Author's Note: Thank you for the early reviews and encouragement. In case you were wondering, since there is little source material on "proper" Baratheon female names, I decided that Lord Steffon named his daughter in honour of his wife's family name, Estermont.


Chapter 2, in which I grew up

Have you ever wondered what it feels like to be a suckling babe? Well, don't. Just don't. Yes, everyone's out there to care for all of your whims, but hey, they also have to, otherwise you'd plain die. You can't eat on your own, you can't drink on your own, and well, while you can piss and shit on your own, without help, you'd be stuck in a pile of your own excrements within the day. And the worst: you can't tell anyone about it, you can only cry.

And the teething… Gods, I was beginning to understand why Baratheons were supposedly so furious. This was a world to be furious at, and I felt it boiling inside my stomach. I was angry, angry at no one in particular, for being here in this useless limp body that no one would listen to. And once I realized the time of Robert's Rebellion wasn't that far ahead, I got even angrier. Well bravo, strange voice in my head, how am I to change anything being a bloody toddler?

But, to be fair, growing up wasn't all bad. The best about it was Robert. He was sixteen at the time I arrived, and bound to return to the Eerie to continue his fostering with Jon Arryn. Yet, he didn't.

"I can't leave her alone with you, she'll end up a sour face like you," he had told Stannis none-too-kindly.

I wasn't exactly happy to see their rivalry already beginning to build, but I was grateful for Robert's decision nonetheless. At least, I thought, my presence had taught him to accept some responsibility. Perhaps there was still hope for him, I thought, even though it was a silly, vain idea. I had not come here to fix all the wrongs that happened to Westeros or save everyone… but growing up with them, with loud and jovial Robert, stern but diligent Stannis, and the bubbly little boy only one year older than me, Renly… well, you grow attached to the people you spend your early days with, even if you know their faults all too well.

At Storm's End, I was treated like anything but a princess for my first years. As soon as I could finally – finally! – walk and speak, nothing was safe from me anymore. I roamed around the keep a swaddling toddler barely older than my first nameday, with Renly in tow. We gave Stannis a hard time finding and chastising us, only for Robert to take us to his lap afterwards and applaud us for being courageous.

I know nothing of the parents I was supposedly born to. To me, Robert and Stannis were the only parents I ever knew, and despite all their faults, they did an admirable job for quite some time. The even acted like proper parents for most of the time, even though neither of them realized or would have ever admitted. They accepted the roles they had been given: Stannis, the one who set up rules and taught me how to be proper, and Robert the funny one who would always allow himself to be wrapped around my finger.

Those were happy days, and since I knew they could never last, I enjoyed them to the utmost. For on the horizon, war was brewing.

Then came my third nameday, and the year 281 AC, and with it the infamous tourney at Harrenhal.

Oh, how I had begged Robert to take me with him, to introduce me to all the lords and ladies and the king and queen! Stannis, of course, had refused on principle, saying that "dangerous cesspit" (he didn't know I understood these words) was no place for a little girl. It wasn't until I myself spoke to him that he relented.

"I need to go," I told him in my high-pitched little voice. Honestly, I hated that voice, but everyone else seemed to find it adorable, so from time to time, I would speak even more sweetly to get what I wanted. "I will be there. I saw it in a dream."

Stannis sank to his knees, and patted my head. "Dreams are like mist. You must not listen to them."

"Mine are not. They come true," I insisted in the most innocent fashion I could and prayed he would catch on. I couldn't just tell him I actually KNEW many things that were going to happen because none of this was real to me, and just the story in a book. And in fact, that statement would have felt like a lie to me by now. As the voice had said, this WAS my reality now. Everything felt absolutely real, like the twitch in my guts when Stannis raised his eyebrows at my words. "Many of my dreams come true, like the one on my first night."

"What do you mean?"

Always straight to the point, my brother, I thought smiling. Others considered him too stern for his own good, but I had come to appreciate his no-nonsense-attitude.

"I saw a ship around me, and dark clouds. And the storm was so loud… I was afraid for mama, and I tried to tell her, but no words would come out," I said in a casual children's banter tone. "And then later, it happened just like that, and I saw the fear in mama's eyes. She put me in a basket, and she said something to papa, and then there was a loud noise and…"

Suddenly, Stannis' expression changed, and he put a hand over my mouth. Then he picked me up and carried me into my room, and ordered the servants to let no one in and no one out. For a while, I was afraid I had overreached myself, given myself away as someone who was not truly from Westeros… but after three long hours, my door was finally opened again.

In came Stannis, followed by Robert, who looked sterner than he ever had before. I sat upright on my bed, and looked them straight in the face.

"Now Ellie," Robert began as he knelt down before me. "This is very important. You must tell us the truth, do you understand, and only the truth."

"Of course, Robbie, I would never lie to you," I said in my sweet innocent child's voice. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing, dear. See, you've got her all frightened," he barked at Stannis, who simply ignored him and sat next to me on the bed.

"Tell us about that dream again. About the ship and mother," he insisted.

I made big puppy eyes at them. "But… but I already told you. I saw it in a dream, and then it happened. It was all so dark and wet and loud, and everyone was frightened… mama was frightened too, but papa only worried for her, and for me. There was a little boat, they wanted us to get in, but then there was this noise… and somehow, mama put me in a basket, and she was still so frightened. Then she and papa spoke, and I flew away from them… and then there was darkness."

