Chapter Text
Chapter 1
Starfall, Dorne
281 AC
Lady Ashara Dayne rocked her daughter to sleep. Allyria was a good babe, quiet like her father, Ned. The babe barely stirred as her mother sang quietly to her a song her grandmother had sung to her mother and two uncles when they had been babies.
Allyria had much of her Lord Father. Eddard Stark in her. Her dark eyes came from him, along with her dark hair. There was still plenty of Dayne in her, even if Allyria took mostly after her father.
Ashara finally got her daughter down when a maid came, bowing her head. Being as quiet as possible so as not to wake the now-sleeping Babe
“My lady, I hate to intrude. House Stark banners have been seen on the road. A group of ten riders are riding for Starfall,” the maid told Ashara.
“Thank you, Eyva. Tell Jorvan to have rooms made up for Lord Stark and his companions.” Ashara was ruling Starfall in her brother’s stead. He had gone to King’s Landing to swear allegiance to the new king. Robert Baratheon.
The stag sat upon the Iron Throne. His rise to be king was drenched in the blood of innocents, namely Elia and her two daughters, Rhaenys and baby Viseyna. The letter from Arthur explained everything that had gone on.
Elia had been slighted by Rhaegar Targaryen, far from it. It seemed both Rhaegar and Elia had fallen in love with the Wild She Wolf Lyanna Stark at the Tournament at Harrenhal. Gods, had it really been a year since the tournament?
Now the only child remaining in that union. Rhaegar Targaryen’s only son. He was born a few moons after his father perished on the banks of the Trident River. Lyanna had died in childbirth from a loss of blood.
She lived long enough to name the boy. Aegon. After Aegon the Conqueror, The boy was the rightful king of the Seven Kingdoms. His only surviving family on his father’s side were holed up on Dragonstone.
Queen Rhaella was heavily with child, Prince Viserys was only a boy of eight name days. Ashara’s thoughts turned to Eddard and her. Ned had to marry his older brother Brandon’s intended bride to gain the support of the Riverlands during the Rebellion.
Ashara hardly blamed him. The gods could be cruel when they wanted to be. Perhaps she and Ned would get a second chance. Catelyn Tully had died. Dying in childbirth, birthing twins.
Ned was freshly widowed, and perhaps this was a second chance for them. To have the life they had so cruelly been denied the first time due to the rebellion.
Ned and his men rode through the gates of Starfall. A rider from House Dayne had ridden to meet them just south of Prince’s Pass. Lyanna was in Starfall, as Ashara's letter had said.
Benjen had ridden south with him to avenge Brandon and their father, along with bringing Lyanna home. Joining them on the journey to Dorne to find Lyanna and bring her home was. Lord Howland Reed: Lord of Greywater Watch, Lord William Dunstin: Lord of Barrowton, Ethan Glover, Theo Wull, Martyn Cassel, and Ser Mark Ryswell, along with the two soldiers of House Dayne who had met them at Prince’s Pass.
Ned dismounted his horse. Looking around the yard, he spotted Ashara soon enough. She was a vision of beauty. She looked even more beautiful than the first time they met at Harrenhal. Almost a year ago.
“Ashara”
“Ne…….Lord Stark” Ashara corrected herself. “I was sorry to hear of your wife’s passing.”
“Thank you, Lady Dayne.” Ned didn’t know how to grieve for a wife; he barely knew she wasn’t supposed to be his bride. The little time he and Catelyn had spent together. They had barely been married a day before Ned departed for war.
They would never get to know one another now. Catelyn had died in childbirth, giving birth to their twin son Robb and daughter Sansa. Catelyn lived long enough to name both of their children before she passed.
“I received your letter. My sister is here. Where is she?” Ned asked Ashara.
“Lord Stark I’m sorry, I have some bad news. Lyanna is dead. She died of a birthing fever. My brother Arthur Dayne had her remains made ready for burial and brought here for you.”
“Birthing fever, she was pregnant. The child, what happened to it?”
“Your nephew is healthy enough. Lyanna lived long enough to name him. Aegon.”
“She bore a child to that man born of rape; why would she name the child a Targaryen name? What is his name, Aegon Sand?”
“No Targaryen. Rhaegar never kidnapped Lyanna or raped her. My Lord. She, Rhaegar, and Elia were deeply in love with each other. Rhaegar saved Lyanna from being taken by the Mad King’s Men. She was the Knight of the Laughing Tree. Rhaegar and his men got to her in time. Whisking her away from Riverrun.
The three of them, from what I understand from my brother’s letter, were married on the Isle of Faces before both the Old Gods and the Seven. He left a letter for you, Lord Stark, explaining everything,” Ashara explained in greater detail.
Gods Lyanna was dead; she had died after giving birth to his nephew, Aegon Targaryen. She had married both Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell. But why hadn’t she left a note of goodbye or any form of communication with them?
“I have had rooms made up for yourself and your men, Lord Stark,” Ashara interrupted his train of thought.
“Thank you, Lady Dayne. It has been a long, hard ride,” Howland Reed cut in.
“Jorvan will show you to your rooms." Ashara nodded to the Steward of Starfall. Only Ned and Benjen remained. While the Stark Brothers had marched off to war, Their mother, Lyarra Stark, had remained in Winterfell, ruling the North and Winterfell in their absence.
“There is someone else you need to meet, Ned,” Ashara said cryptically.
“Who is it?”
"Come, I’ll explain when we get there." Ashara gave nothing away as the Stark brothers followed after the Lady of Starfall.
Ned was confused as they came to a nursery. "Ashara, what are we doing here?”
