court of lies | robert's rebellion

the sign of the times

"people will never blees enough to fulfil your vision of justice"

281 AC, Oldtown

She could leave her chambers in the dead of night. Alea would be sleeping and she would send Finnan away, the kingsguard who stood vigil in front of Elia's chambers could not see her from that angle. It was too easy to move quickly and soundlessly -she would not wear shoes as she ran in the hallways, climbed a few stairs and marched to the north wing and slipped inside the girl's chambers, picked up the pillow and pressed it into her face, sat on top of her so she could not fight her off and she stood in that position until she gave her final breath. And then with the same secrecy, she would return back to her chambers and sleep like a baby.

Lythene Penrose would die and no one would know it was her.

It was raining, it rarely rained at Oldtown. Water fell from the clouds in many different ways, yes, but the open rain was a rare occasion and Atera loved those days more than others. She mostly felt like she was a princess in a tale, locked in a tower by a big bad man, waiting for her knight in shiny armour to save her. So when the sky wept, she amused herself by thinking that it wept for her.

With an urgent need, she took off her robe and left her chambers, did not answer when Finnan asked her where she was going. She just left the castle with a thin, sleeveless, navy nightgown, it was in the middle of the night so no one was there to see her. She danced through the rain, through her pain until the first lights of the dawn hit the city.

"You are going to be ill.", Alea said when Atera came back to her senses and realized how cold she was, she was soaking wet and the wind was enough to make someone ill. She wrapped a blanket over her shoulders and helped her to her chambers.

"I cannot kill them.", she whispered when she finally laid down in bed, refusing Alea's insistence on taking a warm bath first. "You must stop me."

"You don't think you are powerful enough to control your urges?", Alea sat down on the bed, caressing her hair lovingly.

"I don't want to find out."

*

"You called for me?", Garth entered the room with a cheeky attitude though Atera was not in a mood for it.

"You must talk to Baelor, he would never listen to me if I say it.", she looked at him over papers. "He must marry."

Garth's smile almost faltered but he was quick to fix it back. "Where it came from?"

"The three most prominent families of the Reach are the Tyrells, the Hightowers and the Redwynes and it benefits us greatly and provides us many securities to keep it that way.", she said without answering him. She needed to keep herself busy and if she could not fix her own problems, she could fix others. "There is already a union between us and the Tyrells through marriage thanks to Alerie and Mace. There is going to be a union between the Redwynes and the Tyrells soon enough thanks to Paxter and Mina. Would it be that bad if there would be a union between us and the Redwynes too? Paxter has many cousins, but one of them stands out particularly. The Lady Contessina Redwyne, the daughter of Paxter's late uncle -that happens to be Olenna's brother, she is the same age as us, is pretty and -I am going to tell you this, she is clever. Rhonda Rowan will not do,", she sent him a look, aware of Baelor's obsession with that woman. "but Contessina Redwyne will."

Garth took a deep breath and exhaled it by puffing his cheeks. He was not made for court games. "It is not our place to advice him such.", he shook his head, pleading for Atera to see reason. He could not outright tell her that he was already married but if she pressed the issue further, a disaster would occur. "He is an adult, he can marry whenever he wants."

"Alerie already has two children.", she sent him a disapproving look. "It is easier for him to have one. He only needs to lay with his wife, it is not going to be him who'll carry the baby for nine moons. I do not understand his reluctance."

"Isn't it clear?", he asked with disbelief. "He is in love with another one."

Atera rolled her eyes. "Love is for children, not for heirs of high lords."

"Atera-"

"There are three reasons for a marriage to happen; power, alliances and children.", she interrupted him harshly, and was also not in the mood to be get rejected. "An alliance with the Rowans are not necessary by all means. The utmost power that Mathis can give to Baelor and to us is more gold -which we already have, a lot more than they could ever have.", she put down the papers and leaned back. "A marriage between them does not benefit us but it benefits them greatly."

"Not every match needs to be political. Alerie married Mace for love, him being the Lord of Highgarden meant nothing to father."

"Because your sister was smart enough to fall in love with the right man. Your brother is not.", she snapped and then sighed when she saw Garth's judging face. "What of children Garth, hmm?", she asked aggressively. "Rhonda Rowan cannot have children, the entirety of the Reach knows this. It is why she is six and twenty and yet unmarried. It's not a theory that Alerie made up, she and Baelor had been trying, for what? Eight years now? To have children and they are failing.", she stood up as Garth rubbed his face. "It is all fun and games now, is it not? They are in love and I am the evil witch who tries to come between them but the truth is far away from it.", she stood in front of him. "What do you think is going to happen once Baelor dies without children?"

Understanding her meaning, he took a step back. "Don't do that."

"You are going to be the next Lord of Oldtown and inherit all of your father's title and then what?", she pressed him further. "Do you think you are capable of marrying a woman and having children? Having heirs?", the question hung between them. "I think we both know you are not."

"It is not my fault being like this.", he hissed, he thought she understood him and her face softened for a second but then Garth saw the visible struggle to keep going.

"Because both you and your brother are just spoiled, ungrateful children who take all of it, all of this, granted.", he knew she regretted saying this but he also knew she was right at some point. "Not even the recent events manage to teach you that all of this can be taken from us at any moment. And what do you think is going to happen when you die without having children? Humfrey will be the next Lord of Oldtown and inherit all of my brother's titles.", they shared a look. "Leyton might take them as his own and refuse to accept the truth and make no mistake, I am not going to hold two innocent children responsible for their horrible parents' crimes but the truth is the truth, no matter how much we want to believe otherwise, how much we wish to change it, whether we like it or not, whether we accept it or not, the truth is the fucking truth and it is loud and clear that those boys are bastards. And if you think after everything that happened I am going to let him sit on this seat, you are wrong.", he shivered at the look in her eyes. "I would rather kill that girl, and Daven and those two boys before I let that happen. Contessina Redwyne, talk to your brother."

*

She would accept her offer of a truce, in front of others. Pretend as her friend for a while, and then make Elia invite them for tea. She would send Alea to put Tears of Lys in one of the deserts first and then she would eat them and die, no one ever know the real reason.

Lythene Penrose would die and no one would know it was her.

After her rather unsavoury talk with Garth, she decided to take yet another walk in the gardens, thought her thoughts wandered around as usual and landed on a very dangerous subject. She could not kill Lythene nor Jace -but it would be too easy to do, no? And no one would know it was her. She did worse than that, why she was now reluctant?

She remembered Vortimer's words; killing came easy to her when someone wronged her family but not so when someone wronged her. Did she truly hate herself so much for protecting her family that she couldn't stomach protecting herself?

Her train of thoughts was cut short when Finnan approached her with a scowl and a little parchment in his hands. "They sent this to you, my lady."

"Who did?", she asked with a straight face, did not even had the energy to play pretend.

She had a poor sleep due to her being under the rain all night and Alea seemed to be right, as she usually was, that she might be fallen ill. She only hoped it would not be too heavy because usually, her illnesses were torture to her.

"I do not know, my lady.", Finnan answered with caution in his voice. "A squire."

She only sent him a look and opened it.

You are surrounded by traitors from all sides. Your most trusted friend, Alea, is having a secret affair with Lord Hightower. Take this as a sign of confidence, Atera. Do not make rash decisions, do not make an enemy out of me. Especially not when you have this short of allies.

-Jace

Not even a muscle moved in her face as she ripped the letter apart. Then she closed her eyes and took a shaky deep breath. "Finnan,", she called nonchalantly. "bring Alea to my chambers.", she even smiled as she walked towards her chambers.

She was done with traitors.

*

"Alea,", she was facing the window, her hands were tied in front of her, and she was playing with her rings. She was wearing a navy gown with tulle sleeves, her hair was in a curled bun and was wearing a sapphire set of jewels. "the only friend I trust."

Alea slightly frowned at that. "Thank you?", she said in a questioning manner. "Finnan told me that you wanted to see me.", she pointed out the closed door. "Something happened? Are you feeling sick?"

"Yes.", she breathed. "I feel so sick."

"Do you wish me to call for a Maester?", she took a step forward. "I told you not to stand under the rain, I told you to take a bath afterwards, you shou-"

"I do not feel physically sick.", she interrupted, eyes still watching the trees that were losing their leaves. "My heart feels that way."

"Your ...heart?", she did not understand her meaning.

"Yes.", she turned her head to her left but not enough to see her. "Are you surprised that I have one?"

"No.", she was starting to get nervous. "Is that about Lythene and Jace again?", when Atera did not respond, she continued. "It is unbelievable, such a betrayal-"

"You think she betrayed me?", she asked. "Lythene?"

