284 A.C.

"What?"

"I just-I can't believe you're here."

Livia smiled, hooking her arm around Robert's as he helped her step out of her carriage.

"It's about time, isn't it?" Robert asked, looking around at the newly rebuilt structures.

Ever since that day, from small council meetings to answering correspondences, they did it together.

Where Livia worked, Robert had the servants put another desk and chair for them to work on things together.

It made things much easier on the two of them, having someone to rely on. Finally not alone.

She trusted him. He trusted her. Completely and utterly devoted to the realm and to one another.

At first, it was odd, even the small council meetings were slightly awkward. But in time, things went smoothly and they are able to work in long silences, only breaking it with jokes from Robert and questions from Livia.

It was tiring work but having someone to do it with made it worth doing.

"I agree." Livia answered, leading him into the hospital she had aided a few weeks before.

There were now less soldiers confined, most of them recovered from their wounds and had already went home or returned to the service of their vassal lords.

"I can't tell you how many people have approached me and told me to give you their thanks. You helped a lot of people, Liv." Robert said, intertwining their hands together.

She squeezed his hand. "We helped a lot of people, Robert."

"Maybe being king of the realm isn't so bad, after all." He said, grinning down at her. "As long as I have you by my side as my queen."

Before she could open her mouth to reply, Jeyne came into view, bowing to her and seeing the man beside Livia, the woman bowed even lower. "My queen! My king!"

"Robert, this is the woman who started this hospital." Livia introduced, laughing softly as Jeyne quivered nervously.

"I see. I owe you my thanks for taking care of the realm's soldiers." Robert thanked as the woman bowed once more.

"Yes, Your Grace. Of course, Your Grace." Jeyne answered before sauntering off to one of the soldiers in the beds.

Robert turned to Livia with a smirk. "Is she always that...anxious?"

"She's usually very emotional. I guess you looked very intimidating to her." She answered, crossing her arms.

He raised a hand to his face, stroking the stubble he had developed. "Is it the beard? I think it is. I knew I should have shaved."

Livia laughed as she ran her hand down his face, feeling the prickling in her palm. "But I like it. It makes you look quite dashing."

"Does it?" Robert waggled his eyebrows, teasing her and leaning to kiss her softly.

She pulled away, laughing. "Dashing but ticklish."

His face lit up and his eyes gleamed with mischief.

"Don't you dare, Robert."

Her warning went unheard as he swooped in, rubbing his face against her neck, making her shriek with laughter. The silence in the hospital broken by the simple joys of the king and queen of the realm.

Robert seized his attacks, noticing it and playfully chastising her. "Hush, Liv. You've disrupted the silence."

Livia's eyes widened in mock anger. "If it weren't for those whiskers of yours, I wouldn't have."

"I thought you found these whiskers dashing?" He asked, putting a hand to his chest.

"Dashingly annoying." She retorted.

It was silent for a moment before they cackled with glee again.

"Maybe we should get out of here before the nervous woman kicks us out for disruptive behavior." Robert said, still chuckling.

Livia reined in her humor, putting on a calm front though it was hard with Robert turning red as he laughed. "You're right. Come, the people would probably be waiting for us now."

"What do you mean by that?" He asked, matching their pace as they walked outside.

"Queen Livia! King Robert!" The people cried out, all of them clambering to catch a view of the young king and queen.

Robert turned to Livia with a wide eyed look, as if he was shocked to see the people so happy to see them.

"I told you they'd be waiting for us."

°•°•°•°•°•°

"I don't know how you do that every other day." Robert exclaimed as they entered their chambers.

He immediately rang for supper as Livia changed into more comfortable clothes.

"Exactly why I don't do that every day." She called out from behind her screen.

Stripping down to his white tunic and black breeches, he answered the door as the servants brought in plates filled with freshly baked pies and smoked venison. With a sniff, he recognized the smell of pigeon pies and his stomach grumbled as he sat by the solar.

When the servants left, Livia stepped out from behind the screen in her white nightgown with her hair undone.

She always looked beautiful to him but there was something special about seeing her with no jewelries or fancy clothes.

"What's for supper?" She asked, walking over to him.

But before she could reach the solar, and before he could even reply, Livia ran to her bedside before retching into her chamber pot.

"Livia!" Robert called out, rushing out of his seat and to her side.

She was still heaving when he reached her, clutching the chamber pot tightly, her skin already a pale, sickly pallor.

