Note: Thanks for all your kind reviews. And Jaime fans please don't be upset. Things are not what they seem. Robb fans. Keep hope alive. King in the North!

Chapter Seven.

Her marriage was never the same after the incident. The Queen regent had left Casterly Rock in a hurry and headed back to King's Landing. Jaime never came to her bedchamber in the days that followed and Elyse was relieved. They didn't talk to each other and Elyse was cold and distant to him. Jaime saw that and decided to leave her be. He had too much pride to grovel at her feet and begged for her forgiveness. Elyse had contemplated to send letters to Robb. Letters she had written but were never sent. She wondered what it was that stopped her. Maybe she lacked the courage, maybe deep inside Elyse was the mousy, spineless Frey girl everyone had thought her to be.

Dearest Robb,

I think the Fates and the gods are so cruel to me. For you to love another when you were supposed to wed me. For me to love you when I had wed another. For me to choose to stay with him when he too love another.

My Darling Lord Stark,

I love you. I do. I love you more than I thought I could. I wish I could tell you what a horrible mistake I had made. I wish you would know my regret. I wish things are different. I wish I never left you...

An unexpected event happened a few weeks later, Tywin Lannister had been allegedly murdered by his own son Tyrion. Jaime didn't believe his brother could have done that and defended Tyrion. He had ridden off to search for his brother only to come back home injured from a fall and had gotten sick with fever. Elyse saw to it that her husband was comfortable and nursed him while he was bedridden. She pressed the cold cloth to Jaime's forehead and fed him some broth. Jaime looked at her and smiled. His lips were parched and his face pale.

"So I have to be near Death's door to have you touch me again Wife..." He said weakly.

"Don't be silly." Elyse frowned. "You're not dying."

"I never meant to hurt you you know..." Jaime said and coughed. "It's over between Cersei and me. I told her that you meant too much to me."

Elyse looked at him, not knowing whether to belive his words. "It's true." He said and held her hand.

"Stop talking. You need to rest and get better. You're Lord of Casterly Rock now." Elyse told him and touched his cheek.

"If I die...There'll be no heirs...My uncle will inherit everything." Jaime informed her.

"You're not going to die." Elyse said.

She breathed in sharply and tears unexpectedly fell from her eyes. Elyse hadn't cry in a while. Maybe it was the mere thought of losing Jaime or her current condition that made Elyse more emotional than normal. She cared for her husband even more that she dared to admit.

"You can't just leave me alone here not when I'm..." She looked at him and breathed deeply again. Elyse knew she had to tell him.

"I am with child..." Elyse told him softly and held her tummy. He looked surprised and just stared at his wife. She then looked at Jaime. "The night before I left for Dorne..."

"I remember..." Jaime smiled. "We were at it all night." He laughed softly only to cough more and that made Elyse worried.

"You need to rest Husband." Elyse told him gently and squeezed his hand tight. She never left him that night, and the nights that followed, sleeping in the rocking chair by the bed.

The child was born seven months later, a big bouncing boy who looked exactly like Jaime, golden Lannister locks and green eyes. Elyse looked at her son. She had finally given Jaime an heir. She had fulfilled her responsibility. She sometimes wondered if she had let herself make love to Robb Stark that night, how the child that they might have look like. He would probably have his father's reddish brown curls and clear blue eyes. Except Elyse refused to dwell on the what ifs and the other possibilities. She was a mother and a wife and she had a duty.


Seven Years Later.

Things had changed. The long winter was over and Elyse was now a mother to five golden haired little Lannisters. Three boys and two girls whom she had loved more than anything. The politics in Westeros had changed as well. Cersei Lannister had been under house arrest for her role in undermining Queen Margaery. She had been stripped naked and humiliated in front of everyone in the Capital and was now a powerless prisoner. Jaime had decided to stop the wars with the North and finally signed a treaty with Robb Stark much to the dismay of many. It was more a ceasefire than anything else. The North agreed to defend the Wall on concessions of independence that was finally recognized by the Crown. In return Robb Stark promised his bannermen to fight any attempts of revolt from Stannis Baratheon.

Elyse had long reconciled with Jaime and even grow to love him, more than she thought possible. He was far from perfect and Elyse knew that. He was only a man after all. And for a long time, Jaime had loved his twin sister. Though Elyse found it repugnant at first, she couldn't fault Jaime for his feelings and passions that were beyond his control. She too felt passionately for another once. Maybe that was the thing about passionate love. The fires burned so strongly, brightly that it could be extinguished just as quickly or become an even destructive force that burned everything in its path as Jaime's and Cersei's love did.

The love Elyse had for her husband, Jaime was something unexpected. She had grown fond of him in the early days of their marriage. His indiscretion with his own sister had soured what fondness she had but then it changed when he had fallen ill and when Elyse nursed him back to health. The arrival of their first born, Arthur made them grow even closer and their love grew as the family grew. They had spent their years in Casterly Rock caring for the children and overseeing the lands and goldmines owned by the Lannisters. Elyse was happy, being with her family.