"Of course.", she said with disbelief. "She was supposed to be your friend, you trusted her and she slept with your ...lover,", she tried to find the right word. "behind your back. What is this, if not a betrayal?"

"Yes, you are right.", her brain was empty and her head was aching. "But I do have a question; what is it, if not another betrayal, to entering my brother's bed behind my back?"

Silence filled the room.

A few minutes later, Atera turned her back finally, eyes too cold and distant as if they belonged to a stranger. "Will you not say anything to defend yourself?", she asked emotionless though the question itself contained a bit of surprise. "Will you not try to deny it at least?"

"It happened only once.", she had to clear her throat as tears came to her but nothing was showing in her face. "I do not regret it."

"Are you coming from there now?", she asked with yet another deep breath -to calm herself. She felt numb as if she built a wall between her heart and her emotions but the burning feeling of rage was hitting to that wall, she could feel the pulse of it. "From my brother's side?"

"No.", Alea was quick to shake her head. "I swear that it only happened once."

"How could you do this to me?", her face fell with sadness for a second, her voice sounded so desperate, so broken. "The only friend I trust!", but in the end her rage won as usual. "Did this court poison you as well? I trusted you.", tears made her eyes look like actual sapphires. "I sent you there myself to take care of my brother and you did what? Were there, not any other men in the castle that you had to sleep with my brother?"

"At-"

"I want to yell at you.", she looked up to not to cry. "And I just want to lay there for hours and days until the pain goes away but the pain will never go away.", she closed her eyes and tears fell. "Just leave Alea.", she said tiredly. "I do not wish to see you ever again."

*

Or she could approach to her behind, take hold of her necklace and pull it back until her breath stuck in her throat. She would pull and pull and pull until there was nothing left but her dead body.

Lythene Penrose would die and no one would know it was her.

"You sent her away.", she didn't have to turn to know it was Leyton speaking.

"You have to take her away from me, right?", she was watching the outside from the window, her head was aching, her throat was probably swollen and was making it hard for her to swallow even her ears had been hurting. "She was the only person I had left with and you had to take her away for me."

"You are being dramatic.", he scoffed, she was not surprised that he did not understand the main issue.

Alea could sleep with her entire family if she wanted to; it wasn't Atera's place to judge or scold her. They were friends, Alea was every bit of the lady she was, not her servant and Atera had no right to order her around. But she couldn't handle the secrecy of it. She was aware that maybe she was being dramatic; neither Leyton nor Alea had to report her activities but one was her brother, the other her best friend, she liked to believe that a hint of it would be sufficient.

"After everything,", she cleared her throat. "she was the only one I had. Alerie and I pretend as if everything is okay but it is not, now I learnt that Lythene had betrayed me too -though she did far worse than that, Paxter and I do not speak, Mace had been long not my friend any longer, I was all alone.", she turned to look at him. "Alea was the one that I had and you took her away from me."

"I do not understand, and believe me I try to, why this has to change anything between you two.", he took a step towards her. "We are adults who chose to spend a night together -there is nothing more to it. She still is your friend, no one can change that."

"Her loyalty is crossed now. How can I know this will not be repeated? How can I know she will not report my actions to you now?"

"You trust her so little, truly?", he looked at her with disapproval.

"I trust people not.", her head was pulsing. "Alea was a difference.", she turned her head away. "I do not wish to talk about it any longer."

"Sister-"

"Brother.", she interrupted him with a dead look in her eyes. "The only reason that I am not also cutting you off is because I do not want your children to hear this."

"Ate-"

"After claiming that you loved your wife, after causing us all those tortures because you love her; hearing that it was all a lie and not after a moon later you are capable of fucking Alea, my best friend, a woman they knew since they were kids, would create a very bad image.", she spat. "The only reason that I am pretending this did not happen is this."

"I did love her.", he looked directly into her eyes. "Until she tried to kill my son.", he sent her a look and took a step back.

"You knew it?"

"My daughter is no liar.", he pointed out. "And she is not an evil person to lie about such a subject, of course, I knew she was telling the truth."

"Yet, you did nothing.", she wasn't sure if she was seriously getting ill or if was it just her brain not being able to comprehend the reality any longer but she could feel her own skin burning.

"I sent Baelor and Garth away.", he took another step, it was the first time he was confessing this. "I sent Alerie away."

"To pretend it never happened?"

"To protect them.", he hissed. "She was actively trying to kill them in order to prevail in her plan. I could not,", he closed his eyes. "I had no proof.", he corrected himself. "I needed some time to make up my mind therefore I sent them away for their own safety.", he took another step. "I made mistakes, I am not perfect, none of us are, but I did try to fix them.", he wanted her to understand. "Nothing is more important than my family, no one. If this thing with Alea upsets you this much, we both can stop it. We both value you more than this."

She looked at him with a strange look in her eyes but in the end, her weariness won and she just turned her back to him. "I do not wish to talk any longer."

*

That woman had an effect on her that she despised. One look, one mention, even a slight noise from her was making her filled with rage for reasons she could not be sure of exactly. Yes, she hated the woman herself for being herself but what made it so intense should be a different thing. Was she channelling her anger towards her father to her? Was she challenging her sadness over her mother to her? Or did she completely hate the hold the woman held on her? One look and she was a child once more, six years old, the time when she first met her, just lost her mother.

Walburga Cafferen, she would never admit it out loud, was the only person who intimidated her.

Even though she tried to play it cool and hide all of the turmoil of emotions, she was not older than a child on the inside. "What do you want?", and she most definitely was not in the mood to speak with the likes of her. Not after she found out about Lythene and Jace, not after she found out about Alea and Leyton.

"I have a proposal.", she caught her before she went to the dinner -Leyton was adamant about having big suppers now that he was welcoming the royal couple at his keep for almost a moon now. "A marriage proposal."

"As if I would marry someone you choose.", she scoffed. "Who is your candidate? Let me guess,", she looked at her mockingly. "Your son?"

"My brother.", it cut off all the dry amusement from her.

Doratien Cafferen, the Lord of Fawnton was a man in his sixties with four children and was known for his pervert habits -lusting after young boys.

"Are you kidding me?", she asked, unintentionally taking a step back. "Not even you can be this out of mind, Walburga. Not when I found out about your daughter's actions.", her voice carried a danger. "I had decided not to act on impulse but I do not suggest you push your luck."

"And what if I push my luck?", she was a beautiful woman -though Atera would never accept it, in her forties with jet black long hair and brown eyes filled with hatred. Apparently, she wanted to marry her father when she herself was married and instead befriended her mother, planned her downfall and then became her father's mistress. Yet, she still was after torturing Jenica's daughter. In her sick mind, she had stolen her lover and now she was demanding justice. "You can choose the carrot or the stick, I do not care. You are going to marry him either way."

She narrowed her eyes. "Are you threatening me?", she asked as if she could not believe her audacity. "Should I remember your position? You are nothing but a dowager lady of a godsforsaken castle while I am the Regent of this city. If you threaten me again, I will have you thrown to the dungeons."

"I had said my peace of mind.", she raised her chin. "Accept my offer now or face the consequences."

"Your brother deserves the most horrible way of execution.", she hissed. "He is a pig with no self-respect nor self-control. There is nothing in this world that would make me marry him.", then she turned her back but still, Walburga yelled from her behind.

"He is already on his way here and is very eager to marry you. You will make a handsome couple."

*

"It is weird that even though I am seeing this for the first time, it feels familiar.", Alerie commented after taking a sip from her Arbor gold. They were having dinner with the royal couple, a few important Reacher Lords and the Dornish nobles -with the new addition of Lady Eyrine Uller, also Leyton had invited the Velaryon brothers much to Alerie's surprise and Atera's demise. She was not sure what her father was after. "I am seeing this for the first time, yes?", she turned to her husband to make sure.

As the Lady of Highgarden, it was one of her duties to redesign the castle as she fit and she looked at so many paintings over the years that she forgot the count of it. She also had always appreciated the art in all forms and Leyton used to buy her galleries that were maintained in ships just for her to look at. Many artists had sent their work to her over the years to earn her patronage and Mace always brought the finest pieces from Essos to make her happy. Now they were looking at the gift that was sent to Denyse by Paxter's cousin, Desmond, as a part of his marriage proposal that they were considering.

"It is because it was made by a man who saw women only as figurative objects, not as human beings.", Atera commented dryly without looking at the painting at all. She was not eating, merely playing with her food and Leyton's entire attention was on her even though he did not make it clear so. "As we are mere vases for entertainment, without a proper shape or a distinctive figure."

"Must you?", Alerie turned to her with a patient pout. "You know I enjoy these things, do you have to comment on them like this?"

Atera raised her face to look at her -it was annoying, really, her face was rather expressionless. "Yes."

