Chapter One: A Truth of Death

Rhaelle Baratheon. October 3rd, 297. King's Landing

Gripping her hands tightly on the edge of her room balcony, Rhaelle awaited the arrival of her older brother. This particular meeting had been long overdue. Stannis' new secret had been biting at her mind since she had first realized her brother was keeping something from her.

Her suspicions had arose when Stannis had begun behaving very oddly throughout that week. His face was growing gaunter by the day, and his eyes seemed to resemble a man nearing death. He was burdened by something. A truth that only she seemed to see. She had brought it up to Renly over dinner one night. He had laughed off her concerns, merely claiming that their brother had always been serious and depressed. Rae, however, knew differently. Though Stannis was not a light-hearted man, she knew something much greater was at work.

Her concerns were only increased when he refused to acknowledge her pleas for company. In King's Landing, Rhaelle was the only one Stannis fully trusted. He rarely kept secrets. This secret, however, was forbidden to her. Only Jon Arryn seemed somewhat knowledgeable about the nature of it. She had seen them in each other's company often throughout the week. An odd occurrence for Stannis loathed the man, and everyone knew that John had always favored Robert. When she had seen them together, a feeling burned at her heart like hot iron overcoming her veins. To think that her brother, her mentor, would keep mum with Jon Arryn instead of herself!

A curt knock sounded at her door. Sighing, Rae smoothed her hair which had grown astray by the growing night wind. Turning, she entered her room and closed the balcony doors behind her. The knock came again. Impatient.

"Come in, Stannis, for goodness sake."

The door opened as soon as she had said the first two words. Stannis stormed into the room brashly and abruptly. Following him, more slowly, was Jon Arryn. Arryn, perhaps, look more ill than even her brother. He had grown thin, despite his robustness in his old age. He, however, was not a tall man despite his broad shoulders and seemed shadowed by the giant form of her brother.

"Sister," Stannis greeted, crossing his arms tightly and eying her with irritation, "You've been snooping."

The statement was sudden and accusatory, but Rae did not rise to Stannis' irate nature. Instead, she pursed her lips and put her hands on her hips.

"You left me little choice, Stannis. Robert and Renly may be blind to your activities, but I am not so easily fooled," she cast a weary look at Jon Arryn, "I found nothing, of course. You both have done quite a good job containing whatever plot you've hatched. The only thing I've gathered is that you have been taking many trips to visit a master smith as well some local peasant families."

"Did you send someone to spy on us?" Stannis asked, crossly. He hated being caught, especially by his little sister.

"Of course not. I followed you myself," Arryn quirked a skeptical eyebrow, but Stannis seemed less than moved by her response, "Whatever it is you know…the less people that know about this, the better. The only way what I want will be done right is if I do it myself."

Jon laughed, briskly and suddenly. The sound startled both of the Baratheon siblings. Stannis, ever looking for an insult, eyed the man with cautious eyes.

"You, my girl, are a lovely surprise. I had always thought you a fierce lady, but never did I suspect such intelligence," Arryn laughed again, seating himself on the nearest chair.

"Better hidden then exposed," Rae answered swiftly, "Now, will you cease my wondering and tell me what you keep secret?"

"I think you would be more comfortable sitting, sister."

"I am fine standing," Rhaelle briskly replied, hating when Stannis tried to control her like she was some green child. Stannis' eye ticked slightly, and, in two quick steps, he was standing over her. Putting his two large hands on her shoulders, he pushed her into the nearest seat. Opposite Jon. Aggravated, but knowing that she must play her part in front of the Hand of the King, Rae grinded her teeth slightly. A habit she had picked up from the man now standing, arms still crossed, to her left.

"Lady Baratheon, what we tell you today is told to you in confidence. Stannis has assured me of your integrity, and I am inclined to believe you have the kingdom's best interest at heart. Never have I doubted your honor, and, as I have grown to know you in recent years, I believe that you may be one of the few people in this city that would reply to this knowledge with a level-head."

"I thank you for your kind words, Lord Arryn. You have my word that anything said in this room will remain here unless I am told otherwise."

"Yes, that is all well and good, but, Rhaelle, I will have you know that the only reason I am telling you any of this is because I know that you'll get us all killed with your curiosity. I do not feel great comfort exposing you to this truth. It is treasonous, and it will put your life at risk if anyone were to find out. Yet, you have left us little choice. Your questions have been drawing unfriendly eyes," Stannis paused, his gaze fixed on her own with a complex look that frightened her, "Joffrey, Myrcella, and Tommen are not Robert's heirs. They were born from the incestuous relations of Cersei and Jaime Lannister."

