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Queen Rhaella POV

I was probably the most pitiful woman in the whole of Westeros. To see your whole life turning into ash in front of you, while being called the Queen yet being powerless to stop it. This was my condition, I had lived in this city for all my life. I knew enough of politics and betrayals to know that the gongs were ringing. Perhaps, they had always been ringing, it was just that we were too occupied to notice them.

YES, they were ringing. They had been ringing since the tragedy. No, even before SUMMER HALL. A whole castle, a home to royalty doesn't just crumble to the ground. The gongs had been ringing even then, we were just too preoccupied to hear them. Now, in this sea of madness and anticipating doom she could hear them and perhaps she was not the only one.

Tywin Lannister had also heard them, so had other seasoned and experienced Lords. Only Aerys was deaf to them, well he was the one who had to listen yet he had been made deaf in his own mind, selfishness, bitterness,jealousy—madness had taken over him. They were always there but nowonly they were they were. There was no King on the throne, only madness.

The realm was calm, at least as much as it could be. The Hand was capable at his job, not unselfishly of course. He wanted to elevate his family further, but he was still looking for an opportunity. She was worried, not for the madness but for her family. Well she was a woman and even if she wa powerless as a Queen, she would protect her family as a Queen.

This was her reason for calling, the young lion to a meeting. If rumors of his intellect were to believed then he could stop the gongs, slow them down for her dragon to rise and become strong enough to face the upcoming uncertainities.

Rhaegar was still away from the castle, on Dragonstone. He was only coming for the feast and the he planned to leave for Dorne, to look for the upcoming sword of morning.

She was aware of Tyland Lannister through her good friend's letters. Joanna had gushed praises upon praises on her son. She had called him the best of both her and Tywin. If there was ever a lethal and effective combination, it was the compassion and stubbornness of Joanna and the Cold heartedness of Tywin.

He entered her solar, his bright blonde hair shining bright as the sun. His features sharp and his clothing neat. Yet, his most distinct feature was his eyes, those ocan green eyes appraised her room and then landed on her, as if appraising her, comparing her to an already established entity. Hiding in those irised was knowledge, understanding that she had only ever seen in her friend's eyes. Most people looked only at Queen Rhaella. Yet they were looking at the Rhaella of house Targaryen, a helpless woman bound by loyalty, bound by family.

Tyland Lannister POV

I was going to meet the Queen. Queen Rhaella Targaryen, was perhaps the most pitiful woman in all of westeros. She was a queen, yet she had no political sway. As she was family to King Aerys, she had no one to watch out for her. Those of her family were the ones destroying her. I entered the room and immediately I could notice the regal presence of the queen.

I knew a lot about her because of my mother. My mother and the queen were sound friends, the queen had dismissed my mother fearing Aerys rising madness and his known lust for her. My mother had always told of Rhaella Targaryen, her friend not the helpless queen ad I coul see it in her eyes, she was someone bound by loyalty, loyalty to the very family that were destroying her as a person, yet duty to family was first for Rhaella Targaryen and she would gladly be destroyed for it.

"It is a pleasure to meet you, my grace." I gave her my greetings.

She smiled, a gentle and loving smile, like the one I often dreamt of, "It is good to see you well, I could not make it to her funeral. You have my condolences."

"Thank you, your grace."

"She was right about you, she often wrote about you. Comparing you to Rhaegar, telling me how her son was even smarter than my little dragon." She said with a gentle voice, showing that there was no malice in her words.

"I would be honoured to be compared to the fabled prince, my queen" how the hell was I supposed to response.

There was silence for a long time. During this she just stared into my eyes as if determining something, something I could not understand. She had called for me specifically. It was hardly to show her condolences. She was appraising me, for what and then it all clicked. She was looking at her son's Tywin. She was appraising me for Rhaegar, yet that was not all. For that sheonly neede the rumors. Just as my mind was wondering, she spoke, something that I would only later understand.

"Say do you hear the ringing gongs?" she asked, her voice small yet her eyes sharp and focused.

I was stuped what ringing and gongs, the bell at the sept was not ringing.

"My queen, I do------------

"No matter, forget it lets talk about something else,"

The conversation continued. She asked me about my life and answered what I could yet I could still not understand, where were the bells ringing.