But then there were times when she thought of Robb. When it was dark and the cold wind howling resembling that of a wolf's howl, Elyse would sigh. She'd stare up in the night sky seeing the stars and constellations and wondered if Robb saw them too up North. Robb had told her about the North Star. How it never changes position and was the brightest one in the sky. You could see right above Winterfell, Robb had said. But Jaime would often walk to her while she stood by the window and pulled her into his arms. Elyse then knew she had to stop thinking about a man who was not her husband.

"Watching the stars again Wife?" Jaime asked her as he pulled Elyse into his arms. She smiled and leaned back, resting her back on him. He kissed her neck and held her closer.

"We should have another child," He said, nuzzling his nose in her hair. Elyse laughed softly hearing that."Five is not enough for you My Lord?"

Jaime chuckled. "I was aiming for a dozen actually."

"A dozen golden haired Lannisters..." Elyse said and shook her head. She turned around and kissed him. "You're asking for a lot you know."

"They don't have to be all golden haired..." Jaime said with an easy shrug and ran his fingers through her hair. "I don't mind dark haired Lannisters too..." He bent down and kissed her lips again.

"So long as they're as beautiful as their mother." Jaime whispered.


The children were playing on the beaches of Casterly Rock while they were having a picnic. It was something they did weekly. Jaime was laughing as he carried their youngest, two year old Arielle over his shoulders. Their oldest seven year old Arthur was busy building a sandcastle with his brothers, twins Daschle and Quinn. Her oldest daughter Bethany playing with the young lion cub that they had kept as a pet. Elyse smiled seeing Arielle laughing as her father tickled her. She was always her father's little girl an Elyse knew their youngest was Jaime's favourite.

"Mama look...Ser Lancel is here..." Bethany pointed out. She had carried the cub, Aurum in her arms. Aurum had grown quite large for a six year old to carry and it was obvious Bethany was struggling.

Elyse looked up and saw Lancel Lannister riding towards them with his entourage of knights. They carried the Lannister crimson banner and she called her husband.

"Jaime..."

Jaime turned and stood still, watching as his cousin and the Lannister bannermen headed towards him.

"Cousin..." Jaime greeted Lancel as he walked quickly towards him. Elyse saw that Lancel looked very sombre and too serious even.

"What has happened?" Jaime asked him.

"Dragons my Lord. Dragons have landed outside King's Landing. Daenerys Targaryen is back and she wants the Iron Throne or she will burn the city and others down."

"What?" Came Jaime's shocked reaction. "Dragons?" Jaime asked, still finding the whole thing incredulous. No one had expected it.

"Yes." Lancel nodded.

"You are needed in King's Landing..." Lancel told him. "Maybe we might have to surrender. Swear allegiance to her. She says she'll not attack if we recognize her claim to rule."

"How many dragons does she have?" Jaime asked.

"Three. Three gigantic dragons, each as large as a castle. No army can survive them." Lancel said.

Jaime looked at Elyse and both of the grew worried. Elyse then held her children close to her. She couldn't lose her family. If the dragons were to ever come upon Casterly Rock, she didn't even want to imagine the harm and destruction they could cause.


"Do you really have to go?" Elyse asked Jaime as he took the reins of his horse. She wasn't sure she liked the idea of him going to the Capital where the fiery, deadly dragons were.

"I don't have a choice." Jaime said. He looked at his wife and children. He already hugged his children and kissed them more than once or twice each. The little Lannisters had tears in their eyes. None were too happy to see their Papa leave.

"I need to swear allegiance to the Targaryen girl. She will show mercy they say. My brother, Tyrion is one of her advisers. He has managed to get her to pardon Tommen. That means a lot."

"Oh Thank the gods..." Elyse said. Jaime then looked at her and caressed her cheek. "You don't mind do you if he comes and live with us?"

"Of course not," Elyse smiled. "I love Tommen. You know that."

"Even though you know he's my son?" Jaime asked. His green eyes looking at hers.

"More reasons to love him." Elyse said and kissed Jaime softly on the lips.

He sighed and embraced her. "I thank the gods every day that Robb Stark had met his foreign bride before you...Or I would have never known you, married you and loved you."

"You're so silly sometimes My Lord..." Elyse said smiling at him and pursed her lips. "There's always a reason for everything."

Jaime pulled her and kissed her deeply again. "I will miss you..." Elyse told him.

"Not as much as I you." Jaime said as he got up on his horse. She looked up and smiled at him and he smiled back. She watched as her husband and tens of his bannermen left for the Capital.

"Will Papa be home soon?" Arthur asked her.

"I'm sure he will.." Elyse said quietly.


When the news of the ambush reached her, Elyse remembered screaming in pain the night she learned that her husband had been murdered, betrayed by his own cousin Lancel. Lancel was in league with other Lannisters, those who had wanted to control the gold mines. Lancel also wanted to be Lord of Casterly Rock and Elyse knew she had to run. Her children's lives were in danger, except she didn't really know who to trust any more. Her brother Lothar Frey was much too spineless to protect her and she was afraid that Casterly Rock would soon be attacked. She received a raven from Tyrion Lannister, her brother in law. Tyrion asked her to head north. To bring the children and head north. She would be safe there.

