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"…Alyssa?"

Robin could hardly believe his eyes. Then, as the appearance of his oldest and dearest friend sunk in-his mouth stretched into an enormous, wobbly grin. "By all the gods!"

"My little prince," Alyssa swept over to the bed, smiling back. She gave a little half-sardonic bow. "Royalty agrees with you."

"What are you doing here?" Robin leapt up, ran to her, and threw his arms around her neck, squeezing so tightly she gave a little breathless grunt.

"Did you really think I'd leave you here in this terrible city of liars and cheats without even a visit?" She cupped his face in her hands, gently pinching his cheeks. "It has been too long, Sweetrobin. I have missed you something dreadful."

"It is so wonderful to see you!" Robin felt like he could burst into tears of joy. He had not had any part of the Eyrie, or of home, to hold onto for quite some time. Yes, knights of the Vale bolstered the royal forces, but it was not the same. Here was a true child of the Vale, standing right in front of him-and he felt almost as if he was back in the High Hall itself. "I have so much to tell you!" he exclaimed, sitting down on the foot of the bed and gesturing for her to join him. "All about Flea Bottom, and the Council, and the king, and-"

"Ah, yes…" Alyssa took her seat gracefully, before raising an eyebrow. "How is married life with that…fascinating…specimen?"

Robin could not help himself. He felt a warm pink glow flooding his cheeks, his grin exploding into a beam. "Oh, dear Alyssa, it is utterly heavenly."

At this-Alyssa did an enormous double-take. "Really?" she drawled, as if certain he was joking.

"Well-not utterly." said Robin levelly. "He can be challenging, I suppose. But the good parts more than make up for the bad." He took Alyssa's hands excitedly in his own, squeezing them tightly. "He is an absolute darling. I don't have the words to express how happy I am!"

"Somehow, I find that difficult to believe…" Alyssa said coarsely, her eyes practically popping out of her head. "Are you certain we are speaking of the same Brandon Stark? Brandon the Broken?"

"Of course we are!" Robin giggled, looking slightly put-out. "My Bran."

"Your Bran?" Alyssa scoffed, frowning at Robin as if trying to detect an illness in him. "How strangely you speak. I expected to find you miserable, welded to that…being."

Slowly, Robin took a deep breath. He could not simply let his guest's attitude slide. He drew himself up, and spoke very calmly. "Alyssa…I am beyond happy to see you, you know that I am. But I do not like the way you are talking about my husband. Bran is not all that he seems. He is…different, certainly-but that does not mean that he's not a good man. He is. Deeply so."

Despite all his effort-Alyssa simply snorted. "If you say so, little prince..."

Now, Robin felt true annoyance beginning to climb his throat. With the air of his much younger self, he dropped her hands disdainfully into her lap. "Do not call me "little prince"! I am Robin of House Arryn, Prince Consort of the Six Kingdoms and Lord Paramount of the Vale. You cannot speak to me as if I am a child."

But Alyssa merely looked amused as he listed his titles, shaking her head fondly. It was as if he was a toddler throwing a silly hissy fit. When he was finished, she even patted his head. "You will always be little to me, Sweetrobin…" She gave a little sigh-then smiled playfully. "But if you are such a grown-up, and an important one at that, I am sure you will allow me to pour us a glass of wine."

"Yes. Do that." Robin said, trying hard to retain his dignity as she got to her feet and swept across the room to his wine-jug. How strange it was. It had been Alyssa who had first forced him to grow up by showing him Flea Bottom…then again, Robin felt that he had done the bulk of his maturing in her absence. Perhaps she had simply missed it. He would give her the benefit of the doubt; besides, a small part of him was a little delighted to be treated once more in the manner he had been so accustomed to at home in the Vale. It reminded him of why he had loved Alyssa so. With her long dark hair and gentle hands, which stroked his hair with such tenderness, she made him feel almost as if his mother was still with him…

"It really is delightful to see you, dear Alyssa," he smiled, deciding it was not worth continuing the argument. "I missed you too."

"I am sure you did," Alyssa chuckled as she poured two cups, her back to him. "I see they are executing your ginger knight today. It is cheering to see the King's Justice alive and well in the capitol."

"Don't." Robin gave a little shudder-the appearance of Alyssa had almost erased the true purpose of this morning from his mind. "I can't bear to think of him. Let's speak of something pleasant instead." He leaned forward eagerly. "How is home?"

Alyssa made a slightly dismissive noise, still bending over the wine cups. "Well, the Eyrie still stands."

