The Wolf Queen - Part 2 - (Aemond Targaryen)

Chapter 36

Lyanna stands at the entrance of her tent as she watches the sun come up. The bright rays of the sun illuminate the red streaks in the waters surrounding Moat Cailin. The men are still busy dragging the bodies of their fallen friends and allies towards the wooden pire they built after the fighting came to an end. 

After the fight, she had a long and very difficult talk with Aemond. It started with Alys Rivers and ended with her experience at Pyke, how the twins were pushed from a window and all the things that Dalton did to her. He was so angry that he stormed from the tent and flew off with Vhagar. He has not returned yet and she has no idea where he went. 

She has a feeling he went to burn something to the ground. Only after he left did Jace come back, with his mother in tow. He was able to convince her to surrender.

Lyanna sighs and turns back inside the tent, looking at both Jace and Rynaera who are sitting on the chairs that were brought in for them.

"Why should I show you mercy, Rhynaera? After all the orders you gave to destroy my home and my family?" Lyanna asks and folds her hands. 

Rhynaera lifts her chin, "I was misguided in thinking you would be an easy enemy to defeat."

"Since when did we become enemies? After the Dance of Dragons, we got along very well. We ruled together in peace and harmony. What changed?"

Rhynaera looks down at her hands, "My husband told me that we will never be safe if you are ruling the strongest part of Westeros, keeping some of my family members safe. I was thinking about my children and their future."

Lyanna starts laughing, "Of course you did. So, destroying my children's future was fine? Having me kidnapped and raped also acceptable? Seeing my children being pushed out a window to drown in the ocean below is justifiable?"

She yells out the last part, grabbing the back of Rhyaera's chair and forcing her to look up to meet her gaze. 

"Answer me!" Lyanna yells in her face. 

Rhynaera bites her lower lip, "I am sorry, Lyanna. I didn't think that anything like this would happen. It was just supposed to be a battle for the North, not everything else that has happened. That was all Daemon's doing."

Lyanna steps away, "Then it is good that he is dead." she can see Rhyaera trying not to cry at the memory of him, "Everything that has happened shows me that you are not fit to rule Westeros. If you can't even control your subjects and do not know what they are planning behind your back, then you must be doing something wrong."

"I see that now," she answers softly.

Jace stands up and pulls Lyanna out of the tent. She looks at him confused.

"Please, Lyanna. Spare her life. I believe her when she says she didn't intend for things to happen like this." Jace says.

Lyanna shakes her head, "Jace, you have done so much for me, you saved the lives of my children and mine as well. I have given you a place by my side and trusted you with important decisions. Do not ask me to be merciful towards your mother. I do not want to ask you to leave. I will do what needs to be done."

Jace sighs and nods, "I understand. I will support whatever you decide."

Lyanna knows he doesn't want to see his mother be killed, no child wants that. But as a Queen, she must make the hard decisions and be able to live with them.

They both return to the tent and Lyanna watches how Rhynaera fidgets with the seam of her sleeve. 

"Are you waiting for Aemond to help you decide what to do with me?" she asks.

Lyanna shakes her head, "No, I am not you who needs to ask her husband for his advice to know how to run a kingdom." Lyanna walks up to her, "I am just trying to decide what I need to do with you. Since I can't just let you walk away a free woman, you will always be a threat to me and my family, no matter how many promises you try to make to me."

Rhynaera turns pale and sits back against the chair without saying a word. Jace only looks between the two women, patiently waiting to see what is going to happen. 

"I have some other matters to attend to on this fine morning, when I get back I will tell you my decision. Jace, care to join me?"

Jace nods and stands up, but Rhynaera is not done with him.

"You little traitor!" she yells at him with her emotions at an all-time high, "I gave you everything, declared you the heir to the Iron Throne and there you go running after Lyanna like a puppy in heat!"

"Ignore her," she tells Jace as they leave the tent, the two guards at the entrance straightening as they leave. They know what they must do.

"I know she is mad at me, but she is still my mother," he replies.

Lyanna leads him to the prison cells. Maybe something like this will help get his mind off everything. Alys Rivers looks awful, with mud streaks all over her pale skin and green dress. Her hair is messy and oily, and her shiny green eyes are now a dull and lifeless colour. 

She spots Lyanna approaching and quickly curtsy to her, "My Queen," 

Lyanna waves her up, "Please. Don't act as if you care who I am now,"

Alys clears her throat as she slowly stands up straight, "I am merely trying to -"

"I don't care, Alys."

Lyanna unlocks the gate of her cell, entering it without hesitation. Alys stands her ground, not showing any fear.

"My husband told me about the conversation you had that night after I disappeared. Must say, I am not shocked that you are carrying the spawn of the devil."

"Daemon was a great man. He deserves more credit than that."

Lyanna laughs, "He was a great warrior, yes. But a great man?" she looks Alys in the eyes, "I doubt that,"

Alys folds her arms, "Why are you here?"

"I am here to look you in the eyes, to watch how the life drains from them. Your eyes haunted my dreams for many nights, ever since my husband returned from Riverrun and I felt your magical energy radiating from him." Lyanna grabs her arm and pulls her closer, "I want you to look into my eyes, watch the satisfaction creep into them as you blow out your last breath. I want my face to be the last face you ever see. You will never harass men like you did my husband again. Your dark magic will die with you."

Alys rips her arm away, "You won't kill me. I am pregnant. You, as a mother, won't harm an unborn child."

Lyanna laughs, "You think I will show you mercy? You confess that the child is that of Daemon. If it was my husband's, I might have let you life until the baby is born. But the child of the man who tried to kill my own? I can't let his bloodline continue."

"Please, Lyanna. I was merely a puppet in this whole thing," she grabs Lyanna's hand.

Lyanna stare at her hand before slowly pulling it back, "You should've thought of that,"

Without another glance, Lyanna leaves the cage, stepping aside to let Shadow enter. She looks into the dark eyes of her wolf, feeling how ready he is to dispose of the River Witch. She nods at him and walks away.

Alys River's screams fill the air. If you are close enough you can hear the sound of flesh being torn from bone and bones cracking under the force of Shadow's jaws. 

"Please!" Alys yells, but Lyanna ignores her. She doesn't care anymore. It was her compassionate heart that made her enemies doubt her, making them think that she is soft and an easy opponent. Let word travel across all of the kingdoms that Lyanna Stark is not merciful, that she does not give second chances. She will kill those who oppose her.