Chapter Text
“Ghosts are those memories that are too strong to be forgotten for good, echoing across the years and refusing to be obliterated by time.”
― Caitlín R. Kiernan
When the flames ate him alive, he thought it would be the end. He could still hear Duncan yell at him, shaking his shoulders hard as the flames began to eat at his face.
How odd, he couldn't really feel it but he knew that the flames would kill him. He had heard the screams of his wife calling for him and the children. He did not hear anything but Duncan and the roar of the flames.
What have you done!
He felt like a child and sounded like one years ago with his head shaven bald to hide his Targaryen silver hair.
I'm sorry, sir. His words came out in a whisper as Duncan tried to shield him one more time. What have I done? I killed them all. I doomed us all.
I want to go back. Why? Forgive me, Bertha. Forgive me, my children. Forgive me, Duncan. What have I done?
Father... Mother... Never in that moment has he wanted his mother and father more desperately than he did now. But Maker Targaryen and Dyanna Dayne have been dead for years now and he knew they would never answer his pleas now. Nowbody would, not as he let the flames consume him and Duncan. Not even the gods themselves, the new or the old ones.
But the gods did not answer him, not at first but they would answer when another prince of the house of the dragon was born years after the fire at Summerhall. He had been born on the same day as his older brother's birth making it almost inauspiciously to their house even more to have two sons born on a day of tragedy.
Where Rhaegar Targaryen was melancholy, Viserys Targaryen was quiet and clung to the skirts of his mother even harder. Rhaella would sooth her youngest son quietly, trying to shield him from the growing madness of Aerys. Yet it did not stop the worry in the young queen at seeing her second born son, looking into his eyes and seeing so much anguish in them.
As if he had come into this world already knowing of what was to come.
Viserys did love Rhaella and loved Elia just as much. He and Rhaenys had been playmates before it went downhill and he as well as Rhaella were sent to Dragonstone to wait out the growing Rebellion. Viserys knew it could only shed in blood. He wished he hadn't been correct.
By the time the Sacking of the Red Keep happened, a month later Rhaella Targaryen was giving birth to her last child when Stannis Baratheon and Lyonel Baratheon came onto the shores of Dragonstone. When Viserys had seen Lyonel, he almost ran up to him, for he looked just like he had when they met at the Tourney of Ashford when Viserys had gone by another name. The maesters had shouted about blood as his sister made her way into the world.
Daenerys Targaryen made her way into the world as a storm crashed outside the castle walls. Rhaella beckoned Lyonel closers and whispered in his ears. He seemed to agree with whatever Rhaella said, holding her hand and kissed her brow as Rhaella Targaryen, the once Queen of The Seven Kingdoms passed surrounded by her children and two Baratheons. Viserys screamed and cried as Lyonel passed Daenerys to his younger brother and he knelt down to Viserys' height, clutching the young boy's shoulders firmly.
"Dry your tears. Do not give the Usurper time to gloat, you are of my blood, my kin through Aegon the Conqueror all the way to my late grandmother Princess Rhaelle. I will not let any harm befall you both or Princess Elia and her daughter." Viserys could see the sorrow in Lyonel's eyes. He speaks true, the young boy thought, he means to save me from the Usurper's wrath for Rhaegar's action. He then thought of another thing because Viserys like his past life was too clever for his own good, looking at Lord Lyonel Baratheon, he saw everything true. Lyonel Baratheon returned and he had saved Aegon Targaryen. "I will not let you die, Viserys Targaryen. I will not have more innocent blood shed. Not if I cannot stop it."
He gently picked the young boy up and together with his brother holding the young babe in his arms, the Baratheons and the Targaryen went back to King's Landing.
In another life, it would have been Robert Baratheon to be heir to Storm's End. He would still be King in this life or the next but Lord of Storm's End?
In this life it came to another.
Lord Steffon Baratheon and Lady Cassana Estermont Baratheon gave birth to a boy with grayish-blue eyes and hair that would curl, Steffon would announce to his vassals of the birth of his heir Lyonel Baratheon.
