Maidenvault: prison of Elia Martell and her children

[Hengest]

Here lies the Maidenvault, a long slate roofed Keep behind the Royal Sept in the Red Keep. It is called this because Baelor the Blessed confined his sisters, Rhaena, Elaena, and Daena Targaryen, to whom he was married, therein, to avoid them tempting him with carnal thoughts.

Princess Elia Martell of Dorne and Westeros; the Bitterspear, abides with her children Rhaenys and Aegon.

[ByzantineCaesar]

Whereas other girls may have been slightly miffed at not being allowed to leave this ugly small building when the world was so large and pretty, it didn't bother four year old Rhaenys Targaryen at all. It was all rather exciting, indeed! Father would fight against the bad men and return to her with lemoncakes and hugs. She didn't really understand why Father was doing his fighting... he had always chided her when she quarrelled with the other stupid children, why was no one chiding him for fighting too? No, Rhaenys thought, Father was amazing and those men were bad men and he would soon return to her and Mother with lemoncakes and hugs, like the Dragonknight from the stories her wetnurse used to tell her at night. Besides, being kept in this ugly small building wasn't half bad. She was a princess in the tower, fated to be rescued by all the gallant knights in the kingdom! There was nothing she couldn't do here that she could do outside, except maybe stroll in the gardens, look at the big water below, steal sweets from the kitchens, play with her friends... but she was the princess in the tower, that's what mattered in the end! Father would get back with lemoncakes and hugs. Soon, she smiled to herself.

Of course, Rhaenys had her weak times when she would get really sad and cry in her new rooms, but her dragon would never fail to cheer her up. Balerion was so cute and nice and fearsome and black, everything a true dragon and a true friend should be! Besides, she had her little baby brother to care about. She was the big sister, after all, and she would take care of Egg like Balerion took care of her. Egg was nice enough, Rhaenys knew, except when he cried during the nights, but not everybody could be so brave like her, right? He's nice, she decided with a finality that would shake the world and make it rain lemoncakes. But there was this one issue... this one single question that, no matter how hard she thought, didn't have an answer. Were it the gods? Old or New? Seagulls? Liking? Touching noses? She had no idea.

"Mother?" Rhaenys called sweetly as she walked towards her, the thought of Egg still fresh in her mind, and her dragon Balerion nestled in her small arms. "Where do babies come from?"

[Hengest]

"Mother?" Rhaenys called sweetly as she walked towards her, the thought of Egg still fresh in her mind, and her dragon Balerion nestled in her small arms. "Where do babies come from?"

Elia was suckling Aegon at the edge of the bed in the chamber at the head of the long narrow hall of rooms. It was like being onboard ship, she had so often repeated to herself. Despite the claustrophobia it also hinted that she was heading somewhere and not frozen in time. Her nipple grew hard on hearing her child's voice- breaking her train of melancholy thoughts. The babe began to cry in response and the princess was forced to raise Aegon to her shoulder and comfort him, deafening herself in one ear in the process. She shook off her headache and turned softly with a forced smile to her eldest.

"My finest princess..." as Rhaenys looked up with the charm of her melded Dornish and Dragon eyes, Elia was warmed and even Aegon sensed it and his shrieking soothed. Elia smiled and ran her hand over the girl's soft locks. "Sit here." She tapped the bed next to her and covered her breast with her flawless pleated white robes. She took a deep breath. It was useless to ask where the thought came from, children are dreamers- besides it might ruin the magic for a mother with so few true comforts left in the world.

"Some say from the Gods, but I like to think they come from the souls of their parents. Those that are made from love are children of the sun. You..." her eyes began to water thinking of Rhaegar with that Northern ....lady.... god help us all if he begets her with child. "You fair fair Rhaenys are indeed..." she softly pressed her sword-calloused fingers to the child's mouth. "A ray of true sunshine." She kissed her daughter's forehead, and Aegon smacked his lips letting her know he was still hungry.

[ByzantineCaesar]

Rhaenys giggled lightly as her mother kissed her forehead and Balerion meowed happily... yet a rather confused scowl persisted on the girl's face. "What is a soul, Ma?" She asked as she stared in wonder at her suckling brother. He's so nice...

[Hengest]

Elia's pride at her child mixed with bitter temperance. "Souls are the deep truth inside every person, it is the only thing in life that cannot be given to you nor taken away." She turned and produced a dagger. "Rhaenys, listen to me now. This little blade is for you. Wear it on a belt at all times. If anyone ever tries to hurt you or your brother, take it from its sheath and cut them like an apple. Do you understand me? You are big girl now." Elia's eyes filled with tears.

