The Emancipation of Rhaegar

Chapter 54

Edge

Dragonstone

"Lord Brandon Stark is said to be raising an army against the King, your grace."

Rhaegar's eyes snapped open and he sat up from his bed, the loud waves of the angry sea beneath them startling him awake. That or it was the words that his grand-uncle at the wall had written to him that replayed in his mind, even in sleep, that woke him.

He turned his head, Arianne moved in her sleep uncomfortably, but she did not wake. His movements startling her enough to turn away from his body and move closer to the cradles that lay next to her. His children, Visenya and Valerion, both stayed asleep as well. Visenya was a light sleeper, so small noises tended to wake her, and she'd scream the castle down until she was calmed down by either the wet nurse or her father. Arianne was at first unhappy her daughter did not want her when she was upset, but quickly realised it might've been a blessing to only have Valerion clinging onto her.

Rhaegar stood from the bed slowly, knowing the sun would be up soon enough and his duties would wake up shortly anyway.

As he dressed, he couldn't believe the words that Maester Aemon had written to him. There was no outwardly cry that Brandon was calling his banners, there was no messenger to Dragonstone nor Kingslanding that he'd heard of that had informed them. Perhaps he was gathering numbers, testing out who would side with him and who wouldn't. Aemon hadn't told him who but Rhaegar concluded the Northmen, the Tully's and Baratheon's by marriage, apart from them he did not know anyone else.

All he knew was that he needed to make sure his children were in a safe place, but where exactly would that safe place be? It certainly wasn't Dorne, Elia had made that much clear. Writing a very distressing letter to Rhaegar detailing her anger at his naming Valerion his new heir. In hindsight, she was right, but Aegon would have Dragonstone. That would be enough ... wouldn't it?

He couldn't appease both sons with the title to the Throne and Arianne had insisted on Valerion being named his heir.

"He is your dragon is he not? He is the purest of the two, closest in relation to the Throne," Arianne reminded him, playing with Valerion's hair as she bounced the babe on her back after his feeding. "And he was a gift from the gods Rhaegar. You cannot deny it is his birthright."

He shook the thought from his head, planting a small kiss on Arianne's cheek before leaving the room. He had a voyage to plan, all the way back to Kingslanding.

...

"Isn't it marvellous?" Rhaegar muttered to Arianne, she was running her hands along with Throne, the very same one that many Targaryen's before Rhaegar had sat on. He was currently sitting in it, awaiting the private audience that someone, gods know who had requested of him. Arianne stood beside him, both their ruby crowns gleaming as the sun caught onto the dark red colours.

The doors swung open; a hooded figure entered holding a basket in her hand. Both Rhaegar and Arianne knew that whoever it was, they had to be of some importance. The woman took her hood off, revealing the pale face of Lyanna Stark, now Baratheon.

Arianne squinted and stepped forward, "Lyanna?"

"Hello," Lyanna awkwardly responded, bowing to the two. She felt as if she were a beggar, but she really had no choice. Arianne choked, unsure of what else to say.

"Lady Baratheon," Rhaegar nodded back, "to what do we owe the pleasure? Last we heard you were lost from Storms End."

"I wasn't lost," Lyanna responded truthfully. "I left," Arianne's face looked to ask why "because I hate Robert. And no one believed me when I said I hate Robert." There was a silence as Lyanna gathered her words. It had taken her so much to actually get here, she didn't know exactly what she'd say. "I came here asking for...for...," she moved closer to the Throne, basket still in hand. "Will you take him. Even as a ward?" Her eyes were desperate, her question was directed to Arianne.