My dearest Arianne. Word has reached Winterfell of the King's announcement of your true birth. I apologise for not telling you earlier, but it was not my place to do so. I had hoped to keep you in Winterfell for this very reason, to prevent you from falling into a life that consisted of constantly pleasing an audience.

I hope you can forgive me for keeping such a secret and would like to offer Winterfell to the Targaryen's as the official wedding place. I know you lean towards our Gods and do not want your voice silenced during this exciting time.

Please give the King, Queen and royal family the Starks congratulations.

Lord Rickard Stark

Warden of the North

Arianne stared down at the parchment in her hands. She had received it a few days ago, only a week after the feast; where her entire world had been turned upside down.

Beside her, there was a soft rustling, "still reading the letter?" Julian asked, placing his warm hands over her shoulder.

She had grown closer to the drunk than she would have liked, having shut herself from the entire Keep and only coming out to attend events at the Kings' wishes and to plan for the wedding with the Queen. Which according to Nymella, was going to be a gaudy overflow of flowers and wine.

"Just my fa- Lord Stark offering Winterfell for the wedding," Arianne muttered, flicking the small letter onto the floor and laying back down.

Julian snorted, playing with her hair. "It seems fitting, no?"

"They King would never let his eldest re-marry in front of the old gods," she pointed out sighing and biting her lip. Arianne gazed at the curtains that were calling for her to open them and fling herself from the room.

"Hey!" Julian snapped his fingers, "stop thinking about killing yourself. There's an easier way out of this."

Arianne, who was suddenly very interested in the conversation, pushed herself from the pillow and turned her body fully to Julian. "Go on."

He looked up, contemplating the words that were about to leave his lips. Before saying anything, Julian tugged at his clasp bracelet and placed it on the bed. Arianne, who was confused with his action, picked up the bracelet and inspected it. It looked normal, with a jade centre that looked detachable. Julian moved closer, his curls tickling her forehead. He took the bracelet from her hands and pulled the jade out and pointed to a hole at its tip.

"Rhaegar gave this to me. I was supposed to have this step done by now but I've been a little preoccupied. Plus we're in the process of perfecting the plan."

"Julian I don't understand?" Arianne responded, taking the jade from his hand and giving it a closer look.

Julian bit his lip, "I'm supposed to kill the King."

She jumped up from the bed, not caring that she was naked. "So do it!"

"It's not as easy as just pricking him with some poison! The council will want to hold an official-,"

"Do it while he's eating, gods give it to me I'll do it. I'll ask him for a meal the day before the wedding and kill the monster. No one will suspect I did it."

Julian raised his brow, "no one will suspect the person who is laying in another's bed, dreading her wedding, killed the king in an attempt to get away from Kings Landing?"

She bit her lip, understanding his dilemma a little bit better now. "I'll tell the Queen. She hates her husband ... brother ..." she paused for a while, wondering what she'd call Rhaegar if they did get married. Arianne started to feel sick again so she shook the idea from her head. "She'll help me do it. I'm sure of it."

"The Queen is as much his wife as she is his enemy. He dies, so does her title."

"What power does she have now Julian? She has nothing. Not even her children at most times. Rhaegar told me about their relationship ... when we liked each other. Well when I liked him, no chance he hasn't stopped liking me, the creep," Arianne huffed, flicking her hair behind her head and sitting back down on the bed.

Julian whispered, "you are growing more and more conceited as the days go by. Could it be my effect?" Arianne rolled her eyes, picking up the bracelet from the bed and clasping it to her wrist. "What're you doing?" Although Julian trusted her and knew that the needle in the bracelet was yet to be laced with poison, he still wanted to make it clear to her that this was not her plan to take charge of. "I'm sorry to tell you darling, Rhaegar and I are still in the works of figuring out a plan."

"And how is that going for you?" Arianne asked, getting up from the bed once more and dressing.

"Admittedly, not very good at the moment," he turned his lips downwards in an awkward manner. "But we'll get there, slow and steady."

"While you ladies talk amongst yourselves about that, I am going to make a real plan. First," Arianne grunted, lacing up her sandals, "I must go to Rhaegar, find him in a public setting and make known to him that you're fucking me." She made her way to the door, whereas per usual, Jaime was standing in front of. "See yourself out Julian."

Julian let out a scoff, throwing his head onto the soft pillows. "Absolutely unbelievable. Don't do anything ridiculous!" He shouted after her. Julian closed his eyes as if he was going to leave such a wonderful bed.

...

