Crownlands - Kingsroad

Arianne woke to the sound of heavy rain and a silent carriage. Once she had rubbed the sleep from her eyes, she saw the Queen, Princess and Ashara Dayne asleep; their breaths almost synched as when one inhaled another would exhale. Sighing she played with the dirty ends of her sleeve. If only she had kept her foolish hands to her self. Her father was right. One wrong move and she had sealed her fate. Not that she was angered by the fate of marrying the future King, no she could not complain about that. She was sure that the more that she spent time with Rhaegar, the more she had fallen in love with him. Though her perception of love was not one that was cemented, she had an idea of it.

Looking out of the carriage window and onto the murky ground underneath it, Arianne wondered if her family had received any of the letters she had sent in the past month. Apologies to her siblings for leaving without notice, to her father of how much she had already missed him and how excited she was to be reunited. To Lilian, who had not sent a letter since her first, asking after her health and if she would be coming to Kingslanding to visit.

She thought back to the first night in her tent. Rhaegar had ridden beside their carriage for three days saying that his fathers' demands for a faster journey were wearing him down.

"How long do we have?" Arianne asked, sitting at the table that had been propped up in the middle of the room for her meals. She wanted to spend as long as she could with the Prince before he had to return to his formal tent with Elia. Their engagement was one that was still very much kept secret between the royal family.

"A month, at the latest. It takes a lot to get a party of this size through the Kingsroad," he responded, unbuttoning his leather jacket.

Arianne could not help but admire the many rings that adorned his fingers, something she would never grow tired of with Rhaegar.

Biting her lip she looked away from him and he looked towards her. "What is it? Why the long face dear guest of mine?" He smirked reaching over to grab her hand.

"I do beg pardon if this question offends you but did you see my brothers and sister? Are they alright?" She asked, her stomach fluttering as he sighed.

Rhaegar looked at her apologetically. "I had no chance to see them, I'm sorry. I can bring you ink and scrolls to write to Harrenhal-"

"You think Brandon would stay there after what happened. They're probably on their way to Riverrun, or home by now." She said.

"I'll let the servants know to bring it to you first thing in the morning. Once you're done, give them to me and I will have the Maester send them, alright?"

"Okay," she smiled back nodding her head. "Have you checked on Elia? Or Oberyn? She mentioned that many Dornishmen were killed during the attack-"

Before she could continue, however, he cut her off. "The Prince refuses to speak to me and Elia the same."

"How odd."

Arianne also knew what the princess had thought of her as of late. She had sent many distasteful glances her way when she would converse with Rhaegar. It had seemed that he had placed his efforts in talking to his new guest, rather than his wife. Coming to her as soon as the party stopped, spending nights in her tent and asking for breakfast and dinner to be brought to them rather than eating with the rest of the family. She wondered if that was what her life in Kingslanding would be like. She couldn't deny that his company was amazing, but if she would be barred from seeing the public for so long, she didn't know if she could handle that.

Though the young girl understood why Elia must have been cold to her, having many of your men killed must have hurt her and to find the woman who was to marry her husband would be joining her in her home must have been irritating for the Princess.

"Caged bird," Elia would call her. Whispering to Ashara as Rhaegar taught the young girl how to bring down a tent.

"No," Oberyn muttered, standing behind his sister, arms crossed over his chest and nostrils flaring. "Stupid bird. She wants to be here."

Ashara stifled a laugh, watching Arianne laugh along with Rhaegar as the tent fell to the floor. "Found out the hard way lover boy?" Her statement was not one welcomed by Oberyn who stared at her, turned around and returned to his own tent.

"Don't make him anymore irritable than he already is," Elia said rolling her eyes at her brothers' childish behaviour. "He misses home, he misses father."

"We all miss home," Ashara replied shrugging her shoulders.

"This has been our home for many years now, there is no time to dream."

"Isn't this what you've been waiting for though? A chance to leave. To see Dorne again, raise Rhaenys and Aegon the proper way?"

"Say their names once more," Elia smiled to Ashara, missing her young children dearly.

"Rhaenys and Aegon?" Ashara responded a frown etched on her face.

