They set off at nightfall the next day, with Ser Dayne, Whent, Prince Rhaegar and Lady Stark being loaded up into the Sweet Marya along with Davos and his crew.
They waited until sunset and set off. They pushed through the rocks surrounding Storms End. Rhaegar had offered to help them, wanting to try to do something for the crew, but his lack of an arm, and lack of sailing experience meant he would be forced to wait below deck with Lady Stark and the other Kingsguard, their lack of sailing experience also relegating them to waiting below deck.
They could hear screaming from above. With shouts of, "Dump the bait!!!" A massive splashing sounds, and the sound of what seemed to be projectiles hitting the water around them.
He could hear footsteps running above the deck. Sers Dayne and Whent had their swords at the ready, gripping them tightly and focusing on the door leading to the topside of the ship. The screams and footsteps died down. They could hear steps coming down towards the door. Dayne and Whent stood ready, the door opened and Davos walked inside, with sweat coming down his brow.
"M'prince, we've gotten past the blockade. We should be in King's Landing within the week." He said in a relieved tone. "would you like anything to eat? We've gone some salted codfish and onions if you'd like."
"Aye." Rhaegar said. "I'll have some."
Davos left the room and had dinner bought to them. They ate silently with Davos joining them, none of them spoke, with them simply taking in what little flavor the food had. Finally, Lyanna spoke.
"How did his grace recruit a smuggler like you?" She asked in a curious tone.
Thank the seven she broke this awkward silence. Rhaegar though as Davos nodded and spoke.
"His grace had goldcloaks break into my home and dragged me to a small council meeting. Told me to smuggle supplies to the castle and in return I'd get a pardon and a knighthood."
Lyanna laughed a little. "Should I call you Ser Davos the Smuggler?" She asked in a slightly mocking tune.
Davos shook his head. "I've been thinking about it, Seaworth sounds better to me."
Rhaegar nodded. "A worthy name, for a man who risked his life for the royal family."
"Perhaps." Davos said. "Really I'm more worried about you." He said in a concerned tone. "The king spoke to me while I was in the process of getting this operation ready. Said you had a lot of explaining to do for what you did. Frankly my prince, I'm quite worried."
Rhaegar let out a slight chuckle. "As if that madman ever cares about anything. One moment he's raving mad wanting to kill half the court and burning anyone who slightly displeases him with wildfire. And the next he is abusing my mother and locked away in his room while his sycophants rule for him."
Davos seemed confused. "I'm sorry my prince, but mad? I mean, he has a few eccentricities, pinching himself and twitching, but the man seems like a decent king. And wildfire? He has a pyromancer as his master of whisperers, but I never saw him burn anyone in Court at least while I was there?"
Rhaegar seemed confused. "A pyromancer? As the master of whisperers? What happened to Varys?"
Davos seemed even more confused. "Who's Varys my prince?"
Rhaegar seemed slightly taken aback. "He was the master of whisperers before I left with Lyanna." He said as Lyanna looked at him while eating.
"I'm sorry my prince, but I've never heard of this Varys, maybe he was dismissed."
Rhaegar was even more confused, and concerned. Did he really dismiss Varys? He thought as he pondered on this recent news. No, what if he killed him. He thought.
He felt a slight chill coming down his back as he thought what could happen when he returned. If I return to Kings landing, and if he's willing to discard someone as loyal as Varys. Will she be ok? He thought in concern as he looked at Lyanna.
He stood up from the table and went towards his cabin.
"I'm turning in for the night, thank you Ser Davos." He said in a polite done
"I'm not a ser yet." Davos said. "But thank yo-"
"Then why not make you one now?" Rhaegar asked. "I am a knight as well, though a broken knight."
Davos was taken slightly aback. "My, my prince, are you saying that yo-"
"Yes." Rhaegar cut him off. He looked as Ser Dayne. "Your sword please."
Arthur unsheathed Dawn, the pale blade glowing slightly even below deck.
"Kneel Ser Davos." Rhaegar said in an authoritative tone.
Davos was taken aback, "My prince." He said. "I am a mere smuggler, and your father already promised to make me a knight. To do this would be to insult the king, I'm sorry my Prince b-"
"Are you saying you'll spurn the prince instead?" Rhaegar said in a slightly curious tone.
