"Sister."

"Yes, Jaime?" Livia smiled, turning to her brother as she smiled at the soldiers who could already go home to their families, bowing and thanking her.

Her and Jaime had not had the chance to spend much time together. What with him as the Kingsguard for the husband she was trying to avoid and her so busy with the work she was doing.

Cersei kept her company from time to time, even when she was at her most irritable mood, Livia valued her time with her only sister. As for Tyrion, he was back at Casterly Rock, writing letters to her furiously. She loved replying to every single one. A respite from her guilt and her anger.

"I've heard of what happened with you and the king." Jaime started, disrupting her thoughts and overall souring her mood.

Livia bitterly answered. "I'm pretty sure by now, the whole of Westeros have heard of what happened. It seems being queen has stripped me of all sorts of privacy."

"We knew the king before this one, Livvy." He warned, moving to halt her in her steps.

Despite their fight, she couldn't help but defend her husband. "Robert is not the Mad King."

He raised his hands in defeat. "I never said he was. All I'm saying is kings often do not care for the feelings of their queens."

"You're saying not to take it personally, is that it?" Livia asked, frustrated.

Jaime sighed. "Livvy, I'm not trying to insult yo-"

"Don't bother." She interrupted, trying to push past him but he caught up to her steps quickly.

She didn't know what about the topic made her so irritable but she could not help but feel insulted to be seen as a wife having problems with her husband.

He was in front of her all of a sudden. "What I'm trying to say, if you just stopped and listened, is that if he ever touches you in any way you don't like or if he...hits you, you tell me immediately."

Her eyes widened as she recognized the desperate look in his eyes. The same one he had when he stood guard outside Rhaella Targaryen's chambers. "Jaime-"

"I will kill him, I swear it. I won't let you suffer the same way she did, I promise. I don't care, I'm already a kingslayer, it shouldn't matter anymore." Jaime ranted, his voice cracking as his speech neared its end.

Livia immediately pulled him into her arms. "He hasn't hurt me. I promise. He's different, he's a good man."

"Then why are you and him at an odds?" He asked, pulling away to level her with a stare.

She smiled at him sadly. "Even the best of people are flawed. I said he was a good man, but he is not perfect."

And Livia never expected him to be perfect. Perhaps in his own way, Robert had been trying to protect her. Maybe she had been hurt that he kept such a thing from her but his intentions were good. 

He cared enough to try, to try for them, to even go as far as keeping such a thing as a secret just so she would not have to worry about it and she was wrong. 

She hated to admit it but she was wrong. He had been going about it in a diplomatic way by sending Jon Arryn and readying the army to prepare to fight for peace.

Robert was a man who had been fighting his whole life but he was ready to fight to keep the peace even when she knew he was exhausted.

He was wrong for keeping it from her but she kept things from him too. They both did it to protect the other. Why should their secrets weigh more than what they were?

Livia smiled at Jaime before telling him. "Go back to the keep, brother. Tell Robert that I shall speak with him tonight in our chambers."

All secrets must come to light. She would tell him of the letter from Oberyn. She would tell him everything, from the letter to how she was slowly falling for him. 

He may be upset, just as she had been but he deserved to hear the truth from her own lips. 

Jaime gave her a somber nod, hesitant to trust his sister but knowing he had to anyway. He could see her falling for Robert, could see the emotions on her face. 

After all, it wouldn't be the first time that someone in their family loved someone who they shouldn't.

"Yes, my queen."

°•°•°•°•°•°

"Perhaps, it is time to head back, my queen."

Livia looked to the skies, seeing the sky still bright as she walked the streets of King's Landing, overseeing the buildings she had funded to have rebuilt. "But it is still early, isn't it?"

Besides, she did not know if she was ready to go back. After all, if she did return, she would have to face everything, her feelings and Robert himself.

"Yes, of course, Your Grace." The knight bowed, once again.

But there was something wrong. Livia could tell.

"What is it?" She asked, wondering why the guard was so uneasy.

"It's nothing, Your Grace. Just uneasy is all. Please do not pay any mind." He dismissed, though she can see his eyes flickering to the buildings.

"No. You will tell me what is bothering you right this moment." She commanded, making the guard straighten up.

