she walked among vipers and none would bite her.

ART BY KINO

1. Tenderness Toward Baby Tyrion 🦁

When Elia and Oberyn were young, their mother took them to visit Casterly Rock. There, rumors spoke of a newborn “monster” Lannister: Tyrion. Cersei took them to the baby’s room with an air of superiority to show them the “freak.”

Oberyn later told Tyrion about this (in A Storm of Swords) and said:

“Elia even made the sound young girls make when they see babies — I’m sure you’ve heard it. The same sound they make with cute kittens and playful puppies. I think she wanted to nurse you herself, no matter how ugly you were.”

Oberyn remembers it clearly and with great affection.

2. A Gentle and Kind Heart 💖

Ser Barristan Selmy (who knew her personally) describes her to Daenerys like this:

“Princess Elia was a good woman, Your Grace. She was kind and clever, with a very gentle heart and a sweet wit.”

Barristan repeatedly calls her “a good and gracious lady, though her health was always delicate.”

3. A Devoted Mother Despite Her Fragility 🤱

This is one of the sweetest and saddest details. Elia had very delicate health (she was born premature, nearly died during both births, and the maesters told her she could have no more children after Aegon).

Even so, she was an extremely dedicated mother:

According to Oberyn, she breastfed Rhaenys and Aegon herself instead of leaving everything to a wet nurse. She rocked them, wrapped them up, and cared for them personally from the very first day.

“Elia wouldn’t let the wet nurse touch them,” Oberyn says fondly.

Despite being weak and exhausted, she chose to be a present and loving mother.

4. A Moment With Her Son Aegon 🐉

In one of Daenerys’s visions in the House of the Undying (A Clash of Kings), we see Elia right after giving birth, holding her baby Aegon. She speaks with Rhaegar about the child’s name and asks him:

“Will you make a song for him?”

Rhaegar simply replies that he already has one, and that “there must be another.” (💔)

5. Personality Details 💛

She was clever and had a sense of humor. Barristan mentions her “sweet wit.” She wasn’t just “the fragile wife” she had her personality and grace, and apparently laughed at, or perhaps liked to crack jokes.

In Dorne she was loved and remembered fondly. She was a princess who embodied Dornish sweetness and elegance — the opposite of how many people picture Dornish women.

Even in the most difficult circumstances (Rhaegar abandoning her, the war that followed after leaving her alone with her father... whom Rhaegar knew was paranoid and capable of anything, and being held hostage in King’s Landing), the image that remains is that of a good woman who tried to protect and love her closest ones. She even dismissed her ladies-in-waiting, including Ashara Dayne, far away so they wouldn’t be in danger.

6. “Her Flower Grew Without Thorns” 💛

Elia seemed to be an inherently kind and gentle person. In GRRM's world, this is rare.

7. Elia attended the Tourney at Harrenhal freshly postpartum with Aegon and very weak 💔

Even so, Rhaegar chose to humiliate her in front of thousands of people. Elia wasn’t just his wife, she was the future Queen of Westeros. That apparently didn’t stop Rhaegar from doing this to her in front of everyone.

8. Baelor Hightower 💚

Unfortunately, poor Baelor's tummy betrayed him in the presence of Elia and Oberyn which made Elia laugh. Oberyn made fun of him a lot, like he always did with Elia's suitors. Sadly, Baelor could never marry Elia. Even Tyrion points out that if Elia had married Baelor, she would watch her children grow taller than her. In contrast to Rhaegar's gloom, Baelor was nicknamed "Baelor Brightsmile".

9. Elia was a premature baby 🐣

Prince Doran predicted that sadly, Elia would not live long due to her premature birth, but she successfully had grown into a beautiful woman, although it seems her early birth was the cause of her fragile health. Also, Elia was two years older than Rhaegar.