10th-12th Month of 282 A.C. King's Landing and the Trident
Prince Rhaegar Targaryen
During his journey from the tower of King's Landing he had had a lot of time to think over the various things he had done. All of it had been driven by the need for prophecy and fulfilling it, it was the need of achieving the three heads and making sure Westeros was prepared for the darkness to come. People had questioned him and asked if it were truly worth it, and of course it was, he had said as much. The fate of the world rested on him making sure his son, his Aegon had his two sisters. That was where Lyanna had come in, her fire, and her fight, her love for life had attracted him to her, Harrenhal that was where the song had begun, and it was at Harrenhal were they had consummated their feelings for one another. They had spent the months following that they had consummated their love for one another many times, and had developed a keen bond through their love of songs and history. But over the course of his stay in the tower he had made sure to keep checking that she would deliver his third head, his Visenya. And when she had told him she was with child, he had been ecstatic, finally the three heads would come together and soon the prophecy would be complete and the eggs he had found in Summerhall could be hatched.
And then Ser Gerold had come and broken their little dream, Brandon Stark was dead, burnt alive, ruined and all because Rhaegar had taken Lyanna from Harrenhal and now things were beginning to fall apart, war had broken out and the realm was bleeding. Rhaegar had had to leave his wife and his unborn daughter behind and return to King's Landing, where he had learnt the true nature of his father and the situation in the capital. His father growing more and more mad had called him into speak with him. "So you have come back to finish what you have started have now boy? Come to remove your father from the throne and sit your own bony arse? Where is the Stark whore boy?"
Rhaegar sighs and responds. "No father, I have not come to remove you from the throne, and I have not come to endanger the throne or the family. As to where the Lady Lyanna is, she is safe and sound away from the fighting."
"Ah so she is somewhere in the darkness of that hell of your wife is she? Or is she your wife boy? Have you tried to become Aegon the Dragon once more? I would love to see you try to bring the dragons back boy, you are no true dragon. I doubt that you will succeed boy. I am not even sure you are my son. With your obsession with books, pah, no true dragon needs books."
Rhaegar sighs once more fighting the urge to snap at his father. "My life and the lives of my wife and children are none of your concern. It is my concern and I will deal with it when the time comes. As to the Lady Lyanna she is indeed something regarding my plan and as such she shall produce a child who will aid the family."
Aerys snorts once more. "Of course, you are your books. I should do as my councillors' advice and disinherit you the moment this battle is done. Win the war and disinherit you, aha, how my uncle would laugh at that. Gods' boy, you are so naïve to believe you can control destiny. I am the only one who can truly control destiny for I am the dragon and none shall stand before me. Now leave me before I have you killed."
Rhaegar bows once before his father and then leaves the throne room grimacing as he does so. He walks down the halls of the Red Keep and finds himself in the nursery looking at his son and daughter as they sleep, and then looks at his wife and asks softly. "How long have they been sleeping?"
His wife barely looks up at him as she replies. "About twenty minutes or so. So how did it go with your father?"
Rhaegar is silent for a long time and then running a hand through his hair and says. "I do not know whether or not the man is mad or if he has just decided that making my life hell is his new purpose in life."
His wife looks at him then and her voice is soft when she says. "You did bring this about by yourself Rhaegar. Running away with the Stark girl was not a smart move and whilst it might have fulfilled some dusty necessity in that old tome you are so fond of reading, it has brought nothing but pain to the realm. Her brother is dead, and now her father and other brother as well as her betrothed are fighting to see her freed and to remove your family from the throne. Our children's lives are in danger because of this."
The words hurt but still there is anger there as well. "I have done all that I have done to ensure that the danger that is coming is nullified and eliminated, the three heads will ensure this and the dragons will aid them. Her family and loved ones are not pushing for this is because they have turned their eyes away from the true purpose of the wall and their own purpose in the world. As such I do not think Aegon and Rhaenys need fear the usurper and his swords for I am not, going to fall in this fighting. I will come back and then we may have further discussions on this matter."
