She had done it, she had sat on the Throne. But the cost of it... Rhaenar's hand touched at her side, her hand quivering as she pulled it back. Warm, thick blood coated her fingers, staining the pale flesh in the viscous film as she swallowed deeply; it was her own. Rhaenar cried out, the fear consuming her body as she reached down again, just to be sure.
A choke sob left her lips at the sight, gazing over the empty throne room as her hand shook. In a world where she strived for unity, she was to die alone. The first tear slipped down her cheek, followed by another as her head sank back, begging her to breath. She had made it, she had sacrificed everything to be here, and finally she gave the very last thing she could - her life. Another sob slipped from her, knowing there was no recovery from this.
The North used her, Jon Snow used her, and Cersei used her. The advisors she had put around her friends with death, Oberyn had abandoned her, and Aegon in a state of limbo. Who loved her anymore? She didn't know. They thought her insane.
For so long she had fought the battle for people not to think she was mad, and for so long people never listened. They turned on her like a pack of wolves, Westeros not the place she thought it was. How many had she left behind? How many had she sacrificed for them? Countless, and this was the thanks she got.
The indigo swept down, taking sight of the wound. It had seeped over the chair now, staining the metal as it began to pool; her head feeling woozy. It wouldn't be long, then it would all end for her. No more heartbreak, no more pain. Nothing. She could be with the ones she loves the most. "Out of all the ways to go, I didn't expect it to be like this, Peach." A voice called from beside her, her body jerking at the sound.
A smile stretched across her lips. She knew that voice anywhere, Rhaenar had heard it in her dreams enough; she'd craved to hear it one last time. Slow fingers reached out, collecting at the pool of water as she laughed, opening the indigo. Mero perched before her, a hand landing on her knee as his wide smile grinned up to her. "We weren't supposed to meet for a long time; but those bastards ruined you." He uttered so softly, collecting the last of her tears. "I'd ruin them all if I was there, no one hurts my baby."
Rhaenar giggled, reaching forward to grasp hold of the side of his face. It had been so long since she had felt the warmth in her hands, the soft skin, and the deep scar that ran over his eye. Gods, had she missed him; her memory never having done him justice as her eyes greedily drank him in. "I missed you." She muttered breathlessly, in awe of the sight of him before her.
"I missed you." He whispered back, grinning. "There's so much I want to talk about with you, Peach." Rhae just laughed, watching as he stood before he pulled her up and into his arms. This was home, this was the filled hole in her heart, the man that kept her in warmth. She reached up, content with just holding his cheeks and giggling at him.
He was butter in her palm, his face transforming to one of pure love as he held her. "I can't believe how they took you from me."
Mero shook his head, the ocean eyes softening further. "None of that matters now, not when you're beside me." She swooned. "Nothing will tear you from me again." He muttered, pushing back a rogue pale lock.
"Just you and I." She agreed, grasping his large hand before holding it against her chest.
"We can go live our lives, Peach; far from where we were, and be happy again; do you want that? To go home?" Mero asked softly as he pulled her closer, drawing her further from the Throne that killed her. He had a hatred for that thing, a burning desire to see the ones who hurt her to die.
She frowned. Home? It had been so long she could hardly remember what a home was, what it meant but the longer she stayed in Mero's arms, the more she felt it. Rhaenar knew she would go anywhere for him, do anything for him; and she wanted to forget her life, until the Gods were kind enough to bring them together again. Rhae nodded. "I want to go home." Rhae muttered, raising on her toes before letting their lips meet for a moment.
Sunrise kisses, and midnight moments; shared looks, and wistful touches; they rushed back with a fever as his warm hand cupped at her cheek, smoothing the skin with the pad of his thumb before pulling back. "Close your eyes, Peach."
And Rhae did, letting him guide them. She waited, listened as everything seemed to fade around them, the sun basking her skin as the clothes around her disappeared. Mero reached forward, pressing their lips together before pushing back her hair. "Open your eyes."
The indigo fluttered open. Around them was nothing but fields, rich greens and yellows as far as the eye could see. But in front of them, with a yard of tall grass and wildflowers; of insects rubbing their legs, and little bees flying between the sweet nectar was a small cottage.
The roof was with rustic, rectangles tiles, the walls a warm limestone with windows peeking out. Mero's arms wrapped around her waist, drawing her closer to him as they stared at it, her heart catching as her chest rose, holding her breath. "This is ours?"
