court of lies | robert's rebellion

the sworn sword

"there will be a time come when we must choose between what is easy and what is right"

281 AC, King's Landing

He was walking with his hands tied behind his back and a whistle in his mouth. He didn't even send a glance to the knight he passed through when he left his chambers, just murmured him to stay and wait there, and then descended from the steps he memoriez, turned from the corners he knew too well, passed through the halls without anyone noticing and when he finally reached to his destination he smiled widely.

"Arthur!", his sudden cheefullnes did startle his best friend but he didn't comment on it and Arthur patted his arm. "Is she sleeping?"

"The hour is quite late, of course she is sleeping.", he narrowed his eyes in suspicion, it was the dusk, the hour of the wolf, the darkest moment of the night. "Why are you this happy?"

"I don't know.", he pursed his lips. "I just am for some reason.", they were used to his sudden melancholy without a reason but never his happiness.

He made a move to enter the room but Arthur placed a hand in his chest, tried to see something in his eyes. "She is sleeping."

"She is my wife.", he answered back. "Perhaps I want to sleep with her?"

"Perhaps.", he dragged the word and then sighed, moved to the side and allowed him to answer.

"Good night, my friend.", he said again but this time there was the hint of sadness Arthur was searching for.

When he entered the room, he found it almost entirely dark only a few candles lighting it. And Elia was sleeping rather comfortably on the bed. A part of him felt bad to wake her up because she did need her night sleep but he needed her more, or else he probably threw himself to the Blackwater Rush for what he has done.

"Elia?", he whispered as he sat to the bed, his fingers trailing her spine. "My love?", he whispered to her ear and she sighed in her sleep. "El?"

A visible shiver passed through her the moment she wake up and turned to meet with her husband's eyes. "Rhaegar?", her voice was thich with sleep and eyes half open, Rhaegar found her adorable. When she made a move to lift herself, Rhaegar stopped her. "Something happened?", she asked in confusion.

Before his mind fully registered the action, Rhaegar leaned down and kissed her. Softly at first, dragging his hand down her collarbone, down the valley of her breasts to rest on her stomach. As the kiss deepened, evolving from something safe and chaste to a wildfire in a matter of seconds, he dragged his hands lower as he leaned further on her.

"I want you.", he whispered in the short time span where his lips travelled to her neck, leaving her mouth. "I need you.", he admitted.

"Rhaegar...", she said softly and cupped his face to stop his actions. "Something has happened?"

"The world is too loud.", he leaned forward, their foreheads touched. "I want it to go quiet.", before she managed to answer he pressed his lips onto her once more. "Please.", he whispered to her lips and she sighed and nodded in agreement and seconds later he was on top of her, helping her to get rid of her nightgown.

*

She woke up in the morning with light on her face. Well, her body woke up but her mind not so much.

She could feel the softness of the bed at her back. The pillow under her head was too soft that she could feel her head literally was sinking in. The silky fabric underneath her body was touching the bare flesh of her arms, it was giving her chills. And the fury blanket that was covering half of her body was keeping her warm against the coldness of the early morning.

It was weird though, because she didn't remember laying into a bed last night.

She was at her chambers after the supper and was reading a book -one of Alerie's stupid romance novels to keep her mind occupied and nothing more. Then it was dark, she could guess that she fell asleep at the couch, as it happened to her more than half of the time but bed? And her bed, not even the one at Oldtown, was this comfortable.

And despite the said comfortableness, she could also feel the fabric of her gown from last night. And while normally it wasn't comfortless, the embodiements on top of her vest made her itch when she laid down. Also her earrings were falling backwards, causing a slight ache in her ear. At least her tiara was not in her head.

When the sun started to shine on her face properly, she squeezed her closed eyes but then had to open them with a grimace. It took her a few moments to adjust as she blinked feverishly and then for some reason, her heart started to beat as fast it can and a terrible ache appeared on her stomach. Her grimace deepened as she let out a low grunt and tried to at least sit down in the bed but the moment her feet touched to the floor, her hands gripped the sheets tightly because her eyes found the small glass bottle on the floor and she remembered what has happened.

Rhaegar fucking Targaryen poisoned her.

But she didn't feel like poisoned. Yes, she did horrible, and was in great pain but it didn't feel like the work of a poison. Has she understood something wrong? No. No she did not. He said with a clear way that she is to chose to either die everyday away from the power or die once with the poison and she chose the poison, she drank it all and then she did remember falling to the ground -the prince held her so she wouldn't hit her head.

And then what?

He summoned her to his chambers in the middle of the night only to insult and threaten her, made her think that she was going to die, conned her to think that she was drinking a poison and then he tucked her safely at the bed, took off her tiara so it wouldn't hurt her and even opened the blinds so the sun would make it easier for her to wake up.

What the fuck did that mean?

He conned her?

He played with her?

Rhaegar Targaryen -the man everyone infantalized, took away his agency, acted as if he was a half wit, conned her?

Rhaegar Targaryen who couldn't see that if Cersei Lannister would have a child it would mean his own death warrant, Rhaegar Targaryen who couldn't guess that marching to the capital would force the king to kill him, Rhaegar Targaryen who gathered everyone around to dethrone his father but was too scared and reluctant to do that.

That Rhaegar Targaryen played with her like a cat would do so with the rat.

...and she fall for it?

She stood up abruptly but then fell back to the bed faster than that as her vision did not only blurred but she could swear that she saw the explosion of the universe with all the colours and the buzzing in her ear -in her brain, and she grimaced more and more when it didn't stop. The sheets were ruined in between her palms and her nails were digging into her own flesh through it. She felt like her soul was leaving her body for a second but then it all stopped and she blinked a few times as she lowered her head, her mouth parted in shock.

How on earth she would be this naïve, this careless? How on earth a man like Rhaegar Targaryen could mess with her? How on eart she could let that happen?

She couldn't even get angry. She couldn't even feel that teeth-gritting, mind consuming, blood boiling rage inside of her because of her shock. She wasn't even sure what to feel. Astonishment because he managed to play with her or feel frightened because he indeed managed to play with her?

She was a fool. She did acted like a fool. And she wasn't also sure whether this was a warning or a part of the game -was she to die when it was all said and done? Was he planning to torture her like this first?

She tried to stand up once again and while this time her vision only got blurred, she fell down again and let out a whine of pain as she cried for a second, her entire face fell and the tears came to her eyes but then she took a shaky breath and tried to calm herself down.

She has never felt more pathetic and desperate before.

She took one last breath and this managed to stand up. She was feeling like something pulling her away, but she fight back the urge to faint and tried to swallow but her mouth was too dry. Her eyes were closing and she was opening them widely to keep walking. When she finally reached to the door, breathlessly, she waited for a couple of seconds and when she finally did, she met with the worried eyes of Finnan.

"My lady?"

"Finnan?", she said with an open mouth and puzzled eyes. "What are you doing here?"

"Waiting for you, my lady.", he said nonchalantly. "Are you alright?"

She looked terrible. Pale and sweaty skin, bags under her eyes, her hair was in a mess and she felt like she was going to pass out in any given moment.

"Who told you to wait here?", she did not recall of saying so.

"His grace.", he answered, made a move to help her walk but she pushed his hand away. "He left not so long after you entered the room and then sent Myles away and told me to wait here until you get out. But that was hours ago. Are you alright my lady?"

She did not answer him and blinked once more, started to walk with shaky steps. "Do you want me to summon Maester Gaius for you, my lady?", they were walking slowly towards her chambers. Gaius was Atera's maester that she brought from Oldtown. "Perhaps he can-"

"No.", she whispered as her eyes closed but she forced herself to open it back again. She felt drunk somehow, she couldn't keep her balance to walk properly, one hand was on the wall.

"May I help-"

"No.", she whispered once more when Finnan made a move to held her arm so she would not fall but she refused it.

But then her body couldn't handle it anylonger, she felt her blood moving within her veins, the warmness of the sudden tingling in her toes and fingertips covered her and without noticing she was falling to the ground and closing her eyes.

*

"What did you do last night?"

After finally managing to wake up, Elia and Rhaegar took a comforting bath -he was so cheerful and full of laughs that lifted up Elia's mood as well. But when Ashara enter the room with a frown -that got deeper when she saw Rhaegar, to dress her up, her entire mood died as she whispered to her ear that Rhaegar asked for Atera in the middle of the night and she still hasn't left his chambers.

Rhaegar watched them from the breakfast table, looking like he was listening to Oswell as he ate an apple while the servants were bringing the food in but his indigo eyes were focused on Ashara's serious face and angry looks that found his frame and Elia first raised and then crossed eyebrows and worried state.

When everything finally got prepared and Elia sat across him, she asked the question he was waiting for. Oswell, Ashara and Myles were waiting for them -and only the white knight seemed confused. Ashara already was resentful of Rhaegar and this only fueled her distrus in him and even Myles seemed overly uncomfortable because it was him who summoned her and now had no idea what was happening.

"I was with you.", he answered as he cut his eggs into two but Elia didn't even touch to her fork.

"Rhaegar.", her voice was too serious. "I hope you didn't get yourself into trouble."

"I talked with Atera, is this what you are wondering?", he didn't look at her at all. "I know the hour was inappropriate and for her to enter my chambers like that was unseemly but it was an urgent matter."

"How urgent can it be?", she asked once more. "What happened? Why did you ask for her?"

"I didn't know I was not allowed to speak to her.", he tried to joke but her face was as straight as a wall. "It was about the Sealord. Jon and I-"

"Do you take me as a fool?", her voice stopped her and Oswell turned to Ashara with question. "Do you think you can fool me?", she changed the question. "What truly happened between you two, tell me.", she demanded sternly. She had no time for this gibberish topics.

"Nothing. We just talked and then I left shortly after, that's it."

"I warned you Rhaegar. I stated that I like her and do not want to see her punished and then I warned you to stay away from her, especially now that this entire poisoning matter is closed. One mistake might cause our doom."

"I am not a child, my dear wife.", he finally stopped eating and looked at her face. "I know exactly what to do and when to do, I do not need your warnings. Nothing has happened, I promise."

"You better be right, Rhaegar.", she stood up. "Or else this time you will fix the problem you created yourself."

"Will you not have breakfast?", he asked, he seemed regretful for a moment.

"I had lost my appetite.", she just shook her head with disappointment and left the room with Ashara -after sending daggers to Rhaegar with her purple eyes, behind her.

*

"It is hard to say something just now but it doesn't seem like poison.", he was holding her arm close to his eye. "It might be some sort of sickness."

"A sickness?"

"Yes, why? Do you think differently?", when the ginger woman shook her head he continued. "I had seen similar things before -on Lady Jenica herself, even. It is not infectious, at least I don't think so. It happened probably due to stress and anxiety, sadness.", Gaius raised his head to look at over-worried Alea and Finnan. "She doesn't eat and sleep, right?", he asked with a certain acceptance and solemnity. He was the one that aid Jenica when she was birthing her so he felt a certain amount of fondness for her, it was upsetting him as well to see her in this state. "How could be this careless?", even though he knew there was nothing they could do, he scolded them. "You know how sick she got at Oldtown as well and how dire it was for her to have healthy habits."

"I cannot shove food down to her throat, maester.", one hand was hugging herself while the other was bend from its elbow and she was chewing the skin that was around her nail. She was too stressed. "And cannot put sleeping potion into her water."

"I will prepare a balm immediately for the scars.", he said with a sigh, he knew they could not. She was an adult now.

"I can do it myself.", Alea didn't mean to insukt him but she would feel better if she did so herself.

"Very well then.", he didn't argue with that as well. "Root of wild pear, buckthorn and the flowers of chives -mix them up, boil them until it gets a creamy state and apply it to the scars now and at night. It should be lessen tomorrow morning, if we are lucky."

After Gaius left, Alea clasped her hands and turned to Finnan with a very cold and questioning look. "What happened?"

The question was very clear but there was a problem; Finnan didn't know what has happened as well. After she passed out, he carried her to her rooms, alerted Alea and Gaius immediately, told them only that she wasn't looking well and fainted while walking -because it is literally what he knew, and while examining her, they discovered the red marks in her arms and now decided it was not something dangerous.

"I don't know.", but Alea's gaze was frightening. He had heard, of course, the arguments she had with Atera, and he knew well enough that if Atera listened one person in the world -which he did not, it was Alea and that required certain amount of willpower but he never was on her bad side so he couldn't handle it well right now. "I swear I don't know."

"When I leave this room to prepare that cream, I will also send servants to Lord Tyrell, Ser Baelor and Ser Gerold -and of course one to Princess Elia because she would like the know why her lady is not going to attend her today. And all of these people will ask you what has happened. I can assure you that I am far more trustable than all of them, when it comes to her secrets.", she smiled to lessen his stress but it did not work. "Leyton will ask.", she took a step further. If he didn't fear the ones in the capital, he certainly feared of Leyton. "And you know how he asks questions. So tell me now exactly what has happened and I will protect you from all of them."

"Lady Alea, I-"

"Your time is ticking.", she shook her head. "I will fix her blanket and then I will leave and then you will be perished and we only will say what a pity."

Finnan closed his eyes. Atera didn't tell him anything. Should he tell what happened? That Prince Rhaegar summoned her late at night and then she spent hours alone, he guessed, inside his chambers. Was it relevant to the topic at all? Would Atera be anrgy when she woke up fro telling this? Was it a secret? Or would she be angry because he didn't say it because it was relevant to this? Would people see it as a way to blame the prince for what has happened? There just was too many questions that he was not qualified to answer. When he opened his grey eyes he got startled when he saw Alea very close to him with a deadly look in her eyes.

"I don't know what to do.", he confessed. He was a knight, not a plotter.

"I am sure that I do, but I can help you only if you would tell me everything with details."

Finnan closed his eyes and choose to tell her everything he knew.

*

When she first saw him in the Roseroad, she didn't think, not even for a second, he was the brother of the Sealord but here he was and here she was and here Baelor was and now she was stuck with him, walking in the gardens because apparently he did like her and Baelor was already adamant on marrying her off.

She planned to ask help from her aunt for both amtters. Surely Perseus would be afraid of her -she had ears as well and heard the fondness the Sealord himself had for her, and would leave her alone and she would never let Baelor to marry her with someone she doesn't even know.

Jaime Lannister, he blurted it out. Apparently, in order to appease their father, he was writing to Kevan Lannister for some time now to make peace between his brother and their father and this marriage pact appeared out of nowhere and while she was fuming, Leyton took the news with a certain calmness and said nothing else than he would consent to it if she agreed.

So she had to join her brother who was trying to sell her off like a broodmare to go back to their father's good graces and now it seemed like he changed the destination and she had to entertain the brother of the Sealord instead.

"I am not going to apologize.", she declared that morning when Baelor first approached to her. "I didn't know who he was and he spoke to me with disrespect. I just showed him what was right and you were there to see it yourself, Baelor.", she was in her rooms, there was a small wooden dummy and she was hitting to it with her sword, making Baelor flinch.

"I would never allow you to apologize in the first place, sister, you are being cruel.", he tried to play the moderator but it was Alerie's personality, not his. "I just-"

"Everything that has happened is your fault, you remember that?", she hit it again. "That matter with the Lannister boy has troubled my judgement, you know it."

Baelor pinched his nose. "That Lannister boy happens to be the queen's brother and the future Lord Paramount of the Westerlands amongst other things and got knighted by Sword of the Morning himself. There isn't a more suitable bachelor in the realm as of now and you would see that if Atera would not affect your judgement this badly.", he took a deep breath. "But this is not our topic right now. I am not asking you to court that brat,", he meant the brother of the Sealord. "but since there is a peace treaty that both sides must sign for the good of our house, you can at least join him for one walk.", she stabbed the feet of the dummy with her sword and took a step back.

"I don't plan to marry at all, so I'll court no men and the wish of not becoming a shiny property to a young lordling comes within myself, not through my aunt who I barely speak in the last few years."

Rolling his eyes at her, he turned his back and moved to her closet, narrowed his eyes as he put his hands on his waist and tried to pick a gown for her -she was in her training outfit. "You are ebing dramatic. You are a Hightower,", he turned his head to her for a moment. "no men can make you his property, they simply would not dare so."

"Maybe not today when father is alive but no one can know what would happen when he dies.", she murmured but he heard, with two gowns in his hand, he turned to her, seemed offended.

"You think I will not protect you?"

"No I think my future husband would not take you seriously considering that you absically sold me off to him.", she deadpanned, knew she was being unfair but she wanted to hrut him.

Baelor could talk all day about how he felt underloved, unwanted and uncared in this family and how it was unfair and even though he would not ever think of betraying them, he could have done so wth no remorse at all because of how they treated him but he swallowed it all back down and approached to her instead.

"Perseus is waiting for you.", he ordered as he raised first the goldish yellow gown and hold it to her and pursed his lips. "You'll go and behave like a proper lady.", this time he hold the baby blue gown and decided on the first one. "Take a bath, wear this,", he threw the dress to her. "do not embaress our family."

"Like what brother?", she smiled. "Like, would I become an embarassemtn to you if I would marry with someone who's not suitable to our family without even telling to father, hiding it for weeks and then get marry all of a sudden?"

"Alysanne.", he gritted his teeth and she threw the dress to his face.

"I will do so,", she straightened her spine. "but under two conditions."

"Whatveer you want.", he swallowed his anger.

"I will not marry him."

"Of course you will not.", he raised his voice a little, this never was an option to begin with.

"And I will become your head advisor."

"You can be my headpiece if you want, my little crane.", he smiled this time and patted her nose.

"Don't ever do this again.", she said salmly and he pulled his hand back.

And now here she was, with him next to her, wearing that stupid gold and black dress with a long cape because of the winter, her black curls falling down and there was a circlet around her forehead.

"I want you to know,", Perseus Antaryon began to speak. "I usually do not treat women like that.", Alysanne couldn't care less. "Speaking to them longliy, taking long walks in the gardens are not actually my forte. They come to me themselves without me needing to use such tricks."

"Then I am sorry for you.", she commented with disinterest. "It must be a very hard thing to live a shallow life."

"I can tell that I am glad the life showed me someone who does make me like these things."

"I hope you do not mean me."

"Why?"

Alysanne could choose to do many things but she did one to annoy him the most. "Because having such imprudent thoughts about a betroth woman is improper, even in Essos.", now this would protect her from his obvious intentions that Baelor refused to acknowledge.

He stopped walking and she turned to him with a raised eyebrow. "For a woman who is brave and intelligent as you, you make do with so less. You deserve more than a small castle some lord can give to you.", he straightened his spine. "I can give you a kingdom of your own."

"Except that Braavos is not a kingdom and even if it was, you would not be the king.", she said mockingly. "Betrothals are sacred in Westeros, my father would never break it off even if I would want it, and I do not want it. Not even Baelor would send me off to a city that is, as of now, an enemy to the realm and is torn apart with throne fights despite there isn't being a throne present to fight for."

"I do not know about your betroth but given how the men in here are soft with poetry and love and romantic gestures, they never were, not are, and never will be choosable against me."

"I wouldn't be so sure of myself if I were you.", perhaps it would be better if she would just stop talking because the man in front of her was getting angrier but she didn't care.

Why would women have to keep their silence in fear of a man's anger? She was human too. She would get angry too. And she could make sure that her anger stick with him till the end of his days.

"You must understand this, Lady Alysanne,", he took a step forward and she pushed him away. "we Braavosi take what we want and we do not apologize."

"The only thing you can get from here is a good lesson on how to treat women.", she raised her chin. "You should not take it as a personal dig at your pride just because a woman simply used her brain and make a decision and it was not you.", she take a step back and smirked. "I'll give your regards to my betrothed when you sail away with the peace treaty."

"The only thing I'll sail away from here with it you, lady.", he said with anger present in his face. "That or I'll tell my brother to ally himself with our uncle and then we'll erase Westeros from the face of earth and we'll start to it from Oldtown."

*

"Alea, Gaius, why hasn't the medicine worked yet?", Gerold asked with a scowl as he leaned down to look at her arm.

"We need to wait until morning for the minimum affect and it will take a few days for them to disappear for good.", Gaius answered.

"Aunt, are you sure you don't remember anything?"

Alysanne was sitting on the bed, holding her hand, trying not to touch to her wounds and Atera, who barely woke up, was just lying there with a sick face. Her mind was not working and only thing she could do was to blink. She didn't had energy for anything. It had been hours since she passed out, the sun has died and not even the moon was lighting the night.

"I don't know Alys.", she forced herself to say as she closed her eyes and swallowed. Gerold, despite his anger, couldn't help but to caress her hair with softness.

The story was decided by Alea; they would not involve Rhaegar at all -though when Ashara visited, she directly asked what Rhaegar has done to her so they were just hiding it from everyone else at this point. They just said she didn't remember anything and they didn't know anything.

When the doors opened, Pycelle entered and Gerold turned to him with question. "His majesty the king has sent me, Ser.", he explained. "Lady Atera is Princess Elia's lady, he wants me to examine her myself to see if this would cause any danger to her grace."

It seemed that Aerys actually tried to find a reason so Gerold only huffed and touched Alysanne's shoulder gently to pull her away from the bed, so Pycelle could examine her.

"Look,", he raised her arm to make the big red wounds clear to Pycelle. "these appeared this morning. She has too much pain in her bones and muscles, says it hurts too much when she moves and even her nails hurt. She had high fever as well but Gaius and Alea managed to decrease it."

Pycelle nodded as he looked to the wounds. "Have you controlled what she has eaten yesterday?", he asked with a thoughtful voice.

"Of course we did. She hadn't ate breakfast,", Gerold sent her a look. "or lunch, or anything in between and at night, she dined with Ser Baelor and Lady Alysanne. Thanks to the Gods they are healthy.", Alea explained quickly.

"Are you sure she didn't eat or drink anything else?", Alea wasn't sure because she didn't know what she has done in Rhaegar's apartments so they all turned to her with expectance.

Atera tried to swallow once more. "No.", she closed her eyes. "I don't know. I don't remember what has happened. I just fainted. It just hurts too much.", her voice was barely hearable, she was alive but she didn't feel alive. The pain was everywhere.

"I see.", he pushed the fabric of her nightgown further to look at her shoulder but it was clear. "Did these wounds appeared on her back or chest?", he asked to his former maester and he shook his head. "Alright.", then he turned to Alea. "Has she applied anything to her body? Soap, lotion, oil, lavender or something?", Alea shook her head and when he looked at Atera he just saw empty looks and sighed. "Prepare a balm,", he ordered. "mix garlic, horsetail, earth smoke and stinging nettle."

Gerold sighed and made a move for him to walk to the corner, so they could speak in private but Baelor joined them as well. "What is wrong with her, Pycelle?", he asked with a worry he couldn't contain. They could argue all the day but at the end of it, she was his only niece.

"Maester Gaius is right, Gerold. It probably caused due to extreme stress and sadness.", Gerold felt guilty all of a sudden -a feeling he didn't feel for a long time.

"But she will get better, right?", Baelor asked frimly, his hands were tied at his back. She was insuşting him just a day ago, he couldn't even look at her now. She was looking terrible, so ill.

"Of course, Ser Baelor. The cure of every illness can be found in the nature.", then he took a step forward and sent a look to Alea, didn't understand why she would be the one who would prepare the balm when there was a maester but he didn't question it. "Once you applied it, wrapped it with soft cloths but make sure that it is not tight."

"I will write to my father, he will want to know this.", Baelor murmured while looking at Atera, feeling the worry deeper than he thought he would.

"There is not need to worry him now. Take care of your sister.", Mace was hugging her to give her comfort. "Your father cannot do anything when he is that far away."

"I know Atera ever since she was born, uncle.", he said without taking his eyes off her. "She always had a terrible health situation, was always ill, always had fever and all, even caught smallpox when she was a child and not even then,", he turned to her. "not even then where Lady Jenica was crying every day because the Archmaester himself told that she probably will not make it, she admitted that she was ill, that she was in pain. Not even that day she was that bad, look at her.", he pointed her out with his head. "She looks terrible and she admits it. If she would be fine, she would kick us all out of here, declaring that she didn't need our pity and now, she barely manages to speak.", he shook his head. "I will write to my father. He will want to know this."

After Baelor left the room, Gerold pulled Pycelle to the corner once more before he left. "Tell me the truth,", he whispered, turned his back so no one could read his lips. "what is this Pycelle?", when the old maester didn't answer, he stepped even closer. "Poison?", even he heard himself barely and Pycelle sighed.

"I don't want to believe so but it is an option. And it is a strong option.", he tilted his head slightly. "You heard Gaius, he recalls Jenica having this but we both know it was caused by poison.", it was not only Gerold and Lucerys who recalled the past, or Barristan and Lewyn. Pycelle was there too. Knew everything that Tywin knew. "I never saw her wounds myself but Gaius is more than sure. I cannot eliminate that option."

"But who, Pycelle?", he almost hissed. "Who would do this to her?"

"I don't-"

"Your master?", he asked with a deadly look and Pycelle did shievered.

"I haven't heard of Lord Lannister,", not only Pycelle knew a thing or two about Gerold's family but Gerold knew more than a thing or two about Pycelle so he never even dared to act in front of him. "for a very long time, ever since the prince came to the capital.", and he was telling the truth. "This might be nothing as well. Let us apply this balm and we'll see what happens."

*

The room was empty at first, only him, and the only sound that was hearable was the cracking noise came from the fireplace he was sitting in front of. He was on the couch, bent forward, his elbows were on his knees and his chin was resting on top of his tied hands. A moment later, he heard footsteps. Not light as Lewyn's due to his water dance background, or not hearable at all like Jonothor's due to his intense training to do so, or too heavy like Gerold's due to the thick armour.

No, they were normal like Oswell's and with the wine cup that placed on the small table right in front of him, his guessed were proven right.

