"My Prince."
Arthur spoke to him when they entered the hallway that led to the Maegor's holdfast.
"Yes?"
"Your father believed that you were poisoned."
"I was." Azaerys nodded his head, and both Arthur and Ashara stopped in their tracks. "So was my mother. As was my Grandmother, and they did the same to Elia. Now she can no longer bear another child."
"Who?" The Knight coldly asked.
"The Maesters." He smiled. "They want me dead because they fear that I am a sorcerer. They have been feeding us poisons for generations, making the women of my house lose their children. They want to get rid of us as they got rid of our Dragons. The Faith of the Seven and the Citadel never really accepted us and they fear and hate everything magical as their mind is incapable of accepting it."
"Did they poison the King too?" The Knight frowned, trying to make sense of how Aerys the Kind became Aerys the Mad King.
"His madness is caused by something else." Azaerys shook his head and then started walking again.
Arthur narrowed his eyes as one of the Maesters exited a hallway and walked towards them.
As much as he wanted to draw his sword and cut the man in half when he feigned respect and bowed to the Young Prince, he kept his anger under control and followed Azaerys like a Shadow.
He was glad that the Prince did not stop there. They had too many eyes on them right now. And after what had just been revealed room him, he dared not relax against anyone.
"They are curious about me." He heard the cold words of his Prince and tightened the grip on one of the swords at his waist.
It took them nearly fifteen minutes to arrive outside Rhaegar's room, and the Knights at the door bowed to him before they allowed Ashara to enter.
"Azaerys!" Elia rushed out as soon as she learned who had come to see her and hugged him tightly.
"Elia." He smiled in her embrace, sensing her motherly warmth.
The lady held back her tears as she pulled him inside the room, and as soon as she closed the door, she cupped his face and looked into his eyes.
"Your Father has gone to meet Robert in the battle at the Trident. I am worried, Azer."
The moment Ashara heard those words, she lowered her head, and Elia, who picked up her reaction from the corner of her eye, felt dizzy.
"He will come back, right?" Her voice wavered as she asked the question, and when she saw the Young Prince sadly lower his eyes, she swayed on her feet.
Ashara immediately grabbed her and then guided her to sit on the bed, and Azaerys, hearing the cries of a baby, slowly walked towards the cradle.
"Hey, Aegon." He smiled at the babe, who had the trademark Targaryen hair, and other than the skin which was slightly tanned, he looked just like his father when he was a babe.
Aegon opened his beautiful purple eyes when he heard his voice and giggled at the sight of him, and Azaerys held him in his embrace as he walked over to his little sister, who had just woken up and was rubbing her eyes.
Expect for some strands of platinum hair, she was the spitting image of her mother, a Martell through and through, but Azaerys knew that she was a Dragon. She had even named her little kitten Balerion, and the smile that formed on her lips when she saw him, melted his heart.
As much as he tried to keep the horrifying thoughts away, he remembered what those monsters were going to do to her if she stayed here, and protectively wrapped his arm around her when she hugged him.
"Az."
"Rhae." He looked into her brown eyes and then leaned in to nudge his nose against hers, which made her giggle.
Seeing that her children were awake, Elia composed herself, not willing to cause them distress, but still failed to hold back the tears that escaped her eyes.
"Elia. Let's go. You will be staying in my room." He said to her, and the Princess lowered her head in pain.
"The King has confined us here..."
"I have spoken with Grandfather. You can come with me." He told her and watched as some tears of relief escaped her eyes.
Instead of calling a maid, Ashara helped her pack things in a small chest, and when they were ready, Azaerys called Arthur and the two Knights at the door inside the room.
The Sword of the Morning picked up Rhaenys in his arms, and the little princess was hugging her Balerion as she started chatting with him.
"My Prince... the King..."
"The King has given his permission." A voice was heard from outside, and a couple of seconds later, Jamie Lannister entered the room and bowed to Elia and Azaerys. "Do as the Prince commands."
"Yes!" The two Knights responded and then picked up the chests that contained Elia's belongings.
"Where is the King, Jamie?"
"In his chambers." The blonde Knight informed Arthur, who nodded to him and then turned to look towards Azaerys, who was holding Aegon in his arms and cooing to him.
Subconsciously, a smile formed on his lips, and he bowed before turning around to return to his post, but stopped when he heard the Prince speak to him.
"Ser Jamie."
"My Prince."
"Stay. I want to talk to you."
Arthur, under his signal, walked outside the room, and the two Knights accompanied Elia and Ashara to Azaerys room.
"Yes?" The Lannister asked and felt a little unwell when those haunting purple eyes looked into his soul.
"A good Knight trains both his hands, Ser. Arthur tells me that you are only good when the Sword is in your right hand." He lightly said, and the blonde Knight laughed at his words.
