284 A.C.

"Livia, you look stunning."

Livia turned from the mirror toward her sister, forcing a smile on her face. "Thank you, Cersei."

She was the portrait of what every bride should aspire to look like on their wedding day.

Her gown was made with ivory silk embroidered with gold thread swirling into intricate patterns. Her hair was done in a simple manner yet gold dust was streaked into it giving her hair the impression of shimmer.

She wore the lion pendant that Tyrion had given her in a gold chain. A gold bracelet adorned her wrist and upon her finger was a simple ring, decorated with tiny diamonds. Her bruises had faded away, leaving behind pearly white skin.

Yet no matter how hard she tried, she could not take on the role of the happy bride. She could not calm her nerves nor attempt to be happy. She had always faced things as they were.

Livia would not fool herself that this marriage would make her happy. It was a marriage of convenience. For the Lannisters to gain more power, for the good of the family.

As for Robert Baratheon, he needed allies, rich allies at that. With Lyanna Stark gone, he would not be able to marry whom he wishes so that left him with her. 

It was funny. Being the second choice. Knowing that the only reason you are standing there is because the one who was supposed to be there was gone.

She would ensure that she was neither a substitute nor a last resort. Thus the deal they had struck the day before.

She may have lost herself but there were some things that remained. Things that were ingrained into her so deeply ever since she was born.

Duty. Honor. Pride.

Livia looked to her sister who repeatedly fussed with her hair. Walking over to her, she used her hands to flatten Cersei's hair. "Your hair looks fine, sister. Don't make such a fuss."

Cersei only rolled her eyes. "Easy for you to say, you always look beautiful. Everyone says so." She spoke, her tone laced with a hint of jealousy.

"Not everyone looks perfect all the time." Livia chided, as ladies brought over her maiden's cloak.

The red cloak was embellished with the Lannister sigil, the roaring lion. It was another reminder that she is to be a part of another family after the ceremony.

Livia couldn't help but run her fingers over the cloak, it may be expensive, yes, but she found comfort in its familiarity. It was fashioned after her own mother's cloak as if her mother was there with her.

"Thank you." Livia said to her ladies who then helped her place the cloak upon her shoulders, the slight weight providing a burden upon her already burdened shoulders.

"You look beautiful, my lady. The king is very lucky." One of her ladies said, earning a smile from her but that was all.

Cersei pushed forward towards Livia, kissing her gently on the cheek. "May you make your husband happy."

Together with her ladies, Livia was in a carriage to bring her to the Sept of Baelor where everyone awaited her arrival.

With that last thought, she opened the door to see her father waiting on the other side. Lord Tywin was dressed in red and gold, a lion pin decorating his attire.

He looked at her only once before offering her his arm. Livia turned to her sister for a second then she took her father's arm as he led her towards the towering building.

For a moment the silence held until Livia could not resist it anymore. "Father, am I doing the right thing?"

Lord Tywin let out a small mocking laugh. "You are to be queen and yet you still doubt such things?"

She could not help but feel like a child once again when her father said such things. "No, I-marrying Robert Baratheon. Is it the right thing for us, for the family, for me?"

"You've always known that if it is for the family, it is the right thing. I've taught you this ever since you were a child." He stated, slowing in his steps slightly.

"Even if it hurt people, killed people?" That was what she had wanted to ask for so long. If he thought it was right that he killed women and children, innocents.

Her father glared then. "You're still upset about that?"

"Did you give the command?"

"No, I didn't."

She swallowed, worried about the next question she would ask but she had to know. Besides, it would be better to shift the topic before her father killed her. "Would mother be proud of me? Of what I'm to do?"

At that moment, they stopped by the grand doors, still closed as the Septon recited holy words from The Seven-Pointed Star.

There was silence at first and Livia was sure that her father would remain cold and choose to ignore her question but he surprised her by answering.

Lord Tywin turned to his eldest daughter, his first-born, feeling pride surge through him. "From the moment you were born, you have brought great pride to the family. Your mother had always known you were bound to do great things."

Livia blinked, surprised. She could almost feel tears at her father's words. All her life, she had waited for those words from her father and now he had said it. "Thank you, father. I promise to continue making you and mother proud."

Her father smiled, a genuine smile before turning to face the doors once more. "You always were the most obedient of my children."

Then the doors opened, and all eyes turned to them.

°•°•°•°•°•°

Robert faced his reflection, clothed in black and gold. He almost expected to see armor for that was all he saw for months, years even.

This was the result of all the fighting, all the deaths, all the bloodshed. Him wearing the crown. Even if that was not what all the fighting was for.

Lyanna. I love you, Lyanna Stark. Rhaegar Targaryen had no right to take you from me. You were mine, you had always been mine.

"Your Grace, it is time."

The Sept of Baelor was full of people. The last time that it was this full was during the wedding of Rhaegar Targaryen and Elia Martell.

Funny, isn't it? How fate works.

He began the long ceremonial march that signified the start of the ceremony. Every step felt like another step to sealing his fate. Every eye that turned to him felt like a judgment from the whole court.