"When was the last time?", he asked as he sat down himself as well, holding his own wine. "That there was only two of us, alone, without a duty to attend to, completely free to speak?"

"I am not free to speak.", he mumbled without taking his eyes out of the flmaes like Rhaegar usually did. "For me to speak, first I must think and if I think I'll crumble apart so find some other playmate, Os."

"But I want you as my playmate.", he pouted playfully but Arthur obviously was not in a mood for it. "I know we had a couple of arguments in the past days but-"

"What do you think he has done to her?", he interrupted him, there was no way to get rid of Oswell and in between of crumbling apart or fighting back with Oswell, he decided the first option was better for his sanity after all. "What could he possibly done to make her like this?"

They did hear of her sickness, of course they did. Rhaegar didn't know about them, thanks to their luck and he had his own problems with Elia that he did not question the sudden absence of both of his best friends.

"Arthur I asked you this before and I feel the need to ask it again.", he became serious now. "Do you love her?"

"How can I love a woman like her?", he answered in return. Frowned and grimaced to himself with self-hate. "A woman that did not show mercy to even an unborn child, a woman that harmed it without a second thought, a woman that is capable of so much destruction... How can anyone love a woman like her?"

It seemed to Oswell that Arthur, in particular, found a way to do so but letting him live in denial was better than encourigin him so he kept his tongue.

"But you are worried about her?"

Arthur rubbed his face with tiredness. "I would be worried about her if it would not be Atera but Catelyn in this situation. The main focus of mine is not her but him. What on earth he did to cause this? Haven't I get to know the man I called my best friends for years? How did I not noticed it if he was capable of such destruction?"

"I did speak to Rhaegar and truth be told, he did not give me an answer. Elia seems to be troubled by these incident as well. But your sister went to visit her.", he sent him a look. "Her own maester declared it happened because of stress and sadness -I doubt it happened over night."

"Alright, alright,", he played it along. "let us say this is just some sort of a coincidence."

"I refuse to believe otherwise.", he added despite the look Arthur sent him.

"This still does not explain why he asked for her presence and why she stayed there the entire night when he himself left.", he seemed too tense. "The worst part is I have no idea what this might even be about. I do not buy that he just wanted to talk with her because it makes no sense."

"My bet is as good as yours.", he shrugged. "He threatened her."

"In the middle of the night?", it didn't make any sense. "And then what happened? He threatened her and left and she felt too threatened so she stayed there the entire night?", he emphasized that. "It doesn't make a sense at all."

"Why don't you ask her then?", Oswell suggested with a tone that it was obviously a test. "You can see her with this excuse as well."

The confusion in his deep blue eyes disappeared as he packed his emotions up and surpressed it. "I do not need to see her."

"Are you-"

"I am a knight of the kingsguard.", he said with a monotone tone. "And I still am the acting Lord Commander of it. I cannot spend my time with the lady in the service of her grace. It is not just unseemly but I simply do not have such a time."

"Arthur.", Oswell warned him with a small smile. "Do not play to me."

"She is done for me Oswell, isn't this what you wanted as well?", realizing that he is being serious, Oswell's smile disappeared.

"I wanted you to open you eyes and see how dangerous this situation is and to end it because of that. I wanted you to erase her from your life, your mind. Not to close the topic of her before you dealt with it, not to surpress it so it can tore you apart from inside.", he shook his head. "You have always been like this, for all the years I've known you, you never give someone a second chance, not to even your own family. And look where you ended up; you are as damaged as me.", he raised his cup with a pathetic grin. "It is not the way to live. We all are humans, none of us are perfect, we all get to make mistakes. Forgiveness is a virtue. Of course it is up to you to keep her in your life afterwards and I very much rpefer you don't because or else I will have to fix that matter myself but not before you sit down and talk with her."

"She promised me.", he reached to the glass. "She promised me that she will not do something to her, she broke that. She lied to me. How can you expect me to show forgiveness? How can you expect me to look at her with anything but disappointment? I have no other choice than to end this because she broke that trust between us, she poisoned that as well. I cannot forgive that, I cannot forget that."

"This is not how you maintain a relationship, whether it would be a matter of hearts of matter of pleasure.", Oswell was sure in their case it was both. "You cannot end something just like that, you cannot stop seeing someone just because she did something you don't like. You are not a child but an adult.", he didn't know what he was doing.

This was the right thing. If he was right in his suspicions and Arthur was foolish enough to feel even a small part of love towards her, a conversation would turn into an argument and that argument could always end with something else. But Arthur was his friend and he couldn't bring himself to watch him destroy himself. Especially not when despite all the act he still was not good with Rhaegar.

"What will I even say to her?", he asked with a way that came off as he snapped but Oswell knew he was being genuine, he truly didn't know what to say to her because confrontations was not Arthur's best avbility.

"What you feel."

*

She was pacing in the room once more, despite she shouldn't do so. One hand was on her belly, she knew that this much stress and the constant action was not good for the baby but she couldn't bare sitting down and doing nothing. Walking at least distracted her to a degree, relaxed her tense body. She needed that after staying awake the entire night.

"Perhaps Lady Aela can give you something to comfort you without upsetting the baby?", Ashara made a suggestion but Elia shook her head with sadness.

"Nothing works!", she tried to send her tears back. "I cannot even breastfeed my own daughter. What kind of a mother am I?"

Ashara and Oberyn shared a look. Elia was born premature, spent her childhood in sicknesses but once she started her bleeding, her body started to organize itself better. Her apettie returned, her immnune system got stronger, her sleep schedule got better and with time, she was healed. Rhaenys' pregnancy and birth almost shattered that and it took a moon for her bleeding to stop after the birth. When she barely got recovered, while insisting to breastfeed despite maesters' objections, she got pregnant once more and with all the tension; her body was crumbling apart but she was trying not to show it to Rhaegar -which was annoying the shit out of Oberyn.

And now her mik was not enough to feed her daughter.

"El you do not need to worry, we have talked with Atera's Maester ourselves. Before the week ends the medicine he gave to you will work.", Ashara tried to relax her as she shook Rhaenys in her arms.

"Give my daughter to me.", Elia shook her head, she had enough from all the plots and the games and the nightmares and the way her body failed her -and now she was dealing with her husband's latest shit. She was sick of it. "Give her.", she said once more and after sharing a troubled look with Oberyn, she walked closer to her friend and gave the baby to her arms.

She ahd little tolerance for her children being away from her in these days.

"You shouldn't carry Rhaenys and walk at the same time.", Oberyn warned her sister. "It is bad for the baby."

"And you know this because?", Elia turned to him snappishly but he looked at her with understanding.

"I am a Maester as well, in case you had forgotten it, sister."

"You are not a Maester, you just got the education of it -never finished it.", she turned her back on him.

"Look, if you do not trust Maester Gaius, then talk with Alea.", Ashara suggested again. "Her teas and medicines does wonders."

"Yes, yes, they do such wonders that they just caused a miscarriage to the queen.", she hissed, she was feeling like chocking, the walls were pressing her.

Ashara turned to Oberyn in help. "We can find you a trustable nursemaid though Rhaenys already has o-"

"No!", with her loud yell, both her friend and brother flinched slightly but she seemed regretful immediately. "Sorry.", she murmured and not liking the state she was in, Ashara approached and took Rhaenys from her again. "I am too stressed. Because I am stressed, I cannot sleep. Without sleep, I cannot think. And the more I cannot think, the more stressed I get, it's like a never ending cycle and I feel like I got lost in it.", she said with tears in her eyes and a pout, she was hugging to herself for one moment, and the second they wrapped around Oberyn as he came to hold his sister.

"Everything will work out in the end.", he promised her. "If they do not, I will make them work out."

"There are so many things I don't know of.", she whispered to his chest.

"If you mean Rhaegar and Atera, I am sure it is nothing.", and he didn't say so only to relax her as well. He didn't think Rhaegar was capable of doing something that would nerve her this much. "But I don't like the way you are this suspicious of your husband.", he took a step back as he held her chin. "Did he give you any reasons for it?"

"No, never.", she shook her head. "I refuse to believe that the state she is in now has nothing to do with him, Obe.", she seemed highly troubled. "Even if nothing has happened, something did happen."

"Did you ask to her?", he wondered. "He does not answer, very well, but did you ask her?", Elia turned her back instead of answering. "Or despite your objections, do you fear what you will hear?"

"She is ill, brother, in case you hadn't noticed.", she rolled her eyes. "I will visit her in the afternoon."

"Because you need to prepare herself of what you will hear first?"

"Don't you have other matters to concern yourself?", Elia clasped her hands and turned to her brother once more. "Like Atera."

"What of Atera?", he asked with a comfortable tone as he sat down and leaned onto his back, his eyes momentrailt found Ashara. "I already think about her, do I not?"

"Why you never interact with her?", she demanded an answer. Perhaps Rhaegar was right. Perhaps they needed a honeymoon. "She doesn't say a thing but she is so very sad."

"Atera gets sad,", he narrowed his eyes and said the words one by one. "because I do not interact with her?", even Ashara sent her a look.

"She is your betrothed at the end of the day.", Elia stated. "You need to spend time with her."

"What do you want me to do, sister?"

"Invite her to dinner tonight.", she suggested. "You spend time with everyone. Spare one night to your betrothed."

"I will.", Oberyn didn't want her to worry herself with this as well so nodded. "But know that I only do so for you. No one else would have convince me for this."

*

"What are you doing?", Alea asked with shock when she entered her chambers the next morning with a big tray of food in her hands.

She did not expect to see Atera perfectly well -already bathed and dressed, buttoning her own sleeves while her maids were fixing her hair.

"What I look like am doing?", she asked with pursed lips.

With one look, Alea could understand what she intended to do. Her gown was long sleeved (with buttons) and was mustard coloured -it usually was not a colour she preferred because it made one to focus on the dress than her face but now it worked well for her. She was wearing a green velvet vest on top of it. It left the chest area open and tied on her stomach. It had citrine and topaz flower emdodiments on its sides. Her braid waves were falling to her waist and she was wearing a small head piece on two sides of her hair -emerald and amethyst flowers, and both were tied to one another by three strings of gold at the back of her hair.

Not only that but she was wearing make up -she loved that but didn't do so for a while now, Alea didn't know why. Her face was looking healthy due to the creams, she was wearing a soft pink lipstick and blush on her cheeks and same coloured eyeshadow. She was not wearing a nexklace but her emerald earrings were big enough to cover it.

She was looking more ...rich than usual.

"You must rest.", she said sternly as she made a move for one of the maids to get the tray from her. "You scared us all just a few hours ago. You were laying there, barely bring yourself to move just a few hours ago. Whatever you think you are-"

"You told everyone that I am sick.", she hissed. She had a momentarily slip last night but she was not an ordinary woman, a miller, and she couldn't act like one. She needed to be strong at all times. "I bet everytone whispers about me. You even manage to scare my little niece-"

"Your little niece is barely four years younger than you.", she said, getting annoyed by her. "This is not the time for you to act with pride and ambition. You must rest."

"Oh, I am perfect fine. Look, I can move.", it did ached a little when she moved but it was nowhere near comparable to last night. When Alea's stance didn't change, she unbotten her sleeves and moved to her to show her healed skin. "Look, I am fine. There is nothing wrong with me.", except the blankness in her eyes.

"Leave us alone.", she ordered to the two maids and they seemed only happy to leave the room. "Finnan told me what happened.", she deadpanned and Atera closed her eyes, her mask fell of.

"What?", she asked with a dangeros tone, her hands fisted.

"He told only to me and I did covered up for you.", she explain quickly. "Prince Rhaegar, huh? Care to explain?"

"There is nothing to explain.", she opened her eyes but it already was turning red due to the burning affect of embarrassment. "He wanted to talk about the queen's miscarriage. A few insults and threats were thrown and then he left."

"But you did not.", she was not going to let this slide away. What happened yesterday was a dangerous thing. "Why?"

"I fell asleep.", of course no one would buy this but she didn't think of anything better.

"Atera-"

"After we argued, he gave me a job and I fell asleep while doing that and woke up like this in the morning.", which was not a lie at all. "I swear."

Alea narrowed her eyes and leaned forward. "Do you think I am stupid enough to believe that?"

"No.", she huffed. Did Rhaegar think she was stupid enough to buy into his bluff? It seemed that she was.

"Ashara came here, asked me right away what the prince has done and I told her I ahd no idea what she meant.", she took a step back. Pressing it would not make her speak. "But as much as Finnan and I understood, the prince's household is in panic because none of them have any idea of what has happened between you two. You might not answer me but you will answer them."

"I did answer you and it is the answer I will give to them as well.", she rolled her eyes and opened the door. An anrgy Alea and a surprised Finnan started to follow her as she walked towards Elia's chambers.

"At least you could have breakfast.", Alea hissed. "Haven't you learnt anything?"

"I am not hungry.", she sighed as she walked with determination -tried to swallow down the sickness that climbed her throat and burnt her, and tried to fight back with the urge of faint once more. She was not going to let people pity her. "Or I would have eaten so."

When she was near Elia's chambers, she saw the glimpse of Jaime Lannister and turned her head away immediately and then stopped when somebody called for her. "Atera?"

"Prince Oberyn.", she of course didn't curtsy him but bowed her head as a sign of recognition and Oberyn copied her movement.

"I was coming to your side now.", he straightened his spine when she stopped in front of her. "I just left my sister's side, we both been worried about you. She was planning to visit you afternoon as well.", he pursed his lips. "We've been told you were very sick."

"Exaggeration.", she said and then smiled. "I am perfectly well as you can see."

Oberyn's eyes roamed around her frame. "I sent my squire to your maester to get the full picture-"

"Oh?", she interrupted him.

"You are my betroth afterall.", she truly was not but she didn't had the energy to fight with him right now. "And Elia was too worried but was not allowed to visit you.", with the look he sent, she was aware that he knew the truth as well. "It didn't seem to me it was nothing.", such wounds could last for moons.

"I do forget that you've been trained at the Citadel.", she almost rolled her eyes as her fake smile grew. "I don't know what you've been told, I just know how I feel and the only was to desrribe it is to use the word 'brilliant'."

"Good, good.", he nooded. "Then there is nothing that would prevent you from joining me tonight for supper, I believe.", he sent her a measuring look. This way, he could appease Elia by both spending time with her and questioning her about what has happened with the prince. Perhaps this could give her ssome peace of mind.

Normally, she would never agree to it, find an excuse but she felt like she was going to pass out if she didn't move and started to sweat thoroughly so she just managed to keep her smile on her face. "I would be honored so."

*

"I will not lie, I am surprised.", she said after she took a sip from her drink. "Where did this dinner idea came from?"

"I wanted to spend some alone time with my betrothed.", Oberyn said nonchalantly.

Atera tilted her at him as she sent a look and both huffed in sycn. "So Elia wanted this?"

"We both have the same point of view when it comes to this marriage and what we except from it.", he sighed. "But no matter what, we should know one another to a degree. We will share a life together at the end of the day. As much as I understood Elia does indeed plans a honeymoon for us."

"That was not a part of the plan.", she burrowed her brows. "Ours will not be a conventional marriage. No bedding ceremony, no honeymoon."

"No one would force us to have the bedding ceremony though,", he sent her a measuring look. "I can assure you that we would have fun but,", she rolled her eyes. "as long as you do not wish it, it will not happen. The honeymoon is a different subject. I shall take you to Sunspear to meet with the nobles because on paper, you'll be their new princess -a title even Mellario cannot use. And then I should take you to Water Gardens as well."

"Water Gardens?", she seemed confused, she was expecting to go to Sunspear anyways. "Why is that?"

"To meet my daughters.", he said as if it was obvious and she seemed hesitant, opened and closed her mouth a few times, obviously trying to choose her words. After taking a sip from his wine, he frowned so slightly. "I am not expecting you to become their mother.", he felt the need to say it and she gave a breath of relief.

"Oh thanks to the Seven.", Oberyn couldn't help but chuckle to her reaction. "I hate children.", she blurted out and this did stop his laugh. "Not that I hate children,", she closed her eyes and tried to correct her line. "but I do hate them.", nodded and then forced a smile.

"You hate children?", he rolled the words in his rather pointy accent. "Give me one reason."

"They are stupid.", she shrugged. "I have little tolerance for stupidty."

"They are children.", he let out a laugh in disbelief. "What do you expect from them?"

"To not run around like imbeciles and scream when they don't get what they want.", she suggested with raised eyebrows and Oberyn truly seemed like judging her.

"I have three daughters -and one that I am trying to track down."

"Track down?", she muttered inside her mouth and turned her head away. "You do care a great deal about your bastards in Dorne."

"Of course we do.", he scoffed. "Just because they born without a piece of paper tying me to their mother doesn't mean they are less of my blood. All of them are pieces of my heart. And while I do not expect you to become their mother, I expect you to treat them well."

"I will not bully children, if that's what you are worrying about.", she narrowed her eyes at him.

"Well you did have an ancestor who bullied a child enough to cause a civil war.", he leaned at his back and sent her a daring look. "The eldest is Nymeria.", he thought knowing them would perhaps would ease her. "She is actually noble. Given that I am a prince and her mother is some Volantene noble."

"Oh?"

"Yes. She was married to someone else but loved me better.", he grinned cheekily. "After a few nights of passion, she fell pregnant. I was panicked, thought Doran would kill me before my parents. But all got erased when I looked at small face. I named her after our warrior queen to appease my family but at first only Elia was happy and accepted her fully. Now six years has passed and she the pearl of the Water Gardens."

"Six years?", she was focused on that detail. "How old are you?"

"Two and twenty, only two years older than you."

"You had a child when you were six and ten?", she asked, no thoughts only puzzlement on her face.

"That's nothing.", he made a hand gesture to dismiss it. "If my suspicions are correct my eldest is out there somewhere -and I possibly sired her when I was four and ten."

"Four and ten?", she raised her voice. "You were a child yourself!"

"And your brother was five and ten when he had your niece and nephew.", he pursed his lips. "Why are you this surprised?"

"Leyton had to have them.", she shook her head. "Yours is... different."

"Do you want to know what is funnier?"

"I cannot see anything funny in this conversation.", she stated, for some reason lost her appetite already.

"She probably lives in Oldtown.", he sent her a look. "When I was exiled there to study at Citadel, I visited a brothel -it was my first time, and I possibly did impregnate a woman there but I am not sure."

"How do you know it then? Eight years has passed, as you say. Did it occur to you now?"

Elia saw it in a dream but of course he was not going to say that to her. "I heard it from a trusted friend that this is an opportunity. When we go to Oldtown for the betrothal, I'll try to reach to her.", she opened her mouth to say something but then closed it. "Nessa, her name is. I know that much.", he kept informing her. "She had flaming locks of red hair, I wonder how does my daughter looks."

"You sure it's a girl?", she asked with an uncomfortable tone.

"If it would be a boy, they would not let him live in the brothel.", he said, his tongue hitting the roof of his mouth. "She should be eight.", now he looked almost solemn -and angry. "You must see why I must be hurry to get her out of there.", he sent her a look and she exhaled with acceptance.

"Does Nymeria,", the name rolled gracefully in her mouth -she did liked the name, she could admit at least that. "lives in Water Gardens all the time?"

"Well given that Mara, her mother, is still is married someone else, she most of the time stays there. Before her marriage, Elia was taking care of her as her aunt and then I heard my mother made her her ward -I usually have to spend time away and my adventures are not for a six year old.", was that remorse she was sensing? Oberyn shook the wine cup he was holding a little and his thoughtful eyes focused on the small waves he created but then he snapped out of that mood. "At least the man she is married to is not an asshole and treats my daughter well. Thye do not come here but I do take Nym myself and bring to her. When she first born, she was completely staying with them but in the past three years, she gets to have her only twice a year -though still stays there for at least half of the year."

"And the others?", she was pretending to like anyone. She could try so with her future husband as well. There was no need to be enemies when friends was an option. "You have two more?"

"Yes.", Oberyn smiled as if he was aware what she was trying to do. "Tyene, she is four.", he seemed almost sheepish a moment later. "Her mother is a Septa.", Atera let out a laugh with an acceptant surprise. "I did work for moons to seduce Lemore, it only happened once but it resulted in Tyene."

"You must have put her in such a though situation.", she commented, felt almost pity for the woman. She knew how terrible a religion could become for a woman.

"I did help her greatly.", Oberyn defended himself. "And Lemore is not like the rest, she is celever, strong, brave. It is why she caught my attention in the first place."

"How did you even manage to seduce a Septa?", she feared the answer.

"After my studies at Oldtown ended, I pissed my mother off again and she sent me away, this time to progress. I travelled with Doran and while we were staying at Cider Hall, I saw her in a morning prayer and when I finally convinced her, I dressed up as a Septa so no one would notice me.", he laughed at the memories but she didn't join him, there was a certain sadness in her. "And my youngest is Sarella, she just born. Anais, her mother, is a Summer Islander and axtually a sea captain. We met her through Jace actually.", she turned her head away. "We've been having an off and on affair for a few years now. If we are in the same shore, it's always good time. They all stay at Water Gardens now. Mellario takes care of them as she takes care of her own; Arianne and the baby Quentyn."

"Congrulations on that, by the way.", she said with a small smile.

Oberyn nodded that narrowed his eyes. "And you?"

She tilted her head. "I don't have any daughters."

He rolled his eyes. "But are you planning to? You'll become stepmother to my bastard daughters, will I become the stepfather to your bastard sons?", the idea seemed like amused him and she rolled her eyss.

"As I said, I hate children. I am not planning to give birth to one."

"Fair enough.", he agreed. "And is there any lovers I should be aware of except my cousin?"

"Your cousin -both of them, can burn in seven hells for all I care.", she said rather snappishly. "And no, there is no one.", Arthur did left her.

Arthur did left her.

He did dare to do that.

Nodding once more, he stood up. "Wait for a second.", she frowned but didn't stop him and he did return a moment after with a wooden box in his hands, he kneeled in front of her and opened it. Atera looked at the jewel first and then to his black eyes. "I had brought it for you from Dorne, been meaning to give it to you for a while now.", when her eyes fell to it once more and she swallowed, Oberyn sensed the discomfort she was trying to surpress. "Doran's orders.", he explained. "We have no other choice."

It was a wedding ring.

It contained three rose-coloured bands. The first had seven citrine stones in the middle of it, lined like a crescent. In the middle band there was a gold circle and a topaz stone in the middle of it. And the last band mirrored the first one with seven sapphires.

For all accounts; she should like it. It was rich and expensive, big enough to make a fuss and state her new status as a princess but also small enough to make it look elegant but she felt only the air leaving her lungs and she felt like suffocating. Seeing the emotions on her face, Oberyn closed the box with a sharp movement that startled her but he was looking at her with some sort of an understanding.

"You don't have to wear it now.", he said as he stood up and moved back to his seat. "There isn't even a betrothal yet so you're safe but then Doran will talk."

"It is a beautiful ring.", she said dryly.

Tried not to think about the pretty ring her mother had, the square gold with tourmaline in the middle and pearls on the corner -looking fit to the queens. And she most certainly tried not to think how that ring led to her downfall.

When she felt the blood leaving her veins and her vision getting blurred, she reached to Oberyn's cup and finished it all under his impressed eyes. "If you are finally mentally unstable, it is time for me to ask, it seems.", he jokingly tried to change the subject. "Given that your recent ilnnes -you look well by the way, what did my brother in law did to you to shake you like this that you agreed even to this dinner?"

She said nothing, she had sworn into silence after all.

*

When she returned back to her room, she was not expecting to see Arthur in there. He was not sitting, on the contrary, he was standing in front of the window, looking at the sky. She learned quickly that this was a repetitive habit of his, found solace in the stars.

"Are you well?", he asked without looking at her and she closed the door, took a few steps to the middle of the room.

She was not expecting to see him, to be honest, not after everything. She was aware that when she made that decision, she lost people in her life; Arthur and her uncle, Rhaegar as well, and even Elia -who would never be able to trust her again. And if Leyton would hear of the extensions of it, even though he would forgive her at the end, it would take a long time to do so.

Everything she knew about Arthur indicated that he would not be here. Ashara, his own sister, mentioned how he would not give second chances to be people, he did not even forgive her, why would he forgive Atera? He had clear lines, not blurred ones like hers. He had a moral code, the end did not justify the means for him, he did not fight for the greater good or the lesser evil, he was not the kind of man who would be able to tolerate such a behaviour.

"I am.", she answered dryly and raised her chin. Whatever this was, she was not going to show weakness or apologize. She did what she had to and she did not regret it, not even now. Despite being overplayed, she still had some of her dignity left. "Why are you here? I thought you would not want to see me again."

Arthur turned to her with a closed off expression. He did not have a sword but his armour was there and Atera knew it was a lost cause. "I wanted to see myself.", he said slowly and she raised her eyebrow. "How you live after doing such a horrible thing."

Her other eyebrow raised as well. "I am not going to explain my reasons for you. If you cannot see them yourself, unfortunately there is nothing I can do to change that. So, if you have a question to ask, ask, or leave."

"Are you aware of what we have been doing?", he never thought he would see the day to listen Oswell's advice but here they were. "Haven't you thought about what were the fundemantal values of made that arrangement possible?", he took a step forward. "Trust.", he spat. "Belief, faith -don't these words mean anything to you?"

"It is not the same thing.", she shook her head. "We do trust one another under a specific context because we have to trust each other for make this work. Because if one of us betray the other, we both will suffer. So our trust born out of necessity. We do not trust at each other, we trust out intelligence -that we are not stupid enough to ruin ourselves in order to ruin the other. I will not let you stay here and act like I betrayed you while you never trusted me in the first place.", she could apologize, state her reasons but it was not in her nature to be amiable, no, she was going to defend her wrongs as much as her rights.

