Work Text:
Year 288 A.C, the Old Palace in Sunspear:
Now when Aégnor and Andréth were some months old, Rhaenys and Aegon had been allowed to start carrying their little twin siblings on their backs in baby slings. This sort of responsibility made them feel a little more grown-up. Well, not exactly grown-up like adults, but still no longer like the youngest members in the family.
“And this is what Madre says to be her favorite place in the gardens here!”
Most of their cousins had already taken cover from the sun in the shade from the many bushes around one of the fountains.
“Wow, you have gotten allowed to carry them without being shadowed by the nursemaids!”
Because Arianne greeted their cousins, Trystane tried to get away on his own little adventure, since he was one and half years old, more than old enough to attempt escaping if he so faniced.
“No, Tryst, stay here with us,” Obara warned in a stern voice, blocking his way with her spear so her little cousin could not go past her. Obella Sand, the second daughter of Oberyn and Ellaria, also failed to escape as she was only a few months older than aunt Elia's two younger children, still just mastered how to crawl and Nymeria simply picked her younger half-sister in her lap.
Because today was a cooler day, the group of cousins and siblings of various ages made a tour around the Old Palace for the four youngest family members.
“This mural is of Nymeria of Nys Sar, who is our ancestor on the Rhoynar side of our lineage. At her side is Mors Martell, her Prince Consort.”
Back home in Rohan now when they were old enough for some history lessons, Elia had told Rhaenys and Aegon a little about their maternal lineage, about how House Martell may not be the most powerful House in the Seven Kingdoms but was a little like the realm they ruled over; far more deadly than what people tended to think.
“Cousin, what does this mean?” Aegon asked, pointing at a name on the wall of names of ruling Princes and Princesses of Dorne, after noting that there was a small mention of one Princess being the granddaughter of her predecessor.
“Ah, our great-grandmother Amirah!” Tyene said, recalling the history about that year in the school lessons, “she became the heir to her paternal grandfather Mahaad, after that her own father Maekar sadly died before his sire. It was during an uprising against the Targaryen King, Maekar I, who he was named after because Mahaad and his cousin Maekar were good friends despite the age difference.”
“I will get a family tree scroll to help explain who is who!” Sarella offered loudly from the back of the group at seeing that both Rhaenys and Aegon was not truly catching the difference between Maekar Martell who was the firstborn son of Prince Mahaad and King Maekar Targaryen, and hurried away before anyone could stop her.
“Doran and I am planning to name our new little one after either Prince Mahaad or his Princess Consort, Kardia Aquarius of Myr,” Mellario commented where she entered from the other end of the long hall, her pregnant belly showing that there would yet another sibling to Arianne soon entering the world.
“Mahaad or Kardia Martell...mãe, are they not famed for founding the institute for science here in Dorne?” Quentyn said from his place behind his sister, looking away from the list of rulers over Dorne for a moment.
“Oh yes. Kardia was originally from Myr, the most advanced of the Free Cities, and is famed for its arts and learning, and she found it a horrible waste of feminine potential in so many areas that the Citadel was and still is not open for women!”
With the three oldest Sand Snakes, Arianne and Mellario starting to talk about how annoying it was with how Westeros was so blinded to how women sometimes was far more capable than men and how they often were viewed in less than flattering terms by history after their deaths, Rhaenys and Aegon knew that their siblings would need to be returned to their parents.
~X~X~X~X~X~X
Meanwhile, Elia and Théodred just finished telling Doran, Oberyn and Ihsan what their plans for Rhaenys and Aegon as adults would be.
“That is a good plan for them. You and all four of the children will naturally be in line after Trystane and the little one Mellario is currently carrying, Elia but I think unless something happens to all four of my own children, your descendants will not be the new rulers of Dorne,” her oldest brother said when looking over what his brother-in-law had written down on a parchment to better explain the plan.
“And another victory for House Martell against the Targaryen inbreeding that Jaehaerys and his sister Shiera restarted for two generations. By the time you have great-grandchildren, Elia, no one will remember the name of your first husband outside history lessons,” Oberyn added with a smirk, earning a light hit on his cheek with a slice of lemon from Ihsan about mentioning Rhaegar around his sister, which the former Prince Consort had picked up from his now empty goblet of cold lemon water.
“A little funny, do you not agree? Both my sons are the heirs to different crowns, yet Aegon shall be spared the fate of the shadow which my first husband would have cast upon him.”
When coming of age, Rhaenys and Aegon would become members of the nobility in Rohan, as compensation for giving up their claims to the Iron Throne and the Targaryen name. Still, it would be a far better future than what Elia could imagine if Rhaegar had been alive.
“Madre, feder!”
“Aégnor and Andréth have behaved themselves very well! I think they liked to get a private tour around the Old Palace with us and their cousins!”
Smiling at her four children, Elia held out her arms for the closest thing to a group hug she could get from them at the moment. From her place on the back of her older sister, Andréth began to wail at spotting her father as an attempt to tell that she wanted some milk. Hearing his sister, Aégnor joined her and Théodred carefully freed one twin after the other from the baby slings.
“Elia, I think those two are not hungry but still want to nurse for the sense of comfort.”
At least, the twins were not wailing in the manner that normally hinted at being hungry and demanding some food right now .
“Of course, my birth home may still feel a little foreign even with all the cousins to distract them.”
Bidding her two brothers good-bye for a little time because of understandable reasons, Elia guided her family to a different chamber where she could nurse her younger son and daughter in peace.