BLOOD WARS | I.
SELENA BARATHEON
King's Landing | 300 a.c.
"SELENA!" THE SHOUT OF HER NAME WAS followed by loud banging on her bedroom door. She turned over in her bed, tempted to smother herself with her pillow. She knew that the knocks would not stop, especially since she knew the person responsible for the aggressive knocks.
She stood from her bed and let out a loud groan as she threw the door open to see Jaime Lannister standing there in his Kingsguard armor. Words died on his tongue as he looked at Selena who had worn nothing but a night shift to bed. She leaned against the threshold with a sigh.
"Eyes here, Kingslayer," she said and that got Jaime's attention as he frowned at her. She knew he hated the nickname, and she didn't blame him for killing King Aerys. She did, however, blame him for not killing his son, Rhaegar.
"I hate that nickname," Jaime tells her, as though she actually cares.
"And I hate being rudely awoken by loud knocking," Selena says, "What can I possibly do for you?"
"I have been told to fetch you," Jaime tells her, "The Tyrells are arriving momentarily."
Selena raises an eyebrow as she stares at the knight. The Tyrells were arriving, good for them. What exactly did that have to do with Selena?
"I'm sorry," she states, "Why am I to be there?"
"Rhaegar wants you there," Jaime tells her, "And if the King wants you there, then you are not to disobey him."
Selena chuckles, "If Rhaegar was going to kill me, he would have done it already."
Selena slams the door in Jaime's face as she climbs back into bed, squeezing her eyes shut. There would be a consequence to her actions, but it was little victories like this one that brought Selena joy. The King would make a request and she would deny it. The same way that he denied her brother's mercy.
She had only been a month old when her parents died in a shipwreck. She had been two years old when her brother rose up against the Targaryen dynasty and three when Rhaegar drove a sword through her brother's chest on the Trident.
Robert and Stannis had been killed during the war, but she had lived, and her consequence was being raised at court with the rest of the Targaryen spawns to make sure that she didn't hatch any plans of revenge.
Selena Baratheon was a girl with no armies and a disgraced title. They said she had traitor's blood in her, but her blood was no different from everyone else. She was the lady of Storm's End, but she had yet to take her place there because Rhaegar wanted to keep her at court. Though he promised she'd someday return home, Selena stopped believing him.
There was knocking at her door once again, but Selena ignored it, knowing that it wasn't the loud and harsh knocks of Jaime, but the soft and gentle knocks of the King's younger sister, Daenerys.
Selena did not like Daenerys. It had nothing to do with the fact she was a Targaryen, in fact, Selena believed that Daenerys acted nothing like a Targaryen. She wasn't overtly charming like Viserys nor was she overconfident and arrogant like Rhaegar. She was quiet and a bit naïve, and Selena hated her for it.
"Selena," Daenerys's voice called softly, "Please open the door."
Selena rolled her eyes as she opened the door. Unlike Jaime, Daenerys's eyes did not drift. Lilac eyes stared into Selena's blue ones and she raised an eyebrow as she looked at her, waiting for Daenerys to speak.
"They sent me to retrieve you," Daenerys tells her, and Selena rolls her eyes.
"They were better off sending servants," Selena tells her, "Tell them you tried, Princess."
"Why are you so difficult?" Daenerys asks just as Selena's about to close the door in her face.
"I'm not difficult," Selena says, "I'm quite simple, actually. I want to sleep so that is what I'm going to do."
"Rhaegar wants you to stand with us as we greet the Tyrells," Daenerys says, "Most would consider that an honor."
That comment was the reason that Selena despised Daenerys. She blindly followed her brother; she was aware of the egregious acts he had committed against Selena and her family and thought that she should be grateful. Feel honored.
"Leave me alone," Selena spits out and when Daenerys doesn't argue back, Selena closes the door and sits on the edge of the bed. She was no longer tired, and Daenerys had certainly put her in a mood.
With a groan, she stood up from her bed and got dressed. When she opened the door and stepped out into the hall, Jaime was leaning against the wall as though he were waiting for her. They made eye contact and a smirk came on Jaime's lips as he looked at her.
"Don't speak," she told him as they walked down the corridor.
They walked to the gates of the city where a small crowd had begun to gather. She could see the silver hairs of Rhaegar, Viserys, and Rhaegar's son, Aegon. With them were his wife, Elia, his daughter, Rhaenys and to the surprise of no one, his bastard Jon and his mistress Lyanna.