"It's a great insult for the royal family to spurn a prince' offer." Davos said. "But to spurn a king is more dangerous, and I have a wife and child, I wish to not endanger them with your offer."
Rhaegar sighed and handed his sword over to Ser Arthur. "I understand Davos, I shall respect your wishes."
He's a loyal man. Rhaegar though. My father chose well in trusting him, hard as I find it to believe.
He continued eating his meal, standing up and heading to his cabin after bidding everyone good night. He went to sleep in the bed there, with Lyanna joining him.
There were no words spoken between them, Lyanna was still distant after everything that happened. He leaned in to kiss her good night, she reciprocated, but she seemed sullen in even doing that, still feeling guilty about her brothers imprisonment as Rhaegar assumed.
He went to sleep and dreamt. He was floating, flying above the wall. He spotted what seemed like wildings climbing up the wall, torches lit to light their way up. With 2 black brothers throwing things down at them, swords at the ready should any of them make it. He flew along the wall, seeing another black brother arriving at Castle black.
He flew farther north at great speed, faster than even a dragon could soar, the haunted forest growing as he flew deeper inside, and the wall looking farther and farther away. He turned towards the bay of ice, seeing sleds made of whalebones pulled by giant dogs. He flew north, towards the Thenn and their valley, he could see giants mingling with men. He flew towards hardhome, it's ruins bringing him a sense of dread.
He flew farther north, beyond the frost-fangs, where the trees and animals gave out, showing only ice, and things, terrifying beings, haunting blue eyes that served as a mirror, he flew face to face with them, it's blue eyes showing his own face and bright purple eyes. It reached out to him, it's fingertip showing it's chest, a feeling of cold and dread seizing his body.
He awoke, gasping for air. He gripped his chest for a moment, finding the spot where the thing touched his chest. He felt something and scratched it off, he looked at his finger, seeing ice on it.
What, what is this?! Rhaegar thought as he looked at it. He looked at his side, Lyanna was still sleeping, soundly like a baby. He felt afraid, for the first time in years, since his mother comforted him from a nightmare he had as a child. This however was true fear, even when Robert nearly struck him down a few weeks ago he hadn't really felt afraid, he was afraid for his wife and child, but not for himself. Yet now, he felt like back then as a child.
He got out of bed and went up towards the deck, with only pants and some shoes. He emerged on the deck, seeing only the pale moon and a few men working on the ship.
"Rough dreams?" A rough voice asked him.
He turned around, seeing Harris.
"And who might you be?" Rhaegar asked curiously.
"Name's Harris my prince. First mate of the sweet Marya." He said with pride in his voice.
"A pleasure Harris. And yes, rough dreams you could say." Rhaegar said in a friendly tune.
"Strange." Harris said. "Rough dreams don't happen when sharing a bed with a pretty lady, but then again, they say those of the dragons blood are different."
Rhaegar made a slightly annoyed face and nodded. He yawned slightly. "I just needed to clear my head a little, thank you."
He went back into bed, trying to dream but unable to, highly unsettled by what he had seen that night. He stayed up reading, trying to process what just happened. The day passed by, he spent it mostly just reading and eating, not talking to anyone, even Lyanna.
He went back to sleep, slightly dreading it, and hoping he wouldn't have that dream again. He was floating at the wall again, it was just like yesterday, he could see more black brothers arriving at the spot where the other 2 where, repelling the wildings.
He looked around, seeing a crow with 3 eyes flying circles around him. He heard a voice in his head.
Follow me. The voice said. The crow flew into the haunted forest, Rhaegar followed it, it flew at a fast speed, just like last night. However it didn't fly towards the lands of always winter, it flew to the heart of the haunted forest, into a cave. He saw a man, a pale skeletal man in black robes, upon a Weirdwood throne with tangled roots. With long white hair and one eye.
Come to me. The man said. Here, beyond the wall, here we will reforge your destiny. You will fly like a dragon, and we shall stop them.
