LION'S LEGACY
28. The Secret

  Just hours later, Annalys and Edric were escorted into one of the main rooms of the castle by Areo. They found Oberyn to be sitting on one side with Ellaria while the other side had Trystane sitting with Myrcella.

"Prince Oberyn," Annalys greeted the man happily, bowing her head to him as he smiled in return. It had only been a few months since she last seen him, but it didn't mean she hadn't missed him.

"Forgive us, Your Grace. We've started without you," Oberyn apologized to his queen, gesturing toward his nephew, "I told Trystane you wouldn't mind."

"I don't, truly," Annalys assured them, smiling politely.

"Sit, you both must be hungry due to the famine that has struck the Crownlands during the fever that hasn't taken so many lives," Oberyn encouraged Annalys and Edric, gesturing toward the open seats.

Annalys and Edric exchanged a look before walking closer to the ground, the Lannister woman immediately turning to her sister. "Myrcella," She greeted her younger sister, bowing her head slightly.

"Annalys," Myrcella greeted her queen in a sarcastic tone, "Or do I have to call you 'Your Grace' now? I wouldn't know. We haven't had a single conversation in nearly fifteen years."

Annalys forced herself to smile down at Myrcella, despite feeling hurt by the younger woman's hostility. "Annalys is fine," She assured her, only to frown when she sat the sleeveless, low cut dress Myrcella wore, "What a lovely dress."

"You don't like it?" Myrcella questioned, raising a brow at her elder sister.

"You must be cold. It is winter, after all," Annalys pointed out, beginning to speak sarcastically as well.

"Perhaps," Myrcella responded as she shrugged her shoulders, "But the Dornish climate surely agrees with me. Unlike my elder sister, I do not enjoy wearing pants meant for men and heavy armor."

"Well, do you expect me to wear a dress like that while fighting for our family's survival?" Annalys complained, gesturing down to Myrcella's silk dress.

"Your family. Not mine. My family is right here," Myrcella corrected Annalys, placing one hand on Trystane's leg and the other on her growing stomach, "How many children do you have now, sister? Seven? I don't believe you need to worry about mine. I just wonder what was so important you had to come here, announced."

Annalys found herself feeling angered with Myrcella's attitude and hostility and decided to return the favor, despite knowing what was she was about to do was beyond fucked up. "I thought you should know that Tommen and Mother are dead," She informed her younger sister in a calm tone, causing Myrcella's eyes to widen and her mouth gape open in shock while Annalys became sarcastic, to hide the sadness she felt at that moment, "But as you said, they're not your family so why would you care?"

Myrcella began to tear up and Annalys knew she'd be lying if she said it didn't make her feel better after how bratty Myrcella was being. In no way did she feel bad for her sister. After everything she had done for Myrcella, she couldn't believe Myrcella could ever treat her in such a way.

"Our brothers are dead, sister. We are the last Lannisters left, the ones who count, at least," She explained, referring to the fact that Jaime was sworn in the Queensguard, Tyrion was imprisoned, and their Uncle Kevan was far too old to have anymore sons, "The Lannister name ends with us if Margaery Tyrell isn't revealed to be pregnant with our brother's child in the next coming months."

Annalys began to glare at Myrcella, who seemed to be on the verge of crying. Noticing the tension between the siblings, Edric attempted to change the subject. "Prince Trystane," He called out, turning toward the Prince of Dorne, "My apologies for what I did to you. How is your nose?"

"Fleabite," He responded before gesturing toward the open seats across from him and Myrcella, "Now come, sit. More than enough food and drink for all of us."

Knowing it would be rude to decline their request, Edric and Annalys took a seat, despite feeling hesitant to do so. "I heard you gave my three eldest daughters one hell of a fight, Queen Annalys. You and Ser Edric," Oberyn spoke up after growing impatient with the awkward silence and Myrcella's constant glares toward Annalys.

Annalys gradually began to smile, nodding her head in response. "We did." She replied, sharing a look with Edric, who remained silent.

