Chapter 30
RHEA ROYCE
Rhea Royce was not a good mother, and yet she cared for her son. And that was why, despite her absolute distaste for the capital, when word came of Aegon going into a coma after a troubling ordeal involving the abduction of the Hand's daughter, she decided to rush to the capital despite everything.
And then there was the matter of the King making a match for Aegon arbitrarily, later mentioning how her own son had agreed to it. It was all troubling and spoke of the very conniving nature of courtly politics that she loathed.
She had not given the King a concrete answer, having long before decided that she would not interfere much in Aegon's marital life. If it was indeed true that Aegon had agreed to the match himself, then who was she to deny him his happiness?
Aegon's own messages had been cryptic and short, asking her to keep an eye on the affairs of the Eyrie while keeping the men ready for some reason. He seemed rather concerned about Arnold Arryn's recent escape, and it was the only thing still keeping her in the Vale. She sat in Runestone waiting for a reply from an Eyrie that should have arrived days ago.
And with every passing day, her worry grew, as no answer came from either Aegon or Jeyne. Well, that was until today, for just as she had woken up, the old croon Helliweg knocked on her door.
"My lady. My lady, a missive arrived for you from the capital last night," the man said as he entered into her solar, making her perk up as she took the scroll from his hands.
"It's from Prince Aegon," and the relief was immediate; she had been much worried for her son and yet had been helpless to do anything. The tone of the maester was warning enough about the contents of the missive, and as her eyes skimmed through its contents, she was thankful that he was finally awake and well and that both their fears had come true.
"Aegon has woken up," she told the maester, who nodded.
"Thank the Seven," Helliweg had been Aegon's initial teacher and was rather considerate of his young student.
"And believes that the Eyrie is under attack," and at that the maester's eyes widened.
"Then the silence from the Eyrie," and she finished.
"is either because it has fallen or its ability to connect with the outside world has been hampered specifically," she cleared up as she rose from her chair.
"We cannot waste any more time. Aegon is rushing back from the capital, in the meantime we need to get the men there. The Eyrie may be impregnable, but anyone who may wish to take the Eyrie must first take the Gates of the Moon," and that was Aegon's speculation as well.
"Write to our allies. All of them, and inform the men to be ready within hours. We ride for the Eyrie by the mid-day!"
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AEGON TARGARYEN
The King would not let him leave, or at least not until the emergency in the Vale had been confirmed, but Aegon had no time for that. He had little but instincts to go in here, and they had rarely let him down and so he was inclined to trust upon them.
His body was not in a good condition; the ride to the Eyrie would not be easy, but there was no other choice. He had made a promise to Jeyne all those years ago, and he intended to keep it no matter what.
Thankfully, Silverwing was a docile dragon, riding whom was made even easier by his unnatural prowess, and that gave him confidence enough that he could make the journey and reach the Eyrie by the next day if not even earlier if the weather was at his side.
And so, as he waited for Alicent to bring him his cloak, blade, and some other essentials, he forced himself out of bed and began to walk as the darkness of the night enveloped the city.
It took a bit of effort, but the half-day of rest he had gotten had given him enough strength to get by. As the door to his room was knocked at once more, he walked forward and unlocked it and found Alicent standing there with a small rucksack and a blade in hand.
"I have your things," she said, and he was very thankful for her aid.
"How are you going to get out," she asked, and he had a simple reply.
"The Sept," he answered. She nodded, and as he picked up the rucksack, she came by his side.
"Let me help you," she said, and so she helped him wear the cloak as they both left the castle. He used his powers to avoid the guards as he reached the sept, from where he entered one of the city's hidden tunnels, which were still unguarded.
That allowed them to get out into the city, and slowly and steadily, they finally reached the dragon pit. Here, they went their separate ways, as he finally turned towards the girl he was set to marry.
"I would take you with me, but the journey to the Vale is perilous enough for me in this condition," he apologized, and with a stiff smile, she shook her head.
"There is no need to worry about me. I will be fine," she said, and there was something off about her smile, something so final, so relieved, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.
Was she content because of his words from earlier? Because he had accepted the proposal because he had admitted to his feelings for her?
"I will be back as soon as I have sorted this mess in the Vale," he offered, and she smiled.
"Of course, do give Lady Jeyne my regards and tell her that it is a shame that I could not meet her," she said, and he nodded.
"I will," he said before he suddenly felt a presence behind her, one watching it all and yet not interfering.
"I need to get going now. The Sun will come up soon," he said, and she nodded and, in a display of courage, pushed herself up and kissed him on the lips with such heat that he was taken aback, and as they separated, she looked him in the eye for a final time.
"Take care of yourself, Aegon, " With that, she turned away with glistening eyes. He watched her retreating back vanish into the shadows before his eyes narrowed towards the person hiding in the shadows.
"You should come out now," and as the cloaked figure stepped forward and removed his cloak, Aegon's fists balled up as he saw that familiar face.
"You!" he snarled, his fists balling up in a rage, every instinct in his body screaming at him to cut that head clean off, and yet he forced his muscles to stillness as he looked the madman in the eye.
"Why are you here, Larys?" he asked threateningly, and the crippled man smiled.
"To serve you, my lord," the man said as he bowed his head.
"...and to apologize," he added quickly as he saw his thundering expression.
And Larys Strong was a devil, one whose actions had caused him much grief and trouble. And yet, as he had learned, half the people in this wretched were devils, a quality which he lacked for himself.