His wife looks at him somewhat nonplussed. "You truly do not see where you have gone wrong do you? A man and his companions were burnt alive because you had the audacity to run away with a girl who was not your wife. You like history so much, and yet you did not think to take note of what might happen should your course of action back fire. Robert Baratheon is fighting to remove Aerys from the throne, but he is also fighting to get his betrothed back. That much has been abundantly clear to all of us. There is not much that can be done, my uncle should be here any day now and as such when that time comes I presume you shall march?"
Rhaegar stunned by his wife's ferocity merely says. "Yes, yes we shall march as soon as the king gives us the go ahead."
Prince Lewyn arrives with 10,000 Dornish spears and a harsh few words for Rhaegar, the king begins plotting something or the other in his head and then gives the go ahead for them to leave. And so on the twelfth day of the eleventh month of the 282nd year after Aegon's Landing Rhaegar and his men numbering some 35,000 prepare to ride forth from King's Landing. Before he departs though, he has one last conversation with a knight he has high hopes for. "Ser Jaime, I trust you do not feel too hard done by, being left behind." He says.
The young knight all of sixteen and bold as brass, his white armour and cloak glistening in the wind protests. "I am young and I can fight. You know how good a fighter I am your grace. Please let me come with you, leave Ser Jonothor in my place. I can help you!"
"Battle is not something to take lightly Ser Jaime." Rhaegar says. "It takes time and patience, and we shall be fighting against men who are trained and who are experienced. This is not the frenzy of the Kingswood Brotherhood. This is true battle and I would not risk you in this not now. I have bigger plans for you."
The knight of Lannister protests and says. "But Your Grace, I am quick and I am young. I can easily defend you just as well as Ser Jonothor or even Ser Barristan."
Darry mounting his horse snaps at the young knight then. "When you joined the Kingsguard, you swore to obey. So obey and do not question the prince."
The young knight looks at Jaime somewhat despondently and Rhaegar taking pity on the man says. "My father has begun to fear our cousin Robert, but he fears your father more. I shall not take this last crutch away from him. When the time comes I shall call a meeting, there were things that need to be discussed that should have been discussed before. But alas it does no good to focus on the past. Protect my wife and children Ser Jaime, and when I return I shall speak to you about what I have planned."
With that he mounts his own horse and rides off, there are crowds cheering but he knows one way or another there will be no cheering upon the arrival of the victors. There will be screams and cries, this much he has seen in his dreams. It saddens him and as such he wonders whether the fighting is worth it, and then thinks of the darkness to come and he knows it is worth it. Robert Baratheon would bring the realm to ruin and beggar it. Better he fight now and kill and possibly die than not fight at all. They arrive at the right bank of the God's Eye and set up camp, Rhaegar can see the beginnings of the rebel camp in the dim light and he looks at the river where two of his ancestors fought and died and he suspects that something similar will happen again today.
Once they have had camp set up and there are various things having been set up and obtained he calls a war council. His men look tired but hungry for battle, and he wonders why he is the only one with nerves jangling in his gut. He clears his throat and speaks. "Now, we all know why we are here. The rebels are camped on the left bank of the river, and as such there is much and more and we can learn about their formations and their weaknesses."
Lord Adrian Celtigar and old and grizzled man speaks then. "Indeed we can Your Grace. The rebels seem to be looking for a aurochs formation, and will have Robert Baratheon commanding the head of the buffalo. It would look as if they are meaning to storm across the river and take us unawares mainly through Robert Baratheon's mad charge with the head of the formation to pierce through our own formation aiming to get through to you."
Rhaegar nods and then says. "Indeed it would make sense. Seeing as Robert Baratheon has declared himself as King, he would want to bring the main charge against us. This would therefore want me to face the man himself. I am the crown prince, and it is me he wants to face and as such it would make sense for me to face him."