"Because you never gave me any reason to.", poison was dripping from his tone. "Anytime I try to trust you, you come up with something else that shocks me."

"It is truly a miracle that you came to this age, being this politically naïve when you spent you entire life in the game.", she spat. "Don't you see? Don't any of you see what degree of a catastrophe I just prevented? Are you all truly that blinded by your ideals, by your rightnousness? Are you that stupid?"

"Trust me, we all do know what kind of a danger that child could create because Rhaegar was living in that danger ever since Viserys was born!", he raised his voice a little and regretted immediately. This was not his way of arguing. "The king does not need a son from Cersei to kill him. As long as Viserys lives, as long as there is another possibility of an heir, Rhaegar is in danger and he was in danger for the last five years. Not even once,", he took a step forward. "not even once he thought of harming him. And despite the king's best tries, Viserys adores both Rhaegar and Elia because violence and death is not the only option. Only people like you see it that way because the life didn't teach you the other way."

"And what way is that?", she tried not to show how the last line hurt her.

"Love.", he spat and she let out a loud 'hah' voice and started to laugh as Arthur continued to speak. "Compassion, emphaty, trust. You are not capable of feeling any of these so you believe no one else is too so you find the solution in brutaility."

"Or perhaps I don't see the world through my rose-coloured glasses, I don't imagine the world that I imagine and I see the cold hard truth, I accept the things as they are, not as I want to. Given who his parents -and grandfather are, given that Rhaegar would not be there to influence him to good, one does not need to be a genius to guess that boy or girl for that matter, would be just like his parents. I am not going to apologize for not taking risks. And I truly cannot believe you all care about some unborn baby more than the child Rhaegar and Elia already has. Are you truly that visionless?"

"The world is what you want it to be. It is why we are on this road, it is why we all risk our necks everyday. If the king even catches a glimpse of what we are doing, not only we would die but our families as well. We all play with everything we stand for just to turn to change the world.", he seemed disappointed. "I thought you and I shared the same view but now I see how wrong I was."

"I am sick of saying this but how are you planning to make that world work unless you don't get rid of anyone who upholds the old way?"

"You uphold the old way!", he raised his voice again but didn't mind this time, Atera was practically yelling the whole time.

"And your friend did try to get rid of me. But I don't see this energy towarded to him!", she did not intended to say this, she swore not to tell what happened to anyone. It was a matter of pride at this point.

Despite her best hopes, this line did not get lost in the heat of the argument and Arthur actually took a step back. "What?"

Atera closed her eyes and sighed. "I did not-"

"He tried to kill you?", he asked in disbelief. "Rhaegar?", she didn't answer. "You see, despite everything indeed signs to this, I am having a hard time believing into it because of he trust you shattered.", he seemed to old, too tired all of a sudden and rubbed his face. "How will I ever bring myself believe a thing you say or do from now on?", she couldn't help but think he was being dramatic. "You promised me. You said that you will stay away from her."

"And I kept my word until I had no other choice.", of course he was right but this didn't mean she was wrong. "I did it only to protect the cause we all believe in.", they were cooled down now, she moved to the couch to sit and feeling like his body couldn't carry him further, he sat next to her.

"You broke the trust between us, not because you didn't keep your word.", he had no right to expect such a thing when he was the greatest oathbreaker. "You broke it because as you said, I do not trust that you would not endanger me anylonger."

"What?", she turned to him with confusion.

"I am acting as the Lord Commander in your uncle's absence still.", Atera was aware the answer was right in front of her but she wasn't sure if she understood it and Arthur only huffed to that. "You didn't even realize.", he sighed. "I swore to defend and protect the royal family and Cersei Lannister is the queen.", Atera opened her mouth to say something but no words came out. "And she was carrying the king's child. You directly committed high treason, and in his anger, the king could take my life for it -because the promise you broke, because I was not being extra careful, because I believed you would keep that promise because I did not ask you to promise me out of my righthousness but to protect everyone, including me, involved. You made me fail. That baby's blood is in my hands as much as it is in yours because Rhaegar did ask me to be cautious but I did not, because I trsuted,", he pressed the word. "you would not do something to harm me. I have show weakness. I am not allowed to have weaknesses just because of this reason. It is why everything has ended. Not because I am hurt that you committed this act -I am but it is the least of my concerns, because you did not only poison her but the bond we had."

"Arthur I-", she wasn't sure if she was thinking anything.

"Don't.", he interrupted her softly. "Nothing you can say or do can change that. I will never be able to trust you again and without trust, I cannot do this anymore.", he stood up, only moonlight and the fireplace was lighting the room and even though they were not enough to see properly, she could feel his dissapoitnemnt, didn't need to see it on his face as well. "I bid you good night, my lady. I hope you will get better."

And with that, he just left.

*

"Jaime?", Ser Barristan looked at the boy with worry. "You should rest as well, kid."

"I will, Ser Barristan.", his face was crumbled with echaustion. "But I want to see my sister one last time.", the white knight seemed like he was going to reject the idea since the queen did have a hysterical crisis today and attacked on her own servants but the look on the boy's face was enough to make him sigh and let him in. "Cersei?", he asked with hesitation when he entered the room. "It's me, Jaime.", the room was too dark for him to see properly so he took one of the torches with him.

For a second, nothing has happened, nobody answered and he thought that she was sleeping but then he heard a small noise. As one would connect to those mysterious stories of ghosts, he did shiever with the lingering effect of it in his spine but then shook his head on how ridiculous this thought was. He was a knight and this was the queen's chambers. Of course there was nothing wrong. But when he entered on her bedchamber, placed the torch to the wall, he did let out a loud gasp and took a step back until his back met with the door because of the sight of her.

Cersei was sitting at the middle of the big and soft bed. All of the pillows in the room were torn apart, their feathers covered everywhere. She was wearing a bloodred night gown, her golden hair that was braided by the servants just this morning were opened by tearing them apart. And on top of them there was the gold and ruby crown Aerys gave to her. She was looking too eerie for him to breath normally.

"Cersei?", he asked with fear, barely managed to find his voice.

She let out a mocking huff through her nose. Her skin was too pale, lips too white, under her eyes too purple that Jaime, for a second, thought they had poisoned her once more. When he finally shook himself off the wall to take a step forward, his sister's cold voice stopped him.

"You were supposed to say Queen Cersei, I believe. The Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.", she raised her eyebrows in challenge as Jaime seemed horrified. "What is that? What is this reaction? I act just like you all wanted me to act. Just like father raised me to act -him and mother."

"You are not in your right mind.", he cursed himself for it took him that long to see that.

Cersei threw her head back and started to laugh hysterically, forced Jaime to swallow in order to get rid of the sudden dryness of his throat. His blood were frozen in his veins the moment he had seen the bloodly nail scrapes in her delicate neck. And those were not just marks on the surface, it was obvious that she dug them as deep as she managed to do so. With a more focused look, he had seen the pieces of skin inside her broken nails.

"I don't think I was ever allowed to be in my right mind, the most precious heir of the Casterly Rock.", she spat.

"Sister...", he was trying not to shiever in fear and worry, he raised his own hands to his neck, he was feeling the pain of them as if it also happened to him. "What have you done to yourself?"

"I have become the queen you all wanted to see!", she screamed and then suddenly moved like a cat, a lioness, and rushed to Jaime's side -and with reflex, he pressed himself more to the wall. Later on, he was going to reprimand himself for not being more brave but right now he was indeed fearing of his own sister. "Look!", she screamed, pressed her hand to her neck -which was still bleeding and then showed the wet blood to her brother, Jaime's heart was beating too fast that he felt it would tore his chest apart. "Do you see what it is Jaime? Blood! I am trying to adjust myself seeing it because I am the fucking queen and it is the norm now!"

"Cersei, I beg you, please calm down.", he raised his hands to touch her but Cersei slapped them down.

"Calm down? Calm down?", she was yelling as loud as she could, she turly seemed out of it. "I had to marry an old pig while the love of my life is getting brainwashed by a whore and now they murdered my child and your best advice is to tell me to calm down, is that so?"

With a quick judgmenet, Jaime opened the door and roared. "Ser Barristan!", and then he yelped with the sudden pain he felt in his hair, Cersei seemed like she was trying to tore them from his scalp and it hurt like hell.

"These all are your fault!", she hissed to his ear. "I thought too much, I never believed it truly would be but now I am sure. You are the traitor amongst us. It was you who rat us out in the first place, it was you who were alarming them against our every move, and now, it was you who put the poison into my plate. That little whore brainwashed you as well. What has she done to get you betray me, hmm? Let you in her bed? Are you the father of the abstard she is carrying?", she moved in front of him and slapped him enough to make him see the stars.

Jaime fell backwards to the bed that was covered in feathers and before he managed to raise his hands to push her off of him, she attacked once more. She was pulling his hair, slapping him, draggin her nails on his flesh, punching his body and screaming in the meanwhile. And he couldn't stop the assault, felt like his brain was not working.

Then suddenly a strong arm wrapped around Cersei's waist and pulled her body away from Jaime. While Cersei was trying to get rid of the strong hold with screams, she let out a painful whine the next second and pass out slowly as Jaime tried to breath normally with widened eyes. When his sister's body was placed on the bed, he saw the owners of the arms and couldn't even utter a word in front of Ser Barristan.

"No one can hear about this.", he said in a breathless way. "No one.", or else the king would send her away. "Please."

"Are you alright kid?", he asked in return, there was nothing in his blue eyes that assured Jaime.

She did slapped him too hard, it was going to leave a mark for a while but her punches and nails did not cause that much trouble. They would ache for a few days and then no more. The problem was Cersei. He was aware that she didn't take it well. The miscarriage and the fact that she was poisoned and Aerys showed her no emotions, no emphaty. He just told her that she'll get better and that they would have more kids and left and the only person Cersei talked was Varys.

And now she was in this state.

"We need to fix this before anyone sees, please", he said again and Barristan sighed.

He took off his sword and placed it to the table as Jaime stood up with a shaking body and watched the way the older knight took off his cloak as well. And then with a swift movement, he took the queen's body and placed it to the couch, they locked the doors and started to cleaning.

They took all the feathers from the ebd and from the floor, placed it into a trash can. Jaime, while trying not to gag, changed the sheets that were bloody and Barristan placed the crown the girl took back to its place. They opened the window to clear the air and Barristan placed Cersei back to the bed, Jaime brought water and potioned cloth to clean her wounds. Barristan, as the only person in the room to how to tend a wound, took that job while Jaime brushed her hair as delicately as he could and then tried to braid it back again to best his abilities.

At last, Barristan applied a balm to her throat and then wrapped it with a scarf he found in the room and Jaime cut her bloody nails. The redness of the wounds would disappear in three days, the old knight guessed with a whisper but neither thought they would be this successful in fixing her physochological problems. When Jaime closed back the windows and lit a jasmine incense and they just looked at her.

"She will not do this again, I promise.", Jaime couldn't help but mutter and closed his face.

"It isn't my place to warn the king,", Barristan tried to find a common ground. "but it is my duty to warn Gerold about this. Let him decide on what to do. There is nothing else I can do to help you, kid."

"I am not a kid.", he whispered.

"No, you are not. You are pulled to this wretched game by your family but you do understand that you don't have to play by their rules, no?", he turned to look at him. "You can always choose the other way."

"Ally with her-"

"The third way, I meant.", he corrected himself and when Jaime seemed confused, he answered. "Do nothing.", it was easier to say than do. "Leave this all behind, refuse to play the game and live."

"I cannot.", he mumbled. Despite everything, he was a Lannister, he was made for this.

But was he made for this?

*

"Your wife is worried.", they were having the supper together once more. "It is not good that she is worried."

Rhaegar seemed so nonchalantly cheerful that it bothered everyone around him. And they decided on Jon, for some reason, to investigate what was happening.

"I didn't know you were caring that much about my wife.", Rhaegar pressed his lips together. "She likes Lady Atera, I guess. And she is worried about her health. But since I am not capable of snapping my fingers and making her heal all of a sudden, there is nothing I can do about Elia's worry as well."

"There are whispers around, Rhaegar.", he was not eating, just watching his friend lie. "You summoned her to your chambers that night."

"Yes, I did, I sent Myles."

"And you sent Arthur away."

"To guard Elia because I was going to visit her after I was done with speaking to Atera. And I did visit her when I was done with speaking to Atera."

"But she stayed in your chamber the entire night and left only at the morning and then she suddenly became ill."

"You say yourself that I was not inside of those rooms while she was in there, I do not understand how these incidents are related.", he shook his head.

"Are you joking right now?", he could feel his own frustration to grow. "Are you finding this amusing? The lady of your wife who happens to be your future sister in law goes to your rooms and then leaves it in a state that worries everyone. Something obviously happened in there. Ser Gerold already thinks you have done something to her.", he pressed the word. He got word from both Arthur and Oswell that he was fuming at the tower the entire day.

"What do you think I have done to her?", Rhaegar now leaned back and looked at him with a frown as he chewed his food. "My wife, my friends, my advicors, you all look at me with suspicion ever since this morning. What do you think I have done to her? What do you think I am capable of doing What do you think it is the worst thing that I can do?"

Jon's eyes roamed around his face. He did not enjoy his own thoughts. "Irrelevant to my question."

"But I am the prince, it is I who asks to questions, no?", he asked in his debating tone and Jon inhaled sharply with frustration. "I invited her to speak and after I was done, I went to my wife's side. We didn't even stay there together more than half an hour. What you all think that happened?"

"I-"

"That I touched her without her permission?", poison was dripping from his tone as his eyes were shining with disspointment but Jon's genuine surprise to the question indicated that perhaps it was him who was thinking the worst. "That I physically abused her?

"No, never.", he said with a grimace. "The thought of it did not even cross our minds.", Rhaegar's shoulders fell with defeat and he rubbed his face. "Look, this isn't going to end up well. Ser Gerold does not now that you two had an interaction but he will soon enough. Lady Atera woke up completely healed to day -you don't get to have that in illnesses. If you know a thing, please tell now."

"Jon-"

"You told your own wife that she was going to pay for what she has done. This incidents happens shortly after. One does not has to be a genius to put two and two together."

"I did nothing to her.", he finally said the words they all were dying to hear. "I swear on my honour, I swear upon my daughter that I did nothing to her."

She did drink the poison herself after all.

Despite that, Jon didn't seem relieved. "I hope you are telling the truth. Or else, this story might go darker places."

*

"And you must be the new Hand.", Helion turned to the man with strawblonde hair. "Which one are you? Tywin?", he narrowed his eyes as the council member sent each other mocking looks. "Nah, he should be younger than you. That old boofon then? Merryweather? Or completely someone else? I have stopped paying attention after some point.", he made a hand gesture and Crakehall forced himself to smile.

"I happen to be Lord Sumner Crakehall the newly appointed Hand of the King."

"Ah, yes,", he turned to his men. "the last one was fired because he was a traitor.", he turned back to him with a mocking frown. "And which one was that, Syrio, remind me?"

"All of them, my lord.", the man said without blinking, his first sword.

Helion chuckled to it. "I don't see any silver hair. Where is your prince, where is your king?"

Helion was supposed to come at least a moon later to sign the peace treaty, they had no idea where did he came out. They were underprepared for such a visit and with the latest progressings -they did hear what has happened between his brother and Alysanne Hightower, they would rather him to be not here. Aerys and Rhaegar were actually working together to decide on the best path.

"They will meet with you within the day.", Crakehall was a bit drunk, spent the last night in a brothel, as he did almost everynight, but still he managed to form sentences. "Now please,", he made a hand gesture. "follow me and I shall bring you to your brother. I am sure you missed him."

*

He was whistling his way to Elia's chambers. Normally he was supposed to stay with Rhaegar today but he was called to an immediate meeting with the king -and Gerold, the Hand was going to join them as well and Rhaegar sent him to Elia, didn't want her to be alone. He didn't think the princess needed him, given that her brother never let her side, not even for a moment but he was not wanted in the tower. Arthur was going to join the meeting as well later that day but first he needed to arrange a few schedules -Gerold seemed to be enjoying not actually working, and his friend didn't want him here.

He didn't say it openly but he didn't need to say it to begin with, Oswell could see loud and clear that he did talk with Atera and it didn't end well. He wasn't even sure what to think about it. He liked the girl enough and unlike others, he did not think she was wrong in what she has done. Yes it was cruel and heartless but the world was cruel and heartless and oterhwise the risk was just too much. He couldn't bring himself to blame her -or blame Rhaegar for her sudden illness. Sure, he probably did threaten her because his dislike was too obvious but he didn't even entertain idea of something serious.

Rhaegar was not that kind of a man.

He also thought, in another world, she could even be good for Arthur. He was too serious, too closed off, too alone. A company, especially the company of her, would even help him, heal him. And most importantly, her company would be able to pull Arthur away from Rhaegar at least to a degree and it would help to end that toxic and dependent relationship they were having. Rhaegar had Elia to lean on but Arthur still had only Rhaegar, which has broken the balance more than Rhaella's topic could ever do. If the risk wouldn't be too great, he would even encourage Arthur to continue this affair so finally he would get rid of Rhaegar's influence -not because it is bad but because it went too far.

Arthur was breaking his oaths and was willingly planning for a coup just because he was feeling guilty and Rhaegar was abusing this situation -and neither of them were aware of it. Atera could be the solution but Oswell cared more about Arthur's head to stay on top of his neck, than to fix the inside of it. He could find another solution. Encourage him to take the Lannister boy to his service, occupy his mind with it. Or maybe he could try to make peace between him and Ashara.

His thought processes and whistle stopped when he heard small crying sighs, frowned to himself and moved towards the wall. His eyes found the ginger hair on the floor immediately and he turned around the column, he met with his niece.

"And who should I kill today for making my niece cry?", he was not an ordinary uncle that would have a relationship based on obedience just like Gerold and Atera. He preferred to be Catelyn's friend than some sort of a father figure. "Give me the name and ten minutes, I'll finish him for you."

Catelyn wasn't sobbing like a small child, her tears were falling down calmly and she wiped them immediately, made a move to stand up but Oswell shook his head and sat down himself. "Nothing has happened."

"Cat, I can see the letter you ripped off.", he stated salmly and Cat closed her eyes.

"I am officially betrothed to Brandon Stark.", she whispered. "My father has written to me that the arrangement is signed. He asks me to return back to Riverrun at once and start getting prepared for my wedding."

"And that's suck?", he wasn't sure. Frankly, he didn't know what kind of a man that Stark boy was and he didn't give a fuck. But now seeing her like this, he wondered if he should.

"It is my duty to marry for the good of my own family.", she said as if she was brainwashed. "It is how I will pay it back to my father, the education I got."

Riverrun was never that rich, compared to other paramount castles. Riverlands itself, despite being fertile, was not that rich. The ongoing wars decade after decade broke the land and its petty lords barely managed to hold their own together to aim higher for the Reacher Lords. And despite coming from one of the richest houses in Westeros, her mother Minisa was not after much more just like her father. They were happy as long as their people were happy and they still managed to maintain a lucurious life, they were not poor. Just not as rich as the others. And now she was going to marry even a less richer house. After seeing the glory in the capital -and even at in Oldtown, after spending so much time at Harrenhal, she wasn't sure how on earth she was going to manage to adjust in Winterfell.

Catelyn was raised as a proper lady and even more than that, she was raised, for a few short years, as her father's heir. She knew how to sing, how to play at least the lyr, how to read and write -she was Elia's favourite on that matter, how to ride a horse and even how to hawk. And until her education was cut off, she was learning not only the houses in Riverlands but houses in other regions as well. But then Edmure born, her mother died, her uncles were forbidden to enter Riverrun and all she found out about become Winterfell.

She was betrothed to Brandon Stark, not publicly, as long as she could remember. She was raised to be his wife, to a degree. And while her father loved her and her sister so very much, they were what they are; girls. Born to marry lords to strengthen their house and bring not only influence but also richness to Riverlands. It was Edmure's duty to keep the stability in the region but it was her and Lysa's job to bring it there.

When she was a child and the colours were brighter, when her mother was alive, she was not sure if she got a grip on the reality properly. In the first ten years of her life, she was going to inherit Riverlands one day so she was raised as a boy. Her marriage did not matter, men did not matter, the entire attention was on her, the entire education was focused in her and frankly, she was happy to spend time with her father. She loved her mother too much but she was always pregnant and she would always be sour, pregnancy was a hard task for her and she was just too dull for a child. So she grew up at her father's side -never understood the reason of the drift and jealousty between her and Lysa. She never understood the difference between them until Edmure born and she was thrown away to his sister's side.

Then things started to make sense and then she stopped being Catelyn Tully and started to be raised as the future Lady of Winterfell. Realizing to marry him and keep him happy was the most important task in her life and it was how she would repay her father's kindness with it was the hardest lesson in her life and it opened a wound she could not manage to repair to this day.

Perhaps she shouldn't be this emotional, given that it was every woman's duty from the queen to a miller's wife to marry good and rich and produce male heirs. Still, the hypocrisy made her blood boil. When she looked at all the strong and independent she was surrounded with, she couldn't help but pity herself and Lysa, despite all this time thinking she had a great childhood. The women around her were not bounded to a one man's will, they did whatever they wanted to do and gave no explanation or whatsoever to anyone. They were allowd to love and feel and think and just be someone, do something. They were not the idea but the force itself.

It ashamed her to be this ...helpless, it ashamed her to sit on the floor and cry şnstead of doing something about this. But she could not bear to see the dissapoinemtnet in her father's eyes -the same look Lysa saw every day. No, she was not Dornish, she was not a Reacherwoman, she was a Riverlander and she was going to do her duty, regardless of her heart.

"That is just bullshit.", Oswell snorted but Catelyn shook her head.

He meant well but he would not be able to understand. He was not a woman.

"I have a duty to fulfil, uncle.", she stood up elegantly and fixed her gown. "Her grace expects me."

*

Her eyes fluttered close as she took a deep breath and then opened the door with shaking hands and Oswell pretended as if he did not see it. "Your grace.", she made a curtst with a small voice and hated the way she acted.

"Atera, come in.", Rhaegar fixed his collar one last time and made a hand gesture for her. There was a table full of food and not Elia on sight. "I was waiting for you."

"I didn't want to make you wait, your grace.", she closed her eyes. She felt a heaviness on her, her eyes were burning for some reason and everytime she blinked, her nausea got increased. She hated the affect he created on her. "What do I owe this invitation?", he would not dare to make another act, not when everybody was focused on him but she didn't trust him.

He was a madman just like his father.

"We will speak.", he answered with a smile, it shock her to see that he found this amusing, that disgusting pig. "But first sit down.", he pulled her chair for her and waited with a smile that made her worried. He did not blink even once until she sat down and then pushed the chair back gently. Sending her a daring look, after he sat down as well, he spoke. "Do not let your soup to get cold. I ordered specifically to be prepared, since I heard it is your favourite.", spicy broccoli soup -she always liked those kinds of weird stuff. "I heard my father the king has took a close interest on your health. We wouldn't want him to worry, no?"

She just manage to shake her head as her eyes were focused on the soup itself. Her lips were pursed tightly and her nose was tensed with self-loathing. She knew there was no poison in it, she knew it damn well, she could list more than a hundredth reasons why it was safe to eat but still, she couldn't bring herself into it. She was aware the way Rhaegar's smile almost psycopathilcally grew next to her and she felt the burning of her eyes even further. The light was too shiny, the sounds were too loud and she could just pass away right here and there.

"Don't be afraid, Atera.", he said, took a spoon of his own soup and drank it, he leaned on and whispered as if he was giving her a secret. "I didn't put poison in it."

And she was torn between crumbling up to the floor and cry for hours until the world lost its meaning or took the knife on the table and just stabbed him through everywhere she could until Rhaegar Targaryen was no more.

"I don't feel well.", she managed to say without looking at him, swallowed and actually felt like becoming sick. Her hands were tightly resting on her lap and she was dragging her neels too deep that the pain was blurring her vision, she could smeel the iron of the blood, and it only disgusted her further. "My stomach hurts.", her voice was too monotone and emotionless, her face was looking like marbles, not moving and Rhaegar was grinning.

"Drink it then,", he made a motion. "it will help your stomach.", she took a shaky breath as her eyes fluttered closed and then she used all of her willpower to drink at least one spoon of the soup to shut him up. "I heard you had a dinner with Oberyn.", she didn't answer. "How did it went?"

"It went well, your grace.", even though she forced herself to drink, she had a hard time getting her body to cooperate with her.

Her hands were shaking as she reached to the spoon and brought it to her mouth, her stomach was basically shutting itself, making it hard for her to swallow and the more it stayed in her mouth the more nauseous she was getting and when she finally manage to did send the food to her stomach, she was holding herself back in order not to gag. Her body did not accept the food, especially not under these circumstances.

"Rhaegar,", she finally said and the prince hummed with a wide smile and she had to close her eyes for a second to calm herself down. "what do you want from me?"

"We are in this road to bring justice to everyone, no?", he wondered. "Everyone must be equal.", she shook her head with tiredness as he continued to eat. "You were right that I am a hypocrite. I did not do anything to punish people to hurt my family and yet blamed you when you tried to protect them. I want to end this quarrel between us."

He was lying, bluffing, hiding something because why would he do that when he had the upper hand? And his actions were opposite of being friendly. Despite her shaken senses, she could still see that, feel that in her heart. He was after something else.

Rhaegar was aware of her sudden rise in popularity perhaps? Once she married Oberyn, they would become family after all, despite the circumstances of that marriage. Leyton was thriving, the peace was going to happen because of him. The king, for some reason, saw her, listened her advice and took Vortimer to the council. Elia liked her enough, Rhaegar knew Arthur liked her enough. And maybe he truly think he went too far the other night, now that he saw how shaken Atera truly was. And maybe, in light of all these, he wanted have a more proper relationship with her. Perhaps she didn't need to think the bad in everything.

