In the week it had taken them to gather themselves and begin to pack themselves up; she hadn't seen a hint of the Stark Family, much to her wellbeing. Rhaenar's hand remained on the hilt of her sword as she began to watch the first of the armies make their way out of the courtyard and to the King's Road.
Her heart pumped in her throat, the sickness settling in her stomach as Tywin stood beside her. "I hope you know I'm keeping you to your word." She muttered, the indigo flickering up to glance at him. "Of looking after my Dothraki and Unsullied, they're family to me."
Tywin's eyes didn't drift as he continued to watch the marching bodies of the Lannisters, and the men that stood either side of the trails of regiments. "They'll be safe, I can assure you of that." She smiled gently, the pair enveloped in silence once more as they gazed out.
"How do you feel on our stance of Cersei? She's your daughter, I know you can't cast aside feelings fully." Rhae would make sure everyone was comfortable before doing this, she didn't need people turning at the most crucial point.
"My daughter has brought shame upon my great House, she has torn this country apart. She may have come from me, but paternal feelings have never been present." Tywin stated cooly, his eyes never flickering as he spoke. "I only ever wanted them to achieve great things, I pushed them for success and this is how they repay me."
"What do you want done with her? Do you want her to become a prisoner? Sentenced to spend the rest of her life at Casterly Rock, or do you want her dead?" He was silent at Rhaenar's words, contemplative.
His stance faltered. "Do whatever, she is of no concern to me." And Tywin left her, reaching for his horse before swinging his leg over its back and pulling himself up, his red cloak falling across the rump. "See you in a few months, Your Grace." Rhae bowed her head, watching as he spurred on the horse before joining his men, looking majestic on top of his horse.
Rhae was left standing in the courtyard as Northmen stared at her awkwardly, cautious gazes thrown as she turned on her heel, and began walking. Half her army was marching south to divert between the Reach, the Westerlands, and the Stormlands. With the Firebornes and the Golden Company taking the sea with the Crownlands. By the turn of noon, they'd be headed for White Harbour, and from White Harbour, Dragonstone. It had filled her with nerves, to say the least, for everyone to split apart and head to different areas of Westeros before meeting in a few months' time.
Missandei wouldn't be by her side, she'd follow the Unsullied to the Westerlands; and Ser Barristan would head back with Gendry and the other Storm Lords to prepare for their upcoming attack. "Rhae, she won't stop following me." Aegon's deep voice rumbled beside her as he pressed himself close, wrapping his arm around her shoulders.
She glanced up, confusion in her eyes. "What?"
"The weird, little one. She won't stop." He mumbled, tugging her further from the castle as their shoes stumbled through the snow.
"Egg, I don't understand." Was he referring to Arya? Or someone else?
His gaze hardened. "Arya. Ever since we've arrived, she's trailed behind me, watching me." His tone had a hint of uneasiness to it, his face portraying the discomfort upon it.
"Have you considered asking her why?" Rhae asked him. A look crossed his face, his shoulders pushed back as he turned, looking at Arya.
"Why are you following me?" His voice carried across the field, to the girl whose hands were locked onto the stone, her lips pursed. Rhaenar peeked around him, focusing on the Stark.
She stood straighter, clearing her throat. "What's it matter?" Her tone was defensive.
Aegon rose, frowning down at her. "Because every time I turn, you are there. What do you want?" She sighed, beginning to step towards the pair as they watched her. Arya was small, barely coming up to Rhaenar's shoulders as she approached - almost half of Aegon's height as he towered over the two of them; her dark hair slicked back with wide grey eyes; she looked like Jon.
"I heard you're going to King's Landing, I want to join." Arya had a grace to her, slinking like a cat as her boots sunk within the snow. "I have unfinished business in King's Landing, I would like to clear it."
Rhaenar frowned. "What kind of unfinished business?" Rhaenar didn't want trouble before there needed to be, she wouldn't risk the lives of her army if Arya was hurt.
"You still haven't answered my question." Aegon muttered. Arya's eyes darted between the pair, her gaze cold and her face expressionless, almost as though she was sizing them up.
"Don't think yourself lucky, I followed you because you have a known reputation of being ruthless; and you were slinking around my home." Arya uttered, glaring up at him as he glared down. Aegon wasn't slinking, he wanted to know what kind of place surrounded his sister, if they held an agenda. "As for the unfinished business, I want to kill Cersei."
Rhae's face fell, the indigo turning hard as she gazed at Arya. "That isn't up to you to decide."
"Look, either you let me join you or I'll head down there myself and do it before you even think about it." Arya said, no hint of joking in her clipped tone.
"As I said, it isn't up for you to decide." Rhae tried to explain, glazing over to Aegonn who nodded. "She's pregnant, and despite what people think, I am not content with seeing her dead all the time she is carrying. Until a proper trial is given, and the full extent of her crimes have been documented, only then can we decide the fate of Cersei. If it pleases you afterwards, and it is decided that she must be executed for her crimes - then you can be the one to kill her, understood?"
She seemed to think about it, the grey dropping as she bit down on her lip. "This is the closest you're going to get Arya, because if the North interferes in Southern politics, they'll call for your head."