"Father.", she called for him without breaking the eye contact.

"Atera.", his warning came almost immediately after as he broke his silent conversation with Baelor. "Do not, please."

"You are in no position to warn me not to do something.", she turned to him and said with a small voice, a warning or a thread, Alerie was not sure.

"Did I miss something?", she asked with a slight frown, Mace leaned over her to hear it too.

"Nothing important.", she didn't shrug, didn't break the eye contact. "It's just, your father is sleeping with Alea."

"What?", Alerie couldn't control her reaction and asked with a rather high-pitched loud voice as her hand hit her wine glass, making it pour into the table that was covered in burgundy and phithalo. When everyone's attention turned to them, she tried to offer a panicked smile but her attention turned back to Atera and her father while the servants tried to wipe the table without causing much distraction. "What?", she hissed this time, Mace rubbed his face.

"Oh, I am sorry.", Atera turned to her with a mocking frown. "Didn't you know about it?"

"Father?", she asked to him, not taking Atera seriously -she made mistakes, she crossed the line but Atera was not innocent either.

Leyton rubbed his face with exhaustion as if he was trying to control himself, forcing himself to be patient with his sister. "We shall talk after the supper.", he ordered lowly but in his look towards Atera, the hurt was the most prominent one.

Alerie shared a look with Baelor, and sensed his resentment almost immediately, knowing that he heard it as well. Both were trying to leave the past behind yet having an affair with Alea so soon after Rhea was not something they could look past.

"You are only saying this because you don't like art itself.", Mace tried to change the subject abruptly and even though Atera sent him a look full of cynicism, she played along.

"Because art should be passionate-"

"-You don't like bright-coloured ones as well.", Denyse interfered from her own seat.

"I said passionate, not eye tiring.", she sent her a displeased look. "As I said, it should be passionate, it should tell a story.", she pointed out the piece that was standing on the corner. "What story does this one tell? Nothing."

"You don't like King Daeron's statue as well.", Doric said while chewing his food. "Even though it does tell a story."

"Except that it does not."

"Are we back on this subject again?", Leyton asked with a sigh.

"Daeron was not a young and brave conqueror, he was an idealistic, glory-obsessed fool who caused the deaths of thousands.", Atera leaned on her back and felt Rhaegar's gaze on her face. "He lost the war. Having that ugly statue in our city is an insult to us and is an insult to House Targaryen."

"I do like that statue.", Baelor frowned.

"It's because you have no taste.", she snapped with a low voice. "Inherited from your uncle, I venture.", she meant Jace -both Alerie and Leyton got it but Doric thought she meant him but before he managed to say anything else Corlys stood up.

"Before we continue to the supper, there is a confession I want to make.", he turned to Atera who was just about to take a sip from her wine, everyone was watching him with surprised eyes. "I want to apologize from Atera.", she pulled her glass away from her mouth but she did not place it on the table. "On my brother's behalf."

"Corlys.", Leyton's voice was filled with warning, he had a bad feeling about what he is going to say, Atera narrowed her eyes at him while her mouth opened a little.

"For what he had done to you, I think you deserve this."

"What are you talking about?", Jace tried to pull him down by his sleeve but Corlys made a move to free his arm from his brother's panicked hands.

"What he and Lythene had done...", he shook his head with a shocked manner -it was all an act. "Infidelity is a terrible crime as you know it well.", the time stopped for Atera at that moment. "But as his brother, I feel like it is my duty to make a plea for his life.", he continued. "Your father took your mother's head off for this but-"

"Corlys that is enough.", Elia warned him harshly, she had no idea what was going on -and by his looks, neither did Rhaegar but she did not like the situation they were in.

Corlys didn't heed her.

"I believe I must remind you that if you do that; you will sully yourself too. It is best if we forget and forgive, if this would become public, people would think you are a common whore given that you had an affair outside of wedlock."

"Corlys!", Leyton snapped and stood up with force -his chair fell to the back but before he managed to say something else a loud cracking voice filled their ears. Leyton watched as his sister -who just broke her glass with the sheer force of her hand, stood up and left the room with urgency, her hand, which just got recovered, covered in blood. "You are going to pay for this.", he declared and left the room after her, people already started to whisper.

"We'll see about that.", he chuckled into his glass but Doric was already behind him, holding him by the cover of his neck, smashing his head to the plate over and over again with anger until Baelor and Garth stopped him.

And in between screams and loud attempts to end the violence, Jace merged with the dark night and ran away from the castle like the rat he was.

*

There was silence in the room though everyone was speaking, Alerie was not hearing anything. Her uncle was gone, just like the coward he always was, ran away, and left two women to pick up the mess he made. Alerie could feel almost sad for Lythene, almost, as if she did not benefit from the situation, if she did not enjoy it, if she did not twist the tale for her own good, taking advantage of Atera's lack of appearance.

It was true that she never like the girl. After Jenica's death, Meredyth followed shortly after and her father married Rhea almost immediately, Alea entered their lives and Atera was suddenly sent away. It passed a year or so until Alerie had seen her again and that one year was the worst year of her life. Baelor was away in Driftmark and Malora was not well back then, talking in riddles, always in a haze of confusion...

Atera was the only friend she had so she normally did not like it when she returned with her new best friend in her arms; Lythene Penrose.

She remembered her father's words still, the way he pulled her to his chambers, bend on his knees to level his height on her and explained why they must not tell Atera about her grandfather's affair with Lady Cafferen. Why it would upset her greatly. She still remembered the hatred in his brown eyes too. She wanted to ask him back then, why he let her be friends with Lythene if he did not want her to know about her father and Walburga but it was never her place to question the decisions of her father. Not back then, not now. And yet here they were, despite his good intentions another one of Leyton Hightower's decisions, his mercy, was causing trouble again.

The silence was too loud for her. Mace was not there too. Their relationship was not rocky by any means, no, they had past the days of melancholy and depression and Mace, not even once, reminded her of those days nor blamed her for anything. He was nothing but a supportive husband and Alerie was thankful to have him at her side every day. Theirs was a love match, not a political alliance. One that was built up years and years, they were friends before they were husband and wife.

All she wanted was to return back to Highgarden with her children and close this page on her life. She loved her father, she loved her siblings, she loved Atera but she was born to build another family, not to cling to one she already had and the more she stayed in that tower, the more she started to get suffocated by it. It was another trauma, sadness, treason, tears, blood, and machinations every day and she was sick of it. She was never the kind of a person who would play mind tricks or burn three thousand men alive in one night. She was never the kind of a person who would not feel the guilt of any of these and yet, her environment changed her as well and she just wanted to smell the rose gardens again not the burning smell of blood.

She was not happy here, not when even her father upset her, her safe harbour in this life. She wondered if she was the only one who saw the tiredness of him. Once a glory-filled glamorous lord and now just a tired man who cannot even find it in himself to apologize because of the self-blame. It killed her to see her father like this. It killed her to see Atera fading away every day. Her once happy home filled with memories of shiny pink turned into catastrophic blues and she had enough.

"...so the apple seems not to fall that far away from the tree.", with the distant chatter she heard in the silence in her own head, she turned to the direction with unseeing eyes. "Her mother was a whore too, no? The late Lord Gerard's mistress first, his poor wife had died because of her -mayhaps she killed her herself.", she, with the corner of her eyes, saw the way Paxter leaned forward in his chair with a deadly look. Not in speaking terms those two were but no one could insult her in his presence.

"And now she is the mistress of Ser Jacaerys then -though apparently he only gives into her whim because of her family. That poor man probably doesn't want to make an enemy out of Lord Hightower.", a snort and Paxter turned to Alerie as she raise an eyebrow slowly.

"Though what difference would it make? He is an old man that the entire realm laughs at. A man who couldn't even control his own wife nor understand that he was being cuckolded. What a loser.", Alerie was not blinking and Paxter's entire attention was on her.

"I would not be surprised if Lady Penrose would die by mistake.", a loud laugh. "She is a murderer after all. Killed even poor Lady Rhea, kidnapped her children -actual children and then spread the propaganda to save her. She probably slept with the prince too, it is why the king had pardoned her."

"I heard that his grace visited her chambers late at night previously."

"Whore daughter of the whore mother."

"Enough!", Alerie yelled as loud as she can, stood up drastically and hit the table with her palms -so strong that she was sure that she either broke a bone or heavily damaged it. "You pitiful spiders!", everyone was looking at her with shocked expressions. "How dare you with this insolence? Where is the courage come from? Who do you think you are to gossip about a Regent? How dare you spread lies about events you do not know of?"

The girls' faces, a Fossoway no less and a Tarly -their stance made Alerie's blood boil even harder, not to mention the first girl was kin, were as pale as snow, there wasn't a drop of colour in them. They were looking at her with wide eyes and shaking frames.