But there was no longer any thought of going back. His first act as king was this, to marry Livia.

Livia Lannister. Ned had been right, she was not who he thought she was. Straight-forward, she had caught him off-guard making a deal like that.

As the Septon read holy words that Robert cared nothing for, he found his thoughts drifting, his gaze going to the tall statues surrounding the altars.

The gods. The damn gods. Merciful, they said the gods were. Good, they said the gods were. And yet they did nothing to prevent the bloodshed. Gods, what a joke.

Lyanna was dead and Livia was to be his bride. A Northerner and a Southerner. They couldn't have been any more different.

Comparing Lyanna to Livia. He knew that he swore otherwise but he could not help doing so. Raven to gold, blue to green, quiet and humble to strong and proud. In the midst of his thoughts, he noticed how quiet it had become.

The Septon had finished speaking the holy words and the doors to the sept opened, all eyes turning, including his.

Beautiful.

That was the first thought that appeared in his mind, he certainly could have chosen worse.

Livia Lannister was many things, especially striking. Her beauty was talked about in all of the Seven Kingdoms and she was to be his bride.

She smiled as if she knew the whole world was watching her, her hair flowing freely, her eyes shining and her cheeks full of color.

Then her eyes met his.

Robert remembered how those green eyes darkened with surprise and anger the day before and he smiled. At least they had come to an arrangement they could both live with.

Robert offered her his hand and she looked up at him, her confidence wavering silently as if she couldn't believe how agreeable he was being. He almost laughed at her cautiousness.

Finally, she placed her pearly smooth hand in his rough, calloused one.

Robert nodded at Lord Tywin as he guided Livia to the top of the altar, in front of the Septon.

The ceremony between man and wife has officially begun. "You may now cloak the bride and bring her under your protection."

Robert carefully removed the cloak bearing the Lannister sigil and received the cloak with the Baratheon house colors decorated with its sigil.

He could feel her warmth through the cloak as he placed it upon her shoulders, her figure slightly shivering as he brushed her hair to keep it free from the cloak.

"Thank you." Livia whispered, her voice as light as air.

"You're very welcome, my darling betrothed." Robert whispered in return, just as soft, earning a small smile from her.

Yes, he definitely could have chosen worse.

°•°•°•°•°•°

Sometimes, the gods have a way of putting two unlikely people together.

Whether it may be destiny or fate. But there was someone bringing her and Robert together.

She smiled at Robert as he pulled away from placing the cloak with the stag sigil on her.

Instead of pulling away entirely, the hand that held hers a while ago returned to its grip and somehow, it felt right.

For a moment, she could pretend that this marriage was not for the alliance, that the man with her married her for the sake of marrying her, that she walked upon lilacs and said words from her heart.

A memory lingered at the edges of her mind of the two of them, just Robert and just Livia dancing at a feast. But the words from the Septon woke her up from the fantasy.

"My lords, my ladies. We stand here in the sight of gods and men to witness the union of man and wife. One flesh, one heart, one soul, now and forever."

Shaking her head from such daydreams, she snapped out of her hazy thoughts. Perhaps it was the giddiness she felt from her father's praises that made her this way.

After all, they had both made it clear the day prior that this was supposed to be a civilized arrangement, nothing more.

Raising their intertwined hands together, facing forward stoically, the Septon proceeded to wrap a ribbon around their joined hands.

"Let it be known that Livia of the House Lannister and Robert of the House Baratheon are one heart, one flesh, one soul. Cursed be he who would seek to tear them asunder."

The Septon continues, saying. "In the sight of the Seven, I hereby seal these two souls binding them as one for eternity."

He then goes to unravel the ribbon tying them together but Livia could feel the invisible hold it had. Though the bonds of their marriage may be invisible, they will still bind them, now and forever. 

Robert may have said long ago that he despised the words exchanged at the ceremony but there was no doubt that the words were beautiful. Just repetitive.

"Look upon one each other and say the words."

Livia turned to Robert, completely composed on the outside but terrified on the inside. She knows the words by heart but should she make a mistake, that would be horrifying.

It seemed as if Robert could sense her uncertainty that he nodded and gave her a small smile before they began, almost as if in earnest.

"Father, Smith, Warrior, Mother, Maiden, Crone, Stranger."

"I am his and he is mine. From this day until the end of my day." Livia spoke as Robert said his part.

As they finished, he gave her a look, that she returned with her own nod. It made her smile, that he still wanted to warn her of what he was about to do.

Or maybe he was just afraid of being slapped once again.

Robert turned to the crowd, sweeping his eyes over the many people before focusing on her. "With this kiss, I pledge my love."

This was it. The kiss that sealed not just their fate but the fate of the realm.

Robert bent down to kiss Livia on the lips, a soft kiss. For a man who was a warrior, she could not help but notice the softness of his lips and the slight musky scent.

Pulling away, he still kept his hold on her hand and raised it as they faced the joyous crowd. No longer just Robert and just Livia.

They were Robert and Livia Baratheon. King and Queen of the Seven Kingdoms.

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