A Crown of Winter Roses

Prologue Part 4

And the final chapter of A Crown of Winter Roses is finally here. This has been so crazy to write, especially as just this week it broke 1,000 votes!!!! Please bear in mind this was incredibly hard to write, so I will put a trigger warning on it!

Anyways, the second book 'A Throne of Winter Roses' is now published too, so check that out if you want. It continues on with Rosie's journey, and there will also be a new love interest in the mix ;) ;) 

Thank you so much for all the comments, and the reads, and the votes; it means so much :*

Prologue Part 4

The night was drawing quick and fast over King's Landing, the jutting reds of a rich sunset nestled down deep by the harshness of the blues and blacks; the city quick to plunge into darkness, save for a few lights that kept illuminated. Outside the city, rows upon rows of Lannister men waited patiently, their horses rearing beneath them as they watched while others held shaking shields. They had them surrounded and with little to no defence against the hoard, they were dead.

The Red Keep was still, following the days after noble Rhaegar's death and the betrayal was felt raw and deep in the Targaryen stronghold; a young Elia sat weeping on her bed as she hugged his robe to her. She couldn't help but feel like a small part was her fault, that it spiraled because of her actions, and now her loving husband was dead. It was Elia who encouraged Rhaegar to fall in love, she urged him to because she didn't want him alone, she was dying.

That's how Lyanna came into the mix, he saw her at the tourney, and knew he wanted to love her for her beauty. Elia couldn't be jealous, she hadn't been raised that way, Dorne being rather liberal with their love.

Although she couldn't be jealous, she was upset at his disappearance; he still had kids here, he still had his wife. It was this disappearance that kickstarted it all, and Aerys reaction to the two Starks.

They went to war for her, both sides. The Starks believing that Rhaegar had kidnapped Lyanna because he felt like it; and Rhaegar wanting to defend the honour of his family and eventually show his love for Lyanna. What a blind fool that Baratheon was for thinking Lyanna loved him; and now thousands of men are dead, including her Uncle and husband.

How was she supposed to explain that to Rosie? The girl adored him with every fibre of her being, and now he was dead. Her grandfather was so, disinterested in it all; like the death of his son didn't faze him but Elia knew better. He was murderous, delusional, and insane; he kept her trapped her. It was a move of loyalty, he needed all the help he could and keeping the Dornish Princess locked in her tower was all it took.

Elia was so broken from it all, she couldn't think properly; jumping from thought to thought but it was her children that stood out more. They didn't have a father now because of selfish choices from their parents, Elia simply shook her head. She still had yet to tell them; herself wanting to tell them rather than them finding out accidentally or worse, their grandfather telling them.

Aegon wouldn't understand, he was too young, barely even a toddler. He would grow to not even remember him and that pained her physically. Even Rhaenys would barely remember her father, being just a year older than Aegon; only Rosaerys would have the fond memories of their families, and Elia made a silent promise that they would stay there forever.