A/N: Written in response to a prompt: Rhaegar wins AU, Aegon/Arya
I've decided not to focus on magic in this. I want to make things (a little) less complicated. I meant to write a drabble, then thought maybe a oneshot but it soon became clear it needed to be multiple chapters. I'm estimating five or six.
There will be political inaccuracies, This is not really a story about politics so please forgive me errors.
For those who read my other fic do not panic. I have not abandoned it. Most of this new story has been written so it will not take me away from finishing the other.
ARYA
Arya knew something to be wrong when the raven arrived. Her father looked very solemn and her parents disappeared for a time. When they returned, her father called to her.
"I must speak with you Arya."
She did not know why he looked so sad. She hurried to him and he gave her a smile and touched her cheek. His fingers came away dirty and Arya chewed her lip.
"I did not mean it father. Bran and I went climbing. We were picking fruit."
She waited for him to scold her but he only sighed. Arya followed him to the solar and saw her mother waiting. It made her feel worse. She tried to speak of something else.
"I saw the raven. Is it about Robb?"
Her mother smiled but Arya saw she had been crying.
"Robb is coming home."
Arya did not understand. They should be happy. Prince Rhaegar kept Robb in Kings Landing after father fought in the war. Arya knew how much her mother missed him. She did not truly know him. They visited a few years back but Arya was so young then.
"Will Jon come with him?"
Her cousin stayed in Winterfell with them for years. They pretended it was because he needed to know where his mother came from but Arya knew it was because Princess Cersei did not want him near. They call him a bastard. Arya tried to ignore the whispers. She loved Jon. He looked like her, like father. They were the only ones. Her mother shook her head and her father put his hand on her shoulder gently.
"You will see Jon soon." He gave her a smile which appeared forced. "The prince wishes for you to be one of his cupbearers. It is an honour."
Arya looked into his face. It is not an honour. She heard enough talk of Robb to know what it meant. It is to punish father. Tears pricked her eyes and she wiped them away.
"Do I have to go?"
Her father nodded. She wanted to ask whether somebody else might go. Sansa might enjoy Kings Landing. She always spoke of the knights and the ladies and court life. More tears began to fall and her father wiped at them gently.
"Why did he ask for me?"
Her father knelt and Arya saw him look even more sad.
"I do not know sweet one."
She embraced him and felt her mother's arms around her too. She began to cry.
"You are a Stark Arya," her father told her. "You can be strong."
She remembered what he told her. I have the wolf blood in me. She dried her tears.
JON
Jon watched eagerly as the group of riders drew closer to the city. He knew it to be selfish but he missed his little cousin. His eagerness was mixed with guilt. Does she know this is my fault? He spoke of her more than he meant to when he came to Kings Landing. His royal father asked him about his cousins and he knew he spoke of Arya the most.
He chose her as a peace offering.
Princess Cersei hated Jon. She did not look upon him kindly when he returned to Kings Landing. She never let him forget what was said of him. I am a bastard. People rarely said it to his face but despite his father's claims of marrying his mother the matter remained.
He was already married.
Princess Elia died not long after the end of the rebellion and his father married again. I was meant to be a girl. His grandfather remained on Dragonstone, still King but stripped of his power and not expected to live much longer. Jon's father ruled with a council of lords. He did finally get the daughter he wished for, Jon's half sister Visenya but only after Cersei birthed twin boys first. All of them had their mother's golden hair. The twins had deep blue eyes but Visenya was the image of her mother.
Jon rode forward to meet the party from the North and as he approached, one of the horses broke away from the others. Jon instantly knew the rider to be nine year old Arya. The best horsewoman I know. Her face broke into a grin when she saw him.
"Jon!"
Her father, his uncle Ned moved swiftly to join them. Arya often compared him to his uncle while in Winterfell though others said he inherited his father's temperament. Jon did not know which he preferred but he did feel affection when he looked upon the face which resembled his own. His uncle even offered a smile.