"Exactly. The moment they were named they stopped being mine and become theirs. Rhaenys and Aegon. Names of dragons, not Dornishmen."'

"Elia. You almost killed yourself bringing those children to this world and you speak as if they are his own."

Elia huffed at Ashara. "Are we in the same world?" Ashara sighed, understanding partly her close friends' view.

"What do you make of them then? Does the wife approve of the match?" She teased, pointing towards Rhaegar, who had found himself following around his young betrothed the entire camp ride.

"She's invited for a reason, one I do not care for," a lie, Elia cared much more than she led on, "as long as I have Arthur and my children I will be pleased."

"I think he intends to have more than one child with her," Ashara responded honestly. "I hope we are banished from court for I never want to see those red walls again."

"You know Ashara, nothing is stopping you from going back to Dorne."

"You honestly think I would leave you and Arthur here alone? With these savages? Look at what they have done to our countrymen. Your father's men Elia! The same who sailed with you when you came here and the same who stood by you every moment of the way. You cannot possibly be this light-hearted over it all. At least Oberyn is mourning," Ashara said, looking distastefully towards Rhaegar.

Elia glared at Ashara. "No more." And with that, she returned to her private tent, the very same one Rhaegar would return to that night.

"What has you frowning?" The Queen asked patting Arianne's knee.

"Your grace," Arianne muttered sitting up straight. "Sorry if I woke you."

Rhaella let out a small laugh. "They woke me up," she said mentioning to the loud men outside who had been chattering for some time. "Now tell me what has you frowning?"

Arianne looked at the sleeping Elia and then back to Rhaella, begging her not to say anything that could be used against her.

Rhaella nodded her head, understanding. "I see. A conversation we must keep on hold for now."

"Yes," Arianne smiled back. She could see Rhaella becoming her new mother figure in Kingslanding and she did not mind it in the slightest.

The carriage and chatter outside came to a halt. Arianne wondered why they had stopped. Before they were due to stop Rhaegar would always ride beside her and tell her the plans, reminding her that if she needed a break she only needed to tell him and he would make it happen.

"Why have we stopped?" She asked Rhaella. The Queen herself was too busy looking out her own window to respond. Arianne pressed her forehead against the window. Men were holding flags with the Martell and Targaryen sigils, the only one missing was her house.

But then again, a bastard was never officially acknowledged at a royal procession. Arianne reminded herself.

"We're almost there, don't worry yourself," Rhaella smiled looking at Arianne as she watched the passing village houses through her window.

People had come out of their homes to wave and cheer the King and family along, many banging their hands on the carriages and screaming out for their King.

"They sound happy," Arianne smiled waving back at them.

"They want their lives," Rhaealla truthfully responded back. If she is to be one of us, she might as well know the full truths.

...

Arianne now understood the distaste that many had for Kingslanding. The smell that had followed them from miles beyond the walls seemed to grow more unbearable as the party maneuvered through the Kingsroad.

"My lady, you might want to sit back down," a Kingsguard said to her. His head was lowered slightly to seem less intimidating to her.

"I can handle the smell, I want to see the city that's all," Arianne smiled back at him.

Rhaella tapped her shoulder and nodded her head. "He's right. You might not like what you see next."

How could I refuse the advice of a Queen? Arianne thought. She gave a soft smile to the guard and put her head back into the carriage, but kept the small decorated window open. Silence fell on the carriage once more. Arianne was sure that Elia and Ashara had taken it upon themselves to sleep deeply throughout the arrival to Kings Landing. Neither of them had woken from their deep slumber, even though the shouting of the villagers nor the soldiers asking them to stay back. Arianne found it hard to believe anyone could sleep through that.

"No one told you it would smell so bad, I presume?" Rhaella laughed softly.

Arianne let out a snort. "Some mentioned it." She looked out of the window once more and still couldn't see much. Though, it was obvious that both the Queen and Kingsguard had a reason to tell her to close the window for she could hear the hustle and bustle of a small village. This one, like the other villages, seemed to be rife with the poor.

Arianne noticed how those who had come to greet them looked as if they hadn't eaten in days and washed in months. She clicked her tongue at the soldier who kept covering her view and craned her neck to get a better view.

