Disclaimer: I don't own A Song of Ice and Fire.
Hey guys I know it has been a very long time since I updated this story, as I have suffered a massive case of writer's block and I have also had quite a lot of personal stuff going on as well. But ah well enough of the excuses I had a read over this story and realised it was way too good to just leave unfinished so I am going to continue it and I do plan to finish it. In the meantime the story is also going to be changed slightly with there being different povs each chapter instead of just one as I do plan to make the chapters longer and more enjoyable for you readers. All I ask in return is that you review and let me know your thoughts as I really do appreciate them and they give me inspiration for future chapters. Thank you guys for reading and I hope some of you guys who have already read the story will stick by it and newcomers are always welcome as well :) thanks again!
Arthur
"Jaime, no this is foolish!" Arthur spat out as he tried walk as fast as possible ahead of the young kingsguard.
Jaime was brilliant with a sword, probably the best Arthur had ever seen of his age and the young man worshiped Arthur like he was Aegon the Conqueror himself so Arthur had a great deal of respect for the boy but this was madness just madness!
Grabbing a hold of Arthur's arm before he could go through one of Harrenhal's massive oaken doors and shove it in his face, Jaime whirled him around and imitated his lord father's face to the best of his ability.
"Arthur I know I could be of good use in this search! Riverrun is near Casterly Rock and I know the area well. You are going to need all the swords you can get why are you so against me coming to your aid!" Jaime demanded.
"Brandon is betrothed to one of the Tully girls I am sure he knows Riverrun better than you." Arthur replied curtly, he had no time for this young man's games the child just wanted glory but Aerys himself would have all their heads if Rhaegar took any more of his kingsguard on his search.
Himself and Prince Lewyn were already going and Rhaegar had made sure to keep that secret though with Varys slithering about Aerys would know soon enough Arthur would bet Dawn on it.
"Brandon hasn't even visited Riverrun yet! He's not even met the Tully girl he told me himself at the tourney." Jaime tugged at Arthur's arm again as he tried to push himself through the door once again. Gritting his teeth in frustration, Arthur pulled himself free. Why was everyone around him turning into massive fools all of a sudden!
"Jaime, the king will have your head if you come with us you have no personal connection to princess Elia unlike myself and her uncle prince Lewyn. Now if you would stop wasting my time." Turning his back to the golden haired male he went to make his way back through the door when one word stopped him right in his tracks.
"Please." Arthur had never heard his voice like that, he sounded so … young! Since he became a kingsguard Arthur forget how young the boy actually was. Slowly he turned around to face the youth and saw that Jaime look tired and old beyond his years.
"Did you know that he made me guard the door as he raped Queen Rhaella last night?" Jaime looked down at the cracked tiles beneath their feet and then brought his face back up to face Arthur's head on. "I can take a lot of things, the burnings, the demands, the madness but not the rapes. Please let me come with you I promise I will be of good help."
Arthur rubbed a tired hand over his face. If any of the other kingsguard had put it to him that way he would have laughed scornfully and told them they knew exactly what they had signed up for. But in Jaime's case Arthur knew that the youth hadn't realised how mad the king was when the white cloak of the kingsguard was placed on his young strong shoulders.
Arthur made a helpless motion with his shoulders as Jaime stared pleadingly at him …. Gods be damned Rhaegar was going to kill him.
Looking around discreetly he placed a firm hand on Jaime's armoured shoulder before bending his head slightly so they were at eye level. He wanted Jaime to know exactly what he was getting into before he made a firm decision on coming with them on their search.
"I hope you realise that this is no game young warrior. You can't just drop your sword and leave at the first sight of peril. We may be kingsguard but on the kingsroad we are going to meet with fellows who will be after our coin, our horse even our swords and armour." Arthur regarded Jaime seriously. "We will find few friends there. Are you sure you want to come with us?"
The golden haired youth glanced down at his feet one last time before bringing his determined emerald eyes up to meet Arthur's violet ones. "When do we depart?"
Damn the Gods Aerys was going to burn them all Arthur thought cynically.
Elia
Staring around the darkened room Elia shivered and wrapped her arms around herself to keep some warmth. The room was chilly even with the shutters closed and it was times like this she really missed the warmth of her homeland Dorne.