At first, Rhaelle was sure she had heard him wrong. Her mouth had dropped, and she struggled to maintain her composure. Her mind repeated Stannis' words over and over again, desperate to grasp onto their meaning. Then, she was overcome with the need to protest. However, as her eyes trailed to her trembling hands, Rae knew that this was not as shocking as she had wished it could be. She saw the three children in her mind. Blonde. Blue-eyed. Lannisters. She saw the way Cersei and Jaime lurked around each other. How, at times, they had seemed eerily in tune to each other. Then a rage, greater than she had ever though consumed her, and Rae leapt from her seat.

As soon as she had taken two steps, her knees clacked together. Stannis, knowing his sister far better than she knew herself, was by her side before she even fell. His hands were once more on her shoulders, more tenderly this time, and he was once again lowering her into her abandoned chair.

Rae felt sick.

"Lady Baratheon, you look ill. If it would please you, I could get you some water? Wine, perhaps?" Jon Arryn's eyes were bright and concerned. Rae struggled to smile at him, but managed a weak grimace.

"No. No, thank you, Lord Arryn. I just…your proof!" The words came up a bit rushed, but still she regained some of her propriety, "Where is your proof?"

A large book seemed to appear out of nowhere from the Hand's lap. The man flipped to a predetermined page, turning the large text towards her with a grim look. Her hands, still shaking slightly, pulled the text closer. Drawing her eyes to the title at the top corner of the page was the words: The Lineages and Histories of the Great Houses of the Seven Kingdoms.

Before she could stomach looking at the page, her eyes drifted to Stannis'. His eyes had not left her face since she had nearly fallen. Though Stannis was not a loving man, Rae had always known her brother loved her. He had protected her since her birth. Where Renly had been her best friend, where Robert had been the brother she most sought to please, Stannis was the man who raised her. He nodded, urging her to accept and join him in the darkness. At seventeen, Rae suddenly felt as if she was too young for this burden. But, Stannis had never shielded her from the world. After all, she had brought this on herself.

The page was fully dedicated to House Baratheon. The paper was old and wrinkled, making it difficult to read the ink, but Rae could easily make out the many names of her ancestors.

Steffon Baratheon: black of hair, blue eyed.

Robert Baratheon: black of hair, blue eyed.

Stannis Baratheon: black of hair, blue eyed.

Renly Baratheon: black of hair, blue eyed.

Rhaelle Baratheon: black of hair, blue eyed.

Joffrey Baratheon: blonde of hair, green eyed.

Every Baratheon was the same. Black haired and blue eyed. That was, of course, except for the last three names. All blonde hair, all green eyed. Closing the book, quickly, she laid her hands on the old leather. They sat in silence. She felt their eyes on her as if waiting for her to faint.

"And what of your visits to the town?" The question came out in a rasp, and Rhaelle cursed herself for sounding so weak.

"Lord Arryn informed me of our brother's bastards," Stannis spat this out, disgusted by the image Robert had created for himself, "There are many more than even I had expected. A boy and a young girl in this very kingdom and who knows how many more across the Seven Kingdoms. I wished to see the King's children for myself and compare them to the one's he claims."

"There is a boy, Gendry Waters…he looks so like your brother that there became little question that our suspicions were more than warranted," Jon Arryn added.

"Which one of you first harbored this thought? You, Lord Arryn, or you, brother?"

"I had suspected...and, once I was nearly certain, I enlisted Lord Arryn's aid. Robert would not listen to me. But, Lord Arryn is a man our brother considers family."

Rhaelle was not at all surprised that her brother was the one who had first discovered this treason. Her brother was sharp and had no issue calling out his brother or exposing anything he felt less than honorable. Jon Arryn, however, was not a man who looked for trouble and was far too loyal to Robert to even house such a suspicion without undeniable proof.

"What ever shall we do?"

"You shall do nothing, sister," Stannis snapped, reaching over to grab the book and snap it shut, "You shall sit here like a proper lady and let Lord Arryn and I handle this treason. Do you understand?"

Rhaelle said nothing, refusing to look her brother in the eye. He often played the role of jury, judge and executioner in Rae's life. When she was out of line, Stannis was always the one who decided her punishment.

"Do you understand, Rhaelle?" He said it again, kneeling down in front of her and moving her head up by the chin to look him in their identical eyes. Pursing her lips, Rae held back a grimace.

