Three days had passed since Elia received the news she had feared above all else: her husband, Prince Rhaegar, had fallen at the Trident, alongside her uncle, Prince Lewyn Martell of the Kingsguard. It was clear that her husband's efforts to broker peace with the insurgents had met with failure. He had always been a bit more of a dreamer than one attuned to the harsh realities of life, and his decision to take the Stark whore had not been carried out with the necessary care.
She feared for her children, Rhaenys and Aegon, as well as for her goodmother, who was pregnant and would soon be giving birth. However, when the King was informed of the death of his eldest son, he responded with wrath and set fire to the individual who had conveyed the message. Her concern emerged from the fact that it appeared Aerys would next turn his attention to her and her children. The fact that she could not allow that to continue was a source of real worry for Elia. Arthur, the steadfast ally of her husband, stood by her side as she faced the weighty choice of meeting the Master of Whispers. From an unexpected origin emerged the enigmatic figure known as Lord Varys. All she knew of him was that he hailed from distant lands and possessed an uncanny ability to uncover secrets about everyone in the realm.
"To what extent are you familiar with the rebels and the movements that they engage in?"
The eunuch regarded Princess Elia for a moment before speaking softly.
"My Princess, Robert Baratheon, revels in the splendor of his hard-won victory. The young prince Aegon presents significant risks that cannot ensure his safety. He will pursue his demise by any means required to seize the throne, and Tywin Lannister is making his way toward King's Landing."
"So the old lion has, at long last, made up his mind on whose side he will support. Do you happen to know Varys?"
"No, my Princess, I unfortunately don't know. But most likely, he will side with Robert. He's practical, and Aerys humiliated him too much for him to do anything other than support the rebels. One possibility is that his daughter will become queen. Baratheon may be betrothed to Lyanna Stark, but she'll be impure, and he may not want her when he finds out. Cersei has a chance to be the next queen.
Elia draws in a steadying breath, fully aware of Tywin's fearsome legacy, and she has frequently pondered the motives behind Rhaegar's willingness to engage with such a man.
"Furthermore, this does, of course, imply that we shall be removed from this world by the use of force. I can't let my children go through that kind of suffering. I will not sacrifice their lives so they can become martyrs for this war."
I'm sorry, Princess Elia, but in light of this, it is something to be thankful for that I have been able to locate suitable replacements for him. A little boy from Pisswater was sold by his father in exchange for a jug of Arbor gold. Although his father had other boys, he had never tried Arbor gold before selling him.
"What about my Rhaenys?"
"I regret to inform you, dear Princess Elia, that the quest to find one who bears a resemblance to Princess Rhaenys has proven to be quite the challenge. I possess a captain, a steadfast ally, with a vessel at the ready, and he will heed my orders without question. My lady, I beseech you, swift action is required. Time is slipping away, and we must gather and secure all his possessions for departure before suspicions begin to stir."
The eunuch strides from the room, casting a fleeting glance her way as he murmurs something under his breath.
"Your sacrifice shall not be in vain, my lady; it serves a purpose greater than we can see. When your heir embarks on his journey, you can find solace knowing he shall be shielded and attended to with utmost care."
A sacrifice any mother would make, and I trust you will, Varys, for if you do not, I shall take matters into my own hands before my end comes.
Varys smiles nervously before stepping out alongside her; he offers a slight bow upon reaching Arthur and speaks. "When the night sky reveals its brightest moon tomorrow, one must be ready for what lies ahead. At that moment, the ship shall embark on its fateful voyage."
Elia nods, her gaze lingering on him as he departs. Once he is out of sight, she turns to Arthur and asks.
"Did you catch all of that, Arthur?"
"I did, Elia."
"I don't trust him with Aegon's life. He's going to use him. I can feel it in my bones. I want you to be present to guarantee Aegon's protection, which will be a relief to me—in addition to protecting my son also finished Rhaegar's last order. The only thing I can do is be patient and pray that the wolf shows up first before the stag. If that does not happen, today will be the last day that I will see my children together. I also sent a raven to Ashara letting her know of the situation."
Elia fixed her gaze upon the knight, her eyes piercing like a winter's chill. "Ser Arthur Dayne, you have pledged your loyalty to safeguard the heir of the Iron Throne? Am I correct?"
The knight quickly bent his knee, took his sword out, and placed it before Princess Elia and the young Prince Aegon. "I have my princess."
"Do you solemnly vow to safeguard my child, Aegon of the noble lineage, son of Rhaegar, Prince of the realm, tirelessly and without falter, even at the cost of your own life until your final breath?"
"I do, Princess."
"Do you solemnly pledge to follow his command in every matter, to place him above all others, and to serve him with unwavering loyalty and honor as is fitting for a true protector of the realm?"
"Yes, my Princess."
"Do you pledge to ensure he is trained in every way of combat, as his forebears have been, so that he may one day defend himself?" With every vow proclaimed, her voice trembled increasingly.
"I shall, my Princess." The knight advanced without faltering, uttering the words with the same ease as one would take a breath.
"Do you pledge that he shall set eyes upon Dorne in his lifetime?"
"By my honor, I pledge it, Your Grace."
