AUTHORS NOTE: Okay so I decided to not make this into a series, so I'll just continue posting chapters here.
This chapter took me a while to write because I really wanted it to be perfect. I'm still unsure about this chapter (I will explain more in the end of the author's note because I don't want to spoil anything) but I hope you all enjoy it. Sorry in advance for any mistakes.
Also I made a timeline for this fic, you can find it on my tumblr (@sunsetstarrogue). You can see Rhaenys and Aegon's ages there + the other kids.
Thanks to Tharani03 for helping me write some of this chapter.
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Rhaenys could hear the faint cheers that rang all throughout the Sept, like a taunt that relished in her misfortune.
The heavy sound of metal grew louder and louder, footsteps hurried and rushed. She could feel the uneasiness roll off of him in waves but she paid him no mind, kneeling to the Mother instead and shutting her eyes in prayer. Her toddlers squealed in excitement and chased each other, blissfully unaware of their mother's turmoil.
Mother, Mother, Mother, she pleaded, for what, she could not say.
Perhaps it was a plea to spare her from the humiliation of her failure, a plea to a God to spare her children from any horrors they might endure now that their protector was dead.
She rose from her knees.
"We can not stay here," he spoke with urgency, he gripped her upper arm gently. When she gave no response, instead peering up at the statue of her one and only true God, he gripped her chin with his calloused fingers, turning her gaze away from the Mother.
His eyes were ocean strong, tides of light silver mixed with his sapphire eyes, a delicate mixture of color that hypnotized her. His eyes pleaded with her, trying to make her understand the words he had just spoken.
"We still have time," his voice was softer now, as if scared that anything louder than a whisper might frighten her. "I have some friends at the docks that could help us. We can get on a boat and leave while they still march their way into the city."
A myriad of emotions weighed down her gaze, mingling in the depths of her eyes – grief, anger, a profound sadness, and most of all, fear. She knew he could read them all, his own gaze conveying a delicate comprehension, yet she harbored a doubt, a whisper of uncertainty if he truly comprehended the full extent of her turmoil.
Rhaenys repositioned herself, turning her body to squarely face him, their closeness allowing her chest to softly meet his. The grip of Edric's fingers on her chin relinquished its hold, replaced by the tender ascent of his hands, which cradled her face with a warmth that had grown familiar, an unspoken gesture of tenderness that had woven itself into their friendship.
In the charged silence that enveloped them, words remained unspoken, their eyes locked in a shared exploration of one another's faces.
At last, she broke the stillness, her voice a gentle exhalation that carried the weight of fatigue, "No," her head shook slowly, "We – I must remain," her gaze momentarily drifted, a fleeting retreat from his searching eyes.
"Rhaenys," his voice flowed like velvet, "Your father — Her response was an icy glance, cutting him off before he could finish. "Rhaegar is already here, Robert is dead. There's nothing holding us here. Let us take the children and leave," his plea held a touch of desperation.
A stern resolve filled her gaze as she met his eyes. "No," her tone was unwavering, carrying a determination that refused to yield. "I won't flee like he did. I choose to remain," she affirmed with a subtle nod, her words more an affirmation of her own decision than a response to Edric.
He exhaled an impatient sigh, his frustration evident, and released his gentle hold on her face.
Edric paces restlessly, his steps tracing a circuit between her and the statue of the Father. The rhythmic movements produce the metallic clinking of his armor, a jarring sound that grates against her senses, an unpleasant sound that she has grown to detest ever since she heard the Mountain's heavy armor rattle loudly as he marched towards her mother. As Edric's armor reverberates, it manages to drown the faint cheers emanating from beyond — yet another sound she loathes; but that's mostly because she hates the man they are cheering for, she rather her lover stopped pacing back and forth and held still.
His posture remains erect, tension coiled tightly within his frame. The fingers of his right hand hover, poised like a coiled viper, over the hilt of his sheathed blade— prepared to strike down any intruder who would try and breach the ornate doors of the Sept. Meanwhile, his left hand weaves through his raven-dark hair, a restless gesture mirroring the uneasiness that courses through him.
"Edric," her voice cuts through the air, a call to capture his attention. Unmoved, he persists in his measured back-and-forth journey, tracing the same path from her to the statue of the Father. "Edric," her tone takes on a sharper edge.
In response to her curt summons, the towering figure halts mid-stride. His profile remains hidden from her, yet an unspoken anticipation lingers – she's aware that when he turns to face her, his eyes will blaze with frustration.