Alerie was aware that everybody was looking at her.

Paxter, Vortimer, both of her brothers, Denyse, the Martell princes, Elia, Alea, Doric, Arvel and Cerissa, Arys, Victor, Cardan, Larra, Andric, Ashara, the prince and his kingsguards...

"Lady Alerie, what we meant to say-"

"There is nothing else that you say instead of vicious lies and made-up stories!", she spat with rage. She never felt this angry before, she could feel the strong shake in her body. "If I hear so much of a word against my aunt, I will make all of you pay for it!", she declared and then added unintentionally. "I am the Lady of Highgarden!", her voice echoed in the entire room and returned back to her. She felt sick to use her power like this. She was not like the rest of her family, she was not weak but did not like to abuse her power in order to gain respect but now it was all that she had seen, even on her own family's face, respect due to fear of her position. Yes, she wanted to protect Atera, she owed her so but this was not the way she wanted to do it. Yet she continued. "And you are my subject as all of the Reachermen are!", she held the table despite the immense pain in order to secure herself, she was starting to get dizzy but she held it back. "The next time you spread lies about my family I will have your tongue for this.", she said in a way that even she believed it. "Let it be a warning for all of you.", her eyes roamed inside of the room -only Dornishmen was not watching her with fear. "Do not test my patience nor tempt my fury, it is not a challenge any of you would win."

Feeling that she could not stay in there any longer, she started to walk towards the door with a pulsing headache. With every countryman who stood up and curtsied or bowed to her, she felt more dizzy. Of course, they paid her their respects but never on this level. Mace and Olenna -and her father and Atera, had warned her again and again to warn them about it but she never cared about it before. Now she felt like going mad with it.

*

She was feeling terrible. She could feel her own fever with the way her eyes burnt as she blinked and her entire body felt too heavy to carry and the way she had to clench her jaw and grit her teeth tightly in order to prevent people to see the way she was shaking.

Yet she forced herself to get up, get dressed, and show those people that she was not some fragile wallflower to be stepped on.

She wore one of her finest silk gowns -purple with golden embodiments, she had braided her hair to her back and wore a rather large amethyst crown. Even if her new maids -Lavender and Hazel, noticed her fever, they kept their mouths shut as they applied creams to her face to make her look livelier.

It didn't take that long for her to snap at someone -she knew she would, and she knew she kind of had to in order to show authority still, her shortness of patience surprised even her.

"She has been having an affair with him for years.", she heard one of the servants whispering in the corridor.

"I heard the whispers too, how brave it is to put herself on a pedestal like this."

She forced herself to smile as she approached them, her own maids shared an anxious look -they were not prepared for this. "What are you talking about?", she asked with a calm voice.

"Nothing milady.", both curtsied to her and did not dare to look into her eyes.

"Tell me,", she pressed. "what is it?"

"We were just talking milady.", knowing that she would not get an answer from them she took a patient breath and turned her back -her aim was to go to the council room for the next meeting.

She could only imagine the scolding looks of those old pigs as if they had the right to question her. Those men were known to be frequent at most high-ended brothels, men who were married to women half their age, men who were cheating on them, lusting after every young woman they had seen, men who were calling them 'whores' when they did not give what they want; men who were calling them 'whores' anyways when they got what they want.

When she saw Lythene though, she saw red like a bull who's after her target for death.

"Lythene.", she called for her, tied her hands on her front as she approached. "Come here at once."

Words were simple; she had an affair with Jace while he was betrothed to marry Lythene. They said that it was her who forced an eighteen-year-old Lythene with an eighty-eight-year-old man -when in truth it was her ambitious mother who did that. They said Atera was so vicious that she took her best friend's man from her and ruin both of their lives. They also added that she did not grant her son the title he deserved out of spite. And all Atera could think that how easy it would be to just kill her.

"Something happened my lady?"

"Who to hell you think you are to gossip about me?"

"My name is Lythene Penrose, the dowager Lady of Blackcrown, the mother of the true heir of it. You cannot speak to me like this."

"Choose your words correctly. Your child is no more than a bastard as you are a common whore. Now, give me an explanation at once."

"If you heard the gossip, you would understand who is the common whore.", Lythene spat with a loud voice. "I heard them too, I am deeply sorry that everyone had to find out like this but...", she sighed. "Now they see your true face."

She raised her hand and slapped her across the face as she did with Jace the other night, as she wanted to do for a long time. "You shameless insolent!", she yelled when Lythene was too shocked to speak. "I am still the regent of this city. How dare you to speak lies about me? Have you learnt nothing?", the other nobles around them -lesser and higher alike, turned to look at each other.

"Atera.", a composed voice called for her. "I believe they are waiting for you in the council room to start the meeting."

"Your grace I-"

"Atera.", Elia repeated. "Go."

She turned to look at her with a fit of anger she tried to suppress but the hurt in her eyes was clear. Even though she did not have to, she curtsied to Elia ever since the day they first met, she showed her the utmost respect at all costs even when her own countrymen showed nothing but insolence and disrespect, she defended her to all, she has been welcoming her in her own home and was this the behaviour she deserved?

She thought they were friends.

To show her hurt, she did not curtsy to her and only bowed her head and started to walk away. Until she heard Elia's voice again. "Are you alright?", she was asking it to Lythene who still stood there, frozen, with her hand on her cheek. "Do not mind her, she is angry about the gossip and is looking to pick on someone.", Atera turned to them with an open mouth -though due to her angle, they were not seeing her. "I know it was not you who spread the gossip, how could you?", she raised her voice. "When you know none of these words are true, you cannot go and lie about a highborn lady like this.", Atera turned to them completely, she was not understanding what Elia was trying to do. "Not when it was you who committed adultery with my cousin dearest and sired a child with him during your marriage to her bannermen."

"Your grace-", Lythene tried to speak with a shocked voice -as if she was not breathing properly.

"Jacaerys had come to me with the truth.", she declared to the other nobles. "What you two have done to your poor husband, what you two had done to Atera... These are terrible things to do. I trust that you have the decency to at least keep your mouth shut about it. When we consider the spreading of these words would be your undoing and everyone would see your true face.", Lythene was shaking with a pale face but Elia did not show her mercy. "Gossip is a bad thing but if you still feel the utmost urgency to speak; at least speak the truth."

*

When he hesitantly went to her chambers, there was Lewyn guarding the door. He stopped him with his hand when he made a move to enter the room and announce his presence to his niece. Instead, he entered it directly and saw Elia whit a white nightgown in front of the mirror, brushing her waves delicately.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here.", she said nonchalantly, without even looking at him as he approached to her and stood right behind her.

With his close proximity, she unintentionally closed her eyes, his cologne blinding her senses. "My guiding star at my darkest night,", he leaned his forehead to just above her ear, his nose diving deep into her hair, inhaling her scent. "your light would blind the sun itself.", Elia pressed her eyes tightly, forced herself to not go give into him. "The moon would be ashamed of your sparkle and bow in front of you if he would ever see you. I am nothing more than a mere servant who is blinded by this burning light, no cure would heal me but you.", then he pressed his lips into her hair as his hands wrapped around her waist, and the brush fell from Elia's hands as she pressed her back to his chest, feeling the joy of his securing arms, smiling unintentionally. She turned in between his arms but he did not take a step back, they were seeing eye to eye as their noses almost touched together. "I had neglected you and was careless with your heart.", her face fell as Rhaegar pressed his forehead to hers. "And the reason for it was not state matters but my sheer devotion to protect you."

"What is this about, Rhaegar?", she asked with a tired plea. "Tell me and relieve yourself from this duty that you burdened yourself. It is not protected if it hurts both of us. Speak to me, this is all I want."

"I will tell you all one day, I promise.", he said with a quiet tone. "Everything, from the beginning. I just need a little more time to gather my thoughts and then, I swear, you will be the first one to know.", his hand raised to caress her hair. "But now please let me show you how sorry I am, let us heal in each other's arms."

"I missed you so much.", she said as he pressed a kiss onto her lips. "I missed you more than the stars miss the sun.", they shared another kiss and many more until the sun was born -and even after that.

*

"My lady, Lady Tyrell asks for an audience.", Finnan alerted her and Atera closed her book, looked at him with exhaustion. "Let her in."

"Atera.", she hesitantly smiled at her.

"Come, sit next to me.", she sighed. "And do not look like a trembling little bird, I am not mad at you.", Alerie took a relaxed breath and approached to her though both knew she was mad at her, she was mad at the world, just was so tired to fight back any longer.

"I came to see you this afternoon but you weren't here.", both were sitting on the couch, talking. "And you seem sick, did something happen?"