"Yes, Stannis. I understand."

Rhaelle Baratheon. October 6th, 297. King's Landing.

Rhaelle Baratheon had not spoken to Jon Arryn since the night that had changed everything. He had, according to Stannis, locked himself in his tower and had only spoken to the Small Council and Robert. Even his wife, Lysa Tully, had not seen her much elder husband in more than three days. He supped by himself, slept in his study. Stannis, that morning when he had joined her for breakfast, had criticized the man for drawing attention to himself. Rae, however, pitied the man. She knew that he was now faced with a greater burden then she and Stannis had to bare. He was now responsible with confronting Robert and persuading the King of the undeniable truth.

Dressed in a plain gown of grey, Rae entered the local market with the intentions of seeking out Robert's son. Gendry Waters had been a name that was constantly on her mind. She pitied the boy for his lack of father. However, she knew that Robert, even if he had accepted his bastard, would never had been a good parent. Even to his own "children", he was cold. Though not cruel like Cersei, Robert would only spare his children attention when he was drunk or troubled. Cersei, however, was loving only to her eldest. Her niece and lovely Tommen had always been ignored, left with only each other as company. So, it had been herself, Jaime Lannister, and Renly who had offered the two youngest as much love and attention as they could offer. Renly, however, was often busy with work on the Small Council while Jaime was concerned with his duties as a member of the Kingsgaurd. That had left Rhaelle as the lone aunt who took time daily to spend with the two sad children.

Rhaelle, upon entering the market, was immediately flocked by people of all kinds. Many vendors were eager to get her attention, knowing the money she likely had at her disposal. Rae was perhaps the only noble in all of King's Landing that was seen often outside of the Red Keep, among the peasants. The royals had no interest, it seemed, in their people for she had never seen such a poor and hurting city.

She avoided the people who were desperate to speak to her with kind smiles. Pretending to look at the nearest silk table, Rae slowly made her way through the square with intentions of making it to the blacksmith's workshop at the top of the Street of Steel.

Rae entered the shop, immediately overwhelmed by the sudden heat that overwhelmed her body. There was no one in sight, though the fires were burning eagerly. She observed the shop, eying the man swords that lined the blacksmith's walls. Stepping forward, she traced the beautiful curve of the nearest sword. Stunned by the beauty of the steel.

"Can I help you, my lady?"

Rhaelle turned quickly, started by the sudden voice. The man standing behind her was old, but his arms were large with muscle. No doubt from his constant work. He wore all leather and seemed to be sweating even more than she. Stepping forward, Rae smiled at him.

"Yes. You are Tobho Mott, or am I mistaken?"

"I am Tobho Mott. And, may I ask, who you are?" The man was no doubt surprised by her appearance. It was not often that a fair lady arrived in his shop. And there was no doubt that this was a fair woman.

"I am Rhaelle Baratheon. I have come seeking the boy known as Gendry Waters. I was told he is your apprentice," she smiled again, trying to appeal to the man's good senses. Mott, however, seemed not at all shocked by her request. Rather he looked protective, annoyed.

"That boy sure has attracted some odd folk. He is not here at the moment, my lady. I've sent him to Flea Bottom to deliver a package. He'll be back by nightfall."

Rae nodded, disappointed that her trip had been for naught. Saying a kind farewell to the blacksmith, she departed into the already dwindling day. Once in the street, she paused, deciding if a trip to Flea Bottom was worth seeing her brother's bastard. She would not get another free day like this for quite some time. Flea Bottom was not a large area…she should have very little trouble finding the boy.

Decided, Rhaelle turned down the Street of the Sister. Her still young mind conjuring up images of the boy.

Flea Bottom was the slums of King's Landing. The street was lined with homeless families, prostitutes, and thieves. Rae held herself to the walls of the homes, eager to stay out of sight. The homes were all open, letting in all the cool air as possible. This make it easy for Rae to search for the boy with her family's looks.

By the fourth home, Rae began to regret ever wandering without a guard. All of her brothers had chastised her for constantly dismissing her guards. Rae didn't like the company. She felt suffocated whenever one of their men would follow her. Today was no exception. She had dismissed all the men who had been sent by her brother's, lying to them about her intentions of the day. She had said that she planned to stay in bed, resting. An easy fib for it was not unnatural for the youngest stag to need time to herself.

