LION'S LEGACY
29. Promise Me

Weeks had passed and seeing as though she had nothing else better to do, Annalys sat at the desk in her room at Sunspeare, writing a letter to Robb. She had a hand placed on her belly, which had now become more visible, but Annalys still managed to hide it. She was more than six months now and within a fortnight, she'd be seven months. She had been writing a letter to Robb nearly every day since leaving King's Landing, but didn't send a single one. She had them all placed in a journal, saving them for when she actually arrived back home.

Each of them were detailed about everything, including the pregnancy. She wanted to make sure that even if he hadn't been there for it, he'd feel like he had been. She knew it always meant a lot to him to be there for the pregnancy. It always did and even if he had been there for apart of the time she had been pregnant Torrhen and Joanna, it hadn't been the entire time. The only one of Annalys' pregnancy he had been there for the entirety of it was Rickard, the most difficult of the pregnancies.

There was a knock on the door, leading to Annalys turning her head as she removed her hand from being placed on her belly, snapped out of her thoughts. "Enter," She spoke up and before Annalys could react, a group of midwives ran in, looking alarmed.

"Your Grace! Your Grace!" They exclaimed in horror, their eyes wide, "The Princess Myrcella has given birth. There has been some complications."

Feeling alarmed as well, Annalys stood up and rushed off with them. She soon entered her sister's room, finding her laying in bed, dying. She was sweating severely and blood covered the skirt of her shift and the bedsheets as well.

Annalys tried her best to hold back her seats as she knelt in front of her sister's dying body. She couldn't it was happening. Another person in her family was going to die. She began to fear that she was cursed.

"Annalys..." Myrcella trailed off, her voice weak and her throat scratchy, "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Annalys exclaimed, giving her younger sister a deeply confused look as she placed a hand on Myrcella's pale cheek, "You've done nothing."

Myrcella slowly lifted up her right hand, which was covered in blood. Not caring about the blood, Annalys grabbed ahold of her sister's hand, squeezing it in comfort. "I've been so cold to you. It's only because I've missed you," She whispered softly, beginning to smile, despite it being the weakest of them all, "You've got everything you've ever wanted. You're a queen. You've got a warrior husband. You've got the love of thousands, despite being a Lannister and you've got seven healthy children. I've been pregnant twice before and lost the baby both times. Now that I've given birth to healthy child, I'm going to die."

"You're not going to die, Cella," Annalys argued in a stern tone, trying her hardest not to cry as she found herself having flashback of Freyja, the woman she had spent years forcing herself not to think about, "I'm here. I'm here with you. You'll get through this. I know it."

"I missed you, you know, even if I didn't show it at first. I've dreamt of reuniting, truly reuniting with you for years. And now it's happened," She confessed, smiling sadly as she finally began to cry, "I want to be brave...just like you."

"You are," Annalys replied, tears threatening to spill from her eyes as she nodded her head, "You are brave."

Myrcella continued to cry, shaking her head at Annalys' words, "I'm not..." She trailed off, fear in her eyes at the sight of how much blood she was losing after the birth, "I don't want to die, Annalys."

"You're not going to die," Annalys argued, despite knowing it was a lie. They both did. She tried not to cry, despite the fact that Myrcella's words were so similar to Freyja's. The whole situation was so similar if she disregarded the pregnancy part. That was what made it painful most of all.

"I am. I've lost too much blood. I'll never survive," Myrcella argued, tightly grasping Annalys' hand as she placed her lion necklace in the palm of it, "Give this to my daughter. Tell her that her mother loved her very much," She insisted, letting out a small, weak cry, "You must always watch over her, Annalys. Promise you'll make sure she's safe. Promise me..." She trailed off, Annalys' eyes widening in alarm when Myrcella's hand let go of hers.

"Cella? Myrcella? Myrcella, wake up. Myrcella, please wake up!" She pleaded, finally beginning to cry as she placed her hands on the sides of her sister's face, "Open your eyes. Please," She begged, her sobs becoming louder as she shook her head frantically, "No, no, no. Please, wake up!"

Annalys sobbed loudly, her chest beginning to hurt as tears streamed down her face. She couldn't believe it. In the span of two months, her mother had died, her brother had died, and her sister had died.

"Please, don't leave me," Annalys sobbed as she looked down at her sister's corpse, "Not like this, not like this! Please. Please, Cella."