Selena decides to linger in the back of the crowd, seeing no need for her presence at the front with the king. It wasn't like she was getting married off to any of the Tyrells, though she wouldn't mind it. In fact, she dreamt of it. She wanted to marry out of the Targaryen's grasp, no matter what that meant.
The Tyrells arrived and she watched as the four children stepped out of the carriage. Willas was the eldest and the tallest. She had heard word that he might be a potential match for Rhaenys which would make her Lady of Highgarden someday. Garlan and Loras stood next to their brother and Selena didn't find them harsh on the eyes. They were all quite handsome, even the youngest, Margaery, was beautiful.
"Aegon will like her," Selena muttered to Jaime, who nodded his head in agreement. She watched as Aegon took a step forward and introduced himself to Margaery, taking her hand into his own and placing a kiss on it.
Rhaenys giggled loudly at something Willas said and soon the Tyrells and Targaryens were making their way back to the Red Keep. The crowd parted and Selena realized that she and Jaime were standing among the castle servants. They bowed and curtsied as the party walked through and Selena tugged Jaime to the side with her and curtsied like everyone else.
Once the party was gone, everyone rose and returned to whatever duties they were supposed to have. Selena lingered as she watched some of the servants grabbing the packed trunks of the Tyrells and bringing them into the castle.
"I envy them," Selena says as she meets the green eyes of Jaime, "Don't you?"
"No," Jaime tells her flatly and Selena scoffs as she takes his arm, forcing them to look like nothing more than nobles on a stroll.
"You cannot tell me that you enjoy being in the Kingsguard," Selena says as she looks at Jaime, "I've known you most of my life and the only time I ever see you smile is when I make you."
Jaime shakes his head, "There isn't much to smile about at court, especially when you're being mocked and ridiculed."
"Kingslayer," Selena repeats the word she had used earlier. Jaime's head snaps to look at her and she offers him an apologetic look, "It's just a title. No man would have had the courage to do what you did, especially not Rhaegar."
"Yes, well that doesn't matter," Jaime says, "Rhaegar is King and I am merely a Kingsguard."
Selena smiles at him, "You're my favorite Kingsguard if that's any consolation."
Jaime chuckles as he nods his head and looks at her, "It is a slight consolation."
Selena sighs loudly as she glances at the sky, watching as the birds flew overhead, "Someday, I'm going to liberate us."
"And how will you do that?" Jaime asks looking at her with humor in his eyes.
"I'll kill the king," Selena says, and she can almost hear the moment Jaime's heart stops. His body freezes as he looks at Selena, the humor no longer in his eyes. Instead, it's something she's never seen. Fear.
"You can't say something like that out in the open," Jaime tells her in a lowered voice and Selena rolls her eyes at Jaime's unnecessary worry.
"I'm a girl with no army and no family. It's an empty threat."
"Empty or not it could cost you your head," Jaime says firmly and Selena smiles as she looks at him. Jaime was a handsome man, his golden hair and emerald green eyes made him nice to look at. However, it was his protective nature over her that she loved.
"Don't sound so worried or I'll think that you care," she teases, and Jaime looks at her intently and she feels transparent under his gaze.
"You know I don't care," Jaime says, but they both know that is a lie.
"How's your sister?" Selena suddenly asks and Jaime's face clouds with confusion.
"Cersei?"
"Do you have another one I should know about?" she asks with a laugh.
"She's fine," Jaime tells her, "Miserable."
"I'd say," Selena answers, "Thirty and unmarried."
"I'm thirty and unmarried," Jaime says suddenly, almost sounding offended.
Selena releases his arm as she steps out to stand directly in front of him, "You chose that life, which must be hard, seeing as you see me every day."
"What does that mean?" Jaime asks.
Selena takes a step closer to Jaime, brushing a stray strand of hair out of his eyes, meeting his gaze, "It means that I make you question your honor daily."
She skips ahead of him toward the Keep and she can hear Jaime's feet on the gravel behind her as he moves quickly to catch up with her. Once they're in the castle, Jaime picks up his pace and grabs Selena's arm, leading her down an empty corridor, pressing her against the wall.
She smirks up at him playfully, "It seems you caught me, what are you going to do?"
Jaime's eyes drop to her lips and Selena waits for the moment where his resolution cracks and he gives in to his desire.
But he doesn't get the chance.
There's the sound of footsteps coming from down the hall that makes Jaime jump away and Selena sighs heavily, ready to unleash hell on whoever the footsteps belong to. She isn't surprised when she sees Daenerys standing in front of them, an eyebrow raised.
