Arthur had to admit; his job was one of the poorest and finest in the seven kingdoms. If he were lucky enough, he would be stationed with Elia and Rhaegar, following the two as they falsified their affections for each other. Elia had told him that the two were friends, but the love or infatuation that was once there seemed to have fizzled out after Aegon was not yet even born,

He looked to his sister and his love as they laughed and whispered to each other, Rhaegar would turn to them now and then to try and listen to what they were saying, little did he know those two were as quiet as mice when they spoke in public. Arthur turned his head to watch as Brandon unhorsed the second Whent brother, he held in a laugh as Lord Whent let out an angry cry and Brandon's siblings were back on their feet clapping.

Arthur remembered how much he missed his parents, mostly his mother, how she would hold him in her arms and sing sweet songs to him until he fell asleep. He laughed at Ashara whenever she would get angry at Rhaella for killing her mother. If only she knew. Ashara was a girl of three when their mother had died; he had no idea how a child could've even had the hate she held when they heard their mother had died. She threw her tiny body to the wet nurse, though he was sure she didn't understand exactly what was going on, after a year with no trace of their mother, Ashara stopped peeping through the door where Serene would slide notes to Arthur. He could not fathom how quickly things happened. Once second he clutched the note that had scribbled on it:

I am well, I have just taken ill.

And the next moment they were shoved into their rooms and their mother was wailing and screaming. He stuck his ear to the door to get a better hear of the things that were said, and he would never forget the way Ashara sat on the floor. Her hands to her ears, her body rocking back and forth. There were silent footsteps that ran past their room door, and then he heard cries of men outside.

"Make it stop!" She squealed, a girl of three. Arthur wished he could make the screaming stop, but he couldn't. He looked under his door, the small line between door and floor seemed to be sealed with a piece of cloth. He sighed pressing his ear back again.

"One more my lady!" he heard Lilia cry, Serene let out another groan and then a child's squeals were heard. Almost like a strangled pig. He heard Lilia cry out and scream. "She will wake. Maester there has to be something-" But her voice was muffled, the doors must have been closed. He heard mumbling and the door squeak open. Small pitter patters of footsteps ran down the hall and vanished with each step the person took down the staircase.

He began to cry as he saw the dead bodies on the floor, opened the door to his room and was met with a sight he could never forget, nor compare anything to. It was worse than anything he had and would ever see. He could not even describe it, but he knew he would remember that exact moment for the rest of his life. Her dark hair was sprawled around her, her face sweaty and red. Her chest so still and her eyes wide open. Blood pooled around her legs, it was on the bed, on her hands and dripping down to the floor. A Maester stood in front of her, whispering quiet words with eyes shut as handmaidens worked to pick up the bed sheets and wipe the sweat from her face. Arthur remembered being angry at them; they would not even allow her the last moments of her life to be easy, tugging, pulling and patting her body. And how could he forget, the scream that his father let out, it almost made Arthur go deaf. He remembered how his father came, almost out of nowhere, pushed the handmaidens aside and held her body so close that the blood began to rub on his night clothes. His father said something to the Maester; the Maester pointed to the hallway, where Arthur stood. They seemed to look right past him. His father gently put Serene's body on the bed and ran to the window, Arthur ran to his own to see what his father was looking at. He heard his father scream something to the men below, they looked up to their Lord and drew their swords.

He heard the cries of the men outside and the clanking of swords, Three large men had almost sprung from nowhere and were now fighting against their men, The Dornish men were falling quickly, swiftly and easily. Almost like a giant and breathed and they toppled over. He saw a figure run down the steps of their castle and try to get past one of the brutes, Lilia. He knew who it was right away. She was forced onto a horse with the tiny screaming package in her hands, and the brute got on behind her. They rode away. The whole thing was planned, how else would those monsters know when to be at their home? They had to have been called upon. He vowed to return that precious gift their mother had brought into this world back home to his father. His father, the man who would remember that night for the rest of his life, the man who was to be seated at their castle for the rest of his days, alone; his children taken away, unbeknownst to him or Arthur, by the very man who had caused the family such grief.

And remember he did. Every night he would see that same image in his head, replaying until the gods let him rest easy. Arthur knew that when that bastard Stark stepped through her carriage doors and up the stairs to her room and by the way Rhaella had looked at her, that she was his half-sister.

She held her mother's purple eyes, dark hair, and sun-kissed skin. But she had her father's beauty. Arthur also knew who her father was, and would never forgive Aerys for killing his mother. He refused to allow himself to forgive the man that had forced her into such a state that she died doing something she had already done twice before.

He looked to his half-sister, Arianne. She was dressed in a modest dress, more modest than the night before and kept quiet. Her siblings, on the other hand, talked amongst themselves, excited to see their brother win three jousts in a row.