"No.", she thought about telling her but then decided not to. What happened between her and Jace so far was known by everyone too, she was going to keep this one secret and let the others think that she was not holding grudges. "I was in the city, in the Marmoreal Mansion.", two days had passed since Corlys' speech and she was basically hiding there ever since, barely managing to find her wounded pride in her to return back here.

"Ah.", Alerie let out and understood the sound. She used to hold her charity dinners there and Leyton allowed her to stay there until the waves became calmer. "But are you sure there is not anything else that bothers you?"

Oh, there were plenty of things that bothered her.

Leyton's relationship with Alea, Walburga's outrageous offer, Doratien's arrival...

Arthur Dayne.

"It seems that your father had another quarrel with your uncle.", she raised her eyes briefly and sent her a look. This was another matter that she needed to take care of in order to keep herself busy. "They are like children."

"I do remember they never were close before too but I never realized they were this bad.", a line appeared between her eyebrows.

"You were a child, we both were. They probably were not fighting in front of us but it seems Arvel is truly getting on Leyton's nerves."

"A lot of things and people are getting on my father's nerves these days.", she pouted and sent her a small look, Atera knew this puppy face well enough. "He had another fight with Baelor too, early this morning. This is why I seek you out today."

"What happened?"

"My father told him that it is time for him to get married and sire children of his own.", she started to speak with caution. Atera seemed tired and Alerie planned maybe to inform her about Baelor's secret wedding -it would be too much but maybe it was a good thing, she could not react if she would know now. "And he refused it, the other day. But it turns out my father already invited some ladies to the court so he can choose one."

"I know."

"...you do?", she asked with cautiously narrowed eyes.

"Yes, I made the list of suitable ladies when your father asked me to.", she shrugged. "My personal choice is the Lady Contessina Redwyne -I already recommended her to Garth too. I am depending on him to convince Baelor and end this Rowan talk. There is no way he can marry that empty-headed girl. It would be disastrous for us all."

"But would she?", she was aware that her voice was a bit high pitched so she cleared her throat. "That bad I mean, would she be that bad, truly?"

"I do understand that he is your brother and you want him to be happy but people in our positions must think other things too. We do not have the luxury of following our hearts like peasants. He must choose what is good for our house and it is literally any other than the Rowan girl.", when Alerie kept looking at her with a puppy-like expression she exhaled tiredly, her stomach was burning terribly. "Alerie she cannot have children.", she said, pressing every word. "Garth cannot have children either. Do you truly want Humfrey to be the next Lord of Oldtown?", her voice was harsh and was trying not to grimace. "A bastard of Rhea and Jacen? Can you stomach it?", because she could not.

Alerie bit her lips, her regret was getting bigger and bigger "No."

"I wager that you came to me to talk with your father but I will not. Baelor needs to grow up.", Alerie sighed. "Also there are other matters that I must take care of."

"Such as?"

"Your father and your uncle.", she said dryly. "This last quarrel must end before it properly starts."

"How do you plan to fix it then? I doubt they would listen to you."

"I will throw dinner in my chambers, we'll be united as siblings. Your father, your uncles and me and I believe Doric and I will prevail. He is sick of their constant fighting too."

"Is he sick of their fighting or not knowing what is it about?", Alerie shook her head. "It is a good idea but are you sure that you can handle it? What if they will start fighting again?"

"I can manage to handle them, do not worry.", she assured her and then took a troubled breath. "There is another matter I wish o speak with you."

"What is it?", she asked, holding her hand. "Please do not tell me it's another problem."

"It might be.", she pursed her lips with annoyance. "Walburga approached to me before that dinner and proposed her brother, Lord Cafferen as a candidate for my marriage."

"What?", Alerie let out a high-pitched disgusted voice and stood up. "How dare she? That man is a known pervert -also old enough to be your grandfather, fat and old.", she seemed like she couldn't believe the audacity. "It is even an insult,", she declared. "to think such a thing, let alone saying it."

"I agree with every word.", she leaned back. "Yet, she spoke rather threatening."

"What does she have against you?", she frowned but then her face shone with realization as she rolled her eyes. "It was her, wasn't she?", she huffed. "Who worked with Corlys?"

"Of course.", she winked at her. "She made the proposal and almost immediately after that happened. I would need to be a fool to think she doesn't have a finger in it. Yet, I wonder; it doesn't make any sense."

"She threw her own daughter to the flames and gained nothing.", Alerie sat again with a thoughtful look. "And it was obvious that she would gain nothing. These rumours only strengthened your hand because you don't want marriage at all and your most prominent suitors -Prince Oberyn and Ser Cardan are too far above minding such little inconveniences.", she narrowed her eyes. "She has another plan."

"But what?", she rubbed her forehead. "That is the question.", her vision got blurry for a second though she was sitting and she hug harder to the blanket around her shoulders, she was freezing. "What can she have something against me?"

"Nothing but this.", Alerie shrugged. "Vortimer, perhaps?", she suggested and sent her a knowing look before she dismissed the subject. "I know and I don't judge. But my father?", she tilted her head. "Normally he might let it slide but after your reaction towards Alea?"

"They are lucky that I was too tired and weak to have a proper reaction.", she turned her head away. "Or else Alea would have to pray to the Mother for mercy and Baelor would be getting ready for his ascension."

Alerie rolled her eyes, knew her enough not to care about her threats like this. "He is my father and I gave no reaction."

"It's because you lack a spine just like your father.", she snapped as her stomach burnt, she frowned with pain and put a hand on it, she could feel the sickness burning through her oesophagus. "None of you understand.", she shook her head. "I am not hurt because they slept, I am hurt because-"

"-they did not tell you.", Alerie looked at her with understanding. "I know.", she pressed. "But if it happened only once, why would they report it to you?"

"In order for that to happen, they must have linger around it for a while.", she smiled with pressed lips. "It means they have been trying to pursue each other for a while now and yet they chose not to tell me. What would I do if I knew? Put alum in your father's food?", Alerie let out an unexpected and unladylike loud snort and closed her mouth with her hand immediately. "I wouldn't even care. It is the secrecy that hurts me."

*

They were sitting in the bed, eating cherries.

"Lythene made a great mistake. I fear she is going to pay for it for the rest of her life."

"You think she is going to have a long life then?"

"Alerie told me that Atera swore that she is not going to kill her but make her suffer. I choose to believe in her words."

"Alerie speaks to you?", Leyton hummed with satisfaction. It was a good sign.

"It is tense and awkward but she does, yes.", Alea nodded. "She promised to talk with Atera too."

"My sister can hold a grudge faithfully, as we all know but not against you.", he tried to assure her. "She'll come around. I would talk with her myself but I don't think it will work."

"On the contrary, it will worsen things.", she said with a small smile.

"Ambition, anger, love, hatred; these all are dangerous emotions. If you do not manage to control it, even one of them is enough to ruin one's life. I fear is Atera feels too much that she rarely even understands that she is feeling something at all. While thinking that she is suppressing her feelings, she is mistakenly increasing the greatness of them.", he had a thoughtful face. "She is ambitious to prove herself, she is angry at us, she loves her family too much and she hates now both Lythene and Jace. I will protect you until the day I die, even from herself if I have to but I wonder what more will it take for her to stop."

"Even her reluctance to murder them now isn't a step forward? I do understand that she feared to do the exact same thing her father had done but still, she is using her head."

"It seems like logical thinking but it is fear in disguise.", he shook his head. "Fear is the ugliest feeling in the world, a thing that would make people do terrible things."

"What of us, my lord?", she asked hesitantly but not without a hint of boldness. She took what she wanted, she would not cower in front of him.

"Aren't you happy with your situation?", he wondered. "Atera would forgive you only when this ends.", he made a hand gesture.

"Is there a place for me in your heart?", she looked directly into his eyes.

"You told me that you wanted to be my antidote, no?", he did not averted his. "I accepted it. Whatever is it left in my heart can be yours if you want.", he was old enough to know what he wanted. He was using her, yes, but she was aware of that and she was using him in return.

"I would want that, mayhaps, in another life.", she made her intentions clear too. "I believe to find common ground with Atera eventually. I know what she is upset at truly. And while I want this to continue, I do not want it to become something serious."

"I am done with serious relationships too.", he sighed. "Four wives, ten children -I am done."

"Then I believe it is in order, to call this a match made in heaven.", she raised her eyebrow and Leyton leaned forward to kiss her though it cut short when they knocked on the door and the guard entered.

"Lord Dayne asks for an audience, my lord."

*

"You are not looking well.", Alerie said again with a nervous tone, still working on her embodiment. "When will you see a Maester?"

"As if I have time to see a Maester.", she said, laying on the couch upside down, hands massaging her temple, trying to fight back nausea.