"Yes." Her heart soared as she stared at the red door, with a lemon tree just beside it. This was theirs, something they'd never had before. A large hand ran down her forearm, entwined their hands as his head lowered, resting it beside hers as they stared at it. "There's more than enough room to raise kids, a dog, anything you want."
She hesitated. "What about our life before?"
Mero saddened, the ocean turning a shade darker as he rose slightly. "We have to wait, we can't go back. We just have to make the most of what we have." And what they have would be this beautiful life together.
"And what do we have?" It seemed as though there were possibilities available to them, that had never been there before.
"A world of our own, Peach. We can see the people that were once taken from us, we can get married, we can live our life the way we want to." Mero uttered.
She nodded, desperate to see him smile again. "Okay." Rhae agreed, her fingers slipping through his before tugging him along. "Let's go see our home." Mero grinned at her, following behind as Rhaenar cut her way through the grass to a stone walkway. Pots of flowers and herbs decorated the outside, baskets hanging from the stone. It was cozy before she had even stepped inside, a smile slipping across her lips as she tugged him ever closer to her.
"Wait, wait." Mero suddenly cried out, pulling away before swooping his hands underneath her knees and back and lifting her from the ground. A squeak of surprise echoed as she reached for him at the sudden loss of ground.
"Was that really necessary?" Rhaenar called, laughing as her head threw back, his hand fumbling to open the red wood before stepping in.
He nodded. "Completely Peach, the first day of the rest of our lives." He mused, the ocean turning from her face and upwards. The little cottage was small, crammed with items she was sure she had lost upon the way in her memory. A round table sat in the centre of a small kitchen, cupboards holding jars of pickled food and fresh vegetables with a wide window that looked out to the expanse of the fields, the light shining in.
The stone floor was decorated in thick, woven red rugs, and the walls decorated in paintings. To their right, a small sitting room with plump sofas and armchairs to curl up within in front of the fire. Gone were the previous fears she had, instead replaced by a sense of belonging as he set her down. "You're sure this is all ours?"
He nodded. "Yes."
Rhaenar had come to fall in love with the cottage that housed them, that gave them a safe space from wherever it was Westeros had been for her. Gone were her worried, gone were any doubts that filled her. Instead, she only felt the neverending love she had for Mero, and that he had for her as they would rest in the fields on a hill, overlooking the sunset that would greet them every day.
This place, it was home to those she had lost. The gate that cut off them to the open world opened for familiar faces as Qotho or Shaqafi often visited, and on the rare occasion Rhaegar and Lyanna as they greeted their daughter with open arms. A part of her knew she was dead, and that the world she had left behind would be in some kind of state, but here... Wounds could be healed with a kiss and words as old friends caught up with one another.
It gave them a new opportunity.
But the opportunity came when an old familiar face crossed through the gate, bringing with him someone Rhaenar had only ever seen once. Drogo stood, dressed in a more reserved Dothraki garment as he towered above the little wooden gate, his hand locked around a smaller boy.
He couldn't have been very old, but as Rhaenar stepped out, the smile wiped from her lips as she truly looked at him. Amongst the nest of dark curls that danced around his chin was a single strip of white, his eyes the darkest shade of indigo-black as he gazed at the woman, a grin breaking out over his lips. "Mama."
Rhaenar broke as she rushed across the stones, lifting him into her arms before swinging him around; holding little Rhaego close to her body as she fawned over him. "Mama's little sweetling." She muttered, touching at his cheek. He was the spit of Drogo, but there were parts of her in there, she could see them.
All the times Rhaenar had ever imagined her son, the face she stated longingly at was what she had imagined. "We thought we couldn't put it off any longer, Rhaego wanted to visit." The harsh voice of her husband once uttered as she turned to him, a pang of guilt filling her as she reached out to him, cupping at his cheek. "Moon of my life."
Slowly, Drogo's eyes closed beneath her touch, a large hand rising to her hand as it swallowed the small flesh beneath his own. "My sun and stars." She uttered, the phrase feeling so foreign yet so right on her tongue once more. "Mero offered us an agreement, for you to spend your time riding with us amongst the stars, and returning here when you felt like it."
"I can see you both?" Rhaenar questioned, eyes wide as though it was all a dream.
He nodded. "You love us both Rhaenar, we would never strip you of either of us." Her heart faltered as he took her within his arms, hugging her close. Back she was in the grass reeds, wading through them with the thin Dothraki clothing on her body, feeling the sun bask within her bare skin as Rhaego clung tight to his mother.
