The Dark Dragon || Game of Thrones

Whispering Wood

After crossing the bridge, the army set up camp again and the forces left to ambush their foes in the woods, led by the heir of Winterfell. Only a token of the men stayed behind to guard Rhalla and lady Stark at the Lord's commands.

"Come back to me." Rhalla told Robb before he left, and all he did was nod before gathering all the strength and determination he had to fight beside his men.

She understood why he was distant. He was soon to be betrothed to another, and being the honorable man that he was, he wouldn't betray his to-be wife in any way, and Rhalla wouldn't want him to. Yet it broke her heart that it seemed much easier for him to move on than it was for her, or maybe it was merely an impression..

The worry in her heart was insufferable.
It was Robb's first battle, apart from the few casualties they've faced on the road, and knowing that he was outnumbered three to one, and that the chances of his plan to succeed were low did nothing to ease her concern.

That, added to the pain of knowing that she was losing the only man she ever loved was torture. But she tried to stay optimistic in regards to the situation, and as she waited impatiently for the army's return, she remained in her tent to finally read the letter her sister sent.

Sister,

I am grateful for your kind and generous offer, but I have to decline, for you must know that I cannot forgive you for what you have done.

You betrayed me, betrayed our family, our cause, and instead you chose to spend your days with our greatest enemies.
In doing so, you proclaimed yourself a traitor, and your crimes are beyond repair.

But I do not forget easily. You are my sister, and I will give you one last chance to atone.
With Viserys dead, killed by my late husband, and my dragons born, I shall take back the Seven Kingdoms and be its ruler.

So join me, pledge your loyalty to me, and you shall be forgiven. You will be allowed to return to my side, your flesh and blood, and help take back what was stolen from us.
Otherwise I will eliminate you entirely once I am queen, and erase you from all memory.

So choose now, and let me know, Rhalla.

Daenerys Stormborn.

Rhalla couldn't believe her eyes, and her mouth was agape as soon as she started reading.
This wasn't the Daenerys she knew, so cold, so bitter and cruel.
The princess wished to cry, but she was stunned, shocked, on one hand by her sister's words, and on the other hand by the news she brought.

The dark-haired beauty knew that her sister wouldn't forgive her that easily for leaving her without even a word, but she never thought it possible for her sister to have so much hatred in her heart. After all, what Rhalla did was mainly for her safety, and given the chance, Daenerys would've probably done the same.

Dragons? Viserys dead?

On top of all that, the silver-haired Targaryen forgot that she had an older sibling, which makes Rhalla the rightful heir before Daenerys, not the other way around. Yet the princess had so little desire in taking the throne, even if what Kyra told her earlier was rather interesting, and she couldn't take it out of her mind.

Maybe the handmaiden was right, Rhalla was the rightful ruler, and maybe what the letter told was a motivation for her, a reminder of who she was, and that she mustn't forget.