"I can call for Alea if you want.", she said with a hint of hesitance. "She can help-"

"Do not mention her name in here!", she raised her voice and then grimaced. "I have nothing to talk with traitors."

Alerie chose to bite her tongue. "Let me call for Malora then. She'll at least prepare you a tea."

"I do not care for anything, Alerie.", she said with a flat tone. "Now please stop making me talk, I am getting nauseous."

"Okay then.", she sighed. "When do you plan to talk with my father and tell him about the proposal?"

"Never!", she raised her voice again and forced herself to change her position to sitting to be able to look at her. "Your father will never find out about this offer, do you hear me? Or else he would wreak havoc and-"

"-and isn't this something we want?", she put down her needlework and looked at her with a patient frown. "For him to put an end to this entire affair?"

"I do not need your father to solve my problems.", she said with a blank face. "Especially not now."

"Why? You solved his problems.", she raised an eyebrow. "He owes you one, why not use that? Are you this prideful or do you wish to marry him just to spite my father?"

"Hah!", she let out a loud voice and stood up, started to pace. "Spending even one night with that depraved man is an insult to me!", her stomach was even worse now and she had to stop for a second to swallow her gag, one hand was on her belly and one hand was leaning on the wall, Alerie stood up to help her.

"One potion and this all will pass, why do you have to be this hard all the time?", she was looking almost yellow under the night, she was feeling like the entire world was spinning, Alerie helped her to sit down on her bed and lay down. She covered her eyes with her hands. "I think you have a fever too.", Alerie scowled, trying to touch her forehead. "Atera I think you truly should see a Maester. You might be seriously ill."

"I know when I am ill and when I am simply angry due to the insolence of actual perverts.", she managed to mumble, trying too hard not to throw up in her silk-covered bed. "I will handle it, promise me that you will not tell anyone." when she did not answer she pulled her by her arm, and she almost fell on top of her. "If you do not promise me now not to tell it to anyone -your father and husband especially, I will throw up in your face."

"What kind of a threat is that?", Alerie pushed her face away with a disgusted tone and then her door knocked.

Alerie stood up, fixed her dress and helped Atera to sit down and placed her next to her properly. "Come on in.", Atera forced her voice to sound strong.

"My lady.", Finnan entered, he was serious-looking. "Lord Cafferen had sent word for you. He wishes to speak to you."

Atera shared a look with Alerie. "Talk of the devil and he is bound to appear...", Alerie muttered silently and scoffed.

"Should I let him in, my lady?"

"What? No!", she grimaced. "Of course not. Send him to the council room or somewhere like that."

"Will you meet him, truly?", Alerie asked with surprise.

"I must hear what he has to say.", she shook her head. "So we will not be caught by surprise."

Half an hour later she was walking in the halls with Finnan behind her. Her vision blurred a few times, and she just wanted to give up and pass out but this was no time for weakness. "My lady.", the old man bowed his head with the courtly etiquette.

"Why are you here?", she asked with a voice that left no room for to have any other talk. "What do you want to talk about?"

"I wondered about the wedding preparations.", he said with a brazen-faced smile and she wanted to spit on it -or maybe she could throw up into his face.

"What wedding?", she asked in an almost hysterical way. "What wedding?", Finnan checked the corridor turns, they were not inside of the room but in front of it. Thanks to their luck there was no one else.

"We both know this wedding will happen eventually.", she fisted her hands but did not give him the satisfaction of physical contact. "I just find my way into your heaven, sooner than later."

"I know very well what your heaven is.", she snapped. "I know damn well who you sleep with. I know damn well what you do those poor children.", her face was crossed with rage and she could feel the way her body shook and Finnan sent her a look. He was ready to slit the man's throat if it was necessary.

"These all are slanders, my lady. My eyes see nothing but rose gardens."

"Shut your fucking mouth,", she hissed and Lord Cafferen took a visible step back down. "before I carve your eyes out.", he was not as brave as Walburga. "After all those rumours, shambles I know damn well that you did, dare to come here in my brother's court, you ally yourself with your sister and dare to propose to me.", she almost threw up and had to close her eyes. "We all know, from the Dorne to the Wall, that you have no sense of shame or remorse, don't you have a brain inside of your fucking head too?", she gritted her teeth. "What do you think is going to happen? What your sister thinks is going to happen? That we'll marry? That Leyton will allow it?"

"I have sinned like everyone else. But you do too. Sins that you committed in your own bed, as much as I heard."

"Yes, we all know that!", she rolled her eyes. "I am a whore, yes, congratulations, you told it to everyone. Yes, I fucked Jace, yes I fucked others.", she looked at him in a bored way, and she could feel sickness reaching to her throat. "It did not devalue me, Leyton didn't give a fuck. People can whisper to hell for I care. There is nothing that would make me marry you.", she declared. "I would rather not marry and end up as a spinster than marry a cockroach-like you. So go ahead, I can give you the full list of the people I slept with if you want, and you can tell it to anyone. You would be doing me a favour.", she took deep breaths to calm herself down. "The sun and the moon would appear in the sky together and I would not marry you."

*

"I did not hear a thing about it.", Larra frowned. "And if I did not hear it, it means it isn't real."

"I didn't actually think that Andric would do such a thing behind my back but well.", she sent her a look. "Better safe than sorry, no?"

"If Andric magically decides on marrying you with a Hightower, I would know of it.", but then another idea pooped in her head -an idea that would make great favours to them. "But I doubt Andric would reject it before thinking about it if they make an official proposal."

Andric put a stop between Ashara and Oberyn a few years ago -everyone was against them but he actually teamed up with Doran to end things completely. For reasons he didn't tell Ashara, she could not marry him. And while he was not a man who would force her, it was his wish for her to marry with a lesser house -Doric Hightower would be a golden opportunity. Powerful enough for it to be a respectable match and yet weak enough not to get in between Andric's plots.

But from Larra's perspective; it would not do. It was obvious that Andric was not happy with the murder of the Martells if their plot worked and she too agree with him. Elia and Oberyn did nothing to her and while she was protected through her marriage with Rhaegar, Oberyn was vulnerable and uncontrollable. The best option was to kill him or he would gather an army and fight back. But if he married Ashara? Then he would be in between Larra's claws. Andric would never allow this though, but if everything would work and they would marry, then Andric wouldn't actually have a reason to forbid theirs. Doran's destiny had been written but his siblings still could be saved.

With all the pros and cons, it was worth taking the risk.

"You think so?", she asked with visible distress.

Larra did not answer that. "Did you talk with Oberyn?", she asked instead. She and Ashara had a certain friendship. Unlike Arthur and Allyria, they empathise with each other. "Ashara,", she leaned forward. "if you want me to help you, considering it is why you are here, you must be open to me. You know you can trust me, when did I ever betray you about this?", and it was the truth. Larra was known to arrange meetings between Ashara and Oberyn -she and Andric had a big fight over it.

Ashara seemed torn between saying or not saying. "I wanted to.", she admitted eventually. "But Elia is watching me like a hawk. If she would even suspect it, she would put rocks in my way. I love her and I know she wants what is best for me but still..."

"If I would do what is best for me, I would have to break up with your brother.", Larra snorted. "And I would not be happy. Sometimes doing what is right would not bring you any joy. You should not sacrifice your emotional health for your physical one.", she was being unfair and manipulative. It would be better for Ashara to stay away from Oberyn as much as she could.

"Do you think Oberyn will agree to this marriage play? Accept to marry Atera?"

"Oberyn cannot handle the pressure for too long.", this was a truth too. "Not when it comes from Doran. Lewyn supports it too. There is only Elia who is against it but I doubt she would take action to prevent it. If he would not accept it today, he'll do tomorrow.", she held her hand. "You should not be a spectator in your own life, it is time for you to take the reins of your own life. Neither of you has to bend to Doran's whim."

"What can we do?", she asked desperately. "I love him today but what if I don't tomorrow? Everyone thinks my heart is clouding my judgement but I am aware of everything. I do not trust him, I don't think it is wise to throw everything away for him."

"What if you don't have to do that?", she asked tilting her head. "What if Andric allows it?"

"He would never."

"Leave that to me.", she smiled. "But first, you must speak to him. To see where he stands and the rest would come easily."

*

"Will you not leave?", Atera felt her energy leaving her body more and more and the only thing she wanted to do was to rest -if only Alerie just left.

"And leave you in this condition?", she asked with an almost motherly tone. "No way."

"I will feel better,", she tried to swallow but her mouth was too dry. "if you just leave."

"Not until you agree to see a Maester.", she put a hand on her visible pale face -under her eyes were turning red as her lips lost their colour too. "Atera you are burning, enough is enough.", she widened her eyes.

