Chapter Ten

A/N: Thank you to magnus374 and EndlessReign for reviewing the last chapter.

The fading light bathed the marble path in a magical glow, like a gilded illustration in the pages of a book. 'Florian and Jonquil in the flesh.' Cersei thought for a moment, before she pushed the image aside. Fairytale lovers would never survive King's Landing; the hatred in the very walls would split their hearts in two.

"I trust your journey was not too taxing?" Rhaegar asked. A poor opening to a conversation, little more than what was required of a noble gentleman escorting a lady, but Cersei answered nonetheless.

"No more than ought to be expected of such a long ride." The young girl gave an equally dull answer, which brought a smirk to the prince's face. They were not the usual courting couple, after all, so why ought they to act like one?

"Why have you come here, Cersei?" Rhaegar pressed, dropping the façade of innocence. "I offered you your freedom, and then you walk right into the snake pit you wanted to escape in the first place."

"I only wanted time before becoming a wife." the young Lannister protested, a little more defensive than the situation warranted. "But since I am to be your wife, whether in a week's time or a decade's, I thought we should get to know one another a little better."

At last, they reached a balcony overlooking the water, the soft breeze of the water whispering across Cersei's face. It was not the icy wind of the Westerlands, but it was familiar enough to be a comfort to her.

"I've wanted to come to the capital since I was a girl." Cersei sighed, looking out over the water. Rhaegar watched her out of the corner of his eye, biting his tongue. It would hardly help matters to share his observations, that she was still a girl. "Lanterns twinkling in the darkness, music echoing out through the windows from a grand ball. Somehow, it all seems much more beautiful here."

"Beauty can be deceptive." Rhaegar muttered, reaching over to gently stroke the petals of a flower growing from the trellis. He looked as if he were in a trance, lost in memories of long ago, of pain and screams and terrible bruises that could never have come from an accident. "The most beautiful flowers in this garden are filled with poison. By the time you realise their dangers, it is already too late."

"Rhaegar, I'm not sure I understand." Cersei responded, her emerald eyes narrowed with confusion.

The prince shook his head gently, emerging from his reverie. He had stood on the brink of telling the truth, of confessing his father's nature and all the horrors she would have to endure within the bloodstained walls of the Red Keep. But a single glance at her face and once again, her innocence seemed too fragile to break.

"I want you to make me a promise." Rhaegar requested, looking down into the girl's eyes. She seemed a little taken aback by the sudden change of topic, and by the sudden intensity of his gaze, but nodded nonetheless. "I want you to take the time to learn the politics of King's Landing. The alliances that already exist, those that might be amiable to taking your side over the king's, should it ever come to that. The first thing you are like to learn about this place: there are precious few whose loyalty will endure any circumstance."

"I'll learn what I can." Cersei pledged, fighting to keep her voice even and ladylike. She would not seem a child, trembling with fear, even if her heart felt exactly that.

Rhaegar forced a smile. "Thank you, my lady. I know it is a strange request, but you'll be thankful for it when we wed. You are only young, and a thousand people will try to manipulate you for their own gain if you allow them to. I'll write some papers out for you to study when you return home to the Rock."

Cersei blinked, her lips curling into an expression of displeasure so like her father it near set Rhaegar's teeth chattering. "It will be moons before I return to the Rock; now that the court has returned to King's Landing, my father will have no cause to go back."

"He will make a brief visit after the next moon's turning." Rhaegar contradicted. For once, he sounded like the authoritative figure both their fathers wished him to be. "You will accompany him then, and remain in the Westerlands after he returns to the capital."

"But I came all this way to be with you!" Cersei winced at her own voice, realising she sounded no more than a whining child whose septa had sent them to bed. This was not the noble princess she ought to be. But then, Rhaegar seemed so determined to take the role from her.

"King's Landing is too dangerous for one so young, Cersei." Rhaegar's voice had turned quiet and contemplative, the Rhaegar that she knew so well. His eyes were heavy with guilt and sorrow. "This city has the power to corrupt even the purest of hearts. I would not wish that on my enemies, let alone on my future wife. Better you take some years to prepare than lose yourself in the game."

Loath as she was to admit it, Cersei knew the prince spoke true, and so it was with a heavy heart that she nodded. "Alright. I'll return to the Rock until we wed, so long as you make me a promise in return."

"Name it." Rhaegar smiled affectionately at the girl beside him.

"I came here so that I might learn a little about you, and so that you might learn about me." Cersei prompted. "When I return to the Rock, I should like it if we might write to each other. That way, we still might know each other a little better by the time we wed."

"Of course, my lady." Rhaegar chuckled, covering her hand on the balcony ledge with his own. "I can hardly think of anything better."

With the decision made, the prince and his lady drifted into more pleasant conversation, both content in the knowledge that they had four years of preparation ahead of them before they were finally joined in matrimony. With such a stretch of time, they could plan for any eventuality, outmanoeuvre the king and his courtiers before they could even think of doing them wrong.

'Mayhaps I was wrong.' Cersei thought to herself, as the sunset painted the water a shimmering orange. 'True, gentle Jonquil could not survive the capital, but it does not mean that romances cannot endure there, provided they are given the time to blossom.'

A/N: Time jump ahead! Hope you enjoyed this chapter, please review!