He was a resource, one that supposedly considered itself loyal to him but was rather unhinged.
Now, the issue remained: either to bring his life to an end or to use him for his own gain. And despite the dangers, Aegon chose to do the latter as he walked towards the brown-haired man.
"Your actions caused me a lot of trouble, Larys," he threatened, and the man smiled.
"I know and am much ashamed for everything and wish to make amends," he offered, and Aegon did not answer.
"If you let me, of course," and so he nodded.
"Then make amends and show me your loyalty, and if you make one more mistake," Aegon reached for his sword as a dragon roared from within the Dragonpit, shaking the whole ground.
"You will have to answer to me."
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JESSAMYN REDFORT
Jessamyn lay awake in bed heart racing even as the Sun lay set and the only light which illuminated the room came from the half moon up in the sky. She was disturbed, torn apart as she lay there beside a woman she loved more than anything.
The proof of there love went beyond the crumpled up sheets, and dishevelled clothes that lay asunder across. It was in that body that pulled her towards her, in those eyes that shed tears for her, in that mouth that had given up her own rations to let her fill her body, and so forth.
It was a ruinous love, one filled with secrets and now betrayal. Her eyes landed on the body of Jeyne beside her, and those dark locks glistening in the light, making her seem as beautiful as an angel, and at those swollen eyes that had not seen an hour of peaceful sleep since the day of her abduction, at those bony cheeks that had thinned for a lack of proper meals as the whole castle starved because of the siege.
And she was to betray this woman. The one person she had loved. The only person she had ever loved, for she had no choice. It was a crime against her own soul, yet one she must go through to save her brother and sister, to save them from the wrath of the monster that was Arnold Arryn.
And her whole body quivered in feat as she thought of that man—that monster, and cursed Jeyne and her merciful heart for not letting Aegon cut off his head all those years ago. She should have cut the man to pieces, and she would not have been forced to make such a choice.
But he was alive, and so were Jeyne and her siblings. And lest she killed Jeyne her siblings suffering would be something unimaginable. And so as she saw the darkness wither, as the night hastily approached its end, she knew so did her own allotted time.
And so, with trembling hands and a heavy heart, she pulled away the soft arms wrapping around her as she reached for the small knife hidden beneath her pillow, as she pushed herself up and cast one last glance at the woman beside her whose brows scrunched up as if feeling the absence of her own body.
"I am sorry," she whispered into the night as she steeled her heart and put herself over her thighs as her heart hammered in her chest, her whole body quivering in fear, her mouth inching to scream in agony and pain as she tried to steady her hand and yet to no avail.
And as she sat there straddling her thighs, tears fell down her face and onto the glistening skin of her lover as her hands shook, as Jessamyn's body refused to go through with the unthinkable.
She tried to think of her brother, of her sister, and yet in those memories, she came alongside them, her warmth, her love, her pains, and she could not bring down that blade as Jessamyn lay there curled up wailing in a battle with her own heart and soul as she looked at Jessamyn's face.
And yet she had to do it. She had to. And as the time ran out for her siblings, she pushed her hand up, even as her whole soul revolted against her. She did so with the heaviest heart, and just as she was about to bring it down, a tear fell down on that angelic face, and her heart stilled as she saw Jeyne scrunch up her eyes.
Move, she thought as she tried to push down her hand.
MOVE! She screamed at her body, and yet it stilled there as she saw those lashes flutter before those blue eyes opened up, and her heart broke as they turned towards her.
A small mischievous smile appeared on her face for a moment, before it vanished just as quickly as those blue eyes widened as she looked at her face, and the knife she held above her head.
"Jessamy..."
"NO!" she screamed as tears welled down her face.
"I am sorry! I have to do it! For my family! For my brother! He will kill them, destroy them! MY sis..." and her words failed her as she saw Jeyne's face pale at her words as her breathing roughened up, losing a rhythm, yet Jeyne simply lay there looking at her as she brought it down.
"ARGH!" and she closed her eyes, expecting to meet resistance, yet it never came, and for some reason, her hands slowed on their own, and as she opened her eyes, she found those blue orbs looking at her with pity as those small hands wrapped around her own trembling hands.
"Do it," came the whisper, breaking her soul as she saw a wretched smile blossom on those loving lips.
"Know that I forgive you," and the words made her head spin as her vision blurred, and she began to wail and cry as she raised her arms once more, her blurry eyes soaking up that smiling face, and this, with a heavy heart she steeled her heart as she brought down that blade.
Yet this time, she aimed it at her own heart, and as pain ripped through her chest, she saw those blue eyes open as a scream filled the Eyrie.
"NOOOOO!" Jeyne wailed as she pushed her back, as blood gushed forth from her chest, showering her in red blood, as she held her in her arms.
"Jessamyn! Jessamyn!" Jeyne screamed as guards rushed in as maesters were summoned.
"Why did you do this? WHY!" the love of her life screamed at her, those blue eyes filled with tears as Jessamyn reached for her face and found her vision turned blurry, and her whole body began to weaken.
"Because....." her mouth began to dry up; speaking words took more effort than anything as she looked into those eyes for a final time.
"...I love you."
And as the darkness enveloped her vision, she heard only screams.
"NO!" "NOOOOO!"
"JESSAMYN!" "JESSAMYN!"
And in those screams, the last thing she heard was a sound unlike any she had ever heard for it was not a human's scream.
No.
It was the scream of a dragon.
"ROARRR!"
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