Her intuition proves true. As he pivots to confront her, a transformed face meets her gaze. The softness that typically graced his eyes and defined his gentle features is eclipsed by a scowl, a mask of displeasure etching its mark upon his face. Yet, even in his anger, a certain tenderness clings to him, a tenderness that was never present in Robert.
Even when irked, Edric's presence never instilled fear in her. He didn't evoke the same apprehension that Robert's anger had always kindled, a distinction that remained palpable even in the midst of his evident irritation.
"Rhaenys, for what reason?" he demands, his exasperation apparent as he grapples with her decision. "You despise this cursed city. Why, then? Why cling to it?"
"You're well aware," her retort is tinged with an unintended sharpness, though Edric remains undeterred in his pursuit of answers.
"No, Rhaenys, I truly do not understand," his words resonate with earnest confusion.
"I won't flee. I'm not defeated yet," she asserts, lifting her chin in a display of false confidence, a facade that fails to elude Edric's discerning gaze.
"We're defeated, and you of all people should understand that. It's finished. Only one Baratheon King sat the Iron Throne and now we must accept that the dragons have reclaimed their crown."
In vehement denial, she vigorously shakes her head, a cascade of dark hair brushing her shoulders. "No, Cassian—"
He advances purposefully, closing the distance between them, his grip firm as he seizes her arms. "Cassian is a child, scarcely able to utter words, and yet you propose to anoint him king. You know what happens to boys they make Kings, they are groomed by those around them, turned into pawns for power hungry men. Do not tell me you would subject your son to that? Can you honestly consider exposing your own son to that fate?" "
Rhaenys wrenches herself free from Edric's grasp, a frigid glare directed his way. "I would never let those fucking vipers spill their poison towards my son,"
"But that's not the point. Can't you understand, Rhaenys? Even if you possessed the authority to place a crown on Cassian's head, what army would rally behind him? All of my father's forces were obliterated by Rhaegar's," he breaks off, a pause heavy with the weight of truth. "He's currently marching through the city, victory firmly in his grip," he emphasizes, his words a stark reminder.
The words reverberate, a chilling echo— he has won, he has won.
A surge of frustration claws at Rhaenys, an intense impulse to release a guttural scream, to tear at her own hair.
Lost, I lost.
Rhaegar is here, he rides through the city with Aegon and his bastard children. Rhaegar is here.
It's as if a fog has been lifted from her eyes, the realization settled within her. There is nothing for her here, no reason for her to stay in the wretched city, not with Rhaegar here.
She blinks away the tears, "You're right," she finally confesses, "There is nothing to be found here for our family,"
Rhaenys collapses in front of the Father, holding on to his stone shoes desperately.
"Protect us, please, please, please..."
"Rhaenys, I'm here-"
A sudden noise pierced through the heavy atmosphere of the hall. The doors were flung open with a deafening crack, unleashing a gust of wind that swept through the halls, causing the torch flames to flicker wildly. However Rhaenys could only stare at the figure in the doorway. It all felt so surreal, like she was stuck in a dream.
Father?
He was powerfully built with elaborate armor and the weight of his presence evoked a sense of otherworldliness. Her mind raced, and for a fleeting moment, she thought she saw a divine messenger. However he soon stepped in the light and the illusion shattered. Rhaenys' blood ran cold, her breath hitching as she recognised those purple eyes, so hauntingly familiar.
"Edric, take the children!" she ordered Edric before grabbing the steel dagger perched on his sword belt.
However Rhaegar Targaryen cared little for the tiny dagger in the hands of an untrained woman. He instead advanced towards here, tears flowing down his purple eyes. Eyes like her own.
She could hear Edric unsheathe his sword before joining her children, who stood still by the Mother's feet.
"Rhaenys!" she heard him scream out but she was so transfixed by the man before her. Without a second thought, he engulfed her in a fierce embrace, clinging to her like a starved man who had finally found sustenance. His cold armor pressed against her soft skin. The scent of leather and metal filled her senses, triggering memories of long-forgotten days when she would run into her father's arms without hesitation.
"Rhaenys," he gasped out, his voice choked with grief.
You're not my father, Rhaenys thought.
She wanted nothing more but to pull herself away from him but she stood frozen as the man held her in a tender embrace.
