Ch.36

(Rhaegar Targaryen POV)

It's been a few years since my wedding to Elia Martell and I love her, though the more I research this prophecy the more I believe that I am not the Prince that was promised. As there is more to the prophecy than I originally believed. The more I researched this prophecy I came to realize that the dragon in my family Heraldry has three heads. So that means I need two more heads to complete this prophecy. Then I remembered the song, 'The Song of Ice and Fire' that is said to be for the prince that is promised.

'My son, Aegon with Elia is my second head, but I need another according to my research… We Targaryens are the fire… who is the ice?... The Starks!' I think to myself as I continue to pour over the books I found that have helped me in my research.

With this thought, I sent a secret message to the only female Stark, Lyanna to meet her. Telling my father I would be out inspecting the north for this year's taxes, but I really went to meet Lyanna Stark. There I explained to her the prophecy and her part to play in it. After a long conversation, she agreed to come back with me to King's Landing.

Knowing that her father would not allow her to leave with me, we left in the middle of the night with my retainers in tow. As we road past the neck, we met the ship that would take us to Dorne. There we would be married and hopefully, then we can have a son, my third head.

Word quickly got out after Lyanna and I left the north. Everyone believes I kidnapped her, though really I married her in secret and successfully impregnated her. The maester says it should be a boy, but it is too early to tell if his guess is accurate. In the meantime, I had to head back to King's Landing to squash these rumors. Or at least explain what really is happening.

"My Prince, the King has called for an emergency meeting," one of the family guards says to me right after I arrived in the city.

"Very well," I say and follow the guards back to the Red Keep.

My father has been getting more and more crazed over the last few years. Thinking everyone is out to get him and destroy our family. His burnings of 'enemies' have been increasing too, even with my attempts to dissuade him are not working. My mother has given birth to my younger brother Viserys a few years ago and even he is not spared from our father's insane antics. With this knowledge I half expected my father to burn me for these rumors and turmoil I caused. Though I have more than half the Kingsguard loyal to me instead of my father.

'The realm is becoming more and more restless. I fear if my father does something else that drastic a civil war will spark, especially after what I just did. Ever since Tywin left his position as the hand of the king a few years ago the realm has been getting more and more restless. Leaving the position to me, but my father has listened less and less to even me now,' I think as I enter the throne room since for some reason the meeting is being held here, though nothing can surprise me at this point from my father's crazed antics.

Instead what I saw inside the throne room was my recently confirmed pregnant mother, my father on his throne, and little Viserys. In the center of the room was chained to the floor where my father burns people, were both Lord of House Stark and his heir, Rickard, and his firstborn son Brandon. Then I realized what happened, Brandon came here demanding his sister back and his father came after him once my father arrested him. Now both are in my father's custody and my face paled since I saw the alchemist that makes wildfire smirking as he placed wildfire on the two Starks.

"Father! Do not do this! I made a mistake, if I could just explain!" I said quickly trying to stop this madness that would certainly spark a civil war.

"What is there to explain?! We are dragons! WE TAKE WHAT WE WANT!" my father says with a maddened look and laugh.

"These traitors dare defy us!! For that, they shall BURN!!!" my father says and before anyone else can speak the alchemist tosses a torch onto the wildfire-coated Starks.

The two screamed in pain as they burned, my father laughed like a madman enjoying the scene, and even my little brother had a small smile on his face. My mother looked sickened by the scene but said nothing, while the guards stood still with hardened looks having seen this many times. I stared at the scene horrified as I realized how badly I messed up and now a war is certainly on our hands. Though at the same time, I can not let this prophecy fall apart, so if a war comes then I must win it at all costs.

"We need to call all of our loyal banners and get the smiths working to make everything we would need. War is coming," I say pushing my emotions down and dealing with the war that is going to break loose very soon once this word gets out and it will get out.

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(Oberyn Martell POV)

After Valtaris and I went separate ways I joined the mercenary group called the 'Second Sons'. We joined many different skirmishes around Slaver's Bay and saw many things, things I would never have seen if I did not leave my family all those years ago. Plus I got to enjoy many men and women as we traveled Essos Though I made my way back since I received a letter from my sister saying how she was scared of the current issues happening at the Red Keep. When I arrived in Sunspear, my brother explained to me the recent crazy shit the Mad King was doing.