Many lords and some of the wet nurses who saw his birth called him the Laughing Storm reborn for the young lordling hadn't cried but laughed when the winds howled, the rain poured down hard and thunder clapped for all to hear at his birth. As if Elenei and Durrandon themselves had blessed the birth of the young heir. As if the Laughing Storm himself had been reborn once more.
After him came three more siblings, Robert, Stannis, and Renly. But Lyonel was the eldest, he was the heir to inherit Storm's End again. He would be the Storm Lord once more in this new world he had been born into.
Lyonel Baratheon remembered at the age of ten and did not speak of his dreams to anyone. Not even his parents for how could be burden them with this array of memories of a life in the past. He had died a few weeks after the news of Summerhall had reached all of the kingdoms and the new king was crowned - King Jaheaerys II, frail with illness. Rhaelle herself had said her older brother would not stand for a few years before he died or was poisoned by his only son. Lyonel couldn't help but agree with his dear good-daughter because she knew Aerys better and could see the signs before anyone else could. Lyonel missed her dearly in this life. He mourned, cried and raged over what happened at Summerhall. He raged over what he felt was the Gods playing a cruel joke on him. Why him? Why was he sent back and not the others? Why him and not with his Duncan?
How can he be yours when he was never yours to begin with?
From what he found out, it was that Ser Duncan the Tall was a legend amongst the knights of the Seven Kingdoms, greater after his death. That tales of his adventures with Aegon continued to be told across the kingdom for all to hear after his tragic death at Summerhall.
It made Lyonel want to scream and cry. Made him want to burn the Sept and march to Oldtown and burn their bloody sept too.
He was alone in this new world. Alone without Duncan. Hell, he would have gladly taken Aegon too, the little boy, he remembered fondly at times before he died, the boy who had run up to him at the Tourney at Ashford, begging him to be part of his Ser's knights for the Trial of Seven. The same boy who would burn himself and his family and his Ser in Summerhall.
All for dragons and a damned dream.
When Lyonel was old enough to ride, earned his spurs and was knighted by the time he was sixteen he rode out to Summerhall. He wanted to see the ruin. He wanted, most of all to see where Duncan had taken his last breath.
When Lyonel got to Summerhall, he was met with a terrible sight. Charred ruins of a once great castle that housed two Kings. He traversed into the ruins not sure what he was trying to find. His mind continued to plague him with the tale he had been told, that had been passed down since the fire at Summerhall. How Duncan - his Duncan - got the then Princess Rhaella and little Rhaegar out of the inferno, how Duncan went back even as many told him not to, how he died in the fires trying to get more out. Trying to Aegon out or die trying to protect the King that had once stubbornly became his precious squire -
Lyonel promptly threw up his lunch. The sobs came but from the horrific scenarios of that night or the bile burning his throat, he was not sure which reason for his sobbing.
When he returned, Lyonel continued on as if everything had been fine. It wasn't but what else could he do?
He knew better than to think everything would be fine because why else would the Storm gods send him to this future, one without his beloved knight.
So, Lyonel studied and prepared for his time as the Lord of Storm's End. He did not know it would come soon. Steffon and Cassana had died in a ship wreck close to Storm's End where the boys could see. He was thrust as the young lord of Storm's End and the Head of his family, he would have to deal with the Targaryens once more.
Robert had gone to be fostered at the Vale while Stannis had gone to be fostered at Tarth for a few years alongside Renly. It was Lyonel who stayed behind as the new Lord of Storm's End to see things through. He still felt the grief of losing his parents in this new time but knew his tears would not matter for anyone. There were many people, many lords wanting to have him marry their daughter or sisters or to have one of their daughters or sisters betrothed to his brothers. Lyonel would ignore them for now but later he wished he hadn't. It probably would have saved himself the headache and grief that was to come.
