court of lies | robert's rebellion

the summerhall

"if there is one thing the gods love; it is tragedy, with wings that burn and boys who fall"

281 AC, Dragonstone

"Your grace!", Rhaegar frowned at the loud knocks and the worried voice he heard. It was not forwarded to his room but to Elia's. Thinking something bad happened, he immediately stood up and opened his door, sharing a look with Oswell. "Princess Elia!", Catelyn continued to knock.

"Cat, what happened?", Oswell approached to her with one hand at his sword.

"Your grace.", she was shaking but she made a curtsy to Rhaegar and at that point, Elia opened the door with an equally confused face. "I couldn't sleep,", she started to tell it with a pale face. "I had to wake up to drink milk and then I wanted to check on Princess Rhaenys since she was ill today."

"Yes, Catelyn.", Elia's heart was beating too fast but still she held the shaking girl's hands and encouraged her to speak as Oswell put a hand on her back. "What happened next?"

"The guards in front of her door are killed and so is the nursemaid and she is not there.", she said it all with one breath and before her line ended, Rhaegar turned around to rush towards the nursery.

Elia froze on the spot as Catelyn tried to speak to her with fear. But she did not answer. Oswell rubbed his face quickly, squeezed Catelyn's shoulder and then put on his kingsguard mask, alerting everyone in the castle.

This was going to be a disaster.

*

"What is happening?", Arthur woke up in haste the moment he heard the bells and before he even managed to stand up in a rush, Oswell opened his door.

"Rhaenys.", he managed to mutter. "Now."

Arthur stood up, he was in his bedclothes but did not mind it, his mind was awake, and he started to follow Oswell quickly, Lewyn left his room at the same minute, Arthur at least wore a shirt, Lewyn did not have that either but still was on duty.

After sharing horrified looks at the sight of the blood on the floor, they entered the room and found Rhaegar sitting on the floor with an open mouth and a very confused face, holding Rhaenys' blanket in his hands with the little princess nowhere to be seen.

*

"It is my fault.", she was pacing around with deep breaths and a hand on her stomach. "It happened because of me.", the morning has already come and they were searching for the princess everywhere. "I should have never listened to him,", she closed her eyes. "I shouldn't have left her alone. She must be crying,", she was taking deep breaths, Atera and Ashara shared a look of worry. "she is too small, too little, she must be hungry, what she will eat?"

"Your grace,", Atera tried to find the right words. "do not blame yourself. It has nothing to do with you."

"They will hurt her because they hate me.", she covered her face with her hands. "It is all my fault, I shouldn't have married with him. I should have said 'no' when I had multiple chances.", she shook her head as Atera's face fell. "My arrogance now will hurt my daughter."

"You need to sit, Elia.", Ashara urged her, she was too worried. The Maester wanted to give her something to relax her but she refused to take it.

"No, no, no, no.", she shook her head while crying. "I cannot just sit and wait, I must do something."

"There is nothing you can do.", Atera tried to sound stern, but it did not work. "Prince Rhaegar knows the area a lot better than you do, your grace, Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell are with him, your own uncle is questioning everyone, and men -men who were born on this island, are looking everywhere they know. You would not be a help. What you must do is to remain calm and not hurt yourself further.", after hearing the news, she had a crisis and broke a few things, threw a few things inside her chamber, and cut her arm during it. They barely managed to wrap it in a fresh cloth between Elia's cries.