Rhaenys Targaryen died that day, a terrified little girl who didn't understand why her father abandoned her and why her mother had told her to run and hide. She died that day, both as far as Westeros concerned and in Rhaenys' own eyes.

It had not been too difficult to find a child who shared the same general characteristics as the princess, it was true that she resembled her Dornish family more than her Targaryen one, but there was a tendency for people to exaggerate her resemblance.

She hadn't know what was happening when a man she didn't recognise pulled her out from under her father's bed, accompanied by a little girl dressed in one of Rhaenys's own dresses. There was nothing she could do as she was carried through dark tunnels that seems endless to her young eyes, and placed on a ship sailing off into the unknown.

Too disorientated and traumatised to be truly aware of her surrounds she could have spent anywhere between a few days and several months on that ship, hidden below deck and receiving no human interaction beside the woman who brought her meals.

Sat there in the dim light she couldn't help but miss her home. She wanted nothing more than for her mother to pull her into her arms and never let go, Rhaenys could even recall the sweet, flowery scent that her mother also wore. Little Aegon, too small to play with but significant enough to miss him too. Even though she hadn't seen him in a long time she missed her cousin Viserys, who used to play with her around the Red Keep. Memories of Grandmother also crossed her mind, far more often than the other two members of her family who she preferred to forget. It was easy to not miss her grandfather, a violent, angry man that she had no good memories of.

The only one left was her father.

She knew that she was meant to love her father, and she could remember doing so when she was younger. However, at some point after she realised that he left, when she accepted that he wasn't coming home, she no longer felt guilty about being angry with him.

"Your Highness, it's time to go." A man she had never seen before held out his hand, kneeling down in front of her.

Despite her fear and worry she took his hand and followed him as he brought her up to the deck for the first time since the journey began and the sudden blinding light caught her unaware. Her new surroundings where far warmer than she was used to, the stifling dryness of the air was completely unfamiliar.

By the time she was escorted off the boat her sight had been restored, and looking around her she could see nothing but endless, golden sand in every direction. The only living things in sight were a small group of people waiting by the side of the ship. One man in particular seemed very interested in her, his gaze not leaving her for a single moment. He was tall, dark haired and something about him reminded Rhaenys of her mother.

"Rhaenys..." The man began, before collapsing to his knees in front of her and pulling her into a fierce hug.

Dazed, she didn't know what to do, normally strangers weren't allowed anywhere near her, she was a royal princess after her.

She found herself hugging back, and upon smelling the same scent that followed her mother she burst into tears for the first time since she had been taken. The tears fell from both of them, and the man began stroking her hair affectionately, clinging to her as if it was keeping him alive.

"Oh, Elia, I will protect your child. You will be avenged." He murmured, a sharpness piercing his words

Elia. Rhaenys recognised that name, it was what people called her mother, but she was too young to understand what he was saying.

Finally finding a voice she found herself saying: "who are you?"

"I'm your uncle, your mother was my sister." He explained, still clutching her hand as he stood up.

She furrowed her brow in confusion. "Was? Where is mama? I want to see her." Her voice trembled as she spoke, but she tried to remain strong as she looked up at her uncle.

He seemed lost for words for a few seconds, but eventually replied, "not right now, my little one. Your mother wants me to look after you for a bit so you'll be coming to live with me and my family-your family. I have some daughters who are about the same age as you so you won't be lonely."

Luckily this seemed to comfort Rhaenys slightly, and she didn't resist as her uncle pulled him into his arms and carried her over to a horse. Looking over his shoulder she saw some of her uncle's men passing the people on the ship some coins, quite a few coins from what she saw. Her uncle pulled her on to a horse and sat beside her, but made sure that she was secure and safe.

Rhaenys had never rode a horse before, she had always been kept in carriages whilst soldiers rode around them. A large part of her was terrified at the idea of riding away with these strangers but there was something about this man who claimed to be her uncle that made her instantly trust him.

Although it was the middle of the day she fell asleep the moment they began riding across this foreign desert. Rhaenys Targaryen was no more, and no one had any reason to suspect otherwise.

From that day on only Elyse Sand survived.