The godswood was a peaceful place, the smell of trees and the music of the river below filled the air. Elia spotted a flash of white between the trees' trunks. If the direwolf was here, her prey was close. Elia found Lady Bolton and her daughter, deep in conversation, under the heart tree. The girl was agitated.
"Ghost saw them! We have to..."
"You will do nothing. I will take care of it", Lyanna Bolton's rebuttal was sharp.
" But..."
Elia hesitated. She usually tried to avoid the woman but she had to know if she knew something about Rhaegar's plans.
Visenya saw her first and made a hasty bow. The mother and the daughter shared the Stark look: grey eyes and dark brown hair. The only trace of Rhaegar in the girl was his cheekbones and his talent for the harp.
Lyanna Bolton turned to face her. Elia could see she had surprised them. The Godswood was the perfect place to escape from prying eyes. And Lyanna Bolton often took advantage of it.
The lady recovered quickly and bowed to Elia. "Your Grace, may we take your leave?"
During their few encounters, the lady always respected courtesies. "No," said Elia, "I need to talk with you."
Lyanna Stark's eyebrows rose, behind her, her daughter looked apprehensive.
"Visenya, it's time for your dance lesson. You should go. And remember, I will do what's necessary," she said, her eyes fixed on Elia.
What was their conversation about? The girl tensed, ready to argue but her shoulders slumped and she left.
Once her footsteps had disappeared through the trees, Lady Bolton asked, "How I can help you, your Grace?"
Elia was blunt," Are you aware of what Rhaegar is preparing?"
"No, I only know he is missing small council's meetings and spends more and more time with this new priestess of R'hllor," her face was blank,"they seem to share the same interest in prophecies."
Elia studied her. So she was acquainted with Rhaegar's obsession. The gossips of the court didn't know what to make of the lady. She had been crowned Queen of Love and Beauty by Rhaegar at Harrenhal right in front of Elia. But she had run away with the son of one of her father's bannermen. It had not ended well.
Elia wasn't sure of what happened between her husband and Lyanna Stark at the tourney. Yet the woman had become Rhaegar's mistress after the death of her husband. Curiously, her husband's killer had been sent to the Wall at the same time.
"Do you know anything else?"
"No, his Grace does not share his thoughts easily. Ser Dayne might be more knowledgeable." Yes, and he had refused to answer her.
It was disappointing."I presume Rhaegar didn't speak to your daughter either". She had asked Aegon and Rhaenys but their father had not confided in them.
"If your husband had revealed anything to Visenya, I would know", Lyanna Bolton confirmed."You could ask Lady Melisandre."
Elia recoiled. The red priestess was no friend of her. She fed Rhaegar's lunacy. He was attracted to magic like a moth to the flames. But, of course, he would divulge his plans to a self-professed seer.
"She has powers," Lyanna Stark paused. "She warned me about someone and she was right."
The confession surprised Elia. Lady Bolton didn't strike her as superstitious.
People murmured that Elia should force Rhaegar to send her and her daughter away. Oberyn had suggested poison. But she knew her husband would never discard Visenya. His three heads of the dragon were too important to him. And Lady Bolton would not be easily parted from her daughter .
Cersei Lannister liked to say that only a weak queen could stand the humiliation of having her husband's mistress and bastard under her own roof. Only to her ladies-in-waiting, of course. They were only too happy to repeat the line to anyone willing to listen.
The Tyrells were known to commiserate and to compare her to Queen Naerys. Elia felt vaguely offended on behalf of Rhaegar. At least, he was not trying to kill her by getting her pregnant.
Elia decided to get to the point,"Jon Arryn came to me recently. Rhaegar wants to get back Blackfyre."
"And Dark Sister."
"What?". Both swords were lost to the Targaryens. Blackfyre across the Narrow Sea and Dark Sister gods knew where.
"How did you learn that?" Elia asked.
"The Lord Commander of the Night's Watch told my brother that the King wished to retrieve Dark Sister. Apparently, its last owner was Brynden Rivers. He took it with him when he was sent to the Wall. Lord Baratheon was not pleased to discover that his maester was a Targaryen."
"A Targaryen in the Night's Watch?" It startled Elia. "Aemon Targaryen is still alive? But he must be one hundred years old!"
Lyanna Bolton acquiesced "He is, and as we speak, he is travelling to King's Landing with the sword."
The Hand of the King had only discussed Blackfyre with her. But it made sense, Rhaegar had named his children after the Conqueror and his sisters. He probably had convinced himself he needed their swords to fulfill his dreams of bringing the dragons back.
"Who has Blackfyre?" Lyanna Bolton inquired. "I don't remember ser Barristan recovering it after slaying Maelys the Monstrous."
