A/N: Everybody's Changing – There are meant to be things that Jasper does that piss people off, there may well be more of them to come. As for Arya, she still has some major plot lines to complete later on, so she is not done yet.

Jasper looked at the crude and ugly River Gate of King's Landing as he crossed the Blackwater Rush in Winter's Fury, he already missed Storm's End, and he ran his thumb over the figure of Elenei that he had retrieved from his old chambers. It was still immaculate and easily detailed, he just needed to wipe the dust from it before he put the leather cord that attached it around his neck. Arya had thought him a little crazy when he had fished out the old good luck charm he had, but when he had explained it, she seemed to understand at least. More important to Jasper, she was not angry about him almost stealing her maidenhead atop Storm's End. He had been able to refrain from that, still, it would be quite a place to make love to someone, maybe once they were married. It seemed the only one on the boat who did not miss Storm's End was Nymeria, who was bouncing around happily as she got out of the place she had been stuck in for too long. Arya seemed to think that it had something to do with Lady being in the city and the littermates bonding again, but he did not know, it seemed peculiar, but then the direwolves were different to other beasts, more intelligent and more human, more human than some humans Jasper could name as they came into dock.

Jasper was glad that there was no one present to see him disembark, for he did not feel like having a greeting when he was coming to attend a royal wedding, that of his dear brother Joffrey to the traitor Margaery Tyrell. The fingers of his left hand flexed and brushed across the pommel of High Justice, strapped to his waist, at the thought of the treasonous union. No matter what Margaery said, he was certain that she had tried to conceive a child with Renly, no matter how little he wanted to. His household staff, including the guardsmen he had brought with him, were to take the possessions up to his chambers in the Red Keep. According to a letter sent by Tywin, he had the same ones he had had growing up. In the meantime, Jasper and his Storm Knights, he refused to call the Stormguard any longer since that sounded too much like the Kingsguard, and he would not have these skilled fighters associated with the godless wastes of flesh currently wearing the White Cloaks, apart from Ser Arys, who was actually worth something in terms of both skill with a blade and temperament, were making their way towards the smithy of Tobho Mott, with Arya and Nymeria at his side as well. He was to fulfil a promise that he had made to Arya, especially since she had reached a height that most people seemed to think was as tall as she would get.

The blacksmith was there and welcomed Jasper. "Prince Jasper", he said jovially, bowing. It was Tobho who had forged Jasper's armour, adding the black tints to the steel. "It is good to see you again."

"And you also Tobho", Jasper replied, not smiling back, he caught sight of the bastard boy who was Tobho Mott's apprentice blacksmith. "I have a job for you today", he said and he beckoned Arya forward. "Arya here needs a suit of armour, but it needs to be much easier to move in than most armours."

Tobho nodded solemnly. "I shall have my apprentice take her measurements, Gendry!" He called and the boy nodded, taking Arya to the side and beginning to measure her. "Would you like any additions the armour my prince?" He asked.

Before Jasper could reply, Arya called out, "I want a direwolf helm."

Tobho looked at Jasper, who nodded. Tobho jotted down the addition and then turned to Jasper, still smiling. "Is there anything else my prince?"

Jasper shook his head. "No thank you Tobho", he replied.

"Then, may I show you something I have been working on?" Jasper, seeing that Arya was not measured, nodded and Tobho took him into the back of the shop, where Jasper knew from experience, Tobho did his experimenting. There, Jasper caught sight of something strange, it looked to be an armoured choker, but far too large for any man, and as far as he was aware, no giants had come to King's Landing.

Then he caught sight of the piece of armour next to it, which what looked like a metal caparison. Jasper realised what Tobho Mott was attempting. "You are not trying to armour a horse are you?!" He asked, incredulous at the very thought.

The skilled armourer smiled and nodded. "At the Golden Tooth, Northmen were able to repel Lord Tywin with pikes on the ground, horses are just as much a target as the rider now, I aim to eliminate that. Also", he added, picking up a spike and placing it on the front a helmet for the horse. "It gives another weapon to a knight."

"What knight, could afford this", Jasper asked incredulous, "it would surely beggar the Lannisters."

"It is much more expensive than armour for humans", Tobho confessed, "but less than you put it, in fact." He looked around. "If you were to allow me to test the matter on your horse, my prince, I would be happy to provide you one at a much discounted price."

"Provided that I tell everyone where I got it", Jasper finished, a tiny smile finding its way onto Jasper's lips. He thought of the benefits, what better way to terrify the foot soldiers of a host than to have an armoured horse descending upon them. "Very well", he said, "I shall have my destrier sent over tonight, but be warned Tobho", he said holding up a finger, "I will demand compensation, should you damage him in any way."

"I shall treat him like Myrish silk", Tobho replied.

It was at that point that Gendry came through to the back. "Measurements are taken Master Mott", he said.

Suddenly all business-like again, Tobho nodded firmly, "I shall send word to you when the girl's armour is prepared." Jasper nodded and swept from the shop, his golden cloak billowing behind him as he made his way to the Red Keep.