Elia found her eyes filling up. After that shameful display with the whore Robert had put some clothes on and then half walked half dragged Elia back to the room he had booked for a few nights, before he departed to go and in his own words "drink his fill and find some pretty whore to spend the night with."
Elia at the time had just turned her back to him and crossed her arms as if shielding herself from his presence. He had really scared her tonight but what made this all worse was the fact that he had no shame with parading around naked in front of her. The only man she had ever seen in that way was Rhaegar and he had always treated her with gentleness and care.
She spent one night with Robert Baratheon and she has already seen everything. Why do the gods feel the need to punish her so?
Picking up one of the blankets from the bed she wrapped it around her shoulders and furiously thought back tears. She refused to give that massive oaf the satisfaction of seeing her crumble. Knowing her luck he would walk in when she was crying and insult her even more.
As she was fighting back tears Elia thought back to the first time she had met Robert Baratheon.
Harrenhal though colossal and dark was truly a magnificent thing to behold. Everywhere Elia looked there were either knights with their shining armour, lords with their handsome doublets, squires, hedge knights, men at arms the lot.
Her orange dress trailing behind her and her handmaidens not far behind, gossiping about which knights and lords were the most dashing. As a shrill giggle went up behind her after one of the young lord's gave her ladies a wink, Elia caught Ashara's eye and fought to keep a laugh back as Ashara gave her a mischievous grin.
As they grew up together in Dorne Elia and Ashara had been inseparable and it had remained so even when Elia had came to Kingslanding to marry Prince Rhaegar. Ashara came with her and Arthur her handsome brother had already arrived as soon as he heard of Elia's betrothal to Rhaegar to become one of the King Aerys Kingsguard.
Elia was not exactly sure of his reasons but she could guess. Whenever she met Arthur's violet eyes with her dark ones she always felt a shiver and not because he was incredibly handsome but because there was always something hidden there that he only showed to her. Only one word could describe it and it was longing.
"Are you excited my Princess?" Ashara's sweet voice asked.
"I suppose I am" Excitement felt foreign to Elia these days she was so used to taking care of Rhaenys and Aegon and her health had not been the best since he was born a few months past. Sometimes there were days where she was so exhausted that she had to get one of her handmaidens to look after them both.
In Harrenhal Rhaenys and Aegon would be in the care of one of her handmaidens during the Tourney itself as King Aerys had brought Elia to the throne room just before they departed Kingslanding, to threaten her.
"You will be at the tourney and you will not shame my son with your Dornish ways. Have I made myself clear Elia?" Aerys snarled down at her from his monstrous iron chair. He was truly an ugly sight. With his long unwashed hair that was once a beautiful silver now turned to an ugly dirty blonde. His violet eyes swimmed with madness and his nails hadn't been cut in years.
All Elia could say was "yes your grace" but truthfully deep in her thoughts she thought I despise this man.
Ashara's bell like voice brought her out of her thoughts "I hear that the Starks, Baratheon's and many other houses are going to be there."
Elia had heard about the Starks, the men of winter with their long solemn faces and grey eyes. There was a girl Stark as well and she was said to be just as wild as her oldest brother Brandon.
As for the Baratheon's, the eldest son was betrothed to the Lady Lyanna of House Stark and many ladies whispered about his womanizing ways and how had the lady Lyanna managed to tame the young storm lord.
Elia glanced around the courtyard looking for any sight of her brother Oberyn. He had made his way to Harrenhal from Dorne to join the Tourney and to see her as well as their uncle Prince Lewyn on the Kingsguard.
Elia had chosen to wear orange today because he was coming. She did not want Oberyn to think she had forgotten her family back home and she wanted to prove to him that even though she was married to Rhaegar and lived in Kingslanding her heart would always remain in Dorne.
As she was looking around at her surroundings hoping to catch a glimpse of orange as she knew her sweet brother would also be honouring House Martell today she ran into something solid and felt the breath leave her in a "whoosh".
Firm hands that were bigger than her shoulders circled both her arms and steadied her before she fell back onto the dirty courtyard ground below. Finding her feet and steadying herself Elia looked up slowly to see her saviour and felt her breath catch in her throat.
