xcvi.

2K 109 26
                                    

Rhaenar was surprised to see it sitting on her desk as she took a quick detour to her room before meeting the council at the Painted Table, the piece of parchment so perfectly rolled, and untouched in front of her

Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.

Rhaenar was surprised to see it sitting on her desk as she took a quick detour to her room before meeting the council at the Painted Table, the piece of parchment so perfectly rolled, and untouched in front of her. She frowned, her finger slipping beneath the seal of the letter, tearing the wax from the parchment as she pulled it open. A letter from Highgarden, Willas had written to her.


'Queen Rhaenar,

I write to you with new information following the death of my Grandmother, Olenna; and I hope that this letter is seen by your eyes only.'


Rhaenar's brows dipped, the indigo slipping across the cursive quickly.


'I had an old friend examine the glass that Jaime had poison, but upon my surprise, the glass itself had contained not one - but two poisons.'


She flinched, two poisons?


'It appears that my Grandmother was ready in preparation for Lannister forces to breach the castle - despite the presence of your Golden Company. I thought it odd, she always kept a decanter of red wine on her side, but never that full. Upon further inspection from my old friend, it was revealed that the wine was poisoned by her own hand. She had asked the Maester just days before for a vial of Nightshade, and another on the day. Obe assures me that with the amount that she put it, it would be enough to potentially kill a man - if Jaime Lannister had drunk from the glass.'


Rhaenar thought back. There were two glasses set upon that table, one empty and dry; but the other...? She thought hard, her brow creasing. It was full. Her eyes flickered back to the name, Obe. Did he mean Oberyn? He was skilled in poisons, he knew them like the back of his hand. Was he the old friend he was referring to?


'We cannot confirm nor deny if Jaime had drunk from the glass, but it has raised many questions within me that I want answering. How did Jaime Lannister manage to get from the battlefield to my grandmother's room, with only the guards dead? I didn't hear anything, and there were no maids present. Are we certain it was Jaime?


My sincerest regards,

Willas.'


The letter had raised questions in Rhaenar as she sat, sinking back in her chair as her eyes remained unfocused. She was there when Olenna was dying... She was there when Olenna was dying! The poison had taken her quickly from the time Rhaenar had entered the room, which means Jaime must have only just left - or that the dosage was somewhat weak? But the fact that Willas had pointed out there were no maids, no one to guard them, and if they were they were dead.

Winter Rose.Where stories live. Discover now