But no.

She was as sure as hell that this was another game. He didn't feel remorse, he was enjoying the mental state she was in.

"Is this not what you want as well?", he asked with a fake confusion.

She turned to look at him for the first time in that night. "I asked what do you want from me?"

"Obedience.", he spat, his mask fell off, both were looking at each other with hate at this point. "Submission. Respect.", he continued. "You are my wife's lady, you will act as such. From now on, you will not even breathe without my information. You will not speak to the king or anyone in the council, it is forbidden for you to go near White Sword Tower. If you want to speak with your uncle, you will come to me first, I will give Myles to your side. You will go with him and then return with him. You will not speak to Arthur ever again, you will not even look at his direction, breathe the same air as him. You will not cloud Elia's mind with stupid things, you will not give her wrong ideas, will consent to the marriage first thing tomorrow and go to Oldtown as soon as possible and then behave like a betrothed lady. And once you get married to Oberyn, you will leave Elia's service."

She just blinked at his words. "What?"

"Do I have to repeat myself?", he wondered. "This is your punishment, this is justice. You will stay away from me and from the ones I love and I'll let you live. You will be a princess so do not act as if it is a nightmare. Is that understood?"

It felt all too convenient for a second. She could easily grab her knife, it was literally under her palm right now, her knuckles were white as she tightly hold it. She was aware that Rhaegar saw it as well, a flash of amusement passed through his indigo eyes.

"I do not want to harm you, Atera, do not force me.", he warned her one last time. "I am giving you another chance."

"As your puppet?", she said with anger.

"You had proved your judgement is misplaced.", he smiled at her. "You will stay away from the queen as well. You will never stay alone with my daughter."

"Why would I hurt your daughter, considering we are living this moment because I tried to protect her when her own father was too much of a coward to do so himself?", she knew anger, she could work with anger.

"I think there is misunderstanding,", Rhaegar chuckled rdrly and a second later that knife she was holding was pressed to her neck, but she didn't even blink. "your pretty neck belongs to me now and I can cut it anytime I want."

"No you will not.", she said. "Because you see, my judhmenet might be misplaced, I may make mistakes but there is one thing I am good at; people.", he tilted his head. "You will not kill me because it would be a poitically stupid and your little movement would end before it started. You need me."

"I am literally holding a knife to your throat, perhaps choose your words correctly."

"I warned you when you begged me to join your side.", she knew she was getting under his skin but it felt like good to take revenge so she didn't filter her tongue. "You fear to kill me.", she continued as they looked one another. "I don't know why but you fear it. Perhaps because you think it will turn you to your father?"

"I am nothing like him.", he leaned forward, there were centimetres between them and yet, nothing romantic at all.

"Once I said that as well for my own father.", she leaned forward, copied his movement, and felt the sharp press of the knife even more. If she would move a little more, it would cut her. "And here we are."

A moment later Rhaegar swiftly pulled away the knife -and did cut her a little, the red of the blood matched to the gown she was wearing.

"I made my warning.", the prince declared as he threw the knife away and stood up. "One wrong move and we'll see who fears what."

*

"Damn it all.", she entered the room in anger and started to pace around immediately. "Damn them all."

"Atera?", Alea entered the room with a worry. "What is happening?"

"I hate him.", she hissed with anger. "I hate him so much.", she grimaced as she tried to take off her tiara and then threw it to the floor with anger. She started to take off her jewels next as she whispered something to herself and still continue to pace around. "It is enough. Done, I am done! I had listened Leyton to this point, I always behaved, bit only when I was attacked and now I am done and it is time for me to play my own game!"

"Honey-"

"Alright, alright, alright.", she clapped her hands with every move. "I am not crazy.", she suddenly looked at Alea to state it. "I am not crazy and I am not going fucking crazy.", Alea forced herself to nod in agreement and Atera continued to walk around. "I am perfectly well, these are normal things that can happen to anyone.", she continued to speak to herself. "It is normal to have some problems, complications in a lady's life. I mean, perhaps not in ever lady's life but when on eart I was a normal woman that acted like a proper lady? Never. We had all accepted that a long time ago. I am well. I am perfectly well and I am going to be better. I can fix this all, I can get the upper hand, right?", she turned to Alea with the last word, her eyes were widened.

"Y-yes, of curse.", she was hesitant.

"I just need to calm down, no? It is what you all been saying to me my entire life. I just need to fucking calm down and take a breath. I just need to calm down just for one second -but nothing is fixed when I am calm! Common sense ended today.", she declared. "I am alone now, I am alone in my own game and I am going to fucking win it despite the people. I just need to take a deep breath. I am going to take a deep breath. I took a deep breath, good.", she then closed her eyes.

Alea's lips parted in worry as she watched the state her friend was in. Atera pulled her hair pin and made her light blonde locks to fall to her waist. And she did scream and kicked and stamped the floor like a five year old. Then her eyes roamed around the room, she was obvious searching for something but Alea knew it better than to ask. But when her eyes glittered in satisfaction and she rushed to where the scissor was, Alea objected loudly.

"No!", Atera stopped like a frozen deer midway. "No. Whatever you think-"

She turned to Alea in a completely calm state that shocked Alea even more and looked at her as if there was something wrong in her. "I am going to cut my hair.", she explained in a mocking way as if she did not want to startle her. "I cannot do that without a scissor."

"I will cut them if you want but not you.", she scolded her, she needed to gain back some sense of authortity over her or she would have to give her a sedative. "I want you away from every sharp object.", with agreement, Atera took of her vest and then just sat on her bed like somebody cut her strings and Alea moved softly to her back. "How short do you want?"

"Just below my breasts.", she pointed out. "Not shorter, not longer."

"Alright.", she murmured and took the scissofr with caustion and sat down to the bed and first started to brush her hair. "You don't seem well. And you returned from the prince's side once more. I am getting worried and you know good things doesn't happen when I get worried."

"What do you want to hear?", and now she was looking like at the depths of melancholy, as if the burden was too much for her to bear.

"You are not well, I know my friend and this is the first time that you let it shown that you are not well. What are you hiding from everyone? I tried to ask it to the prince's friends but everyone is clueless and no one likes it."

"It is insulting for you to think that man can ruin me this much."

"You are not ruined.", she objected to that first. "And stop trying to distract me, Atera. I know you better than you know yourself. You get angry when you are sad. We know your anger but not this. What is this?", when she didn't answer, Alea sighed as she started to cut her hair. "Your silence makes everyone nervous."

"I don't want to tell you what has happened.", she spoke with no emotions. "I don't want to tell anyoe anything.", she closed her eyes. "I am defeated, Alea. And now, my thoughts are starting all over again, slowly -but surely, they are roaming around to pave me a path that will take me to victory. The thing I feared the most has happened to me; I was left speechless, with no options. I lost and I learned greatly from it that I don't think I can be the same."

It broke her heart to hear these words because despite everything she went through, not even at her darkest night, she admitted defeat. "I know you don't like when someone meddles with your affairs but I can help you without judging you, all the time, you know it."

"I fell like I've had aged for two decades in the past two days.", she laughed silently. "But I'll be better, I promise.", she took a deep breath. "The days of hysteria are done. Now I know what I must do."

She was going to take away everyone he has ever loved from him; his friends and his advicors, she was going to make all of them to side with her and she was going to put Rhaegar Targaryen on that fucking throne because she finally see the way he loathed the idea. He wanted to make the realm a better place but he didn't want to be the king. Crowning him would be the best revenge and then he would feel exactly how she was feeling right now.

Defeated.

"And which is?"

"Arrange me a meeting with Jon Connington."

*

"...and Baelor did tell me not to inform you because you are ill and all but I basically caused a political crisis and I don't feel safe at all now that Baelor is in charge. You must help me, I beg you please, please, please, please-"

"Alys enough!", Atera couldn't help but raise her voice in a fed up way. Her maids, Lavender and Hazel were braiding her hair as Alea was fixing her belt. She chose to wear a bright green gown with Queen Anne collar. It had long sleeves and a silver belt. "Come here.", he made a hand gesture, she couldn't move because they were still working on her hair, Alea sent her a look and stepped away. She raised her hand caressed her cheek and tucked her black hair behind her ear. "Let Baelor play.", she adviced. "Let him think he is the head of the house but do not get stressed because we both know that he is not who is in charge."

"Yes but-"

She put her hand to her lips and sent her a warning look. "You do know that your father and I had a ...rough relationship over the years and he was adamant on marrying me off. But now even our worst day he forced me to do something I don't want to do. You are his favourite child no less, your worry is meaningless."

"But you are getting married.", she stated in puzzlement and Atera's eyes turned annoyed all of a sudden.

"Alys.", she warned her. "I am maryring because I want to.", it was a lie that no one believed but Alysanne knew enough not to press on it. "And as I said; your father would never consent to it. He would never sell you off because of a threat."

"Well that is the problem; I don't want to become the cause of a war!", she blurted her green eyes.

"I will not let things come to that point.", she tried to assure her. "I heard Helion is here, arrived yesterday. He immediately wanted to see me and I of course rejected it-"

"You rejeceted it?", she yelled with widened eyes. "Why?"

"Do not ever raise your voice at me.", she warned her nonchanatly. "Ever."

"Fine.", she bit her lips and accepted with a roll of eyes.

"I know how to handle Helion, do not worry.", she dismissed her. "And as I said; let Baelor play. You will not marry Perseus, you will not marry Jaime. Not when I have a better idea anyways.", she murmured the last line inside her mouth and even though Alysanne grimaced to hear it, she could not and then did not press. "Alea,", she called for her friend then. "take care of Alys please. I don't want her to cause more problems."

"She cannot.", Alysanne onjected before Alea did. "I am not a child and it is uncomfortable."

"Uncomfortable?", Alea raised her eyebrows to that. That was unexpected.

She of course was not going to accept the offer because Atera was clearly trying to get rid of her for some reason and she didn't like it. She didn't want to leave her alone especially after last night's crisis but when she looked at things rationally, Alysanne truly caused an international crisis and perhaps it would be better if she would just watch her -though there always was an opportunity that Atera could cause more.

"Well, because,", she seemed to think of something. "you are fucking my father."

"That is one way to look at things.", she burrowed her brows. Alysanne didn't seem uncomfortable with that, despite her words, but used it as some kind of an excuse.

"What is the other way of looking at it?", Atera asked with pursed lips and a low voice.

"Her father is fucking me.", she offered with raised eyebrows and Alysanne grimaced. "I will stay with her do not worry.", she said to Atera. "And do not forget that I always keep an eye on you.", Atera rolled her eyes and turned to Alysanne with expectance.

"Just promise me.", she insisted. "I'll marry no one."

"I promise Alysanne.", she inhaled the words in a way that showed her patience has ended. "I will not allow it, I will handle the matter."

"You are not too ill to do that, right?", she asked with a timid way and Atera threw one of the pillows at her as she run away

"Alysanne Hightower!"

*

"Ser Arthur!"

He was going to Rhaegar's side as today he placed himself there deliberately to speak to him finally. Days has passed, Rhaegar made no indication whatsoever to offer him an explanation and despite Jon's insight and Oswell's assurance, Arthur did not buy his innocence.

He was not expecting to see Jaime with a purple mark on his face.

"What has happened to you?", he asked with an authoritian way to conceal his worry. "Who did this to you?"

Jaime's adamance disappeared to fear and guiltiness for a second -and shock, but then he managed to cloud them well. "Not important, Ser.", he answered like a soldier, tied his hands at his back. "I am here to ask you something.", Arthur decided not to push when it was obvious he didn't want to answer and only nodded in expectance. He would like to speak to him in private but now he didn't have time to do so. "I am not a child.", he blurted and Arthur raised his eyebrows.

"I would not knight you so if you were a child.", he was indeed a child but Arthur was not going to state that. He hated as well, to be five and ten and still be called as 'boy'.

"I know how to ride well.", he continued, he was throwing words at him instead of speaking calmly as he usually did and Arthur felt the interest and curiosity rising in him. He had no idea where this was going on. "I am good at sword -you knighted me yourself.", well, Arthur did say that himself but it didn't seem like Jaime was hearing him. "I know about courtly manners and I know how to follow orders, Ser. I can be useful."

"...useful in what?", he wondered, narrowed his eyes.

"Take me with you.", he demanded but it was more like a plea than an order, his green eyes looking too desperate. "To Dragonstone when Pricne Rhaegar leaves. Let me come with you. I can be in your service, I can serve you and to the prince and to Princess Elia with loyalty. I know why you might not want to accept this, I know after everything you might have doubts about me but I can swear if you want. Please,", he never used that word. "let me come with you. At least give me a chance, you can send me back if you do not like my service but first, please give me a chance."

"Jaime,", he didn't know what to say. This was not his decision to make. "something has happened?", he had a feeling whatever pushed the boy away from his sister to this degree when she needed him the most, had something to do with the bruise on his face. "You can tell me if it did. I promise to be discreet."

Jaime seemed hesitant for a second but then shook his head. "Nothing important, Ser. I have made my decision. I am going to leave the court. But I don't want to return back to Casterly Rock but there isn't another option for me. It is either capital, at my sister's side or the Rock, at my father's side. I cannot bear it.", saying it out loud felt good. "I cannto bear to be near either of them so please help me create a third option so I can breathe."

"Jaime, I-", he shook his head. "I need to discuss this with the prince first.", this was the appropriate answer but he knew what the result would be.

Everyone, including Elia who always seen the good in people's hearts and liked the boy enough, would object to that. Especially now Cersei lost her baby, they would blame him with foolishness for even suggesting this idea, for even considering it, for even hearing it in the first place but Arthur could see the desperation in the boy's eyes. He was in his shoes once.

His family was of course different than his. His parents loved one another and loved their children equally but in between Ashara and Oberyn's affair, in between Larra and Andric's affair and everything that happened with Grant and all, he too wanted to ran away from Starfall and never return back again. Rhaegar did accept him back then, wrapped him in a white cloak and to this day, Arthur still hasn't decided if he did a good thing or not. If he regretted or not. He would not want the boy to do a similar thing but he couldn't fight back with the urge to help him.

If it were upto Arthur, he would accept it on the spot so he could help him, guide him to light, make his raw talent even more successful. He could make the sadness and the desperation disappear and teach the boy the world could be a better place, that there was another way. He would give him hope, if he could but Rhaegar and Elia would never agree to it.

He couldn't help but think of Atera once more -he was barely stopping to think about her. His mind was still angry despite his heart trying to find reasons and excuses to forgive her. Despite his heart being overly worried about her. He hoped for the millionth time if she did not do this. So he could take Jaime with him, so he still could find solace in her arms, so he would not suspect of his own best friend.

Focusing on the moment, the sandess in Jaime's eyes deepened but he nodded with obedience. "I will wait and pray, Ser.", he took a dedicated breath. "I will be patient."

*

"...and who am I to go against my brother's wishes?", she heard him when she entered the room. "And if I don't say I thing, neither of you has the right to interfere as well."

"Given that it is my niece in question,", she made herself known and all three men turned to her. "I believe I have the right to interfere."

"Atera.", Helion mumbled as Sumner and Lucerys shared a look.

"You should not be here.", the later warned her firmly. "This is a private and a political private meeting and you were not summoned. Now go and rest.", he tried to order her around but she just sent him a look.

"I heard you were il-", Helion didn't mind them as well and made comment as she walked inside the room, her back turned to him.

"You heard it wrong.", she clasped her hands in front of her and turned to him with daring looks. "I am perfectly fine as you see."

"Hmm.", his eyes looked up and down on her. "And here I thought to visit you in your sick bed, given that you refused to answering my request for a meeting yesterday."

"I was busy.", she said nonchalantly and sat down. "I am busy today as well but I heard that your brother troubled my niece.", her eyes were cold. "I thought perhaps I should speak to you first."

"I din't know it was your niece that managed to take my brother's mind off of his head when he first told me."

"Yes, it is my child niece who your very much adult brother threaten with war when she refused his proposal.", Crakehall gasped loudly.

"Lady Atera, how dare you to speak-"

"May I escort you to a walk in the gardens?", they were not even looking at the two old men and Helion made the offer, his face finally breaking into a smile. "So we can discuss this matter in private and quiet and in peace."

"No.", she said slowly.

"You love to walk."

"Yes but alone.", she sighed. "I don't enjoy someone speaking nonstop next to me. This is a council room, let us council here and then I can go on with my day. I am busy, as I stated."

"I fear that I will have to insist.", he leaned forward. "It's been years, I did miss you."

"Pity.", she said emotionless. "I did not miss you."

"One walk.", he pressed once more. "A short walk for half an hour. I am busy myself as well.", he sent her a look. "There is a peace treaty I must sign either way that contains only one matter; my brother's wedding.", Atera sighed and smiled.

"Fine then. Half an hour it is."

*

"My lord,

My heart, mind and soul is with you at all times, missing you and dreaming about you. We came here to attend the king's court but it feels like the seventh hell more and more and I cannot stop thinjing that this is a punishment from the Gods itself for I rejected your offer to stay at Oldtown. And I know there is a part of you that just enjoys my suffering, takes amusement in my blashaphemy, yet I also know that my absence hurts you more and it is the one thing that is keeping my away from staying up all night, awake.

Your dear sister is like a sister to me as well, she always were, in all the ways that it matters, she is my sister. Despite her stormy weather, she is the only harbour that I lean on and her state worries me. I swore that I will never betray her secrets and I will not today but as a friend, I cannot sit back and watch her destroy herself over petty matters of the material world any longer.

My intention is never to worry you but I am not enough alone anymore. She barely eats, barely sleeps. She has caught a feverish illness just the other day that the king had to sent his own maester to attend her. Thanks to the Seven, it passed away quickly but the fear I felt it is only known by the Mother herself. Despite what she would claim, she is not happy here. I fear she has played the game and lost it and now her own pride is blinding her.

Summon her back, my lord. She could not rejected then. Order her to return back home so she could breathe once more. She was the big fish in the small aquarium there, and now feels like fading away in this rotten and stinking city. It is only at your hands to help her. And who knows, perhaps we see one another as well and decide which one has suffered the most.

Alea Yelshire"

"Are you writing to my father?", Alysanne asked after she pace around the room, huffed almost a hundredth times, touched everything she shouldn't have and then threw herself to the couch loudly. "As usual?"

"I don't write to your father.", she said absentmindedly as she rolled the parchemtn and Alysanne rolled her green eyes.

"You think I don't know that you two became penpals?", she tilted her head. "His entire face lights up when he receives your letters, grins while reading like a child."

Alea's moveements stopped as she pursed her lips and sent a small glance to her. "Are you being honest?"

"Of course.", she sighed. "I never thought I would see him happy again after everything that happened with Rhea but he doesn't speak of her, and we all pretend as if she never has happened as well. The life goes on at Oldtown but I don't think I can tell the same for the boys -or for Lynesse."

"Is it that bad?"

"My father treats them no different than us -with love and all but they are not fools. They feel unwanted despite we all work hard to rpove the opposite of that.", she bit her lips. "You know my uncle is appointed to the small council, right?"

"Yes and he will bring Leyla with him."

"Yes and no.", she shook her head. "I wrote a congrulation letter to him and he answered me by saying that both Leyla and Lynesse will come with him to enter the queen's service.", Alea raised her eyebrows. Someone perhaps should have stop this since Cersei could harm them to get back at Atera -she didn't know it was her who did the poistoning but it didn't mean they didn't had problems beforehand. "Not only that, boys are going to Cider Hall to become wards to Uncle Brenton, apparently. I can only guess but I think they all needed that. We all need to heal separately."

"Of course.", she agreed. "Alysanne, may I ask something?"

"If it was me who broke my father's clock -that was gifted by the old Prince of Pentos, and then blamed Garth for it and caused him to squire for two knights for a moon as a punishment, then yes, yes it was me.", she chuckled to herself and Alea joined her.

"I already knew that but no, I was wondering something else.", she cleared her throat. "Are you truly uncomfortable about me and your father?", when she didn't answer, Alea continued. "Bceause I love you dearly -you and your siblings. I wouldn't want this to cause a rift between us."

"It was weird to hear it, I admit that. But well, I know you for a very long time and I love you as well so in a way, it is not that weird. You make father happy, father makes you happy and as long as you both want this, it is not my place to argue back.", she shrugged. "I have bigger problems than to concern myself with this."

*

"Of course it is not nice, what Perseus is doing.", they were walking side by side. Helion did offer his arm but she did not accept it. Personal matters aside, Helion himself was responsible of the last attack on Stepstones. She could not do that to Arthur. And of course there was a slight matter of him trying to usurp Doran's title, so it would be also unseemly if thye would seen together. "I will not allow him, do not worry."

"I don't worry.", she wasn't even looking at him. She had a terrible headache and all she wanted was to lay down and sleep. She could spend today in her chambers resting, claiming to be busy with writing letters if only Alysanne did not ask her personally. She was not in a mood for any of these. Despite posing off as the opposite, her health was nowhere near well. "Leyton would wage war on you, if he would hear even a word of this threat. You know how protective he can be when it comes to his family.", he still carried a scar at his chest from his sword after all.

"I can war with you if I want to.", he was more level-headed than both his uncle and brother but was not going to play modest.

"There are millions of us while you don't even have one million people.", she huffed. "The king thinks it is your uncle who poisoned his wife and murdered his baby. His council barely managed to calm him down or so I've heard. If it would be war; the king would not care how many million of our people die as long as you all perish. Just because you have a good navy, does not guarantee your victory."

"Then why did you advocate for peace?", he wondered and when she turned to him with the annoyed face of hers, he snorted. "I have a spy or two."

"Hence why the king believes of your brother's words."

"Yes, I have no idea where all these came from. Ferrego did not do such a thing, he doesn't give a fuck about the Lannister whore or the possible whelps she can pop out.", he looked at her once more, she was looking paler under the sun, more beautiful but paler. "Are you sure you are alright?"

She stopped walking and turned to him slowly with a silent rage. "I am.", her voice was sharper than Valyrian steel.

"You seem i-"

"Finish that word and I'll cut your tongue out.", she hissed. If one more person would remind her of her weakness, she would go feral. "I am well.", she pressed every word.

"You look pale.", he stated despite his better judgement.

"It is my skin colour!", she raised her voice a little and Finnan placed a hand on his sword. Atera was too angry at him too, he barely managed to survive, thanks to Alea. "It literally fucking is my skin colour, I am a plae person, it is how I look all the time."

Helion seemed to be wanting tos ay something but he decided not to. "So the queen's poisoning?", he began to walk but she did not, so he turned to her. "We are not going to talk about that as well, it seems.", he raised his eyebrows at her warning look and finally she started to walk as well. "Perseus is a child."

"A spoiled one.", she murmured.

"He'll grow out of it.", he pressed.

"Not if you continue to shelter him.", there were some ladies and lords of the court, looking at them, whispering to one another, trying to see the limit of her patience. "Alysanne is my niece and she is betrothed.", she had no idea why Alysanne felt the need to make up such a lie but she was going to use it. "You do know that betrothals are sacred here."

"Of course.", he snorted. "It is so sacred that mistresses are almost encouraged and yet bastards look down upon. We don't have that shit in Braavos.", Atera rolled her eyes, she could literally think a hundred better things to do than to listen to him.

"If you want to say something, say it Helion. Your half an hour is about to end."

"I missed you.", he looked at her once more.

He was in his early thirties and was quite handsome with his brown skin and long onyx hair. He was very muscular and was wearing a shimmering gold and red outfit.

And quite talented in bed.

But also was too romantic for her liking; gifts, she could understand and would accept but the promises of eternity, cheap poems and the marriage proposal that followed after ruined his entire appeal in her eyes. And now he was just a man in her eyes, whom meant nothing to her and sparked no interest -even Jace, even him, did manage to enchant her enough to gain another kiss from her a year and a half ago at the capital but with Helion, there was just nothing.

"And I did not miss you.", she repeated. "It's almost pathetic that you are still interested in me.", she added and given the fragility of the political situation they were in, perhaps she shouldn't have and she wouldn't do so if only Helion didn't literally declared how desperate he was for peace. "You need to move on, leave me behind. There isn't even a glimmer of hope of something possibly happening between us. I had closed that matter ages ago."

"You told me that you did not want to marry and now I am on the verge of getting invitetd to your wedidng.", he turned to her completely, they were looking at one another -he was a lot taller than her so she literally had to look up and did not like it one bit. Her muscles were still aching. "How is that fair?"

"I didn't want to marry back then, yes but the reason I rejected you is because I specifically didn't want to marry you, Helion, we both know this. Why are you so desperate to open old topics?"

"I would make you my queen if you would just say 'yes' to me.", he took a step forward but she took a step backwards. They were surrounded by bushes from two sides and only Syrio Forrel and Finnan could see them but she didn't want him to be close to her. "I would give you the world."

"No, you would make me a tyrant next to you."

Just because Helion was after peace with them didn't mean he was a good man. On the contrary, he was worse than his uncle and if he would lose the power to him, it would be better for the Platenos -except Westeros. So again, she acted selfishly and chose to good of the realm to the lives of everyone else and actively mislead the king's council.

And then she slept like babies.

"It still would be better than to be married to Oberyn Martell.", he spat. "Tell me, is this what do you think you deserve? Sitting at home while he puts his bastards in your arms and goes on to cheat on you with anyone who looks at his direction?"