"Lord Arryn is not sure, he told me that Rhaegar has tasked Varys to find out. Apparently, there are still Blackfyre pretenders in Essos but we don't know much about them."
" And how does the King intend to reclaim the sword? The Blackfyres won't give it back without a fight."
It was the issue, what was Rhaegar willing to do to obtain the sword?
"They might if Rhaegar offers them something they want. He could grant them pardons."
"For a sword?" Lyanna Bolton scoffed. "Blackfyre is the symbol of their cause. It's not enough."
Elia agreed. She had reviewed what Rhaegar could grant them with Jon Arryn. Money was insufficient, land would be difficult, a place on the small council stupid.
"We are afraid that the King will recognize their claim."
Lyanna Stark frowned,"It's too dangerous. They have no right to the Seven Kingdoms. If Rhaegar acknowledge their claim, how long before they try to seize the throne? They will find people to support their cause. Aerys was not loved and there are lords who are not satisfied with Rhaegar."
The lady had become astute with age, she was more educated in intrigues than her younger self.
Elia took a breath, "The Blackfyres might accept a royal match in exchange of the sword. It's how Dorne was brought into the Seven Kingdoms."
"The King would not do that. It would give legitimacy to their claim!" Lyanna Stark exclaimed but her expression was unsure.
Elia had tried to broach the subject of Aegon's marriage several times but Rhaegar didn't seem to care. The heir to the Iron Throne had to marry. And his marriage was a unique opportunity to strengthen ties with their vassals . The Tyrells had her preference. They had been loyal to the Targaryen during the Unrest, it was wise to reward them. However, if Aegon was not betrothed because Rhaegar wanted to marry him to a Blackfyre girl, it was cause for alarm.
These days, the court was full of young, eligible maidens, trotted by their families, under Rhaegar's and Aegon's noses, hoping to gain the King's favor or a future queen. Elia's husband didn't seem to remark them at the difference of Aegon.
So Elia's handmaidens kept track of these daughters. She often invited them to take the tea or to go riding. Watching them fight among themselves with razor-sharp smiles, lovely words and beautiful gowns were one of Elia's delight.
She particularly loved seeing Cersei Lannister and Margaery Tyrell pretend to be the best of friends. Margaery was the most clever of the two. She had befriended Rhaenys and become her favourite lady-in-waiting. Aegon and Oberyn had been impressed by her riding and hawking talents. The Tyrells were definitely angling for the next queen.
When Rhaenys would leave King's Landing to marry Edmure Tully next year, she would leave a void at court and Margaery was perfectly poised to fill that void. But Cersei Lannister hoped to take Rhaenys' place as second lady of the court. Elia expected a war between the Roses and the Lions. It suited her, she preferred a divided court to an united front of nobles. Elia had the intention to intervene at some point by inviting Margaery to be her lady-in-waiting.
Cersei would not like that but the lioness was rarely satisfied these days, despite her marriage to the King's brother. She had spent too many years expecting to be queen. Elia had not forgotten those years where Cersei and her father had waited for her death.
Tywin Lannister had shifted his royal ambitions on his grandaughter. Cersei had suggested several times that the Lannisters deserved more than a second son for their services to the Crown.
Elia found Myrcella full of promises but too young to safely wed Aegon. At her age, a pregnancy was dangerous for her health. She didn't want her niece to go through the same pains as her on the birthing bed.
"But who could the King offer in marriage? Do the Blackfyres have someone to marry?"
"We don't know for the moment," Elia sighted. "We are waiting for Varys'informations."
"If they have a girl around Aegon's age, they will ask for a wedding. A sword for a Blackfyre Queen and a half Blackfyre heir is a most agreeable trade"
But a Blackfyre girl didn't bring the Reach in her bridal basket. A sword was a poor dowry compared to the wealth that came with a Tyrell bride, Elia thought.
She interjected, "Joffrey and Tommen are also available."
A strange look of distaste flickered in Lyanna Stark's eyes before she replied, "Tywin Lannister will see such match as an insult and he does not forget slights."
Privately, Elia concurred but Rhaegar was blind to politics as soon as he was in pursuit of his obsession to save the world.
Thinking out loud, she said,j
"If there is a male Blackfyre, Cersei will fight any marriage with Myrcella."
Again, disgust appeared in Lyanna Bolton's eyes.
Elia had no wish to provoke Tywin Lannister. He had a Targaryen prince to back if he became dissatisfied with Rhaegar.
She continued, "Rhaenys is already betrothed to Edmure Tully. It leaves Daenerys."
"I heard the princess is very happy in Dorne. Will she stay there?"