The man was very tall, with thick dark hair that hung over his forehead and fell into his eyes …. And by gods what eyes this man had! Elia had always loved Rhaegar's eyes as they were a beautiful shade of indigo and rarely showed anger. But this young man's eyes were blue like the sea and Elia could have sworn that she was drowning as she looked into them. But the spell was broken when the man opened his mouth.
"Please princess watch where you are walking in future. I would hate for you to fall and break a nail." The man smirked cruelly down at her, his eyes that she thought beautiful a moment ago glinted with malice.
Elia felt her teeth clench together in rage. Who did this young man think he was to treat her like some serving girl. She was Elia of Dorne! A princess and future queen of the Seven Kingdoms.
Pushing herself out of his iron hold she looked around her for Ashara or one of her handmaidens but they were nowhere to be seen. Elia realised she must have lost them when she was looking for Oberyn. Bringing her dark eyes back to the arrogant youth she felt her face fall into a mask of cool courtesy "If you would excuse me I do have to be going -"
As she tried to sidestep the man he moved his body in front of hers and she found herself nearly bumping into him once again. "Now, now princess anger doesn't suit you. I would sooner see a smile on such a pretty face."
Elia was getting tired of his arrogance, putting her hands at her sides she clenched them into tight fists until her knuckles turned white "I do not seem to have the pleasure of knowing your name?"
The man stared at her a moment his eyes darkening slightly before he chuckled and bowed "I'm lord Robert of the House Baratheon. It is a pleasure to meet you princess."
As Robert straightened back up Elia suddenly felt foolish. How did she not recognise him? She had already witnessed him speaking to Lyanna Stark when she arrived with the rest of the royal party at Harrenhal this morning.
She remembered thinking when she saw him speaking with Lyanna this morning that she wished Rhaegar looked at her like that. Robert looked at Lyanna like was a goddess among men though Elia did witness his eyes stray to whenever a pretty lady walked by, but his eyes always came back to the wolf girl.
Coming out of her thoughts Elia stared at Robert as he stared back at her. It seemed they were both trying to figure the other out. As she stared at his stubbled jaw her eyes found his eyes again and she felt herself shiver.
Robert didn't look at her like he looked at Lyanna no he looked at her like she was something he wanted to eat. His blue eyes had went incredibly dark and they kept doing a sweep of her body as if he was committing everything to memory.
Suddenly feeling uneasy Elia stuttered out "It was a pleasure meeting you Lord Robert but I must be going. My husband will be searching for me. Good day to you!"
Rushing away from him Elia felt his eyes burning a hole in her back until she was out of his sight.
Pulled from her memory Elia heard feet stomping up the stairs of the tavern, laying down quickly in bed and pulling the blanket over her she closed her eyes and pretended to sleep. She couldn't face Robert just now, not when she felt this shaken.
The sound of footsteps stopped at the door to the room and Elia heard the door creak as it was pushed open. Keeping her eyes tightly closed Elia heard the footsteps again until the came to a stop in front of her on the bed.
Her heart was beating three times as fast but she refused to open her eyes and face the frightening lord she knew would be standing there. Suddenly Elia felt something on her cheek, and she realised with a start that it was a hand.
The hand was massive and very firm so she knew without a doubt that it was Robert's as she still remembered the feel of his hands after the other times he had touched her.
Slowly he stroked her cheek and then pushed a strand of hair back that had somehow fallen into her face. Suddenly the hand was no longer there and Elia heard him walk away out of the room and shut the door.
His hand had left a fire on her skin she burned where he had touched her. Robert had never been gentle with her only rough and unpleasant. All Elia could think now was what had just happened?
Well that was fun to write! I hope you guys don't think Jaime is out of character I wanted to highlight how young he was when he joined the kingsguard and I wanted to show that things do bother him. He has not been hardened by war just yet. As for Elia and Robert things will be a slowburn for them they have a very love/hate relationship so you might think that things are going well one moment and the next it could all come crashing down. I hope you guys enjoyed and please review and let me know your thoughts :) have a nice weekend!