The Emancipation of Rhaegar

Chapter 6

Six

Jaime Lannister was never one to fall for a lady when he first saw her, nor would he say he fell for this woman in front of him when he saw her. He would say she was merely a toy to play with at one of the dullest Tourney's he had the pleasure of attending.

Cersei wouldn't be pleased, not at all. He loved his sister, he truly did, but he was a young lord who was exploring the world, and like any young lord he was allowed the right to do just that. Though he had to give it to Cersei, she had kept him preoccupied during the entire day they had been at Harrenhal.

So when the girl chose him to greet first, his ego grew exceptionally. Though he had never doubted himself. Kissing her hand and showering her with compliments. He would not take his eyes off her dark purple ones. They were the most exotic things he had seen, so similar he noticed, too that of the young handmaiden of the Princess. But this girl looked nothing like her, not one bit.

The handmaiden, Ashara Dayne, had a mature beauty about her. Though like Arianne she did seem to hypnotize every man she walked past. Ashara Dyane was used gold to Jaime. This girl was freshly mined, and her body showed the innocence that he lacked from his sister. He wouldn't have called it love, no, more or less infatuation. He didn't forget to tell the girl to save him dance her first dance. She blushed furiously before accepting and moving on to greet Lady Olenna Tyrell, who complimented the girls dress and talked ill of her sisters. Jaime's eyes followed her all the way into her room until the door was shut and murmuring of the purple-eyed beauty who had just graced her presence in the east wing of the rooms begun.

Jaime turned to leave, it seemed he was not the only man interested in her. The Prince, whose hand was tapping furiously on the balcony, his foot restless, stared at the closed door intently. The Queen nodded her head to the gold cloaks who escorted her to her rooms and closed the door, standing in front of the door. The Prince nodded to Arthur Dayne, Jaime knew to be, and walked down the stairs of the southern balcony and made his way to the exercise yard. Jaime thought it best to join; he did not want to look weak amongst the Lords. He would keep the secret of his sudden taking with Arianne Sand, a very close secret. Cersei would kill the girl if she found out. Or she would kill him. Jaime liked Arianne alive. Jaime liked Jaime alive.

...

And poor Lyanna Stark, she had hoped this would be the time that Arianne would be seen as some foreigner and she would be focused on. But in the back of her mind, she knew this was going to happen.

She was left on the side of the balcony that housed Lysa and Catelyn Tully, Bethany, Maege, Lady Olenna Tyrell, Lewyn Martell, Gerold Hightower, Jon Connington, Cerci Lannister and many other ladies. Arianne had won the lottery it seemed, her room was right near that of the King and Queen the Prince and Princess, Jaime Lannister, Mace Tyrell, Lyanna assumed her brothers rooms would be there as well as there were no more available rooms in the west wing and she swore she caught a glimpse of Jon Arryn, Oberyn Martell, Yohn Royce and a mixture of Freys and Dustin's.

Lyanna had seen the interaction Arianne had with Jaime, and something grew in the pit of her stomach. She couldn't wait to meet Robert and rid herself the feelings of jealousy that plagued her. She stepped into her room, a room made for a giant, and shut the door behind her after her handmaiden had stepped in.

"Let's get ready for the feast!" the young handmaiden squealed. Lyanna sighed internally. It was midday; the feast was at nightfall.

How much getting ready would there be? She wondered.

...

"My lady," a timid little handmaiden had whispered behind Arianne. Arianne turned to the girl smiling.