- ̥۪͙۪˚┊❛ CHAPTER TWENTY TWO ❜┊˚ ̥۪͙۪◌
WORK SONG
❛ no grave can hold my body down
i'll crawl home to her ❜

౨ৎ disclaimer
unedited ! i'll make changes
if there are any grammatical
mistakes later !

THE BLACKS, THE STARK, AND THE TARGARYEN.

As Helaena and Eudora waited for any news, Eudora decided to sit on the floor and play with the children. Rhaenyra was giving birth, and Daemon was god knows where. It wasn't in either of their positions to help birth a child or manage an almost proposition of war— so all they had was the privilege to sit and anticipate. "Jaehaera was always my favorite," laughed Eudora softly, handing a toy horse to the younger girl. "Maelor and Jaehaerys were always with Aegon."

She then got up, sitting beside Helaena who was lost in thought. "Are you alright, Helaena?"

"Sometimes I envy you, Eudora," said Helaena as she looked at her hands. "How lucky the gods have spared you from a life like mine."

"I—" Eudora couldn't find the right words to speak. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault, you were in no position to do anything," Helaena explained, shaking her head. "We're both in no position to have a say."

"But I could've done something—"

"Eudora, we both know we couldn't be heroes." It was the sour truth, something the Stark didn't want to admit. "We couldn't always save each other, even if we tried to."

The door swung open before Eudora could speak, her attention towards the person who came into the room. The two stood as soon as they saw Jace walk in, Eudora's eyebrows furrowing together. "Jace what's wrong–" The prince only walked towards her, his head resting on her shoulder as his arms wrapped around Eudora. She felt him shaking against her, which caused the Stark to look over to Helaena with a rather confused look.

"The babe," Helaena began, trying to get an answer out of her nephew. "What happened?" He shook his head, not finding any words to explain. It was probably the first time Eudora has really seen him in a moment of weakness, and with that she did not know what to do. Helaena only puts a hand on Jace's shoulder to acknowledge his sorrow. The room fell quiet for a moment, it wasn't until Jace stepped back from Eudora that he cleared his throat to speak.

"Sorry," he said, fixing his posture. "The funeral, it's today."

—

When Visenya Targaryen died, Dragonstone was plagued with misery and sorrow. Rhaenyra could only hold her eyes towards the fire which her stillborn laid upon. She thought she was ready for this, after so many losses in life. But nothing can compare to the feeling of a mother losing her child at birth, it ached her in every way possible. Everyone could only watch as the two parents grieved. It wasn't until Ser Erryk walked across the people that the attention was drawn to the knight. "I mean no harm, brothers," Erryk said, pulling something out of his bag. Viserys' crown laid on the palms of Erryk, holding it towards Rhaenyra as he kneeled. "I swear to war the Queen, with all my strength, and give my blood for hers."

Daemon held the crown in his hand, studying it as Erryk continued to vow. "I shall take no wife, hold no lands, father no children. I shall guard her secrets, obey her commands, ride at her side, and defend her name and honor." Daemon knew what to do. Slowly, he crowned his wife with her father's crown.

"My Queen," he said, taking a knee for her, just like a wave everyone followed suit. Rhaenyra knew then and there that these were one of her most loyal people, people who would follow her to the world's end. And for such a dreadful day, she found a kind of peace with that knowledge. That they acknowledge her as their queen.

"Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen, First of Her Name, Queen of the Andals and the Rhoynar and the First Men. Lady of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm."

As she was escorted into the room, all eyes were on Rhaenyra. They bowed towards her once more, Rhaena offering her wine before she and her sister followed behind the queen. "What is our standing?"

"We have thirty knights, a hundred crossbowmen, and three hundred men at arms. Dragonstone is relatively easy to defend, but as an instrument of conquest, our army leaves a lot to be desired. We have sent word to my loyal men in the City Watch, I'll have some support there, but
I cannot speak to the numbers," explained Daemon.

"We already have declarations from Celtigar and Staunton, Massey, Darklyn, Bar Emmon."

"My lady mother was an Arryn," interrupted Rhaenyra, watching as Jace placed small figures on their table to mark their allies. "The Vale will not turn cloak against their own skin."

Eudora stood off to the side, her attention waning as the conversation dragged on. It wasn't until Steffon Darklyn spoke that her head looked up. "What of Storm's End and Winterfell?"

"There has never lived a Stark who forgot an oath," Bartimos said, some eyes shifting towards the girl in light blue. "And with House Stark, the North will follow. Isn't that right, Eudora?"

The Stark nodded, facing Rhaenyra. "My cousin is a man who keeps his promises, and his father before him. A word from me will bring him to us." The queen nodded in approval, back to the discussion at hand. Eudora heard mentions of the Baratheons, the Lannisters, and more people who she wasn't too concerned of. What then peaked her interest once more were the dragons. For the years she has spent around the Targaryens, she never realized how big of a matter these dragons hold. "Fourteen to three," Eudora muttered to Helaena who stood beside her. "Dragonstone has fourteen to three."

"Unclaimed dragons, remarkable," Helaena whispered back– before Erryk announced that a ship has arrived. The Greens have arrived at Dragonstone.

—

It was a rather restless night, especially for Jace. He found himself roaming the halls of Dragonstone, no one seems to be awake. It wasn't until he looked off of a window that he noticed a figure by the beach. Curious, he left for the sand to see what was going on. To his surprise it was Eudora, not that he wasn't happy about it. "I thought you'd be asleep," he called to her, snapping the girl out of her thoughts to look at him. "It's rather late at night."

"I could say the same for you," she laughed, her hands crossed against her chest. "We should stop meeting at night, it's too mysterious."

"My dear, I think we feel much more awake at night," Jace replied, stepping to her side. The sound of the waves colliding with the shore surrounded the pair, Eudora intently watching every sand that pushed its way towards them. "This might be one of our last peaceful nights."

"I wish not to think of it that way," Eudora said quietly. "I wish to think that it wouldn't escalate too much."

Jace looked to her, just to look at her. He took in every detail the small light of the torch from afar granted him, the freckles that littered her face, the nails which she bit down at, the eyes scanning for any answer. "In the midst of all this, I promise to keep you safe."

"Don't make promises you can't keep, Jace."

"But this one I know I could," he told her, earning a soft smile from the Stark. "And by any chance that I might have, I'll take you to Winterfell to secure your safety."

She shook her head at his words. "Jace, I want to fight."

"Eudora I couldn't risk the thought of losing you–"

"You won't," Eudora interrupted. "I've thought about it, long and hard. Jace, I need to prove I'm not someone always sitting here for nothing."

Jace took a step closer towards her. "You don't have to prove anything to me."

"But what of the others?" He pursed his lips together, the girl gently caressing his face. "I promise you, after all this we both will still return in one piece."

"You swear it?"

"I swear."

Nothing brought him more comfort than her own words, whether it is from her letters or from her own mouth. He couldn't believe someone like her would stand by him and his family, but Eudora did. Jace wasn't only thankful for House Stark's loyalty, but for bringing this one specific Stark into his life. He knew even if they suffered the worst, they were suffering together.

(( 🐉 ))