What would the common people think of a bastard travelling with a Queen? She thought to herself, laughing at the idea. Would they even care?

And the same thoughts that had been running through her mind came back to her. When would the others arrive? Was Brandon married by now? Was Lyanna dreading every moment she spent with Robert? How she wished she had spent just one more moment with her siblings. Arianne didn't think she would miss her siblings as much as she did, but she did. What would have happened when they eventually would have been separated? It would've just been her, Brandon and Ned at Winterfell. Soon enough, Ned would've been married off and so would she. Arianne was coming to the conclusion that she liked dreaming about leaving Winterfell better than she liked actually leaving Winterfell.

Rhaella tapped her shoulder to wake her from her trance. "There is your new home, The Red Keep. "

Arianne felt her throat hitch in her throat. The gates of the city were slowing opening and the Kingsguard who was blocking her view had moved so she was able to see clearly once more. It was nothing like she had imagined. The city was big, too big almost, and seemed as if it never slept. Yelling from different markets seeped its way through the carriage in a mumble. The Kingsguards and horses seemed to grow restless outside, shouting at the passersby to move in language Arianne saw unnecessary. Arianne guessed that the slow pace and heat was making them agitated, and she could see why the armour looked as if it was sizzling underneath the sun. She looked out of the window and saw exactly why they had slowed down, people had begun queuing up on the left and right side of the road, waving and screaming to them.

"All these people came to see you?" She asked, turning to Rhaella.

Rhaella laughed gently. "No, they came to get their hands on anything that falls off the party. And of course, to see Rhaegar, he is their shining Prince after all."

"Falls off the party?" Arianne asked. Rhaella nodded her head and directed Arianne to look outside of the window once more. Children were following their carriage hurridly. "I don't see anything."

"Look down a little more," Rhaella said, moving her delicate hand and pushing Arianne's head slowly downwards. A girl, no older than five, dressed in a what was once white dress, held a small knife close to her leg, toyed with a small decoration on the carriage and floated back into the crowd. "I wish they knew Areys has the carriages made of artificial crystals and gold, would save them a lot of time and a lot of effort."

"Is that why the Kingsguard just let them through," Arianne pondered.

Rhaella scoffed. "The Kingsguard step in when our lives in danger, not our jewels. I mean, technically still own them."

Arianne frowned, still looking at the passing children who took their pick on the jewels. Another Kingsguard covered her view and she rolled her eyes. Just as she opened the window it was slammed shut from outside. "Do you think that your guards are little...overprotective." Arianne scoffed, turning to look at Rhaella.

Rhaella raised a brow and shrugged. "It's what they're paid for. Besides, my guards have some respect, Rhaegar doesn't."

Arianne turned back around to the window and let out a small smile. Rhaegar had bent forward and was smiling back at her. The same smile she saw ever so often and the same smile that refused to shake from her mind day in and day out. And by the chants of the crowd, she wasn't alone. She heard their screams, squeals and shouts of glee, some going as far as to profess their love for him in the second that they got as he passed them by.

"It seems I have more than one wife to displease," Arianne laughed, Rhaella laughing along with her.

"We arrived, have we?" Ashara piped, letting out a pitiful yawn and smiling to the two seated in front of her. Though she had no gurges to hold against the Queen for wanting to pamper the girl in affection, she had every right to hold a thousand grudges against Arianne.

Rhaella cleared her throat. "Yes, we're almost at the Keep."

"Great, maybe then we can discuss compensation and retaliation techniques for the Whent's? Seeing as your faithful allies men were so brutally killed," Ashara smiled, mimicking the laugh of Arianne.

Arianne looked at her lap ashamed. She thought it best not to discuss the happenings of the night, knowing that the Northern's were left unscathed, and didn't want to cause tension between the families.

Rhaella looked at Ashara appalled at her comment. "Ashara Dayne, might I remind you that you are speaking to your Queen, not a sister. Refrain from any more comments once we enter the Keep if you wish to keep your life here a comfortable one."

Ashara's eyes seemed to glower at the Queen, their icy shade of purple flickering from Arianne to Rhaella. "Of course, your grace."

...