The girl glanced up, before nodding. "Fine, but I want to be the one to do it; and I want to go down to King's Landing with you still."
"Noted," Rhaenar agreed. "But, you will be watched and guarded."
She frowned. "Why do I need to be watched and guarded?" Because she's incredibly skilled with a sword, and holds loyalty to House Stark.
"You're a member of House Stark, the royal House of the North. Despite not being in agreement with Jon, I know he would march an army south if anything happened to you." And Rhae didn't want that. "Hells, we both know he'd want to keep you up here if he could."
"I don't need someone to watch over me, I can handle myself." Arya uttered, offended that she needed someone to babysit her. She'd spent almost half of her life away from her family, she could handle a couple more months at the side of the Dragon Princess.
Rhae nodded. "I know you can, and you're lethal. But everything's a bit..." Confusing, up in the air, a bit of a mess... She struggled for which one fit best. "Tense."
"You stood up to Sansa and she didn't like it." Arya muttered bluntly. "She's only trying to protect our family." And in doing so has put them in a worse position than before. "Family you're apparently a part of."
Their eyes met. "That disappoints you?" She shook her head. "Then what?"
"Sansa was wrong for how she treated you, she should have been nicer. If we had known we were family earlier, perhaps all of it could have been avoided." The steely grey glanced away, daring a look to Winterfell as her chin rose. "But Sansa is stubborn, and she is smart. She does what she does for a reason; and now we have Northern independence."
"But what did it cost you? You'll struggle to feed your people, to forge trade links with other countries because of your weak status. She doesn't care if we're family." Rhae countered.
"You're right. She doesn't, but not all of us are like that." Rhae's brow quirked, what did she mean by that? "Sansa made a mistake, but I'm willing to know who you are if you are." It shocked Rhae, her foot taking a step back as though she hadn't heard correctly.
Her head turned slightly. "You want to know who I am?"
"There are only five living Starks, I've already met four of them." Rhae laughed, a small smile sitting on Arya's lips at the sound. "From what I can judge, they're all terrible at water dancing."
Water dancing? "Who told you I know how to do it?"
"I saw you in the courtyard surrounded by wights, the grace you moved with is only learnt by Water dancers. Who taught you?" Arya questioned, the steely grey growing in colour as the pair invited her to walk with them.
She smiled. "Syrio Forel. You?" Her face changed, surprise filling her features as a wide grin took her.
"Syrio." Rhae couldn't believe it, they'd both been taught by Syrio. He was a phenomenal man, gifted with a sword, and hard in his teachings. He'd guided Rhae through childhood, gave her a short break from Viserys when their lessons were. "Unfortunately, he died in the Red Keep when they turned on my father. He saved me."
Her smile fell, her hand reaching out to grab Arya's, taking her by surprise. "I'm glad he did, who knows where you'd be if he hadn't." She nodded, softening slightly in her exterior as her shoulders relaxed.
"So you have three dragons?" The three of them grinned, Aegon reaching out to wrap his other arm over Arya as he began to tug her along.
"You're going to love them." He teased.
The complete awe that filled Arya's face was enough to set them off into giggles as she stood before these three magnificent beasts, their clever eyes turning to the newcomer as they rose almost seven times her height. Leirion was the first to break, the white tightening on her figure before turning completely to his mother, a happiness breaking across his face as he leaned down, urging her to brush his cheek with her hand.
Rhae broke from the other two, stepping closer to Leirion before fulfilling his wishes, her palm brushing against the rough black and white scales, the grey stitching the two colours together. He was like putty beneath her, his body flumping as it fell to the field, snow kicked up from the dragon's body.
Rhae giggled, her eyes alight as she turned to the others. Arya was still frozen as she gazed up at the huge beasts, her mouth open wide before Aegon left her, approaching Rhaenys. Rhaenys rose, knocking him back with her head before resting in his lap, her huge head almost swamping him as she shot a look at her brothers; almost as though she was marking Aegon as her own. "Go on, touch him." She encouraged Arya, smiling at her.
The girl looked apprehensive as she stared at Rhaegal, her eyes flickering between the two Targaryens. "This isn't a plan to kill me, is it?"
Rhaenar shook her head. "No. Look, if Jon can climb on top of him, I'm sure you can stroke his face. He's sweet." She tried to ease. Arya took a step forward, Rhaegal huffing as he forced air through his snout. She jumped back, the two giggling further. "Go on, trust me."
Arya swallowed, pushing back her shoulders as she took another step forward, raising out her hand. Rhaegal lowered his head as he sniffed at her palm, before reluctantly lowering it further for her to run her hand across the scales. She laughed, her smile returning as she took to the dragon, her hand touching at him. "There, that wasn't so hard."
Arya's eyes turned to Rhaenar, a brow raised. "It could eat me."
Rhae nodded. "Potentially, but look, he's being gentle." She was proud of her baby being so soft and gentle, especially with a stranger. Her brow rose still, but her hand didn't stop petting at his cheek. "Is there anyone you want to say goodbye to before we leave for Dragonstone?" She asked her.
