Chapter Text
3005 Year of the Third Age, Rivendell, Eriador, Middle-earth, about a month after the arrival of Rhaegar, Elia and their children in Middle-earth
He was sitting at a table in Lord Elrond's Great Hall with Bilbo, having just practised Sindarin when Lindir, the Lord of Rivendell's appendage announced the arrival of Gandalf the Grey, a Wizard who travelled throughout Middle-earth, offering help and advice to anyone who asked.
Bilbo jumped off the bench and approached the wizard, greeting him effusively and friendly. Rhaegar looked at the wizard carefully. He was a short old man with a long, pointed and blue hat and a long grey beard, dressed in a long grey cloak girded with a silver sash and clad in great black boots and in his right hand he held a wooden staff. When he took off his hat, his extremely bushy eyebrows caught his eye.
- Where is Lord Elrond?" he heard the wizard ask Lindir.
- He went on a reconnaissance, Elladan and Elrohir are said to have seen orcs on the eastern shore - replied the elf.
The wizard turned and looked at him carefully. Without knowing why, Rhaegar felt a shiver run down his spine. He immediately shook it off when the old man approached him.
- I am Gandalf the Grey, the wizard-he said, extending his hand.
- Rhaegar Targaryen, once prince of Dragonstone - he replied, squeezing his hand in a strong grip. There was a strong accent in his voice, but he mastered Westron enough to talk, although for the time being he limited himself to simple sentences.
- Dear Bilbo mentioned that he was teaching you Westron and Sindarin at Elrond's request and that you were doing quite well - said Gandalf, looking at Rhaegar. With his silver-golden hair and indigo eyes he had an unusual appearance and from a distance he could be mistaken for an elf, but no elf had violet eyes, besides elves have more ethereal beauty and slightly pointed ears, and in their eyes one can see the countless centuries of life they have lived, which reflects the sadness caused by the ever-changing world and the fact that few things in this world are permanent.
- Yes, Lord Baggins is a good and patient teacher, and despite some of my stumbles, he encourages me all the more to learn Sindarin and Westron, though the latter is easier to master - replied the Targaryen.
- Oh, Lord Rhaegar is a gifted pupil and at the same time diligent, he catches every word like a hobbit catches fish by the lake or mushrooms on a mushroom picking - said Bilbo Baggins cordially, coming up to them. Rhaegar smiled at the hobbit, he liked him. Bilbo told him a lot about his adventures when, with Gandalf's encouragement, he joined the dwarf lord Thorin Oakenshield and his company to reclaim Erebor from the clutches of the evil and greedy dragon Smaug. When he heard about the dragon, he was genuinely surprised by this. He did not think there were dragons in this world until Bilbo and Glorfindel told the story. However, the dragons of this world were very different from the dragons his ancestors used to fly. They were cunning and dangerously intelligent, desiring above all the gold and other riches they had gathered in the caves. He asked Lord Elrond if they could still be found in Middle-earth.
- The home of the Great Dragons is the Withered Heath, but no living dragon can match the size of Smaug, who was slain by Bard the Dragon Slayer - answered Lord Rivendell.
It also surprised him that one man with only a bow managed to kill a dragon that was as intelligent as a man. The Dornish killed Meraxes with a scorpion which shot a bolt and pierced the eye of the dragon queen Rhaenys, who fell and destroyed the castle Hellholt.
The body of Queen Rhaenys never arrived in King's Landing.
Of course, Mr Baggins talked just as much about his book which he was still writing and thought just as much about its title. He suggested something related to him like Bilbo Baggins, The Journey There and Back again or Mr Baggins' Great Adventure or Bilbo and Company, A Journey for Treasure.
Something strange happened, however, while he was still squeezing the old wizard's hand.
In his thoughts, Rhaegar saw the whole history of Arda. The creation of the world, important events such as the Elven Awakening, the Darkness of Valinor, what had happened in Beleriand during the First Era in the wars between the Elves and Morgoth, the rise of Numenor and its fall, and the latter events of the Second Era, how Gondor during the Third Era had lost its kings and stewards, coming into their present power, and how Elrond in the Second Era had founded Rivendell, becoming the far eastern kingdom of Lindon.