These Southern have pretty knights. Knights that will lose wars. Arthur thought to himself. He knew better than meddle in the workings of jousts; they were poor warriors and sellswords who had no one to work for because as their name suggested they either could not fight or the Kingdom was running out of people to kill.

He wondered how the little girl had enraptured three men in one night; though he knew Ashara could capture twenty just by breathing their way. Jamie Lannister was certainly on his knees, boasting about how he was able to have the first dance and how so many did not dance with her the night before.

"She gave me her first dance just as she will give me her maidenhood by the end of this magnificent Tourney," Jaime smiled, his armour blinding those who dared stare at it.

"Talk about my sister one more time Lannister, and it's the last bloody thing that will come out of your mouth," Brandon Stark growled, dropping his sword and march to Jaime.

"Or what?" Jaime smirked. Arthur could tell he was a trouble seeker.

"Your daddy isn't here to buy you out of this fight boy, and I'm warning you," Brandon sneered a second time. His brother Eddard, the boy Arthur had saved Ashara from at the feast, pushed his brother away from Jaime and told him to take a walk. Turning to Jaime, Eddard glared and followed his brother, who picked up his sword and shrugged his brother's hand from his shoulder.

"I'd be lucky to have anyone talk of my sister like that," Walder Whent laughed as his brothers laughed along with him.

"Your sister is a beautiful girl, you treat her as such anyway," Oberyn pointed out.

"My sister is beautiful when you're drunk. She has a common girls beauty, not the beauty of Cersei or Lyanna or Catelyn," Walder said.

"No, they all have a commoners beauty too," Oberyn responded, leaning his back on a tree. He had been watching the men practice from the sidelines. Oberyn looked up to a window on the castle walls, no one knew what he was staring at, but he seemed to be looking to the window longingly. "She has the beauty of the Maid. She makes you want to scream and claw at your chest until you cannot do so anymore just for the gift of gazing at her face one last time."

The men snickered. "Are you in love Martell?" Jaime smirked. "If you are, I suggest you stop trying. I have marked her as mine."

"You are betrothed Lannister, you forget yourself. The only woman yours now is Lysa Tully," Oberyn pointed out. Jaime glared at him. "And you will watch the way you speak to a Prince, Lord."

"You aren't my Prince," Jaime snapped back.

"I am the brother of Princess Elia Martell, my good brother is Prince Rhaegar Targaryen, my good-mother the Queen and my good-father the King; I am your Prince whether you like it or not," Oberyn smirked walking closer to Jaime. "Stay away from my territory Lannister."

"Fuck off," Jaime snarled before marching off.

"Give Cersei one finger from me!" Oberyn shouted as Jaime walked away.

Arthur put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head, "you are a menace," he said patting Oberyn's shoulder.

Oberyn shrugged. "I can't be the only one who sees the way those two look at each other?"

"Leave it Oberyn. It is none of your business."

"Arthur!" Rhaegar repeated he must've been too lost in his thoughts to hear him because Barristan seemed to be looking at him shocked.

"Sorry my Prince," Arthur murmured bowing his head. Rhaegar shook his head, Arthur knew how much he hated it when he referred to him so formally. Both considered the other as a brother.

"It's alright, Elia wants to rest in her room. Could you accompany her?" Rhaegar asked, Elia, stood from her seat, excused herself and Ashara and followed Arthur down the steps of the stand, up the stairs of the bear pit and to the main courtyard.

"I know this makes you wish you stayed in Kings Landing," Ashara smiled to her brother. "Your job seems to bore you here."

"And you think I didn't argue with Ser Gerold Hightower to have me as far away from this stupid Tourney as possible?" Arthur asked, turning to his sister.

Elia let out a giggle. "And be far away from me Ser?"

How could he deny that being with Elia had improved his past two days? Though he had been around Rhaegar a lot, he had to admit that the perks of being stationed at her door during the day overjoyed him. When no one was looking, she'd call him into her room, and they would talk and share small kisses until Rhaegar came back and asked what was going on, to which they would reply Elia wasn't feeling well and asked for company.

They had only done it twice, during the first day. Rhaegar had left the room to see the Starks as they came into the castle, and a second time after he had come from the feast.

Arthur looked at her, looked twice to his left and twice to his right before placing a small kiss on her cheek. "Do I dare ever to be away from you?" he whispered.

"Blech!" Ashara scoffed, walking faster to Elia's room.

...

"And you would tell me if you've heard anything won't you Rashida?" Merida smiled, patting her maid's leg gently. She had been working to convince the girl to bring back gossip from the maid's and other servants that she thought would be of any benefit for her.

"I have not heard anything about Prince Oberyn, milady, but I will let you know when I have," Rashida responded promptly, fearful of the young girls' reaction. The tales were true it seemed, for the girl had a temper as hot as a stove.

