A/N: Hello everyone! About a month ago I posted a story called "The Green Dragon" (if you haven't read it it's mostly a lot of Clexa fluff, while this story is more heavily leaning toward Lexa herself) in which I promised that I was going to work on a prequel. Well, here it is! This was a long and tiring project but I do not regret a second spent on it. I think it's awesome and I hope you will enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it! I will be posting a chapter every Monday, Wednesday and Friday, so you can expect the first chapter tomorrow. Don't forget to follow the story if you want to be sure to not miss a thing!

Each chapter will focus on a season of Game of Thrones, but you'll see what I mean tomorrow. I tried to be as thorough in my research as I could. I obviously rewatched the show, of course, but also used the wiki as much as I could. If you have any questions or any comments you want to say about something that I may have missed, just leave a review and it will be my pleasure to answer. Alright, other than that, once again, I hope you'll enjoy the story, and I hope to see you guys tomorrow!

Prologue

A few days before her sixteenth name-day, Tyrion had come to talk to her. He'd advice her, as his Hand and Queen Regent, to wait a bit longer for her crowning, to ease herself into the role until she felt ready to bear the crown once and for all. Anyone else could have thought the Queen Regent was just trying to keep the power for himself as long as possible, but Lexa knew better, and she trusted Tyrion fully. At the time, she'd realized, he'd been right. She received more and more responsibility as time went on, and it seemed easy, learning how to balance the needs of a kingdom slowly. But right now, when she had a Royal Wedding followed right away by a double crowning to organize, she cursed her Hand's name every time she entered and exited a room.

This, in small part, was the reason why she'd taken some time for herself in the early afternoon, to lunch but also spend time with her betrothed. She'd found she didn't spend nearly enough time with Clarke since they'd returned to King's Landing. So, she'd organized herself to make sure they would always have at least an hour to themselves. Sometimes they would wander the gardens, sometimes they would go down to the sea and watch the sun glow over the water and the boats rock over the waves. Most of the times, however, they simply stayed in Lexa's room, silent. An Unsullied soldier, most of the times Grey Worm, would stand guard at the door, unmoving like a statue and just as silent, his presence forgotten to the two of them. Lexa had joked he chaperoned them as well because it was expected of the soon-to-be Queens of Westeros. She had then whispered to Clarke's ears that it was a bit too late for that, and Clarke had blushed furiously.

During those moments spend together, Lexa would lie in one of the couches and read, while Clarke would sit in the other and draw, usually Lexa. They'd discovered this side of each other one evening, soon after Clarke had arrived in King's Landing. Since then, Lexa had made sure to keep an eye out for any of Clarke's new drawing, while Clarke watched with a small smile how quickly Lexa devoured books, picking a new one almost every day. That was, of course, when she didn't fall asleep, the book left forgotten on her chest as she napped. Then, Clarke would smile brightly, and carefully pick up the book off her chest, as to not wake her. She would sit back on her couch and continue her drawing. After a while it happened so often that Clarke realized she had more drawings of Lexa asleep then she had of her awake and reading.

One afternoon, Lord Tyrion was looking for Lexa, as a raven had arrived from Winterfell. When he found her asleep on the couch, he smiled and looked toward Clarke, who'd stopped drawing. She was still rather uncomfortable in the Hand's presence, a bit afraid he would suddenly find a reason why Lexa couldn't marry her, and Lexa would have no choice but to agree this time. Sure he'd been a bit cold about the idea at first, but since he'd shown her nothing but respect and even something akin to appreciation. He looked at her drawing with that same smile and declared softly:

"You're quite talented, my Lady. She doesn't look half as pretty when she sleeps, usually."

He chuckled at his own joke and Clarke smiled. She'd quickly realized, upon meeting Lord Tyrion, that Lexa owned him a lot in terms of humor. But then again the Dothraki and the Unsullied didn't seem to know anything close to a joke, and while Missandei was always smiling and welcoming, she always spoke the truth, straight and easy, instead of masquerading it behind words. Clarke could only assume whether Queen Daenerys had had any humor. Lexa had yet to talk to her about her mother.

"What is she reading this time?" Lord Tyrion asked as he exchanged the small scroll in his hand for the thick book Clarke had placed on the table.

Before he could read the title, Clarke declared:

"The Conquest of Westeros, my Lord."

He looked at the book, then at Lexa.

"Again. I swear she reads it once a month. But I shouldn't complain, after all, I was the one who gave her this book in first place."

"Really?"

Tyrion placed the book back on the table and turned fully to Clarke, a smile on his lips.

"Yes, for her ninth name-day, if I remember correctly. I would like to think I'm the one who gave her the taste for books. Before she met me she knew how to read, of course, but she thought more about fighting and riding than she ever cared about books. But as I told her many times, a mind needs books as a sword needs a whetstone..."

"... if it is to keep its edge, I know..."

They both turned to Lexa who was still half-asleep, but still managed to look like she was glaring at her Hand.

"Lessons can wait, let me sleep." she mumbled before changing position to lay on her side.