Rhaenys felt herself begin to tremble, her hands, planted by her side, made fist as she felt his arms tighten around her. The embrace he had her in started to feel suffocating, her throat closed up and she struggled to breath.
Her nails dug into her palms as she clenched her hands harder. Her surroundings seemed to have disappeared from her, no longer could she hear the distant cheering of the crowd. The sound of Edric's armor rustling against each other went mute and the soft footsteps of her children grew still, all she heard was him.
"Rhaenys," he whispered against her ear, his hand softly caressing her hair. Her mind was adrift, lost in between thoughts and nothingness.
Rhaegar pressed a light kiss on her forehead.
It was this particular act of intimacy that snapped her out of her trance.
Rhaenys brought her limp arms in front of her and pushed the man off of her, he staggered back a bit, clearly taken aback by her action but she turned away from his confused gaze and went to look for her children.
Her indigo eyes wandered to the statue of the Mother, her children stood quietly in front of it, their innocent eyes focused on her.
Her eyes watered a bit, they're safe.
For now, a cautious voice whispered back to her.
Swallowing nervously, Rhaenys shifted her gaze toward Edric, expecting to find his eyes fixed on either her or Rhaegar, cautiously observing from a distance, with his sword at the ready, prepared to intervene if her father displayed any signs of hostility. To her surprise, however, Edric's gaze was focused straight ahead. Curious, she followed his line of sight and noticed a figure lingering behind Rhaegar that had somehow escaped her notice.
This figure stood taller than their father, clad in armor reminiscent of Rhaegar's, except for the dragon emblem on his breastplate, which was crafted with orange stones instead of red rubies. His silver hair flowed down, cascading gracefully. His gaze shifted back and forth between herself and Edric, his hand firmly gripping the hilt of his sword, and a slight sneer played upon his lips.
Rhaenys had steeled herself for the eventual confrontation with her father ever since the news of Robert's death reached her. She knew, deep in her heart, that their meeting was unavoidable, but she had foolishly overlooked the fact that she would also come face-to-face with her brother again. Her heart raced in her chest as she continued to study Aegon. His narrowed eyes were a striking shade of purple, his nose was elegantly slender and straight, and his cheekbones were high and defined.
An irritating thought crossed her mind, he is beautiful.
"Rhaenys," her father's voice called out, and it pulled her away from her Aegon. Reluctantly, she turned to face him once more. As her eyes met his, a torrent of emotions surged within her. It was a familiar tide that had taken root deep within her being and settled in her heart. Now, as she studied her father, that single emotion overwhelmed everything else.
Anger, raw and seething. Rage, like an untamed fire raging within her. Fury, a tempest of emotions ready to be unleashed. All these emotions melded into one, and she could no longer contain the overwhelming strom within her. It was a storm that had been brewing since the loss of her mother, and now it threatened to break free from its restraints.
And this time she had no desire to hide it, the person responsible for everything stood before her.
"Why are you here?" she demanded, her voice laced with pain and anger. "Why did you come back?"
Rhaenys observed the shift in her father's face, his once hopeful expression giving way to a visible cascade of emotions. His eyes now carried a weight of profound sadness and aching hurt, facets she had never before witnessed. The intensity of those emotions tugged at her, tempting her to avert her gaze from his penetrating lavender eyes. Yet, resolute, she held her ground and maintained their unwavering gaze.
He took a step toward her, his expression torn between remorse and a despera. He tried to reach out to her, but Rhaenys instinctively retreated several paces, her eyes blazing with fury. The hurt she glimpsed in his eyes as she moved away only fueled her anger, and she fought the urge to unleash her frustration upon him.
How dare he feel hurt? It was his actions that caused all of this pain.
Despite his evident sorrow, he made no further attempt to approach her, remaining rooted a couple of steps away. Rhaenys cast her gaze over him and noticed Aegon now stood closer. She shot him a glare, one which he returned with equal intensity.
The air was thick with an unyielding silence, a heavy shroud that enveloped them all, unbroken by any attempts to dispel it. Even her children, usually full of chatter, remained strangely subdued, not a single unintelligible word escaping their lips.
Rhaenys took a deep breath, her voice betraying a trace of vulnerability as she repeated her question, the words cracking slightly, "Why have you come here?"
While it was her father she had directed the question towards, it was her brother who took a step forward, positioning himself alongside Rhaegar. In that moment, Rhaenys couldn't help but notice the striking resemblance between the two.