"The smell...I can't-" She whispered, gagging before heaving into the pot once again.

Robert looked around in confusion before his eyes landed on the only thing emitting a strong scent. The pigeon pies.

Immediately, he took the plate of pigeon pies and opened the door to their chambers, handing the plate to the Kingsguard on duty, Ser Mandon Moore.

The shocked knight looked to his king with wide eyes. "Your Grace?"

"Bring this back to the kitchens and have them bring...soup." Robert commanded.

"Soup?" Ser Mandon asked, unsure if he heard right. The king was asking him to get...soup?

Before Robert could confirm it, both heard the horrifying sounds of Livia emptying her guts.

Robert winced before glaring at the knight. " Aye! Soup! Now go get some!"

When Ser Mandon left, Robert turned back towards the room to see Livia leaning on the side of the bed, thankfully she was no longer retching.

"Liv?" He approached slowly. "You alright?"

She laughed softly, making him take in a breath. Laughing was good. "I'm sorry, I just couldn't stand the smell of the pies."

He knelt in front of her, concern flooding his features. "But we ate pigeon pies at our wedding."

"I don't know what's wrong. The smell was ghastly, at least to me, it was." She explained, gagging a bit and looking thoroughly confused as he helped her stand up.

A knock sounded upon the door interrupting Robert's train of thought as he called out. "Come in!"

Ser Mandon peeked his head through the door, holding a covered bowl, setting it down on the table in the solar. "The soup, as requested, Your Grace. Will that be all?"

"Yes, Ser Mandon. You are dismissed." Robert said, leading Livia to the solar once the knight left.

Livia stifled a chuckle. "You commanded one of your Kingsguard to get soup?"

Robert snickered before lifting the cover. "Sweet pumpkin soup at that!"

She smiled sweetly, turning to him and pressing a kiss to his cheek. "Thank you, darling."

He may act all nonchalant about it but the fact that he even thought of having someone get her soup, the gesture itself was sweet.

Only Livia would ever get to see the side of him that was all warm and fuzzy instead of the loud and obnoxious king.

They sat in front of each other, poking fun as she drank sweet tea with honey and he drank arbor red, avoiding the Dornish wine for more than one reason.

Robert speared a piece of smoked venison and ate it whole before asking. "So you can bear the smell of smoked venison but not pigeon pie?"

Livia frowned, lifting a spoonful of soup in her mouth and answering, shaking her head. "It's as if the smell is so pungent, I can hardly stand it."

"Perhaps we should get you checked on by Pycelle in the morning. Could be some flu." He offered, leaning towards her.

She made a face. "Pycelle, the old fool?"

"I take it, you don't like the man."

"He's vile."

Robert took her hand in his. "I just worry about you, Liv. You have to at least get checked on by someone. Doesn't have to be Pycelle."

Livia took his face in both her hands, meeting his eyes and striking him speechless with her eyes. "Yes, I will. Now, stop worrying or I might mistake you for Lord Arryn."

He planted a quick kiss on her lips. "Gods, only you can make me turn into such a worrywart."

Only with her could he feel such a warmth in his chest, she made everything seem like such a small thing. It wasn't like with Lyanna whose beauty was that of a nymph, otherworldly.

Livia was exquisite. A queen in every aspect and she was real. Sometimes, he'd pull her closer, kissing her just to assure himself that she was no vision, no fantasy.

She was real.

She was his and he was hers.

°•°•°•°•°•°

"I have heard that they are going to the Stormlands soon, for Lord Renly's nameday." The messenger said, looking across the sea, seeing nothing but waves.

They had been travelling for so long, yet nowhere close to home.

"Good. Send men to prepare. We don't have much time." The prince commanded, his eyes hardened by hatred.

"How will you get him to leave when the time comes?" The messenger couldn't help asking.

The prince turned from the horizon. "By using the one thing he started a war for."

The messenger started. "But I thought he cared for her, sh-"

"Robert Baratheon cares nothing for Livia Lannister. I shall prove it. All of you will see. Now go." The prince hissed, slamming his hand on the ship's ledge.

The messenger bowed, turning to leave.

Glancing back, he turned to see the prince. He may not admit it but the prince had been stricken with grief and anger that he was not the same.

The messenger could briefly hear the mutterings of Prince Oberyn Martell, each word full of bitterness.

"He will pay. He will pay for the love he took from me."

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