The Rogue Stag
Chapter 11- Direwolves: Part 2
The hall glimmered with tension, almost being able to see it; Aliviah found herself standing tall besides her brother's 'throne'. Soldiers 'booed' and whined as Ned Stark was nowhere to be seen- they wanted blood. Blood that would be returned for each drop that was lost by their Prince. He would come. Patience was a virtue most soldiers didn't possess- or Baratheons, she considered herself an anomaly.
Without another thought, the hall silenced but the tension and thirst for blood wasn't quenched. Aliviah tilted her head, the words of Ned Stark almost booming across to their position over the hall. "What is going on here! Why were my daughters sent for me?"
Dreams were a funny thing, for Aliviah- dreams were dangerous. Dreams were not dreams but reality to be changed. Premonitions almost, Aliviah hated that. They were premonitions but Aliviah felt that was too... 'godly'. Something that should be considered a gift. Aliviah didn't consider her dreams a gift.
"That beast attacked my son!" Cersei's almost spat words delivered a significant blow as Aliviah frowned at the poisonous woman. Out of all the soldiers gathered, their Queen yearned for blood stronger than the others. She yearned blood rain, blood seas and blood skies and there was nothing stopping her from fulfilling her yearnings. Apart from Aliviah.
"Nymeria had protected Arya as your son aimed his sword in her face," Pursing her lips, Aliviah momentarily paused before sharing a glance with Ned where she reassuringly smiled at him. The girls were hiding behind him, their expressions ones of confusion and fright. Aliviah hated this. "Courtesy of a Prince is not to aim swords in little girls' faces."
"Quiet!" Roared Robert, his face once again reddening with heat and frustration as the women around him bickered. Once again, the hall silenced, along with the women besides him. "Ned. Your girls are held responsible for my son's injury."
Catching Aliviah's eye, Robert growled when she bristled but Ned payed this no heed as he locked his jaw after realizing why, exactly he was here. "This is a trial."
Sighing, there was no other way to put this- it was a trail. Aliviah nodded with a sour expression, turning to Robert with hardened eyes. This was his fault but she had to prevent Lady's death, and so she would. "Joffrey; testify." Aliviah turned to her nephew and expected him to lie. Which he did.
In shortening the testimony, Joffrey began retelling his view of what had happened- allowing all of his father's allies to feel pity for him as he explained how Mycah and Arya proceeded to bear him with clubs as Nymeria attacked him. Pure lies. Realizing his son's lies, Robert frowned but said not a thing as he directed his gaze to Arya who had began to protest.
"That was not how it happened! He's lying! Liar!" With a few words from her father and a strict gaze from the King, Arya had began to calm.
"You must tell the truth, child." Aliviah cast her gaze on the young girl, locking her jaw as she nodded subtly at Arya who began to tell the true version of events.
Robert's posture tightened throughout Arya's story, his suspicions becoming correct as he examined her testimony- it was obvious who was lying and who was speaking truth. Compared to Joffrey's weeping and broken words- Arya's were sharp and crisp. The truth. Robert had doubts of how his son had grown to be like this. He blamed himself, but that was a deeply buried pain. ""What am I to make of this? She tells me one thing he tells me the other!"
Throughout Robert's ravings and out loud thoughts, Aliviah cast her gaze on the figure standing at the back- handsome grin and straight posture in tact. Renly Baratheon- the youthful stag. He grinned and winked at his sister as she shook her head with a small tilt of lips.
Rolling her eyes as Robert's ravings continued, Aliviah decided to testify. She was 'half a hand', almost- she had more power than Cersei did; that was for sure. "I shall testify, Robert- take what you wish from this but know that I would not lie for either child." This was true and not.
Robert nodded his acceptance, straightening in his chair as Aliviah raised profile to address the whole hall. "I had scheduled a meeting with the girls, as I was looking for them- I heard screaming and the sound of steel being drawn." Aliviah paused, getting the chance to gaze into the girls' eyes. "Joffrey had pulled his sword in Arya's and Mycah's direction as he threatened Mycha to a dual where the children were merely pretending to be knights such as you or I, without hesitation- Nymeria had protected both her mistress and the boy."
The truth was said. The hall raised again, sounds of every voice being heard as the disgraced Prince turned a bright pink colour and hid in his mother's skirts who sneered at Aliviah. Among the hall's noise, Cersei had boiled. "How dare you speak of your Prince like that!" And so the Golden Dragon sneered, and puffed almost like a dragon.
"I swore to tell the truth. Queen. As your son didn't, I had thought it was my responsibility to gain justice. Even if that disgraced the Prince for his lies!" Growling, Aliviah had began to gain colour in her cheeks, the similarity between the siblings slightly present as Robert boiled, once more.
"QUIET!" He screamed, the hall deathly silenced apart from the continuous chuckles of the figure at the back. Renly giggled as he looked at the Prince. Aliviah's lips pulled as she tilted her head, trying to figure out why he was laughing.
"If my brother sees fit to stay laughing, I will make it happen so he is mute for life." The growl didn't stop Renly who just turned and exited the hall with roaring laughter following him.
"Is this the truth?" Robert turned to Aliviah, his eyes hardened and seeking the truth. Unfortunately for Cersei, he found no lie. Shaking his head with a sigh, Robert directed his gaze to Ned. "Discipline your daughter and I'll do with my son." He spoke, the tone of his voice final as he began to gather himself off the chair.
"What of the beast?"
The question came from the Queen, Alviah frowned- what of the wolf? Nymeria protected Arya. She had a cause. The injury was justified.
"What of it?"
Cersei bristled, Joffrey hanging off her arm like a kitten. Cersei wanted satisfaction, and it seemed like she wouldn't rest until she got it. Aliviah frowned, tightening her hands as the situation around her spinned out of control. The dizziness in her eyes making a comeback as she held on tightly to Robert's chair.
