Chapter Text
The sun shone down bright and hot as Rhaenyra stomped her feet on the ground attempting to knock the mud from her boots before entering the bank. She had rode into Plankytown two days ago hoping to find work. The money she had made in Sunspear about a month and a half ago was near depleted and she was desperate to make more before becoming destitute. She had been traveling Dorne seeing the sights and trying to find her way. Towards what she didnt know, but she had a longing for something she couldn't describe. She had come south in search of adventure and fortune, and instead had found nothing but hardship and struggle, but she didn't regret it. She had felt freer these last five years than all her years back in Kingslanding.
She walked into the bank with her easy yet practiced masculine gait. She removed her black cowboy hat, ran her fingers through her sweaty, short, silver hair and approached the teller who had made eye contact with her and gestured her over.
"How can I help you, sir?" the teller said warmly as Rhaenyra walked up.
"I'd like to send a western union to someone," Rhaenyra replied.
"Of course, I can help you with that," the young teller responded, reaching for the form she would help Rhaenyra fill out. "Your first and last name, sir?"
"Ray Tarlton," Rhaenyra replied.
The teller continued assisting Rhaenyra with the form when yelling could be heard from across the bank. There were desks off to the side of the lobby, and sitting at one was a young woman with three children. She was crying as a bank employee implored her to calm.
"I can't lose my farm!" the woman cried out. "Me and my children have nowhere else to go!"
"We do not want to repossess your land, Mrs. Cole, but you are very behind in your payments. There isn't much I can do for you at this point unless you're able to bring in a large enough harvest to help pay down your debt," the bank employee was empathetic but clearly unable to do more to calm the crying woman.
"I have no hands to help me, my husband is gone, and I cannot manage it all on my own. My home will be taken from me!"
Everyone in the bank was now watching this scene unfold. The woman looked to be in her mid twenties. She had long auburn hair and though Rhaenyra could not see her face she imagined she was very beautiful. She was clutching a small babe in her arms, there was another boy about three standing near her clutching her chair nervously, and another boy about six sitting in the other chair next to her silently crying himself. Maybe he understood his mother's concerns, or perhaps he simply was upset to see her upset.
The bank employee, finally noticing the entire bank witnessing his exchange with his customer, invited her to join him in the privacy of his boss' office where they could finish their business without an audience. She accepted, and followed him into the office and the door shut behind them.
Rhaenyra continued her business with the teller, and walked out afterwards to look at the bulletin board on the wall outside of the bank. Hopefully there would be job postings there and with any luck Rhaenyra would find some viable employment options. There were a few jobs listed but nothing that Rhaenyra was qualified for or interested in. She had done a little bit of everything these last five years. She had worked laying railroad tracks, she had worked construction building homes in newly founded cities, she had hunted buffalo and sold their hides and meat, she had been a farm hand for ten months learning a bit of what it took to run a farm, and she had worked tending bar in some dusty town in southern Dorne for several weeks. She had never stayed in any place too long these last five years. It was safer that way. She didn't want to get too close to anyone, or let anyone get too close to her lest they figure out her secrets.
Rhaenyra Targaryen had been living as Ray Tarlton for the last five years. She had said goodbye to Kingslanding, at twenty and one years old, and had taken on this new identity. She lived as a man, because it gave her the freedom to go out into the world and live life on her terms. She had been a tomboy her entire life, to the consternation of her parents, and had never been ladylike or appropriately feminine. She had always been Ray, she supposed, but had only fully embraced it when she was free to. As Ray she could do as pleased but as Rhaenyra she could not, so she left her old identity back in Kingslanding and never looked back. Or at least that's what she told herself. She missed her family, her friends, her old self too to some degree, but missed none enough to go back. She still felt like the same old Rhaenyra she had always been, just in pants, but to the world she was Ray now, a respectable man, and she knew she could never be anything else and be happy.
As Rhaenyra turned to walk away from the bulletin board she ran right into the crying young woman from the bank. She was still holding her baby, clutching the hand of the three year old, and the oldest boy was standing right beside his mother.
"Pardon me, ma'am. I didn't see you there," Rhaenyra said in her well practiced deeper voice.
"It is fine, sir," the woman said face red, eyes swollen, and cheeks wet with tears. "Come along boys," she said to her sons, leading them past Rhaenyra away from the bank.
Their exchange had only been a few seconds, but Rhaenyra was able to look the woman in the face and was gobsmacked by her beauty. Her long wavy auburn hair fell curly around her lovely face. Even after all the crying and with her slight frown the woman was incredibly pretty. She had round eyes full of worry, and Rhaenyra instantly wanted to help her somehow. She wanted to relieve this gorgeous woman of all her sorrow and stress.
"I couldn't help but overhear about your troubles… inside the bank," Rhaenyra said, turning to the direction of the woman walking away from her. "Mayhaps I could help you?"
The woman stopped walking, and turned back towards Rhaenyra. Her eyes narrowed with suspicion.
"How exactly do you see yourself helping me? I don't even know you, sir," the woman replied cautiously.
Rhaenyra could only imagine what this woman must be thinking. It did sound awfully like an indecent proposal.
"You're in need of a farm hand, or so it sounds, and I used to work as one."
The woman relaxed a bit, but looked annoyed now and huffed.