"Well met your grace."
The title did not feel right but with his older brother joining them he did not feel he could refuse it.
"It is good to see you my lord."
Jon glanced at his brother and Aegon smiled easily as he looked over the newcomers.
"Welcome to Kings Landing."
His uncle accepted the greeting courteously but Arya wore a scowl. Jon hoped it was not a sign of things to come.
ARYA
Her father stayed a fortnight in Kings Landing before departing with Robb. Arya missed him terribly. Jon tried to make up for it but the rest of his family did not make it easy. Rhaenys resented Jon for what his father did to her mother in pursuing Aunt Lyanna. That resentment seemed to extend to Arya though after Rhaenys left for Dorne it mattered little. Visenya was of an age with Arya but she seemed rather too like her mother. Cersei hated Arya and Visenya seemed to hate her even more.
"Why do they hate me?" she asked Jon.
"I do not know little cousin," he replied. He messed up her hair and she glared at him. It made him smile. "I displease Cersei by existing so I am not one to say what else might displease her. It is best to try to avoid her notice."
Arya heard Cersei call Jon a bastard not long after her father left. She hated her for that. She expected she might have hated her anyway.
"She is cruel," Arya decided.
Jon did not argue with her. "At least Aemon and Lucerys are different."
"Aemon is in his cups. He is too drunk to be cruel," Arya pointed out.
Jon looked uncomfortable but it was true. At only twelve Aemon already drank like a fish.
"He needs wine to drown the dreams."
Lucerys truly was different. He seemed kind and a little shy. Visenya however was decidedly not shy.
"Did Visenya attend her lessons today?"
Jon shook his head. Both Visenya and Rhaenys received lessons from the master at arms. Prince Rhaegar wished his daughters to become warriors. Rhaenys excelled at it but Visenya seemed to resent it.
"I wish I could learn swords," Arya said wistfully.
Jon smiled. "If you do not spill the wine when you pour at dinner I might speak to father about it."
Arya dared to hope. "Do you promise?"
Jon nodded and leaned over to muss her hair again. Arya let him and wrapped her arms around him.
They made her wait two moons before Prince Rhaegar relented. The septa lost patience with Arya in the meantime, declaring her to be a trial. It hurt and Visenya's triumph over it added to the wound. Visenya did beautiful needlework and played the harp. She sang wonderfully too. Arya tried but her stitches were always crooked. She could only shout the words to the songs.
It is even worse than when I took lessons with Sansa.
Visenya even picked up on the nickname Jeyne made up for her. That hurt even more. The only good part of the day was when she finished her lessons and watched Jon in the training yard. He sparred with his brother Aegon. Despite Aegon being the elder Arya expected they would soon be well matched.
"Watch your footwork Jon," Ser Arthur told him.
The Sword of the Morning did not seem like a knight of song. If anything he just looked sad. That changed whenever he unsheathed Dawn. Arya liked to see him in action. The blade itself was beautiful but the way he moved with it was even better.
I want to learn from him.
It wasn't to be the case. She watched Aegon begin to beat Jon rather soundly and tried to distract the older prince. He scowled at her but it gave Jon a chance.
"That isn't fair," Aegon said sulkily when Ser Arthur called a halt.
"Distractions happen in battle too," was all Ser Arthur told him.
The two princes approached Arya and she eyed Aegon warily. His frown did not fully disappear.
"I suppose I must thank you. If I can learn not to heed you then I might become as good as Ser Arthur."
A retort sprang to her lips but she bit it back when Jon shook his head.
"You both smell," she said instead.
Aegon looked taken aback but Jon grinned and lunged for her. Arya shrieked and ran while he chased her. She laughed each time he came close. She did not stop until a man barred her way. When she tried to evade him he blocked her. He spoke with an accent, the lilt of the Free Cities.
"You are quick," he told her, "but you will need to be quicker."
"Who are you?" she asked.