"Do you pledge that you will enlighten him about his lineage?" Her voice caught in her throat.
"Will you tell him the tale of Rhaegar and me?"
"So it shall be My Princess."
She stifled a sob, her breath hitching as she fought to maintain her composure.
"Do you swear that he will be cherished, that he will find joy in his days, that he will learn of Ashara, that he will know about Oberyn and Doran, that he will stand as a brother to their kin?"
"I swear it, Elia."
Elia then looks at her arm, carrying a young Aegon that, with his own purple eyes, is staring back at Elia with a smile.
"You must summon your strength from this moment forth, my young sun dragon. I must take my leave for a time, and I need you to be resilient for both your mother and your sister, understood?"
At the exact moment he attempted to grasp her hair, the princess gave him a final kiss on the forehead and ran her fingers through his hair for the final time.
"It is important to keep in mind, Aegon, that your mother loves you."
With that, she seized the knight by his cheeks, drew him near, and pressed her lips fiercely against his. The man was on the brink of surrender, his strength fading, just as she finally released him. The anguish that the knight felt caused him to become immobile.
"Take care of him, Arthur, and leave tonight. I don't trust Varys. Take him to Dorne to my brothers."
She then relinquishes her hold, permitting Arthur to take her son, and she observes as Arthur leaves her chambers with Aegon. Her son may possess the fire of a Dragon, yet he carries the blood of Martell, and he shall stand one day unbent, unbowed, and unbroken.
Sacking of King's Landing
The conflict had reached its conclusion, Robert claimed the seat of power, Rhaegar had fallen, and Aerys was no more. The daughter of Rhaegar had met her end by the hands of Ser Amory Lorch, while the son was missing, and Elia lay her to her daughter's lifeless as she felt by the hand of Mountain Ser Gregor Clegane. The sight of their lifeless forms at the base of the Iron Throne was enough to make Ned's jaw tighten and his hands ball into fists, seething with rage. Robert felt something change within him as if the very essence of that Throne was altering his fate. His friends had failed to recognize the purity of a woman and her daughter, instead seeing only the child as Dragonspawns and rejoicing, a term that left Ned in disbelief.
Everyone in the throne room laughs at Robert's words. But for a short moment, Robert felt guilty, and something inside him changed. No one noticed it except for one man, Jaime Lannister.
Tower of Joy
The tower appeared, and Ned hurried up, putting his heels into his horse, his men riding rapidly to join him, his suspense killing him. He wanted to see and talk to Lyanna now. Anything else was a bother and would be handled. Given what he expected to find, he wasn't looking forward to what came next. After witnessing too much death, he wanted to stop.
Ned groused in frustration as they approached the tower—would the gods not give them one chance? Two of the realm's most dangerous knights, Ser Gerold Hightower, Lord Commander of Aerys' Kingsguard, and his second in command, Ser Oswell Whent, were waiting. Even as Ned and his men got off, the white knights glanced back at him."You have been missing for some time, Sers. I looked for you on the Trident."
Gerold then turned to Ned, steel glinting as he unsheathed his blade. "We were not present."
Ser Oswell unsheathed his sword, striking a formidable pose as he prepared for battle. "Woe to the Usurper if we had been."
"Your king was killed by Ser Jaime with a golden blade when King's Landing was destroyed, and I was curious about your whereabouts at the time."
Gerold then spoke. "As you can, we were far away, or Aerys would yet sit on the Iron Throne, and our false brother would burn in seven hells."
"The Targaryens were mad; they knew not what they were anymore. It seems even the famous Ser Arthur Dayne has realized that, considering he is not here."
Gerold narrowed his eyes. "We took an oath, Stark, but you may have forgotten what that vow means.:
"What compels you to linger in this place? Your king has fallen. All of his lineage has met its untimely end. You assert that the sworn protectors do not flee, yet Ser Arthur is absent from you at this hour. Who can say where he has wandered off to?"
"Ser Arthur is far away, ensuring the pretender finds no peace in sleep. We shall not retreat, Stark. We have made a solemn vow, and we shall honor it until the end. Until the very end of our days. For we are the sworn protectors of the realm. We stand our ground, unwavering against those who seek to claim what is not theirs."
Ned snarls his anger at Srr Oswell's word, pushing through. "You swore a vow to a man who took an innocent woman away from her home and her family and raped her. You stood guard whilst he did this. You are not worthy of the white cloaks you wear."
"I feel sorry for her. If you genuinely believe that, then you never truly knew your sister, Stark. There is no room for idle chatter anymore; either take up arms or depart."
Once again, Ned snarls as his anger at Gerold's words as he pushes through, as pointed out. "We are seven, you are only two. Where is Ser Arthur? Why is he not here? What hope do you have?"
"We do not need Arthur; we will fight you and kill you or die trying to." Ser Oswell yelled out what later became his final words.
End of Chapter.
A/N: I really struggle with whether to have Rhaenys live or not. I couldn't find a way to write her. At first, I had planned to survive the Sacking, then have her leave as a hostage of the Starks. But then I had no idea what to do with her in Winterfell. If anyone had any ideas on what to do with her or if I should leave her dead, let me know. I will go back and update this chapter before continuing.