Harry Potter + A song of Ice and Fire Crossover
Chapter 18
Nine months later…..
Lily grimaced as Elia squeezed her hand tight enough to make bones crack and released a shaky breath as the contraction passed. This process had been going on for almost an hour and if it continued, she worried her friend would crush her hand completely.
The red head cast a concerned look at the princess on the bed. Her forehead was beaded with sweat and her hair lay in damp tendrils against it. She had her dress pushed up above her knees and her own maester was giving her form a critical look.
Lily winced again as she felt Elia shudder from another contraction and the tension on her hand increased.
"You're doing well your grace," the maester encouraged. He was a small man who went by the name of Solas. "It shouldn't be much longer now."
Lily glanced at the sheets lying beneath Elia's lower half and noted the small bits of blood there. "Forgive me maester but blood during a birth doesn't seem to be the most encouraging sign."
"There is always blood during the birth of a child lady Lilian," the maester explained. "Muscles are straining, the heart is beating twice as fast from the increased pressure and stress, it might be odd if there wasn't blood."
Lily wasn't sure she agreed with him. When she had given birth to hair there had only bee a slight amount of blood after the birth and most of it had been on him. None of it had come before the birth which was a cause for concern to her.
Still it didn't seem like the best time to start an argument and judging from the look the queen mother had sent her from the other side of the bed, she was in agreement.
Rhaella herself had bustled in not long after Lily had been summoned to Elia's chambers with the news that she had gone into labour. She seemed to know exactly what to do as she had wasted no time in getting the hot water heated and telling Elia had to breathe.
Lily had to stop herself numerous times from doing the same thing as no one could know that she had gone through this entire process before with Harry.
Harry….
She wondered if the child was a boy if he would bear any sort of resemblance to the child she had lost. She knew the chances of such an occurrence were slim to none but at the same time, the Stranger was a tricky bastard and she wouldn't put it beyond him to commit such a petty and sadistically ironic act.
"Has the crown prince been sent for your grace?" she asked the queen.
Rhaella's mouth tightened and Lily got to the distinct feeling that she was displeased about something.
"He had gone hunting with Ser Arthur," she said in a low voice. "I had a servant go after them to bring him the news."
Lily decided to not ask anymore questions and turned back to her friend.
"Will it be much longer?" Elia gasped.
"No sweetling," the queen said pressing a damp cloth to the Dornish princess's forehead. "You're doing so well."
"Were long births common in your family?" Lily asked in an attempt to distract her.
The laugh Elia uttered was breathy. "No, which is why I'm hoping this one won't be. Oberyn was by far the fastest, or so I'm told. My brother told me that it was only twenty minutes before he was born."
"Twenty minutes, my goodness," Rhaella exclaimed. "The Mother herself must have reached inside Princess Meria's womb and yanked him out."
It was such an absurd thing for the queen to say that both Lily and Elia exchanged brief glances before bursting into laughter.
Rhaella smiled at the both of them and the red head was certain she saw some tension leave the older woman.
The laughter was shortlived however just then Elia tensed and her back arched leading Lily to believe that it was almost time.
Her thoughts were corroborated by the maester who peered between the princess's legs and then beamed at her. "You're almost there your grace, it is alright to push now. I can just make out the babe's head."
Finally, Lily thought to herself. I thought I was going to explode from all the waiting.
Elia nodded, gritted her teeth and then gripped both Lily and Rhaella's hands even tighter if that were possible and closed her eyes.
Every muscle in her body seemed to be straining and Lily winced in sympathy. The chamber was filled with a tense silence that made Lily wonder where on earth Rhaegar was.
A moment later however it was broken by a soft mewling cry. Elia sagged back onto the bed like a puppet that had had all of its strings cut.
"Congratulations your grace," the maester murmured. "The gods have given you a healthy daughter, a princess."
Lily felt her insides freeze and glanced over the top of the bed at Rhaella who's smile had also frozen in place.