"Despite the common belief, I do not want power. I never did.", she raised her chin. "If I would want it even for a moment, I would have it, Helion.", it was as clear as it, it was the story of her life. The more she pushed away power from herself, the more powerful she started to become. "You are not a good man, you are as bad as the king, even worse. You dream of invading lands that does not belong to you, you supposed to be the symbol of freedom yet you dream of enslaving the world and let us be honest, the only reason you are not interested in Westeros is because it is too easy. Because it is far more convenient to take off the rest of Essos, Sothoryos and Ulthos.", she shook her head. "I think I deserve better than going against everything I stand for."

"I told you before and I am telling you again; you are making a mistake.", he raised his hand to tuck her hair behind her ear. Despite her maids braiding it, a few strands fell to her face, but she took a step back and tilted her hair in warning. "Very well then.", he took a step back appropriately, tied his hands behind his back. "I brought you gifts.", he stated. "And after I talk some sense into Perseus and sign the treaty myself,", the look he sent to her was clear, he was done in here. "I will expect you at my chambers.", Atera let out a snort in disbelief of his audacity but he was quick to dismiss it. "For the sake of old days, we can share a glass of wine and nothing more. I have far more dignity than to touch a woman that finds me repulsive. But we were friends once."

"We never were friends.", she shook her head. "You manipulated me since the day we first met and tried to use me to get Leyton at your side."

"And in return you manipulated me and we both know if one of us succeed, it was you and not me. Stop trying to portray me as the bad guy here when you are as ambitious as I am but just after something else."

She didn't even had the energy to fight back so she just shook her head. "Just one glass.", she didn't accept it to please him but to make sure there would be no tricks with the treaty. "Nothing more."

And Helion flashed his teeth to her with a bright smile. "As you wish, my lady.", and then he held her hand, she let him and placed it to his lips to place a lingering kiss to the soft flesh.

Both of their eyes turned to their side when they heard the noise of a man clearing his throat and Oberyn Martell entered to their view with raised eyebrows.

*

"Catelyn, please, you stay.", Elia said through the letter she was writing to her good sister, Mellario. Ashara has went to bring the seamstress to make her dresses more fitting, since her belly was starting to show a little. "I wish to speak to you.", usually Catelyn would go to Rhaenys' side and Atera would stay with her but she let her rest today as well. Though she did summon her to question her, she couldn't bear the curiosity anylonger.

"Something happened your grace?"

She finished her letter and looked at her youngest lady. "I might be seem to busy with my own problems and dramas but I still have eyes, Catelyn, I can see that you are not well. And it saddens me to see you are not confiding in me or asking for my help."

Catelyn blushed. "I would not want to trouble you with my problems, your grace. Perhaps in a more appropriate time."

Elia huffed. "I like your optimism but given everything, I doubt there ever will be an appropriate time.", when Catelyn didn't speak, she smiled. "You see everyone around me. From my own brother to my own husband, they all are bothering me with their problems left and right, night and day. They are clouding my sun nevertheless, you are the only one that respects me."

"You cannot solve every problem in the world, your grace and suffocating you with them knowing this, when you need serenity the most, seems selfish.", she didn't care that she threw the rock at Rhaegar as well.

"This is why I like you, Catelyn.", her smile grew with sadness. "You have a good heart and it reflects on your face. You are cheerful, your face lights up as you smile. You are full of love, I had seen the way you felt sorry for the queen while my own best friend almost celebrated it. You approach everyone with compassion, you help them as much as you can.", she stood up and approached to her. "But there is also a deep grief hidden in your eyes that I cannot figure out why. Perhaps it is because of the life you left behind, sadness over parting with your sister or perhaps it is because of the fear of the future that is waiting for you."

"Your grace, I-", she bowed her head, her voice sounded shaky.

"Given all, you remind of someone I knew once.", her smile erased as pain filled her eyes. "A young girl that lived in Dorne once, who was forced to leave her own home and shipped of to this castle to become a mere piece in this bloody game of thrones.", there were tears in her olive eyes, Catelyn could see it. "That innocent girl died the moment she was cloaked at her own wedding feast. Tell me, is this what is making you sad as well? Are you in this state because of your marriage to Brandon Stark.", the surprise in her eyes were clear. "Your father wrote me a letter in order to ask me to relieve you from my service because the betrothal is sealed.", Catelyn took a sharp breath and Elia got her answer.

"No one is as they seem, your grace.", she said once more. "What I feel is irrelevant. I shall do my duty all the same."

Elia inhaled sharply as she forced herself to smile. She did say the same thing when she was off to marry Rhaegar and they all see what has happened. "That you do.", she said with a whisper and held her hands briefly. "That is all then, Catelyn.", she straightened her spine. "I could not have a greater lady than you and you will be missed. I am thankful for your services and I hereby declare that you are relieved of them. You are free to return back home."

"It was an honour to serve you, my princess.", Catelyn bend to her knees and held her hand, kissed her ring. "I,", she tried to swallow back her tears as she looked at her. "I just-", she shook her head. "Thank you."

Elia wrapped her own hand around Catelyn's. "If you have any problem, anything at all, write to me and directly to me.", she ordered her as Catelyn rose to her feet. "You will always have a place at my court."

"Your grace.", she made one last curtsy and left her chamber to go at hers and cry until she started to pack.

Elia stood there for a few minutes. She heard a thing or two about Brandon Stark and she knew exactly how Catelyn's story was going to end as well. Knowing it and not being able to stop it hurt her more than all the disasters that occurred in the past few days.

*

"Am I interrupting something?", Oberyn asked in wonder and even though Helion took a step forward, Atera placed her hand on his chest and lightly pushed him back.

"I was going to your sister's side, she has asked for my presence.", she fixed her gown. "Care to accompany me?", she offered her own hand and Oberyn might reject her to pick up a fight with him but then saw the glimmer and his eyebrows rose in surprise to see that she was indeed wearing her wedding ring.

In return of such a gesture, he knew he had to behave well. "Of course, my love.", the pet name did annoyed her as much as he understood, which was a sort of amusement for him as well. He held her hand and placed a lingering kiss to the exact place Helion did only a minute ago and then wrapped it to his shoulder and they started to walk. "You remember how you said Ashara was forbidden to me?"

"I am more than a hundred percent sure that I did not tell it to you.", she truly didn't recall if they ever talk about her or not. "But it is good that you rbing it up. Both Ashara and Elia promised me that it has ended and I would like for you to keep it that way."

"I shall.", he made a vow, he was not going to break it this time. "But well, I get to name one person as well if you do it."

"And it is Helion?", if he knew about Arthur, she guessed that it would be him instead of the Sealord. "You are aware that I shall never see him again once he leaves the capital? I am not planning to visit Braavos in anytime soon."

"I don't care what you are planning to do, I just want you to stay away from him.", he said nonchalantly. "That man, regardless of what piece of paper he is about to sign, is an enemy to Dorne and while I don't also don't care who you sleep with, it is a matter of pride for me that it will not be him."

"Surprising.", she commented. "I thought it would be your cousin."

"Sex doesn't have to include emotions since it is an act of passion.", he said as if it was ancient wisdom. "You need only your heart. And I don't think there is a place for Jace in your heart, given all that he has done to you. I must say that I am almost surprised that he is still breathing."

"I am no murderer.", she commented. "If he'll die, it will be the will of the Gods and not me."

Well more likely it would be the will of Paxter but Oberyn didn't need to know that.

"You seem well.", he commented when they entered the castle. "I am surprised that you illness,", he pretended that he didn't felt her abrupt tension. "passed away this quickly."

"Exaggeration and nothing more.", she clenched her jaw. Great, just because people around her were imbeciles now everyone knew that she was fragile, weak. She hated it. "I am perfectly well as you can see."

"Of course.", he rolled the words as sent her a side eye. "And here we are.", they stopped in front of Elia's chambers. "You are making her worry.", he turned to her with seriousness this time. "I don't like when she is worried and she should not be worried given her state."

"It is not me who's making her worried, it is her husband.", she said without an expression. "And there is nothing I can do about it.", she bowed her head in respect and entered the room. "Your grace.", she made a curtsy. "I heard you wish to speak to me."

"We hadn't had the chance in the past days.", she was sitting on the couch comfortably. "How are you today? I wanted to visit you but we weren't sure if I would catch it too."

If she didn't drink the same poison as her, she probably would be fine.

"I am so much better, your grace.", she was not. Her body was weak and mind was clouded but she already started to sew her new game so she was pretending like everything was alright. "Shall I thank you for the invitation I have recevited the other night?", knowing this conversation will end up being about Rhaegar, she changed the subject.

"I heard you had a pleasant dinner with my brother so yes, I believe I can own up to it.", she smiled, but there was the anxiety under it -fear of the answer she'll get when she asks the question. "Did you two made things clear?"

"That we both are entirely different people and would be horrible partners but probably good friends?", she tilted her head. "I already knew that, I didn't need to endure a conversation about his daughters to know that."

"My nieces make deligful company, I assure you.", she was not expecting Oberyn to talk about them, she noted to congrulate him. "I think not only my brother but you as well.", Elia stood up and approached to her when she saw her discomofort and Atera turned her head away. "I want you to be happy too."

"It is hard to achieve under these circumstances, your grace.", she said dryly -especially not when her husband ruined her entire chemistry. "I never manage to get inside Oberyn's head or heart -not that I want to be in there. I will just stay at his side as a shared duty. There is no need for sentimality to succeed in that."

"You are a very beautiful and a intelligent woman.", Elia pressed. "Use them. Try to catch his attention, try to control him. Everything can change in one night."

"And who says I want to change it?", she asked with a frustration. "Not everyone has to find happiness in their arranged marriage."

It was cute, Elia thought, that she Atera still was thinking she was happy in her marriage.

"I know you blame me for this marriage but you know I did not arrange it. I for one would never do so, not after the struggles I faced.", she sent her a look. "This is going to happen whether I approve it or not and you cannot deny this is a huge opportunity for both sides. But now, both Baelor and Lord Tyrell are trying to stall us almost, they are reluctant to finish it because you haven't approved to it completely yet. And your brother was very clear when he stated this will not happen without your wish."

"Well my wish is very loud and clear but despite the illusion you all create; I don't actually have a say in it, don't I?", she closed her eyes. She let this to be dragged on too much, procrastinated to deal with it completely and now, she had no other choice. Even the fucking ring was chosen.

"Is there someone else in your heart?", she wondered and Atera seemed hesitant for a second, couldn't manage to mask her emotions well. Thinking about Arthur would only make her bitter from this point forward. He was done for her. As she was done for him. "I did noticed your likeness towards Lord Crane in Oldtown.", she was not going to open this subject but her face encouraged her. "Is this why you are reluctant to this marriage? If so, please tell me."

"No, no.", she shook her head.

"I heard it was you who suggested him to the council.", she stated.

"As the Hand.", she corrected her. "I would prefer Leyton himself but I don't think he would accept so I named the next best option. I found out only after the king named him already."

"And you deny there is something between you two.", she asked with emphtay. "Atera if so-"

"He is my brother's best friend and too old to be my husband.", she said with offense. "And he is a lord. I will be expected to bear children and I don't want that. I also don't want to get marry.", she pressed. "But I have no other choice, I am aware so if it will please you,", she straightened her shoulder. "I will speak to my nephew and my nephew in law and will put an end to the lingering questions. And then I'll go to Oldtown as you all wish and have my betrothal."

"And then you'll return.", Elia added that part sternly. "I will not let you give everything up just because my husband disencouraged you.", this was a way of asking though indirectly.

Oh if only she knew how she gained back her adamance.

"Your husband is incapable of disencouraging even a fly!", she snapped and then closed her eyes. Everyone was too tense in these days, too nervous. "Prince Rhaegar,", she corrected herself under Elia's raised eyebrows. "despite what you all seem to think, is the least of my concerns.", and she wasn't even lying, she had more important matters to handle and more heart-breaking problems to think. "And despite your worries, he done nothing to me but to open my eyes.".

Elia didn't seem like she believed in her. "If he did something, you know you can tell to me."

"You don't trust him, don't you?", she huffed and sent her a pitiful look and Elia seemed taken aback. "Good.", she stated a moment after. "Not trusting people usually what is that keeps people alive."

*

"Are you punishing me with silence?", Rhaegar finally asked when it has been hours since Arthur entered the room and just stand there without sitting down or saying a thing. It was better than him standing outside but still annoyed the shit out of him. "Do you believe that I have done something to her too so you expect me to explain?"

Arthur's eyes found him for the first time and looked at him longly, Rhaegar put down his quill and leaned down, answered his looks. "How long have you known?", he asked at last and Rhaegar's face faltered only for a moment.

"Has she told you then?", he narrowed his eyes, he was not expecting this.

"You did manage to break her it seems, I doubt she'll ever tell what truly has happened.", he closed the door with one hand. "We did not speak, no, I figured it all out myself."

Rhaegar pursed his lips and nodded to himself. "I gave her a bottle and to either leave the room and face with the consequences of her actions or drink it and die there.", he explained truthfully. "She chose the latter."

Arthur nodded, surprising enough there was no anger growing inside.

Yet.

"And what was truly in that bottle?", he wanted to know every detail.

"Poison.", Rhaegar opened his arms as if it was obvious.

"She is alive."

"Yes, I am very much aware of it.", he pressed his lips. "You take me as a murderer?"

"I never thought you as a threathener as well but here we are.", he straightened his spine. "You do a lot of things I never thought you would never."

"Now, here is the thing my friend; I can tell the same to you as well.", he stood up.

"It is not the same. My actions hurt no one and dangered only me. Your mentally tortured someone -these are not even close."

"If you would get caught, my father would murder your entire family in your eyes before he killed you, including your five year old nephew.", he stated with a small smile -not out of happiness or mockery no, out of anger. "You have no right to judge me.", he stated. "She herself told me that cruelty and violence was the only language certain people understood, I just followed her advice as she so ardently wanted -it is not my fault that she is one of those people."

"You broke her.", he pressed the words.

"Good.", he said with such cruelty that shocked even himself. "She is not a good person, Arthur. She hurts people and she doesn't even care. She is going to hurt you-"

"I am not a child."

"She is going to hurt you as well-"

"I said I am not a child."

"-and she will not care. She already did."

"Rhaegar-"

"She poisoned Cersei-"

"-Rhaegar enough-"

"-and you must be a fool if you think she thought of you before-"

"-you are speaking nonsense-"

"-because if she would, she would never do t-"

"Rhaegar enough!", he roared with anger and Rhaegar straightened his spine. "It was not your place to meddle. It is not your place to meddle. You think you are better than her right now? At least she had reasons that someone might understand. You acted with pettiness, with thirst of revenge. These are not the ideals we stand for, they never were and they never will. There is nothing you can say to justify this."

"She is a test that you must prevail.", he tried a different approach. "She doesn't love you, she doesn't care about you, we both know it. She probably did it to, I don't know, piss of Oberyn-"

"Do not dare,", he raised his voice. "to speak about matters you know nothing of.", he still was angry at her but it didn't mean he doubted her intentions.

Everything were clear between them.

But Rhaegar seemed taken aback. "You do the same all the damn time.", he said with frustration. "Always desire someone you cannot have because you love torturing yourself.", Arthur shook his head and turned his back. "The same happened with Arcanna as well."

"Do not dare, I warned you!", he spat with anger, turned to him once more. "You are my prince and my friend but don't dare to speak of her name. Even you have a line not to cross."

"I am only trying to protect you Arthur! I-", he closed his eyes. "I do love you, more than anyone, you know this.", the confession was not something he didn't hear before. "I would kill her if it was necessary in order to protect you.", he said with an ache in his heart. He didn't know how he could do that, despite all he indeed was not a murderer but he would find a way for Arthur.

"It is not your duty to protect me, it is vice versa and you will stay away from her."

"Your duty,", Rhaegar seemed solemn now. "as a kingsguard, is to rptect my body from my enemies. Yet, as my friend, you took it upon yourself to protect me from myself as well when you hid my mother's abuse from me.", neither were able to see Oswell was right all along. "And now, as your friend, I took it upon myself to protect you from yourself. There is only one end in this path and it is death and I would kill myself first to live in a world you did not exist."

They looked at each other in silence until Arthur shook his head. "What happened to you, Rhaegar? What happened to the boy I grew up with? Jon is right, you are not the same ever since the assassination. You blame me with spiralling and yet, you are in a worse shape than me. When did you become a person like this?"

"So you like it when she acts like this but reprimand me when I do the same?", he did not realize how ridiculous he sounded.

"I had ended things with her.", now this cooled down the entire room as Rhaegar took a step back. "And you know what happens when I end things."

"Then why are we having this conversation?", he asked quietly.

"I am just trying to get to know you, Rhaegar. It seems I failed to do so in the last decade and more. You show me a different colour every day recently."

"Do you love her?", he asked with heartbreak. "Tell me, I can handle it.", Arthur didn't say anything and his silence hurt more than his possible words. "I love my wife, Arthur.", he admitted. "This doesn't change the fact that if I have a soulmate, it is you. You are my best friend in this whole wide world, you are my brother, how dare you expect me to stand back and watch you destroy yourself?"

"So you chose to betray everything we stand for in the expence of yourself just to prevent me from continuing my mistake?"

"When we all screamed to your face why on earth you should be away from Arcanna, you only bonded with her more. Warning you was not a choice so I chose to warn her. I believe the message reached to its place.", he tilted his head. "I regret nothing.", and with that line looked extremely similar to the woman he claimed to dislike and even hate.

"Stay away from her.", he warned him once more. "It has ended, there is no point in toruting her further."

"Do you promise?", he asked. "That it has ended?"

"I do.", he nodded. "I do promise."

*

"Being summoned here urgently was not something I expected today.", Jon bowed respectfull when he entered to her room. When he heard of it, he stopped his work and went to her immediately, too curious to learn the content of this talk. "I hope everything is alright and you are not going to ask my help to cover up another poisoning incident."

"It was you who persuaded Perceus then.", she raised her eyebrows briefly. "And I was wondering who did that."

"It was for everyone involved. From you to Rhaegar, I saved all of you from a great catastrophe and paved the way for the peace, cleared the king's doubts."

"And it is why I admire you greatly.", now that was not expected and Jon's face did show it despite he was good at hiding his emotions. "You are different than them, I could always tell that but the recent incidents only made it clear. You see the world differently, accept it as it is. You are not an optimistic but a realist. It is why you are undervalued in his servce."

"I do not think I am undervalued.", he tied his hands behind his back. "Rhaegar and I are friends and when it comes to the politics, there is no one else that he trusts more than me."

"And yet he sends you to do his errands in the past moons and scarcely asks for your advices and more than half of the time, he does not even listen.", Jon narrowed his eyes. "It is not my intention to insult you. It is only in human nature to want to hear only similar words, agreeing sentences than full discussions. He gathers people he shares the same political reluctance as him. People who would talk about great plans and changing the world and yet would not actually do a thing about it. People like Arthur, people like Elia. And he pushes you and Oswell away; the people who would tell the cold hard truth to his face without minding breaking his heart or offending him."

Jon didn't confirm or deny her words. "Is there a reason why I am here?"

"You two are great friends and you are his castellan in time of absence and arguably, you ruled Dragonstone better than he did because his mind is constantly distracted. He is a great prince and a leader when he is focus, inspires loyalty and love but he is rarely focused in these days. Can you disagree?"

"Even an idiot can see that he thinks on matters he shouldn't more than the matters he should.", and it was not a bad thing to admit it.

"And as I said; he is keep people who would keep him on the line away. He talks about forming a council, he is planning to make a coup and yet he acts as if the life is some cheap romance novella. He is not going to bring us to the victory if he continues to act like this. He is hesitant to make a move because-"

"-he actually doesn't want to be the king, yes, I know.", he always knew it. Rhaegar never trated the crown more than a burden on his shoulders, a curse that ruined his life. He was cut for it but didn't want to wear it. "He wants to change the world and influence people for good but does not want to lead the people. Don't you think it is what makes him a great leader in the first place?"

She clasped her hands in front of her. "I have a different proposal.", the tone of her voice changed as her eyes narrowed like a snake to watch his every micro expression. "If we contşnue to follow him, we all will lose and probably lose our heads for nothing. But we cannot also follow the king because while he has his good days, he is crumbling apart in most and there is the great threat of the Lannisters that everyone underestimates."

"And I suppose you are going to propose a third way?", he smiled a little, this was not the first time he had seen someone with such utopic ideas. It never ended up well.

"Yes.", she sensed his sarcasm. "A way that will put Rhaegar on that throne with the crown in his head and a way that will keep it away from blood."

"What do you suggest it?", not that he was interested but wanted to hear it nevertheless.

"Even if he throws a Great Council -which I do support, this story will end in war. I suggest to work behind his back for his own good. Eliminate his threats while gather his friends for more than a simple vote. Gather an army for him so when the worst happens, he would be prepared."

"Antyhing else?"

"If he wants to rule when he comes to the power, first we must shape the realm according to our wishes so people would not be startled by the reforms. And in order to shape the realm, we need to shape the council.", she was looking at him without blinking. "And in order to shape the council we need a loyal Hand of the King."

For a short time, neither said a thing. "We already have a Hand of the King."

"Sumner Crakehall is a joke and a men of the queen, bannerman of Tywin Lannister. He is not capable of choosing even his own wine. We need a Hand that is loyal and true, smart enough to protect himself and celever enough to defeat his enemies, a man that knows what he wants and has a strong will to influence the king without cowering in front of him. A man that shares the same ideals as us, a man that would manage to impose it to the council and therefore to the realm, soften the transition of power between Aerys and Rhaegar."

"And that man is your brother?"

"No.", she said seriously. "It is you."

A heartbeat passed and Jon started to laugh. He was a handsome man, she always appreciated that. Perhaps even more handsome than her dear betrothed. But she never seen him even smile properly, when he laughed, he seemed more appealing. If only he did have interest in women.

He looked at her, while still laughing, obviously thought she was joking but when he understood she was being serious, his smile slowly died and he titlted his head in interest.

*

"Rhaegar knows.", Arthur caught Oswell alone before they swiftched their shifts.

"You both are usually extremely cautious people. How on earth you've managed to be this careless about the greatest danger against your lives?", he scolded him and Arthur just looked at him.

"I told him that I ended it."

"Good.", he nodded. "Though perhaps you should have no lie to him.", Arthur's mask disappeared. "He might not take it well when he finds out the truth."

"What?", he asked in puzzlement. "I did tell him the truth. I have ended things."

"Yes, I am aware.", he nodded. "You had ended things today but you will get her back tomorrow."

Arthur wasn't sure if he was understanding him right. "Oswell, I have-"

"-ended things, yes, I heard the first time you said it.", he stopped him, sent a look to Lewyn who was wearing his armour in the corner. They had to whisper. "Stop looking at me like that, you fool.", he punched his arm lightly. "If after all these years you let a woman in, drspite the consequences of it, I don't have to be a genius to guess it has a different reason that her beauty and that despite whatever you like to tell yourself, you will let her in again."

"She lied to me.", he hissed. "Looked me in the eye and lied, broke the trust between us. She hid the truth from me, did not even care what I would think or feel or get affected. How can I forgive her?"

"For the record, I don't want you to forgive her. I am more than alright with you living in constant heartbreak and pain, as long as you live but,", he took a step forward when Gerold entered the room with his solemn expression. "have you been entirely honest with her?", he questioned. "You cannot demand honesty when you did not offer her the same."

"I did not lie to her."

"Forsaking a truth is a lie as well.", he sent him a look. "Now, I don't know what I am talking about since you refuse to tell but I'd like to think that she'd liked to know why you break off your betrothal.", Arthur made a move to take a step back but the moment Oswell felt Gerold's burning gaze, he desperately held his arm to keep him standing. "And this will sound terribly brutal and inconsiderate but I believe she would like to know what happened to the late queen.", Arthur's eyes widened. "She might reconsider her actions then."

Oswell was an idiot.

What he should have done was just to let things go and let Arthur suffer but no, no he had to send him to her, make him speak of his emotions. And now he had to tell him that. He was there when Aerys told the truth about Rhaella to Atera. He knew that she knew and that she did not blame any of the kingsguard, only the king. But Arthur didn't had a clue. And Oswell also knew that Arthur probably was losing his mind over this, feeling disgusting to keep this hidden from her.

Urging Arthur to be honest about this matter and confess his actions would relieve him of his guilt and burden and he would finally be able to let it in the past. Which was a good thing. Which was a great thing. But doing so with Atera would make her his greatest confidant and it would not only build back the trust Arthur claimed that has perished but would make it stronger than before and not even Rhaegar would manage to take Atera out of his life any longer.

Because Atera knew. Atera knew and did not end things with him, or blame him with anything, did not look at him with disgust. She felt sad for the late queen and anger towards the king but understood the impossible situation Arthur was in. She knew Arthur was not the sort of the man so did not even think for one second to reprimand him. She guessed how hard it was for him to endure it and she showed emphaty. If Arthur knew that she knew and did not blame him...

If Arthur would go and choose to confess this to her, Oswell would become the greatest matchmaker of the century and delibarelt would be writing Arthur's death warrant but he just couldn't bear to see the pain in his eyes any longer.

"Oswell-"

"If you want to end this all, truly close the subject, first you must be honest to her yourself so in the future you would not change his mind.", he should have stopped talking after making the suggestion but no, no he was an imbecile. "Go to her.", he had no idea why he couldn't stop himself. "I'll cover for you, go to her and relieve your heart so you can move on."

*

"When will you return back to Braavos?", she asked as she sat on the couch. "Now that you signed the treaty and your brother apologized my niece?"

"Tomorrow, I believe.", he sat next to her. He did not expect her to come truly but here she was. "This matter is closed for you but I still have a war to fight and an uncle to kill.", he grimaced. "Sorry, that was a sacred thing in here as well, no?"