His face contorted into a scowl, his features etched with displeasure. "He came to rescue you," Aegon's words, laden with a mix of indignation, incredulity, and a hint of bitterness, sliced through the air.
Rhaenys found herself caught off guard by the intensity of emotions resonating in her brother's voice. Why the anger? Why the bitterness directed at her? These questions momentarily tugged at her thoughts, but she swiftly set them aside, refusing to be derailed.
With determination burning in her eyes, Rhaenys locked gazes with Aegon, mirroring his fervor. "Rescue me?" she spat, her tone tinged with sarcasm. The heat of her frustration couldn't be contained as she raised her voice, a vehement inquiry escaping her lips, "Rescue me from what, exactly?"
Aegon advanced, taking a deliberate step towards her, but his movement was abruptly intercepted by Edric, who swiftly positioned himself before her, his hand still resting on the hilt of his unsheathed sword.
The two men locked eyes, a charged tension palpable between them. Aegon's features contorted with a mixture of disbelief and simmering anger.
Her brother's attention shifted back to her, his expression now twisted into one of false confusion. "Is this your dog?" he quipped, his tone laced with mockery.
Before any further words could be exchanged, Edric acted, forcefully pushing Aegon. Though her brother staggered back a few paces, Edric pressed on, this time drawing his sword from its sheath with an assertive flourish.
"I am no one's dog, boy" Edric retorted, his voice seething with anger.
Aegon executed a seamless draw of his own sword from its sheath, revealing a blade that was as beautiful as its wielder. The steel gleamed splendently, a tapestry of richness and silvered brilliance. The candlelight played upon its surface, creating a mesmerizing dance of reflections – a sight both captivating and enchanting. Valyrian steel , she vividly recalled her father's blade, Valyrian steel is the most precious metal in the world , he had told her before he allowed her to touch the blunted edge of the sword.
Her gaze briefly shifted to the covered blade that rested at her father's side, ensconced in its sheath. In that fleeting moment, she wondered if it was the same blade he had once permitted her to cradle as a child.
"Aegon," she heard her father say, his voice was firm and grave, she had never once heard her father speak with such authority. "Put away your sword," he ordered Aegon.
Rhaenys observed as Aegon's gaze momentarily wavered from Edric's, his eyes swiveling to fix upon Rhaegar. Her vantage point made it impossible to discern any exchanged words, yet she could perceive her brother's uncertainty as he reluctantly sheathed his sword, punctuating the action with a resentful glare directed at Edric. He then retreated to Rhaegar's side, a silent alignment that spoke volumes.
Edric, however, remained resolute, his sword still held aloft and aimed in Aegon's general direction. Rhaenys' attention remained steadfast on her brother, noticing the hurt etched across his features as he cast a glance at Rhaegar. Sensing her intense scrutiny, Aegon shifted his focus away from Rhaegar to meet Rhaenys' gaze. In that quick look, a shared sense of embarrassment danced between them, like a fleeting secret exchanged – Rhaenys for being caught staring intensely at her brother, and Aegon for being unexpectedly seen with a vulnerability that belied his usual demeanor.
Yet, the fleeting discomfort dissipated as swiftly as it emerged. Both their gazes, now taut and unwavering, transformed from vulnerability to an intense, simmering anger that surged through their matching lavender eyes.
"Lower your sword. I intend only to converse," Rhaegar's voice was disturbingly tranquil, a calmness that pricked at her nerves. Edric hesitated, his grip on the sword remaining unyielding. He glanced back at her, seeking guidance through his questioning eyes.
Caught in a moment of contemplation, she weighed her options. A fleeting notion tugged at her thoughts, urging her to command Edric to strike them down, to end the turmoil once and for all. Yet, a surge of hesitation held her back. Could Edric truly kill them both? Her father, was said to be a more skilled fighter now, and her brother, whose hand had dealt the fatal blow to her husband. Edric's prowess was undeniable – she had confidence he could best one of them – but confronting both?
Her mind raced, wrestling with the possibility, grappling with the uncertainty.
Her eyes drifted away from Edric's beckoning ones and turned back to look at her children who were still huddled away by the statue of the Mother. It became clear what her choice would be.
The decision took form within her, a silent realization of purpose.
Perhaps her pause had stretched too long, for when she shifted her attention back to Edric, he had advanced several paces ahead, a predatory presence stalking toward her father. Rhaenys noted Rhaegar's subtle shift, his hand inching toward his sword's hilt, mirrored by Aegon's reaction.