"Let me see her," Elia asked weakly and the maester handed her a small mewling bundle. Rhaella helped her adjust the pillows so she could sit up and a moment later, Lily was afforded a glimpse of a small head covered in tufts of jet black hair.
"She looks like you sweetling," Rhaella said softly which earned her a tired smile from Elia. Just then the babe opened her eyes and Lily gasped quietly at the vision of purple eyes that became visible.
"But she has her father's eyes," Elia said proudly. "She is a Targaryen and her name will be Rhaenys."
"An excellent name daughter," Rhaella remarked releasing a breathless laugh. "Rhaegar will be so happy."
Lily swallowed hard and tried not to think about the reaction of the prince. She knew the royal family had been hoping for an heir to the throne first and then a daughter.
Merlin, I hope this all goes well.
"Your grace?"
Lily glanced up in time to see the maester looking at Elia, his expression tense. Alarm bells began going off in her head.
"What is it?" Elia asked, her smile fading.
"Perhaps it would be best to give the new princess to one of the servants," he said in a low voice.
"Is there a problem?" Elia asked.
The maester opened his mouth, then closed it but was then saved from having to answer when the queen glanced down at the end of the bed and pressed a hand to her mouth. "Sweetling, you're still bleeding."
Lily's breath hitched in her throat and Elia's expression changed to one of terror.
"Why is she still bleeding?" she demanded of the maester.
"I don't know my lady," he said, hands fluttering about looking for clean cloths.
"Well figure it out you fool!" Rhaella hissed. "Are you a maester or not?"
Lily exchanged a glance with Elia and grimaced when she saw how scared her friend looked.
"Would you like me to take Rhaenys for a moment?" she asked softly. "At least until we figure this out and the bleeding is stopped?"
The princess hesitated for a long moment and the tension in the room thickened like curdled milk.
Finally she nodded choppily and handed the swaddled babe over looking extremely reluctant.
"Everything's going to be alright," Lily said doing her best to give her a reassuring smile. "I promise."
Ω
Everything was not alright.
And several hours later when Lily stalked back to her chambers, physically and emotionally exhausted she knew it would take a miracle for things to be alright again.
The maester had laboured over Elia for the better part of an hour, trying to get the bleeding to stop and finally….mercifully he did.
But their relief was short lived for he asked to speak to Elia alone. Rhaella of course looked like she was going to plant her feet like a tree and not budge but Lily had gently herded her out of the room, once more promising that everything was going to be alright.
It was the second promise that she had made and broken that day.
When the maester had emerged, his face had been tense and implacable, leaving Lily and the queen to fear the worst.
Rhaegar still hadn't arrived but as it turned out that was a small blessing from the gods. He had ushered them back into the room and shut the door where a tearful Elia was waiting for them to tell them the heartbreaking news.
Lily slammed the door to her chamber closed with such force that it rattled on its hinges. The burning tears she had held back on her walk down the hall now spilled over and she crumpled into a heap on the floor.
It wasn't fair, it just wasn't.
Elia hadn't done anything to anyone, she was the most innocent person that Lily had ever met in this life and suddenly she was the one who was suffering.
Looking in her friend's eyes as she tearfully told them that the maester had said she would have no more children had been the most gut wrenching thing she had ever experienced.
Rhaella's face had been ashen and she had swayed on her feet until Lily had helped her into a chair.
Elia had then begged the both of them not to say anything about this to anyone as the implications of this would be huge. The prince had no male heir and if news got out that Elia hadn't been able to produce one, there would be little stopping Rhaegar from casting his wife aside in favor of a healthier lady who would be able to give him a son. He might even go so far as to disinherit Rhaenys in favor of any children he might have with another. The political shifts would be massive and no doubt the king would fly into an apoplectic rage.
But for now, no doubt all of the realm would celebrate the birth of the new princess and no news about infertility would darken conversations.