She just took a sip from her wine. "Will you not join to my betrothal then?", she wondered. "The contract is finished. Sooner or later I will be expected to go to Oldtown."

Helion laughed at her. "You really a cruel woman, did you know that?", he shook his head. "Here you sit, refusing my touch and inviting me to your engagement.", they were sitting close for her liking already. "I know I said I'll behave but I cannot help but try my luck once more, to have one last night, since this will be the last time we see one another.", Atera turned her head away. And felt his fingers on her chin the next second, they were barely touching her. "Atera?", he said slowly and she turned her head at him.

With the effect of the wine and the darkness of the room, there only was one chandelier and it made the room look dim, she did not stop him when he leaned forward and pressed his lips to hers. She waited for a few seconds but no, she was sure that there was no spark, no interest, no pleasure in it. She couldn't even close her eyes which made the entire thing overly weird.

She didn't even know what was the root cause of her reluctance; of course, she was done playing with Helion years ago. Even looking at him reminded her of Jace which disgusted her. And Helion was a terrible person so it was off putting as well. There was the promise she just gave to Oberyn, and she always kept her promises -what happened with Arthur was the exception not the norm and she was still ill, despite she would never accept it.

It was Arthur, the only reason why she didn't go with it. She was aware that they were nothing but allies that slept together for a short period of time and things were broken between them irrepearably but when she tried to close her eyes, she thought of only his blue ones looking at her with sadness and disappointment and she just pulled herself away from him with tight lips and a deep scowl.

"I see.", Helion smiled to himself sadly. "There is another man."

"Yes.", she swallowed. "My betrothal."

"No, not him.", he said softly, the rejection, this was the tenth one she guessed, hurt him badly. "Someone else."

"There is no one else.", she turned her head away and placed the wine cup to the small table. "I shall go now, there is nothing else to discuss."

"I expected you to ask about Silvia Dagaron, my dearest cousin.", he said as she stood up. "I did my best to prevent her marriage with the Archon of Tyrosh by your wish and yet, you did not even thank me."

Ah.

And there was that.

Another thing Rhaegar didn't need to know.

"And I expected you to tell me about what the prince has done in Braavos with his friend and what he has learnt there.", she stiraghtened her spine.

"That friend of his slaughtered half a hundred mne.", he said nonchalantly.

Arthur?

"What?", her shcok was too obvious in her face.

"Aye, he joined to the fighting pit and butchered everyone, and your prince earned the right to speak to me and I haven't said anything to him remotely useful. And they did not ask anything remotely useful as well.", he shrugged. "I bet they were there for some other reason."

Now that explained Arthur's sudden change in bheaviour.

"I need to leave.", she repeated again. "I bid you farewell."

"And I to you."

When she left the room, she saw Arthur in front of her.

*

"I thought you didn't drink wine.", he stated when they went to her rooms and now she was pouring deep red liquid to the glass cups. "You told me that you didn't even keep it in your rpoms for the guests."

"I do not usually.", she commented. "This came as a gift from Helion.", she took the both cups and turned to him.

The silent question hanged between them but he didn't ask out of fear and she did not answer out of pride.

"Of course.", he only mumbled as he took the cup from her. "Can we speak?"

"I thought you didn't want to speak to me ever again.", she knew she was making things harder unnecessarily but she truly thought she never would see him in her chambers again, which surprised her. "What has changed your opinion?"

"I've made my decision and it is indeed final. I came here to speak about some other matter. There is something that I need to tell you.", he was looking overly calm from an outside perspective but in truth, he was feeling sick, ashamed of himself greatly.

"And what is it?"

He couldn't.

He couldn't look at her and tell her what he was been hiding from her. He was not that brave, he was not that morally virtuous, he was not that honourable. He had forsaken so many vows that he didn't even remember them all right now, and this was the last nail on the coffin or so it seemed. An honest man would not even indulge with her in the first place, he would stay true to his oath, a good man would not indulge with her because he could give nothing to her, not a name, not a shelther, not anything, and a decent man would at least have the courtesy to be honest to her. Oswell was right. Who was he to demand transparency when he did not give so to her?

But still, when it was all said and done, he could not bring himself to confess. To see the horror and the disgust in her eyes, the regret would have kill him. He knew he did not deserve her, he didn't need to get a confirmation as well. Not even Rhaegar was able to forgive him, how could she?

"Jaime.", he blurted out without thinking. "He wants to leave the court and come to Dragonstone with us but neither Rhaegar nor Elia would accept him."

She raised her eyebrow and pursed her lips. "And I should care about this because?"

"He wants to leave the court because of what has happened to his sister and considering that it is your doing, you should be considerate of the casualties.", he didn't know what he was saying. This would be, if she would agree of course, putting Rhaegar against her and Arthur didn't need that but he knew what would happen to the boy if he would stay at the capital. "That boy, even against your standards, is an innocent and now he is hurting because of your actions."

"If he still would be a squire, I could arrange a thing or two.", she said with a slight frown. She was not expecting this conversation to turn to this. "But he is the queen's brother, in case you did not noticed. I cannot do anything, she would never let him leave.", and well, perhaps he shouldn't leave at all.

What kind of a brother would desert his sister in time of need?

"You do not think one must get rid of the toxicity in his life, even if that pain comes from their family?", he asked almost in disbelief.

"Families are complicated.", she stated. "Mine is too, and yours as well but that is the beauty of it. We don't have to like them but we are tied to them with a love, with a bond that is unbreakable. That boy might feel suffocated right now, he might want to get away because he is essentially a child and his sister is ...something.", she rolled the word, didn't want to insult the girl after everything. "But this doesn't mean he is going to regret it tomorrow. It doesn't mean that he will not betray the prince if his sister bids him to. Hence why his presence in Dragonstone would be unacceptable and not even your friend would be stupid enough to allow him."

"What if,", he took a step forward. "I say that I found a way that he can come to Dragonstone and we would be able to keep an eye on him to ensure his loyalty?"

"I would say it would be unfair to him -and of course, still not enough. Oaths can be broken, oaths are broken all the damn time with little to no consequence.", she sent him a look and he took it as a personal attack. "And of course, as I said, who can assure us that he will not regret his decision? Even if he would be loyal to his oath, it would eat him alive if he would regret it. He is not in an age, not mature enough, to decide to leave his family. Arrange him a small task that will keep him away from the court and that father of his for a moon or two and monitor him."

"There is only two options for Jaime. Either the court or Casterly Rock. And leaving him alone to himself, even if we could manage to arrange that, would be the greatest evilness committed to him. He needs someone to guide him, to teach him what is right and what is wrong, someone that can offer him a third option."

"And are you this option?"

"No.", he straightened his spine, now he could see the answer. "You will be this option."

She wasn't sure if she heard him right. "I poisoned his sister and caused her to have a miscarriage. Before that, I caused his father to be fired and banished. I may dare to say that I am the biggest problem in his life."

"You did all these because, as you excused, for the greater good.", he took another step forward. "You claim you are not a bad person, you just make the hard call so,", he tied his hands at his back. "make the hard call right now as well. Take him to your side for the greater good."

"Arthur I,", she raised her eyebrows briefly and shook her head. This was insanity. "I cannot.", which should be an answer enough but of course he did not accept it. "I am not the right person for the task."

"On the contrary, I believe you are the person for the task and no one else could. It will help you both. He will have another chance in life and you will think twice the next time you judge a person and make a decision to affect their lives. This is how,", he pressed. "you will face with the consequences of your actions and will have your punishment."

"And you think it will not be unfair to him?", she wondered. "He doesn't know what I have done."

"You can tell him if you want.", he shrugged and she realized that this was the actual punishment itself.

"Who are you to speak to me like this?", she asked in disbelief. "How can you come here and say all these things to me, order me around?"

"I can because no one else will.", he took another step and now they were too close to one another. "Shipping you off to Oldtown and force you to marry, is not the right punishment.", Gerold has failed. He leaned on to whisper. "Essentially forcing you to kill yourself,", Atera's eyes widened as she tried to take a step back but Arthur held her. "is not the right punishment.", Rhaegar failed harder than Gerold.

"How-", she couldn't even finish her sentence, looked too pale all of a sudden.

"Not important.", he dismissed it, it was not the focus of the conversation, he was not sure if he remembered the reason of it at all when he was that close to her. "I am the acting Lord Commander of the Kingsguard and you committed high treason under my watch.", he whispered to her once more and then took a long step back, straightened his spine once more. "Of course it is my duty to punish you for it."

She closed her eyes, felt like she was going to faint again. It was one thing people thought her ill and sick and weak, it was another thing that someone else knew what truly has happened. "What do you want me to do?", she forced herself to ask because Gods be damned, he was right.

A small smile appeared on Arthur's lips.

*

He was at a brothel as usual. Despite getting ambushed multiple times and being warned by Tywin even more than that; he still haven't learn his lesson. After his job was finished at the court he took his best men and went to a brothel at the Flea Bottom especially. He was the Hand of the King, yes, so he deserved better quality but Aerys had little tolerance for the whores and given what happened to the last Hand, he didn't want to risk his neck.

The owner of the brothel was over excited and nervous to have him there. Prepared a show with his best girls, dancing and music, drinks for all and some other luxuries filled the room for good amount of hours and only ended when his eyes caught one of the girls; wearing a two-piece dark red costume with long black hair. He made a move to the owner.

"Who is she?"

"She is one of the girls that came from Oldtown a while ago, m'lord.", the man answered with worry and snapped his fingers to the girl to approach. "Belonged to Lord Hightower's household."

"Lord Hightower?", he raised his eyebrows, now that was fit to his taste.

Leyton was known for a pious man with a high virtue while Sumner called it bullshit. No man would stay loyal to his wife for more than a decade with the gold and power Leyton had. Of course he had his affairs but the Lord of Oldtown was oh so might that he wouldn't go to a brothel. Now seeing this girl, he understood that he didn't even need to.

And now, she was going to be his; just like the position Leyton deserved.

"I want her.", he declared. "Prepare her."

*

Jaime was not expected to be summoned to the White Sword Tower that morning. He had no idea what has happened but he woke up with the same sadness in him, dressed himself and then left his own household guards behind and slowly started to walk. He didn't even know who summoned him but the idea that Gerold Hightower did feared him. Ser Barristan said he had to inform him and now he feared if they would do something to his sister.

She was not alright and he felt terrible leaving her under such a condition but they were over for a long time and still, he did everything to defend and comfort her despite his own emotions. This last incident was the last straw. He could not bear it any longer, to be at her side. And going back to the Rock was not even an option. He could only guess what would his father would do now. He was ordered to return back home the moment he got knighted and he refused to obey and ever since, he received no letters from his father.

Not that he wanted to.

Given the chance, he would ran away as fast as he could from either of them. He would take Tyrion to spare him from their disgust and hatred and he would take care of his brother. Become a sellsword despite it stood against everything he stand for, and he would provide them both. They would not be rich or powerful perhaps but at least they would be happy.

They would be free.

But it was nothing more than a dream and dreams were for boys, not for knights. When he fiannly approached to the tower he took a deep breath. This was going to be the last day he defended Cersei and never again.

"Ser Gerold.", ah, his worst fears had come true. They all were there -except Arthur. "Ser Lewyn, Ser Barristan, Ser Oswell, Ser Harlan, Ser Jonothor, good morrow."

They all seemed surprised as they looked at him. "Good morrow, Jaime.", Barristan was the first one to speak. The hour was so early that thye did not went to their places, they were having breakfast.

"Something has happened?", Lewyn frowned.

Jaime seemed hesitant. "I was ordered to come here, Ser. Shouldn't I ask the question?"

"Who ordered?", Gerold didn't like not knowing things and Oswell cleared his throat, he truly didn't want to be the one who broke the news at him but Arthur was late.

"Eeem, Gerold, I, ah, Arthur did.", he blurted out and this time they looked at him.

"Arthur?", Gerold asked almost snappishly. He did warn him to stay away from the boy.

"Arthur is not here at the moment but will arrive shortly.", Harlan spoke with courtesy. "Would you like to join us in breakfast, Jaime?"

"N-no, Ser.", he shook his head, he was high in discomfort.

"Why did Arthur wanted him here?", Gerold asked to Oswell and the ginger man seemed troubled for a second but then the doors opened and Arthur entered.

"Thanks to the bloody Warrior.", he muttered in his mouth.

"Good morning Jaime.", he entered the room and smiled at him. And then looked at to his brothers and after a short roaming, he realized they had no idea. "Well I asked you to come here because truth be told, I thought we would be alone.", it was not the kindest thing to say but it was an explanation enough. "Somewhere else would not be appropriate."

No, it would seem as a plotting in making.

"What can you do with him that might come off as inappropriate?", Gerold asked with his usual stern tone and Oswell made himself look smaller in his chair and brought his cognac to his mouth as he watched the interaction with a hidden curiosity.

"Well,", Arthur cleared his throat. "Jaime asked me to join to Prince Rhaegar's household as a knight in service and for all the obvious reasons, I had to think on it for a while. And now I have found the solution to make it happen.", he explained softly and Jaime widened his eyes but held himself back not to embarrass him.

"What?", Gerold tilted his head. "How can you do such a thing without consulting me first? Since when you make such decision alone? I am the Lord Commander and only I can post knights into service in the royal household.", this was true of course, just not at the moment.

Arthur seemed too uncomfortable for a second and Oswell let out a small whimper and buried his face to the table. "But you are not the Lord Commander right now.", he said with a deep breth. "I am."

For a long minute, nobody said a thing but everybody was focused on Gerold's face -they were sure something was happening to his eye out of anger. "And,", he cleared his throat with force. "what makes you think that I cannot take back that duty from you right at this moment?"

"It is why I had to think on and find a way that would not undermine your decision.", he explained and turned to the door. "Can you please enter now? If the situation is dramatic enough?", Oswell whimpered again and Lewyn hit the back of his head affectionately, he was ruining his fun.

Though when Atera entered, playing with her own hands and looking as uncomfortable as the next person, Lewyn did agree on the reaction Oswell gave.

"Good morning.", she waved at them and Arhur tried not think how cute she looked.

"Can't a day pass where you just behave?", Gerold thought maybe he shouldn't socld her because she still did look pale but couldn't help.

"Don't think so, no.", she said with a small voice and then turned to the confused boy.

"You cannot enter either to Prince Rhaegar's or Princess Elia's service since you would, rightfully so, be removed from it under these circumstances but,", Arthur turned to Atera. "you can enter her service and come to Dragonstone with us."

"E-Enter her service?", he asked with confusion.

"As my sworn sword, it seems.", Atera tried to smile at him. "This is his bright idea."

"And why did you agree?", Gerold raised his voice. "Are you an idiot?"

"He asked nicely.", she stated calmly which angered Gerold more.

"This is madness!", he declared as he stood up. "Unprecedencent!"

"Well there is a first time for everything, no?", Arthur felt the need to rush things. "Now, let us go on with it.", he sent a look of warning to Atera. "Of course, if you want to Jaime but I fear this is the only way."

Jaime seemed hesitant. He didn't know a thing about Atera at all only that she had a bad temper and Cersei hated her as well, that's it and nothing more. But if this was his only chance, he was going to take it so he nodded.

Atera and Arthur shared a look and Atera straightened her spine, clasped her hands together. "Before you do that, I think you need to know the full picture.", Arthur said -nobody offered him the full picture before he became a kingsguard.

"Very well.", Atera agreed and took a step forward. "This is not a joke, when you do this, there will be no returning back and you are going to serve to me only.", she declated. "Not to Rhaegar, not to Elia, not to Arthur but to me. You will do as I say, you will follow my orders and you will loyal only to me.", Jaime nodded. "You will go where I go, which the final destination is indeed Dragonstone but first,", she sent a glare at her uncle. "we will go to Oldtown. So after this, if you decide to go on with it of course, you will go and pack your things up immediately. We will go to Oldtown and stay there for well, let us say a fortnight at most and then we will go to Dragonstone.", she gave the rough picture. "Of course we will have constant travels to Oldtown since it was decreed that I am to plan a wedding.", she sent a look at her uncle once more -and to Lewyn. "And in the summer, I will have to spend some time in Dorne and I believe it will be expected me to go there regularly. You will not stay at Dragonstone or where the prince is, you will come with me. Do you understand?"

"I do, my lady.", he nodded adamantly. He was going to get rid of his family, no one could stop him.

"You seen Finnan before, he is in front of the room, you'll meet him properly but well, he is the captain of my guards. A courtesy of my uncle.", she sent another look to his angry face. "You will work under him. I have six other guards in my service, all older and more talented than you so do not expect any big duties just now. You probably will not even interact with me. You will get your orders directly from either Finnan or Alea -you know who she is?"

"Lady Yelthsire, yes, I know.", he nodded

"Good.", she looked at Arthur and narrowed her eyes to think if she was missing something. "There is only one way to leave my service, Jaime.", she turned to him. "And it is death."

"Atera-", Arthur hissed at her but then remembered where they were and stopped himself.

"This is a big decision and you will not be able to simply decide to leave my service. You will swear an oath, those things are sacred and binding and if you betray me, I will kill you myself.", probably all but Jonothor knew she meant it so Gerold rubbed his face as Lewyn and Barristan shared a look. "You will not interact with your father and sister."

"Atera-", Arthur tried to interfere more delicately this time but she didn't allow him.

"I mean, they are your parents so of course you will but I will read every letter you receive and you send -well, Alea will do so, buy you understood it. You will not be left alone with them, ever again. Now go and think about this first. As I said, this is a big decision, you should not rush-"

"I have made my decision, my lady.", he straightened his spine. "I do agree with everything you say and want to go on with it."

Atera closed her eyes and took a deep breath, that desperation did not created a right mind to give such a promise but well, she accepted it, even though perhaps she should not and nodded. "This is a terrible mistake.", though she whispered to Arthur while Jaime was taking off his sword. Arthur ddidn't answer. "When your prince scolds me for it, I'll put the blame on you.", she declared and Arthur just looked at her.

"He will not.", she only rolled her eyes and turned back to Jaime, threw her skirt back and clasped her hands, straightened her spine once more.

"Let's go on with it then."

Jaime took a deep breath and knealed, laid down the sword to the ground. "Lady Atera,", he began to speak. "I will shield your back and keep your council and give my life for yours if need be. I swear it by the Old Gods and the New."

"And I vow,", it was a two-way street after all. "that you shall always have a place at my hearth and a seat on my table.", she never broke the eye contact with Arthur. She knew this was going to end bad, she wanted him to carry all the responsibility. "And I pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you dishonour.", Arthur turned his head away with that. "I swear it by the Old Gods and the New.", she sighed. "You can arise."

*

"Your majesty, may I enter?", Barristan seemed troubled when Aerys raised his head and sent him a look.

"Of course.", he made a hand gesture and gave his entire attention to him. "Something happened again? Cersei?"

"No, your grace. Her grace the queen is resting according to the Grand Maester's orders. This is more urgent matter.", Aerys raised his eyebrows. "I am just informed by his squire that the Lord Hand is possibly has caught the sweating sickness."

"Are you hearing what you are saying Barristan?", he seemed shocked, he was not aware that there was a pandemic at all. "Ae you sure of it?"

"I was told that he had,", he sighed in discomfort. "an affair with a woman that they realized afterwards that she was sick.", Aerys's eyebrows fell in condemn.

He was sick of the stupidness of his Hands. Tywin was blinded by his arrogance, Owen was too weak and choose sides obviously, Leo did betray him and now Sumner was a fool.

"Sent Pycelle to examine him.", he said after a few annoyed sighs. "Keep me informed and Barristan,", he called after him when the knight turned his back to leave the room. "this will be a hidden information.", he warned him. "No one will hear of it -not even Rhaegar, not even Gerold."

"As you wish, your grace."

*

"My lady.", Jon approached to her before she went back to her chambers. "I hope you are having a good evening."

"I was.", until she read the letter Leyton sent to her, she was fine. "But that does not matter. Are you here to interrogate me about your prince too, like the rest of your friends, Ser? You didn't had the chance the last time we spoke.", because she was not in a mood for this. Her brother dear ordered her arrival immediately -which brough her a great displeasure, given that she was already going there.

"Rhaegar's actions binds only Rhaegar and who am I too question his word?", his disinterest on the matter was too loud. Whatever Rhaegar did, he did for a reason after all and he trusted his friend. "I am here to ask you a question about another matter."

Atera frowned slightly. "And which matter would it be?"

"I was wondering if there was something I should know about the matter we discussed before, my lady.", greed and ambition did look good on him, Atera decided. At least not all of Rhaegar's friends were hiding behind the cloak of their own rightheousness.

At least some of them were human.

"Not yet, Jon.", she smiled at the man's face -it was more like a smirk. "But do not worry, you will get what you want."

"Good.", he chuckled with satisfaction. "I am glad that we agree on this matter.", he took a step forward though, he was not going to let her hold all the reins, they were in this together. "Because it is dire that we hold the position of the Hand if we truly want to get rid of the queen and her allies. And there is no one that we can trust more than I."

"You waited all these years at Rhaegar's side for many things, I am sure patience is a virtue you gained. Give me a little more time, more than half of the plan is finished already. But,", she tilted her head. "I wish to ask you a question as well.", Jon nodded in expectance. "Are you aware that you are initially betraying your friend by allying yourself with me?"

"Despite his many talents and exceptional brightness in politics; Rhaegar plays it all too safe. He knows what he wants to do but refuses to accept the gravity of the reality. He plans me to name as his Hand once he is crowned king -presumably, giving the king's rather young age, will take place years later than now. He hopes to form a Great Council and then becomes the regent -not the king.", he straightened his houlders. "I don't see why I must wait."

"He will not like it and will stop trusting to you as well."

"I don't need his trust to protect him.", he shrugged. "It means little to me as long as he is safe and the recent incidents showed us all that being left alone with his own devices; he is not. I might be young but I am very much capable of this position."

"The king will only accept you to piss him off."

"Doesn't matter. I will hold the second most important sigil in the realm and become the second most powerful man. Whether the king likes me or not, trsuts me or not, I will become a force to keep things in line and even though Rhaegar would choose not to trust me, I will do anything to keep him alive and will pave the way for his ascencion to the throne.", he said confidently.

"The king will change his fourth Hand in the last six moons, be careful.", she warned him delicately. "He can take back everything he gave to you if you bore him."

"He will not if you protect me.", he huffed. "This is going to be a team work. You will put me there and then keep it and I will give you all the influence you want on the king's council and together; we will defeat Rhaegar's enemies and not stop until we prevail."

"Essentially betraying him and the king both, let me remind you that. I do not want you to regret everything after everything said and done because he will accuse you of treason, be prepared."

"I am prepared for everything that can come from Rhaegar.", this time a sad smile appeared on his face. "You know him only for a short time and not that well. I know him for years, I watched him grow up, I did grow up with him myself. I know his anger. I can handle it perfectly well."

"If you say so, my lord.", she bowed her head playfully. "Just wait, and I will keep my end of the promise."

*

She was walking mindlessly in the corridor. She wore only a nightgown and a robe, her blonde hair was messed up, under her eyes were purple and she too pale. She didn't even know where she was going. She had sent Jaime and her servants away and Barristan was busy with something, the household guards couldn't stop her, her mind was not working.

Who was she? Where was she? Where she was going? What was the meaning of all these? What was the reason of this endless bloodshed?

Everything came back to her the moment she saw Elia Martell walking towards her from the opposite side of the corridor -probably to her own chambers. She did stop with the sight of Cersei though, for a moment and then sighed, there was no need to start a fight so she didn't say anything to her and tried to move past but Cersei walked to her with swift movements and held her by the arm, nails digging into her flesh.

"It was you, wasn't it?", she spat, white lips tensed as if she was possessed by something. "It happened because of you!"

Elia seemed nervous as she placed on hand on her belly. Of course she could just push her away but she didn't want to be blamed once more. "What have I done?", Cersei raised her hand to slap her across the face and Elia had to take a step back, she was not expecting this. "You fucking snake!", she screamed as she attacked her.

Elia's first instinct was of course protecting her child, so she was defencless against a few of her hits and this cost her a lot, as she tripped over her gown and fell to the ground, hit her head to the marble floor.

"Murderer!", she screamed. "You murdered my child and now I'll kill yours!", Cersei was screaming as she kept hitting and Elia lost her consciousness.

*

Now that it became a public knowledge, since the man had a terribly lousy squire, Aerys asked in the council meeting. "Varys, how is Sumner?"

"There is no new information, my king.", he said with distaste, this was not good. "We are waiting."

Aerys sighed, just when he needed a Hand years later, of course the one he had was disspointing him now. Even though he would get healed, he was not going to return back to his duties, Aerys decided. "The Sealord didn't hear of it, no?", this was the most important part. He would not bare to seem weak in front of a child.

"We are doing everything in our power to hide it, your grace and they did not even got the wind of it.", Lucerys assured him.

"Are there any news about Lord Crane? When he will start his journey?", a Master of Law was dire as well. He needed to get a hold on his council.

"Lord Crakehall did manage to send a letter before he fell ill and Lord Crane sent an answering letter yesterday. He is honoured by your decision and says he will arrive before the foolmoon.", which meant he'll be there in a fortnight. "He will come here with his niece, the Lady Leyla -it seems it is Leyton's intention to add his daughter to the queen's ranks.", to that Aerys raised his eyebrows.

"Leyton?", he almost snorted. "Are you sure of this?", Rhaegar and Arthur shared a look, they both were wondering if this had anything to do with Atera. "It doesn't sound like him."

Lucerys did snort. "I stopped thinking about the reasons of Leyton's actions a long time ago, your grace. It is pointless."

"Your majesty, if I may,", Qarlton leaned forward. "Sealord's presence here is known by everyone and so is his insistence on marrying a Hightower. Perhaps Leyton is sending her here for that reason."

