Labyrinth // Rhaenyra Targaryen (1)

72. Wish

''What a collection of heroes I have before me.'' Larys remarked his cane clicking on the ground as he made it to the prison. ''A murderer... a deviant... a traitor to the crown. For your crimes, you've been sentenced to death by hanging.''

''What do you want with us?''

''I am prepared to offer you mercy... if you're prepared to pay a little price.'' Larys told him confidently. They were willing and their tongues were removed burned off they wailed and wailed.

''Push, my Lady.'' Laena screamed and screeched as she tried to deliver Daemon another child but it would not come.

''Push! Push!'' She continued screaming and wailing to no avail. 'Push! You must push!' Daemon glanced in at her bored. 'Push!''

''It needs to come now!'' the surgeon told her as she wailed out in pain.

''Push! Push!'' they all begged her ''You must push now, my Lady!'' but she was tired and knew it was no use.

''I've reached the limit of my art. The child 'will not come.'' The surgeon told Daemon ''I am very sorry, my Prince. We could lay open the womb... try to remove the infant by way of the blade. But I cannot say for a surety whether it lives.''

''Would the mother survive it?'' Daemon questioned calmly.

''No.'' Daemon shrugged. Not his first wife, not his last...

Laena pulled herself up with a grunt dragging herself outside.

''Vhagar, dracarys. Agh!'' she whimpered out. Vhagar stared down at her.'' Dracarys! Dracarys!'' she begged but he just stared at her. she wanted to die a dragon riders death, by fire. ''Dracarys. Dracarys!'' she wailed as she dragged herself to him.

''Dracarys.'' Vhagar wailed out blasting her away. Daemon watched his fire burn away before him.

''Laena!''

+

"You are getting married. To Sylvie. Remember tell your father! Tell him you cant leave and-" Taelon declared.

"Sylvie dumped me." Tommen corrected.

"But I thought-"

"No found some dornish God of a man to be her baby daddy. She left already. She left me a note a fucking." Tommen muttered.

"You deserve better. We need to drink. You cant leave. I need to get you through his heartbeat!" Taelon declared as the kids came in.

"Give your father hell." Tommen instructed as he hugged Taelons kids goodbye.

"Thanks Tom." Taelon murmured.

"Its just for a bit." Tommen remarked hugging Taelon.

"I will fix this." Taelon declared. Nyra knew that Tommen and Taelon were like brothers. She saw the pain in their eyes as Tommen headed off.

Nyra could count on one hand the number of times she saw Taelon cry. When their mother died. When he told her there was no us, that broke her too. When Emma was born and now. Watching his best friend leave.

"I'm coming back for you brother!" Tommen declared trying and failing to hold back the tears. Taelon hugged him again before they headed off.

Nyra had never seen Taelon so quiet. He held onto her silently that night as he ran a hand over her side. She kissed him gently wanting to promise Taelon the world. But Taelon didnt want the world. He just wanted Tommen to barge in with a goofy smile on his face interrupting early mornings with Nyra to which Taelon would throw a pillow at him. Or make declarations of love for yet another bitchy blonde that didnt look his way. Thorin declared that Uncle Tommen would be back because Thorin needed to duel against him still.

He knew it wasnt forever but he had known Tommen all his life. They were scarcely a part... Taelon needed Tommen as much as Tommen needed Taelon.

+

"This is awful. I can't remember the last time I was here voluntarily." Tommen declared tossing a bag down.

"You packed light." Lyonel remarked.

"I'm not staying long." Tommen reminded him. "I'm going home."

"Tommen, this is home." Lyonel corrected. "Brotherly bonding." He offered.

"Harwin, I thank you. I do for standing up for me. You don't deserve the punishment." Tommen remarked grabbing Harwin's shoulder. "You are a good brother... but we are going back to the capital. It is where we belong."

"Thanks Tom." Harwin agreed. "You are a good brother. I'm glad you had Taelon so I wasnt dragged into your shenanigans but you are a good brother."

"Bonding, see all you needed was space." Lyonel declared.

"No, no, we bonded over me beating Coles ass in a pub." Tommen corrected. "I do love you both but this is not home. Taelon is family too. Nyra and the children, I'm an uncle and you tore me away for defending my family's honor." Tommen reminded him.

"And I am glad to have stuck up for you." Harwin declared. "You are a good man. Honorable. Those kids are lucky to have you."

Tommen couldnt sleep that night. He hated being so far away. Criston should be the one being punished, not him. He was defending his family. The royal family from Criston's slander. Why was he being punished for doing the right thing?

That was when Tommen smelled smoke. A fire broke out at Harenhal, the first night the Strongs arrived. It blazed around them.

"Harwin?" Tommen questioned coughing through the thick smoke and flames around them. "Father!" Tommen shouted getting deeper into the castle choking for breath. "HARWIN!"

''Fire! I will burn!''

''Harwin! Tommen!'' Lyonel screamed out banging on the door trying to break it down they screamed out in agony. The flames billowed around them. Three bodies pulled from the flames charred beyond recognition, said to be the strongs.

''What are children, but a weakness? A folly? A futility? Through them, you imagine you cheat the great darkness of its victory." Larys remarked. ''You will persist forever, in some form or another. As if they will keep you from the dust.'' The news had broke and Taelon screamed out into the night.

''But for them... you surrender what you should not. You may know what is the right thing to be done, but... love stays the hand.'' Larys went on. ''Love... is a downfall. Best to make your way through life unencumbered... if you ask me.'

''They're dead.'' Alicent remarked.

''You've heard the stories of Harrenhal, Your Grace. It was built in hubris by Harren the Black as a monument to his own greatness. Blood mixed into the mortar. It is said to be a cursed place. That it passes judgment on all who pass beneath its gates.'' Larys remarked softly. 

''You... You passed judgment.'' Alicent corrected a whimper in her voice.

''The Queen makes a wish. What servant of the realm would not strive to fulfill it? I assume you will write to your father now?'' Larys questioned softly. 

''Larys... I did not wish for this.''

''I feel certain you will reward me... when the time is right.''