"Forgive me, Your Grace." He said. "It's just that I noticed, the crowds seem thinner today than usual and that man, the man in the hood. He's been following us all this time."

"What?!" Livia exclaimed, turning around to indeed see a man in a hood. Not that he was anyone familiar to her. Still, not dismissing the guard's allegations, she whispered to him. "Keep an eye on him, just to be safe."

A few more minutes and nothing happened, bringing her to calm down. However, it seemed that her relief came too soon. All too soon.

As her retinue rounded a corner, she was pulled into the crowd of people, all of them swarming around her. Her guards immediately got into formation, ready to attack. For a moment, there was only noise and panic from the people, then she felt a sharp point at her side, making her gasp. 

"You will shut your mouth, tell your guards to stand down, now. To stand guard and wait here whilst you visit that small inn over there." A voice hissed. 

Livia turned to see the man in the hood, though closer, he was no less scary. Her guard had been right to be paranoid. "If you stab me, I'll scream and you will bleed right here in the streets."

"I'm quick enough to pull my sword and slit your throat without you making a single noise. Now, if you don't want you or your men to die. You will go to that inn of your own accord, climb the stairs and go to the room second to the right. Do you understand?" The man commanded, his voice like that of a snake.

Livia understood what would happen if she refused. She would get killed, her guards would kill many innocent people, all the while her killer would be using the panic to escape.

Carefully, Livia nodded and the man proceeded to push her, making her crash into her guards. 

"My queen, are you alright?" One of her guards asked, worriedly watching the crowd.

Livia straightened, smoothing down her dress. Taking a deep breath, she replied. "Yes, I-it seems the crowd's just very much excited. You may put away your swords."

She slowly walked towards the inn, the crowds much more calm as they parted to let her pass. She couldn't let anyone see her panic, even if her heart threatened to beat out of her chest. Her guards moved to follow her inside but she raised a hand to stop them.

"My queen, we cannot leave you alone, it could be unsafe." One of her guards said, only to be silenced by his queen.

"I promise I'll be alright. If I am in danger, I shall call for you but if not, you shall wait here until I am finished." Livia commanded.

As her guards nod, she took a deep breath, walking into the inn. It was almost empty, crawling with maidens cleaning the tables, though none paid her any attention.

Even if that were so, she still did not let down her guard. It could be an ambush for her life. Not knowing what to expect, Livia curled her hands into fists, wary.

Slowly, she climbed the stairs, aware of each creak and sound she made. When she reached the second landing, she listened for any sound, a warning of some sort but she only heard silence.

Livia walked down the narrow hallway, passing each door carefully until she arrived at the second door to the right.

She didn't know what to expect. Almost terrified, she reached up to clasp the lion pendant strung around her neck.

She was a Lannister. She was a Baratheon. She was the queen of the Seven Kingdoms. She would not quiver. No matter what. 

She twisted the knob, breath stuck in her throat, and opened the door. 

Livia's eyes widened immediately and she felt all her pain crash into her again as she faced the person in front of her. 

 "Oberyn?"

°•°•°•°•°•°

Oberyn was seated at the small wooden bed and a table, the room bare of anything else, his face blank. 

Upon seeing her, he stood and approached slowly, making Livia stumble backward, only for him to shut the door and lock it with a twist.

He turned to her, seeing her eyes wide and surprised at seeing him.

Swiftly and without any warning, Livia was pulled into Oberyn's arms as he caged her in a tight embrace.

A gasp came from her lips, recognizing his presence. There was no doubt at all. He was no aspect of her imagination.

He was here. He was in King's Landing. In front of her.

She pushed at him, eyes wide but now, it was horror. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to see you, Livia. I told you I'd come, didn't I?" He said, trying to draw closer to her.

Livia only moved away, horrified. "Oberyn, what have you done?"

"What do you mean?" Oberyn asked, pausing in his steps.

"An uprising? Why?" She questioned, angry. "Why are you doing all this?"

"Do you really need to ask why?" He said, his voice gone serious.

She shook her head in denial. "Elia wouldn't have wanted this. This is madness, Oberyn. I have never known you as someone capable of doing this."

"Elia is dead! How would you know what she would have wanted?"

"Not this. She would never have wanted this!"

"She would have wanted to be alive! She would have wanted her children to be alive." Oberyn laughed bitterly. "I suppose you wouldn't complain."