Rhaegar awoke, he looked to his side, Lyanna was gone from the bed. He got up and changed into his clothes, emerging into the deck. He spotted Lyanna, helping one of the crewmen with tying some knots for the mast.
Rhaegar walked over to them. "Is there anything I can do to help?"
The crewmen looked at him, one of them spoke, "My prince, the captain says it's best if you rest below decks, it wouldn't be good if another ship spotted you as we sailed."
"And what of, my wife, with her fine dress and being the only woman in the ship."
"It's fine." Lyanna said. "Davos said I can just pose as his niece or little sister, and I was going to change into clothes more fitting for this."
"But, you're with child, shouldn't you rest?"
"It's fine." Lyanna said in a slightly annoyed tone, I'm not a cripple, just go back below deck." She looked at one of the crew hands. "You were saying something about the star knot?"
The crewman nodded and Rhaegar walked below decks. He sat on his bed, looking at the stump on his arm.
I'm so useless, he thought as he looked at it.
No, the prophecy is not broken yet. He thought as he looked at it. There should be a blacksmith that makes prosthetics, if I can't hold a sword, maybe the protesthic can hold a shield. He thought as he continued looking at it.
He spent his days reading, making plans for his new hand, being restricted to below decks by Davos and the Kingsguard to keep prying eyes from the ship. During the week long journey back, he had the same dream, the Raven, flying him through that same route to the cave, the man in his throne, urging him to make his way to him. The dreams became more and more vivid, he could spot wildings in their villages, even hear them speaking and chatting if he flew low enough. He even could tell some of them by one, one of them, a giant of a man with name Tormund stood out as he led a hunting party through the forest.
He felt it in his bones, inside of him, he needed to convince his father to let him go north. He looked over at his stump while he woke, determined to make the trek north no matter what.
Finally, the day came, Davos finally let him above the ship, he could see the Red keep looming over the blackwater. A few ships from the royal fleet hailed them as they approached the harbor, escorting them to the docks. They approached the docks, as they approached Rhaegar could spot what looked like dozens of goldcloaks standing on shore. Finally, they docked, Rhaegar walked out of the ship, with Lyanna, Ser Dayne and Whent close behind and Davos at the front.
He was greeted by a man, he had short white hair, purple eyes and a basic golden crown, he was holding a sword made of Valyrian steel he realized when he looked closer at it.
"Your grace." Davos said
What?! Rhaegar thought in surprised, the other Kingsguard looked dumbfounded when they saw this new Aerys. But how, what happened to him. He thought as he recalled his father, his grown out disheveled hair and long nails, now he truly had the image of a king.
"Davos, you did well, kneel please."
Davos nodded and knelt.
Aerys spoke. "In the name of the warrior, I charge you to be brave. In the name of the father, I charge you to be just. In the name of the mother, I charge you to defend the innocent. Arise, Davos, a knight of the Seven Kingdoms."
He cleared his throat and looked at the crewmen. "For your brave service you will be granted 20 gold dragons each, Ser Davos shall have 100. Ser Davos will be granted some lands near the Capital, as well as a small keep and some servants and smallfolk to work the lands, your oldest son can serve as my page and eventually my squire, your other son's shall be raised alongside my Viserys as pages as well, a child his age needs friends."
Davos knelt. "Your grace, it's an honor. I gladly accept these boons."
"I forgot." Aerys said. "You're all hereby pardoned for your crimes of smuggling. Follow me to the red keep, the master of coin shall see your rewards are distributed."
Aerys walked over to Rhaegar, hugging him. He whispered in his ears, "go to my chambers along with your bride immediately when you arrive at the red keep." He whispered in an angry voice. "You two have a lot to explain."
Rhaegar and the Kings party made their way back to the red keep. With the smallfolk cheering for their king and prince loudly.
Maybe it's why the crow is calling me north. Rhaegar thought as they entered the keep and made their way to the kings room.
It was just the four of them now, his mother Rhaella, Aerys, himself and Lyanna.
Aerys sat down on a chair, his wife sitting on the bed besides the chair, with Rhaegar and Lyanna standing in front of him.
"Explain yourself." Aerys said in a gruff tone.
"Explain what?" Rhaegar asked.