Tyrion turned to face her, this time.

"If I didn't know you better, I'd wager sleeping is no longer your nightly priorities."

Clarke tried to control her blush but to no avail. Tyrion quickly turned toward her with a smile:

"I'm sorry if I offended you, my Lady, but I'm afraid from now on I won't be able to laugh at Alexandria's expense without including you as well."

Before Clarke could tell him that it was fine, Lexa replied:

"I'm sure you'll find a way quickly enough."

She stood up, stretching her arms. Her shirt hiked up a bit, exposing a sliver of her stomach, and she had to push it back down.

"What did you need, my Lord Hand."

Tyrion picked up the scroll and handed it toward her.

"A letter from Winterfell, Your Grace."

Lexa broke the seal and quickly read through it.

"Alright! We can expect a delegation of a hundred northerners within the fortnight, including Lady Sansa and Lady Arya."

The more she spoke the more excited she seemed.

"I wasn't expecting the both of them to join us," Tyrion declared. "I truly thought Lady Sansa wouldn't come, seeing how the last wedding she attended in King's Landing ended with the death of the King."

Lexa smirked.

"She must have heard Lady Margaery would be there."

Tyrion smirked back.

"Yes, nothing like a royal wedding to rekindle old flames. Should I have one or two rooms prepared for them?"

"Two."

Lexa seemed thoughtful for a second before she turned to Clarke.

"Adjacent or on opposite side of the Keep?"

Clarke rolled her eyes.

"Would you be so cruel, on your wedding day no less?"

"Your Lady has a point." Tyrion conceded.

"My Lady always has a point, even when I don't listen. But fine, adjacent it is. Too bad, I was looking forward to seeing Lady Margaery wandering the halls like a morning ghost."

"Like you would even be able to leave your bed early enough to see her," Clarke replied boldly. She'd forgotten Tyrion's presence and almost regretted her words when he exploded in laughter.

"I like her a lot, Lex. Never let her go, please, for my sake."

Clarke couldn't hold her smile as Lord Tyrion turned to her and bowed.

"My Lady, I must return to work."

He walked out of the room and shouted over his shoulder:

"Oh, and Lexa, the High Septon would like to see you again. As soon as possible."

Lexa groaned and almost threw herself back on the couch. Tyrion closed the door behind her. Lexa looked at Grey Worm.

"Next time the Hands wants to come in, don't let him."

Grey Worm nodded with a seriousness which scared Clarke, as she was pretty sure Grey Worm had not taken it as a joke. Lexa was about to reach for her book once again when Clarke asked her:

"Do you think he meant it?"

"What?"

"That he likes me?"

Lexa smiled softly and stood up, just to come to sit beside Clarke and take both her hands. The emerald eyes lost themselves in Clarke's blue eyes for a moment before she declared:

"Of course he does. I told you he would. So does everyone else. The twins love spending time with you, and Missandei likes you very much too. And Grey Worm, you like Clarke too, don't you?"

They both looked at the Unsullied who nodded and replied:

"I like Lady Clarke very much, Lexa." Though his words were still a bit hesitant and thick with his accent, they all could see the truth in his words.

"See? They all like you. And all the people of the Kingdom will too, soon. Because if they don't I'll give them to Rhaegal." she added with a smile.

Clarke pursed her lips.

"Do you think..." she stopped herself, unsure whether she was treading on thin ice.

"What?"

"No, it's stupid. I don't want you to get mad."

"I could never get mad about anything you could ever ask, promise."

"Do you think your mother would have liked me?"

Lexa shrugged.

"I don't know. I've stopped wondering whether she would like what I do or not a long time ago. All I know is that she always followed her heart and her soul when she was taking a decision, and that's what I did."

She kissed the blonde, placing a hand on her cheek. They had to part when Grey Worm cleared his throat. He seemed to be taking his role as chaperon very seriously.

"How come you never talk about her?" Clarke asked, now a bit more assured of herself.

"I don't know. I don't think there is much to say. She was amazing. She was my hero. She could have conquered all of Westeros in a day, burning it all down, but she chose a more peaceful route. She's the reason why we're all still standing here today. I thought she would never die and if she did, it would have been glorious and everyone would have remembered Queen Daenerys Targaryen, first of her name for thousands of years. Instead, she died in childbirth, like so many women before her did."

Clarke could hear the slight strain in her voice the more she spoke. Finally, she placed both her hands on Lexa's cheeks and looked longly in her eyes.
"You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to."

Lexa's smile returned and Clarke placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Now go, the High Septon is waiting."

Lexa sighed.

"What, so he can tell me again how our wedding is the most unholy thing to grace the Seven Kingdoms since Aegon the Conqueror's two sister-wifes?"

Lexa placed a kiss on the crown of Clarke's head and stood up, walking out of the room. She straightened her back and squared her shoulder, ready to hit back the pompous man waiting for her with everything she had. But still, in the back of her mind, she couldn't quite shake Clarke's question away. Would her mother approve of her choice, if she'd lived?