Long Live // Rhaegar Targaryen // Elia Martell

12. Promise Me

After the war was won and over the mad king, the heir and prince Rhaegar himself dead, Ned continued his searching for Jolene, his search led him right to the Tower of Joy. But there was no joy waiting for him. 

'Lord Stark...'

'I looked for you on the trails' Ned told Dane.

'Well we weren't there' Dane told him.

'The mad king is dead, Rhaegar lies beneath the ground why weren't you there to protect your prince?' ned questioned them.

''Our loyalties lie here.' Dane told them

''Where is my sister?' Ned questioned

''I wish you good fortune in the wars to come,' Dane said putting his helmet back on. 'And now it begins.'' they drew their swords.

'No, now it ends.' Ned told them that and his men drew their swords as well.

"Is that Ned?" Jolene whispered through labored breaths. Elia peered out the little window. 

"Hells, Dane is dueling him" Elia grumbled. 

"Get him, please." Jolene begged. "I need him." Elia got up brushing herself off as she ran out. 

"Dane! That is quite enough." Elia demanded. "All of you, sheathe your damn steels."  the men hesitated looking to Princess Elia. "Yes, it is I..." Elia agreed. "Put down the blades, Ned Stark... come with me." Ned pushed past Dane and his men. Reed moved to follow but Elia shook her head. "Just Lord Stark." elia corrected. 

"Ned?" Reed questioned. 

"I will be okay." Ned assured. 

"It's cute he thinks I'm a threat." Elia offered.  There was another scream heard from the tower and Ned ran, following the path up the tower hearing the cries from above.

"My sister-"

"Just follow me." Elia begged. Ned continued up the staircase to get to the top of the tower.

''Ned?'' Jolene rasped her vision blurry her face pale and clammy. 

"'Jolene.... Lena honey, Gods." Ned whispered his eyes watering with tears seeing his sister, Jolene laid out bloody and pale in bed.

"'Ned.  Is that you? Is that really you?' she questioned she was covered in blood 'you're not a dream?'' SHe looked to Ned and then to Elia, she had half expected Rhaegar to come through the doors too with a big smile and say everything was going to be alright. 

''No I'm no dream.'' he said trying to comfort his sister 'I'm here. Right here.' he assured her kissing her temple. 

"'I've missed you little brother.''

'I've missed you too' he told her. His gaze shifted to Elia as she sucked in a sob, she didnt want to lose her best friend. "Jolene-"

"Brandon and father... they are dead because of me." Jolene rasped. 

"No... they are dead because of the mad king." Ned corrected. 

"They wanted to get me back, I was so selfish Ned. I wanted love. I wanted love and freedom and I risked your lives to get it and now look at us... does this look like freedom?" She choked out. 

"No." Ned admitted. 

"No." Jolene agreed. "Ned... I'm so sorry for all the mess I caused." 

"We can go home and forget about it." Ned offered. "Yeah? Lets go home Jolene." 

"Rhaegar... he's dead isnt he?" 

"Robert... he killed him." Ned agreed and Jolene sobbed out even more. 

"No, no, no..." She wailed out. "Ned I can't do this without him."

"You got me, I'm right here Jolene, we will go home and forget out Robert, I will tell him no, you are traumatized from men entirely, yeah? You, me and Benjen... Elia too." Ned offered. "We can just... be free among the snowflakes."

''Ned, I want to be brave.'' she whimpered and Ned held tight to her hand.

"'You are Jolene, you are the bravest person I know.' He assured her, he pressed a kiss to her hands.

''I'm not,'' she corrected looking between them as Elia rocked her baby to her.  ''I don't want to die.'' but she knew she was going to, she knew the end was coming, she felt it, she felt her chest giving way, she was losing too much blood, her vision blurred, her eyes fluttered, her breathing ragged. 

''You're not going to die. I'll get you some water...'' Ned offered but the blood pooling around her legs was too much, even Ned could tell. "You are not going to die." He repeated. He couldnt lose her too. 

''No, Ned, I don't need water' she told him

''Get her a measter!' Ned demanded. That's when they heard the cries of a baby. Ned looked at Elia. "Jolene..." Elia placed the baby in Ned's arms.

'No, no water, no measter, just listen to me ned.'' JOlene whispered the name of her newborn son to Ned. ''Rhaegar Targaryen, after his father.'' She made Ned promise her that they would protect him, as Robert would surely kill him, if it came to be known that her child was Rhaegar's son. Elia sobbed out blood stained hands wiped at tears. 

''If Robert finds out he will kill him, you know he will, you have to protect him, no one must know, not even the child, not even my child may know. It is too dangerous. Promise me Ned. Promise me. Promise me.' Jolene said slowly fading. 'promise me' Jolene said again 'promise me.' She looked between her brother and best friend. "Protect him. Love him... promise me."