CELTIGAR - House of The Dragon

Winterfell

 Months later, the feud between Aegon and Rhaenyra was still going strong, but no true action had been taken by each side. Lucerys' death, as Rhaenyra had urged her brother, was the last of the bloodshed, and, for now, it seemed they had reached a sort of tolerance for one and the other, with the occasional rise in the tension between them as one lord or the other declared for one Targaryen and not the other. Rhea truly believed they would come to an agreement, betroth Aegon's children to Rhaenyra's and that would settle it, she wished it would happen so much. As she walked through the gardens with Helaena, a squire ran up to them, waving a piece of parchment.

"Princess, this just arrived for you," the young boy said, out of breath. As Rhea took the letter from his hand and started reading, he added. "From Winterfell, princess."

She nodded, thanking the boy and folded the piece of parchment back, claiming she had no interest in a letter from the North and her and the Queen kept walking through the gardens for a little while before Rhea excused herself and jogged back to her chambers, now moved into the Tower of the Hand. The prospect of actually moving there did not enchant Rhea at first, to live in the same place the man who had wanted her dead had lived, but she eventually came around and her and Aemond moved there, enjoying the fact that they were further from his family's chamber than they were before. As she climbed up the stairs to the study to find her husband, she unfolded the letter and began reading it.

"Princess Rhea,

I hope you have been well since the last time I wrote. I have received your letter and, as usual, I am glad to have heard from you. Your support these past months has meant everything to me. The Lady of Winterfell, a good friend of my mother's, has treated me well and it is with immense pride I am writing to tell you I have given birth to a beautiful girl, Rhea Snow.

I have named her after her godmother who, I am sure, would care for her should anything happen to me. I feel lucky to call my friend, and I know you will relay this news to the King.

You should see her, she looks just like him, but she has my eyes. She has the same hair as you do, princess. I hope she grows up in a world where she can know who her father is, but, for now, his identity will remain as secret as her looks will allow.

Please, come visit us soon,

Marian Snow"

Rhea brought the letter to her heart and smiled, sitting at her husband's desk and penning her friend a quick answer promising she would be there soon. She would fly on Sapphire's back in two days time. She entrusted the posting of her letter to one of her new handmaidens and headed towards Aegon's chambers, the letter still in her hand.

"Aegon," she whispered, her head peeking through the small opening in his doors. "Come."

Aegon looked at her expectantly. Not a day had passed where he did not think about Marian, where he did not wish he had made her stay. He would have cared for the child, truly. But she was a stubborn woman and there was nothing he could have offered that would have made her stay.

"What is it?" He asked sleepily, having just woke up from an afternoon nap.

"Really, Aegon? You're the King and you take a nap?" Rhea laughed, shoving him lightly as she entered his chambers. "I haven't seen Aemond for two days because he's so busy."

She said the last sentence sadly. She hadn't laid eyes on her husband for two days, really. She had only felt him get into bed late at night and out of it early in the morning. She felt his lips on her forehead as he did so, not wishing to wake her, but that was it. He took his role as Hand at heart, maybe too much, Rhea thought, but he was happy to be useful to his brother and the Realm.