Lily swallowed hard and lifted her head from her arms. She was glad she had charm the room so no one would hear her sobs. She caught sight of her face in the floor length mirror and sighed. It was a blotchy red ruin, almost as crimson as her hair and her green eyes looked sickly.
But even as she got up and tried to clean herself up, her heart was breaking for her friend. Elia had looked so small in the bed as they had said goodbye and a part of Lily had wanted to stay behind and comfort her.
But she also knew that if she didn't leave the room within the next minute, she was going to lose control of her tightly wound emotions and Elia didn't need to see that.
This can't be happening, she thought to herself as she ground her teeth together. Elia did not come this far to suffer this injustice. I won't allow it.
And what exactly are you going to do? A mocking little voice asked her in the back of her mind.
Lily snarled out loud even though she knew no one else was in the room. I may have been helpless about where I was sent but I am not going to play the victim any longer. I am going to find a way to help Elia, whatever it takes!
Her mind went on autopilot as she took a bath and got herself ready for bed. She knew it wouldn't be long before news of this got out. Elia was sitting on a ticking time bomb and soon it was going to go off.
Something had to be done and quick.
Lily scrubbed herself until her skin was red and then dried herself before putting on her bed clothes. She eyed the stack of letters sitting on her writing desk and contemplated writing a return to Elbert before she felt asleep.
It might prove to be a nice distraction and a distraction was certainly something that she needed right now.
He had been writing to her steadily since he had left to return to the Eyrie and Lily found she looked forward to his letters. The phrase absence makes the heart grow fonder did hold some truth after all.
His letters were always quite sweet and thought provoking to the point where she wished that there were many more of the Arryn men, enough to populate all of Westeros and do away with the trickery and deceit of politics.
Honor. Honor and bad luck…it's a horrid combination for people in this world.
Lily shivered and decided she wouldn't entertain the thought any longer. Her eyes were heavy with exhaustion and grief and she knew she wouldn't get far in either reading or writing another letter before they closed completely.
I believe I'll call it a night, she thought to herself, sitting down heavily on the bed. I can't wait for this day to be over.
But as the red head lay down and covered herself with the blanket, her mind kept turning over Elia's problem like a mouse running on a wheel.
There had to be a solution. Surely the maester had just given them the worst case scenario. Elia couldn't possibly be barren….could she?
You saw all the blood, the bitter little voice whispered in her head. What do you think?
Lily sighed and rolled over, beating her pillow into submission. She had a feeling she wouldn't be getting any sleep tonight.
All of a sudden, as she rolled onto her side for what she was certain wouldn't be the last time that night, a sudden notion came to her, causing her to sit straight up in her bed.
"Of course," she whispered aloud. "Why didn't I think of it earlier?"
If muggle solutions refused to work, than a magical solution must be found.
A fertility potion.
It was so simple, so blatantly obvious she could have smacked herself for not thinking of it earlier.
But how? Lily thought to herself as she threw back the blanket, got up and began to pace. Potions ingredients here wouldn't be the same as they were in England and I don't have access to unicorn hairs or dragon's heartstring. What am I going to use to supplement all of that?
Then she paused in her stride, remembering that during one of her many shopping trips with Elia, they had passed several apothecaries featuring exotic commodities from Essos.
It certainly wouldn't hurt to look inside and see what they have, she thought to herself, wringing her hands together as she paced. Elia's no worse off than she is now.
That was another thing, she could not tell her friend until the potion itself came together in her cauldron. Shattered hope was far worse than no hope at all.
I'll go into the city tomorrow, she thought to herself, already beginning to plan. Elia will no doubt be preoccupied with Rhaenys and I can slip away and be back before anyone notices that I'm gone. I pray that this works.
After she had put together a carefully constructed idea, the red head climbed back into bed. But sleep didn't find her for a very long time.
Ω
Lily pulled the hood of her cloak more tightly about her face as she peered over the items displayed in the apothecary. So far it was far tamer than the potions ingredients store in Diagon Alley but seeing the dried pickled hearts of supposed manticores from Sothoryos.
