"Stop frowning and put on the lovely dress your father had made for you," her mother said.
"I don't like it."
"And why not?"
"Why do I even have to wear that thing anyways?" Amella asked suspiciously. "I didn't even want to go."
"Royal family," her mother reminded her. "When we have guests, we entertain them, not ignore them."
"Well, ignoring them sounds like a fantastic solution. You and father have been nagging me lately...why?"
"As I recall earlier that we always nag you."
Amella nodded. "Yes, but more now to the point where it's even more annoying than usual."
"You can't always get what you want. That is life, sweetling."
Amella's nose scrunched up in distain at the nickname her mother gave her. "Mother, I think it's time that you stop calling me that especially in front of people."
Her mother suddenly wrapped her arms around her shoulders and told her, "You are my daughter and I love you more than anything in this world. I am going to love you no matter what decisions you make in life...but the one thing that I am not going to do is stop calling you by that name because I want...I just want you to know how much I love you."
Amella knitted her eyebrows in confusion. "I know that. I've always known that, mother. I know I sometimes have a hard time wearing my feelings on my face like Sansa does, but it's just me being focused and not being an idiot that people think that they can just walk all over. I-I don't know what to call this feeling actually."
Her mother kissed the top of her head. "Just be on your best behaviour tonight, sweetling, alright?"
Amella chuckled in amusement, "I can't promise anything."
Once her mother left, Amella was left to her thoughts about how strange her parents had been acting ever since the Royal family came to Winterfell. Well, I can actually see why since Jaime Lannister is such a complete ass air-headed assface.
. . .
"Oh, seven hells, no!" Amella cried out in anger.
"Just do it, Ella," Robb advised her. "We don't want to cause a war because of 'a feeling in your gut'. You're just walking into the room with him."
"I just have a gut feeling that he is a tard face, Robb."
"Tard face, eh?" Theon chuckled. "Where did you get that dumb word from? Your imaginary friends?"
"No," she answered, smirking. "From your whores, Theon."
Robb and Jon laughed while Theon's face turned red. Amella continued, "I just don't understand why I have to walk in with him! Why not his brother?"
"You would have to be on your knees in order to look at him, but even then you would be taller than him," Theon answered. "I would say that you are used to being on your knees, but after knowing you for so long, I think differently. When the men come knocking on your door, you manage to burn them alive or cause some kind of pain to them."
"Ah, yes, the wonders of men trying to court me," Amella drawled out sarcastically with a pleasant smile on her face. "Anyways, I like Tyrion better."
"You haven't even met Tyrion-"
"Well, I would like anyone better than Jaime Lannister."
"I heard my name," Jaime said from behind her, his feet surprisingly silent.
"Speak of the Stranger and he shall appear," she muttered under her breath. "What do you want?"
"Well, there are quite a few things, but you might be appalled by most of them," Jaime replied.
Amella scoffed and started to walk away from him with Jaime following her. "Can't you take a wild guess that I don't want to be near you."
"I couldn't help, but notice that you don't have an escort into the feast."
"I do have one."
"Being imaginary doesn't count, my lady."
"Well, I would take wild snakes and spiders crawling all over my body any day than take you, Ser Jaime," Amella shot back at him with a mocking smile.
Jaime's hand grabbed her arm and looped their arms together. When she tried to pull away, he wouldn't let her though. Amella dug her heels into the ground and Jaime just laughed in amusement.
"Please stop embarrassing yourself, Ella-"
"Amella," she emphasized passionately with a raised eyebrow. "You don't get to give me any nicknames, Ser Jaime."
"Call me Jaime. Ser Jaime is too formal for us," he replied.
Amella scoffed in disgust and stopped struggling. "So what happens after we walk in, huh? How exactly does this little stunt benefit you, Ser Jaime-"
"Jaime," he corrected. "And can't I just walk you into the room without there being any consequences, Ella."
"Amella," she corrected. "And you seriously expect me to believe you of all people? Your family is all about power and politics."
"I have little interest in politics and court intrigue," Jaime responded truthfully. "I get bored easily with them."
"Then when does the Great Ser Jaime Lannister feel alive," she mocked in question.
"I only feel truly alive when fighting," he answered with a smile. "Or making love."
"Ugh, you truly are perfectly horrid."
"When do you feel alive?"
"Dancing."
"Dancing?"
"But only when one's partner is barely tolerable."
"You think me tolerable?" Jaime questioned with a smile that cut like a knife. "Should I be insulted?"
"Greatly so, ser, for I would rather-"
"My dearest brother," Tyrion greeted in amusement. "What have you done to anger your betrothed?"
"HIS WHAT?!" Amella shouted in anger, ripping her arm away from Jaime's. "My father would never marry me to him!"
"Oh, was that still a secret?" Tyrion asked curiously. ."Interesting."
"You better be lying to me because my father didn't decide to marry his daughter to a Lannister."
"Oh, but he did."
"He wouldn't."
"I know, my lady, but he did." Tyrion spoke softly to her.
"Ella-"
"Amella," she corrected harshly, her eyes haunting and yet filled with rage that Jaime had only seen once in his life and it belonged to his father.
"Let's make one thing clear, Jaime," she mocked, not smiling at him. "You are the last man in this godforsaken world that I would marry."
Amella briskly walked into the feast without Jaime on her arm and everyone seemed to be looking at her until she sat down by Theon and Robb.
Robb leaned over the table and asked, "You didn't kill him, did you?"
"Sadly, no. I left him alive," Amella grumbled in irritation.
Theon coughed while Robb laughed a little. "Good."
"I suppose so." Amella replied and gulped down her wine. "I hate Lannisters."
