284 A.C.

Oberyn,

The sun rises and sets

The moon waxes and wanes

A woman awaiting a threat

For someone was holding her chains

Hopeless, lost, and afraid

Thinking of the better days

To all the gods, she prayed

To escape the madman's fiery blaze

She would dream of a better life

For all whom she loved dearly

Free from all the pain and the strife

She could see that future clearly

The day of reckoning came

And she fought to the last

Free from the confines of the game

Finally home, finally back to her past 

Not all of us are so lucky. Forgive me. Forgive me a thousand times even though I do not deserve it.

Livia Lannister

°•°•°•°•°

"Lyanna Stark is dead. Robert, she is gone."

Robert looked up, still in a drunken stupor. "I know that. I read the same message as you did."

Jon Arryn gave him a disapproving look. "Kings do not have the time to grieve." 

"I never wanted the Seven Kingdoms or the bloody Iron Throne. But now, it is mine and I don't know what to do." Robert said, taking another swig of wine.

The Hand of the king could not help but see the king as a son he never had. Robert had grown up in Jon's care and in all those times, Jon had never seen him so forlorn, so lost. 

"You know what you must do." Jon said, sitting down on the chair opposite the King.

"And what is that?" Robert asked, the Dornish red wetting his lips.

Taking a deep breath, Jon answered."All kings must marry. To provide heirs, to rule with a queen."

Bitter laughter echoed throughout the chamber as Robert roared with amusement. "Way to make marriage sound so agreeable with me."

"I know you never wanted to mar-" Jon started.

"I wanted to marry Lyan-" Robert protested.

Jon slammed his hands on the table, ending his protests. "Yes but you can't. Did we not just broach that topic?"

Robert had always been a hard-headed boy but now this hard-headed boy is a man, a king.

Robert rolls his eyes in response, unaffected by Jon's temper. "So who do you suggest? A Tyrell? A Greyjoy?"

The Hand of the King replied. "A Lannister. They are the perfect choice for a family to have an alliance with, they have the men, the gold, and I understand you are acquainted with one of Lord Tywin's daughters."

"Livia Lannister, yes. Is there any other choice?" Robert immediately asked, not because he despised her but because he was too familiar with her. 

She knew who he was before he was king, he would never be able to hide anything from her. And besides, she hated him. Despised him even. It would never work between them.

She and Ned could agree on that aspect as both seemed to be upset with him.

Jon raised his eyebrows, shocked. "Why? Is she horrible? Ned tells me that she kept a letter written by his father and ensured that it would reach him. There have been many talks of her being a dutiful lady and an intelligent one at that. She would be a good queen. She's not a gambler or a cheat, nor is she ugly. What are you complaining about? Surely she isn't a terrible person."

"No, she isn't." Robert quickly answered, having heard enough. He knew she was not a bad person but he didn't need to disappoint another person who did not deserve it. 

Jon gave him a curious look, taking a goblet and pouring wine for himself, but he continued. "Well, you could marry her younger sister, Cersei but you would be insulting Lord Tywin." 

Robert served himself another goblet, the wine making him more than woozy. "Why is that?" 

Jon slowly explained to emphasize his point. "Livia is his first-born child. The pride of Casterly Rock. Not even a prince of Dorne was good enough for his precious daughter. If you refuse, you will have insulted his loyalty to the crown."

There was silence on Robert's part. Jon made it seem like he had a choice but he knew that he didn't. Even when it seemed like he did. 

It looks as if Livia is to be his queen, whether she would like to be or not.

"Very well, Livia Lannister it is."

Jon sighed. "Honestly Robert, only you would be upset over marrying a beautiful woman. Would it really be that difficult for you?"

When Robert said nothing in reply, Jon stands up from his chair and leaves the chamber, taking the silence as a dismissal.

With no one as his witness, Robert closes his eyes and sees the familiar raven hair and the beautiful blue eyes that belonged to a girl who could never be his. 