In the distance, she saw a tall boy elbowing his way through a crowd of prostitutes whom were grabbing at his arms. Due to his height, Rae was sure that the boy was at least her age. However, when he turned his face in her direction, she saw his youthfulness and could believe him to be at most fourteen. His face took the breath from her. He was tan, black haired, muscular for his age. And, in that moment, seeing him, Rae was sure she was seeing Renly. He had the Baratheon look, of that there was no doubt. His eyes were identical to both Renly's and Robert's. A light blue like a calming sky. Stannis and Rae had always bore a darker blue with splashes of violet.

"By the gods," she managed to whisper, elbowing forward with intentions of speaking to the boy. Her path, however, was intercepted by the sudden stampede of horses. A path was immediately made for the noble arrivals. No doubt arriving through the Iron Gate. Rae stumbled to the side, desperately trying to shield her face with her dark hair. Through the corner of her eye, she easily recognized the colors of House Lannister and cursed her luck. The caravan had nearly made it past her when a lone rider paused, waving his hand forward for the rest of the men to move on.

Rhaelle did not pause to examine his features. Instead she cursed, quickly moving her body toward the nearest alleyway in an attempt to lose the man. However, the Lannister was fast. She heard his heavy boots hit the ground before she had even made it to the mouth of the side street. Walking a bit faster, she ducked forward in hopes of blending in with a crowd. However, she was immediately pulled backward by her upper arm and hauled back onto the main street.

Looking up, Rae felt sick at the sight of Jaime Lannister who was looking down at her from under a set of heavy eyebrows. His golden hair was still perfect, despite his ride, and his green eyes glistened in the sunlight. She had once thought him beautiful. Now, however, she could barely stand to look at him.

Steeling her feet against the street, she saw him visibly lurch backwards at her sudden stop.

"How dare you try to handle me as if I was some child to be cared for! You have no right, no reason, to intercept me," she spat, pulling her arm from his tight grip. He sent her an annoyed look.

"I have every right, my lady," Jaime replied, giving her a flippant smile, "You stand out among the scum like a diamond among many rocks."

"Hardly," Rae snapped, turning away from him with every intention of leaving him in the dust. Jaime kept up with her strides effortlessly. They were getting stares now. Every eye was on the golden clad man, "You are attracting attention."

"Me?" Jaime laughed, stopping her once more with his arm and leaning down to whisper in her ear, "They do not stare at me, Lady Baratheon. These people gaze at you. Look there, do you see those men?"

She followed his line of sight to a few large men hovering around the entrance to a pub. They were indeed staring, leering.

"Those men would kill to lie with a woman as pure as you. They would rape you then kill you. We would find you in the streets, bloody and naked, dead."

"I can handle myself," Rhaelle snapped, struggling in his arms. But, Jaime did not remove his hand.

"Yet, here I am. Now, come with me and be quiet or I'm sure your brothers would be quite interested in hearing about this incident."

Drawing herself up, Rae cast Jaime a dark look to which he only responded with a loud laugh. She turned on her heel, marching back towards his horse with her head held high. She could feel his grinning eyes on her. Eyes that used to belong to her friend.

It was hours later when a soft knock came upon her bedroom door. Surprised, Rhaelle went to the door, peeking through the crack she made when she opened it. Standing there was her favorite member of the Kingsguard.

Barristan Selmy had always favorited Rhaelle out of all the king's family. Since she had moved to the castle as a girl, Barristan had looked forward to the days where he was assigned to look after the youngest sibling of King Robert. She had been a sweet girl turned into a strong lovely woman. Rhaelle Baratheon had always been the best of the Baratheon's, receiving the best traits of all her brother's yet retaining none of their evils.

"Ser Barristan," Rhaelle greeted, smiling at the elder man, "I feel like I haven't spoken to you in ages. How are you?"

"Well, my lady, as I always am when I see you," he smiled when she laughed loudly, opening her door fully, "However, I am here for more than a social chat."

"I assumed so," Rae grinned, stepping out into the hall and closing her door, "What does Robert want now?"

Barristan tried to contain his grin, and Rhaelle gave him a pointed look knowing he was holding back his laughter. Barristan had always been to loyal for his own good. Never had he spoken ill of the king, even when Robert had done things that the noble man had not approved of.

"The King wishes to speak to you," Barristan replied, turning to face the hall and gesturing for the lady to walk before him. Rae did so easily, marching down the hall and down the stairs towards the King's study. Barristan followed at a steady pace, loyally trailing behind her.

"Do you have any idea what this about?" Rae asked, as they neared the room, "I haven't seen Robert in days, but I do not suspect he calls me for my company."