There is murmuring at that and Lord Edwyle Darry speaks. "But Your Grace, surely that does put you at more risk than ever. After all, Robert will look to kill you and do the most harm to the cause of the king and the throne. Surely commanding from the reserve would make the most sense? After all, Robert Baratheon, would expect that you command from the vanguard. Commanding from the reserve would make sure that the man is exposed and then we can crush him between the pincers."
Rhaegar takes this into consideration and then shakes his head. "Whilst what you say makes sense, I must be the one to face Robert. Anything else will be seen as weakness on my part, and as such I will command the vanguard and will be the one to break Robert Baratheon and end this fight." There is some more murmuring and then he speaks once more. "I shall command the vanguard, Ser Barristan shall command the left, Ser Jonothor shall command the right and Prince Lewyn shall command the centre. Lord Celtigar shall command the centre." With that the meeting comes to an end and Rhaegar retires to his tent and when the sign comes that there is deployment, and Rhaegar finds himself armoured and mounted.
Soon enough, they are galloping towards the field of battle, and they meet in the crash of steel and hooves. The water of the God's Eye, is somewhat deep but not deep enough to cause too much trouble for them. Rhaegar swings his sword and manages to bring two men down with the blade. The sword is heavy in his arms and yet it swings and clings beautifully, and as such more and more men begin to fall, he barks commands and soon enough they are smashing through the rebel host. Cleaning through man after man, their bodies beginning to fill the river up and make it burst soon enough. Still no sign of Robert, yet Rhaegar does not worry he knows that sooner or later they will come face to face and then he shall win.
More men come pushing through the banks and more men die, and Rhaegar and his protection continue swarming them over and over again. The vanguard of the rebel host is being careless and Rhaegar wonders what has caused that he is not sure, but he knows something is up. Robert Baratheon has not come into sight just yet, and still men are coming to die at his hand, his sword is covered in red and his armour has a few dents in it, but still it is strong and holds. His eyes are growing weary, and his body is screaming for relief and yet he continues onward. His men follow him, into the bowels of the seven hells they go, the water in the God's Eye has turned red and as such he begins to wonder if perhaps choosing this place for battle was truly the right thing to do.
There is a deafening roar, and then Rhaegar sees stag antlers coming into view and then a bellow. "RHAEGAR!" And so Robert Baratheon has come to meet his death, they ride towards one another, all else blurring into the darkness, and they begin their dance. Robert his anger riding high, swings his hammer with lightening ferocity, Rhaegar just about manages to block the first two blows but, the third one hits his arm and sends a jolt of pain rocketing through it. He grimaces inside but pushes on, he feints to the right and when Robert goes to follow him, he pokes his sword through the gap in the man's defences and manages to nick him in the chest, the Baratheon grunts and then brings his hammer up to smack Rhaegar from his horse.
Rhaegar is still reeling from the pain of the blow to this head when he sees Baratheon has dismounted and is advancing towards him. He groans and manages to stand up in time to block another blow, and then another. And then another, this time though he uses what strength he has to force Baratheon back and begins his own set of piercing jabs and cuts and hacks, forcing the man onto the back foot, grunting as he does so. Baratheon roars and begins forcing him back, swinging his hammer like a man possessed. Intent on their individual strengths and weaknesses they push against one another, forcing both of them to consider one another and as such they begin looking for weaknesses in each other and when they find them they exploit them. Robert has cuts and bruises all over his armour and Rhaegar himself knows that he is covered in blood whether it is his own or Robert's he does not know, and then that is when a roar comes from the Baratheon and then Rhaegar feels something like a rock falling on him, his sword falls from his hands and blood begins pouring into his mouth he falls to his knees. The world begins to spin, Robert stands over him smug and triumphant, as the final blow comes Rhaegar says the one word that comes to his head and the one word that he can think of. "Lyanna." And then the world goes black.