"Whatever. Now help me get dressed for dinner? Papa has allowed Lysa to our table so I don't want her being left alone for a moment with my brothers. They are all such brutes. Willias tells me that they were talking about me at the armoury? Can you believe it?" Merida smiled. She dropped her day dress to the floor and walked to her bed to see the selections that she had made earlier in the day waiting to be chosen. Rashida looked away, wondering how the girl was so comfortable to undress so quickly.

Then again, I am only a maid.

"No milady, it's quite a wonder,' Rashida responded quietly.

Merida pointed a slender finger to a blue sheer dress, the very same that the bastard girl had worn the other day. "That one."

Rashida's voice quivered. If her Lord father were to find out she had allowed his daughter to leave the room in such a dress, her head would be flying over Harrenhal. "What...what about this one?" Rashida said, pointing to the red dress. It was made of sturdy material and was very elegant.

Merida scoffed at the maid. "I didn't ask for input, I want to wear that one."

"Of course," Rashida nodded. "Sorry." She picked the dress up and helped her into it, making sure not to catch any loose threads on her intricately braided hair.

Merida sat at her vanity, looking down at her jewellery. Rashida smiled to herself, the very same jewellery that Lady Whent borrowed from Catelyn Tully. She had to remind Hoster Tully, who had profusely refused to give Catelyn's jewels to them, that Minisa Tully, his late wife, was sister to her current husband, and jewellery was something shared in the Whent household.

Merida soon after cried to Rashida that Lord Tully had asked Lady Shella Whent if Ser Oswell Whent shared the king with them, seeing as he was a part of the Kingsgaurd and was her good-brother. Catelyn had kindly agreed, understanding circumstances, and allowed Merida to borrow some of the necklaces and bracelets she knew she would not wear anymore.

"Is something funny?" Merida asked, turning around in her chair.

Rashida shook her head. "I was merely thinking of how you would be the most beautiful girl in the hall tonight. I doubt anyone else would scrap beside you milady."

Merida beamed as Rashida placed a hairpiece on her head. "Did I tell you that the bastard was invited to tea? Only the Gods know why the Queen would bother with her." A silence followed them as Rashida worked on placing bracelets and a necklace on her. "I don't see why anyone pays any mind to her. She is just a bastard. Lysa was furious, you know. Jaime Lannister made his life very hard. Plus I heard that the Lannister's weren't invited to Brandon and Catelyn's wedding. Then again, I'm sure that is Lysa being quick-tempered. She would die to have Jaime there-"

Thank the gods. Rashida thought to herself. There was a knock on her door.

She quickly went to open the door, but having seen the person outside, slammed it shut. "My lady, Prince Oberyn is outside," Rashida whispered behind Merida.

"Okay call him in?" Merida responded, rolling her eyes.

Why does she feel the need to whisper? Merida thought to herself.

"Your father has uhm...well-,"

"Speak up! How am I supposed to hear you with that tiny voice?" Merida scoffed standing from her seat at her vanity table.

"Your Lord father forbade me from letting you see Oberyn anymore. He said you are to choose another man or he'll choose one for you," Rashida said, her voice wavering.

Merida stared at the handmaiden, raising one brow. "My Lord father will live with my decisions." She said before stomping to the door to swing it open. Rashida pushed it back to close.

"I'm sorry, but your father is my Lord and is only who can tell me what to do and not to do."

"Get out of my way," Merida growled trying to open the door. "How much do you weigh?" She said. Rashida had her back to the wall, in front of Merida, who was trying futilely to open the door.

"My lady?" Oberyn's muffled voice came from the door.

Merida glared at Rashida. "One moment!" She squeaked pushing the girl to the side, walking out of her room and slamming the bedroom door shut. "Hello," she smiled touching her hair gently and fixed her dress.

Oberyn smiled down at her, she was a sight for sore eyes. He had noticed that she had styled her dress similar to the one that Arianne had worn the night before, only hers had little decency and left little to the imagination. "My lady."

"Is everything alright?" She asked, feigning worry.

Oberyn looked once to his right and once to his left, of course, he knew no one was about, but he wanted to make his intentions clear to Merida before he said them out loud. "Shall I come into your room?"

Merida giggled and opened the door wider. "Would that be suitable my prince?"

"I don't see why not. You are the maiden of the feast, they would not dare begin without you...if you are worried about time of course," Oberyn smiled, reassuring her.

"No, it's not the time I'm worried about. More what people will say," Merida pointed out. Rashida sighed in relief, she had some wits about her.

Oberyn looked around him once more. "What will they say?"

Merida let out another giggle. "You are notorious for your history with women my prince, I am sure my father would hang me if I let you in. I shall see you at the feast." And with that, she closed the door gently on him. Merida looked to Rashida, who in turn nodded her head in approval.

Though hope was not to be held for too long for Oberyn spoke through the door, his voice seemed to have changed into a velvety smooth one, alluring Merida to allow him inside. "You will shut the door and the man who finds himself infatuated with you, my lady? I came to you because no one else makes me smile the way you do."

"Rashida, that will be all for today."

...