Stannis still tried to maintain a calm façade, but I could see tears welling up in Robert's eyes.

"What… what did they say, Ellie? Do you remember what mama and papa said?"

"I… I couldn't understand most of it, I only remember it from my dream. I keep dreaming it sometimes, and I like it because I can see mama's face," I announced innocently. "Papa said there was 'no chance', and then he kissed mama, you know, like only mamas and papas do," I continued, and looked at Stannis for approval, since he had told me about relationship propriety only a while ago. "And then they said something about saving me, and trusting the sea god and wind goddess, whose blood we share. Oh, and they also said something about you."

Robert gulped, and for a split-second I felt a pang of conscience to deceive them both thus. But then, I reminded myself that what I was saying might not be the truth, but probably not too far from it, and it would make them both happier, eventually. It was a necessary lie, and one that would create more good than evil.

"They said you would be good, and take care of me."

Now, even Stannis' face didn't remain untouched anymore, and I suddenly felt him putting his arm around my shoulder. Robert gathered his strength to suppress the tears welling up in his eyes, and instead leant forward to put his forehead to mine.

"Oh Ellie," he whispered, and laughed a hollow, sad laughter.

We stayed like this for a long time, and it was then I forgot about the qualms I had had about lying.

"I also have other funny dreams, like the one I had before Renly fell down the stairs. I saw it in my dreams, and a week later, it happened just like that," I continued mumbling like an oblivious child.

"Of course, of course," Robert said smiling, and then he stood up and took Stannis aside. They spoke for a moment and muffled their voices, but there was one thing I could understand clearly. "Daenys."

I fought hard to hide my triumphant smile. That was it! They believed me now, they had come to the conclusion I had wanted them to reach! They now thought I was having green dreams, or dragon dreams, or whatever they wished to name it. Most likely, they were attributing it to the Targaryen blood our grandmother had gifted us, leading all the way back to the famous Targaryen Daenys the Dreamer, whose dreams had foretold the Doom of Valyria and saved the Targaryen family.

Finally, my brothers returned to me.

"Are you mad at me?" I asked in a sweet voice.

"No, silly Ellie," Robert laughed and picked me up. "But we want to hear more about your dreams. Like, you told your brother Stannis you had a dream about the tournament at Harrenhal?"

I nodded eagerly. "Yes, yes! We were there, you and I! Oh, and there was this weird man with white hair sitting in an enormous chair, and he had a strange thing on his head, like a headband made from metal. And he had a wife, I think, who stood next to him, and she was sooo beautiful! And their son is a prince, did you know that? And the funny man spoke to me, and everyone was so silent, and then he nodded."

"Daenys," Stannis suddenly whispered. Robert shot him a dark glance.

"Well, sweet girl, it is settled then. The gods want you to come with me and we shall not oppose their will. It was high time you were introduced to the King and court, anyway. Let them see what a real lady looks like, not their simpering King's Landing whores."

"Robert!" Stannis shot at him.

I grinned into myself, and innocently repeated: "What is a whore, Stannis?"

"See?" He said angrily, and took me out of Robert's arms. "If only mother knew what you're turning her into! You had better make sure not to teach her any other words unfit for a lady while you're at that tourney."

"Pah, she is a Baratheon," Robert objected and shrugged. "We need to curse from time to time, or else we end up sour and stiff."

The little accusation between them did not go unnoticed by me, although neither of them would ever know just how much I already understood.

"Now, make sure she has suitable gowns to be presented to that mad old fucker. And to my betrothed! Gods, she'll love our little one, I'm sure of it," Robert began to muse as we left the room.

Stannis trailed behind him, me on his arm, slowly whispering things that he needed to get done as preparation for my trip with Robert. I clung to him more closely, and smiled, and weirdly enough, Stannis' mouth twitched a little as he began to smile back.

"Can I ask you something and you won't be mad at me?"

He nodded, and his smile grew. "I will never be mad at you, sister."

Gods, how I loved him that instant, and how much I regretted doing what I was about to do now. But the temptation was just too big, the situation too perfect, for me not to have a little fun with my brothers.

"What is a fucker?"

He clenched his jaw instantly, and sped up his pace, and pushed me back into Robert's arms without a word to him.

"He'll answer your questions, since he's so good at teaching you new words," he told me then. "If you'll excuse me, I have dresses to order and victuals to be packed. Here, brother, enjoy the mess you've made yourself. And if she doesn't turn out to be the proper lady mother would have wished for, do not pin the blame on me!"

Robert and I both watched dumbstruck as Stannis strode away.

I sniffed. "Is he mad at me?"

"Stannis is mad at everyone and everything, don't worry. It's not your fault. But… what did you say to him?" my brother then wondered.

"Nothing bad. I only asked him what a fucker was."

Robert then looked back at me, and his smile grew so wide I thought it would burst his face. He broke into laughter so loud and honest I could not help but laugh with him. "That's my girl," he managed to squeeze out between tears of laughter. Then, as he was calming down and so was I, he put his forehead to mine again. "My little Baratheon girl."


Feel free to review and add ideas for what could happen at the Tourney of Harrenhal. I have certain things planned that are vital to the plot, but the possibilities are endless... so feel free to add your own ideas to my mix!