"I am your dancing master," he replied. He reached for a wooden blade and tossed it to her. She dropped it and he shook his head.
"Tomorrow you will catch it."
Arya ran to retrieve it and saw Aegon looking at her strangely. Jon smiled and led him away. The man spoke again.
"Let us begin."
At first Arya wanted the master at arms but soon she decided Syrio was better. Jon said that Prince Rhaegar spoke with her father first. They decided to hire the Braavosi. She knew that Prince Rhaegar hoped it might interest Visenya. He was wrong. The Princess came when she heard that Arya was having lessons but she wrinkled her nose at the prospect of catching cats.
"I will get dirty."
Arya forgot herself and snorted. "You will get quick."
Visenya decided to try her luck with the master at arms instead after all. Arya felt happy at that. She did not want to train with Visenya. The princess was mean. Arya did not understand how she could be Jon's sister, even if she was a half-sister. Arya tried to avoid her where possible but they did spend an awful lot of time together. As a cupbearer Arya had to join the royal family at meals and she still had her lessons with the septa.
If not for Jon and the trouble it might cause father I would want to run away.
Visenya did not stick at her sword lessons very long but they were the best part of Arya's day. She wanted to be as good as Syrio one day and he seemed to think she might get good. She tried hard and did everything he told her and more.
Jon came across her while Arya stood on the steps practicing balancing on her toe. She wobbled when she tried to look at him and he grinned.
"How goes the training little cousin?"
Arya stuck her tongue out at him when he looked like he might poke at her.
"Syrio says I need to be quicker." She swapped legs to stand on the other foot and fought to keep her balance. "I've caught all the cats now but because my opponents will be bigger I have to be quicker still."
Jon cocked his head to the side when Arya wobbled sideways.
"You are already quick given it has only been three moons."
Arya tried to regain her balance but her leg shook too badly. She lowered her other foot in disappointment.
"If I want to be a water dancer I have to be quick as a snake and quiet as a shadow." She sat on the steps and Jon sat with her. He looked sad. "Has something happened?"
Jon shook his head and reached over to muss her hair. Arya did not bother to protest. It was already messy.
"Aegon is leaving for a year to squire in the West."
Arya frowned before she had a scary thought. "Are you going with him?"
Jon shook his head. "Father wishes me to stay for now."
He still looked sad and Arya bit her lip. "Why do you care so much?" It was something which had bothered her for some time. She felt as though she was Jon's family. Her father and her brothers and even Sansa knew him better than the Targaryen's. It hurt at first seeing him want to spend so much time with his brother, especially when Aegon could be so arrogant.
Jon sighed. "You know what they call me." Arya wanted to shake her head but knew there to be no gain. Jon did not appear to need a response. He shifted and looked deep in thought. "I did not receive a warm welcome when I came here. Father is always busy, Cersei does not like me within her sight and my siblings did not appear to truly want to know me. Aegon was the first to be kind."
Arya thought about it for a moment. "He thinks he is better than you."
Jon gave her a smile. "He has been raised to think so. My father calls him the Prince who was Promised. He is still my brother. Underneath that he is generous and loyal. He knows what it is to grow up without a mother."
Arya chewed her lip again and nodded. She had not thought about that. She knew Aegon wasn't all bad. He smiled the same way Jon did even if his smiles came more often. He also did not like people calling Jon a bastard. Arya saw him clout one of the stable boys when he overheard them say it.
"You will miss him," she said slowly.
"I will," Jon agreed. "It is a good thing I will still have you little cousin."
Arya gave him a little shove. "I'm not that little now."
Jon laughed and nudged her back. "You are still smaller than me."
Arya did not care about the teasing. She only cared that Jon smiled again and she resolved to try and keep him smiling for the whole year.
The year passed quickly. Syrio gave Arya increasingly difficult challenges but she liked it that way. For her name day Jon gave her a sword. It was proper forged steel but small, very like a bravo blade and similar to the one Syrio kept. Jon helped her name it Needle. Arya loved it even it Syrio still did not let her use it.
