LION LEGACY
8. Secrets of the Queensguard
That same day, nightfall soon arrived and Annalys grew restless at the Red Keep, not knowing what to do with herself. She already planned her next attack, her children were asleep, and the entire capital was quiet and peaceful. All she could think about was the prophecy and the fact that she missed her husband more than anything.
To get her mind off of her husband, Annalys decided to pay Ser Edmyn a visit, hoping he'd accompany for a stroll through the gardens, despite it being so late.
Besides Jaime and Ser Edric, Ser Edmyn had to have been her favorite members of her Queensguard. There was just something about him she got a kick out of. Some would even consider them close friends.
Without a care in the world, Annalys entered the man's room while eating an apple, rolling her eyes when she found the man in bed with Loras Tyrell.
"Well, isn't this interesting," She commented in a sarcastic tone, causing the men to quietly gasp as they pulled away from each other.
While Ser Edmyn seemed alarmed and was on the verge of getting dressed as quick as he could after his Queen caught him, Loras rolled onto his back. He quickly covered his nude body with the sheet on the bed before rolling his eyes.
"Your Grace!" Ser Edmyn exclaimed, on the verge of getting out of bed when Annalys made a hand motion that told him to stay where he was.
"Please don't. I'm not in the mood to see your cock," She warned him, looking to be on the verge of laughing at what she had said.
"You're very respectful," Loras rudely commented, earning a smirk from Annalys, "Not knocking before entering, very like you, Your Grace."
"It seems my entire Queensguard has been bedding others despite it being against your vows," Annalys remarked, smiling as she shook her head in response.
She turned to look at Ser Edmyn, who seemed to be worried about the fact that she had caught him in bed with someone, not to mention, a man and another member of the Queensguard.
"I really don't care about your nocturnal activities, Ser Edmyn," She assured him in a calm tone, "Nor do I care that you're with a man. Loras is a pretty one, no wonder you like him."
Loras rolled his eyes at Annalys, earning a playful wink from his queen. "I'm here because I need someone to accompany me for a walk."
"I'll go," They both answered in response, earning a large smile from their queen as they exchanged an awkward look with each other.
"It seems both of you will accompany me, then," She smiled, clapping her hands together, "I'll leave you two to get dressed."
____
That night, Annalys was roaming the hallways alone after returning from her walk, only to suddenly stop when she found Torrhen roaming the halls as well, alone. "Torrhen?" She called out, causing the young boy to tiredly rub his eyes as he turned to face his mother, "What are you doing?"
"I can't sleep," He confessed in a soft tone as his mother moved closer to him, "I can't stop thinking about Father."
"Father's fine," Annalys argued, kneeling in front of her son after reaching him, "He'll return soon."
"No, he won't," Torrhen retorted, shaking his head in disagreement.
"How would you know?" Annalys questioned, raising a brow at the young boy.
"Because Daenerys has him," Torrhen answered the obvious, "Eddard says her father burned hundreds of men when he was king, two of them were Starks. Father's a Stark, won't Daenerys do the same to him?"
A sad look formed on Annalys' face at her son's words, but she tried her hardest to hide it behind a small smile. "Daenerys Targaryen won't hurt your father, I'll make sure of it." She assured her son, who gave her a curious look.
"How?" He asked, looking up at her.
Annalys smiled, lifting Torrhen off the ground before beginning to walk in the direction of his chambers. "I'm going to take something that Daenerys holds dear," She informed Torrhen in a calm tone, "I'll exchange them for Father."
"Who will you take?" Torrhen questioned his mother as they entered his son.
Annalys placed Torrhen under the covers of his bed, taking a seat on the bed after doing so. "I don't know yet," She confessed in a calm tone, "I have many options. Missandei of Naath. My Uncle Tyrion. Jorah Mormont."
"You should take her dragons," Torrhen suggested, not even realizing how smart the idea was as a large smile formed on his lips, "Or one of them, at least. You can ride it. If she doesn't have dragons, we won't have to worry about Father being dead. Qyburn says the Dragon Queen burns her enemies. How is she supposed to burn people without dragons?"
Annalys' eyes widened, staring at Torrhen closely. What was with her children lately? First Eddard, a ten year old, giving her military advice that actually worked somewhat and now, Torrhen.
They were practically prodigies when it came to plans, knowing things about war at such a young age. Just like their mother and father.
And she didn't even want to get started on Lyanna, who proved in her mother's absence that she'd be a wonderful queen once she inherited the throne.
"Time for bed," was all Annalys said, placing a kiss to her son's forehead before standing back up, "I'll see you in the morning."
Torrhen smiled up at his mother, nodding his head in response before turning on his side to go to sleep. Annalys took one last glance at her son, smiling softly before leaving the room.
As Annalys exited the room, she was suddenly concerned by Podrick, who had a deeply worried look on his face. "Your Grace, I must tell you something. I'm afraid if I don't, Jeyne will die," He suddenly informed Annalys, whose eyes widened in shock at the revelation.
_____
After hearing what Podrick had to say, Annalys wasted no time rushing to Jeyne's room. She waltzed in without invitation, causing the woman to jump in fright. As she did so, the glass of moontea she grasped in her hand fell to the ground and shattered upon impact.
She turned to Annalys, her eyes widening in disbelief as tears threatened to spill from them.