Maybe it was because Jasper was particularly angry with them at the moment, or maybe because it was true, but there certainly seemed to be a lot of Tyrells around, there were many more noble women, but most of them appeared to be Tyrells, seemingly part of the gardens themselves with all their golden roses on green backgrounds. But then Jasper caught sight of someone he had not seen in years, Joy Hill, his younger than him aunt, bastard daughter of Tywin's brother. She was a sweet girl, older than Arya, but he had noticed that, ever since her father Tygett had vanished, she had rarely smiled. He was about to go and talk to her, but then Tyrion appeared, seemingly from no-where and did just that. Jasper still could not stand his uncle for kowtowing to the wills of traitors, and so he stormed from the gardens, making his way towards the top of the Red Keep, where only Beric and Devan knew where to find him. He sat down once more, looking out over the Blackwater bay and cursing what was going on, it was not right, it should not be happening, but it was.

"You really can't stand them can you?" Jasper did not turn at the sound of Beric. "You cannot blame them, they are doing what they feel is best."

"Best for them", Jasper shot back, tossing another rock of the edge, "not best for the kingdoms."

"You don't know that", Beric replied, "the Tyrells are still very powerful and control much of the food in the Kingdoms."

"That does not mean we should reward their treason, they still get what they have wanted this whole time, Margaery as queen."

"If you were king you would marry Arya", Beric pointed out.

"If I were king a lot of things that have happened would not have happened, and there would still be peace."

"Lord Eddard did try to take the throne", Beric pointed out.

"I still do not believe that", Jasper swore, "I will never believe that, he was forced into that confession by my mother."

Beric sat down next to him, "well maybe now that you are here, and there is no risk of siege of the city with Lord Adrien's host this close and the Northerners retreating to deal with Tyrell incursions into the North, you can investigate properly."

Jasper snorted, "what is the point, it will have been covered up by now."

"Now that is not the Jasper I have been the shield for these last ten years", Beric said.

"No", Jasper replied, "it is not, I am something different now."

They sat in silence, Jasper remembered that he Beric and Devan had used to do this, just sit and look out, no one else there so they could trust each other not to push them off the edge. "Oh yes", Beric said, as though he had remembered something out of the blue. "I saw Alla earlier", Jasper raised an eyebrow at him, silently asking if it should concern him, he and Alla had a dalliance, nothing more. "she wishes to see you."

"Does she now", Jasper replied, "what if I don't want to see her?"

"You do", Beric replied, 'she should be in the godswood, not many go there with the gardens around, you should go and see her."

"Why?" Jasper asked, curious as to why Beric was being so insistent on him seeing someone he had last seen, and fucked, almost two years ago now.

"You'll see", Beric said, half smiling. He got up and left, calling over his shoulder as he did so, "you will regret it if you don'tt see her Jasper, trust me."

Jasper sighed and decided that he may as well go and see Alla, and then have words with Beric if it was pointless to him.

He made his way down the Red Keep, avoiding the commonly used corridors, for he did not feel like talking right now, instead following lesser known corridors to get to the Godswood where, sure enough, there were very few people in the godswood, although, to his distaste, most were Tyrells, but Joy was also here, he saw, a single guard with her, and looking alone. Jasper decided he would speak with her just as soon as he had dealt with Alla and discussed whatever it was she wanted to discuss.

He spotted her brown hair from behind, where she was with two other Tyrell women, sitting on a bench and looking ahead. "Alla", Jasper called as he made his way around to them, looking at Alla who was in the middle, who looked around swiftly, even as the other two did not.

"Jasper!" She gasped, before getting up and hugging him, tightly and unseemly for a noble girl. "You came."

"You called", he answered, "now what is so important that-" Jasper paused, for there was a gurgling sound to the left, and he looked over there to see a baby, not two years old, sitting in the grass in Tyrell colours, looking curious. Alla walked over to the babe and picked it up, holding it in her arms. It was obvious that it was Alla's child, since she was looking at it with such affection. But then Jasper saw the tuft of black hair on its head, and the dark blue of the eyes when the child opened them. Alla's hair was brown, and her eyes were golden. His breath quickened. No, he thought, it can't be. But what Margaery had said in the tent when he was returning to the capital came back to haunt him. "Bedding you would be worth your brother's scorn, even if it makes you more like your father"¸ and then she had said, "everyone knows what you did."

"Jasper", Alla said, looking from the babe's face to his eyes, "meet Cassanna Flowers, your daughter."

Daughter. The one word was all that was in Jasper's head, he could not tell you what his face was doing if his life depended on it. All three of the women could pull out knives at this very moment, and he would fail to react. Daughter. There were a number of questions he knew he wanted to ask but he could not work out what they were, no matter how hard he thought, he could not get the word daughter out of his head with any ease. Whenever he did, it was replaced by bastard, and when he finally got past bastard, he reached father. "Also", Alla said, passing off Cassanna to one of the other Tyrells, and taking another child from the third, 'this is Cassanna's twin, your son, Arthur.

Jasper tried to understand, he truly did, he held out his hand to stay her, allow him time to think and he rested his hands on his knees. But he could not, so he simply said, "no."

"Yes", Alla said, coming up to him with Arthur who, like Cassanna, had his hair, but he had her eyes, round, and bright gold. 'they're yours, both of them." When she pushed Arthur into his chest, the old instincts of holding Shireen, or Tommen and Myrcella when they were children, made his arms rise up and grip the child tightly, resting him in his arms, as the boy looked at him with wide eyes.

As Arthur examined him curiously, all words bar one were driven from Jasper's head.

And that word was mine.