When Robert came back with Ned Stark, they somehow managed to bring with them a betrothal proposal for his brother and Lord Stark's only daughter. Lyonel had been irked at the fact that he hadn't been told of this sooner and not just now, as if Robert thought himself above the rule of his eldest brother. Lyonel had heard the rumors of Robert's bastards in the Vale and wondered if Lord Stark knew about that, was setting his daughter up for probably a life of misery. Lyonel wasn't sure.
He was sure about one thing. When Rhaegar Targaryen had passed his Dornish wife to crown Lyanna Stark with those blue roses, Lyonel could feel the storm in his bones. He knew that the little crown of blue roses would be paid with blood.
The storm began with the kindapping of Lyanna Stark but it truly began when Lyonel got reports of Lord Rickon Stark and his heir Brandon Stark murdered at the orders of King Aerys. That's when Lyonel knew that somehow Aerion's shade had returned in a much worse form. He called Stannis and Renly back to Storm's End, put Stannis in charge as Lyonel gathered the vassal's and men to ride out to where Robert was to help Ned Stark. It was battle after battle with Robert roaring about vengeance. Lyonel had gone up ahead before the battle at the Trident to try and get into King's Landing with a group of men. Robert had argued against it but Lyonel was still Lord of Storm's End, still commanding of the men who rode out with him. He left half with Robert and took the others with him to end Aerys reign. He got there in a good timing, he remembered the old secret passages that Duncan and Egg had once told him about, managed to get him and his men inside right as the Lannister men got inside and began the massacre.
Lyonel ordered the men to get to the King while he took another group to find Princess Elia and her children along with the Queen. Lyonel made his way to the apartments of the family when he heard screaming. He and his men cut down the Lannister men just in time to see a horrific sight that would haunt Lyonel for years to come. Ser Gregor Clegan holding the bloody corpse of a babe. Prince Aegon Targaryen. Next to him, Princess Elia with a dagger in hand stabbing a knight who tried to tear her dress, sticking the dagger in the side of his neck. Lyonel did not waste any time as he cut down the Mountain in a single move. Selwyn Tarth managed to help Elia away from the man's grip and his other men cut down the other men in the room. Elia grasped at Selwyn while looking at Lyonel, her big brown eyes wild.
"Rhaenys! She-" She did not get to finish as Lyonel took off into the other bedroom and found Ser Amory Loch holding a struggling Rhaenys trying to fight him off. Lyonel stabbed the man without thinking and pulled the man off. He managed to get Rhaenys, wrapping her up in a blanket, taking her away to where her mother was waiting outside the bedroom. He whispered to the girl who clung to his neck to not look. Close your eyes, you are safe princess. You are safe little one. He handed her off to Elia Martell and made their way down to the throne room where another sight beheld them. Jaime Lannister sitting on the steps of the throne room with the corpse of Aerys Targaryen slowly bleeding out. "I was keeping youthful seat warm, Lord Lyonel."
And Lyonel Baratheon laughed, not out of malice or joy but just laughed, as it should be with the Laughing Storm of Storm's End.
Now here he was hours later after coming back from Dragonstone with Stannis and two Targaryen children in tow. He was not laughing now.
He was still a Lord, but not anymore not according to the new King and the actions that Lyonel had done. He was still a Baratheon, still called the Laughing Storm or the second Laughing Storm as many called him. He was Lord Paramount of Storm's End, of the Stormlands. Not anymore with the new King, his younger brother to be exact punishing him for doing the right thing.
All because he had saved Elia Martell and little Viserys Targaryen from Robert's wrath, his bloodlust over Lyanna Stark's death. Because he hadn't finished the job in killing the Targaryens, as Robert spat at him before swiftly making their younger brother Renly the new Lord of Storm's End and sending Lyonel away much to the protests of Stannis.
What kind of idiot descendant did the Gods give me!? Does he forget that Rhaelle is his grandmother! My poor darling, good daughter... Dearest Rhaelle would have been weeping at the state of her House - over her grandson, ready to kill an innocent boy over the sins of his father and older brother.
