Standing on the outer walls of Ebott Hall, a monster maiden watched the sunset and contemplated the decision before her. It is a decision with two options, both of which are undesirable. This monster is Lady Undyne Dreemurr and she was a woman of great importance in the Monsterlands; she is the Master-at-Arms in charge of training the local garrison, the Captain of the Dreemurr Household Guard, an anointed knight with victories in tourney lists and in battles, and the adopted daughter of Lord Paramount Asgore Dreemurr. Normally this last fact is a source of great happiness for the woman, but today it is the cause of anguish because of the duties that accompany it.

Undyne was not alone for long though. Soon she felt the presence of a human standing next to her. When she looked to her right, she saw her sister Frisk Dreemurr.

"What do you want?", Undyne tersely asked.

Frisk just smiled at her elder sister. This made Undyne feel guilty.

"You seemed upset", Frisk answered calmly, "so I want to make you feel better."

The elder noblewoman shook her head bitterly. "I don't think you can. Not after tonight. I can't believe father would ask this of me, after all I've done for him!" Undyne punched one of the wall battlements in anger. Having done this, Undyne exhaled.

"I don't want to do what he asks of me. I do not want to marry Daven Lannister. It's bad enough father wants me to marry a man I've never met before, but a Lannister?!" There was unmasked disgust in her voice when she said the name of that house. Undyne was a woman who valued knightly virtues like honor, bravery, and honesty, and House Lannister was the antithesis of those virtues. They annihilated House Reyne and Tarbeck, they massacred King's Landing, and they orchestrated the Red Wedding. As far as Undyne was concerned they were among the worst that humanity had to offer, barely one step above Reaver Ironborn or Slaver Astapori.

Frisk smiled innocently at her elder sister. "He might not be that bad."

Undyne stared in shock at this statement for a few seconds before responding. "How can you say that?! He's a Lannister! His family is a pack of oath-breakers and child-murderers! Nothing is sacred to them! Not the Gods, not honor, not compassion or hope or love or anything! All they care about is their gold and their power."

The younger sister listened patiently. "I remember you said the same thing about a little girl who came to Ebott Hall. 'That's a human bastard, you can't trust them'. But you changed your mind about her."

Undyne smiled in spite of herself. "You're never going to stop reminding me of how much I distrusted you at first, are you?"

"Not as long as it works."

It is true that when Undyne first met Frisk she thought the child was nothing but trouble. Of course Frisk wore her down until they were friends, and Undyne was so happy that Asgore decided to adopt her too.

"Even the Mother Above would say you're too nice. Though she must be smiling on you because you got betrothed to Willias Tyrell. In a few years you'll be Lady of the Reach." As Undyne said this she gently tousled Frisk's hair.

Frisk laughed softly when Undyne did this. "Come inside with us, our Mother in this world made us a pie. I'm sure that sounds better than being out in the cold."

The two of them began to walk along the wall to a stairwell. As they walked down the stairs Frisk spoke again.

"You know, if you really don't want to go through with it you don't have to. Father won't make you."

Undyne sighed sadly. "It's not Father whose making me, it's the Westermen. It's Tywin Lannister and Gregor Clegane and Joffery Baratheon."

They both understood the political situation. House Dreemurr had stayed neutral during the War of Five Kings, sending their healers to the civilians of both sides yet sending knights to neither. It was a noble and kind thing to do, a show of compassion in an age when such a feeling is rare. Unfortunately Tywin did not see it that way; as far as he and his grandson were concerned the Monsters failed to pick the right side. Only by making marriage alliances with the two ruling powers can Lord Asgore avoid retaliation.

The elder daughter continued, "If marrying a Daven Lannister is what it takes to prevent an invasion then I'll do it."

Frisk reached to hold Undyne's hand. "It might not be as bad as you think. But remember that whatever happens I'll always be ready to help you."

There was indeed something she could use help with. She stopped, took her sister's hands in her own, and looked into her eyes. "There is something you can do. I already spoke to Sans about it, but I want your help too."

"Anything."

"Promise me you will look after Alphys as long as you're both here." Alphys was another monster maiden in Ebott Keep; a scholar, a physician, and a Pyromancer of the Alchemists' Guild. She is the that Undyne wishes she could marry, but Undyne lacked the courage to confess her true feelings to Alphys and now politics made the point moot. Even so, if Undyne couldn't have Alphys she would still damn well protect her from harm.

Frisk nodded. "You can count on me." After saying this, Frisk hugged Undyne closely for a moment to comfort her.

The two Dreemurr daughters walked down the castle stairwell, across the courtyard, and to the keep where their parents were waiting. A few of the castle servants - mostly monsters but some humans as well - going about their business stopped to wave or say hello to Undyne and Frisk. Few, if any, of these servants knew that the ladies they respected would be out of the castle very soon; Undyne would go to the Westerlands to marry a Lord Tywin's Nephew, and in four years when Frisk comes of age she will go to the Reach to marry Lord Tyrell's son.

The monster maiden hoped things would turn out well.