In his state of loneliness, he uttered the answer to Jon's question.

 "Yes."

°•°•°•°•°

Livia waited by the docks of King's Landing. The smell of seawater filled the air and the noise of a city striving to come alive, bringing a small smile to her face. 

It had truly been a long while since she had left the Keep.

Not even when they had returned Elia's body to Dorne. She had wanted to see her, to say a proper goodbye at least, but to do so would have been seen as treason.

Instead, she had stayed in the Keep and penned a letter to Oberyn, but even she could not find the words to tell him just how regretful she is. She could only give words of comfort that Elia was in a better place.

It was a relief to get away from all the whispers and the gossip, especially now that she is to be married to Robert Baratheon. 

Robert Baratheon. The man who had insulted her more than once, who obviously held no respect for her or her family is to be her husband. 

Her father had been overjoyed. A Lannister, his daughter no less, is to be queen. Planning for the wedding had started immediately, no expenses were to be spared. 

Livia hated it. All of it. The gold they were spending could've been enough to rebuild various structures in Westeros. Instead, it was being spent on gold plates and goblets, gowns and decorations.

Gold, gold, gold. All of it. As if to prove just how golden the Lannisters were.

With a sigh, Livia looked to the near horizon seeing familiar red sails. Shaking her head, she smiled. Now was not the time to think such things.

Suddenly, she heard the sound of hoofbeats approaching followed by a voice. "Sister. Or should I start calling you 'my queen'?

"Hello, Jaime. What are you doing here?" Livia asked as her brother approached to stand beside her.

Jaime smirked, so different from the grief-stricken boy a few days ago. "Same as you."

They had a silent agreement not to talk of what happened, to keep going on so as to not let the Mad King take control of their lives. But Livia saw just how much it affected her brother's life.

All murmurs of Kingslayer affected him, she could see it and she will not stand for it. Every flinch that would wrack through his body was like a knife wound to her heart. Once she was queen, she would make sure that no one would ever get to call her brother that name anymore.

Together they watched as the people in the largest of the ships begin to disembark. Not long was it when they spotted a familiar golden-haired maiden.

"Jaime! Livvy!" Cersei called out, running across the dock to embrace her older sister and her twin.

Livia held onto her sister tightly and laughed as Jaime did the same.

"Cersei, I've missed you so much!" Livia smiled, as Cersei grinned and reached for Jaime's hand.

"I'm happy to be here. The Rock was getting boring." Cersei answered. "Besides, how could I ever miss my sister's own wedding?"

Jaime stiffened at that. Before either of the sisters could ask him what was wrong, they heard a small voice. "Cersei?"

The three of them turned to see their youngest sibling, Tyrion. He was no longer an infant, she heard from her uncles just how intelligent he now was.

Cersei rolled her eyes and groaned. "Ugh, I forgot about that little monster."

With that, she walked off towards the waiting carriage leaving Jaime and Livia.

Livia met Jaime's eyes, their heads shaking. It was as if nothing had changed with their sister.

"Livia, sister?" She looked to see Tyrion approaching her with a small box in his hands.

With no hesitation, Livia knelt and pulled her brother into her arms, surprising him. "Tyrion! I was worried you wouldn't recognize me."

She wouldn't have been surprised if he hadn't, after all, she had left the Rock when he was still a mere baby.

Upon pulling away from her, Tyrion gives her the box he was holding. "A gift for your wedding." He says shyly.

Opening the box, she saw a small lion pendant and her heart warmed. Her brother was growing up to be a proud Lannister as the rest of them did. 

"Thank you, dear brother." Livia thanked him.

"And where is mine?" Jaime suddenly piped up, making them all laugh.

Tyrion embraced him as well, laughing. "You're not getting married!"

When the two pulled away, Livia took Jaime's hand in her hand and Tyrion's in the other.

She waved her hands, gesturing to the grand city that was once her prison transformed into her home, her stronghold. "Come, my brothers. King's Landing awaits us."

And so does her fate.

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