Annalys cried out one last time, knowing there was no use. Myrcella was dead. Her only sister was dead. The midwives in the room silently cried at the sight of the queen breaking down. Annalys took a moment to cry before taking a deep breath, forcing herself to calm down. She turned to those same midwives, tears streaming down her face, "Bring the child to me," She demanded, trying her best to sound stern, despite feeling the need to break down, "Bring my niece to me."

One of the midwives walked over, holding the child in her arms. The baby girl was placed in Annalys' arms and the Lannister queen looked down to find the baby had dark hair with light eyes. Her skin was tan, a bit darker than Myrcella's, but most definitely lighter than Trystane's. She was a perfect mix of her mother and father. Annalys began to smile sadly, rocking the baby as she began to cry.

Suddenly, the door opened and Trystane entered, hoping to find his wife alive and well alongside his newborn daughter. However, his smiled immediately faded at the sight of Myrcella's lifeless body and Annalys sobbing as she held the baby in her arms.

Trystane began to tear up, desperately shaking his head. "No. No, no, no," He pleaded, rushing over to his wife.

He began to sob as he cupped Myrcella's face in his hands. The woman he loved was now dead and he wasn't even there to say goodbye. He had been out of the castle when Myrcella went into labor. When he heard, though, he rode his horse back toward Sunspear as fast as he could. But now as it seemed, he was too late. He wasn't able to be there for Myrcella and now, she was dead.

   At the sight of Trystane crying over Myrcella's death, Annalys began to cry even more. "She didn't deserve to die, especially not like this," She confessed, letting out a heartbroken cry, "She was good, my sister was good. Since the day she came into this world, she was good. She was so sweet. Nothing like me and nothing like Joffrey. She was good. I promised to protect her since the day she was born and now, I've failed."

"It isn't your fault," Trystane admitted softly, trying to hold back at the rest of his tears as he looked down at Myrcella's corpse, "It's no one's fault. No one could have stopped it."

Hearing a baby coo, Trystane turned his head to see that it had been the child Annalys held in her arms. His child.

Annalys turned, noticing how anxious Trystane seemed to be at the sight of his daughter, his heir. "Would you like to hold her?" She asked and Trystane looked hesitant, not knowing the half on how to take care of a baby, "I insist."

Trystane looked uneasy as he waked over to Annalys. Annalys wasted no time placing the baby in his arms, assisting him on holding the baby correctly. Trystane looked Annalys in the eyes, tears threatening to spill from them. "I don't know the half of raising a child," He admitted, his voice a mere whisper.

"I promised Myrcella I would watch over her child. As Queen, I can get you the best of Maesters and Septas to tutor your daughter. I will make sure you have wetnurses to help you raise this child. She will grow up loved and well-taken care of. When she reaches the age of eight, she will be invited to stay at King's Landing to be fostered by my husband and I. Perhaps there will even be a future marriage between your daughter and my youngest son," She paused, trying not to tense up since she knew she meant her unborn child, not Rickard, "I will visit her until then, whenever I can."

Trystane nodded his head, looking down at the child, who began to cry in his arms. "She's hungry. You must find her a wetnurse soon. She'll have to eat within the hour," She informed him and smiled sadly, squeezing Trystane's arm in comfort as she handed him Myrcella's necklace. "She wanted her daughter to have it." She whispered softly, trying her hardest not to break down in front of him

Annalys let out a shaky sigh before finally leaving the room. Once leaving, she pressed her back against the wall, beginning to break down. She ran a hand through her hair, quietly sobbing as she placed a hand on her growing stomach. She realized that regarding House Lannister, she was all alone. Her brothers were dead and her sister was dead. She was the last Lannister left besides Jaime and Tyrion. It was the wrong time to think it, but she knew it was true. She failed her grandfather. She promised she'd build a dynasty that would last a thousand years. She did, but not for House Lannister. Her children were Starks. Lyanna and Eddard were legitimized as Lannisters, which people seemed to forget, but in the eyes of the realm. they were Starks. They would always be Starks.

Lyanna was also the only one of her children who truly considered herself a Lannister, but that didn't change anything. What could a single Lannister do to keep the family name alive?

_____

A little more than a month had passed before Annalys finally decided that her niece was safe at Dorne and that it was finally time to return to King's Landing, to see her family, to rule, and to give birth to her child. She bid goodbye to Trystane and his daughter, whom he named Myrcella, after her mother. She said goodbye to Oberyn and his paramour as well, just before leaving Sunspeare.