Atera's heart was beating fast though her breathing got slowed and she no longer could manage to keep her eyes open before she lost consciousness the last thing she heard was Alerie's worried voice.

*

"Andric,", Leyton nodded to him with acknowledgement as they met in one of the hallways. "you found anything?"

In return for covering Callahan Yronwood's death, Andric proposed on helping him where Jace was hiding. It was his city, yes, but he promised not to do anything. He knew he could not leave the city yet so Andric was his best shot at finding him.

"Do you know who Smee is?", he was leaning to the wall with his shoulder as he played with his own signet ring on his finger.

"Corlys' right-hand man.", he answered with narrowed eyes. He never liked him.

"I have him.", Andric shrugged and Leyton gaped at him with shock.

"Why on earth you would do such a thing?", he hissed. "Now they will think it is me. Should I remind you why it is you who are going after this subject and not me?"

"Do not worry.", he dismissed his worry with careless behaviour. "Apparently he went to a brothel last night. My men alerted me and I brought him here -I am borrowing your dungeon by the way.", he sent him a wink. "There are no traces nor witnesses."

"Did he speak?", he asked a moment later with a clenched jaw and a grim face. He had no doubt that it was Corlys who spread the words and threw his brother to the flames but he also was sure that he would arrange an escape route for him -would not dare to enrage Lucerys.

"Not yet.", his tongue hit the roof of his mouth. "But he'll soon.", there was a dark aura in him, as usual. "He has no other choice.", they shared a dark look that broke when they heard loud steps.

"My lord!", Alea appeared from the turn and made a quick curtsy, Leyton's heart clenched with worry as Andric's eyes shamelessly observed her figure.

Of course, he heard the rumours.

"Alea, what happened?", he as anxiously. "Who?"

"Atera, my lord.", she answered breathlessly. "It appears that she fell ill all of a sudden. They say she is not well." before her line ended Leyton started to rush to her chambers.

Andric kept leaning against the wall for a few more minutes, kept playing with his ring and shared a look with his guards. "Inform Lady Blackmont.", he ordered. "We shall visit her after so many favours."

*

Half an hour later there were only Alerie, Leyton and the Maester inside of the room. She was sitting on the bed, holding her hand while Leyton tied his hands behind his back and was watching the dark sky. When Carbollen and Gaius finished examining her, they mumbled to each other to make a final decision.

"What is it?", Alerie asked, couldn't have enough patience to wait. "Is she alright?"

"She is not, my lady.", Carbollen spoke as the official Maester of House Hightower. "It appears so that Lady Atera has been exposed to rather coldness in the past few days -rain and the wind was feverish, and if she made the mistake of standing outside, it may have caused this. Or a cold bath or a summer dessert with a certain amount of ice cream."

"She does not have a common cold like Lord Garlan had a couple of days ago.", Gaius began to speak. "It is heavier than that. We detected shallowness of the throat and her fever is alarmingly high, you mentioned her problems of nausea and stomach pain -and of course, the headache caused probably due to the wind."

"Her body must be weakened.", Carbollen said again. "Or else she would not reach the point of passing out but,", he took a troubled breath as Leyton turned to them. "we all know Lady Atera's unorganized and not enough schedule of eating and resting."

"But she will be fine, yes?", Alerie asked firmly.

Maesters shared a look. "Yes, my lady.", Gaius bowed his head. "Though she must rest from now on; should not tire or upset herself, must eat and rest properly, should not spend as much as time in the gardens and must use the potions and herb teas we will give to her every day until we tell her not to."

"It seems that it will take a while.", Carbollen added. "But in the end, of course, she will get better."

Leyton hummed when Alerie's eyes softened and turned to Atera's pale face again. He approached Carbollen and held him by his arms, forcing him to step away from the bed -from Alerie's hearing area, to ask his worry. "Are you sure it is not poison?"

"I am, Leyton.", they were old friends in the days Leyton studied at the Citadel. "I checked it on purpose, it is just your sister's usual carelessness."

"Car-"

"It is normal for her to get ill, she always gets ill, remember?", he understood his worries well. "You yourself always joked around about her bad immunity, she always had fragile health. It is normal.", he pressed. "She just needs to rest."

*

She entered his room -there were no guards, without announcing herself and while an unhinged smile appeared on his face, it disappeared rather quickly. "What if someone sees you here?"

"I don't care.", Ashara shrugged. "Since when you do?"

"Since it is my relationship with my sister it is what is at stake.", she answered nonchalantly, his hip leaning to his desk. "You should care too, Ash. When your own brother stays in this wing. What if someone sees you?"

"I want them to see.", she said with boldness. She took a step forward. "We can run away together."

Oberyn gaped at her. "This again?", he tilted his head. "If my memory does not mislead me, I was ready to run away, I waited for you but it was you who didn't come back. Does my memory misleads me, Ashara?"

"Listen to me,", she did not care what he said. "I will talk to Elia-"

"Have you lost your mind?", he asked with disbelief. He was called Red Viper for some reason but they did not apply in the presence of Elia. She was the only person he would never go against. "Do not tell her anything."

"I will ask permission to visit home since we are this close.", she cleared the air. "I will say that I missed Allyria and want to see her."

"Then what?"

"Then we will start the journey together. And we will never return."

"It doesn't have an end, Ashara.", Oberyn couldn't believe his own seriousness but he could not leave his family in his time of need. "You told me yourself at Dragonstone that my sister needs me, that I need to take responsibility. You cannot want me to be selfish right now."

"Don't you want to be with me?"

"Ashara.", he sighed.

"I asked you a simple question.", Oberyn didn't answer but his silence was sufficient. "Then you should be ready to pay the price. Nothing is easy in this life."

*

"My love?", Mace entered the room, the number of people had increased ever since the word of her illness reached to others. Leyton and Alerie had never left her side and Doric came with Andric and Larra. "What happened?", when she saw him, Alerie rushed to his arms. "Is she alright?", he asked with worry, looking at Atera's unusual pale face.

They had grown up together until he went to Oldtown to squire for Leyton. Even though he already had two sisters, Atera was never different from them for him. Even though they had been kind of growing apart in recent years -her getting closer with Paxter and Vortimer, he still valued her greatly and it saddened him to see her like this.

"She is fine, do not worry.", Alerie's voice sounded muffled as she was pressing her face to his chest and he was caressing her hair.

Mace locked his eyes with his father-in-law. "I hope she will get better soon, my lord."

"Thank you Mace.", he cleared his throat. "How is Garlan?"

"Still grumpy.", he said with a low chuckle. "But Willas does not leave him alone and I believe he already got healed, just preferring to use this situation in order to run away from his classes."

Leyton's stern face broke into a soft laugh. "Garth was just like him when he was younger. Alerie too."

"I always took my lessons very carefully, father.", she turned her head to him while still hugging Mace. "It was Atera."

"Nonsense.", he wrinkled his nose at her. He most definitely was not in a mood of jape but he wanted to make his daughter feel better. She too had been through enough and there was no doubt that she was blaming herself for this. "You used to run away from all your classes and I would have to search down the entire tower in order to find you."

"I hated history.", she whispered to Mace. "Funny enough it was the only lesson Malora and Atera loved."

Remembering the other night, also witnessing her general obsession with it, Mace nodded. "I know.", his eyes found Atera once again.

"Maesters gave her a potion, she is sleeping. She'll be better in a few days, or so we hope.", she sighed. "She needs to rest."

"You need to rest as well.", Mace broke off the hug but still held her hands. "Boys had been tiring you enough, I would stay here."

"Both of you need to rest.", Leyton disagreed. "You all heard the Maesters, she just took the wind badly and will be fine enough. There is no reason to wait on her bedside."

"Will be able to go and rest, father?", Alerie asked tiredly. "No.", she answered on his behalf. "Then how can you expect us to do so?"

"I am her brother, it is my duty to wait at her bedside when she gets ill.", he sighed. "Not yours. Especially not when you have children to attend to -one of them is ill too."

"Fat-"

"Go to your chambers and sleep, daughter.", he interrupted her. "I'll give you an order, if you want.", he sent her a look. "You might be the Lady of Highgarden but you still are my daughter and bound to do as I say."

Alerie shared a look with Mace, she could truly use some sleep. "You are coming with me too.", he agreed, knowing there was no point in arguing.

*

"Visiting Starfall?", he asked once they returned back to their chambers.

"She asked from me.", Larra answered, leaning her back against his chest on the balcony. Both were wrapped around blankets, she was watching the night sky and he was drinking wine while placing feathery kisses on her hair. "And I told her to speak with you herself."

"Why does she feel the need to come to you?", she couldn't see his face but knew he was scowling. "Since when I ever refused her wish to come home?"