"It is Lord Hightower to you.", Lucerys snarled. "I can address him with his name because he is my goodson."

"Except that he is not, Lord Velaryon.", he turned to him. "Both of your daughters had been dead for a long time, or so I recall.", Lucerys' eyes darkened but he continued. "You only have sons now -two good for nothing and the other one is a bastard."

"Watch your words or I'll make you pay for them.", Lucerys hissed through his teeth.

"And why shall I? Did I lied or slandered you, my lord? Everyone from the Arbour to the Wall knows about your sons. And their relationship with Hightowers.", he snorted. "It is an insult that girl serves to the future queen of this realm and will marry his brother -all for a peace deal. And you take offence when I say; the man who did this, might do that as well?"

"Wait,", Aerys frowned. "what are you talking about?"

"Nothing important, just ugly gossip, father.", Rhaegar was the first one to dismiss. This would drag his wife's name and her family's to the ground, he would not allow it.

"Your grace, pardon me, but it is more than a mere gossip since she herself admitted it."

Qarlton was going to take that Hand spot and was not going to let anyone else to do so -Leyton was too close to it, he did not like it and if he needed to disregard his whore of a sister to prevent him getting the job, he would do so gladly.

"Rhaegar, wait.", Aerys ordered, his frown turning into a scowl. "What are you talking about Qarlton?"

"If the ones who did it did not feel shame, I will not feel so when I speak your grace but no matter what, please do forgive me for my fool language.", he cleared his throat, Gerold was not there to defend his immoral niece anyways. "It became a public knowledge in a feast at Oldtown a moon ago that Lord Velaryon's secondborn, Jacaerys, had an affair with Leyton's sister, Lady Atera, outside of wedlock.", Aerys' scowl deepened. "Not only that but apparently the situation was even worse than that, given that he was seeing another woman at the same time; Lady Lythene Penrose.", Lucerys was openly gaping at his audcatity and Rhaegar started to rub his temples. "And after this became public, Lady Atera did make a loud comment of his virility,", Rhaegar took a sharp breath as if it was not enough. "in the wedding feast of her own nephew, Ser Baelor."

"These are,", Lucerys forced himself to remain calm but it was hard to do so under Varys' mocking glare. "vile accusations that-"

"These are the truth, Lord Velaryon.", Qarlton snapped. "And they are not surprising at all."

"What is that supposed to mean?", he gritted his teeth.

"Well he is your son for starters.", he raised his eyebrows and smiled. "We all know how your marriage worked out. And everyone knows who her mother is.", Lucerys' anger erased immediately as his eyes found Aerys' face. "It seems the apple did not fell that far-"

"Enough!", Aerys' voice was sharp. "How dare you to throw such insults and make up lies about a young lady?"

"Your grace I-", Qarlton turned to him with complete shock, Varys' eyes seemed interested.

"Such rumours could damage her greatly. Is your greed that high that you pick up fights with a child?"

"My king these are the truth, everyone knows it.", he pressed further.

"This is the small council!", he hissed. "Not tea party of the ladies or the playground of children. There is no place for baseless and ugly rumours here. If you continue to it, you can leave now."

"But my king-"

"I said enough!", he slammed his hand to the table. "You are speaking about the former Regent of Oldtown and the betroth of a Prince of Dorne! You will do so with respect.", while everyone looked at him with confusion and shock -except Lucerys who seemed overly nervous, the door opened and Pycelle entered.

"My king.", he bowed slowly.

"Where have you been Pycelle?", Aerys hissed to him now, anger present as usual in his voice. "Don't you know there is a meeting?"

"Forgive me your majesty but something that you should know of has occurred and I had to see the situation myself before I reported to you."

"What is it?"

"The Lord Hand, Sumner Crakehall, has died."

*

"Your grace.", she made a curtsy. "I heard you asked to see me."

"Yes, Atera, please enter.", he made a hand gesture. He was sitting on the table with cards of names in front of it. "Sit down, child.", Barristan was already inside, she sent him a look and sat next to the king. "Your brother is sending his daughter to join amongst the ranks of the queen's ladies.", he was not looking at her. He was leaning on his chair, one arm was resting on the table and the other on his lips, he was seeming thoughtful. "Why?"

"He is sending two of his daughters to her grace's service, your grace.", she informed him. "Leyla and Lynesse. Leyla is on the line of marriage, since her older sister is betrothed to marry. Alerie and Denyse were successful to find their own match near home but Leyla wanted a change of weather it seems. And Lynesse is, while still young to marry, in the appropriate age to at least get betrothed. Amongst all of my nieces, she would love the court the more."

"And why they are joining to Cersei and not Elia?"

"I serve Princess Elia.", it was the answer enough. "And she is meaning to increase the amount of ladies she has -most will be Dornish as it would be appropriate.", she narrowed his eyes slightly. "And my other niece, Alysanne will go to Dragonstone with me.", she had far greater plans for her. "There is no need for them also."

Aerys hummed and turned to look at her. She couldn't read his emotions. "Today at the council, I heard the worst rumour. Concerning you and Lucerys' son.", Atera felt the way she got paler. "Is there any truth to it?"

"I cannot possibly know what was said in the council, your grace but I am way passed the age that I will deny the obvious truth. Yes, I indeed made a mistake."

"They say he already had a lover when you two...", he didn't finish the line but seemed almost scolding, Atera's eyes got colder.

"Now these are lies.", she alsmot spat. "The other woman in question happens to be Lythene Penrose, may she rests with the Gods now, the daughter of my father's mistress and my childhood companion."

"Walburga?", Aerys sounded deadly.

"Yes, your grace.", Barristan seemed as uncomfortable as she was. She didn't know what she was being questioned now. "She was my best friend and I did not know about her affair with Jacaerys when-,", she bowed her head with a blushed face. Not that she was embarrassed no, it was a matter of pride that she couldn't finish the sentence. "I just found out.", she said with an obvious trouble and Aerys' eyes softened and turned his head away.

"And this betrothal with the Martell boy. Where did it came from? Is it your own desire or someone is forcing you?"

"My brother forces me into nothing, your grace.", she defended him even though there was nothing to defend. "After my first marriage,", she kept forgetting that she was a widow now. And the right way to address her was the Lady Cafferen, since the new lord of the castle lost his wife decades ago. But it was not only her but everyone else that forgot the customary ways it seemed. "ended that abruptly, it would not be unseemly for me to stay unwed for a long while and the convserations with Prince Doran went way back longer than my rather surprise marriage. There are so many people who are vouching for this match that I also was persuaded to accept."

Aerys seemed almost hurtful with the reminding of the first marriage. "That man's sister, as you said, was Gerard's mistress. She hurted your mother greatly. How could you marry him?", he asked with such a hurt intensity that not even her grandfather did, and it surprised her.

"I had no other choice, your grace.", she said with a straight face but her eyes already started to burn from within. "Only Gods knows what kind of a torture it was for me. But I did my duty."

"You did your duty?", he asked with a weird tone, neither were blinking, looking at each other with identical eyes. "And what would you think of the decision I just made, sending Cersei away? Are you going to ask me why I have been this harsh or if I regret or not? Or perhaps what will I do more about it?"

It was a dark night they were having. Right after the council, they heard about the disgusting assault Elia had to endure and Aerys has decided to send Cersei away, back to Casterly Rock for never to return again.

"Of course not, your grace.", she frowned, masked her face in disbelief. She had one shot, she could not miss it. "It is no one's place to discuss your decisions. You are the king.", she raised her chind. "Of course you care about the best interests of the realm and of your family more than anyone else.", when Aerys listened to her in silence, she continued. "What the queen has done, regardless of the mental state she is in, is unacceptable.", she declared. "How could she dare to hit your family? A princess who is carrying the royal heir, nonetheless. She is lucky that Prince Elia is well, or the conseuquences would be dire."

"Rhaegar hates me.", he said solemnly. "Because I will not punish Cersei and I ordered him to keep this withing family.

"He does not hate you, your grace. I doubt Prince Rhaegar has it in him to hate someone.", except her, of course. "He will understand that this incident has nothing to do with you.", it had something to do with Atera. "What matters, at the end of the day, is the prosperity of the realm and the good of your family. If the word would got out that the queen assultaed the princess, it would only damage the family. There is no place for the emotions of the individuals, he'll see that one day."

"Atera,", he seemed emotional for a second. "you did not only took her looks but also her strength as well. You are as dutiful as your mother once were. You should be proud of yourself."

"Thank you, your grace.", she smiled but then she got another idea. "Please forgive me your grace, but is it wise to send the queen to Caterly Rock when it is known that Tywin Lannister was behind the funding of the Brotherhood. He is a dangerous man and being in the possession of the queen, can make him more dangerous."

"And what would go suggest then?", he seemed interested. "It would be better if she would continue to stay here.", away from tem, they could not control her. "Confide her into her chambers, if you must, but you need to keep an eye on her. And more than that, regardless of her actions she still is your wife. What would people think if you would cast her away?"

Aerys seemed thoughtful once more. "You might be right.", he muttered and Barristan narrowed his eyes at her. He was trying to see her reasons but was failing. "I shall think of it.", she bowed her head in response and then her eyes focused on the cards on the table.

"What are these your grace?"

"These,", he turned to them. "are the heraldries of my lords.", he had more than a dozen of them. "I am trying to pick a new Hand."

"Oh?", she masked her triumph with innocence and wonder. "I hope Lord Crakehall is well and in good health."

"He is dead.", he answered rather bluntly and she seemed to be taken aback. "I must act fast and choose a new Hand."

"Will it not be Lord Chelsted, your grace?", she hated him and wanted him to be eliminated as well. Killing him was not an appealing option now, not when she could simply cut the ground under him. "I heard he basically declared himself as the Hand until you named Lord Crakehall."

"Did he now?", Aerys turned to look at Barristan. If there was one thing he hated was people to get overexcited and pretend as if they knew him, as if they could see what was happening inside his head. "If Qarlton would be enough to become my Hand, he would be by now.", he dismissed the subject. "I am trying to decide now. The council is tomorrow, we cannot stay without a Hand now."

"Of course, continuity is essential in politics.", he looked impressed once more.

"Who would you suggest?", he seemed interested in what she would say. "Leyton?"

"My brother is loyal to you and would make a fine Hand. He's been serving the realm for more than a decade but no.", she looked at him without any expression, her hands were getting sweaty almost, due to the excitement. If she would slip now, everything would be for nothing and she could not afford that. "Of course I am not a politican and my thoughts to no matter but,", she was shaking a little. "I would suggest Jon Connington as your new Hand."

*

Rhaegar learnt what was it like to die that day.

He was sitting in the bed, covered his face, waiting for Elia to wake up. He thanked to the Gods that there was nothing serious, both Elia and the baby were fine. Of course she would have aching muscles for a few days but other than that there nothing was truly serious. Most of Cersei's hits were aimed to her body to make her cause a miscarriage as well -she had failed, there were only slight scratches on Elia's face.

When he heard about what has happened, he could swear that his heart stopped beating and the only thing he heard was the buzzing in his ear until he entered the room and saw her alive and breathing. Pycelle swore up and down that both her and the baby were healthy, and after convincing Oberyn that he could not kill people left and right, he ordered everyone to leave. He was going to take care of her himself.

"Rhaegar?", she whispered when she woke up, she had pain but there also was a smile on her face, appeared by the sight of him.

With a sigh, Rhaegar turned to her. He was looking devastating. "My Elia...", he whispered and scoot over the bed to approach her. "My sun, my love, my life, the reason I wake up each day...", he raised his hand slowly and touched to her face. "Are you alright?", he asked as if he was fearing the answer. Elia closed her eyes.

"Our baby?"

"Never been better I swear.", he raised her hand to his lips and started to kiss her knuckles. "He is fine but how are you? Do you have any pain, any ache?"

"No.", she said rather dreamily, she was relieved to hear their baby was fine. Rhaegar's face crossed with hope as if he couldn't believe what she said.

"Thanks to the Gods.", he kissed her palm this time.

"Rhaegar,", she sighed. "I saw our children in my dream.", now that explained the state she was in. Rhaegar was fearing if Pycelle overdosed the sedatives. "They were happy, laughing, running around with glee.", Rhaegar smiled as well. "I don't like it here.", her face fell the next moment. "I want to return back to Dragonstone."

"Of course honey.", he leaned forward and kissed her forehead. She was still out of it, the calming droughts were obviously affecting her but Rhaegar agreed on that. "We will return at once."

*

"Jon?", Aerys asked, astounded. "He cannot be-", he blinked a few times. "He is-", he didn't even know where to begin.

He was too young, barely twenty, was not experienced or a loved figure. Naming him as the Hand would be an insult to Armond. And on top of all -his personal dislike included, he was Rhaegar's man through and through. Yes, he did find an understanding with Arthur because he was different. He would never find himself in immoral alliances or plots of hgiht reason but Jon was not even half of the man Arhtur was. Instead of refusing the offers, it would be him who would encourage Rhaegar to betray him. Aerys was not stupid enough to let the snake enter to his home just like that.

"I do understand your reluctance, my king. But I believe the reasons that are making him unfit to this position are also the reasons that make him the most suitable candidate.", she took a deep breath in adamane. "You love your son, you see him as your heir, you want him to ascend to the throne but only after you pass away not before and not with scehemes and plots but you do not trust him because of the people around him.", she was speaking without a filter, she was too nervous for one reason. "I've been there, at Dragonstone, I've seen everything and I know that Prince Rhaegar has no intentions to dethrone you.", and she said that with belief because he truly was just a coward to take action. "And people around him do not posses any real danger because he gathers around people similar to him. Except for one person.", she almost smirked when the king seemed thoughtful. "Jon Connington."

"You say he is trying to turn my son against me?"

"No, I am saying that amongst all of his grace's courtiers, he is the only one who might.", this difference was very important. "He is the only one that is good at politics, the only one that can plor or scheme or whatever you suspect. Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell are loyal only to you, binded to you by oaths. Princess Elia is busy with her daughter and the prince does not trust her. Only he is a threat against you."

"And why instead of eliminating this threat I should make him my second in command?"

"As a warning.", now she did smirk. "It will be seen not as a threat but as an olive branch. You took the prince's best friend and named him Hand -this will end every rumour that states you have bad blood with him. This will make it seem, if the prince ever gathers thoughts he shouldn't have -which I doubt he'll, as if he has problems with you not vice versa. And it also will give you an opening.", Aerys tilted his head. "You took his men to your court, it would only be right if he would take one of your men to his court. So you will have a spy inside Dragonstone that he cannot get rid of."

"And he will have a spy in here that I cannot get rid of. And that spy will rule my realm in my behalf."

"My uncle will be in that council, Lord Crane and Lord Velaryon will be there, you will be there. Of course Jon will sneak information to the prince and will try to gather influence but this also will be an opportunity to get him to your side and make him stop being a threat without killing him."

"Nah,", he shook his head. "he is too loyal to Rhaegar."

"Loyalties can shift overnight.", she pressed with a fake smile, she needed to convince him. "Jon is an ambitious man who aims higher, who has standards and he wants to do something insyead of getting wasted away with the prince and he is not a very patient man. If you give him a chance to prove himself, he would always be in your debt and well, you will do nothing essentially. Pricne Rhaegar will push him away himself. Will blame him with treason, I can assre you and with time, he will have no reason to remain loyal to him. Instead, he would start to find ways to work with you and you would strap the prince from his greatest ally and earn an asset instead."

"And the spy I will send to his castle is?"

She leaned back. "Jaime Lannister.", knowing that the boy already is going there because he sworn himself to her, Barristan sent her a true stunned look.

He looked at her for a few seconds. "I don't understand your place in this game.", he stated calmly. "Why are you working against him?"

"He did something he shouldn't have.", her entire expression got erased and she looked at the king only with a silent rage. "He is my prince and I do serve him but he does not deserved my loyalty any longer. I believe soon everyone will see that as well."

*

"You demanded to see me?", Rhaegar entered to her rooms with a slight smile of surprise in his face. "Demanded?", he pressed the word.

"Well you came here, have you not?", Atera stood up with a smile. She was looking far better now.

She wore a light blue underdress with a shiny fabric and a long velvet dark blue vest on top of it. It was buttoned on the neck so it created a heart-shaped decolette on her chest. It had kimono sleeves and had black shadow embodiments on top of it. Her braided waves were falling a lot shorter they used to and she was wearing a matching golden belt and a headpiece.

"I left my wife for this.", she was sleeping and he was curious. "So speak now, what is it?"

"When was the last time you had seen your father?", she asked casually and not even a muscle moved in his face.

"What is that mean?", he asked. "Hmm? What kind of a question is that?"

"I just wanted to see something.", she wrinkled her nose. "It means you are clueless of his latest decision."

"What decision?", he clenched his jaw, he had only a little patience -for Arthur, nothing more.

"Cersei Lannister will keep staying in the court."

Something flashed from his eyes. "No, cannot be. He promised to send her away, I was there."

"He had simply changed his mind.", she smiled.

"He would not do such a thing.", he spat. "She dared to hit my wife. I could lose my child because of her. She deserves to be punished."

"She lost her child because of you but here you are, remain unpunished."

Rhaegar took a step forward. "Are you joking with me?", he questioned. "You poisoned her, went against my orders. How dare you to blame me for it now?"

"I said it before and I will keep saying it for the end of the times; I did for you, whether you own to it or not, I don't care but that act was done in your name.", she clasped her hands in front of her. "Not only that but Jaime Lannister is coming to Dragonstone as a part of my household, sent by the king himself.", she told Arthur that she could handle the break the news to Rhaegar herself and that he should not bother himself.

"He has no jurisdiction-"

"He is the king.", she raised her voice with delight. "And the boy is the queen's brother.", she leaned forward. "They are the jurisdiction."

"Why?", he pressed. "Why?"

"There is one last thing.", she winked at him. "He also decided on his new Hand.", with that, Rhaegar felt the boiling water on him.

Who?

Who?

Who?

"Who?", while the question echoed in his head, he asked with a grimace.

She let out a chuckle. "Guess."

Rhaegar closed his eyes in order to calm himself down. "Atera-"

"Guess.", she deamded, her enjoyement getting erased and with a few quick steps, he was standing right in front of her.

"If you are alive today is because I am not a monster like you. But this does not mean I cannot arrange something else for you."

"That incident will never be repeated.", she hissed, face darken with anger. "I told you that I will teach you to trust me, well I change that now; I will teach you to not to mess with me ever again. You will regret ever making me your enemy."

"You will stay away from me.", he declared. "And from my family. I hereby for-"

"Hold your breath.", she raised her hand to stop him and Rhaegar seemed stunned for a moment. "The king ordered me to go there, you cannot go against his orders and I am sure the new Hand will agree with me."

"Who?", he asked once more. "Lord Hightower?", who else could be?

"I understand that you haven't seen your father, too busy with petty matters but haven't you seen your best friend as well?", she tilted her head. "When was the last time you had seen Jon?"

*

"No!", he entered the council room with an angry voice. "No!"

The council members turned to look at him with surprise -except Arthur and Jon, they refused to look at him and Aerys sighed. "I was just about the declare my news, son, it is good for you to decide to join us."

"I said no.", he moved across Aerys. "No."

But he didn't mind him. "In the light of the recent events,", he sighed once more. "I have decided to name Ser Jon Connington as my new Hand. You all shall act accordingly.", Qarlton was turning purple at this point and Jon bowed deeply to him.

"I am honoured, your majesty.", Aerys absentmindedly gave the pin to him and then made a motion for everyone to leave, so he would talk with his son.

"What have I done deserve a father like you?", he spat the moment they all left, he didn't see the way Arthur patted Jon's shoulder. "What is my sin that both me and my mother was cursed with you?"

"For your entire life, I have tried to prepare you for the day you will wear this crown.", he took it from his head and placed it to the table. "It drags me into a depth of grief to see that you learnt nothing."

"Oh, I learnt great things from all your lessons.", his eyes were burning. "How to ruin people's life and how to be a hated ruler, how to be a terrible father -I learnt all of them simply by watching you."

"You always put too much trust in other people. And while some of them, like Arthur, proved himself worthy of that trust, we both know this isn't the first time Connington fails you. He made his choice, I did not force him into anything and that choice, my son, was not you. You are making mistake after mistake.", he shook his head in disappointment. "Your doom started with your marriage."

"I married for love.", he spat, neither care how wrong this sentence was.

"Your marriage should have been a political alliance to make your claim stronger in the realm because people out there wants to see the dragon dead. And yet you showed weakness and made a mistake and it just continues. There are some things that are more important than love and friendship. Everyone around you is aware of that but you. When will you open your eyes and accept the reality as it is?"

"I am not you father.", he wanted to cry. "I cannot rule the way you did; alone and hated. I will trust people over and over again, I will chose love over hatred every damn day in my life and one day, I will indeed change the world because it is who I am-"

"Weak.", he spat.

"Human.", he said with a shaky tone and desperation. "I am human at the end of the day, just like you. The idea of us being closer to Gods than men was nothing but an illusion all through the history and I am sick of trying to fit myself into that one phrase. I am just a human, just a man with a great destiny in front of him.", Aerys shook his head to his stupid beliefs. "And I will prevail if only people side with me because they love me, not because they fear of me."

"Fear is what bring the power, without it; you are weak, without it; you will fail and doom the entire kingdoms with you.", he stood up. "It is never too late to change."

"For your case; it is.", he seemed too tired, to exhausted. "Name him as your Hand all you want, take everyone away from me if you can. I will never,", he declared. "never turn out to be like you, I will find it in myself to trust Jon even after all this.", he hit the table with his knuckle and took a deep breath. "I will not let this world to change me.", he promised. "Instead, I will change the world."

*

"It started shortly after he returned from Duskendale, I believe.", they were sitting on the couch, not facing with another. "I had witnessed it only once, not even,", he closed his eyes. "I did not even witnessed it, just heard the noises and then he left and I just saw the glimpse of her through the door -she cried the entire night. Gerold never sent me to her again.", he finished telling it with a deep breath. He was playing with his hands. "I know I should have told this to you before we start all of this because you deserved to know what kind of a man I am."

"And what kind of a man you are?", she was playing with her mother's ring while watching the flames with a poker face.

"A man who would stand by and do nothing when a woman gets abused.", he started to list it. "A man who would lie to his best friend's face for moons. A man who would betray his oaths and keep serving the man who is capable of such cruelty. A man who would dare to touch another woman while knowing she would not want to do anything with him if she would know the truth. A man who would essentially use a woman for his own selfish reasons. Do you need more?"

"Yes.", she nodded. "The night is long and I am always up for a challenge. Tonight's can be about how many stupid ideas I can prove it wrong, and you can provide them to me."

"What?", he asked in puzzlement but did not dare to turn to her.

"I do understand why you might think I would take this badly and reprimand you for it because I probably would if I already didn't know about it.", she turned to him. "The king himself already told me what has happened and I just have one thing to say; he is fucking mad.", Arthur turned to her this time. "Completely out of judgement and all, does horrible things and justifies them by made-up arguments."

"I-", he was openly gaping and embarrassing himself.

"What have you done was of course horrible but now that I had time to think; what other choice you have?"

Atera was not the kind of a person who would not mind an abuse a woman suffered at the hands of her husband, giving the story of her own parents and she most definitely was not the kind of a person who would find excuses for the ones who cower and do nothing to help her, since her uncle did the same but this was a different scenario.

In her parents; her uncle did not intervene, or her aunt, or anyone that they called 'friends', anyone that may put a stop into it because they simply didn't want to. They did not care about Jenica's pain they only wanted to protect themselves from Gerard's anger, they let her suffer and eventually die because they were too afraid to take a stand.

In Arthur case; he was not able to take a stand. He actively swore not to take a stand and breaking his oath would only result in his death and Aerys would continue to abuse her -which would be a pointless act. And Arthur was not her uncle, he had a heart and a soul and a moral code and just from the way he talked about it, the way he destroyed himself over it, she knew how much it has affected him.

He was guilty, of course he was guilty because whatever the reasons that prevented him from acting; he remained silent against an abuse and did not inform the only person who can put a stop into it but Atera understood it, showed emphaty because she would to exactly the same. Aerys' sins were his sins but there also was a reason why Rhaella herself never told to Rhaegar as well.

Love.

She didn't need to know Rhaegar well to guess if he would know it, he would kill his father or die trying it. In both cases would not do good. Killing Aerys would open a scar in his soul that no one can mend and yes, Rhaella would be free of abuse but the thousands of lives would suffer under a depressed king like him. And if Rhaegar would die trying, it would make everything even worse for Rhaella. While telling the truth to the prince and relive one's conscience was the easy thing to do in here, Arhtur had to make the hard call and sacrificed himself for Rhaegar.

There was only one man with the guilt, only one sinner and it was the king himself who placed everyone in a bad position. It was not right, it was even horrible to think so but sometimes people needed to be sacşrifced in order the greater good. Just like the baby in Cersei's womb, just like Rhaella's health. Aerys was the culprit, Aerys was the monster, Aerys was to blame. And while what Arthur has done was not morally right, that she could easily blame him, she chose not to because again, telling Rhaegar would make things worse. She was not going to congrulate him but he did not deserve a punishment as well.

He was already torturing himself enough.

"I-I could stop him.", his lips moved but he was not sure if he actually utterd the words.

"How?", she pursed her lips. "The only way to stop him would be killing him and of course, your vows were not more important than her health but then what?"

"...what?"

"You killed the king and then what?", she pressed. "Would everything be better?"

"I-"

"No, it would not.", she shook her head. "Rhaegar would have to kill you but knowing him, you probably would have to spend your entire life at the Wall."