"You must not run before you can walk."
Arya scowled but she did as he said. She kept the sword in her room and took it out to look at it whenever she could. She knew she was getting better but every time she thought she might be getting close, when she almost, almost felt like she matched Syrio with her wooden sword she realised he was only playing. She still finished her lessons with bruises but she did not care.
Every bruise is a lesson.
Jon smiled when he saw her but he still smiled less than he had. Aegon did not write him and Arya felt indignant on Jon's behalf. It melted away when a sword belt arrived before Jon's name day. It had both direwolf and dragon carved into the leather. Arya sat with him while he looked upon it.
"It is fine work," Jon said after a time.
"It is," Arya said, tracing the direwolf. "It is a good gift."
Jon smiled. "Aegon has one like it but with the sun instead of a direwolf. He saw me admire it."
She understood when he wanted to be amongst the welcoming party when Aegon returned to Kings Landing. Arya remained in the Red Keep but she was not the only one. Visenya sat with her, a smile on her face as she toyed with her golden hair and balanced her immaculate needlework in her lap.
I have other needlework now Arya told herself, even though it stung that her sewing still improved but little. I enjoy the other kind better anyways.
"Do you not want to greet your brother?" Arya asked.
Visenya looked at her as though she thought her to be stupid. "I will see him soon enough." She dropped her eyes again and after a moment the smile returned. Arya did not understand it.
I would have ridden out to meet my brother.
She expected to see Aegon before dinner if not before. When dinner time came his seat remained empty. Arya poured the wine as she always did and noticed the tension around Prince Rhaegar's mouth. Cersei looked happy. She wore a radiant smile and did not subject Arya to the glares and criticism she was accustomed to. The twins both remained quiet and Rhaenys, newly returned from Dorne, spent much of her time in conversation with Viserys. Jon sat beside Daenerys and when Arya drew close to him she saw he looked unhappy.
Something is wrong.
After dinner she wanted to ask him about it but he left in a hurry. Arya wanted to follow him but she did not know where he went. When she made her way to the royal apartments in Maegor's Holdfast Jon was not in his chambers. She stopped for a moment not sure where to look next and heard raised voices carrying through an open door just down the hall.
"You promised I will be queen."
Arya recognised it as Visenya's voice. The answer came from another female voice, just as familiar.
"You will be one day. The prince has promised," Cersei replied.
Visenya's response sounded hateful, cruel even. "Father does not care for you. How do I know you are not mistaken?"
Arya almost flinched herself at the echo of the slap. Cersei's voice seethed with rage.
"I am not mistaken but until you are queen you will not speak to me in such a way."
Arya retreated before they could know of her presence. She did not understand. Rhaegar will be king and Aegon after him. How can Visenya be queen? It did not make sense.
She rose before much of the castle the next morning, wanting to get an early start on her lessons. Her resolve weakened when she caught Jon sneaking from the Red Keep with only Jaime Lannister in his company.
"Where are you going?" she asked him, emerging from behind one of the columns where she was practicing her stealth.
Jon startled and Ser Jaime laughed.
"I am going riding with Aegon," Jon replied in a hushed voice. He offered her a strained smile. "You truly are becoming as quiet as a shadow."
Arya bit her lip and shook her head. "I'm not that quiet yet. Syrio still hears me. I want to ride with you."
Jon relented rather quickly. Arya suspected it to be more to avoid attracting attention than anything else. She already wore her leathers so she trotted along beside him, trying to keep up with his long strides. Aegon offered her a grin when they met him in the stables.
"You are not as small as you once were."
Arya pulled herself to her full height. "I am ten now. I'll be a woman grown soon."
His grin faded and she wondered what she said wrong. It returned again once they entered the Kingswood. Arya rode with Jon when she could and it was not the first time Aegon had seen her ahorse but she got better with time. More than once she heard people say she was half horse. She managed to outride both princes. She heard the hoof beats behind her when they were well clear of the city and reined up.