"My apologies. They did not know who you were. If they did, they wouldn't have done what they did," Oberyn apologized, but it was clear that Annalys wasn't offended or angered by the Sand Snakes attacking her.

It was odd. Most rulers would be. Actually, anyone would. But not Annalys. She was different. Much different. After all, she grew up believing she'd never be queen. But here she was.

"It's quite alright. Edric and I were in need of a good fight and your daughters gave us just that," She smiled, turning toward Edric, who looked back at her as well, "Isn't that right, Ser Edric?"

Edric nodded, faking a smile alongside his queen. "Yes, Your Grace," He answered, the two of them forcing themselves to use formalities once more in the presence of the Dornishmen and Myrcella.

"I am sorry for your loss, Queen Annalys," Trystane spoke up, giving his queen a sympathetic look, "I'm told you loved your mother very much, and your brother."

"It was a tragedy. So many wonderful people have lost their lives to this fever. Let us hope it soon passes and no longer takes anymore lives," Annalys responded, the group not knowing what Annalys had done to ensure the sickness would leave Westeros. Only Edric did, and there was no way he'd tell anyone about that.

"Let us drink to Annalys, the First of her Name, Queen of the Andals, the Rhoynar, the Free Folk and the First Men, Lady of Seven Kingdoms," Oberyn spoke up happily, lifting up his glass of Dornish wine to make a toast.

The rest of the group followed soon after. While everyone began to drink, Annalys placed the cup to her lips, but did nothing more. Annalys had presumed everyone but her drank the wine, until she heard the sound of liquid being spilled on the ground. She turned her head, only to turn her head to see Myrcella pouring her wine on the marble floor instead of drinking it as she hatefully glared at her sister.

Trystane tensed up, clearly not knowing how Annalys would react to Myrcella's actions. It was considered an act of disrespect toward the queen, something a person could be executed for if Annalys had chosen to make such a rash decision.

However, instead, Annalys smirked in amusement, gesturing her cup toward her sister. "Such a shame to waste such good wine, sister." She commented in a sarcastic tone, causing Oberyn to turn to her with a grin as she turned toward one of the servants, "Pour my sister another glass. It would be shame for her not to have any."

"No," Myrcella argued in a stern tone, turning to the servant who served both herself and her husband, the Prince of Dorne, "I'm not thirsty."

"A pregnant woman is always thirsty and hungry," Annalys argued back, beginning to glare at Myrcella.

"Of course you'd know," Myrcella responded, letting out a large scoff, "How times have you been pregnant? Three, four times? How many children are planning on having? Ten?"

"As many as I end up giving birth to," Annalys retorted coldly, continuing to glare at her younger sister.

"Your husband must not be able to keep his paws off you," Myrcella admitted, tilting her head slightly, "But I wouldn't expect nothing less from a barbaric wolf from the North."

The entire group began to tense up and Trystane began to quietly scold Myrcella, pleading for his wife to stop where she was. After all, she just insulted the King of the Seven Kingdoms, Annalys' husband.

   "Oh, it's quite alright, Prince Trystane. My sister is just speaking her mind. That's allowed," She assured the man before turning to look at Myrcella with a smirk on her face, "You're right. He can't keep his 'paws' off me, but the feeling is mutual between him and I. We love retiring to our bedchambers at night. I dare say the same can't be said about you and the Prince. After all, it did take you ten years after getting married to fall pregnant."

Much to Annalys' confusion, Oberyn and Trystane began to tense up at Annalys' words while Myrcella stood up before rushing out of the room, presumably crying. Annalys frowned in confusion, not knowing what had just happened. What was she missing?

____

  Days passed during Annalys and Edric's stay in Dorne and Myrcella continuously avoided her eldest sister. Annalys stood in her chambers alongside Edric. She looked out the window, finding Myrcella standing with the youngest of Prince Oberyn's daughters.

"She doesn't need me anymore, Edric," Annalys confessed, a saddened look on her face as she turned to face the Dayne man, "I thought she'd be happy to have me here, but she's not. She's anything but happy."