Days upon days passed and Annalys, alongside Edric, remained at the beach they had been staying at when arriving at Dorne several months before. They impatiently waited for Rhaegal, whom they presumed would bring them home. Annalys hadn't seen Rhaegal in months and it concerned her, to say the least. She feared he was gone. Since she first rode him, she let him live freely to do whatever he wanted, but that didn't mean he wasn't always there when she needed him. Now, she needed him and he wasn't there.

"He'll arrive soon," Annalys found herself saying, having hope that her dragon would arrive, "He is bonded to me. He knows that I need him. He will return."

Edric sighed in defeat. He nodded his head in agreement, despite having the feeling that it wasn't true. "We'll stay here until he comes?" He questioned and Annalys nodded, trying her best not to look uneasy.

She turned away from him, placing her hand on her belly. She had the feeling she'd be due in a few weeks. She only assumed herself to be around eight months along, but that was only if she did the math correctly, which would mean she wasn't due yet. However, that didn't change the fact that she was experiencing the same symptoms she had endured just weeks before the births of the rest of her children.

She tried to ignore that reminder, but that didn't mean it wasn't still the truth. Annalys sighed, exchanging a look with Edric before moving closer to the beach.

____

  Days later, Annalys was lying on the ground on the beach, asleep. It was the same place her and Edric had taken shelter at, not trusting any nearby inns. Just then, she woke up to a pain that was all too familiar. She began to pain for breath, clutching her lower belly in pain. "Ah!" She yelled out, feeling a sharp pain.

She continued to pant for breath and she cried out as she weakly stood up. She quickly placed her boots on, limping toward toward the dirtroad in hopes of spotting Edric, who seemed to be nowhere in sight. She clutched her belly in pain, knowing for a fact she was in labor. "Edric? Edric, please! Where are you?" She called out, regretting her stupid idea of never telling him that she pregnant the entire time.

If he did know, he would have never thought of leaving her like that. At the time she had made the decision of not telling him, she would have been happy at the thought of him leaving her alone, but now she wanted the opposite. She needed him, or she'd be giving birth on the beach, alone. She didn't think she'd be due so soon, but perhaps she got the time that she was due wrong. She felt stupid. She should have went to a maester at least once. There could be a number of complications. The last time she was in childbirth, which had been no more than a year prior, her child died just moments after taking his first breath. The time before that, she never recalled being in so much pain before and would have died if she hadn't stopped bleeding when she did. She feared for complications like that. What if her child died? What if she died? There was no one around to help her. She was alone.

Annalys stopped walking for a moment. She panted for breath, bending forward as she placed her hand on her knees to take a deep breath. She took a large, deep breath before continuing on, crying and whimpering in pain as she found herself dangerously close to the birth of her child.

Annalys was about to call out for Edric again, only to suddenly stop when Rhaegal appeared in front of her. She practically cried in relief, seeing as though she had been waiting for him to return for several weeks. She had feared he had gone missing. Rhaegal stared down at his rider, seeming to be almost concerned. He tilted his head, staring at her closely. Without hesitation, Rhaegal let out a large roar, flapping his wings, as if to give a signal.

Edric, who had been on the verge of riding away on his horse to find them some food, ended up hearing Rhaegal's roar. "Annalys? Annalys!" He called out, knowing something must have been wrong.

He immediately turned on his horse and rode back toward the beach as fast as he could. Several long and agonizing moments later, he arrived and wasted no time climbing off his horse. He ran in the direction of Rhaegal, hearing Annalys whimpering and crying. He frowned, swearing he had heard a baby cry, but knew he must have been hearing things. He looked around, concerned when he found Annalys to be nowhere in sight.

Just then, the dragon lifted his wing, revealing Annalys to be lying there in her dress, which was now covered in blood. She was crying, sweating and had some stained blood covering her face as she held a crying newborn baby in her arms. A baby boy.

He wasted no time going to rush toward Annalys, only to have Rhaegal roar threateningly in his face. Edric stood in place, showing himself not to be scared. Knowing he wasn't a threat, Rhaegal soon calmed down, allowing Edric through. Edric moved closer to Annalys, who looked weak as she held her newborn son in his hands.

"I should have...I should have told you," Annalys softly cried, looking up at Edric as she panted for breath, clearly weak from what she had endured, "I thought I had more time. I should have had more time."

"How long?" Edric questioned Annalys, kneeling down next to her to see the newborn prince to be healthy and plump, unlike his elder siblings when they were both, "How long have you know?"

