Sample Chapter: Only the Regretful Chapter 3: Becoming a Princess

“By the Seven,” Doran breathed, as he stared in shock at the young woman seated at the high table, in the exact spot Elia once had sat. 

He and Oberyn were of course shamelessly spying on her, through the spyhole that overlooked the great banquet hall all from the comforts of his study room.  

Having left Hermione, Aurelian and Adara to eat in peace, Oberyn had then promised to come back to retrieve them once they were done eating. Then he had gone immediately to find his brother, to tell him of the miracle the Gods had graced them with. 

“She looks just like Mother and Elia, of course but the curls and the eyes, that’s all Mother’s…And you said her name is Hermione?”

Nodding his head, taking pleasure in seeing Doran’s amazement, as it had first mirrored his own reaction, Oberyn said eagerly, “Yes brother, which is I why I believe…no I know she was given to us by the Gods. It’s like a piece of Elia and Mother had been given back to us after all they’ve taken from us…Only I believe it’s the work of the Old Gods and not the Faith of the Seven…”

Doran stared in shock at his brother’s admission, as never had he dreamed his little brother would say such a thing, as although in Dorne both faiths were worshipped, Oberyn growing up had believed more in the Faith at least until they had lost Elia and her babes and then their mother to her grief of losing her only daughter. Since then, his brother hadn’t stepped foot in the Septs at Water Gardens or Sunspear. 

“The Old Gods, brother? I wasn’t aware you held to them, or to any faith for that matter. Not after we lost Elia and then mother.”

A shadow passing briefly across his face, Oberyn said quietly, “For a long time, I did stop believing. I was angry at them, blamed them and cursed them…Then one day, when I was in Essos, near one of the few weirwood forests they have there, I heard a voice. It told me that the wrongs of the past would be made right when flame’s ashes were reborn…”

Here Doran’s brother paused, his dark eyes flickering to look at Hermione, wonder aglow in his eyes, as he continued. 

“Don’t you see, Doran? The flame’s ashes is Hermione and her boy and girl. They look just like Mother, Elia and gods, her little ones could be a mirror image of Aegon himself and Rhaenys! The boy certainly has the trademark hair, although his eyes are his mother’s. Same goes for his sister, only instead of the Targaryen eyes, she has Hermione’s. But other than that, it’s like the ones we lost have come again in them. And I almost forgot but she mentioned knowing the Starks, particularly Eddard Stark.”

For a long moment, there was silence, as Doran thought carefully on his brother’s words. 

Then he spoke. 

“Did she, how interesting…I take it you have something in mind for them, don’t you Oberyn? You wouldn’t have brought them here to see me, if you weren’t, so what is it, brother?”

His dark eyes glittering, as they locked on Doran’s own dark eyes, Oberyn said firmly, “I want you to claim them as our little sister and niece and nephew, Doran. I want you to spread the tale that mother had secretly given birth to Hermione and didn’t let anyone know, as she had been told it was for her safety, which after given Elia’s murder, turned out for the best.”

“And how would we explain where she’s been after all this time, Oberyn and why we now reveal her?”

Scowling at his brother, although he knew he was only to make sure they covered every corner and had no loose ends if they were to tell the tale, Oberyn thought for a moment. Then he smirked. 

“Why, we’d say she was sent away hidden somewhere in the Free Cities all along and it was only due to the recent death of her protector, a distant cousin of ours, that we decided to disclose the fact we have another sister, still alive, along with a niece and nephew.”

Looking once more at a now smiling Hermione who was talking to one of the serving girls, Doran then made up his mind. 

With a nod to his brother, he said quietly, “Very well, Oberyn. You’ve convinced me and it would be nice to have a sister and niece and nephew again…I find myself looking forward to it.”

Pleased that Hermione and her children would soon be called their kin, Oberyn said with a smirk, “So do I, brother. So do I.”

That night, settled in a beautiful room that the princes had said would be hers, her son and daughter just next door, in the adjoining nursery, Hermione ran through everything she had learned and been told. 

Apparently while she was stuck here in Westeros for the unreadable future, she, Aurelian and Adara would be introduced to the Dornish as their youngest sister and niece and nephew. Not only would this cover story keep them safe, as the brothers had insisted on, but it would give her a reason why she hadn’t been seen until now. 

While a little uncertain of this masquerade, she had agreed nonetheless for her children’s sake. It would only be for their benefit that they belong to the royal family of Dorne. They were in a strange world, after all and what she had learned so far and from what little Ned had once told her, not a pretty good one either. Yes, back home there was dangers too but at least she knew what they were and how to avoid them but here she was out of her depth. Until she could get a chance to learn about the realm she and her children lived in, it was best they stayed under the radar and what better way to do that than to become part of the royal family themselves?

With that in mind, Hermione eventually drifted off, weary from everything she had been through. 

Half way in the night, she startled, her hand instinctively going for her wand, only to inwardly curse as she remembered she no longer had it. It had been lost during her unexpected trip to Westeros. But before she could even form a wandless attack, two familiar little voices spoke up, hesitantly. 

“Mama?”

Relaxing, realizing it was only her son and daughter, she then frowned. 

“Aurey? Dara? What are you doing up my little stars? You’re suppose to be sleeping.”

Hearing little sniffles which alarmed her, she spoke without thinking. “Lumos.”

The room flooded with light and blinking at the suddenness of it, Hermione finally looked down her bed to see her children’s big amber colored eyes, exactly like her own, staring up at her, leaking tears as they cried. 

Worried, she leaned over the bed and picked them up, pretending to groan at how heavy they were getting, making the toddlers stop their crying, long enough to giggle at their mother’s silliness.

Cuddling her twins close to her, feeling them start to relax as they lay their little heads against the warmth of her body, she said gently, “What’s wrong, little loves? Did you have a nightmare?”

Sniffling a little, the twins nodded their heads, causing their mother to make a soft reassuring sound. 

“Oh my babies. It’s okay. Whatever it was, you know it wasn’t real, right? I’m here and so long as I am, I won’t let anything happen to either of you…”

Their little mouths turning into adorable pouts, they demanded, “Pwomise? Mama no poof? Cause Mama poofed and it scawy…”

Her heart clenching painfully as her children told her their nightmare, she said fiercely, “I promise my little stars. I’m not going anywhere and if I do, I’d always take both of you with me…Mama swears it…on Uncle Harry’s underpants, the ones with magical brooms you helped give him for Christmas…”

Her little ones giggling at that, their nightmare forgotten in their happiness, the twins said simultaneously , “Song mama? Mama sing Aurey and Dara song?”

Laughing softly at her little tots’ demands but seeing as it would no doubt put them right to sleep again, she agreed. 

Clearing her throat, she began to sing, her voice soft, melodic and soothing. Little did she know that in another adjoining room that secretly lead into her own, two men listened to her, soft smiles of wonder spreading across their faces, as her singing evoked memories of happier times, before everything went so wrong in their life. 

For the first time, in so long, they were at peace. It was like what had been broken had finally began to mend and it was because of the young woman and her little boy and girl who had come so unexpectedly into their lives. 

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