It had been almost a week since Arianne had spoken, let alone seen, Rhaegar. The only times she heard of him was when Julian told her about what he was getting up to. For a betrothed couple, the did not nearly see each other enough. As she made her way to his quarters, she could not help but remember their last few encounters.

Granted, she had been found legs wide open with a Kingsgaurd on top of her, Arianne turned to glance at Jaime. The poor thing, his helm must have been boiling him like an egg under the heat. "Where would Rhaegar be this time of day? And please, take off that silly helm."

Jaime sighed loudly, "thank you," he brushed his hair to the side just how he liked it. "Perhaps lunch? Or with his children?"

Arianne nodded, making her way to Elia and her children's bedrooms. Rather than knock on the door and make a fool of herself, she mentioned for Jaime to stop at the end of the hallway so his armour wouldn't be heard and stood outside the door with her ear pressed to it.

"Mummy! Look, mummy!" She heard the muffled voice of the young princess and the squeals of the young prince. She listened for a little longer ... no he wasn't in there. His daughter was all over him last time she'd met her, Rhaenys wasn't one for silent play.

Next, she made her way to Rhaegar's quarters, Arianne huffed. It would've been easier to check his bedroom first rather than go all the way across the gardens into Princess Elia's quarters. "Holy -" she puffed, "why is this place so big."

"You just haven't been out much," Jaime snickered from behind her.

Arianne gave him a pointed look, "jealous are we?"

Not in the least, Jaime thought to himself. He was very satisfied with Cersei for the time being and did not want to meddle with Rhaegar's official bride to be, he enjoyed living ... and breathing.

Once they had reached Rhaeger's room, Jaime stepped forward and knocked on the door loudly for her. Softened voices came from inside the room.

"It's fine it's probably just Julian or Oberyn," Rhaegar's voice said.

Arianne, who hadn't realised just how nervous she was to see him, remembered the one and only reason she had come. To lure him out of his room, dangle the bracelet in front of his face in a very public area and watch him make a fool of himself.

"Are you sure?"

She scoffed, knowing all to well who that voice belonged to. Rhaegar swung open the door, his expression - that of a man who was completely caught off guard. His clothes were lazily thrown together and his room smelt of cheap perfume and rosemary.

"Oh, hello Arianne. To what do I owe the pleasure dear sister?" Rhaegar asked, smiling at her. Perhaps if he had revulsed her enough she'd go away. He wasn't exactly excited to have a conversation with, not after he found out she almost lost her flower to a Kingsgaurd.

Arianne swallowed the anxiety in her, blinked once and pushed past him. "Get out!" She bellowed at Alyse Ladybright. Alyse, who was trembling now, gathered her clothes and shot out of the room.

"My lady in waiting? Really Rhaegar that is low. Even for you," a little voice in her head screamed hypocrite. But Arianne ignored it.

"I could say the same for you," Rhaegar said, gazing out of the door and at Jaime, who was preoccupied staring after the naked Lady dressing quickly at the end of the hallway but quickly turned back to Arianne.

Arianne tutted, changing her mind about a public setting. Perhaps her and Rhaegar did need to have a talk, properly. "I came to discuss our current situation." She placed her hands behind her back, taking the bracelet off and discreetly waving it behind her back with her hand. Jaime noticed, stood close behind her and took it.

"What is this, are you two exploring exhibitionism now?"

"Jaime, leave us," Arianne instructed.

"No! This is my room, my castle, I tell who to leave and when."

"Actually according to your ... our father, I am a Princess too," Arianne said closing the door behind Jaime.

"You are a bastard," Rhaegar reminded her, pouring himself a glass of wine and sitting on the ottoman nearest to him. "Say your piece and leave me please."

Arianne looked up at the ceiling, crying out for some sort of help from the gods. Was she to grovel? "Look, Jaime and I are not doing anything together. I came here to talk about the fact that we are brother and sister and about to be married, adding to that, you are already married with two children. I would like you to petition the betrothal be annulled to the King, please."

Rhaegar bit his lip, he had no true reason to be angry at her. Honestly, what she had just seen was worse than what he had seen. In all honesty, he just wanted a fairytale ending, but this was reality and that would never happen. "For me, Arianne," Rhaegar said, putting his wine glass on the floor. "I loved you, I still love you. My hostility is truly not with you, it is towards my ... our ... fuck, towards the King. I cannot see him annulling the marriage, it is too good an opportunity for him. The Dayne's are already under our house, Ashara is here. She can be kept here as your lady, Arthur is sworn to him. They have little in Dorne nor the funds for allies or close friends outside of the Martell's, but they will not meddle in our nonsense if Elia is banished. Which, she will be. I have grown up a child of a brother and sister-"

"It is wrong Rhaegar. Flesh and blood that are the same cannot love each other, it is not humane! I believe even animals refrain from it."