"I know." Robin folded his arms. "I correspond almost constantly with your father. He tells me that things are well. I meant…" He paused. "Tell me of home. I dream of it…"

"It is all the quieter for the lack of you."

"Oh Alyssa, don't tease!"

"It's true!"

"I would love to come and visit…" Robin rested his chin on his hands thoughtfully. "But it is not easy for Bran to physically travel-he really does prefer to stay at home, and I am most reluctant to leave him. Maybe I will come alone some time next year? Once we are settled."

"Maybe you will, Sweetrobin," Alyssa breezed, returning to the bed with two full cups of wine. She carefully passed the cup in her left hand to Robin, ensuring that he took it. "Maybe you will. Now-drink."

"I must say, living in the capitol has given me quite the taste for Dornish red…" Robin sipped readily, enjoying the sweetness spreading over his tongue in a most satisfying manner. "It is just delicious. The nectar of the gods."

"Mmm," Alyssa agreed, raising her own cup. "A toast. To…the future."

"Yes." Robin hurriedly swallowed and raised his in return. "The future. And to my dearest friend, Alyssa Stone! May she-!"

"Drink." Alyssa laughed, cutting him off. "Enjoy…"

Robin did so, drawing deeply from the cup. The sweetness seemed even more delectable today. Perhaps it was the company. He beamed at his companion, feeling utterly at ease. "I wish you were always here with me."

"Ah no…" Alyssa shook her head, watching him like a hawk. "I belong in the Vale. And I would never want to live in this city of piss and shit."

"It's not that bad!" Robin protested, before taking another drink. "Not since my work in Flea Bottom. Grand Maester Tarly says that public health has never been better in the capitol, now the people have access to clean water. It is truly a new age."

"Is that so?" Alyssa murmured, only mildly interested.

"Yes! It is the proudest achievement of my life." Robin said in earnest. Then, out of seemingly nowhere-he stifled a yawn. "Oh, for the sake of the gods, look at me! What is wrong with me? I only woke a few hours ago! But yes-my work with the very poorest has proved my greatest test, and my greatest joy. Well…" He smiled. "Apart from possibly my husband! He is just…he's a…" Suddenly-Robin's eyelids began to grow immeasurably heavy. "He's…"

"Drink." Alyssa placed her finger on the bottom of Robin's cup, and attempted to tip the rest of the wine down his throat. A quantity of it splashed onto the floor-but once the glass was empty, Robin's drowsiness instantly grew twelvefold. Suddenly-he could not even hold his own head up. With the room spinning, and sickness growing in his belly, he doubled over, and slipped from the bed onto the floor.

"Ah, my lovely Sweetrobin…" Alyssa's voice sounded as though it was coming from extremely far away. As the coldness of the floor stung him through his clothes, he felt hands gently cradling his head, fingers combing through his hair. "Shh…shh now…"

"What's…happening…?" Robin slurred. From somewhere in his delirium-true fear had taken hold within his heart. "I…I don't…"

"Shh, little Sweetrobin…" Alyssa lulled him, her voice extremely soft. "Relax…close your eyes…"

Robin's thoughts were clouded. He could not focus. Slowly, he began to lose the sensation of coldness from the floor, the feel of Alyssa's skirts, the sound of birds outside the window…He could not even think. The colours of the world were simply a wash of darkness…everything was fading into oblivion.

"Very good…" A voice whispered, from a different world. "That's right…just close your eyes, and you'll be with your mother once more…" A hand was clasped over his eyes. "Give in. Let go…Sleep…"

Robin could feel nothing. There was no fighting, no resisting, no nothing…For less than a split second, the image of Brandon's face flashed across his empty mind, those most intense of eyes regarding him with love.

Then, all was blackness. All was gone…

As soon as Robin's head lulled lifelessly in her lap-Alyssa knew true elation.

She got to her feet, letting Robin fall to the ground. His arms sprawled alarmingly over the stone, his face not quite peaceful as the shadow of the red wine stained his frozen lips. As Alyssa moved, the empty vial of Essence of Nightshade clinked in the pocket of her cloak.

There was a certain sadness his her heart as she looked down at the form of her old companion. He had been her Sweetrobin since he was a child...but there was no time to think upon that. She had mere minutes to make her escape. Back to the Vale...back to her throne...

Turning her back to Robin, she gathered her cloak and swept from the room. As she turned the handle of the chamber door, locking it firmly and seizing the key, she found herself humming softly under her breath.

"And she never wanted to leave…never wanted to leave…"

Triumph was hers.