Lily didn't know much about the far eastern lands but supposedly it was riddled with jungles, strange animals and cannibals.
No manticore hearts would not do for this potion.
Moon stones which contained healing elements would be essential for this potion. There were also the herbs and spices such as ginger and thyme.
What surprised Lily the most were the ingredients Aconite, Adder's fork and even Bezoars although here they were called Goat Seeds. She saw bitterwings and blood root along with supposed dragon scales.
What I wouldn't give for some unicorn hair right about now, Lily groused to herself.
She selected a handful of moonstones from one of the thatched baskets and poured it into one of the cloth bags in her basket.
"Is there anything in particular you are looking for my lady?" said the bulbous nosed proprietor who's eyes were far too sparkly to be natural.
Lily forced a smile, glad she had kept her hood up. Her bright red hair would make her an easy memory should someone ever learn she had come here.
"No thank you," she forced herself to reply. "I thought I would just come in to look around. I've never been in one of these shops before."
"Oh well then you must have a look at the new supply of beatles that have arrived from the Summer Islands," the proprietor gushed. "They only emerge once a year to mate and shed their wings and the wings are infused with remarkable healing properties, they increase blood flow, prevent diseases, heal wounds – "
Lily who had only been half paying attention, snapped back to focus at the mention of the word healing.
"And what sort of healing does it promote?" she asked.
"Oh all sorts my lady," the proprietor said eagerly and all of a sudden the red head wanted to roll her eyes. He had almost had her. She had forgotten that King's Landing was the place where there was always money changing hands, and very little of it gained through honesty.
"Well thank you," she said backing away from him slowly. "But I think I'm going to have a look around for a little while longer, just to assuage my curiosity you know. Thank you ever so much for your help."
The proprietor looked disappointed by her dismissal but he was nevertheless bright enough to take the hint. "If you need anything my lady, please do not hesitate to call."
But Lily was already moving away from him, deeper into the store. She knew that there were many ingredients that promised healing but most of the obvious ones were shams. The trick was in looking for the more obscure.
She hedged down a narrow hallway towards what appeared to be a back room, bypassing books of healing and oddly shaped jars filled with the strangest plants she had ever seen.
The cobwebs on the walls were thick and she had to duck under them in some places. This room wasn't used very much it seemed.
Finally she came into a dim light and looked around a tiny cramped chamber upon which there were shelves and shelves of strange ingredients.
There were all manner of plants and flowers growing in their own jars as if by some strange magic.
As pickled eyes peered dully out of misty glass jars at her as if they were as normal as olives pickling. Lily cringed and looked away, searching for something, anything that might help her repair her friends damaged womb.
And then she saw it.
Acromantula venom.
How Acromantule venom somehow managed to worm its way through dimensions into this new world of Westeros, Lily had no idea but upon seeing the large jar full of dark green liquid with an egg like consistency, she felt her breath hitch in her throat.
It was a lesser known fact that the venom held extraordinary healing properties. She had discovered that tidbit of knowledge when she had broken into the restricted section with Severus in their fourth year of school before exams.
It wasn't expected knowledge given the nature of the beast that it came from and the fact that the taste itself was hideous.
Another strange tidbit of information was that acromantula venom when mixed with olive oil would retain its liquid state and not dry out. It also acted as a neutralizing agent to its potency, so while it retained its burn while being ingested, it healed rather than destroyed.
Is it possible that there are acromantulas, various colonies in Sothoryos? Lily thought to herself wildly as she picked up the jar.
This was it.
This just might work, but it would take meticulous brewing, along with the healing properties of the moonstones in her basket along with care and attention to detail.
As Lily stared into the yellow depths of the venom, she became aware of her own reflection in the glass smiling back at her.
This just might work.
Then she turned around and strode out of the room to find the proprietor and pay for her usual selection.
With any luck, she would have a fully mature fertility potion before anyone found out that Elia was barren.
Ω
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