"Not everyone is like Arthur Dayne, Prince. I carry one sword with me, and I am good enough with it."
Azaerys smiled at his words.
"You should train your left hand." He advised and watched the Knight raise his brow at him.
"May I ask why?"
"No." He shook his head. "Don't charge at the wolves, Ser Jamie. Our ability is never enough." He said and before the man could raise a question, he continued. "A time will come when you will be presented with a choice to either stay in the Kingsguard or to return to Casterly Rock to become its Lord, and by that time, you will no longer be fit to stay in the Kingsguard. Choose wisely." He said and walked past the Knight, who was left confused.
"My Prince."
"Yes?"
"What would you like me to choose?" He asked.
"You will make a great Lord to your House, Ser Jamie." Azaerys smiled.
"Why does this sound like a farewell?" Jamie felt unwell, and Azaerys turned around to leave.
"Farewell, Ser Jamie. We will meet each other again, but it might be a while."
Outside, Arthur, who was carrying Rhaenys in his arms, frowned as he had heard the conversation, but he did not raise any questions and silently followed Azaerys to his room.
Elia and Ashara were sitting on the bed when they entered, and both the ladies were staring at the Dragon Egg.
Since the three adults in the room were amongst the four people who knew his secret, he did not hide from them what it truly was.
"A dragon?" Little Rhae curiously tilted her head, and Azaerys gently patted her head.
"Yes, Princess. A real Dragon."
"I want to see it, Az!"
"You will." He laughed as he walked over to the side of the room and instructed Arthur to move the furniture and then the carpet, revealing the trap door hidden there.
"A trap door?" Elia was shocked, but Arthur and Ashara were already aware of it.
"Move the chests," Azaerys ordered, and his loyal Knight entered the passage, carrying the chests that contained their belongings.
In the next few hours, several servants came, and even Grand Maester Pycelle came to check up on the Young Prince's health. However, Ashara turned them all away, and even for food, she only chose fruits.
By evening, Mooton had returned, and he informed them that the arrangements had been made. One of the Vessels of the Velaryon Fleet was leaving tonight, and he had arranged their cabins on it.
Arthur and Elia had already decided on the list of loyal Servants and Knights, and after everyone gathered in the room right before dinnertime, Azaerys bid Ashara and his siblings farewell.
"Come with us." Elia nearly pleaded, but he shook his head. "I will meet you at the Dragonstone in four months, but if we are late, don't panic. I will be fine." He promised her.
The two ladies reluctantly accepted his promise and left with their most trusted people. And as much as Mooton wanted to stay back, he could only relent when Azaerys ordered him to protect Elia and his siblings and safely escort them to Dragonstone.
Perhaps, if Arthur had not stayed by his side, Moonton would have disobeyed his command and stayed, but the young Knight knew that no harm could come to the Prince with the Sword of the Morning by his side.
"Where are we going next?" The Dayne asked when the two were left alone inside the room after covering the passageway.
"Dragonpit." He said, much to Arthur's confusion. "We need a maid with us, pretty enough to pretend to be your wife and my mother. Just in case. And then we will need some smallfolk who are ready to work overnight. There will be a lot of digging. We will be leaving King's Landing before dawn. Is there a Knight who has no one and is trustworthy?"
"People who have no one are never trustworthy, My Prince." The Knight smiled. "And I do have a trustworthy person in mind. Jaremy Rykker."
"Gather him, and meet me in the Cellars, in the corner where I like to sit."
Arthur hesitated at the idea of leaving Azaerys alone, but eventually nodded his head and left to make arrangements.
The Young Prince glanced at his room one last time and only carrying the Red Ruby, which his father had gifted to him on his nameday, a pouch that was filled with Gold Dragons, he donned a cloak and walked out.
Strangely enough, no one looked his way as he walked past time, and like an invisible person, he made his way into the Cellars. Once there, he quickly entered the secret passageways and followed the group of Elia and Ashara.
He watched from the entrance of a cave as they boarded the Vessel which had no flag on it, and only after it sailed away, did he return to the Cellars and arrive at the promised spot.
Arthur was already there, anxiously waiting for him, and sighed in relief when he heard his footsteps.
"Jaremy?"
"He will meet us at the Drgaonpit with a whore, smallfolk, and our horses."
"A whore?" He raised his brow.
"More trustworthy than the maids who remain in the Keep."
"I see." Azaerys smiled and nodded his head before heading out with Arthur.
The Knight had questions about why the people did not really pay much attention to them.
Given the security of the King's Landing right now, their behaviour should have roused some doubts as they had their hoods on. However, neither the city watch nor the smallfolk looked their way with questions.
Exactly two hours later, after buying a few things from the shops that were about to close, they arrived at the Drgaonpit.
Jaremy Rykker, the Whore, and a dozen smallfolk were waiting for them there with their tools.