Arya shook her head, but then seemed to think about it. "Just one. An old friend."
"You might want to pay them now, we'll be leaving soon." Rhae offered before pulling her hand away from Leirion and facing Arya, a quietness to her as she looked at the younger girl.
Arya nodded, before leaving the two Targaryens where they stood; Aegon coming to Rhaenar's side. "I don't trust her." And he didn't, not fully.
"You have every right not to trust her, she's dangerous." Rhae agreed. They'd be stupid to trust someone who was trained to be an assassin, who was known for her cold exterior and ruthlessness when facing death. She knew how to creep up on someone, and before anyone would know it she could slit their throats.
"And you're letting her come along on this journey?" It was odd thinking, even stranger for Rhaenar to agree; especially with Arya being a Stark.
Rhae nodded, watching Arya disappear into the distance. "She'll get herself killed if she kills Cersei, either by our hand or those still loyal to the lioness. I'd rather not be responsible for another death." Aegon let a hard look cross his features, before reaching up and brushing back his braid.
"One less enemy that way..." He proposed.
"Jon would never forgive us, it would just give the North more of a reason to hate us. She's a princess now, just like we are." Aegon dared to glance down, but found Rhaenar turning to him; the indigo swallowing him as they widened.
He brushed back a loose lock, tucking it into one of her smaller braids. "You still care for what he thinks of us? After what he did?"
"He's still family, and there's not many of us left. He hurt us terribly, but given time, perhaps we'll understand his actions." She tried to reason, but even she didn't believe it fully. Jon had severely hurt them, both physically through his act of hesitation, and mentally through leaving them to wonder why he did such actions.
The Targaryens were hurting. "You're thinking of forgiving him." It was a statement more than a question; one Aegon needed answering.
"Not for a long time." Rhae told him, before sweeping back her cloak. Even after the scars faded to a pallid silver, and the relations between the North and South disappeared, did Rhaenar think she'll ever consider forgiving him. "Shall we alert the others that we'll be leaving?"
"Only if you're certain?" She nodded. She was certain. "Are you going to say goodbye to him?"
Her jaw locked, her teeth biting into the soft flesh of her cheek. "I suppose I better." Aegon shot her a half smile, breaking from Rhaenys as they began to walk back. "Gets it out of the way then."
As the two Targaryens took to the centre of the Courtyard, Varys and Tyrion walked out, nodding to their Princess as they passed, before Harry sat hot on their heels as he too shot Rhae a wide grin. She smiled back, watching them get themselves together before readying the horses.
All that was left was to speak to Jon.
Her nerves fraught her body with tension as her muscles begged her not to move, to stay where she was. Rhaenar wasn't happy about seeing him again, about trading pleasantries when the stay had been anything but pleasant. But Jon was her twin, and in the far future when this war would turn into nothing but old nightmares, she would one day like to forgive him for what he did.
Life hadn't taught her to hold onto grudges, she had seen too much of what happened when vengeance took over a person - took over their happiness until they were nothing but a shell of swirling anger and sadness. Rhae had spent part of her life like that, part of it clinging to the anger, and now she refused to fall back into those feelings.
She stood opposite his door, her hands clutching one another as the left wrung the right. Her boot tapped, her shoulders rising with her breath. Rhae knocked, the nerves consuming her fully as she took a step back. The door pulled open, grey meeting indigo. "Rhaenar..." He fumbled. "I didn't think I'd see you again before you left..."
Rhae looked over his dishevelled appearance, from his tousled black waves that weren't confined to a bun, to his loose tunic and dark breeches, no boots on his feet as his bare feet stepped upon the stone. Had he just woken up? "Did I disturb you?"
"No. It's fine, you didn't disturb me at all." He said, but she wasn't so sure as he shut the door behind him, hesitating on the wood.
"I thought I would see you before I left, say thank you for hosting my men while we were here. I'm sure it came at a great cost." The fire, the men, the staff... They all needed to be paid.
He shook his head. "It's fine, we owed you for our behaviour and for the sacrifices you made to be here, and to fight." Rhae swallowed, unsure what to say as she stared at him. It wasn't right to hug, like she was normally inclined to do, and she didn't entirely want to say thank you after how she had felt this entire trip but she had manners, and she would use them.
"I'm sure Sansa is happy now you are the sole leader of the North, that Northern independence is truly declared in the eyes of Westeros law." Rhae said, her eyes dropping away from his face.
"I didn't mean for it to come like this between us, I want you to know that." But it didn't matter what they wanted, this is what had transpired from initial rumours.
Rhaenar took a step back from her brother. "It doesn't matter now." She mumbled, taking another step back. She wanted them to be one, to be like their ancestors were and conquer Westeros. "Again, thank you."
"Will I see you again?" Jon asked desperately, the grey raising to find her face but the indigo kept to the stone.
"I don't know." She admitted, before turning completely.
Jon stepped out of her room as he watched her go, he had to say his peace before he would never see her again. "I want you to know, I hesitated not because I wanted you dead, but because I feared you dying. Despite how I've acted, I do love you Rhaenar." But she kept walking, her heart heavier than before.