They would often go riding, Rhaego sitting close to his mother as she held onto him, Drogo just ahead as they'd race as fast as they could through the midnight sky; gazing down at the world below. King's Landing seemed to have recovered, but it could have been years since she had gone, and Rhaenar would never have known. Too wrapped up in the life she had with Drogo and Mero, with her family.
And then once she had ridden amongst the stars, she would return back to Mero; her skin tasting of salt and wildflowers as they entwined with each other every night.
Rhaenar pressed herself into his side, a place where she belonged; his legs tangled within her own. He looked so at peace, so comfortable as he lazily looked down to her, his eyes shining. "You know Meereen, when we held only one wish" She began, Mero chuckling slightly as she pressed their lips together, his head nodding. "I want to try to give you a son."
He looked at her, his heart stopping for a moment. A son, she wanted to give him a son. "Are you sure?"
"With everything in me." He grinned, hauling her up and into his arms as she squealed, laughing. "I can only try; with what they told me I can't guarantee that I can." But they were dead, and life was incredibly different now. Who knew what was possible?
"That's all I wanted, is just to try." Mero muttered, pushing back a strand of pale. "I love you."
"I love you." She whispered, their lips meeting once more.
The news had brought the widest of grins to Mero's lips as he watched her stand in front of him, turning one way and another as his eyes appreciated the curves of skin. The bump - their bump - was growing, their baby healthy and kicking with a certainty as Mero reached forward, touching at the expanse of skin.
He'd never seen anything as perfect as Rhaenar standing in front of him, their child inside of her as she was as bare as the day she was born. Mero admired it, not just a little but completely as his hands cupped at it, thumbs running across the smooth skin. His baby, their baby. He repeated to himself, glancing up with unshed tears as Mero stood, sweeping her from the bed and wrapping her into his embrace. "Perfect." He muttered.
Everyday he admired Rhaenar and their baby as he watched them grow, helping with needs when cravings hit, or sickness, or even when the bump grew that slight bit too big for her to be comfortable as she waddled across. He liked how soft she was getting, how she would show Rhaego and how Rhaego grew excited with the prospect of being the Big Brother. Their little blended family.
"You're sure it's today?" Rhaenar asked as her eyes trailed after their dog, little Viserion racing through the grass as she began to carry platters out from their kitchen to the garden, winding through with a short, white cotton dress.
Mero nodded. "I am sure." He grinned, glancing over to Drogo who was standing watching the pair with a smirk. Rhaego raced behind little Viserion, desperate to catch him with his little arms as their guests began to look on with smiles. From all walks of life, stood men and women. Visenya, Rhaenys, and Aegon a common guest at their table; alongside Rhaegar who always had a thorough scolding from Rhaella before she embraced him again much to the amusement of Lyanna as she giggled beside Ned.
Even Elia would arrive, with Rhaenys beside her and the three daughters of Oberyn hot on her heels; their thick accents always breaking out into a comedic argument. Her heart was filled with love everyday, that the scars had long since disappeared, and Rhaenar once again found herself embraced by the love of her family.
But today, they were all preparing for something. No one would tell her - their slightly advanced years in death giving them more of an understanding of the mystic powers that bound them as all eyes began to turn to the gate. Rhaenar hesitated, her hand falling to the wide bump as Mero took her side, his hand cupping hers as he felt his son beneath the skin. Somehow, someway, they could have the baby they had always wished for.
Heavy footfalls met the stones, before finally the gate opened again, a man she had once met stepping through. He was far older than when she had left him, more distinguished in his long hair and thick beard as surprised filled the midnight hues. Aegon looked at them all, at faces he knew, at faces he didn't.
Before finally they landed on Rhaenar.
A grin slipped over her lips, Aegon's own taking over his. "Egg!" Rhae greeted, and she could see the relief, the weight raising from his shoulders as he seemed to fill with a lighthearted nature.
"Jon shouldn't be long, he seems to have gotten caught up." He explained, a blush rising from the tips of his ears to his cheeks as he truly did look over all those that waited for him. Most were Targaryen, others were linked closely to Rhaegar but another figure bustled in, tripping over their feet as they stumbled into the back of Egg.
"Egg! What the-" An older Jon stood beside her brother, his hair littered in grey rather than the typical raven strands as his grey eyes widened. He was still wrapped in a thick cloak, his hand tightening as he found Eddard before moving to Rhaenar.
She took a step forward. "Welcome home."