"Try to talk to her," Edric suggested, earning a sigh in frustration from Annalys.

"It's quite hard when she avoids me at all costs," She admitted, continuing to look saddened, "I don't even know what I did to wrong her. I haven't seen her in years," She paused, letting out a sigh in defeat, "I don't even know how I would start a conversation with Myrcella without her snapping at me. She hates me."

"You must talk to her, Your Grace. It's the only way you'll ever leave here. I know you and I know you'll refuse to leave here until you know she's safe and happy, and no longer angry with you."

"You're right," Annalys whispered softly, sighing as she began to move toward the door, "I have talk to her. I must do it now."

Just a few hours later, Annalys walked passed Myrcella's room. The door was opened and the midwives were trying to help Myrcella while she was having backpain. Despite knowing Myrcella would be unhappy, Annalys entered, an annoyed look on her face. "You're doing it wrong," She snapped at the women, who stopped to bow to their queen, "Leave us. I'll take care of her."

Despite feeling hesitant, the midwives left, leaving Annalys with her sister. "I don't need your help," Myrcella growled at Annalys, glaring at her elder sister as she placed a hand on the small of her back.

"Really? Your condition says something else entirely different, little sister," Annalys retorted in a calm tone, picking up a soak cloth that the midwives had been placing on Myrcella's head. She brought it back over to the bowl filled with water. She placed it inside before moving toward the fireplace, placing it on top of the fire, on the top of the metal rack inside of the fireplace.

Letting it heat up, she moved back over to Myrcella, she grabbed two pillows from the ground before approaching Myrcella. She placed them down beside Myrcella before grabbed her younger sister by the shoulders. "Turn on your side," She demanded, but Myrcella refused, much to the elder woman's annoyance, "As you said a few days ago, I've been pregnant four times. I know what I'm doing."

Myrcella sighed, finally obeying Annalys' orders. Myrcella turned on her side and turned to glance over at Annalys. Annalys, who didn't know Myrcella was looking, ran a hand over her own stomach, an uneasy look on her face. Myrcella remained silent, however, despite realizing that her sister was pregnant as well, even though no one seemed to know.

Annalys walked away from Myrcella, taking the steaming hot bowl out of the fireplace before walking back over to her sister. She placed it down on a nearby table and then moved closer to Myrcella once more. She took one of the pillows, placing it under Myrcella's body and the other between the younger woman's knees. "From now until your birth, sleep on your side. Leave at least one knee bent. Try your best to keep one pillow under your belly and another between your knees. It will help with your backpains. Trust me," She explained, beginning to smile softly as she walked toward the bowl that contained the steaming water and the soaked towel.

Myrcella watched in shock as Annalys lifted the steaming towel out of the scorching water without even making a face. It wasn't that she was immune to the heat, it was quite the opposite. She was just tolerate to the pain after all that she endured.

She smiled, making her way back over to Myrcella. She allowed the wash cloth to cool down in her hand before placing it on Myrcella's back. Myrcella knew she'd be lying if she said the hot towel pressed against her lower back didn't make her feel better. "While carrying most of my children, I didn't feel many symptoms," She informed Myrcella, chuckling softly at the thought, "I was only ever sick during my first pregnancy. I had the most cravings then, too. With Torrhen and Joanna, it was as though I wasn't even pregnant. I was so busy fighting beyond the Wall and dying at Castle Black that the pregnancy was the last on my list of things to be concerned about," She paused, noticing how shocked Myrcella looked at the revelation of Annalys dying, "But with Rickard...Oh, Gods. Now, that pregnancy was the worst of them all. He was the first child I carried that didn't have a twin alongside him. Yet despite that, he was the pregnancy that caused me the most trouble. I was always sick, always tired. I always had to piss and I seemed to always be eating. It was the first pregnancy Robb truly got to be at my side for the entirety of it, too. Even if that sounds relieving, it wasn't. He was constantly worrying about my state, even though I always claimed to be fine. Of course, I was proven wrong when it was time to give birth. Rickard's birth was the most difficult of them all, even more than my firstborns, if that's even possible."