"Am I interrupting something?" she asks. The question isn't snarky, but soft, curious, and most of all, unassuming.
"No," Jaime says as he runs a hand through his hair, and Selena can see it in his eyes, the regret. Every time she got him to an edge, he seemed to walk himself off of it, "Of course not."
"Oh," Daenerys says, "Well Rhaegar wants to speak to you. In the throne room."
Selena pushes herself off of the wall and spares a glance back at Jaime. He meets her eyes before quickly shifting his gaze elsewhere, but she knows he got the message. She wasn't scared of Rhaegar, but she never faced him alone. Jaime was always there.
She looks back at Daenerys, "Well Princess, lead the way."
Daenerys looks at her for an extended moment before actually heading toward the throne room. It's a quick thought, a fleeting one, but Selena wonders how easy it would be to get Daenerys wrapped around her finger. She was so obedient. So innocent.
She was a Targaryen.
And just like that, the thought of using Daenerys leaves her mind. She'd never disgrace herself like that, especially not with Rhaegar's biggest fan.
They make their way to the throne room and Selena looks up at the Iron Throne in its entirety. Surprisingly, Rhaegar isn't sitting on it, but rather in a conversation with his Hand, Jon Connington.
When the King notices their presence, a smile comes over his face. Selena hated to admit it, but Rhaegar was a handsome man, all the Targaryens were with their silver hair and violet eyes, except for Rhaenys. She looked more like her mother than she did Rhaegar. Despite having the traditional Targaryen looks, Rhaenys was just as beautiful as the rest of her family.
"Thank you, Daenerys," Rhaegar tells his sister, stepping away from Jon Connington. He looks at Selena and his smile fades, "We missed you earlier. Where were you?"
"I was there, Your Grace," Selena says, "Ser Jaime can confirm that for me."
Rhaegar raises an eyebrow, "Daenerys said that you didn't get out of bed."
Of course she told, Selena thought as she glanced over at Daenerys.
"We were there," Selena tells him, "Though I don't understand why you would want a prisoner of the crown to accompany you. Wouldn't that be disrespectful to the other family?"
"Selena," Jaime warns under his breath, but she ignores him.
Rhaegar, however, is humored by her words, "You believe yourself to be a prisoner?"
"Well I can't leave King's Landing, so yes. I'd say that I am a prisoner in a very nice cell," Selena retorts.
"Well, then you'd be happy to know that I've had begun to have arrangements made," Rhaegar says, "You'll be returning to Storm's End soon."
Selena's eyes grew wide as she looked at Rhaegar. She couldn't believe what she had just heard.
"I'm going home?" Selena asked and Rhaegar nodded.
"I think it's time. You're a woman grown, and the Stormlands are in need of their Lady," he tells her with a smile, "Of course we'd have to discuss the details more in-depth later, but for now I wanted to extend an invitation to tonight's celebration."
Selena honestly didn't care about whatever Rhaegar had planned for tonight, she just wanted to go home, "Whatever it is, I'll be there."
"Glad to hear it," Rhaegar told her, "I have to prepare for tonight's festivities, so you're excused back to your nice cell."
Selena's lips quirked up in a small smile as she turned to head out of the throne room, Jaime at her side.
"Ser Jaime, I actually need to run security measures by you," Rhaegar calls and she can hear Jaime's soft sigh as he turns and heads over to Rhaegar and Jon. She turns to make her way out of the throne room alone, but Daenerys decides to join her.
Selena doesn't spare Daenerys a glance, "What do you want?"
"Just to talk," Daenerys tells her, "You must be excited. Returning to Storm's End."
"I should have never left in the first place."
"Rhaegar was just doing what he thought was best," Daenerys defends, "Besides you didn't have any family left."
Selena lets out a bitter laugh, "And who's fault is that? He could have left Stannis alone, but he gave the order for my older brother to be executed. The reason I'm alone is because of your family."
Daenerys stares at her, unsure of what to say next. Normally Selena would have been satisfied leaving her speechless, but this time it brought her nothing but pain as she was reminded of the void in her heart.
She wanted to cry, at the terrible reminder that she was alone in the world. If she died there wouldn't be anyone to mourn her. All because of the Targaryens.
Selena steels herself as she heads back to her room, walking briskly. It had been seventeen years and she still hadn't gotten over the death of her brothers. Maybe it had more so to do with the fact that she was alone. That she had nothing. Nobody.