CHAPTER FIFTEEN - HELLO BROTHER
Shock had filled Hera's body in an instant. She couldn't move. The only thing she could do was stare at him. Her mind couldn't comprehend what was happening. She had been so sure that he had been dead. She hadn't seen him when she escaped their old home, so she assumed that he was dead. For a couple of seconds, she was sure that she was dreaming. She was sure that it was a cruel joke made by the gods, and that she would wake up any second. Yet, when she pinched herself in her arm, it hurt. She was awake and this was real.
She let out a muffled sob and her eyes filled with tears. She threw herself at him, hugging him so tight that he nearly lost his balance. She buried her face in his shoulder as sobs racked through her whole body. He was alive. She hadn't wept in a long time, but she couldn't keep the tears in anymore. It felt good to weep, she thought. Her brother's arms wrapped themselves around her waist, hugging her like she would dissapear if he let go. Hera looked up at the skies, mentally thanking the gods for reuniting them.
After a while, they let go of the hug. She couldn't help but scan his face. He had aged a lot, but he still looked just like he used to. His dark hair were still in his usual messy curls, and he still had freckles scattered on his cheeks. His brown eyes were the same as always, but Hera couldn't help but notice how they seemed more tired than they used too.
She looked at him with wide eyes, her mouth agape in shock. "How?" she stammered out. "How are you here right now?" That's when she remembered her sister, Lexa. She gasped as she grabbed his arm. "Is Lexa okay?"
Derron nodded which caused her to sigh with relief. He glanced around them, like he was looking for someone. "I'll tell you everything" he said, "but not here, there's eyes and ears everywhere." Hera nodded, understanding why he choose to be careful. If important information got in the hands of the wrong people, bad things could happen.
They moved further into the woods, where they were sure no one could see or hear them. They found a small log which they both sat down on. For a couple of seconds, neither of them spoke. She knew Derron was trying to figure how to start his explanation, and she didn't want to stress him.
"When those people attacked our home, I was outside by the stables. I searched for you and Cedrick, but I couldn't find you anywhere. I found Lexa hidden in her room crying, and I knew I had to get her to safety. We left shortly after that." He took a deep breath, glancing at his sister who nodded for him to continue. "She was terrified, constantly asking me where you, Cedrick, mother and father were. I didn't have the heart to tell her that you were most likely dead, but I think she knew. For years, we ventured from place to place. I didn't know who to trust, so we never stayed in one place for too long. Until one day, we arrived in Pentos and met someone I knew we could trust."
Hera furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, but let him continue. "A man named Illyrio Mopatis was kind enough to give us sanctuary as long as we worked for our stay. There, we met Viserys and Daenerys Targaryen." Hera's eyes widened at the mention of the two Targaryen children. "Lexa became a great friend of Princess Daenerys, as did I. I can't say that Viserys and I got along that well, but we never did anything to hurt each other. So when Daenerys was wed to Khal Drogo, we went with her, along with Viserys. I had heard a while back that you were still alive, but I knew I couldn't come find you until the time was right. We couldn't let anyone else know that Lexa and I were still alive, because then those people who murdered the rest of our family might have found us."
"When Viserys Targaryen died, Daenerys became the rightful heir to the Iron throne. She swore that if we swore fealthy to her, she would help us take our home back and get our revenge when the time was right. So that's what Lexa and I did. After we pledged our alliance to her, she granted me permission to travel to Westeros and find you, while Lexa stayed behind with Daenerys. I'm here to ask you if you will come back with me and serve Daenerys Stormborn, and then take our home back when the time is right."
She gaped at him. Her mind spun from all the information she had recieved, and she was sure that her brain would explode at any moment. Her brother and sister were traitors to the crown because they supported the Targaryens. Hera didn't feel angry or dissapointed though, because she was a traitor too. But still, they wanted her to leave her life here and support the Targaryen princess. How could she do that? She loved Robb, and she couldn't just leave him. Robb was her bestfriend and she had sworn fealthy to him and no one else. She would not be an oathbreaker.
"I can't, Derron" she spoke at last. She watched as dissapointment filled Derron's eyes the moment she spoke, and she couldn't help but feel horrible. "I've sworn fealthy to Robb Stark. I can't leave him and I hope you can understand that." She felt terrible, because she didn't want to leave her family. It also meant that they would be on opposite sides, and that was something that made her want to cry.