"Everything." Aerys said in an angry tone. "You run off with Lord Starks daughter, causing her brother to run here and call for your head. I imprison them not wanting the crown to look weak and have to practically force you back. And now I find out you secretly annulled your marriage, and married her, and she's with child."
Aerys sighed and continued. "If it wasn't for those Sell-Swords you'd be dead, and I'd have the fucking Stormlands rise up against me, what my uncle Duncan did was stupid when he spurned the Baratheons, but stealing from them, are you mad?!" He practically yelled at him.
"I don't care if you needed you dragon to have three heads like Elia said you told her, you could have fucked some brother whore and I would have legitimized the babe if you asked, but no, you just wanted to start a war."
He stood up, walking over to Rhaegar and slapping him with such strength he fell to the floor. "If it wasn't for the taboo of kinslaying I'd have your head on a spike as soon as you got off the ship."
Rhaegar pit his hand to his cheek, was he always this strong? He wondered as he tried to stand up. He tried to look at his mother, but she merely looked way from him.
He looked at Lyanna now, putting her hand on her shoulder, slightly squeezing it. "And you, you were betrothed to Robert, what made you think it was a good idea to run off with my son?"
Lyanna slapped his hand away from her shoulder, glaring at him.
"You just struck a king." Aerys said nonchalantly, your brother Brandon called for Rhaegar's head when he came to the red-keep, I imprisoned him for that. Tell me, what do you think I'd do to you now?"
"Nothing." Lyanna said as she smiled. "I'm carrying the Princes' son, you kill me he dies, harm me or torture me and the shock could kill him. You said it yourself, you're not a kinslayer."
Aerys stood there for a second. He sighed and chuckled. "Well fuck you're a clever one, I could see what Rhaegar saw in you. But the point stands, what made you think it was a good idea to do this?"
Lyanna looked at Aerys straight in the eye. "Robert was a drunken lout, a fine warrior yes, but his love for women and bastards are know. I would not be dishonored by someone like him." She said firmly.
"So you chose you dishonor the future queen and run off with Rhaegar, if that's not hypocrisy then I need a maester to teach me as if I was a babe again."
"Not hypocrisy." Lyanna said, "Rhaegar had his marriage annulled, we're lawfully wedded, our houses are bound by blood."
Aerys nodded. "A few thousand gold Dragons to the high septon and I can have this one annulled again." He said in a casual tone.
"But I will not dishonor house Stark anymore than you and my son already have. Lyanna, you will carry the child and give birth to it, he will be raised as if Elia and Rhaegar had a child and bear the name Targaryen. And your marriage will be annulled and you'll be sent north, and you will never see him again."
Raise him? Rhaegar thought. That's surprisingly lenient.
"No!" Lyanna yelled as she rushed at the king.
He grabbed her wrists, squeezing them tightly as she continued yelling and trying to scratch at him, with Rhaegar trying to pull her away.
"Guards." He said casually. Several guards came in. "Hold her down for a moment, my good daughter is hysterical."
The guards finally separated her from Aerys, she continued squirming and screaming as Rhaegar simply stood there, dumbfounded at what happened.
"Now, before you so rudely interrupted and committed treason several times over." He cleared this throat and continued. "If the child is a boy he shall be raised as any other Targaryen would, and should Lord Stark allow it we shall see that some lands are given to him, I think moat Cailin would suit him. Should it be a girl we shall find her a good match, maybe the Tyrell's or Tully's, or maybe the Arryns."
He turned to Rhaegar, "As for you, you have two choices. You can either choose to plead innocence at your upcoming trial, should you lose you will be gelded and sent to the wall and your son by Elia, Aegon shall inherit. Or, you can choose to plead guilt renounce your claim, with the chance to recover your inheritance should you complete a quest for me."
Rhaegar was taken aback. "And what quest is that?"
Aerys smiled. "Simple, go beyond the wall and recover Dark Sister, the sword that rightfully belongs to our family which our uncle Brynden lost when he went beyond the wall."
Rhaegar gasped slightly. He thought about the crow for a moment. He steeled himself and looked at his father.
"I choose to find the sword." He said in a determined tone.
Last edited: Yesterday at 10:46 PM
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