" Yes, she will". At least, Elia and Jon Arryn hoped so. Dany had been sent to Sunspear with the idea she could marry Elia's nephew, Quentyn, as an apology for Rhaegar's behavior.
There was no formal agreement for the moment. The Hand of the King and her had just begun to draw up points to discuss during the potential negotiations.
"I was surprised when the King announced the marriage of Princess Rhaenys to Edmund Tully. For a long time I thought he hoped to marry Aegon to his sisters," Lyanna Bolton said, smoothing her dress without looking at her.
Elia didn't miss the plural of the last word,"Targaryen do not practice polygamy anymore." Unfortunately, knowing Rhaegar, the idea was not as outlandish as it seemed
"Whereas the King aspires to recreate Aegon and his sisters," Lyanna Bolton smiled without warmth, "how much has he been involved in Princess Rhaenys' engagement?"
Elia blinked, the choice of her children's spouses were her duty as mother and Queen.
In truth, Rhaenys' marriage had been her idea to secure the Riverlands' allegiance. Rhaegar had shown no disagreement to Edmure Tully and she had worked hand in hand with her daughter and Jon Arryn to organize the marriage.
Unless Rhaegar thought he could break the engagement for his prophecies. Had he agreed to placate her? Or worse, did he see the engagement as of no consequences?
Elia would not allow Rhaegar to destroy her work. All of her dreams would become naught if Rhaegar gave the Iron Throne to the Blackfyres.
She had few options, "It also leaves your daughter."
Lyanna Bolton tensed,"I don't think the Blackfyres would accept the hand of a bastard when they can have a true born's."
"They would if it was their only choice"
The sentence hanged in the air. A bastard princess for a bastard House. A match of equals, indeed.
Lyanna Stark stayed silent. "And if they have someone who could marry her". Her voice was faint.
"If not, there is always Renly Baratheon." And the Tyrells would keep an eye on this problem for her.
Their talk was only words for the moment. Elia needed Varys'intelligence to truly plan. But first, she had to secure her children's marriages.
"Or you could change the King's mind."
"And how would I do that? Rhaegar doesn't listen to anyone when his mind is set."
Rhaegar never doubted the consequences of his actions. For a time, she had thought he was a good man and that he would make a great King like Daeron the Good. In her eyes, then, his melancholy was an endearing trait like Doran's seriousness.
Harrenhal had been the first crack. He had shamed her in front of all the Seven Kingdoms for a girl who wasn't even interested. His actions had cost him a lot of good will where he should have found allies against Aerys and his madness. Instead, it had planted the seeds of the mistrust of Houses Stark and Baratheon towards the Targaryens.
After the birth of Aegon, he had been happy, talking about the Prince that was promised. The moment he learnt a third child would kill her, his melancholy had turned into anguish.
Later, he had left Dragonstone only to reappear in the Riverlands. Rhaegar had never explained clearly why he was there. Doran had suggested he was inviting himself to the wedding of Brandon Stark and Catelyn Tully to repair the damage caused at Harrenhal. Oberyn was of the opinion he had intended to see Lyanna Stark again. Whatever the case was, she had already run away with Domeric Bolton at the time.
"Your are Elia Martell, Queen of the Seven Kingdoms. Your words are Unbowed, Unbent, Unbroken. I'm sure you will find a way," Lyanna Stark declared, looking straight into her eyes, "I have no doubt your brother would help you."
Despite the warm of the summer, Elia felt cold. Oberyn had been at court to protect her since the death of Rickard and Brandon Stark. And he had. What does she know? They had been very careful. Everybody knew Aerys had died from blood poisoning, caused by a bad cut from the Iron Throne. A fitting end for Aerys. His death had not ended the strife but it had not degenerated in rebellion.
Elia considered her words carefully. Varys'little birds were everywhere, "My brother and my husband do not get on well. I fail to see how he could help me to dissuade Rhaegar from his folly."
"But he is fond of your children. If Aegon were to fall in love with a suitable maiden, like say, Margaery Tyrell, Prince Oberyn would help him to elope with his true love. He is a passionate man, after all."
It had not worked well for Lady Bolton and people had died for it. Still, the idea had merit. Rhaegar's grandsire had run away with his sister to get married despite the anger it would provoke. Her husband had not announced his plans for the moment, she would have to act quickly. Olenna Tyrell was at court and Elia was sure Jon Arryn would jump to the occasion to bind the Tyrells tightly to the Iron Throne.
Elia had to protect her children's future. She intended to accomplish what Aegon V could not. She would bring the Seven Kingdoms under the Targaryen banner without dragons. No matter the cost.