Chapter Text
Elia Martell, princess of Dorne looked at her twin sister as she watched the clothes being collected in the heavy wooden chests. It was incredible that despite being sisters they were like night and day. Elia had Dornish brown skin, black eyes and hair, she was called the sun of Dorne. Her sister had been born with skin pale as spilled milk, amethyst eyes, and silver hair that shone like the stars of the lunar mantle, Hayley was the moon of Dorne.
Elia was fully aware that there were far more female Targaryens in her lineage than in any other than the monarchs themselves, but it was strange to know that she and her sister had been born from the same womb and father. Her sister seemed to have concentrated all the Targaryen blood in her lineage. Even her figures were different, while Elia lacked curves and her chest was quite flat, Hayley had a round figure with a medium chest.
For many years all manner of nobles had come to see the desert dragon, as his sister had been nicknamed. And if it hadn't been for the time she'd kept her mother away from court, Elia was sure there would have been rumors about Hayley's paternity.
Aerys himself had sent one of her brothers to check if the rumors were true and after that the Dornish princess with more Targaryen blood was engaged to the dragon prince.
Hayley wore a soft blue and silver dress and turned to walk out of the room, her jeweled belt jingling as did her silver necklaces. Elia followed her carefully. Her sister and her had the same delicate build like a newly bloomed flower, which made it difficult to make sudden movements. They had been born a month prematurely and that alone had prevented the king from taking Hayley to court from her childhood, to court with the other dragons and away from the Martells.
-They say that in King's Landing even the stars look different than in Dorne. – Hayley said walking through the water gardens calmly. Her wavy silver hair was almost like a cloud around her, held up by a silver ring that crossed her forehead and covered by a blue veil.
-According to mother that is true. Are you nervous? You are a Dornish princess, they will never touch you
-I'm going to the court of the Mad King, I'm terrified. Did you hear how he called me? "The false dragon", I did not ask to be born with more Targaryen blood than Martell. I didn't ask for royal family traits, I didn't ask for this wedding.
Elia looked at her sister. She was terrified and for good reason, from what they said Aerys was getting more insane every day. She burned people at her convenience and whim for sometimes imaginary offenses.
- Do you want me to talk to mother again? she could go with you
- No! Elia, please, Aerys's behavior is putting the monarchy in great danger. Father told us about this when the tribe in the arena changed leaders. A king like Aerys will be killed sooner or later, and may take his family with him. – Hayley took a deep breath- That's why, Elia, swear to me that you will stay in Dorne. The sun must remain in the desert, even if the moon has to go to other lands
-The sun will remain in the desert, I promise you, sister.
The next day Hayley headed out to the Red Keep in a dress of red and gold, the colors of the House of Martell. She said goodbye to everyone with a smile and gave a hug to her sister who was dressed in blue and silver. They dressed in the opposite way to how they normally did.
Later a poet would describe it as “The sun was sad and wore the colors of the moon and the moon looked bravely towards the sea, and its destiny in distant lands. But her eyes turned to look at the desert and from them diamonds of tears slipped to fall into the calm waters that would never see their moon again.
And it was true, Princess Hayley never returned to Dorne for the rest of her life. at least by sea
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Fair tides and strong winds carried the Dornish ship quickly to the capital of the seven kingdoms. They arrived almost a week early. At that time Prince Rhaegar was still hunting with his bannermen and the King refused to leave the red keep to receive the Dornishmen. So the only ones in the entourage of the royal family to receive the future queen were Queen Rhaella and her unborn baby.
Rhaella choked at the sight of the woman being carried on the boat. She had thought she would see a Dornish woman in Targaryen colors. But this woman… If the daughter Rhaella had given birth to a couple of years after she brought Rhaegar into the world had survived, she would be like this girl.
A proper Targaryen lady. A part of Rhaella wished that her husband considered her suitable for Rhaegar and did not think that the birth of a lady so similar to her family was an insult. But with her brother-husband one of her could never know
-Your Majesty Queen Rhaella, I offer you my regards. I'm Hayley Martell- Rhaella reacted looking at the young woman before her eyes. Now that she got a closer look she could see traits in common with the girl's mother, one of her best ladies waiting for her. That time had been the best, Aerys was almost sane and she had some good friends.
But a lot had happened since then. Beside the girl was her older brother, Oberyn. The man was silent and he looked at all of them as if they were threats to his younger sister, possibly they were.
-You look like your mother, just as beautiful. A true desert dragon. I'm sorry this reception is so poor. My son is hunting and you have arrived early.
-Good winds and a calm sea. The seven wanted my trip to be quick. -The two began to walk in a procession. Rhaella noted the stark contrast between her son's betrothed and the other Dornish ladies.
After wandering through the streets and being watched by a silent crowd, they arrived at the red fortress. Rhaella felt herself break out in a sweat as they reached the throne room. The scent of smoke and burning meat could reach her nose and she knew that the lady next to her could smell it too.
The doors opened before Rhaella was ready, and she watched as the young woman knelt in front of the throne.
-Raise your head. -- Aerys approached the girl and her hand grabbed her jaw, turning her face from side to side. - In the end the desert snakes have given birth to a dragon. The Targaryen blood has not mixed and has remained intact until this girl. It's acceptable to Rhaegar. The gods have blessed us with a suitable wife, even though my sister has not given birth to a living child.
Aerys released the girl and Rhaella breathed a sigh of relief. Apparently Aerys was on one of her sane days. They were very rare in recent times. She ignored the malicious comment towards her and left with the girl when Aerys dismissed them.
-I chose the rooms that your mother loves the most in my son's yard. It is a beautiful solarium, closely resembling the water gardens of Dorne.