[ByzantineCaesar]

Elia's pride at her child mixed with bitter temperance. "Souls are the deep truth inside every person, it is the only thing in life that cannot be given to you nor taken away." She turned and produced a dagger. "Rhaenys, listen to me now. This little blade is for you. Wear it on a belt at all times. If anyone ever tries to hurt you or your brother, take it from its sheath and cut them like an apple. Do you understand me? You are big girl now." Elia's eyes filled with tears.

Rhaenys' eyes went wide with fear as she stared at that alien blade and her fear was only fed by her mother's watered eyes.

"B-But this is a sword, Mother!" she stuttered out in a shaking voice and kept a healthy distance from what seemed very much like a sword to her, while Balerion hissed.

[Oznerol]

The Queen requests to visit her daughter-in-law and grandchildren.

[Hengest]

Elia hears the voice of the queen outside and becomes joyous and nervous, hoping the guards will allow her entrance.

[Oznerol]

The guards, knowing their Queen, still loved by many, even more after her stoic enduring of her husband's folly, let her into the Maidenvault.

Tall, proud and dignified he wore a gown with the colors of her house, red and black, with a necklace of rubies, with a great black square diamond. He hair was loose, far below his shoulders. Wrinkles and suffering had withered her beauty, but still she was fair as a dragon should. She arrived to Elia's chambers with a rustle of silks and velvet:

"Elia! My children, where are they?"

She was smiling. Few of his maids followed her, including the Mooton maid, who the Queen loved dearly.

[Hengest]

Elia was too weak with emotion to rise. "Rhaella?!" If she was not a harder woman she would have wept. She took a deep breath and gathered herself. "Thank you. Thank you for coming."

[Oznerol]

Elia was too weak with emotion to rise. "Rhaella?!" If she was not a harder woman she would have wept. She took a deep breath and gathered herself. "Thank you. Thank you for coming."

Rhaella sits by her side:

"What happens my dear? I couldn't visit you in the whole week!"

[Hengest]

"A week?!" Elia exhaled with a hint of anger, and a gasp of disbelief. "I have not had news nor guest for nigh on nine months. For all I know your son has abandoned his wife and his children and left me a prisoner to his harsh father!" She opened her hands like claws. "Have you news?!"

[Alexandrine]

"A week?!" Elia exhaled with a hint of anger, and a gasp of disbelief. "I have not had news nor guest for nigh on nine months. For all I know your son has abandoned his wife and his children and left me a prisoner to his harsh father!" She opened her hands like claws. "Have you news?!"

Deiyna Mooton spied towards the Dornish princess from behind the Queen. She keeps silent. A waiting woman, does frankly a lot of waiting in a day.

[Lucius Malfoy]

A letter, brought by raven, is brought to the Maidenvault by a Goldcloak. The soldier bows, handing the letter to Elia Martell. It bears the seal of Rhaegar Targaryen.

[Hengest]

Cursing Rhaegar's name Elia screams uncontrollably and tears down the tapestries from the walls, upturns the tables, hammers the chairs onto the floor until they split. In her rage candles and oil lamps are knocked down and only when she slumps down breathless and in shock at her own rage does she smell the smoke and feel the heat from the rising flames.

[Poach]

[OOC: I don't see what roll is required here.]

[Poach]

The fires rose some more, eventually prompting a guard to open the door and peer inside to see what the loud crackling noises were.

"Fire! Fire in the Maidenvault!" he shouted, casting the door wide open and vaulting past Elia towards where the children were: the guards had strict orders to save the children by any means necessary, and then Elia.

More men soon showed up, two of them picking Elia up roughly and taking her from the room as others walked carefully with the children. Servants were seen with buckets of sand and water before long, send in to battle the growing fire that threatened to become an inferno.

"Take her to the Sept, keep her there for now," said the Guard Captain to the men holding Elia and the children, "I must tackle this blaze."

"Aye, Captain," said the Sergeant. Elia was released and the man motioned for her to walk with him. The children remained in the arms of several royal guardsmen.

[Hengest]

Elia still feeling the sting in her eyes and throat from the smoke, wiped her tears. They were not for Rhaegar, she told herself. "Sergeant, do not part me from my children." She spoke as stately as she could muster. "Are you a loyal servant of your prince?" She paused, stopping, waiting for him to turn and look he in the eyes. Eyes red with anger, from betrayal, abandonment and insult.

[Poach]

"Of course...?" said the Sergeant, half a question, a quizzical tone in his voice, "I've no common cause with those rebels, Princess. I'm a Kingslander myself, never left this city."

[Hengest]

"Glad to hear it. As would be my husband to be sure. Were he here." She raised her palm to waylay his confusion. "As a loyal servant, I ask you to speak freely why you think I and my children are held under lock and key?"