The Dragon Cub| Game Of Thrones

THE VIPER AND THE MOUNTAIN

Casterly Rock 294 AC.

Jon.

Looking at Oberyn as he held the letter in his hands, tears streaming down his cheeks he felt as if he was invading the man's privacy, as if he didn't belong here. Rhaenix rested silently against Oberyn's chest gripping his silken coat tightly, both of them silent almost sharing the grief and loss they felt. Jon turned away to give them time, he surprisingly didn't have to wait long as he heard Rhaenix chirp and looked over his shoulder to see Oberyn holding out the letter.

"Did you read this?" Oberyn asked his eyes red from where he'd wiped his face.

"It was not mine to read my prince."

"She speaks of you in it, calls you her son." Oberyn said a soft smile on his face as he said it "My sister was too good for this world Jaehaerys, far too good, she implores me to be like her, read." he said as he handed Jon the letter.

He took it from the prince his hand shaking, Rhaenix flying to land on his shoulder, he moved to the bed and sat down allowing his dragon to climb down his body and rest in his lap and then he looked to Oberyn who nodded and so he began to read the letter.

My dearest brothers,

If you are reading this letter then the worst has happened and our uncle has been unable to get me and the children to safety, all of our plans have failed terribly. I know you will blame Rhaegar, blame Lyanna and even perhaps blame their son, my son, do not for if you do you shame me brothers and when we meet again I'll not forgive you for it.

Rhaegar and I were never a love match, we tried, we did our duty, we brought two wonderful children into the world and the love we may not have had for each other we poured into them. Each day I spent in the hell that was Kings Landing was a day too much, it bore down on me, wore me down and I do believe had I been forced to live there it would have broken me or killed me before long. So I suggested and Rhaegar reluctantly agreed that we part, I could live my life free and with my love in Dorne and he could find someone else to share his life and heart with.

This world though is a cruel strange place and while Rhaegar found his, mine own love was taken from me. Lyanna though was what he needed, what the realm needed and together they would do what I could not and the promised prince would come. it seems though that we had not fully accounted for the ambitions of greedy men, nor on the strength of the desire of those to see the dragons fall and so what should have been the turning point, turned into our greatest failure.

But if you're both reading this letter, then brothers all is not lost, Lyanna lives and her babe Jaehaerys has been born and so my hopes, my dreams rest with him. Help him brothers, guide him, be for him what I would have been, be his family for he will find in the days to come grave need of one.

To Doran my sweet older brother I can only say I did my duty, I did so a the cost of my own heart and all I can think now as I write this is that duty is too high a price to pay when compared to love. For what is duty against the feel of a newborn in your arms or the memory of a brother's smile? Wind and words. Wind and words brother. We are only human, and the gods have fashioned us for love. That is our great glory, and our great tragedy.

Oberyn my dear impulsive rash brother, I ask you only to protect the boy Oberyn, protect him as if he were Aegon as if he were Rhaenys, for his brother and sister would have loved him as much as I love mine own. He is blood of my blood brother, he is their brother just as you were mine, remember that when you look upon my son.