"Ella-"
"I know, I know, no need to nag me about whatever it is what you are going to say already, but I really don't care."
Robb suddenly hugged her and said, "You do care, but you have a strange way of showing it."
"Father is planning a union between the Lannisters and Starks."
"You mean the Baratheons-"
"No," she snapped angrily, "I mean Ser Jaime and I…"
"Who told you this?" Robb questioned, pulling away.
"Tyrion Lannister."
Robb scoffed. "And you really trust the word of an Imp?"
Amella rolled her eyes. "I know our parents and they have been acting very strange this past week, Robb, and it is not just nerves from the arrival of the Royal family...I think that it is because of my marriage to Jaime."
"You shouldn't listen to such lies, Ella," Theon said with a surprisingly gentle tone. "I don't believe your father to be that cruel to you."
"Thank you, Greyjoy, that was actually really nice." Amella replied.
"I think that you are paranoid though," Theon added with a smirk. "Jaime Lannister can never marry because he is a member of the Kingsguard."
"I guess he is," she agreed. "Why are they acting that way though?"
"Maybe they are going mad just like you, Ella."
Amella narrowed her eyes at him then threw a piece of bread at him.
"Ellie!" Someone yelled behind her.
"Marissa!" Amella shouted as she stood up from the table to greet her childhood friend. They hugged each other like they were sisters. "You came!"
"Of course, I wouldn't miss it for the world. It's actually quite exciting since I've never seen the royal family before," Marissa told her.
"Marissa," Theon greeted with a light blush on his cheeks. "You're looking especially pretty today."
Marissa raised an eyebrow at him and addressed Robb, "It appears your friend thinks I care what his opinions are of me."
"Come on, Marissa. No need to waste your breath fighting the water," Amella told her.
Amella and Marissa looped arms with each other, laughing at Theon a little as they walked away from their table.
"Ellie," Marissa warned. "What is going on between you and Ser Jaime Lannister?"
"Nothing! That's disgusting!"
Marissa laughed at her friend's outrage. "I was just innocently asking a question."
"There is nothing innocent about you, my dearest friend."
Marissa rolled her eyes. "I am more innocent than you."
They laughed loudly with wide smiles on their faces and soon, their laughter immediately stopped when they almost bumped into Jaime's chest.
Amella stopped smiling as soon as she saw Jaime.
"May I have the next dance with you, Amella?"
"You may."
Then Jaime stepped around her and walked away as Marissa stared at her friend.
"I thought you hated him with every bone in your entire body."
"I do."
"Then why did you agree to a dance with him?"
Amella looked at her, laughing, "I haven't the slightest idea."
Amella made her way to the dance floor after telling her friend, "I think that Greyjoy wants a dance with you."
"You see unlike you, I know how to hate someone!"
She laughed a little then stood in front of Jaime, preparing to dance with him.
"I'm not very good at dancing so don't be surprised if I happen to step on your pretty toes."
Jaime's arm came around her waist as he rest his hand in the small of her back, pulling her close to his body.
"Well, it's a good thing that I am very good at dancing."
They dared not look away from each other, not trusting their dance partner. As the music started to play and the violins begin to play their strings, they started to slowly sway their bodies back and forth.
Soon, they were expertly dancing around the floor, gliding on their feet. Everyone who watched could see that they were completely synchronized with each other. Jaime twirled her around the room, pulling her back to him before slowly dipping Amella as the song ended.
Amella stepped away from Jaime, shaking her head at herself as she walked away from him.
I can't believe that I did that! Why would I say yes to dancing with him?! Gods, what in the seven hells is wrong with me?!
"Why did you dance with a man you claim to hate?" Robb asked her furiously.
She threw her hands up in the air in frustration as she answered, "I keep asking myself the same question, Robb! I don't know why!"
"No need to yell, Ella," Robb commented.
Amella rolled her eyes. "You yelled first if we are fighting about this."
Amella growled a little and went outside just as her father called for everyone's attention, "I have an announcement to make to all of you. I've gathered both friends and family to tell you that my eldest daughter, Amella is marrying Ser Jaime Lannister."
Amella stopped in her tracks and whirled around with wide eyes. Jaime locked eyes with her and she glared angrily at him. She was tempted to run to him and slapped him across the face repeatedly, but Tyrion's voice stopped her.
"You see, my lady, I did not lie to you."
"You've also gave me no reason to trust you."
"And why is that? Have I wronged you in some way?"
Amella shook her head. "No, but trust doesn't come easy for me to give blindly to someone else."
Tyrion smirked up at her then glanced at the feast behind them which was filled with laughter, music, and the clatter of plates, goblets, and utensils. "Strange, isn't? That you, a Stark is marrying my brother, a Lannister."
"I must admit that I do find it strange that your brother agreed to this, but what really interests me is that your father suggested the idea-"
Tyrion had this smile on his face said that he knew your secrets, but his eyes said something else entirely. They represented every secret every man has kept and all held in his eyes. "Perhaps you are right."
Amella looked at him, saying, "In truth, I don't want to marry."
"Afraid of a cock?"
"Never. I feel as though whenever someone gets married, they will lose their identity," Amella explained. "I will never marry your brother, Tyrion."
"Well, why not? He's handsome-"
"Not handsome enough to tempt me," she interrupted him.
Tyrion laughed, nearly falling over into the snow. "You...ah, I can see that you are going to make life in the capital interesting."
TBC…
THANKS YOU FOR THE REVIEWS, FOLLOWS, AND FAVORITES! Amella doesn't want to get married and she is going to do EVERYTHING IN HER POWER to make sure that her marriage never happens. I hoped you liked this chapter.
REVIEW. FOLLOW. FAVORITE. Until next time...