Rhaegar ignored her words, even though he understood what she was saying. "Targaryen's have been - " she began to protest again, so he raised his voice - "intermarrying since we moved to the Seven Kingdoms, we cannot stop now because you have lost feelings for me."

"It. Is. Disgusting!" Arianne repeated, standing from her seat. "If you were King-."

"I would do the very same, we cannot allow your blood with any others, it would cause another rebellion and we can't afford it. Not when I'm trying to win back the people after my father is gone. I am understanding your stance so you must understand mine."

"No. No. No no no no no," she kept repeating herself. It was as if she had accepted that she would be held prisoner under both Kings, whether she liked it or not. The only solution would be to kill both of them, even then it would not end. Rhaegar had a sister and a brother, the Queen could rule until they came of age. In all honesty, at the betrothal feast, the Queen did not seem too fazed by the Kings announcement.

"Look," Rhaegar sighed, taking her hand in his. "We have only ever known each other as lovers, never siblings." He wasn't going to say it but he had to, even if his mother had told him not to. "We can go back to the way things were Arianne, I promise you. The only thing that connects us is our insane father, that cannot be plausible enough. There is no proof you are his daughter. Just hearsay. Rickard might think this is best for you, what would be offered to you in the North as a bastard? Beauty fades but titles do not."

"Are you saying the King lied?" Arianne asked, trying to process what Rhaegar was saying.

"From what I know, Serene Dayne died giving birth, the babe died right after her. Your father, Rickard, wasn't in Dorne when Serene gave birth, the babe would be nine moons older if he were."

"Rhaegar ... what are you saying?" Arianne muttered, now completely confused.

Rhaegar bit his lip, he had discussed everything with his mother. The Queen knew full well that Arianne wouldn't accept the betrothal, nor would Rhaegar if they knew they were indeed half-siblings. So she told him what she needed to tell him and told him to keep it to himself because the one thing Rhaegar couldn't do was keep a secret from a woman.

"Your father is insane Rhaegar, you and I know this more than anyone. Forget what he told you, Rickard would never keep a secret from the King and Serene would never sleep with him. She was my lady, he did not sleep with my friends. At least not then."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier, you had angered me to no extent. I mean how could you ever consider sleeping with Jaime?"

"You weren't exactly the best man to me then and now," she responded honestly.

Rhaegar sighed, pulling her closer. "I promise you. I swear to you, on my honour and life - we are not related. Perhaps distantly but not siblings."

"So why did you say all of those things before," she asked, fiddling with her thumbs and unsure of what to make of the situation.

"Because sooner or later you must accept that that has been the way for the Targaryen's. You will give birth to them no less. And you must start understanding the politics of your actions, everyone has ulterior motives. Plus, my mother made me swear not to."

"Not everyone."

"Everyone," Rhaegar repeated.

They sat in silence for a while. "So if we aren't related, according to your mother, and in your own words, I am a bastard and no one would want me in the North. Why would the King of the Seven Kingdoms want me for his son."

"Haven't you figured it out yet. The King has lost his mind."

She bit her lip, now wondering what her relationship with Julian would become. If she was really to marry Rhaegar, which it looked like it, and very soon at that matter. It was as if the new Arianne, that she had worked so hard on building, so hard on perfecting was chipped away at by Rhaegar's soft words. He had a way of enraging her to her wit's end but with logic, he brought her back down to reality. She suddenly started to think about how horrible she had been, not writing to her true siblings, all because of hearsay. She had to write to her father! Her true father, the one who had raised her, taking her in as a bastard. She had not even written to Lyanna to ask about Robert, nor bothered to irk Robert about his new wife. She had not even written to Brandon or Ned to see how they were.

How self-centred and melodramatic she had been.

"Arianne," Rhaegar waved his hand in front of her face, "are you alright."

She blinked a few times. "Yes, I am, sorry. Sorry. Oh gosh sorry for being so horrible to you. I - I - slept with Julian and I was ignoring you and my family." She couldn't hold it in any longer, there was a lump in her throat the size of a fist and she had to let out a cry.

Rhaegar chuckled, "I had assumed as much, he wasn't frequenting the whore houses the way he used to."

Arianne let out a sniffle, "I have been ... what is this place doing to me Rhaegar?"

"What it does to everyone else poppet."

...