"The entire time," She confessed in a whisper, much to Edric's horror, "I thought I had more time. I knew that if you knew the truth, you would have never let me go to Dragonstone and then to Dorne. If I hadn't gone to Dorne, I would have never gotten the chance to say goodbye to my sister."

Edric remained silent. He nodded, despite feeling furious that she had kept something like that from him. She always told him everything. It was the first time she ever truly lied to him and even though it wasn't that big of a deal, it still upset him nonetheless.

"Cella told me it wasn't wise, but I don't care," Annalys argued, smiling sadly as she looked up at Edric, "His name will be Edric. After you."

Edric was shocked by Annalys' decision, but didn't respond to it as he grabbed Annalys' weak body up, holding her bridal's style while she held her son. "Let us find you a maester, Your Grace," He decided, changing the subject as he began to speak formally, "I cannot believe you just gave birth to your child alone, on a beach."

"It is marked by me forever," Annalys jokingly responded, trying her best to stay away, despite feeling severely tired after giving birth, "Perhaps it should be named after me as well."

"Oh, shut up," Edric complained, both of them beginning to quietly laugh as Annalys began to drift off into sleep, clearly weakened.

_____

   Lying in bed, Annalys jumped up, finding herself to be in an unknown place. She frowned, glancing around worriedly since she didn't know where she was. She sighed in relief, however, when she found her son lying in the bed beside her, fast asleep.

There was a knock on the door, just before Edric entered. She frowned in concern, finding him to be wearing different clothes than he had been before while carrying an unfamiliar dress in his hands, presumably to give to Annalys. "Where are we, Edric?" She found herself asking him, a concerned look on her face, "Where did you take us?"

"Starfall," He responded in a calm tone, causing Annalys' eyes to widen in shock, "My old home. You fell unconscious while I was trying to get you to the maesters. The only castle I could think of with a maester that was trustworthy and could help us was here. He helped you. He said you were fine. He gave you milk of the poppy and says we may leave today if that is what you'd like. My uncle, the Lord of Starfall, says he has five hundred men here that he can spare to escort you and the prince to King's Landing, since you can't ride Rhaegal with the prince."

"Where is Rhaegal?" Annalys asked in concern, looking to be worried about the dragon's wellbeing, "Where is my dragon? Is he here?"

Edric frowned, slightly taken aback by Annalys' genuine concern for the dragon that only became hers just a year before. He never saw the true bond between the dragon and Annalys until he witnessed what had happened on the shores of Dorne.

Rhaegal had shielded and covered Annalys with his wing as she gave birth to her son. He let out a large roar solely to alert Edric that she was in danger. And when Edric got too close for Rhaegal's liking, the dragon roared in his face, not knowing whether or not he was trustworthy. The dragon was protective over Annalys, to say the least, and Annalys cared deeply for the creature.

"He is here," Edric informed Annalys in a calm tone, gesturing upwards, "He is flying just above here, has been since we arrived. It's as though he refuses to leave you again."

Annalys smiled softly, nodding her head in understanding. Suddenly, her son cried, causing Annalys to immediately pick the baby up and place him in her arms. She smiled softly, looking down at her son, who began to settle down in his mother's arms. "I have been waiting quite a while to meet you, my son," She admitted in a whisper, smiling down at him, "And you are more perfect than I could have ever imagined. You are a prince, my son. Prince Edric Lannister."

Edric immediately frowned, beginning to tense up at Annalys decision. "Do you think that's wise, Your Grace?" He asked without hesitation, feeling uneasy at the young boy's name, "People will whisper. They will the moment we arrive. You are calling him a Lannister and he will be named Edric. They'll start to assume things that aren't even true."

"Let them," Annalys responded, despite feeling hesitant, "You don't understand, Edric. I need his name to be Lannister. House Lannister will die off if I don't. I must have a son with the Lannister name."

Edric sighed in defeat, knowing she had a point, but it didn't mean it made matters any better in the long run. "House Lannister cannot die off, Edric," She found herself admitting, a saddened look on her face, "I won't let it. Not after everything I've done to keep it alive for the past twelve years."

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

This is probably the most eventful chapter since Annalys defeated Daenerys. 😂

In one chapter....

- Myrcella has died and given birth to a daughter (a princess of Dorne that will be Prince Edric's future wife)

- Annalys delivered her child on HER OWN on a BEACH and it was a baby boy.

Not to mention, she named him Edric AND a Lannister.

Now, that's a problem just waiting to occur😭