Long Live // Rhaegar Targaryen // Elia Martell

8. Running

Robert took Jolene out, it was nice of him to try but she had already made up her mind about him. 

Robert stared back at her and she had such a beauty about her that went more than skin deep. Robert reached out grabbing her hand and Rickard and Bradon knew Robert was clearly in love with their Jolene but Ned knew that something else was going on with Rhaegar that Jolene wasnt telling them. 

"You are so beautiful."  Robert declared. 

"Thank you." Jolene agreed as she pulled her hand free from his. "Listen Robert, you and I-"

"You feel it too?" Robert agreed. 

"No-"

"It's chemistry, its passion, its love at first sight!" Robert agreed. 

"I have meet you before, so no, not love at first sight-" Jolene countered. 

"But its like seeing you for the first time all over again." Robert corrected. 

"It's really not." Jolene countered. "Listen, Robert... I'm sure you are a great guy-"

"I am, thank you for noticing." Robert agreed. 

"But you are not my guy." Jolene added. Robert nodded a goofy smile on his face. "Did you hear me? Are you drunk?" 

"I'm your guy." Robert agreed. 

"Not, I said not my guy. Not." Jolene reiterated. 

"Your guy, my girl. I can't wait to marry you. I'm thinking within the moon. My family is very happy." Robert declared. 

"No. Thats what I wanted to tell you I'm not accepting your union." 

"Wonderful we will wed within the fortnight." Robert declared getting up. 

"Are you even listening to me?" Jolene questioned rising to face him. He took his beefy hands and grabbed her face, kissing her with a slobbery kiss. Jolene shoved him off of her. 

"Talk soon my beloved." Robert declared as he headed out. 

Jolene stalked back to her family, shaking her head. Brandon gave her two thumbs up which she returned with two middle fingers. 

"That went well." Rickard mused. 

"I hate him, I'm not marrying him. He likes my tits and called me beautiful. He didnt listen to a word I said- correction- he listened to part of the words I said, picking and choosing what he wanted best to hear." Jolene informed her family. If her mother was still alive she would have saved her from this a long time ago. 

"Jolene, where are you going?" Ned questioned when he found her packing that night. 

"Away, Robert will get his way because he is a man and a woman's word is nothing compared to a mans." Jolene reminded her little brother. "I can't marry him, I need a man that makes me smile, that listens to me, that sings-" Jolene said softly thinking of Rhaegar, he had such a lovely voice. "I need a man I love to spend the rest of my life with. Dont let father marry you off, marry for love, love for love not for duty." JOlene begged as she hugged him. 

"Jolene where will you go? WIll I ever see you again?" Ned questioned. 

"I know you will, just when things calm down, I can't be with Robert, I need to go away for a while..." Jolene whispered hugging him still. 

"I understand but... Jolene let me talk to father, see if I can... I dont know fix this so you dont have to leave." Ned begged. 

"I need to say goodbye to Benjen." Jolene countered moving past him. "Ned, dont tell them until I'm long gone." 

"Jolene-"

"I love you Ned," Jolene pressed a kiss to his cheek. "But I need to do this, forgive me." 

+

"I can't marry him." Jolene declared. "I want to stay with you two, I want to run away from the expectations and demands the world, my father, the Baratheons have set, I want to be free and I don't feel free unless I'm with you two." Jolene looked between them. "What do you say?"

"Fuck the crown!" Rhaegar agreed. 

"We could go to dorne." Elia suggested. "We would be safe there." 

"Mommy," Rhaenys whispered.

"One moment Rhaenys baby." Elia assured. 

"They would look for us in dorne," Rhaegar corrected. "Thats the first place they would think." 

"Shit, I'm putting you two in danger." Jolene realized. "Shit, shit, I'm sorry, I can't do that to you. I will just disappear for a while and... tell Rhaenys and Aegon about me all the damn time." Jolene begged jugging Rhaegar but he didnt let her go. 

"Together." Rhaegar assured. "I'm with you, til the end of the line." Jolene tipped her head into him as she looked to Elia. 

"Of course, we are family, the three of us." Elia assured. "It's not they are going to start a war to get us back to our posts right?" Elia mused. 

"Now you jinx it." Jolene teased. 

"I can't believe we are running away!" Elia declared. "This is so exciting!" 

"Mommy," Rhaenys repeated. "I had to go potty." She looked at Rhaenys soiled dress and her smile fell and a sigh left her lips.

"Can't run away from potty breaks." Rhaegar remarked. 

Elia covered her face with her hand and requested a bath to be run for Rhaenys before she picked her up. Rhaenys smiled sheepishly up at her.