We both feared for our sister and her children's safety. As we thought of ways to get here out of King's Landing and back home. Though we knew just how impossible that would be and risked the potential of her getting killed along with her children. At first, that was something we did not believe, but after word got out that Rhaegar betrayed my sister and stole another woman for his bed.

Not just any woman either, but a northerner and it was Lyanna Stark of all people. Not only did he kidnap Stark girl, but apparently let his father burn both Rickard and his firstborn son Brandon Stark alive. We all knew war was coming, not only that but our sister was now a hostage, meaning we would have to help the throne while they held our sister.

Shortly after word got out about the burning of the two Starks and the kidnapping of the other, the King sent out a letter calling for his loyal bannermen. My brother and I reluctantly called our bannermen to begin raising arms, as I would be leading them in my brother's stead. As he recently came down with a disease called 'gout' so he could not move as well as before.

A few months after the burning and kidnapping of the Starks, the war officially began. The Houses Stark, Tully, and Baratheon joined forces among many other smaller houses in rebellion against the royal family. With the Houses Targaryen, Martell, Lannister, and Tyrell against the rebellion. We had a suspicion that the Lannisters were not completely loyal and like us Martells, as Jamie was a glorified hostage, the same as our sister.

For months the war waged on and things were looking bleak on both sides, as many lives were lost. I recently received word that Rhaegar Targaryen was going to meet Robert Baratheon's army at the Trident. I had a feeling this battle was going to decide the war, so out of fear I sent a message from the ring Valtaris gave in hopes he could come back and help save my sister should King's Landing be lost. As she and her children would be killed if found since they are now royals. In the meantime, I was rushing to King's Landing in an attempt to sneak in to help my sister escape.

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(Rhaegar Targaryen POV)

Robert Baratheon had successfully led his main army north from the Stormlands to join his main allies in the North, the Vale, and the Riverlands. He cut his way through loyalist Houses that attempted to stop him at Summerhall, Ashford, and Stoney Sept. At the last location, a loyalist army attempted to corner him but in the Battle of the Bells, the armies of the North, Vale, and Riverlands arrived and their combined forces drove them off. The combined rebel army then withdrew into friendly territory north of the Trident. The Riverlords remained divided, but House Tully sided with the rebels.

Knowing that the bulk of the rebel forces were coming down from the Trident, I gathered the bulk of our forces to meet them and destroy them all at once. I knew this was a risky move, but one I needed to make as the sooner this rebellion ended the faster I could get back to ensuring the realm survived the prophecy. Plus if they made it past the Trident, they would be able to siege King's Landing. That was something I could not allow.

From my scouts and other spies, Robert's rebel army at the Trident was composed of the forces from the Stormlands, the North, the Vale, and rebel houses from the Riverlands such as the Tullys. Robert's personal army from the Stormlands was somewhat diminished in size from all of the fighting it had seen. The rebel forces from the North, Vale, and Riverlands had also seen action at the Battle of the Bells and were slightly outnumbered by my army. From what my spies could gather, the army was commanded by Robert, Eddard Stark, Jon Arryn, Hoster Tully, and several of their bannermen.

My army consisted primarily of the direct Targaryen vassals from the Crownlands, joined by 10,000 Dornishmen under the command of Prince Lewyn Martell of the Kingsguard. I knew my wife Elia Martell was kept as a hostage in the Red Keep to ensure House Martell's support, but even I knew that was necessary. A few men from the Reach were also present, but the bulk of House Tyrell's army was tied down further south besieging Storm's End, held by Robert's younger brother Stannis. My forces were fresh and larger than the rebel army but I knew were unblooded and less experienced.

I would be commanding the forces along with several of my most trusted Kingsguard, like Ser Barristan Selmy. My other loyal Kinsguard would be with Lyanna Stark to ensure her safety while I was gone. As we arrived at the Trident, we could see that the rebel army got word of our arrival as they were prepared for us. I then began to give out commands to my army to prepare for the battle that would be taking place any minute.

Once our forces were in position and I saw the enemy doing the same. I gave one last look to my Kingsguard and army commanders before I shouted the order.

"CHARGE!!" I yelled as I ushered my horse forward along with the other cavalry, as the footmen ran forward screaming their battle cry. My calvary screamed theirs as they charged behind me. With the enemy doing the same.

The charge across the open field felt like hours as every second increased the tension and stress inside yourself. To the point that you could feel the blood pumping in your head as the adrenaline overloaded your body. Then the screams began as men and horses crashed into one another. Blood and death took over the scene just as quickly.