"No," her voice rang out, slicing through the tension. "No, there will be no bloodshed here." Three pairs of eyes snapped in her direction. "I refuse to witness a bloodbath between you men, not in front of my children." Her voice, a blend of clarity and unwavering determination, hung in the air.
A realization slowly unfurled within her, like the gentle lifting of a fog. Her father and brother remained oblivious to the presence of her children. Her twins stood silently by the feet of the Mother's statue, only the peaks of their heads and the glint of their eyes were visible. Rhaenys kept a vigilant gaze on her father, watching as his face underwent a poignant transformation. The mask of grief that mirrored his expression when he had first entered the Sept reappeared. His eyes, fraught with pain, settled upon her children —- his grandchildren.
The sheer astonishment lay in the absence of animosity within her father's lavender eyes. While no joy radiated from his gaze, the stark absence of hatred struck her most profoundly. It was a revelation she clung to – at least her children wouldn't be met with hostility from their new King. The word King tasted bitterly against her lips. It is Cassian that should be King, she reminded herself and couldn't help the glare she shot towards Rhaegar.
She turned her focus to Aegon, attempting to decipher his inscrutable expression, a gnawing annoyance growing within her. Mere moments ago, she had felt intimately attuned to his emotions, but now that connection seemed severed, leaving her restless to glean his current thoughts.
Does he bear them ill will? Does he hate them? The answers eluded her grasp.
A harsh, grating noise reverberated from the entrance of the Sept, immediately commanding their collective focus toward the front of the sept.
Initially sealed, the imposing doors of the Sept of Baelor were now in the process of being pushed open. A radiant stream of daylight poured through the widening gap, flooding the interior.
Rhaenys could see the outlines of many figures, this is it then.
Without sparing another look at the mysterious figures and ignoring the presence of her father and brother, she proceeded with purposeful steps toward the statue of the Mother. A tender brush of her fingers against the cool stone and her devotion was silently reaffirmed.
Her gaze then shifted to her children. Cassian and Elia hastened toward her, embodying the innocence of children. My sweet babes, not even three years old and already without a father.
Robbed of their fathers embrace, she told herself.
Rhaenys gracefully descended to her knees, positioning herself beside her precious offsprings. The music of loud, unfamiliar voices swelled around her, an unruly tide that threatened to engulf her senses. Yet, she forged an impenetrable circle of focus around her children.
With a tenderness that spoke of both love and protectiveness, she gathered her two little ones into a sheltering embrace, their delicate forms cocooned within the circle of her arms. Her lips, soft and maternal, brushed against the crowns of their heads, leaving a fleeting mark of affection.
Her son's voice, pure and innocent, resonated in the air, a single word that held so much meaning: "Mother." Beside him, her daughter, swaddled in the haven of her mother's arms, yielded to the overwhelming emotions and began to weep, her fragile frame trembling with sorrow.
Rhaenys' gaze moved between her son and daughter, a motherly reassurance emanating from her eyes. In this intimate moment, both her children were held safely within the cradle of her embrace, shielded from the storm that raged around them.
Softly, almost as if her words were a secret shared only with them, she murmured, "It's going to be alright, my darlings. All will be well. I won't allow anyone to harm you. I promise."
"I promise," she repeated, her voice a steadfast declaration, a solemn vow that echoed in the tumultuous expanse of the room.
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END NOTE: So that's it for this chapter. The more I kept reading it the more I grew to dislike it lol but I decided to just upload this chapter so that I can hear your guys opinion on it. Please be honest, I really wanna make a fic that people enjoy and this chapter doesn't feel like something people would like. Maybe I'm being very critical on this chapter idk.
Now I do want to make it clear that the next chapter WILL have a more deep conversation between Rhaegar and Rhaenys and that conversation will dive deeper into Rhaenys and Rhaegar's state of mind and their troubles. Rhaenys will be harsher with him. She showed some restraint here because she didn't know what to expect from Rhaegar and she didn't want to endanger her children.
As I said in the beginning, this chapter was meant to be the first chapter of 'Ptolemaea', and it would have been the prologue to that fic. This chapter is meant to be a re introduction to the characters, thats why we don't see an all out argument here, I'm saving that for the next chapter.
If you want to give me a more detailed opinion on this chapter please comment or message me on tumblr(@sunsetstarrogue), you can also join my discord server(sunset0796) (I am much more active on there)