"You're pregnant," Annalys stated in a calm tone, slowly moving closer to Jeyne.
"I'm sorry, Annalys. I'm so sorry," Jeyne apologized, slowly beginning to cry, "I know you warned me. I know you told me that I could continue my relationship with Edric, as long as I didn't fall pregnant. I didn't mean for it to happen. Please don't be--"
Before Jeyne could finish her sentence, Annalys hugged her tightly, allowing the girl to cry into her shoulder. "Didn't you see the entire crowd of subjects standing around me in the throne room when I said that, Jeyne?" She questioned the woman, letting out a sigh in defeat, "I didn't actually mean it. I said it in order to get all the lords off my back about it. They're trying to protest against me changing the laws of the Queensguard. I had to say it to make them happy."
Annalys smiled softly, pulling away from the hug as she cupped Jeyne's face in her hands. "You don't have to drink moontea."
"I have to. I can't be pregnant. The child will be a bastard," Jeyne complained, shaking her head, "Edric won't even be able to be in the child's life. The laws state a man of the Queensguard cannot have a wife or father any children."
Annalys remained silent and by the look on her face, Jeyne immediately knew she was missing something. "It was made official yesterday, Jeyne. I meant to tell you," She informed her best friend in a calm tone, "I've changed the laws of the Kingsguard. Those rules no longer apply."
"How will this work?" Jeyne found herself asking Annalys in a concerned tone, "How will I raise this child?"
"It's not the end of the world, Jeyne. Not unless you make it so. I will help you get through this. I promise," Annalys responded, giving the woman an assuring smile, "You will raise this child. He or she will be raised here at the Red Keep. They will have an proper education and will be trained by the castle's master-at-arms as they grow older. They will live a great life, it doesn't matter if they're a bastard."
Hearing Annalys' words, Jeyne began to cry once more. Annalys immediately hugged her friend once more, allowing the woman to cry on her shoulder.
Annalys continued to stay calm, much to Jeyne's shock. Annalys didn't seem to be bothered by it, which was something most wouldn't have expected. After all, her lady-in-waiting had fallen pregnant with the Lord Commander of her Queensguard's children. It was supposed to be treated as a big deal.
____
At Dragonstone, after much protest, Daenerys had finally agreed on freeing Robb in order for him to head beyond the Wall to capture a wight, to prove to her and the people of Westeros who hadn't seen one yet, that the White Walkers were a real threat.
Daenerys had appointed Jorah Mormont to go along with Robb, Ser Edric, and Ser Davos.
Robb was about to board his small boat alongside the rest of his men and Jorah when he was suddenly approached by Daenerys. "If I don't return, at least you won't want to deal with my constant insulting comments about you anymore."
"They're not insulting comments, they're honest statements. You're an honest man, Robb, unlike most of the people I've met in these lands," Daenerys replied in a calm tone, smiling slightly as she stared up at him.
Robb frowned in concern, noticing the way Daenerys looked at him. It wasn't a normal stare, it was as if she were gazing, as if she were attracted to him in that way.
He began to tense up, knowing it made matters worse for Daenerys. Robb would never return those feelings, but it didn't mean Annalys would take them lightly when she found out Daenerys felt that way about her husband. And it wasn't like he'd keep that type of information from her. They promised each other five years before that there would be no more secrets between them and they'd kept that promise since then. Robb didn't intend to break that now.
"I wish you good fortune in the wars to come," Robb simply stated as he turned away from Daenerys, "You'll surely need it when you fight against my wife for the second time."
Daenerys' smile immediately faded as she watched Robb leave on his ship. Tyrion wasted no time moving closer to her, clearly noticing the way she gazed at Robb almost longingly as he sailed away.
"Loving him will cause your death, Your Grace. It's the last thing you want to do," Tyrion warned Daenerys in a hushed tone, causing the woman to turn to look at him, "He is Annalys' husband, the father of her children. If she learns what you feel for him--"
"I do not love him nor do I care for him in the slightest, Tyrion," She argued in a stern tone, despite being a lie, "You have nothing to worry about."
"I do," Tyrion retorted, sighing in defeat, "I understand what you may think. If Robb returns those feelings, you may have the chance of defeating Annalys, but it isn't true. He is entirely loyal to Annalys."
"He has a bastard child," Daenerys reminded Tyrion in a calm tone, "One born after she gave birth to her firstborn son and daughter. One that had been conceived during the time they were forced to be separated from one another. It could surely happen again."
"You do not know the whole story, My Queen," Varys suddenly spoke up, causing both Tyrion and Daenerys to turn to him in shock, "That child was conceived in the aftermath of Tywin Lannister annulling Annalys and Robb's marriage. Due to their separation, Robb didn't know that Annalys wasn't actually planning to marry Ser Loras Tyrell. He bedded the child's mother in a moment of weakness when he thought Annalys purposely ended their marriage to marry Loras Tyrell and make him believe the children were his. That is something that will never happen again. Nothing will come between Robb and Annalys ever again, you must trust me on that."
Daenerys remained silent, glancing between Varys and Tyrion as she refused to respond. Perhaps they were right or perhaps they weren't. She had no clue.
AUTHOR'S NOTE:
Daenerys is stupid for ever thinking it could work tbh 🤣
Also, if you want to put a face claim to this guy Ser Edmyn Hightower, this is him.