The Emancipation of Rhaegar

Chapter 41

"I do know that the Sene's and Princess Mathina Yosaf have arrived. Your father wants Viserys to go with her, Princess Mathina, back to Qarth and ward there. He said it'd be good for international relations," Otto said, rubbing his eyes.

"When did he say that?"

"Last night when I went to greet him, he seems to be in great spirits so that's a plus."

Rhaegar rolled his eyes, "yeah well, don't hold your breath."

...

What seemed like hours later, Arianne had finished dressing and was ready to meet Rhaegar at the Royal Sept.

She was awoken by Nymella, Lyanna and Penelope and they helped her bathe. Once she was done with her bath, Nymella washed her hair, brushed it out and braided it into two strands. After, she pulled the strands around into a large twist at the top of her head, letting a few strands fall stray at the sides and back of Arianne's head. She then placed a rope of some sort on her hair, tying it tightly between the two braids.

"Are you happy with it? I thought it'd look perfect for when you have been crowned Princess."

Arianne reached up into her hair, she had never had it styled so elaborately and she reminded herself to ask Nymella to do it more. "Thank you Nymella," she smiled up at her friend and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

Lyanna watched from the bed, unsure of how to make herself useful, so she played with the jewellery box in front of her. There were jewels of all kinds inside of it, red, blue, bright yellow, she was even sure she saw a purple one. Princess. The word repeated in her mind. She couldn't believe a bastard, no longer considered her sister but rather foster sister, was to marry a Prince and her, a natural-born daughter of a Lord Paramount was to marry Robert, the whoring brute. The whoring brute who every night seemed to make a show of telling anyone and everyone that he had made the eight and they hadn't. Lyanna was sure he'd whored with more than eight women from Westeros, and probably fathered bastards.

Penelope came out from the secret room holding a cloak. "Lyanna would you like to help dress her?" She asked discreetly.

Lyanna nodded back, standing from the bed and helping Nymella unbutton the dress. It was an ivory colour, with a golden belt and pearled bodice. The dress looked something out of the airy-tale books that they used to read as little girls. Lyanna would tear the pages apart to get to the parts about Knights and Arianne would fight for her turn to read about the ladies who were swept from their feet by them.

When it was placed on Arianne, they all realised how deep cut it was. "What? Is it too much?" Arianne asked Lyanna.

"No, besides it is your wedding day," Lyanna smiled back as she buttoned the back of the dress.

"Exactly," Penelope said, helping Arianne clip together a chained cape. It went across her shoulders and shimmied as she moved. She then helped her to clip together the cloak, a half Targaryen three-headed dragon and the Dayne sigil of a shooting star with a sword. Both sigils had inverted colours to show her bastard status. Nymella then helped her put on earrings and her shoes. Lastly, Penelope threw the veil, that was similarly coloured to the dress, over Arianne's head and helped her into her silk slippers.

Lyanna looked down at her own dress, it was one of the many her father had made before Harrenhal. It was a light blue colour, fashioned in a southern way. Lifting it up she looked at her black boots, I'm not underdressed, am I? She thought to herself, looking at how the other two of Arianne's companions had been dressed. "Arianne?" Lyanna called out, holding her hands behind her back.

Arianne turned around, she had been halfway to the door before Lyanna called her. Penelope gave her an annoyed look of 'we have to leave ... like yesterday ... get it out.' "Yeah, Lya?" Arianne asked her, adopting the nickname that Ned had given his sister years ago.

Lyanna was taken aback, she had rarely called her Lya. "May I borrow a dress? This one is a little ... I don't know. I'm not usually one to care about appearances." In all honesty, Lyanna wanted to feel what it'd be like to dress up for once and this would be the perfect chance to show her lords that she was more than a wild heart.

"Are you sure?" Nymella asked.

Arianne turned to Nymella and shook her head disapprovingly. "Of course," she lifted up her dress and made her way to her trunk. "What colour would you like?" Since had come to Kingslanding she had a few dresses commissioned, on Rhaegar's command of course.

In his own words, he was - tired of seeing her in the same dresses over and over again.

Lyanna stepped closer to the trunk, "blue?"

Arianne lifted her veil a little, "no," she told Lyanna bluntly. "I love you Lyanna but you have to venture out of your blue obsession. There are other colours." She reached in for a dark red dress. "Here, this one will fit."

What's that supposed to mean? Lyanna thought to herself, taking off her current dress and putting on the one Arianne had given to her. She wanted to laugh, having to talk to someone who had their face fully covered. The dress fit perfectly and was cut just to Lyanna's liking. No extra arm material, it was one strapped and made her feel like Princess Elia. "Thank you," Lyannna smiled, admiring herself.

The bells of the Sept were rung, indicating the High Septon's sermon with Rhaegar and the court was almost finished. "Okay, we seriously have to go now," Nymella said, opening the door and ushering everyone out.

Arianne led the way down the steps of the Keep, past the gates and onto the main road, where a carriage was waiting for them. The four climbed in and waited in silence as they made their way to the Sept. Nymella noted how empty the Keep was and talked about the thousand people that were waiting at the Sept.

Arianne felt her stomach churn. She thought that after all this time of having to process the fact that she was getting married, to a Prince, was going to be crowned Princess, was not Rickard's daughter, did not know her true birth ... would be done by now. But it all came back to her and she wasn't sure how to react. She had never felt more nervous in her entire life, and as they neared the royal Sept, she felt her hands start to shake uncontrollably.

Did Nymella say ... a thousand people? A thousand people. A thousand people to prove herself to. Well, she knew there was a few, but a thousand? She had only sent out three hundred ravens. Rhaegar knew seven hundred more people? A part of her had wished that she had followed her father's instruction and stayed at Winterfell, she wondered what she'd be doing had she done so.

Sitting with Lilia, probably making something or rather – or yelling at Lyanna for making her jealous of the Tourney. Lilia. How sad she was that Lilia wouldn't be able to attend her wedding, the woman who had raised her. It seemed like Kingslanding had made her forget about Lilia, too worried about her own small matters.

"We're here," Nymella said, leaving the carriage first.

...