The Red Viper and The Dragon Princess X Oberyn Martell L.S

Prologue Part Three

284AC Exile to Essos

Arrival at Dragonstone

Their arrival at Dragonstone was hectic as a storm roared around them. Information had just come in about Stannis Barathen heading to Dragonstone to get rid of the rest of the Targaryen's. They immediately headed for the keep, where the Targaryen ancestral seat was. Daella knew her naneth had been in seclusion there since just before The Battle of the Trident. How she hated her ada for refusing to send Elia and her children with them because he wanted Dorne to fight for him.

Just as they reached the court yard to the doors, they could hear the screams of a women in the birthing bed and the bells rang announcing that someone unwelcome was coming towards the harbor. Ser Gerald talked to one of the guards and then turned to his princess, "Baratheon banners will soon be coming into the harbor. We need to hurry. The guards say that Rhaella has been in the birthing bed since very early this morning," he explained. With a new anxiety they rushed towards the doors and into the keep.

Daella noticed the silence. There was nobody about in the hallways or guards in the castle. She found this strange and her concern from her naneth grew before they came to the chambers her naneth used when she visited Dragonstone. The doors were slightly open and the sounds of moans and cry's echoed from inside. Daella entered the room with Jacaerys strapped to her chest and the rest of the Kingsguard following her.

Ser Willem Darry, brother to the late Ser Jonothor Darry of the Kingsguard, was standing protectivly in front of the Queen Mother and four Targeryen Loyalists were standing protectively around Viserys in the corner. Two maids were bustling around her mother, who was covered in her own blood and was still having contractions trying to birth her babe. They stood down when they saw who entered the room.

"Princess Daella," he whispered in relief at seeing her alive and on Dragonstone.

Daella handed her nephew over to Arthur and rushed over to her naneth's side and took her bloody hand. "Naneth, I'm here," She whispered. Queen Rhaella opened her hazy purple eyes to meet the indigo eyes of her niece-daughter. The girl born from a northern mother but Rhaella had loved her as her own. She had since Aerys had brought the black haired babe to her after she had another stillborn child. She had nursed the girl, had helped her grow into a woman and had been her closest confidant.

"Daella, my daughter?" she spoke softly.

Daella gripped her hand tighter, "I'm here naneth" she said eyes watering. Rhaella gave a soft smile, "I feared you were dead" she said as another contraction speared through her. She squeezed Daella hand, "I'm not, I'm here" Daella whispered as she relaxed again. Rhaella closed her eyes, "I fear I am not long left in this world" she said. Her face was sincere and her voice was calm. Daella felt a few of her tears run down her face and her lip trembled because she knew her naneth spoke the truth. There was more blood then should be normal and Rhaella was having issues trying to birth the babe.

She turned to the two maidens who had been helping her mother, "Is one of you a wet nurse?" she asked. One of them, a tall burnett with bright blue eyes stepped forward, "I am, your grace" she answered. Daella nodded, "Is there anything holding you here?" she asked gripping her naneth's hand. The woman shook her head, "No Princess. I'm a bastard from Highgarden, Lillian Flowers. Lady Olenna Tyrell sent me to help the Queen after my husband was killed at The Battle of the Bells and my child came stillborn," she explained as she moved to settle between the Queen's legs to check for the babe.

Daella nodded before her naneth regained her attention. "Do you know I was friends with your birth mother?" she asked suddenly. Daella froze, she had never spoken of her birth mother. Not even when she found out Rhaella wasn't her mother. She knew she was from the north and had been her ada's unwilling mistress. To hear someone speak of her now, well she wasn't expecting it. Rhaella continued, "We met in the gardens outside the keep. Her family had arrived for a tourney here, she was from one of the vassal houses of the North. It was her first time in the capital and she was filled with wonder at the sight of the sea. We spoke briefly before heading to the tourney together. The moment Aerys seen her, I knew I had made a mistake bringing her with me, for I could see the lust in his eyes. Before I knew it, she was his mistress and two moons later, she was carrying you," Rhaella paused to release a shriek as another contraction came.