"I knew I'd eventually catch you," Aegon said breathlessly.
"Only because I let you stupid," she retorted back.
She cast a glance over her shoulder and saw Jon lingering behind and speaking with Ser Barristan and Ser Jaime. She urged her horse back into a trot.
"This is one thing Cersei cannot say I fail at."
A frown marred Aegon's features. "She is not all bad."
Arya snorted before remembering who she spoke to. "I'm sorry."
Aegon shook his head. "No need to apologise. It is just... I still remember when I was small and Cersei allowed me to call her mother for a time." A brief smile flitted across his face. "She used to give me sweets in secret. It only ended when I ate too many and became ill."
Arya found it hard to imagine. "You called her mother?"
Aegon flushed. "I did not know better my lady."
Arya tried to imagine Aegon being as small as Rickon was when Arya left. The image of a silver haired Rickon without their mother made her feel sad. She wondered what happened to the Cersei he described. Mayhaps it is because of his father. Arya spent time in the kitchens and the stables and her friends there spoke of Cersei and Rhaegar.
He does not visit her chambers.
Arya thought of her own parents. They did not have separate chambers. She could not understand why a husband and wife would remain so separate.
"I am sorry she is no longer kind to you."
Aegon laughed, a bitter sound. "So am I."
They enjoyed the rest of the ride right up until they returned to the stables. Arya knew their absence would be noticed. They had been gone for hours. She still did not expect for Prince Rhaegar to greet them himself. His handsome face showed his anger.
"We will have guests in two moon's time," he said. "This foolishness ends now."
Jon and Aegon both hung their heads and looked ashamed. "Yes father," they both murmured together.
Nobody offered an explanation to Arya.
Arya became aware of Aegon watching her lessons with Syrio. She focused all her energy on them, miserable that Jon was gone. Rhaegar sent him away after their ride. Arya barely had the chance to say goodbye before he left.
"I will be back when the guests arrive," Jon promised.
She liked to imagine Syrio as Rhaegar when she lunged and parried her wooden sword. She hated him for sending Jon away, though not as much as she hated Cersei. She never wanted him here. The wooden blade caught her on her wrist and she cried out.
"Ow."
Syrio clacked his teeth. "You are not looking. You are better than this."
She began to attack him with a flurry of blows but he checked every one. Tears stung her eyes. Jon had been gone for a fortnight and she missed him and she missed Winterfell and she hated his sisters and she hated Cersei and Syrio's wooden blade caught her on the breast this time and she sobbed.
"That is enough," Aegon's voice called out.
Syrio withdrew his wooden blade and Arya pushed her sweaty hair out of her face. The sweat ran into her eyes and brought more tears. She wiped them away roughly. Syrio bowed to the prince and sat, beckoning for Arya to sit with him. She did but she saw Aegon glowering at her dancing master and felt guilty.
"He distracted me," she said defensively.
"We do not lie child," Syrio replied. "Do you know why you are dead?"
"I did not look," Arya said sullenly.
Syrio clacked his teeth. "Your anger blinded you. You must always keep calm."
"Calm as still water," Arya replied, suddenly embarrassed.
"Just so. Our lesson ends for today." Arya began to protest but he stopped her. "You will be a great water dancer Arya child. It will be time for you to use that sword you keep in your chambers soon. Tend to those bruises now."
She rose and Aegon joined her immediately, Ser Arthur following discreetly behind.
"Does he always hurt you like that?"
Arya shook her head. She resisted the urge to tell him every bruise was a lesson. She somehow did not think Aegon would agree.
"Why did you watch me?"
Aegon flushed and did not answer her question. He asked to see her wrist instead. Arya offered it to him warily.
"It is only a bruise."
He pressed his lips into a disapproving line. "Jon would be angered if he knew."