"It is not you but Elia. She thinks now that she has fewer ladies, she would not allow her to visit. And wants you to ask on her behalf but knows you will not accept it so she came to me first.", she explained quickly. "I don't think Elia will reject. She's been with her for years. Even in Dorne, she was in Water Gardens, accompanying Elia in her semi-exile. It is normal to miss one's family, no? And Elia is not a selfish woman, I think she can emphasise even."

"I love how you are interested in Ashara's well-being.", his muscles relaxed again.

"Of course I am, she is my only friend in your family.", she snorted and raised her head to look at his smiling face. "I love you.", she blurted out, she realized she haven't been saying that much lately. "I know you don't want to talk about it but the entire Callahan matter-"

He silenced her with a kiss. "I love you till the stars and back.", their noses were touching. "And fuck Callahan and anyone who tries to come in between us. They are not worthy to talk about."

*

She woke up at dawn with a caressing hand on her hair. "Brother?"

"My moonstone.", Leyton smiled at her. "My beautiful sister, are you feeling alright?", she didn't have the energy to speak, only managed to nod. "Do you need anything?"

"Water.", she managed to whisper, her throat was dry and burning, and she was having a hard time swallowing, grimacing with pain.

Leyton filled a glass for her and helped her drink it by raising herself from the bed. It was not just she was ill and just woke up, her hand was freshly wounded too. When Gaius came to check on her, he also changed the bandages on her hand.

"You scared us all.", he said after she laid down to bed again, held her hand and placed a kiss on top of it. "I am glad that you are well.", his face was unbearably soft as he spoke. He raised his other hand to caress her face. "Do you wish me to call for a Maester?"

"No.", she closed her eyes again.

"Do you wish to speak?", he asked this time. "We didn't have much time to speak."

For a few minutes, she did not open her eyes and he thought she fell asleep again but before he managed to make a move to leave her to rest, she pulled his hand but didn't open his eyes. "Do you hate me for it?"

Leyton was not expecting the question. He was expecting a question, possibly about this matter, but not this. His brain couldn't comprehend the fact that his little sister believed, suspected, and thought that he could hate her.

"Never in a million years.", he answered with a strong force, knowing she needed it to believe it. "How could I?"

"I killed her.", she said, her pout was breaking his heart. "You loved her."

"Yes,", he let out a painful chuckle and raised her eyes to the ceiling. "I did love her.", there was no point in denying it. "And it blinded me for too long. I made mistakes.", he admitted with a lump in his throat. "I hurt so many people that I loved more than her, my own children...", he closed his eyes. "Leyla cannot even look at me.", he said with a whisper. "I can sense the anger behind Alerie's movements, Baelor is refusing to speak, Malora is drifting away and Lynesse..."

"What did you speak with her?"

"I told her what happened does not change my love for her and that she is my daughter. She will always be my daughter.", he sighed. "It was not enough."

"And the boys?", she asked with a little voice. "What will you do with them?"

"I don't know.", he admitted and she opened her beautiful eyes to look at him. "I do not know everything, sister."

"I realize that now.", it was the most open talk they had in years. "I think why these all crushed us all this greatly is because we all idolized you. We worshipped the ground you walked on, all of us.", she squeezed his hand. "But now I realize that it was us who did this, not you. You never wanted it. And it is unfair for us to put you on a pedestal for not meeting our expectations. You are just a man at the end of the day."

He placed another kiss on her hand. "You did what I should have done.", he said firmly once again. "Rhea perhaps did not deserve to die for cheating on me.", it was easier to accept the truth when there was no one else. "No one deserves to die because of it.", he sent her a soft look as she averted his eyes. "But she committed far greater crimes. What she did was treason against me, against this city and this house. I know you all think differently but I would order for her execution, Atera. Maybe it is even better that you did it. At least her children are free of any shame. The only thing I feel sorry for is that you will carry it as a burden forever with you.", she looked at him with saddened eyes. "It does not matter how terrible she was, or how much she deserved to die, these kinds of things always stay with you. And I do apologize,", Atera tried to stop him, could not handle such a thing but Leyton continued. "for putting this burden on you, you did not deserve it, I am so sorry.", he said with a whisper. "I am your brother, it is my duty to protect you not vice versa. I had failed you and I just hope that you will find it in yourself to forgive me one day."

"How could I not?", tears fell from her eyes. "I am sorry for telling you the other day you are not my father.", she knew it hurt him greatly. "You may not be him but you never treated me any different than you treated your children. You-"

"I had started to fail you a long time ago when you needed me and I sent you away.", he interrupted her. "I have been a terrible brother all this time. Just because I had my moments, you cannot change the truth."

"We both lost a father. And I was a constant reminder of why he died.", she accepted that now. "We both made mistakes, I wasn't the sister of the year, not ever. I had upset you greatly over the years, causing you immense pain and grief. It is not a competition but I would win it."

"Nothing you ever do can upset me.", he shook his head. "I know you better than that. You may say things, do things that shatter my heart apart but I know yours.", he squeezed her hand. "I know under all of this masks, there is a good person in there whom I love very much."

"Make a decision about the boys as soon as possible.", she made a move to lean her back to the pillows, didn't want to continue to lay any longer and Leyton helped her. "I know how it is to grow up with people whispering 'bastard' in every corner I turn.", she did not say it to hurt him even further but she caught the expression on his face.

"They are my boys, Atera.", he said with pain. "I do not care who their actual father was, they are my boys. I raised them. I love them. And I thought I would not any longer. I thought I would see them on their faces when I look at them but it didn't happen like this. I looked and looked and looked and only saw my sons. I cannot disinherit them, I cannot send them away but I do not have it in me, not now, to live with them."

"I haven't seen them in ages. Them and Lynesse.", she took another sip from her water. "She tried to talk to me the other day and I just ran away. I don't think I will ever be able to look at them, knowing that I killed their mother.", she looked at him. "And their father."

A dark shadow passed through his face. "I would kill Jacen with my bare hands if I had the chance."

"I know.", she tried to smile. "It was too hard, brother. Everything I-", she was crying. "I felt like the world was crumbling upon me. Like I was trying to stand and move on and waves were crashing over me again and again and I don't-", she closed her eyes. "I don't know how to stand up again."

"The life does not always smell like rose gardens.", he wiped away her tears. "There will be time for fall and time for the rise. Isn't it the reason for the seasons? The Gods had created the fall and the winter so we would appreciate the spring and the summer. Do not ever forget that after a long winter, always a long summer falls."

"I never had a spring.", she turned her head away. "My winter has never ended and I am so tired of waiting for my own sunshine. And my nights are dark, I do not even have one starlight to lighten it. It's so lonely to be me."

"You have me.", her pain was breaking his heart. "And Alerie who loves you greatly. Paxter, Alea.", he sent her a look. "The Princess seems to be caring for you, even Baelor raged for you. Garth, Malora, Vortimer.", another look. "Arys, despite all. Mace. Our brother. I am sorry that we made you feel like you are alone but my sweetheart, you are not alone."

"Do you remember what you told me the other day?", she asked. "The one that about choices and how I am not allowed to choose everything in my life?"

"Yes. But I meant it-"

"Except for my gown and jewels, I didn't choose anything in my life, not really.", she sighed with a small smile. "I make it seem like I am in charge but it is not true, it never was true, right? I was ruled by my own demons and fears and past. I was doing things to anger you, to hurt you, I was doing things to piss off Alerie. Just because I usually suffered no consequences does not mean my actions were choices. At the core, it was always others who decided for me. Who to be, who to love. Not me, never me.", Leyton tilted his head. "I know that it was all to protect me. If I would choose it myself, I would get hurt, I would feel pain but it would be my hurt, my scar, my pain.", she wanted her to understand. "By giving me the illusion of choosing you trapped me here. I get addicted to self-destructing ways and now I have scars of someone else, I am feeling the hurt and the pain all the same but they are not mine. I feel like glass that is protected so it would never get shattered. I sometimes feel like I will always be the princess who is locked away in a tower."

"Sis-"

"For the first time in my life, please allow me to make an actual choice.", she asked softly. "Please do not allow me to live someone else's life any longer."

Leyton bowed his head. "You do not want to marry."

"Please respect this. Please let me have one summer in my life."

If only he could tell her why he so desperately wanted her to marry. "If it is what you truly want-"

"It is.", she was sure of it.

Leyton closed his eyes. "Then it is what you shall have."

*******

For the record; I have NO idea why the chapters are starting to get shorter. Like, it isn't intentional and I am not having a writer's block or something. It just feels complete to share it like this but please let me know if you have a problem with it.

You can find me on TikTok as @songofsapphire (I upload new edits as I publish new chapters, and sometimes share spoilers).