to the floor. It took an inordinate amount of effort to lift myself up into a standing position, even with Ashara helping me along. After making sure I was stable, the woman turned and looked into the room Rhaenys had gone into and gently closed the door so that only a sliver remained open. Then, turning back towards me, she gestured to the plush violet couch placed at the far end of the room.
"Come now, sit. Tell me everything."
Oberyn
Elia and the children were safely ensconced in their rooms, so Oberyn set about addressing some business that had been delayed for far too long. He'd dragged a reluctant Jaime Lannister from his post at the door, leaving Arthur Dayne to temporarily take over, and set about finding the Wolf Lord as that black kitten trailed after him.
The creature would appear unexpectedly, and could disappear just as quickly, but Oberyn never shoed it away — not since that first night when he'd swatted at it only to have it glare at him and drop something on the table he'd been sitting at. It was a golden brooch. Or it had been at one time. The fine piece of jewelry had been hammered at until none of the fine details were visible and it was speckled with blood. Still, it was clearly of too much value, even misshapen as it was, for a common catspaw to own. The metal was highly maleable, indicating a high gold content. Someone had gone to great efforts to hide their identity…
…but Oberyn was not deterred. This only proved that there was a greater power behind the wretches that had attacked them, hence the not-so-leisurely stroll to the dungeon.
Elia
Three days after our arrival — when all appropriate curtesies had been observed — Rhaenys, Oberyn, Jaime and I, along with Ashara and Arthur, said our last goodbyes to Elia's—to my son.
It had taken less time than I'd expected to construct a funeral pyre. As usual, Oberyn had to fight me on it, but I insisted that Aegon was a Targaryen, and this was the Targaryen way. Not that I really cared one way or another about following the traditions of Elia's unfaithful husband, but their funeral rites had the very specific appeal of being White Walker proofed.
Perhaps I was being paranoid. Perhaps the Great Other would not breach the Wall this time around. Still, better safe than sorry.
When the time came to light the pyre, I placed one large egg atop his casket. It was covered in scales white as snow and whorls of lilac and violet.
Arthur had approached me not an hour after Lyanna's death to hand over the only true legacy Rhaegar had left his children: a dragon egg.
How he'd managed to keep it hidden from Aerys for however long he'd had it I couldn't begin to fathom, but just seeing it had brought my new reality crashing down once again for what felt like the millionth time in not enough days.
There was magic in this world.
Of course I'd already pondered over the undead, but ice zombies were a very different thing to dragons and wargs. This was what every little girl dreamed of…
…and every little boy.
After briefly touching his wooden casket one last time, I took the torch handed to me by Oberyn and set flame to the kindling at the base. The tower of wood blazed to life and it burned for several hours.
Rhaenys only lasted three quarters of an hour before she started nodding off and Jaime took her back to our room in the Daynes' castle to sleep, but I stayed, watching the flames dance with teasing touches to the night sky as the last of the baby that had been Elia's — and mine — left this world to the crackle of fire.
Soon the siblings that hosted us had also made their way back to the comfort of their own beds, but Oberyn and I remained. As the fire went out and the ash settled, we prepared to leave as well. My brother had brought an urn to place some of the ashes into, but before he could make it to the burning remains of the pyre a cry rang out into the night and he nearly dropped it in shock.
There was movement in the shadows of the embers.
I'd hoped, of course, but never dreamed—
Everything had been a rushed mess after that. Somehow I found myself running, waking Rhaenys up and carrying her back with me — Jaime at my heels. Oberyn had stayed to keep an eye on our new… well, to keep an eye on the creature. I was acting on pure instinct — an instinct that very much went against what I wanted to do as a mother, but I darted around Oberyn and brought my little girl as close as I could to the lizard-like thing, even as the heat made breathing harder.
It was small still, unable to create fire of its own, but the gleam of its sharp white teeth and its long talons kept me wary of any sudden movement.
Rhaenys had no such reservations. As soon as her dark eyes met purple ones the exact shade Aegon's had been, she'd been mesmerized and tried to pull away from me, heedless of the heat that was almost burning my skin and causing sweat to drip from my brow and into my eyes. She'd reached out, and the thing had nuzzled her hand.
I'd known then.
The world had produced two dragon riders after a dry spell of a century and a half. One nearly three years old and one still in the womb.
Both Targaryen and both female.
The world was changing fast — faster than I recalled from what little I remembered of this place — and Westeros would have to change to meet it, or be burnt to the ground in their wake.
Before that, though, there were decisions to be made.
A/N:
Hello everyone! It's been a while? ^^;
I'm still struggling a bit, but I managed to get this finished. Please forgive any issues it may have. I've been feeling inspired lately, so hopefully my mind and body will come to an agreement and let me write.
LOVE YOU ALL! Thank you for the encouragement! You're the best!
As for reviews, I won't be responding to them right now, as they've accumulated in the time I've been gone so it's hard to sort them, but I'll try to get to them as soon as possible. I also post this story on AO3, and it's easier to respond to comments there if anyone wants 3