"This is not-"

"And what would become of Rhaegar?", she raised her eyebrows. "He would be left alone, would blame himself as we both know he is prone to do shit like that. He would become more alone and depressed, he would never trust someone and with time, he would start to fail because you would prove everyone that anyone can kill the king and that they cannot even trust a kingsguard and trust me, that fear would start to rise in him. Fear makes horrible things to people. With time, it would turn into paranoia and paranoia would make someone go mad.", she whispered the last word. "So, yes, congrulations; you have ended the queen's abuse and sent back the realm a hundred years ago back, drown it in blood. What would you do then? Ran away from the Watch to come and kill Rhaegar as well? No, I do not think so.", she took a deep breath. "I am not saying you are innocent because you are not but sometimes the life is just that; you get the blame when you had no other choice. Every other move you could make would only damage Rhaegar more and more and we need Rhaegar to remain undamaged and sane since he is going to rule us all one day."

"His life should not be more important than the others.", he said with sadness.

"But it is.", she had to play the heartless one if it was necessary. "He is the most important man in this realm, he is our only hope.", despite her anger with him, this was the truth. "He is the only one that can actually change things, his life is more important than of his mother and his unborn sibling."

"I was sworn to protect the royal family."

"Yes, but not from him.", she said frimly. "Blame yourself all you want because yes, you do deserve to be blamed but also know that you did the right thing. Sometimes, some people has to suffer so the world can be a better place.", she turned her head away. "My mother was also abused by my father and nobody did anything, including your oh so honourable Lord Commander.", she turned back to him. "So I am not surorised to his actions one bit. He was always the same. And let me tell you this; I am sure that Rhaegar was very angry at you for hiding this -and I believe this was the reason of your conflict but as a child who knew her mother got abused; we never want to know it, not truly.", her eyes focused to the ground. "Of course you think you want to know it. She is your mother after all, you do want to know what is happening. You can blame people for forsaking the truth from you even but once you find out about it; you wish you never did because it is a never ending curse."

"This-this is not an- no...", he had nothing to say.

"You don't have to say anything.", she dismissed it. "Hardest choices are always made by the strongest wills. And just because you did the best thing you can do, doesn't mean you did the right thing. It is why I don't like the kingsguard or sworn swords or sworn shields or anything that involvs a pledge.", her eyes found his. "You can never know what the future will bring to you."

And at that moment, Arthur was sure that he simply was in love.

*

"My lady.", Jon entered to her chambers with a smile he couldn't surpres, her things were already packed but he wanted to see her before she left.

Seeing his entrance, she placed down the book she was reading and stood up with a knowing smirked and made a cursty. "My lord.", he did deserve that. "Congrulations. It is not going to be easy, to carry that sigil and act as the second man of the realm. And it will be a lot harder to carry Rhaegar to the victory but I believe you and I will prevail at the end."

"I wouldn't agree with this if I didn't believe that we will.", he said with confidence and her smile grew.

"Pity.", she said. "You and I have similar minds, have similar ideals.", Jon tilted his head. "If only this entire affair with Oberyn wouldn't happen so I could propose you another deal.", Jon seemed surprised, almost.

"He is a prince.", he stated. "You'll become the sister of the queen."

"I can gain nothing from a man like Oberyn.", she huffed. "Not power, not influence. You and I could work far better. Given that you are the only supporter of Rhaegar in that council. Not even my uncle would support him in time of need. They will come after you like sharks who smelled blood. They will try to get rid of you and the king spends his Hands like silver in these days. It would work better for you to have a marriage with me to strengthen your position. We could support each other."

Something flashed from Jon's eyes. "I can fight with those leeches myself, do not underestimate me.", he took a step forward. "I am honoured by the other option you are proposing but it is far too late to consider it now."

"Pity,", she said once more. "right when I agreed to have an open marriage...", her smile was there even though she shook her head with a fake disspointment and Jon's eyes turned into warnings.

"Whatever you think you are implying-"

"Just because we don't float out ways like the Dornish, doesn't mean that we are as open minded as them.", she interrupted him. "I believe love is love.", she leaned forward to make it clear. "And I believe love is beautiful.", her nephew did had interes in men as well, who was she to judge? "I see how you look at him.", she added afterwards and Jon turned his head away. "It must be hard."

"I prefer not to talk about this.", he turned back to her. "Or else I also will have to talk about whose looks I see towarded to you.", with that, Atera's smile faded. "And the way I see how you look at him.", he shook his head, there was a calm warning, an understanding between them. "I like the way your brain works and it relieves me to see that there is someone else that sees things."

"They will understand one day.", she said firmly. "When it is all said and done, they will be thankful. But there is a long path filled with obstacles in our way. We need to start to strategize soon enough. Let them play their little games.", Jon poured both of them wine and she accepted for the importance of the victory. "You and I will win the war."

*

281 AC, Oldtown

"Brother!", she smiled greatly when her carriage opened and she saw Leyton's warm face. Without even stepping outside properly, she threw herself to Leyton's arms and let him spun her around like a child. "I missed you.", she said rather emotionally when her feet finally touched to the ground and even when Leyton made a move to pull himself away, she held him tighter.

She truly needed that.

"I missed you too my moonlight.", startled by her sudden emotional self, he held her tighter as well and placed a kiss on her head. "It has been too long."

"Just two moons.", she huffed when she finally took a step back and Leyton held her hands this time.

"Felt like eternity.", his smile was worried, she could see that. "How was the journey?"

"The weather is incredibly good in here. We expected the roads to be still frozen but it seems like as if the spring finally came.", she squeezed his hand and turned to everyone that was expecting them.

With the corner of her eyes, she saw the way Leyton offered his hand to Alea to help him get out of the carriage and then carried Alysanne with giggles, Baelor and Mace has already dismounted. "Alerie!", she missed even her. Her eldest niece's warm face softened even more with a bright smile. "Look at that, you are huge!", she claimed with blurted eyes and Alerie couldn't help but chuckle, pulled her to a small hug.

"And I have missed you as well.", but she almost gasped when she hugged her. She did lost too much weight ever since they saw one another and she could practically feel her bones. Through her shoulder, she did share a look with her father. It was obvious he felt that as well. "Where is Prince Oberyn?", she tried to hide her shock and placed a small smile.

"Stayed at the harbour to welcome his own brother and bannermen.", it was her husband who answered them, placed a small kiss to her head. "I must go there as well."

"Baelor,", Leyton turned to his eldest son who was kissing his wife's cheek. "go there on my behalf. I want to spend some time with my sister without everyone around.", this gave chills to everyone because the seriousness of his voice was too obvious.

Atera wrinkled her nose to Willas and Garlan and turned back to her brother. "Where are your other children?"

"Denyse is walking with her betrothed and Garth is trying to disturb them.", Leyton shrugged. "Leyla and Lynesse already left with Vortimer. You just missed them actually, they left yesterday."

"Yes, yes,", she nodded. "and where it came from exactly?"

Leyton did not answer that. "And Malora didn't feel like leaving the tower."

"Hmm.", she murmured and pursed her lips. "Very well then. Let us spend some time.", she mocked.

But Leyton's face was getting more serious, he sent a small glance at Alea. "Would you like to walk in the gardens or drink something warm?"

"Gardens.", she declated. "I am stuck in the carriage ever since the harbour."

"Why didn't you ride the begin with?", he questioned, it was not like his sister.

"I haven't slep the entire night so Alea didn't let me.", she rolled her eyes but Alea didn't seem like she was in a good mood, she shared another look with Leyton.

"Good, you two walk and Alea please come with me.", Alerie spoke to interrupt the tension. "I have finished almost everything but I want to ask your opinion on the dress.", she looked at Atera. "Once you done, come to me. I'll show you everything."

"I truly don't want-"

"I am pregnant and yet I've made perfection.", she interrupted him and not even Atera would dare to argue with her when she was pregnant. "You'll come to me once you are done in here."

*

"You lost weight, did they starve you at the capital?", it was the first thing he said to her when they started to walk with no guards or anyone following them, just brother and sister, alone.

"You know I barely have appetite at winter.", this was a weak excuse and she could do better but she didn't want to play pretend with Leyton.

"Our uncle has been ambushed and injured.", he looked at her and then contined. "You were questioned to plot for it all since you were accused to be the prince's mistress."

"Tywin Lannister was behind it, he was funding everything and they questioned me to put a stop to the rumours. I didn't like it but I understood it."

Leyton sighed. "You've been sick.", she couldn't reject that now. "And then miraculously healed the next day."

"I was poisoned.", she said and Leyton stopped walking as she continued. After a few second she did turn to him and stopped walking as well. "I did something perhaps I shouldn't have done -not that I regret it, and as some sort of a get back, revenge, I was poisoned in return but it was nothing serious."

"I sent you there,", he took breaths to calm himself down. "to relieve your mind, to have an adventure, to find some sort of serenity, peace, happiness, to make friends.", his voice was getting deeper and harsher with every word. "Not so some son of a bitch would dare to poison you!", he basically yelled the last word but she was looking at him without expressions.

"Are you done?"

"Fuck you!", he said with a grimace.

"No, fuck you and fuck Alea, that little snake betrayed me.", she said with a pout. "I am not a child Leyton, not anymore. I do not need your protection, I can defend myself."

"You can defend yourself?", he asked, horrified. "Somebody poisoned you! Is this how you defend yourself?"

"Yes.", she agreed nonchalantly and Leyton took a step forward.

"Sister,", he tried to control his tone. "are you joking with me?"

"Of course I am joking with you Rhaegar.", she rolled her eyes. "You know sometimes such wounds do appear on my skin due to stress and all and they usually disappear a day later.", Leyton would not let it go so she had to lie, of course he didn't seem like he believed but she was not after that, not right now. "It was just an illness."

"And what made you that sad and stressed?", he took another step forward. "Who did?"

"I was expecting it after everything.", she forced a smile. "It is nothing, I am perfectly fine. Please, please,", she repetead again with a louder voice when she saw him preparing to say something. "do not pressure me. I just came here. Please.", Leyton turned his head away. "I missed you, I missed my brother.", she reached out and held his wrist. "Please, we can argue later. We've been arguing ever since I was born. But not right now, please."

He sighed and closed his eyes, nodded reluctantly and she threw herself to his arms.

*

281 AC, Dragonstone

"A great council.", Rhaegar declared once more. "We will gather as much as lords we can to spread the idea, to see who will be our ally and who will not. Times of writing letters and reading names out of a book is over."

It was dawn and Rhaegar woke all of them up and now they were sitting around Aegon's painted table. Elia was there, just like Arthur and Oswell, Myles and Richard and Ashara. Making their first big plan.

"You all declared time and time again that you want trust from me, that you expected me to make a move and reprimanded me, judged me for playing it safe and here we are.", he opened his arms. "We are going to start from somewhere."

"And you don't think this is a big step, this one?", Arthur asked. "Where did all of this came from?"

He needed to prepare the realm to the Long Night, his time was running out but he couldn't do so with his father on the throne. They had a long path to walk on and procascinating things was not going to help them. He needed to put down his reluctance and fears. He was born for this, this was the sole reason of his existence, he was not going to let it all go to a waste and doom the humanity because of personal problems.

"It was not the right time beforeheand.", he still had a hope that his father could change. "It is now."

They all silently shared looks, they had never seen Rhaegar this dedicated before. "In order to make this plan right; we will need the right excuse and the right place.", Arthur nodded firmly, they were going to start it seemed.

"We shall gather more than half of the lords in the realm.", Elia said. "Your father would get suspicious the moment we even attempt to do such a thing. Or reason must be something so ordinary that he would not think twice on it."

"Why do people would gather around in crowds?", Ashara rubbed her face. "The answer is right in front of us."

"Birth of the princess' baby?", Richard suggested as he sent a look to Elia. "Surely it is a right reason."

Elia hummed in agreement but Rhaegar shook his head. "It is customary to bring the royal heirs to the king. We will not have the time to celebrate it here and even if we would; he would never allow it and of course, Dragonstone is not big enough to host all those lords. And we cannot do so in the capital. He would have limitless power over all of us there. And we don't have that much time."

"If it is going to be a boy,", Elia said, shared a look with Rhaegar, they both knew it was a boy. "the king surely will try to kill him."

"His own grandson?", Myles asked with a horrified way and Rhaegar nodded grimly.

"I would say your name day celebrations but as you said, Dragonstone is not that big.", Oswell rubbed his face.

"Ashara,", Arthur called for his sister -who was rolling her eyes. "tell us, what is it?"

"A tourney.", the answer was too simple. "It is the one occasion that does not have to take place in here or at the capital and we can invite as many lords as we can without blinking."

"Good.", Rhaegar agreed. "Good but for what?"

"What do you mean?", she frowned.

"Tourneys happen for a reason, no? The last large tourney was held on when Viserys was born and even that many people will not be enough for us. What can be more important than the birth of a royal prince that is convincing enough for people from all sides to join?"

"Yes, usually when a tourney is thrown, more than half of them are Southern lords. We need Northeners.", Elia supported her husband.

"Then we will need the Starks.", Arthur turned to his friend. "If they join, their bannermen will follow."

"Brandon Stark will marry to Catelyn.", Elia declared with a loud excitement. "I can write to Catelyn so she can pursue him to join. And of course an entourage from North would escort their future lord.", it was the great excuse. "And of course his younger brother is Robert Baratheon's companion. If we can convince Robert to join -which I don't think will be a hard thing to do, more Northeners would join now that two of their sworn lords is joining to it."

"Hoster might not let Catelyn herself to join to it.", Oswell shook his head. "That old bastard is obsessed with marrying her off."

"Don't worry on that.", Ashara smiled. "She will write to Brandon Stark in secrecy, pose off as she is going to join to the tourney and when the response comes, she will do a little editing and will tell to her father that her fiancée wishes to see her at the tourney.", Arthur huffed to her but she did see the small smile on his face.

"And the Vale?", Richard asked. "I can convince Robert, have no worries but the Vale? What will make Jon Arryn to join?"

Rhaegar did not had a pleasant conversation with him at the capital and when the argument got escalated he was meaning to offer him an olive branch -then Elia's incident happened and they had to leave. They truly needed Richard now.

"Do we even want Jon Arryn to join?", Ashara wondered. "I don't like that man."

"He is known as one of the most honourable lords in the realm.", Oswell disagreed. "With two of his wards going there, I believe a good portion of his lords would too -including his heir."

"These all are good plans but we still do not have answer for the two main questions.", Arthur was not sharing their excitement. "Why and where?"

"Do we have a book that writes all the big tourneys?", Elia wondered. "Perhaps we can gather an idea."

Rhaegar pursed his lips and moved to the small library, when his eyes found the big black book he took it and placed it to the table. "Here it is my love.", Elia sent him a wink and pulled the book to herself.

"Well, well, well; we have the first tourney ever.", she stated. "It happened to find a husband to Maris the Maid, the daughter of Garth Greenhand. It says Argoth Stone-Skin has won the tourney but she married with Uthor of the High Tower.", she looked at them. "A betrothal then?"

"If only Rhaegar had a sister.", Oswell shook his head.

"So that's why Eyrine's son is named Uthor.", Ashara commented and they looked at her in surprise. "What? It's a silly name. I always wondered why she did name him such as. This explains."

"It would be a cursed thing to begin with, Os, to plan such an important thing based on a failed tourney.", Rhaegar commented.

"Failed? Why?", he wondered.

"Well she did marry with one another, no?", he asked. "The tourney failed its purpose."

"Well we have,", she hummed for a while as she read. "the one that was thrown in 49 AC. Called as 'War of the White Cloaks' and was made to fill the vacancies in the kingsguard.", the silent question was too loud as Arthur and Oswell shared a look and shook their heads.

"We don't know when or if Harlan will die.", Arthur commented.

"And Gerold would never allow such a thing.", Oswell continued.

"And this would only interest the warriors of the realm, not old lords and such.", Richard added. "They do not care who wears that pretty armour."

Arthur seemed like he was going to say something but Elia started to speak once again. "We have one in 55 AC, for the competition of Dragonpit?"

"It would take moons of not years to rebuild it, your grace and it would require the king's approval.", Myles said silently. "And to build another thing with the same impact would take even longer."

"A royal visit?", she suggested this time. "58 AC, White Harbour for the Queen Alysanne's arrival."

"Would only interest the lord that is hosting and banners nearby.", Rhaegar shook his head. "Why would Brandon Stark come to South because we visited a bannerman or why would Mace Tyrell go to North because we went there?"

"An anniversary perhaps?", Elia sighed in disappointment. "Your father's twentieth anniversary is approaching but the point is doing this withpt him. And even if we would use our own marriage; Dragonstone is too small, on that we agree.", she turned more pages and then raised an eyebrows when she finally landed on what she was searching for and tapped the writing on the book. "The wedding tourney for Princess Rhaenyra Targaryen and Ser Laenor Velaryon.", she looked at them. "A wedding."

"Viserys is too young to be wed and it would not unite the realm.", Rhaegar said again.

"You mean Atera and Oberyn's wedding?", Ashara frowned. "Now that would manage to unite only the South, El, not the North and I would say good luck to you. Atera swears up and down that she is not going to marry until summer comes."

"And it is what my point is.", she smiled. "Not the wedding itself. But summer.", when nobody understood she rolled her eyes. "We will celebrate the coming of the summer because this winter was a torture for us all."

"But we don't know when the summer will come?", Ashara questioned in hesitancy. "Or do we?", her voice was filled with doubt and sounded small.

"We don't need the summer to come, not exactly.", no one was understanding her. "We can just tell the lords that it did."

"But we cannot do that.", Arthur frowned just like his sister, they looked too alike. "Only the Citadel can infrom the lords and only the Archmaester can approve the sending of such news."

"If only we knew a Hightower who would convince them.", silence surrounded the room.

They didn't know where they were standing on Atera's topic.

Elia just looked at Rhaegar as the rest averted them. "Will it work?", he asked silently, it was obvious he was fighting with his pride.

"Do you have a better idea?", she wondered. "Does anyone?", Rhaegar only grunted and then nodded in reluctance.

"Good.", she smiled and leaned to her back. "Now the last question; where? Which castle is that big to contain everyone?"

Oswell closed his eyes and clenched his jaw greatly and then pushed the dragon banners to the Riverlands, looked directly at Rhaegar.

"Harrenhal."

*

281 AC, Oldtown

"Don't be so tense.", Alea sighed as her hands found his shoulders and he closed his eyes, seconds later she was sitting on his lap and his hands were around her. "Tonight is the betrothal night. You should be happy."

"Because my sister is going to marry a Dornishman?", he huffed and leaned his head back, his eyes were still close, even when Alea started to place kisses to his jawline. "I would rather her to stay in this tower forever."

"She is an adult, you cannot control her any longer and this marriage, however reluctantly, is her wish as much as it is a necessity.", he didn't answer. "We've been here for a week, this is truly not the right time to object to it, my lord.", her fingers started to play with his collar. "Especially when we have funnier things that we can do.", in the last week, both were too busy that all they could manage to do was to sent each other burning looks through the crowd.

"Like what?", his hands became suggestively tighter.

"Like, I can fuck you in that chair,", she whispered to his ear. "until the time for us to start preparing arrives? That, unless you have a better idea?"

He opened his eyes. "Or I can fuck you in this table over and over again until you forger your own name so I can show you properly how much I've missed you?"

Alea giggled to that. "I loved that idea better.", and as he stood up with a swift move and made her lie there, he threw up the papers on top of it.

*

"Which one?", she turned to her husband and asked, thye were getting prepared for the big night and she was wearing a baby blue shimmering gown. "White or gold?", she was holding two different earrings next to her face and Mace narrowed his eyes.

"White."

"Are you sure?", she pursed her lips.

"You look like a ray of sunshine in everything but white looks better for your gown.", he leaned forward and kissed her as she giggled but they broke apart when Atera entered with a huff and Mace could swear literal hearts came out of Alerie's eyes.

"You look so beautiful!", she threw away both of the earrings to the bed and rushed to her. "Mace look! Isn't she gorgeous?"

Mace nodded with a rpideful smile. "Congrulations, Atera, I hope this will work out the best for you."

She just rolled her eyes at him. She was wearing a green gown that she truly adored, though she would never tell it to Alerie. Of course, they had to do much tightening and it shocked the poor seamstresses but all was handled now. The dress itself was dark green and the sleeves were made of tullet, through her neck to the skirts there was a bottle green part with black embodiments.

Alerie chose a golden set for her -earrings, necklace and thick bracelets with circled headpiece. Her hair was braided backwards and there was make up in her face -pruple coloured lips and grey eyeshadow to make her eyes pop.

She was indeed looking gorgeous.

"You have no idea how crowded outside right now.", Alerie said with excitement, they were going to held the event at the gardens, she has decided so. "Almost everyone is here. And they are waiting in excitement."

*

"Look at you,", Mellario held his arms as they both stood in front of the mirror. "you look so handsome.", Oberyn smiled at her and Mellario turned to her husband. "Doran, has your father finally arrived?", her husband was not in a bright mood for some reason, complaining about some ache in his legs but still looked at her with love.

"He shall be soon enough.", he answered and winked at Oberyn who tightened his belt.

He was wearing a faded brown shirt that he barely buttoned and a white robe on top of it that had fainted yellow embodiments. He was indeed looking handsome. As Mellario and Doran were whispering to one another, he reached out for his cup but Mellario's loud voice stopped him.

"Oberyn!", she held the skirts of her dark red gown and approached to him with swift movements. "What are you doing?", she judged him and took the cup from him. "Tonight is your betrothal night, behave."

"It is why I am drinking, sister.", he rolled his eyes. "Can't you let me just for one night?"

"You should not drink especially tonigtht.", his brother warned him seriously. "I don't remember how many hours I've spent to convince Leyton, I've literally bent over backwards so you'll behave tonight, for me."

"I don't understand what is wrong with me drinking?"

"It is nothing wrong with it but you do not drink it with your mouth.", he stated. "And I think you can show some emphaty. We would not marry our sister with a drunken fool as well."

"I don't even understand why we are having a betrothal to begin with. Like, let us just sign the contract like normal people. While are we treating it as if it's such a big thing?"

"Because your bride to be is a Reacher.", Mellario huffed. "They celebrate everything here."

"You've been drinking since morning already but we have many important guests. You can continue to do so after they leave; after we sign the contract properly. But not before.", Doran warned him again.

"Fine, I am not drinking.", he rolled his eyes. He knew when to stop, he didn't understand why they acted as if he was a child.

"Oberyn,", Mellario approached to him with a smile and raised her hands to fix his collar. "if something goes wrong, it is it for us. The king has signed the peace treaty -we were not prepared for this. They should have sign it after we have this betrothal so Dorne would be protected by the law but it isn't the case now. We need this marriage to happen more than anything. So please, please, behave. Think of your niece and nephew, your own daughters, if you don't care about us."

"Brother,", he grunted as he stood up and Mellario sent him a worried look but he waved it off. "everything is about to come to an end. After tonight, your life will be easier and happier."

"Tell me that both of you are aware this is not a wedding and Leyton can still call it off."

"He needs this marriage but he doesn't show it as much as we do.", Doran sent him a look. "He cannot change his mind after tonight, he does not have the luxury."

*

The event itself did not take that long, Aethan was sulking the entire night and Leyton wrapped a hand around Atera to prevent her from literally escaping, the marriage contract signed by both and the feast has started. The food was good, the chatter was at least bearable and Atera danced with all of her male relatives; her brother, Baelor and Garth and Arys, and even with Mace. Twice with Oberyn and when she basically threw herself back to the chair with tiredness, Doran and Paxter both asked for another dance and when Garth pushed her, she had to dance even with Daven and later on with Aethan and when Leyton asked for one last dance, she couldn't say 'no' to her brother.

"I know what you've done yesterday.", he said with a smile and her heart skipped a beat. "You spoke with the Archmester of the Citadel, why?", he wondered and she couldn't manage to make up a lie fast enough. "Whatever it is,", he continued. "you asked him to declare the summer has arrived. Are you aware this will end up with your marriage?"

"Please don't ask questions, I cannot answer them.", she said with a small pout.

"Smile.", he ordered. "People are looking.", he continued only when she indeed placed a smile. "I did not send you there for this.", he hissed to her. "Not to find you like this. There is a deep sadness in your eyes that hurts me deeply. You claim to be in good health but we don't know you are not. I send you there to heal, you came back as broken. Why?", he asked with desperation.

"You think I am broken?", she almost stopped dancing, never a line she heard hurt this much.

Leyton didn't answer. "He cannot declare the summer has come, it is basically treason but he will announce the coming of the spring, I have spoken to him.", he said with a grim tone and when the dance ended they stopped. "Do not ever, whatever you do, choose someone else over your family.", he leaned forward to place a kiss on her cheekbone nd whispered. "Blood always runs thicker than water in the Reach."

Notes:

I want to explain something that bothered me as well while writing; you might question how on earth Cersei, a fifteen-year-old child with extreme health issues, can beat an anointed knight and a woman almost a decade older than her and knows how to fight and aside from the obvious dramatic reasons, it is because the effect of shock and also an emotional weakness.

Jaime does not expect such an attack and while yes, he can just throw her off, he chooses not to because she is his sister and he doesn't want to harm her. For Elia; it is even more shocking for her than Jaime and her first instinct is to protect her child, so she doesn't immediately fights back and then loses her consciousness because she hits her head.

And you might also think it makes no sense that Cersei beats Elia and faces no actual punishment and that I should have made a bigger deal out of it; you are right, I should have but this was the subplot of the subplot and while it deserve much more screen time, what point would it serve? We had already seen Elia in distress and Rhaegar and everyone else worrying for her before (when she gave birth when she was kidnapped and we'll see her again when she gives birth once more), so it would be pointless to write it again and her wounds are not even that bad. So it was a deliberate choice to not include it in the chapter.