“It’s time for you to meet your daughter, Lord Stark. It seemed you left me a parting gift after the tournament at Harrenhal. Ned, meet your daughter, Allyria Dayne—Stark.” Ashara picked up her daughter, placing the babe in her father’s arms.
“A daughter.” Ned held his daughter tightly to him. Gods he was a father to three children, all before he was ten and nine name days.
"Yes, a daughter.”
“Hello there, little one. I am your father.” Ned rubbed his thumb on the cheek of his newly found daughter. She was a mixture of them both; there was more Stark in her than Dayne, it seemed.
"Ben, would you like to hold her?" Ned turned to his younger brother and only surviving sibling.
“Aye, I would,” Benjen said, taking the babe who barely stirred in his arms.
“Do you know where your brother has taken my nephew?”Ned asked Ashara as Benjen put Allyria back in her cot
“Ser Oswell Whent and Lord Commander Gerold Hightower were with Arthur as well at the Tower where Lyanna was kept. They may have gone to Dragonstone. Queen Rhaella is holed up there with Prince Viserys and Ser Willem Darry. Or they have fled across the Narrow Sea. Arthur didn’t elaborate where it was they were going” Ashara answered.
Dragonstone, the Crownlands
281 AC.
Dowager Queen Rhaella Targaryen, heavily with child stood in the War room on one side of the Painted Table. Prince Viserys, her sole surviving son, sat to one side of the room. In the room with them were Ser Willem Darry, Ser Barristan Semly, and Ser Jaime Lannister.
Ser Barristan had come to Dragonstone after the Battle of the Trident to tell Queen Rhaella the news of Rhaegar’s death. The Queen had charged Ser Barristan with going to Red Keep to rescue her good daughter Elia and two granddaughters, Rhaneys and Visenya.
Ser Barristan returned to Dragonstone with Ser Jaime Lannister and her granddaughter Rhaenys. Her granddaughter had barely left her grandmother's side since they had arrived in Dragonstone.
“My Queen, we must leave Dragonstone soon. The Stag King is sending his brother Stannis plus a fleet of ships to take Dragonstone.” Ser. Willem Darry cautioned.
"Uncle, what do you think we should do?” Rhaella asked her great-uncle Aemon. He had been Maester of Dragonstone for the past few years. Rhaegar had managed to get the Maester released from his vows to the Night’s Watch and back to Dragonstone to be with his family in his last years.
“We will have to leave before too long, niece. Baratheon won’t allow you or your children to live. You are too great a threat to his reign for you to live.” Aemon answered.
“The Essos is the only safe place; you will be my queen." Ser Jaime cut in.
“Your Grace I hate to interrupt, but Ser Arthur Dayne, Ser Oswell Whent, and Lord Commander Ser Gerold Hightower have arrived on Dragonstone, my queen." A maid interrupted.
“Show them in.”
“Yes, my queen." The girl bowed, showing the three former members of her husband's Kingsguard into the War Room. Where the knights had been when Rhaegar lost his life on the Trident. Rhaella would find out.
“My Queen” The three knights bowed to the Dowager Queen.
“Lord Commander Hightower, Ser Oswell, and Ser Arthur, where have you been all this time? Why were you not at the Trident protecting my son instead of cowering in hiding?” Rhaella demanded to know her hand on her belly.
“My Queen. We remained in Dorne by the order of his Grace Crown Prince Rhaegar. We were ordered to remain behind and protect his second wife, Lyanna Stark, and the unborn babe she carried at the time.
The Prince and Princess Elia fell in love with Lyanna Stark, and they wed the three of them on the Isle of Faces. Before the Old Gods and New.”Ser Arthur Dayne explained.
“Where are Lyanna Stark and the babe now?”
“Princess Lyanna died in childbirth, my queen. The babe a boy was too big for her to give birth to, as she was tiny and narrow-hipped. The babe was named before Princess Lyanna died. She named him Aegon Targaryen VI of his name. Named for Aegon the Conqueror.” Ser Oswell explained in further detail
“Where is my grandson?”
“Here on Dragonstone. My Queen” The White Bull nodded as the door opened. Wyall, the wet nurse, came into the War Room carrying the heir to the Iron Throne.
"Egg,” Rhaenys perked up seeing her baby brother for the first time.
“Yes, my sweet little dragon, this is your brother Aegon.” Rhaella bent down as far as she could with her swollen belly.
"Egg,” the girl repeated.
“My Queen, we will have to leave before too long. The Stag and Lions are sending men to Dragonstone.”
“Ser Willem has already informed us. Do you have a ship ready, Lord Commander?” The Queen asked the White Bull Knight.
“We do, my queen." It’s anchored off the eastern shore of Dragonstone.” Ser Gerold answered.
“Very well, then make the preparation. We will sail at dusk.”
The Targaryens made their escape to the ship, just waiting offshore of Dragonstone. Nothing was left for the Baratheon men to plunder. There were vaults hidden deep within Dragonstone that only a Targaryen could enter.
So the untold riches the fleeing Targaryens left behind would be safe until they returned. When the King was grown and had an army, fleet of ships, and Dragons of his own, For now, the Lions and Stags could sleep easily.
The Dragons would return with a vengeance when the time came for now. The Dragons would have to bide their time and rebuild. Like his namesake, Aegon VI would conquer Westeros like his namesake had done before. Two hundred and eighty-one years before.
The Targaryens would forge an Empire in the East as well as the West. An Empire forged out of Fire and Blood that would give way to a Dynasty that would last for a thousand years or more.