"What are you saying?" Livia questioned, eyes hard with emotion.

He gestured to her, bowing mockingly. "Elia is dead but you are queen. Queen Livia Baratheon, queen of the Seven Kingdoms."

She felt as if she had been struck. "How can you say such a thing? I loved her, just as you did. I never wanted this! I never wanted to be queen!"

"Yet you are." He answered, face darkening. "Tell me, who gave the order to kill her."

Everyone knew who gave the order. But Livia couldn't accept it, she could not. "I don't know."

"No, I think you do!" Oberyn sneered, raising a finger condescendingly. "Who gave the order, Livia?"

"I don't know! I swear, I don't know!" Livia defended, barely holding it together.

Oberyn's anger grew that he clutched her by the shoulders, shaking her, his vision gone red. "Gregor Clegane and Amory Loch! Who gave them the order to rape and murder Elia, to kill Rhaenys and Aegon. Who!?"

Tears fell from her eyes, as she met his anger. She felt helpless and all the guilt, she had healed returned in a flash. "I do not know! Oberyn, p-please, stop."

Recognizing his actions, Oberyn released her, silent for so long. No sound was heard but the slight sniffling coming from her. "I'll kill him, you know that, won't you? I'll kill them all. I won't rest unless Elia's murder is avenged."

"No, Oberyn. You can't!"

"You cannot stop me, Livia. I will avenge Elia and anyone who stand in my way shall meet the end of my sword, even you, my dear."

Livia walked to him, forcing him to look at her in desperation. "If you want your revenge, take it out on me! I convinced the Mad King to let the forces in!"

Oberyn looked at her in disgust, as if he could not believe it. Not her. "You?"

"I had no choice! The Mad King was going to kill us! He was going to kill everyone!" She exclaimed.

"And your father wouldn't?" He asked, anger simmering. "He would not have stopped at any lengths, not until he had made you queen and he has succeeded." 

"Oberyn, I-"

"I loved you, you know. I love you still, Livia. But I cannot let this go."

The breath was stuck in her throat and it was as if she was stuck in one of her nightmares again, unable to breathe.

"There's been too much fighting. No more, please." She begged, though her efforts are in vain.

"Don't you dare try to make me seem like a villain. Didn't your husband, the warmongering Robert Baratheon lead the last rebellion for Lyanna Stark?" He asked.

Livia cringed at the reminder but she rose up to defend him. "You don't know him. He didn't start the war just to start the war!"

Oberyn's mouth dropped open in disbelief. "Don't tell me you...you love him! He's a barbarian!"

"He's a good man!" Livia said, her emotions surging through her strongly. "He sees me, truly. He sees me as I am."

"He has tricked you! Do you not see? He's just like the rest of them! Once he gets enough of you, he'll toss you aside like a rotten secret! You know, I would never do that to you!" Oberyn said, his voice close to a shout. "He would do that without a single thought! Only I love you!"

Her eyes glowed with fear, but most of all, it was protectiveness. Oberyn was her dearest friend but he dare do these horrible acts and blame her husband. The man she had come to adore and care for.

"You're wrong. He's different." Livia answered, sure of her answer. "He's a better man than you could ever hope to be."

Oberyn's head swung to look at her in shock. In anger. A solemn rage taking over his face.

"Get out!" He knocked down the table with a swing of his hand. "Get out! Now!"

°•°•°•°•°•°

When Livia had left, Oberyn turned the whole room upside down.

The bed stripped of its linens, the headboard cracked to pieces. The table smashed, its legs separated.

Oberyn himself was at a state of disarray. No longer himself.

He had lost everything. He had lost Elia. He lost Livia. Nothing else matters.

"Prince Oberyn." A voice said from the doorway.

Oberyn looked up to see his loyal servant, looking at him in pity. He hated it. "What?"

"Your brother has sent a message. About the uprising." The man answered, bowing.

"Let me guess, he wishes to have it dispersed." Oberyn smirked bitterly.

"Yes, my prince. Do we start calling off the attack?"

"For now."

Doran had always been fearful. But not him, he would succeed.

His servant left him to his dark thoughts once again, no light to lead him. Only darkness. Only hatred.

"You will pay. All of you will pay."

<>---------------<>