"I cannot say for sure, my lady."

"Come now, Ser. You are the Lord Commander of the Kingsguard. You must have some inkling, no matter how small. Whenever Robert summons me, I am getting punished or there is a very serious matter."

"All I can say, my lady, is that a raven arrived not an hour ago from the North."

"That is not very helpful being that we are as South as you can get. Anybody could have sent that raven," Rae responded, stopping in front of the door to Robert's study. The large doors loomed in front of her. Red oak and all together beautiful. Rhaelle had always loved the King's study. Everything was so beautifully made. Even the door, as insignificant as it was, was hand carved with beautiful images that reflected the great Houses throughout the Kingdom. Turning to face her guard, Rhaelle sent a smile of thanks and entered the room.

As usual, the study was in disarray. Papers, parchment, wine, food, clothes everywhere. Robert had never been organized. Daily the maids organized this room, and daily Robert ruined it. But, it was beautiful all the same. With a high ceiling, a grand bookshelf, maps on every table, a beautifully carved fireplace, Rae could only imagine how much history these walls had seen. Every king since the beginning of time had sat in this study.

Robert was sitting on one of the lounge chairs, wine in hand and talking gruffly to a very unhappy Stannis. Stannis met her eyes almost immediately. Her brother looked grave, angry, intense. Stannis was always blank faced, yet today his face nearly glowed with contained fury. Renly was leaning against the wall, grinning easily at her. At once, Rae felt herself calm. Renly was always able to make Rae feel at peace. Whatever she was summoned for couldn't possibly be too serious if Renly was involved.

"Sister," he greeted, loudly and dramatically. He moved towards her arms outstretched. He grabbed both of her arms with one hand, holding her at arm's length, "You look wonderful today."

"I look the same as I did yesterday, Renly," Rae responded, but the corner of her mouth curved upwards and revealed her gratitude, "Now, what's the meaning of this? Is this some sort of family meeting?"

"Of sorts, little sister," Renly responded, leading her over to their older siblings. He shoved her harshly into a chair so she was sitting opposite Robert. Both Stannis and Renly stayed standing. It was an odd arrangement that Rae wasn't certain she liked. For a moment, Robert and Rhaelle did nothing but stare at each other.

Robert had once been handsome and strong. More handsome than even Renly. She remembered a time where her brother was a jovial man. He would lift her in the air, play with her. In his youth, Robert had been a hero with men and women who worshiped the ground he walked on. Now, King Robert was a fat foolish man. Whoring, drinking, eating his way to an early grave and taking the kingdom with him. Robert had never been a man made for sitting and planning. That had always been Stannis. No, Robert was a man built for war, and the throne was killing him. Rhaelle, though she loved Robert in a way, was ashamed of her brother. To look upon him was always hard for she could not ignore what her eyes always would see. A red face, a round belly, a long unkept black beard. Even his eyes were red and watery. Robert Baratheon the champion was almost gone.

"Rhaelle," Robert started, leaning back in his chair as he continued to stare at his youngest sibling, his only sister, "I've got good news."

Rae grimaced, quite certain that Robert and she had a very different definition of 'good news'. Good news was a prospering kingdom, a summer rain, a book. To Robert, good news was a whore, a flask, and a full belly.

"Oh, wonderful," Rae answered, her voice betraying her lack of enthusiasm. But, suddenly Rae realized she was quite out of the loop. All of her brothers knew of this news and had gotten together, as a united front, to tell her about it. That was concerning in itself. Her brother's rarely united on anything, "Well, come on, Robert. What is it?"

Robert passed her a piece of parchment. Opening the letter slowly, her eyes immediately caught sight of the sigil of the Starks, a wolf. Now very curious, Rhaelle found herself eager to read. Anything involving the Stark's was bound to be interesting. The Starks always kept to themselves. To receive a letter, now that was something.

However, as the letter continued on and on, Rae felt her heart sink lower and lower until she feared that it would burst out of her chest. Her mind numbed, hands beginning to shake, mouth dry. Rhaelle could not believe what was happening. Her eyes scanned over and over the few words at the bottom of the letter. Such few words that defined something so monumental, so life changing.

"Robert," Rhaelle rasped, her eyes flittering up to meet his. He was grinning at her, unaware of her obvious distress, "What-what is this?"

"It is as written, girl," Robert laughed, speaking to her as if she was some village idiot, "You are to wed Ned Stark's son, Robb. You'll wed him, bed him, and at last our lines will join."