While speaking to Myrcella, Annalys lightly massaged Myrcella's feet, despite the girl not asking for it. Myrcella felt relieved by it, though. Since becoming pregnancy, her feet swelled. It just came as a shock to Myrcella that her sister had known without her even having to tell her. "After his birth, Rickard still remains the most difficult of all my children. As a babe, he cried constantly and always demanded to be held by Robb and I. I barely got any sleep during the first six months of his life."

"Didn't you have a nursemaid?" Myrcella questioned, a bit of attitude still in her tone of voice.

Annalys smiled, chuckling softly. "None of my children have been taken care of by nursemaids," She informed her younger sister, who had been taken aback by the revelation, "Each of my children have been nursed at my own breasts. I can't bear the thought of someone else doing something that only a mother should do for her children," She paused, beginning to tear up, "Each of my children have been taken care of by me constantly during the first years of their life. Since I can remember, all of my children were born with their nursery connected to my room, no matter where I may have lived at the time. Whether it may have been Casterly Rock, the Red Keep, or Riverrun, I always did everything for my children. No one else. Yes, Robb was there, but the bond a child has with their mother is different than the one a child has with their father. A mother is the one who births her children, who nurses them, who truly raises them. No one else can truly do that for a child."

"I pray that I'm as good of a mother as you are," Myrcella admitted in a whisper, a saddened look on her face.

"You will," Annalys responded in a calm tone, smiling softly as she nodded.

"What will you name the next one?" Myrcella found herself asking when she noticed Annalys about to leave since she thought her sister would want to be left alone to sleep.

Annalys turned to Myrcella, looking shocked. She tried to remain calm, however, not wanting to give her uneasiness away. "If it's a girl, it shall be Jeyne, after my dear friend. If it's a boy, it shall be Edric, for the man who has been at my side through everything."

"Careful," She warned Annalys in a stern tone, "You left King's Landing months ago. Name your child Edric and they'll start whispering, claiming the child isn't your husband's."

"Do you think I care what people at court think?" She questioned, letting out a large scoff, "They thought the same thing when Torrhen and Joanna came out blonde. But now, the whispering has stopped. I can deal with rumors. It's not like they're true. Robb is the father of all my children..." She trailed off, beginning to smile playfully, "Except Torra, but that's obvious since she was taken in by us only five years ago and she's almost sixteen."

Myrcella rolled her eyes at Annalys, earning a smile from her elder sister. "You should get some sleep. From what I can tell, you'll be due soon," She plainly stated, leaving the room before Myrcella could say any more.

____

   That same day, as nightfall came around, Annalys laid in bed, her shift pulled up in order her to see her growing belly. Annalys smiled, placing her hands on her belly as she looked down at it. "Hey, can you hear me in there?" She whispered softly to her unborn child, earning a small kick in return, which caused Annalys to laugh, "There you are, my child. It's me, your mother. I cannot wait to meet you."

Annalys rubbed her hand over her belly, watching as her child kicked numerous times inside her womb. "I sure hope you're another boy," She admitted softly, chuckling in amusement, "Your father probably wants a girl like he did last time, but I don't know. I think three girls is enough. Yes, he might claimed that four boys is enough, but he doesn't seem to understand that girls are much more difficult, especially when they're the daughters of someone like me. They're defiant and far too stubborn to listen to anyone's orders that aren't worried about. And when they fall in love, they're too stubborn to listen to any of my advice..." She trailed off, smiling as she thought about Torra, "But you're not a girl, are you? You're a boy. I just know it."

The baby kicked a few more times, much to Annalys' excitement. "You're kicker, aren't you?" She whispered softly, beginning to laugh, "Well, isn't that nice?"

Annalys smiled softly, her hands remaining on her stomach as she gradually felt herself beginning to fall asleep, her unborn child kicking here and there.

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

What do you think the child will be? A boy or a girl?

After all, Annalys already has four sons (Eddard, Olyvar, Torrhen, Rickard) and three daughters (Torra, Lyanna, Joanna)