The Emancipation of Rhaegar

Chapter 25

Twenty - Five

Kingslanding – The Red Keep:

The curtains to her room were drawn open and Arianne was pushed awake by Penelope.

"My lady, Prince Rhaegar has asked to have breakfast with you this morning. What should I tell him?" She whispered.

Arianne sat on her bed quickly and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. "Yes, say yes of course." She heard Nymella snicker from across the room. "What's so funny?"

"You're so eager to see him, that's all," Nymella shrugged.

Arianne rolled her eyes and pulled herself from the bed, dragging the soft sheets along with her to the vanity. "You wouldn't be?"

Nymella shook her head. "No. I guess it's different for you though." She responded. "Oh also, have you heard?"

Arianne waited for her to speak once more. "Usually after that Nymella, you reveal the big news."

"Your brother got married, a few days ago. News came from Riverrun," she responded. "I assumed you'd know." She began to ready a dress that she could change into quickly.

Arianne huffed. She knew she would be missing the wedding of her brother, an event she and he had both looked forward to for many years. "I wrote to him weeks ago!" She yelled, infuriated that her family had taken to not responding to her letters. "I cannot help that I have been asked her, honestly how stubborn can those people be? I even sent a letter to Catelyn!"

"Why are we so angry?" The soothing voice of Rhaegar entered the room, followed by Penelope's hurried footsteps.

Arianne stood from her vanity and held the covers to her body closer. Nymella curtsied and backed away from both of them to stand next to Penelope. "What are you doing in here?" She asked feeling her face heat up.

"I cannot see the woman I love in her natural state?" He asked, pushing her to sit back down on the chair and kneeling down next to her. "You should walk around the Keep just like that. I'm sure you would still be the envy of many."

Arianne heard Penelope let out a small moan and a squeak. "You're a very good liar."

"It comes to me naturally," Rhaegar shrugged. Arianne gasped and went to hit his chest, only to have the sheet fall from her hand and expose her for a brief moment. She quickly covered up, only to have Rhaegar stop her by placing a pale hand on her tanned wrist. "Show me once more," he whispered. Arianne pushed him away and stood from her seat, she scaled the wall looking for the secret door that Nymella had shown her a few days ago. Rhaegar let out a chuckle and found the door pushing it open. She looked up at him, shocked and annoyed he knew more about her room than he did. "Who do you think put you in here?" He asked her, pushing her in by the small of her back.

Arianne moved away from him quickly and went to stare at the bath. "You shouldn't have done that," she said, running her hands through the cold water.

"What? Show affection for my betrothed?" he asked, moving closer to her. "It's the first time we've been alone in days."

Arianne looked back at him. "We had plenty of free time on the Kingsroad," she mocked.

"I didn't mean to upset you," he whispered, pulling her closer by her waist. He pulled out a thick wad of letters that had been tied together. "Half from Harrenhal's Maester, the other half from our own." He said, placing them between her hand and breast.

Arianne felt her heart flutter. "Finally," she whispered holding onto them tightly. She relished in the idea of being able to read the news from her family in peace. Without thinking about if they had been angered at her. "What took them so long?" She asked.

Rhaegar shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. See now we wasted valuable breakfast time." He groaned, placing a hand on his stomach. "My father wants us in court today, apparently the Lannister's have arrived and Cersei has a proposition for him."

Arianne sighed, throwing her head back in distaste. "Truthfully, I am glad I have not seen anything too horrific, apart from what was-," she stopped herself.

"What?" Rhaegar asked, knowing exactly what she was going to say.

Arianne pulled herself away. "Nothing," she perked.

Rhaegar sighed and pulled her back, leading them to her basin and leaning upon it. He spread his legs and pulled her between them. "If you think Jonothor didn't tell me, you think very little of our Kingsguard."

Arianne sighed and shook her head. "It was nothing, really."

"No, it's not nothing, Varys was wrong for doing that and if I had my way I would see him hang."

"I mean that's a little extreme," Arianne pointed out.

Rhaegar scoffed. "He threatened you, Arianne. You are to be his Queen and he had the audacity to do something like that."

Arianne placed a finger to his lips. "He is good practice then," she pointed out. "You still haven't told me how the meeting was the other day."

"Oh you know," Rhaegar shrugged, not wanting to remember what had happened nor tell her.

"Ah he joins us," Aerys muttered, directing Rhaegar to sit down next to his left. "We have already discussed most things, while you were busy dicking around."

Rhaegar clenched his jaw and brought his hands together on the table. "Hmm, so what do we have left to talk about?" He asked, looking around the table. He noticed how the only people present were only him, Steffon and Stannis Baratheon, his father and Maester Pycelle.

"Well, we were just discussing what to do with the Frey's, my prince," Stannis piped, once he realized that no one else would inform him.

"The Frey's?" Rhaegar frowned.

Aerys let out a cackle. "You're so stupid, I wonder how long you'll be able to keep this damn kingdom together. Yes, the Frey's boy!" His voice rose with every word he uttered. Rhaegar nodded his head, mocking his father and his quick temper. "They almost had me killed! I knew it was wrong to go to that stupid Tourney. It's a miracle any of us made it out alive for hell's sake. Varys, however, gave me the will to fight back, so, I want that entire family wiped out, do you all hear me? Pycelle write this down, all of them, gone."

Steffon stood from his seat, "your grace, the curse of Harrenhal will take them out just as it did the Whent's, we do not have to be so hasty."

Rhaegar looked at his father and Steffon, he envied the man for standing up to him. "He's right father. You wouldn't want to do anything that gives anyone a reason to-,"

"To what?" He asked. Rhaegar couldn't bear look him in the eyes, the milky colour of his skin, the piercing purple of his eyes, his greasy hair, Rhaegar couldn't even look at his hands without his skin wanting to crawl out off his bones. "Good. I want the heads of each and every surviving male of that house! Babe and all."

Well, that was until Varys strode into the room.

...