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Her babies were back.
Elia could weep.
She was crying. Tears drifting down her face, kohl blackening her eyes.
Little Rhaenys was not so little anymore, and Aegon, little Egg, could walk.
How long has it been, Elia thought.
How long was it that Rhaegar was granted custody. Manipulating the masses, bribing the jury with his Targaryen wealth, to gain access to the children, not allowing Elia to ever see her babies again.
How absurd. Rhaegar was at fault for their divorce, yet it was Elia Martell who suffered. The Targaryen man ran off with a minor, yet Westeros still managed to make him the good guy, twisting Elia into a scheming Dornish harlot, stopping true love from enduring, and being a miserly neglectful mother.
But now it was over.
Thank the Gods for Brandon Stark. Shaping himself up from his frat-boy self, upon the actions of Lyanna and Rhaegar, continuously working with Doran and Ashara as lawyers to finally crack down on the disastrous actions of the Targaryens, seemingly always swept aside by the old money, yet now finally exposed for the treacherous crimes of their past.
It took almost two long years, Lyanna unwilling to testify, feeling bliss in the admiration of a nepotist unsuccessful singer, but finally she cracked.
Upon turning 17, the Stark girl had realised the cracks within their relationship, Elia glad this poor girl finally realised. While she felt anger initially, during this long time, all she could feel was pity.
Pity for this young girl, even with a support system of her family, who couldn’t escape the grasps of Rhaegar, son of Aerys of Targaryen Inc. and succumbed to his charismatic talks and the alluring gaze of his violet eyes.
Even Elia couldn’t help but feel a tingle of affection imagining the enchanting gaze of Rhaegar, yet it hid a sinister facade. The man was disgusting, and only now was reaping what he sowed.
Rhaegar Targaryen took her from her home, charming her with his gaze, then impulsively marrying straight out of college, away from Doran, Oberyn and Ashara.
Isolating her from family, all in the name of creating their own.
Pleading for her to become a housewife, making her business degree useless, and snarkily remarking on how useless her hobbies of floristry, instead making her partake in more essential tasks such as household chores and baking.
And he did the same with another girl, one much younger than either of them, his whiles too good for anyone, it seems.
But he cracked. Romancing the minor daughter of a senior lawyer in the Winterfell Firm was not the brightest idea, additionally her being sister of a police officer high in the ranks so young, as his girlfriend was a lawyer for Doran Martell’s infamous firm, having moved to the new Winterfell branch, for dealing with harsh cases. Not only that, but Ashara, Officer Brandon’s girlfriend, was Elia’s best friend, at least before Rhaegar manipulated his wife into leaving all her family and friends behind.
But still, she didn’t take this chance for granted, helping both her boyfriend’s sister, and her childhood friend with a sharp mind and strong focus.
And now, Elia’s babies are right in front of her.
Leaping outside of the black Mustang, all Elia could see was Rhaenys, carrying her hello kitty backpack with ease, as Aegon toddled beside her.
He’d grown so much.
And Rhaegar had taken this away from her.
Oh how her baby must’ve suffered, never meeting Rhaegar for the first 6 months of his life, only to be taken by him, stolen from his loving mother, losing the comfort of his home.
“Rhaenys! Aegon! Oh my babies!” She roared in joy, watching the light in Rhaenys eyes as she rushed over to hug her mother.
Yet Aegon unsurely toddled forward, following his sister in a confused manner.
He didn’t know her.
Rage erupted in her.
Rhaegar, you bastard.
Taking away her own child. He doesn’t even know the mother who loved him so much, who fought with all her fury to gain custody of him.
“Egg, it’s mummy, look!” Rhaenys spoke, softly encouraging her brother in a tone which made Elia proud. How smart was her baby girl, inquisitive and able to help her brother, understanding the situation effectively.
She continued further, advising Aegon, “Remember! It’s mummy, the pretty woman with the nice hair from the pictures Misses Ash would give us?”
Elia was relieved. Thank God for Ashara, having used her own visitations to Rhaenys and Aegon under governmental means to help the children get to know their mother.
Aegon promptly smiled and babbled, silver hair flowing through the wind as he wandered on forward to Elia.
“Mama!” He spoke, causing Elia to weep, yet again, embarrassing herself in front of Arthur Dayne, the security guard escorting the children, an old ally of her husband’s, now seemingly repenting for his actions by helping Lyanna with baby Jon and additionally aiding Ashara and Brandon with dealing with Rhaegar’s follies towards Elia.
“My babies! Oh how I’ve missed you!” Elia spoke, wrapping Aegon into a hug.
Quickly beckoning Rhaenys forward, the Martell woman then also kindly grabbed her daughter into a big hug, the family of three joining together in a happy bliss.
Yet she couldn’t help but think that they should be a family of four.
Rhaegar’s actions destroyed their family, yet she couldn’t stop feeling as though they were incomplete.
Reminiscing of the wonderful days spent waiting for Rhaenys, painting the nursery together, and planning baby showers.
But it wasn’t all good. Elia was looking at their past with rose-tinted glasses, even after the pain he caused her, manipulating her into moving away from her family and becoming a perfectly palatable Westerosi housewife.
Enough of all this sadness, she thought. She doesn’t need that selfish man.
She had her babies right in front of her, and will cherish them in all her heart.