"That beast attacked your son!" She snapped, eyes becoming sharp Lannister emerald as the Starks' watched with apprehensiveness. Interestingly, Arya nor Sansa made a noise as they clung to each other.
"The beast has a protective nature. This will be a reminder of weakness." Robert growled, moving past the Queen without another word said. Anyone gathered in the room slowly trickled out as the Queen stood, as if in shock, meanwhile Aliviah regained her vision.
"I win." Aliviah chuckled, turning her body towards the Queen who breathed deeply- still a dragon waiting to unleash her fire. "I always win." Tilting her lips, Aliviah narrowed her eyes in an amused expression before beginning to make her way out of the hall.
"I will destroy you." Growling, Cersei turned with a swirl of skirts and exited the room.
All that was left was Aliviah, a sour taste in her mouth as she realized the wolves would be killed. Even if the King had decided against that. They would both have to disappear, without a trace.
The wolves were let free the next day- after weeping and crying, the girls had come to understand that King's Landing was not a place for direwolves. Among the snakes, lions and stags- there was simply no place for a direwolf, nevermind two. Besides, they had each other- just like the girls, they would survive among the treacherous spiders.
King's Landing was an unforgivable place, step out of turn once- you will never be forgiven or acknowledged as your own person. You will be thought of as dicragced. Courtly intrigue was the epitome of this place. It was governed by the Game of Thrones, and would always be governed by the game. The game where each contestant would have to battle and thieve for their own place in the chess board.
Anyhow, the road to King's Landing was a dreadful affair but here they were. The smell of piss and shit already taking over Aliviah's sense of smell as Nelia trotted into the Palace courtyard.
Without a further notice, servants gathered around her like a flock of birds around bread crumbs. Each taking their space on Nelia's reins as she huffed in disapprovement. With a calming hand, Aliviah comforted her horse before climbing down. Aliviah smoothed down her clothes: breeches and a shirt, which had become the talk as of this minute as some minor ladies huffed and puffed about the Lady's choice of dress.
Aliviah rolled her eyes. Did they expect her to wear a dress on the King's Road? Despite this, Aliviah had said her orders to the servants about Nelia and decided to go inside for a cooling bath. This heat was starting to make her feel nauseous.
It seemed as if the fates were not kindly to Aliviah because she was approached by a minor lord and asked to be present in the King's Council, this was no new news. Aliviah had been present in the King's Council frequently because of her brother's appointment of her as his substitute. She was to report back to him, every detail- whisper was to be told to him and Aliviah was there to do this.
"My Lady, wouldn't you wish to change? The King has bid for you after the council finishes." The minor Lord informed her, looking at her with a slightly unimpressed glint in his eyes but never saying a word.
Aliviah bristled, moving past the Lord as she began to take off her riding gloves. She would have to re-dress it seemed.
This was King's Landing indeed.
(Because this is pretty much 2 chapters in 1- the outfit is: *)
Aliviah had changed with the help of Rosa who congratulated her for her choice in dress. 'Mistress, you've never looked as womanly as you do know, yes you do!' Aliviah rolled her eyes simply, still... She appreciated the compliment and felt bolder than she would have before Rosa's compliment.
And so, Alviah strolled; her hair bounding behind her such as raven silk off of her body. The dress flowed beautiful down her petite waist to follow her as each step was measured perfectly. Rose lips were tightly shut and crystal eyes were hardened to an ice scepter. Like a mage, she pulled gazes; each examining her before turning to their companions and spitting fire like a dragon. Each having something unkindly to say.
Finally, she had made it to the council hall. Aliviah was announced, not surprised to see Ned Stark already in attendance as he sat with his head in his hands. "Interrupting something, am I?" Aliviah tilted her head, unaware of the chain of events that lead to this point.
"You let Robert bankrupt the realm." Ned groaned, already having an idea of how much Robert had polluted the Royal Treasury. Unfortunately, or fortunately- Aliviah was not the one in charge of finances. Jon Aryn was. He had allowed Robert to do this. Not her.
"Me?" Aliviah raised an eyebrow, allowing herself to take her place in the middle of the table- where the King would sit. "Please, my lords- explain to Lord Stark: Who allowed Robert, the King, to bankrupt the Realm. It certainly was not me."
"Sister, we had- already." Renly raised his eyebrows- the similarity between them uncanny to all who was present. "Besides, sister- our brother wishes to hold another tournament in the honour of Lord Stark."
Sighing, Aliviah tightened her jaw. "How much?"
"Eighty Thousand."
"Of course. Lannisters? Or Braavos?" Aliviah pondered, unknowingly confirmed what Ned was thinking. The King did what he wanted and the Council was allowing this.
"We had thought the Lannisters but..." Lord Baelish started, Ned shaking his head.
There was a brief silence before Aliviah noticed Ned had left the hall with the doors shutting behind him with a clang.
"It seems like Lord Stark is having trouble in accustoming to the situation." Lord Baelish muttered, glancing up from his lap.
Ignoring Lord Baelish, Aliviah turned to her brother with a kindly smile. "Planning to stay long, Renly?" She asked, wondering why he was actually here but in no way, shape, or form displeased.
He smiled, thought for a brief second then shrugged. "We shall see, sister." He answered, raising his eyebrows before continuing. "I should stay for the entertainment, should I not?"
Alivah paused. Smiled. And Agreed. "Entertainment for the King."
An:
So guys! Here is King's Landing. It's not as long as I'd want it to be but I felt like that was a good place to end it. I hope you liked the little bit of Renly/Aliviah because I love Renly- I thought he was really quite sane until he tried to be King and his ego got to him but yeah!
Tell me how I did and if you guys have any questions then let me know! Thanks guys and see you next time!xo