"Of course I understand" Derron answered with a small smile. "I'm staying with a nice family a short while from here, so if you change your mind you can come find me. I will be going back to Essos shortly, and you can always come find us there too." They both stood up from the log. "I do hope you change your mind, because I have missed you dearly."
Hera gave him a small smile. This wasn't the last time she would see him, she knew that. "I promise that I'll see you again soon, but for now, I need to be with Robb."
Derron got a knowing look on his face as he smiled at her knowingly. "You love him, don't you?"
Hera's eyes widened. She had never thought about him in that way before, but when she thought about it now, she couldn't help but feel butterflies in her stomach. "I think I do."
Derron nodded. "I won't pressure you into coming with me when you love someone here. No matter what you do, you'll always be my sister."
Her vision became clouded with tears as she gave him a smile. "And you'll always be my brother."
She was grateful that her brother understood her choice. She didn't feel that sad, because she knew she would see him and Lexa again. She didn't know how long it would be, but she knew it would happen, and that was enough to make her feel confident in her choice.
*
The amount of relief Hera felt when she walked out from the wood, was huge. Her brother and sister were alive and well, and she couldn't be more grateful. There was still something that made her distressed though. She would have to keep it a secret. She could tell no one, not even Robb. It would be hard. Gods, how could she keep such a secret from him?
It was night when she was back at camp and not a single person was outside. Everyone were sound asleep in their tents, except for the watchmen who were hidden at the edges of camp.
On her way to her tent, Hera passed the cell which held Jaime Lannister. He was awake, staring into the air. He was dirty from not bathing in a while, and his hair looked unkept and mattered. As she passed him, he moved his chain before he spoke. "Hera Nyvell."
Hera stopped in her tracks on the right side of the cell. With a sigh, she turned around and walked to the front of the cell, where she could see him clearly. He squinted at her in interest. She pursed her lips as she looked at him with a stoic expression. "Kingslayer."
Lannister sighed. "That name again. I swear that's the only thing everyone in this camp calls me."
Hera cocked an eyebrow. "That's what you are, isn't it?" she sarcastically asked. "You killed the king you were sworn to protect. The name seems rather fitting if you ask me."
He rattled with his chains, huffing slightly. "You weren't there, you don't know the whole story."
"I've heard stories."
"Ah, yes. But those stories lack a lot of truth. Anyway, I don't have to explain myself to you." He paused, as he studied her. After a short while, he smirked slightly. "Let's talk about you, the last living Nyvell." Hera visibly stiffened, causing Jaime's smirk to grow. She kept quiet, instead sending him a death glare. If looks could kill, he would have been buried six feet under.
"I'm curious" he started. "How does a fourteen year old girl escape such a huge massacre on her own? And better yet, why haven't you sought revenge? Your house words are blood must have blood, or are they just empty words?"
For a couple of seconds, Hera was tempted to kill him right on the spot. How dare he mock me and my family, she thought. She clenched her fist so hard that her nails dug into the palm of her hand, drawing blood. "It's bold of you to insult me and my family when I'm the one with the sword."
"You can't kill me, and do you wanna know why?" He didn't give her a chance to answer before he spoke again. "Because if you kill me, you would be signing the Stark girls' death sentence. It would also be seen as an act of war to the crown. You will cause a war, and thousands of people will be killed, and their blood will be on your hands."
Hera smiled then, and the smile made Jaime feel uneasy. "I never said I wanted to kill you. I know the consequences, I'm not stupid." She paused as she scanned the cell he was in. "But that doesn't mean I can't make your living conditions worse. Perhaps you would like a smaller cell?"
Lannister opened his mouth to answer, but Hera wasn't interested in hearing what he had to say. "Sleep well, Kingslayer."
Then she left him there to drown in his own thoughts.
-
Yeah so that happened! I kid you not, but coming up with a plot for Derron and Lexa was freaking hard! I hope you like what I came up with though, and I'm really excited to write about it! I'm not sure how I feel about this chapter tbh. I feel like I could have done better, but at the same time not? Idek, I'm just going to leave it like this and hope that you like it haha.
Also, did any of you think that Derron and Lexa were still alive when you read book one?
Thank you for reading!