Yes, Lyonel was not a fan of the dragons in either lifetime now, but that did not mean he would have wanted to kill children and women. Elia, bless her, did not look broken even with the loss of her only son. Her daughter was still alive. And now so was Rhaella's two children.
Viserys who was just seven years old and Daenerys who was a few days old, unaware of everything that changed before her.
Lyonel would be damned to see them be handed over to someone that would cause them even more grief and trauma. He would be damned to allow anyone to hurt these children all because the ghost that they want isn't here anymore. He will not stand by and let more innocent blood be spilled.
So, Lyonel Baratheon married Elia Martell and took the insult of taking the three Targaryens under his protection. Not in Storm's End but in Sunspear. That was the plan because where else would Lyonel go now that he had been suddenly stripped of his rights as Lord of Storm's End by his younger brother - it would make sense to live where his wife once lived. It would have been easy but not the case when Robert had suddenly changed his mind. Lyonel thinks it was because of the old man Arryn, he doesn't care even though he doesn't like the man at all. He would not owe the old man anything as Robert told him that Lyonel would be Lord of Storm's End again as if the damn thing wasn't his birthright and not a toy to be taken away when Robert didn't like when Lyonel disagreed with him.
He told him that whatever daughter that would be brought from the union between Lyonel and Elia be born, the child would be betrothed to Viserys. Another leash on the poor boy. But Lyonel would rather it be his child than any of Robert's whelps to cement his reign besides their Targaryen blood.
It makes him want to snort and point out that the Baratheons were also once known as Targaryen bastards than Viserys, Rhaenys, and Daenerys. That the Targaryen blood was still somewhat fresh in their line as Rhaelle Targaryen had been their grandmother.
It won't do him any good now. Robert's temper was changing, turbulent as the storms back home and it would do Lyonel more good to quickly get this wedding over with and get Elia and the children out of this vipers nest.
Lyonel marries Elia in the Godswood with a Septon droning on to the point that it begins to grant on Lyonel's nerves. Their only witnesses are the ones he least wants - Robert, Jon Arryn, Ned Stark, Renly and a handful of his men ready to get the hell out of King's Landing. Stannis is there along with Lord Velaryon, Lord Celtigar, and the children who stand closely with Lord Selwyn Tarth. Out of all of his vassals, it was Selwyn who stood by him and led the other Storm Land's vassal men into a protest for their Lord to Robert and Jon Arryn. They all had been quiet upset over this and Lyonel knows that those men, just like Lyonel, will not forget the insult laid at their feet by Robert for quickly stripping his older brother because of the nobleness he had done to save a princess and children.
They know this and he knows this.
Robert, Tywin Lannister, and Jon Arryn know this and hate it. Lyonel doesn't give a shit what they think. He faced the Trial of the Seven at Ashford, none of these men scare him.
Even though Lyonel knew that he would never see his Hedge Knight again, he will not let anything happen to Princess Elia.
They left right after the wedding. He would not stand to be in this nest of vipers and lions any longer as he, his new wife and children all went to The Stormlands. It was an insult to him, that the new King did not see him off. Lyonel knew he would remember that slight but he would bid his time. Lyonel had seen the death of dragons before, he remembered what Rhaelle would tell him about her dreams in confidence. The throne is the one to dictate who sits and who dies, precarious for what. Before, however, Lyonel told them that they would go to put Rhaella to peace in the crypt in Dragonstone.
Elia seemed surprised but did not voice it. Stannis would accompany them as he would be set to hold Dragonstone under the orders of Robert. The ceremony was somber as the ashes of Rhaella Targaryen were laid to rest next to her family in the crypts of Dragonstone. Once it was done with Viserys, Elia, and Rhaenys saying their goodbyes to the late Queen, they set sail on the Princess Rhaelle to Storm's End. His other vassals had went before him, only leaving him with the men of House Baratheon to lead back home.
Back home with a Princess of Dorne and three Targaryen children to protect.