They left in the cover of night, taking gold and jewels with them and some horses. Bethany insisted to bring her cub Aurum and Elyse couldn't refuse her. The girl had already lost her father. She couldn't lose her beloved pet too. Arielle was crying badly and Elyse had a hard time trying to calm her daughter down. All she wanted was her father. The journey was long and tiring and in three days they reached the Trident. Elyse got down from the carriage surprised to find men carrying the Stark direwolf shields standing there.

"My Lady..." One of the man greeted her. He was very young and tall. The young man looked to be about sixteen years of age and had curly ginger colored hair.

"My name is Rickon Stark." He introduced himself and smiled brightly.

"Hello Lord Stark," Elyse greeted back. She saw the resemblance Rickon had to Robb. His eyes were blue though his stare was not as intense as his older brother.

"My brother, the King in the North offers his protection Lady Lannister..." Rickon said and bowed to her.

"Oh..." She uttered. Elyse gave a small smile back. Robb... He was returning the debt owed. She did saved his life once. And he was doing the same for her.

"We are to escort you to Winterfell where the King will receive you..." He told her. Elyse nodded and went inside the carriage.

"What's going on Mama?" Daschle asked her. He was the most inquisitive of her children.

"We'll be going to Winterfell..." She told her son.

"Won't it be really cold there?" Daschle's identical twin, Quinn asked. Elyse sighed and nodded. Quinn was always worrying.

"What if it's too cold for Aurum...Lions need heat," Bethany said, her blue eyes went wide. She held her cub tightly in her arms.

"Aurum will be fine." Elyse said with a smile. "He's a Lannister. He will survive anywhere."

"Why are we going there Mama?" Arthur suddenly questioned her. "I thought the Starks hate us."

"No they don't. How could they hate children?" Elyse said reassuringly.

She looked at Arielle who had grown quiet as she looked out the window. The little girl was probably missing her Papa. Elyse pulled the toddler in her arms and let Arielle sit on her lap. Quinn snuggled closer to his mother.


Winterfell wasn't as grand as Casterly Rock or as big but Elyse felt relieved that at least her children were safe. The Lannisters who were after them wouldn't dare cross to the North. She couldn't ask for more. She didn't even have time to mourn for her husband. All that was in her mind was to protect her children with her life if necessary. She was a lioness after all. No one would take her little cubs away from hier. When she finally stepped down the carriage carrying Arielle while Quinn held her hand Elyse met Robb Stark's blue gaze. He gave a kind smile and she bowed before him.

"Your Grace..." She said to him, still stunned to see him face to face.

It felt so strange to see him after so long. The last time when they were together, Elyse remembered, she was hugging Robb tightly, fighting the tears that had threatened to fall. Seven years had passed and he was a man of thirty yet he didn't look much older. His beard seemed thicker so was his hair. He had put on a lot of muscle mass. Elyse saw Lady Catelyn Stark standing next to him and a young girl with dark brown hair, olive skin and dark eyes. It must be Arabella, Robb's daughter. She was a beautiful girl of eight and had such a sweet smile. Arabella gave a curtsey and handed Elyse a bunch of blue winter roses. She smiled at the girl and kissed her head.

"Lady Lannister." the King in the North, Robb Stark greeted her.

"You are welcome in my castle for as long as you wish. You and all your children will be under my protection. I assure you they will be safe here."

"Thank You. Your Grace..." Elyse told him. She then went on the greet Lady Stark and the rest of Robb's family not realizing that his eyes never left her.

They had a simple supper and Elyse tucked in her children to sleep after singing them the old Dornish lullaby. She watched on seeing Arielle sucking her thumb as she slept and Bethany hugging Aurum close. Her sons were already fast asleep, tired from their long journey. She heard footsteps and Elyse looked at the doorway. Robb was standing there just looking at her.

"I was just making sure that you're comfortable..." He told her. Elyse smiled and walked to him.

"We're fine." She said softly. "Thank you...for doing this. My children owe their lives to you...I don't know how I could ever repay you."

"Don't be ridiculous..." Robb told her. "You know I would do anything for you..."

Robb then cupped her face and caressed it gently. "I know you're in mourning now but when you're ready. I want you to consider marrying me..."

"Your Grace..." Elyse cried softly as her eyes stared at his. She didn't expect such a proposal to come so soon.

"No...it's Robb..." He said. "Don't call me Your Grace. After all that has happened between us..."

"You are King." Elyse told him. Robb gave a nod. "And as King I don't want you to call me that again."

Robb was giving her that mesmerizing blue stare again and Elyse looked away. It didn't feel right with her husband's very fresh and decent demise that she should be feeling emotions for another man.

"It's late." Elyse said suddenly. "I should go."

"Of course." Robb told her as he looked at her. Elyse was surprised when he pulled her in his arms and pressed a firm kiss on her forehead.

"I am here for you my Lady. For whatever you need." Robb whispered before pulling away and left hurriedly. As if he was afraid to stay there any longer.

Elyse then went to the window and stared out, seeing the North Star so brightly above. She covered her face with both hands and wept quietly for Jaime.