Arya took back her wrist and grinned. "He already knows. He has seen me train." Aegon did not look surprised and Arya realised suddenly why he watched her. Jon asked him to. She did not know whether to be angry or pleased. "What did you think?"
Aegon grinned. "You are quite frightening now. I hope I never anger you."
She smacked him in the arm without thinking but before she could apologise his startled expression dissolved into laughter.
"You are going to make a frightful wife for one of the lords some day."
Arya's own grin faded away. "I want to see things. I want to do things. I don't think I can be a lady in a lord's castle."
She expected him to laugh at her but he looked thoughtful instead. "You must hope that your lord husband will wish to travel. Mayhaps he might take you with him."
Arya did not want to just be taken with someone but she held her tongue. Instead she changed the subject.
"I have not heard of the West yet. Did you enjoy your time there?"
Aegon smiled widely. "You have to see Lannisport one day Arya." He proceeded to tell her all about it, tales of the city and of the tourney where he won a prize and Arya listened and looked. She knew he still carried a secret but she decided that as he told her stories and japes that it did not matter. He wasn't Jon but he was her friend and his friendship made her feel just that little bit better.
She rode out with Aegon to meet Jon, filled with excitement at his return. Aegon had continued to watch her train and ride with her. Even after she told him she knew why he only grinned and shrugged.
"You are almost as much fun as he is now that you do not glare at me so much."
Rhaenys joined them sometimes and she seemed to be friendlier. She seemed happier but that only served to highlight the dark cloud which hovered over Aegon at times. Arya caught them talking in lowered voices.
"It may not turn out so ill brother," she whispered.
Aegon's shoulders slumped and he did not look convinced. They were not slumped now. He smiled when Jon approached and greeted him warmly.
"Well met brother."
Jon's smile appeared more strained. "Well met." He brightened up when he turned to Arya. "It is good to see you cousin."
Arya followed him into the Red Keep, disregarding the other guests. She greeted them already, she only cared about Jon now. He told her that his father sent him on errands and shared tales of the towns he passed through.
The city became a buzz of activity. Arya heard whispers that Prince Rhaegar intended to find a match for Aegon. Rhaegar was king in all but name and Aerys now ailed. Within weeks Rhaegar would be king and Aegon the crown prince. Arya did not know what she thought of that. She did know that her maids hurt her when they brushed her hair for the banquet. She knew she did not like the new gown with the itchy lace.
I must wear it anyways.
Her father attended amongst the guests in the city. He arrived very late, only a day before the banquet and Arya did not want to leave his side. She wanted him to be happy, to see she did not make trouble. She did not want Cersei to tell him of the quarrels. Cersei seemed happier. Arya only hoped she might forget. Arya joined her father when he returned from the godswood. He smiled when he saw her but he looked sad.
"You grow so quickly Arya."
Arya took his arm. "I am going to be one and ten soon father."
He walked with her through to the banquet. "Has prince Rhaegar remarked upon you?"
Arya did not understand. "Prince Rhaegar speaks to me very little. I see more of Jon and Aegon." She decided not to speak of Visenya.
Her father sighed. "That is good."
They took their places and Arya looked longingly over at Jon. He looked like he wanted to be in their place so badly. She then noticed that Aegon and Rhaenys looked just as unhappy. It only took a few hours to find out why when Prince Rhaegar stood and made an announcement to the gathered guests.
"You may be wondering why I called you here." He smiled a sad smile. "I wish to announce the betrothal of my son Aegon to his sisters Rhaenys and Visenya."
It sounded as though the entire room sucked in their breath at once. When they let it out it seemed as though a swarm of angry bees buzzed through the great hall. Arya looked across the hall to Aegon and his misery seemed to deepen. Rhaenys looked rather determined, Rhaegar's brother Viserys whispering in her ear beside her with a scowl on his face. Only Visenya looked pleased, she and Cersei wore equally radiant smiles. Arya remembered the conversation she overheard.
She wants to be queen.