Elia Martell

Queen **Elia Martell**, also known simply Princess **Elia of Dorne** was a Dornish princess from House Martell. She is married to King Rhaegar I Targaryen, and by him birthed Princess Rhaenys Targaryen and the Crown Princes Aegon Targaryen.

She has two brothers, her older brother, Prince Doran Martell, and her younger brother, Prince Oberyn Martell, known as "The Red Viper."

## **Appearance and Character:**

Elia Martell is said to be beautiful, slender, with black eyes, and a flat chest. She has a delicate health, having been born a month premature, which did not permit her much travel in her youth.

Elia is a gentle, good, and gracious lady, but he also describes her as frail, due to her delicate health. She is also kind and clever, with a sweet wit. Like most women from Dorne she can be known to flirt on a occasion, slightly less now she is a Queen.

Elia is a very caring person, she cares very deeply for her family, Rhaenys and Aegon are the most important things in her world. Most people thought the marriage between Rhaegar and Lyanna would cause friction between the Royal Family, but it hasn't. Elia and Lyanna have a formed a bond over the years just as strong as the between Rhaegar and his wives.

Both of Elia and Lyanna care very deeply for each others children as well, Jaehaerys, who Elia refers to as "Jae", has called Elia "Mama" his whole life and the same is the same for Lyanna and Rhaenys and Aegon, they refer to Lyanna as "Mama".

## **History:**

### **Early Life:**

Elia Martell was the fourth child and first daughter born to the ruling Princess of Dorne, and the second child to live past infancy. She was born a month premature, and her older brother Doran did not expect her to live, when he learned about her birth; she survived, however, though her health was always fragile thereafter. During her youth she was very close to her younger brother, Oberyn, to whom she was only one year apart.

Elia's mother had known Lady Joanna Lannister from the time they both served as ladies in waiting to Queen Rhaella Targaryen. Despite having learned of Joanna's death in childbirth, during their stay at Oldtown, the Martells traveled onwards to Casterly Rock. Oberyn believes that his mother had planned with Joanna to marry either Elia or Oberyn to one of Joanna's twins, Jaime and Cersei, since there had been an empty cabin on their ship, meant for someone of high birth. Waiting until it was decent, Elia's mother eventually broached the subject of marriage to Lord Tywin Lannister, first suggesting a match between Cersei and Oberyn, next a match between Elia and Jaime. Tywin refused both matches brusquely, informing her how Cersei was meant to marry Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, and suggesting the new-born Tyrion Lannister as betrothed to Elia instead, which was taken as an insult.

### **Marriage:**

Elia and Prince Rhaegar Targaryen were betrothed, and they married a year later, in a great ceremony at the Great Sept of Baelor in King's Landing. They moved to Dragonstone shortly after their wedding, Rhaegar and Elia's first child was born, Princess Rhaenys. When the baby was presented to Rhaegar's parents at court, Queen Rhaella embraced her granddaughter warmly, but King Aerys II refused to touch or hold the child and complained that she "smells Dornish". Rhaegar and Elia's second child, Prince Aegon.

Elia's health, which had always been problematic, remained fragile. Elia was bedridden for half a year after giving birth to Rhaenys, and giving birth to Aegon nearly killed her. Following Aegon's birth, the maesters told Rhaegar that Elia would bear no more children.

Elia attended the tourney at Harrenhal, during the year of the false spring, together with her husband, Prince Rhaegar, and her father-in-law, King Aerys II Targaryen. Rhaegar won the tournament, and was to crown the queen of love and beauty. However, he passed over Elia, and crowned Lady Lyanna Stark of Winterfell instead.

At the start of the next year, Rhaegar left Elia and their newborn son Aegon on Dragonstone, and took to the road with several companions. Not long thereafter, Rhaegar disappeared with Lyanna, and this event was one of the events which sparked Robert's Rebellion. Elia knew the truth, that they were in love and that they planned to marry, Rhaegar asked for permission and she granted it.

So when her brother Oberyn turned up to take her and her children back to Dorne she explained to him that she was okay with Rhaegar marrying Lyanna, her brother understood and went back to Dorne to explain it to their older brother Doran, but he still never got over the slight Rhaegar put on his house.

When Lyanna Stark arrived at King's Landing, with a child, that was the only time Elia felt sad or angry at what Rhaegar did. That's what he married another, because Elia couldn't have another child. Elia had a few days to herself to think about her anger and that second day finished with her meeting Lyanna for the first time in over a year, she promised to care for Prince Jaehaerys as if he was her own son, which Lyanna replied by promising to care for Princess Rhaenys and Prince Aegon.