Shaera released Mysaria and Aegon the younger from their cells, the little boy shook before embracing the older woman. Mysaria nodded appreciatively at Shaera who did the same in response whilst cradling Aegon's arms around her. She felt an almost crack in her heart when she looked at his soft lilac eyes inherited from Rhaenyra who got them from Viserys.
"The guards will surely come for us", Mysaria mused.
"So let them come, they will meet the same fate as every other traitor". Shaera's ominous tone intrigued Mysaria, an unlikely duo yet worked perfectly in sync.
The three began to sneak their way around the red keep, the tunnels were a godsend in this circumstance. They could hear the shouting of guards who happened upon the heads of Lords and Aegon and Alicent's body. Around twenty-two men were arrested for the murder of the king, true chaos was engulfing King's Landing like a tidal wave.
When they emerged outside of the keep, a loud galloping of horses could be heard. Lord Cregan Stark followed by many of his men and some sent from Jeyne Arryn surrounded the remaining green supporters and decended upon them with great power. The northern Lord shouted as he drew his valyrian steel sword, Ice, the ancestral sword of house Stark. The northern soldiers attacked the enemy at the command of their lord. The guards were soon ended, anyone that remained loyal to the usurper was dead.
"My lady, your cousin sent us", one of the soldiers from the Eerie stated.
"I thank you, I will send a raven thanking Lady Jeyne for her support. And I thank you, Lord Stark", Shaera spoke, her tone was strong as she looked up towards the man who sat atop his horse. She studied the man, he was every bit a northern Lord as any. His frame covered in furs and a direwolf sigil on the leathers on his chest. Cregan did the same to Shaera, he took notice of the blue of her eyes and the deep red that stained her fingertips. Blood painted her hands and clothes.
"House Stark swore an oath to the rightful queen and so when we heard of her passing, we did not take it lightly. Loyalty is of the most importance to my house. We thank you for your gratitude and we offer our sorrows to you at the loss of your niece, she was our queen but also your family", Cregan spoke dutifully and with sincerity.
"All that could be done to avenge her has been done",
"I can see".
"Do not judge me as if you know any of what I have done",
"I do not judge you".
"Then why does your face show one of a man who is judging me?",
"You do not strike me as a woman who does not know the difference between curiosity and judgment".
"I agree with you there my lord. All I have done is avenge my niece, the rightful queen who was robbed of her birthright",
"But you cannot blame me for wondering what it is that your vengeance entailed?".
"The death of the false king and his self- riteous mother",
"You robbed us of our chance to end the usurper?".
"Yes, it was within my right. Why should you, a man separated by distance have more reason than I to end the life of the one who cost me my safety, my children's safety and my niece's life".
Cregan nodded backing down before looking down at the young boy beside her.
"Is this-", Cregan began to ask before Mysaria cut him off knowing what was to be asked. She did not like that a boy that just had to watch his mother die would be forced to become king and carry the burden that caused the deaths of his family nor did she like that he tried to undermine what she and Shaera had done to Aegon, they ended the reign of terror and nobody else.
"Queen Rhaenyra's son, yes he is", Cregan looked down at Mysaria then back to Shaera.
"What is to be done?",
"Should he want it, Aegon will sit the throne as king".
"Should he want it? I must admit my confusion, surely he will be king because his mother was the queen before him",
"He is but a boy, a boy that has lost his mother. He will have a choice".
"And if he decides not to sit the throne? Who will take it then?",
"Whomever is deemed the right fit".
All eyes turned to Aegon, the boy seemed more nervous as he looked at those staring at him. He held his hand out towards Shaera, she took it without hesitation as she began to comfort him as she had done for Rhaenyra many times.
"I will sit the throne for my mother, she should be hear to rule but I will do it for her and do right by her as her legacy",
"Very well. I, Lord Cregan Stark, hereby pledge my loyalty to king Aegon, third of his name. King of the Andals, the Rhoynar and the first men. Long may he reign".
"I, Shaera Arryn-Targaryen, hereby pledge my loyalty to King Aegon, third of his name. Long may he reign".
"In the name of Jeyne Arryn, Lady of the Vale hereby pledge loyalty to his grace, king Aegon, third of his name. Long may he reign".
"I thank you all for the loyalty to myself and my mother. As my first act of king, I name Lord Cregan Stark as hand of the king".
"Your grace, as your hand it is my duty to advise you and so I implore you to punish the remaining traitors accordingly",
"How so?".
"A trial".
Aegon looked to Shaera who nodded at him before he turned back to Cregan.
"Alright, a trial we shall have".
~
Shaera wrote two ravens, one to Jeyne thanking her for the soldiers she sent and one to Daemon at Dragonstone.
Daemon and their children were coming to King's Landing to support Aegon before they would return to live there. The winter was fast approaching and they could not keep travelling back and forth.
The burden of loss is a heavy one, the pain and heartache manifests in a person's heart and soul like a bad omen but the hurt will eventually subside and become easier to cope for some but not for all. Shaera constantly had the feeling of pressure weighing down on her everytime she wanted to visit Rhaenys and Laena at Driftmark, everytime she wanted to talk to Laenor and Harwin about the boys and how they were both adjusting to being fathers. Everytime she wanted to sit and gossip with Aemma as they both sat eating cake and braiding Rhaenyra's hair or when she walked with Viserys in the gardens of the Red Keep. Everytime she wanted to spend time with Rhaenyra, everytime she wanted to read stories with her mother like she had done as a child. All the things she wanted to do but had to remind herself that she could no longer do because they were no longer there to do them with, she had lost so many and yet she felt guilty like if she allowed herself to grieve and eventually heal from the loss that she would be doing wrong by them but war was over.
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The Pyre for a hero
FanfictionThe realms desire and the Rogue prince was the love story that everybody wanted for themselves. Chaos runs in their blood, they were drawn to the fire in the other. Many tried to keep them apart but they were drawn to each other. Shaera Arryn (OC) X...