Gandalf, on the other hand, has seen Westeros and its history from Aenar Targaryen called Aenar the Exile who, following the advice of his virgin daughter, left the Valyrian Freehold and settled with all his wealth, family and dragons on Dragonstone, like Aegon Targaryen and his sister-wives, Visenya and Rhaenys by Fire and Blood conquer Westeros beyond Dorne, the weak reign of Aenys and the bloody reign of his brother Maegor the Cruel, the prosperous reign of Jaehaerys and his Good Queen Alysanne, the Dance of Dragons between Rhaenyra and her half-brother Aegon, The conquest of Dorne by Daeron the Young Dragon, the reign of Aegon the Unworthy, the just reign of Daeron the Good and his half-brother's rebellion called the Blackfyre Rebellion, the later reign of Aegon the Unexpected and his unpleasant end when he tried to hatch dragons at Summerhall, the reign of Aerys II aka the Mad King, the Tournament of Harrenhal where Rhaegar disgraced his wife Elie of Dorne by crowning Lyanne Stark Queen of Love and Beauty, their subsequent escape and the outbreak of Robert Baratheon's Rebellion with the final fall of House Targaryen.
The wizard thought someone like Rhaegar could be his friend looking at his personality however by his actions he led to the disgrace of Eli Martell and the downfall of his family.
Gandalf was meaning how in the Second Age, the Elven smith Celebrimbor had been tricked by Sauron in his disguise as Annatar to create the Rings of Power, not that Rhaegar could know that.
Rhaegar breathed deeply and looked shocked at the wizard.
- What in the gods was that? - he asked.
- I saw how Arda was created and its entire history, and I saw the history of your world from the point of your family- replied Gandalf, and without a word he hit him on the head.
- Ouch, for what? - Rhaegar asked, though it was a rhetorical question. He suspected what the wizard could see in his head.
- Stupid Targaryen, if it weren't for your faith in prophecies and reckless actions, you wouldn't be where you are. You have put your family in danger, thinking you could save the world from the evil of the North in this way. Now you can only blame yourself, no one else. You must learn that every action has consequences, be it good or bad. You have to understand if you don't want to bring harm to yourself and others! ”Gandalf thundered, so that Rhaegar scared and backed away, accidentally bumping into an elf and falling over.
As he lay on the floor, he heard Bilbo's laughter and the quick footsteps of the wizard's booted feet away from them.
My future came back to me to bite my ass. Shit, I made such a mess that if I see Elie, if he's anywhere in Middle-earth, I'll let myself be kicked in the ass, even by her brother Oberyn - he thought as he stood up with Bilbo's help. The elf got up as well, shook himself and walked away.
- Rhaegar, Lord Glorfindel is waiting for you in the practice yard. You better hurry up if you don't want him to hit you like last week when I was late - Bilbo advised.
- Right, Bilbo, it's time for me. We'll meet later - Rhaegar replied, then ran to the room for his sword.
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Sometime later in Rivendell.
Gandalf sat in Elrond's small and secluded living room. Lord of Rivendell returned from the patrol in the late afternoon and as soon as he learned of the wizard's arrival, he invited him to his place for tea.
Now he was sipping his tea, watching his steward who silently and meditatingly sipped his drink, listening to him recap his meeting with Rhaeger Targaryen.
- Indeed, it is terrible to humiliate his wife so much and then run away with the younger girl, not caring too much about her fate, if only because his mad father did not allow him to send her to that Dragonstone where she would be safe - said Elrond . - Nevertheless, the Valar have some plans for him that we don't understand." Manwe himself has revealed to me little, except that his wife and children are alive, but for the time being he is to remain ignorant, it will be better this way.
Gandalf lit his pipe and exhaled white smoke rings. He sighed.
- I also had visions of the Lord of the Breath Arda, if so he thinks so. I won't tell him anything about it. No less does he understand the Valar's intentions towards them. What role they will play in future events in the war with Sauron I do not know, it is all veiled in a fog of uncertainty. Perhaps it would be Dorne that would somehow ultimately affect the fate of Middle-earth when the war with Sauron finally broke out. I'll stay here for a while and then hit the road again. Ultimately, they are of little importance in the history of the world, although they will inevitably leave their mark on it, he said.
Elrond nodded.
- So be it. I think you will influence Rhaegar Targaryen who will understand his mistakes and take a better path that does not lead to darkness, he said.
The fire was blazing in the fireplace as the two old friends debated the future and the present, unaware that he wheels the world's machinery, and the actions of Mandos left their mark not only in Middle-earth. But not even the wisest, not even such personalities as Elrond Half-elf and Gandalf the Gray, could have known this.
The darkness slowly reached farther and farther, although the hour had not yet come for the Dark Lord to strike the kingdoms of the west where the kingdoms of Rohan and Gondor continue, where a certain prince of Rohan saved a certain Dornish princess.
And unconscious, he changed the course of things.
Time will tell whether it's for better or for worse.
Darkness grows over Mordor.
And the only one was in the hand of a certain hobbit in a certain burrow.