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Rhaegar Targaryen arrived at the Red Keep with his heart in his mouth. He had expected to be in town when the Dornish princess arrived. His father didn't use to burn people before him, his perfect heir. Without him in court who knew how his father had reacted.
What he could have done to the poor princess
However, he was greeted by the news that his father had been sane for once in his life. The princess was settling down comfortably in the rooms assigned to her. Rhaegar walked over curiously to see the lady. In all his life he had only seen a few Targaryens.
And never to a Targaryen from another family. According to the maester, that had never happened before, that a child only inherited traits of the ancient Valyria with such diluted blood. But Princess Hayley had defied all logic or prior knowledge with her simple birth
Rhaegar watched as she went through the furniture and divided it between rooms with the help of a few gentlemen and the advice of her waiting ladies. She was surprisingly beautiful. She reminded him of the old portraits of the ancestors of the Targaryen house before some features were distorted by inbreeding.
After all the Targaryens originally came from Valyria. Valyria was in a very warm place. She smiled at her ladies with a lightness that had been lost at court due to tiptoeing around a mad monarch.
-She looks totally Targaryen, Your Highness. You are lucky- said one of the knights of the Royal Guard after Rhaegar. Rhaegar nodded his head.
After that he came over to give a short greeting, the lady was still settling in after all.
-Your Highness.- She bowed in a way that Rhaegar remembered from her manners lesson, it was the Dornish way.
-My lady, I regret my absence during your arrival. Upon receiving the raven I have come as quickly as possible.
-It's not a problem, Your Highness. The weather and the sea are unpredictable, sometimes blessing us for faster travel and sometimes delaying us for weeks. Sea travel is always unpredictable.
-I have heard that Dorne is very beautiful, at another time I would like to hear the stories you can tell me. But I must let you install
-Thank you for considering him, Your Highness. I too longed to hear the stories you can tell me of these lands so far north of where I was born. That will be a nice talk.
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Hayley began poisoning King Aerys that same night. She really hadn't planned it, but it was something that arose from the King's humiliation towards her. There was a banquet in honor of the arrival of the prince's fiancée and Aerys ordered Hayley to serve him wine.
She did, because one simply didn't challenge a King famous for burning people. But the king insulted Hayley right after she filled her glass of wine.
- Drink from the cup. - The man held out the glass to Hayley causing the court to fall silent. The King could only share a cup with the Queen, which he did not do. Sharing a drink with another woman meant that she was his daughter or his mistress. And Hayley was neither one nor the other, so King Aerys was either insulting her honor or insulting her lineage.
- Majesty, that's your cup
-Desert snakes can be poisonous, I won't risk being poisoned- That was worse. Poison tasters were the lowest of all servants, suggesting that a noble lady serve as a taster was the same as insulting her in the worst way.
- Of course, Your Majesty. - Hayley smiled and took the glass before taking a sip then she left it on the table letting the tip of one of her long nails dip into the liquid by "accident". In Dorne it was very common for girls' nails to be painted with poison, not much, but enough to make the King sick.
No one but Oberyn noticed. And he nodded approvingly at his sister as she returned to take a seat next to her. He hadn't poisoned the King much, most likely he just had an upset stomach. But in the following days the King's madness seemed to increase more and more.
The King was a danger. And he would die at the hands of the Dornish princess.
Princess Hayley's wedding day was also the last time she wore Dornish clothing. A farewell, a final kiss and goodbye to her homeland. From that day on she would be Hayley Targaryen. Her brother brought the mysterious wedding gift that she had not seen because her father had secretly prepared it. Five dragon eggs emerged from a chest, fossilized by the passage of time since they were laid.
King Aerys was very pleased and ordered that the eggs be placed in the bridal chamber so that the energy of the dragons would allow them to conceive that very night. Maybe that helped, because a pregnancy resulted from that night.
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Hayley looked at the body of her son. He had been so healthy, kicking at his belly until a few hours ago… The life cord had been entangled around his neck and the child had not survived the birth. Queen Rhaella had given birth to a live child for the first time in years and Princess Hayley had given birth to a stillborn baby. Irony was something to consider
Rhaegar stood beside her as he ordered the funeral pyre to be set up for the child. Hayley looked at the dragon eggs and ordered them to be put on the pyre.
- Princess?
-The fire will not harm them. But at least one dragon will accompany my son on one of his journeys. --- Hayley said stroking the small head of silver hair.
Later, watching the great pyre burn, Hayley began to walk towards the fire. By the time they noticed it, it was already too late. They couldn't get close. Hayley could feel the heat against her skin and continued walking to the center of the pyre.
- Hayley! --- Rhaegar's scream broke the day along with Oberyn's. But the King forbade trying to put out the funeral pyre. The flames did not cease until sunset.
Prince Rhaegar moved to the center of the pyre, but was greeted by the voice of his wife.
-My clothes have been burned, could you lend me your cloak, Rhaegar?
Rhaegar looked at his wife, who was sitting quietly near the center of the pyre, what must have been the ashes of his son. She was intact and the only thing saving her decency was her silver hair that had come loose from her braid and extended to the ground, covering her behind and some strands disguising her breasts.
The High Sept began to speak of a miracle as Rhaegar wordlessly covered his wife with her cloak and Oberyn stared at her sister in shock.
-The kids are hungry. We will have to read about how to feed them
- Children? Sir Selwyn choked as the heap of ashes on his mistress's legs shifted.
They were not ashes. Only then did they notice that the eggs were missing. Hayley stood up and a baby dragon climbed through her hair to her shoulder and from there to her head. The other dragons quickly grabbed onto body parts of the woman who was using her hands to hold the cloak in place to cover her body.
A silence traveled through the Red Keep and later all of King's Landing. Five new dragons had returned to bless the marriage of Prince Rhaegar and Princess Hayley, the mother of dragons.