"I can't afford any help. I can barely keep food on the table to feed my children," she said, seeming more despondent by the second. "If that was your offer of help I'm sorry but I shall have to decline."
Rhaenyra for some reason felt the need to press forward and would not take no for an answer. "I have no current job prospects, and am running low on my savings. I need a place to stay, and I could help you plant and harvest a crop of whatever you grow on your farm in exchange for room and board until after harvest where you can pay me minus room and board in a lump sum. I heard the banker tell you that you need a large harvest to pay down your debt. I can do the work of 3 farm hands. I've done it before. What you pay me will be worth it in the end if you keep your farm. You'll likely have enough leftover to hire a permanent hand to help you moving forward."
The woman stood in the middle of the road contemplating everything Rhaenyra just said. Rhaenyra could see the woman's mind processing all this information and weighing her options. She knew the woman didn't really have any other options, but could tell she was hesitant to open up her life and home to a strange man.
"I'm Ray Tarlton. I'm from Kingslanding. It's nice to meet you," Rhaenyra said, stepping closer and reaching out her hand for a handshake.
"I'm Alicent Cole," the red head said in reply as she reached back to take Rhaenyra's offer for a handshake. "It's my pleasure to meet you, sir."
"You don't have to call me 'sir'," Rhaenyra said with a smile, "I think we're very close in age, my lady."
"Well I'm no lady, so you can refrain from that title as well," Alicent replied, returning the smile.
"I know you don't know me from Adam, you're a woman alone with small children, and you'd be wise to be hesitant to take such an offer from a strange man, but if I may be honest I'm kind of desperate, ma'am. I'm low on funds and need a job. From what I overheard you're desperate as well. We could help each other. Maybe it's fate?"
Alicent looked pensive. Rhaenyra could tell she wanted to say yes, but was afraid.
"What kind of experience do you have with growing wheat?" Alicent asked.
"None, honestly," Rhaenyra replied, "but I can grow anything. I'm a fast learner, and I'll deliver on my promises. I always do."
Alicent seemed to still be against accepting her offer, but then her face morphed into a small smile and Alicent stuck out her hand again for another shake, "ok, you're hired."
A wide smile came to Rhaenyra's face, and Alicent returned a wide smile of her own.
** Alicent's POV
"So where is this farm?" Ray asked as they walked down the dusty sand road in Plankytown.
Alicent's young sons were innocently quiet and walking close to and clutching at their mother's dress as they looked up at Ray questioningly.
"It's about a 40 minute ride north from here along Oldtown road," Alicent answered. "I've got a cart and horse at the general store waiting, and once I've settled things there we can head out. Do you have a horse?"
"Yes, she's stabled. I also have a room at the inn and some items there I will need to pack up. If you give me a few moments I'll retrieve my horse, grab my things from the Inn, and meet you at the general store so we can be on our way."
Alicent nodded at the man, and he turned and took off towards the stables. Alicent grabbed Aemond's hand, took a brief look at the sleeping Heleana in her arms, and called little Aegon to her side. "Let us go get our wagon, and go home," she says as she leads them towards the store.
Alicent doesn't really know what to think about the man she's taking home with her. A large part of her is concerned this is a dangerous mistake. This, Ray Tarlton, is a stranger. Out at the farm if he were to harm her or the boys there would be no one there to help them. Something about the man made her feel at ease though. Like she could and should trust him. Ray had a kind and gentle face, more so than any other man Alicent had ever met, although it was in contrast with his rugged appearance. He was handsome for sure. His light blue eyes were like pools of crystal clear water. He was clean shaven, and had a youthful face. Alicent thought he could be no more in age than twenty and two or three. Ray was slightly shorter than Alicent, but muscular, sturdy, and Alicent imagined much stronger. She thought he looked very fit and athletic. He had taken off his hat when he introduced himself, and she saw shortly cropped silvery blonde hair. It was longer on top and several chunks fell sweaty and wet onto his face before he had swiped it all to the side, dried his hands on his pants, and had reached out a hand to shake hers in greeting. He had called her "desperate" and normally such a thing would have embarrassed her immensely. The entire scene she had made back in the bank was completely unlike her. She was usually so strong and in control. She had to be a rock for her boys, but she was tired, so very very tired of being strong, and this man had admitted he was desperate too. He had explained that he wouldn't just be helping her, that she'd really be helping him too, and so she hadn't been embarrassed to accept his help. Just cautious.
Alicent approached her cart and horse waiting for her in front of Abel's General Store.
"Mrs. Cole, we have all your items loaded onto your cart and here is the receipt showing your credit balance total after your payment," Lucas the general store aid said as she approached him near the entrance to the store. "Was there anything more we could assist you with today?"
"No, Lucas, that's everything, thank you."
Lucas nodded, tipped his hat slightly, and returned to the store through the entrance.
Alicent took the small paper from the man after releasing young Aemond's hand for a moment, placed it in the bag hanging from her shoulder, and turned towards her cart and her horse to begin getting the children situated for their 40 minute ride home. She was almost done getting them settled when Ray rode up next to them on a beautiful black and auburn colored mare.
"I'll just ride alongside," Ray said looking down from his horse.
Alicent just nodded in response, checked on the children one last time, hopped up into the seat, grabbed the reins, and began to lead them towards the edge of town and OldTown Road.