Disclaimer: I don't own ASoIaF/GoT.

Okay, so I have the second interlude and part of chapter 21 finished. After those are posted (probably tomorrow) I'll go back to working on my other two stories as well.

Read, enjoy and review!

Chapter Twenty

Alysanne V

The Red Keep: 20th July, 298 AC

Their men had finally managed to locate the brothel that Jon Arryn and Stannis Baratheon had visited together. Aly had not been particularly surprised to discover that a young girl there had born yet another of Robert's bastards, this one an infant girl named Barra.

The poor prostitute was but five-and-ten, and had foolishly fallen in love with the king by the sounds of it. Probably he was the first in a long time to give her any degree of kindness, even if it was purely for the sake of her giving him good satisfaction. And now the poor girl was left with a child in arms, like so many of the Usurper's lovers.

The whole thing seemed to be centred around his natural children.

It just didn't make sense to Aly as to why the late Lord of the Vale and the Lord Paramount of the Stormlands was looking into the king's bastards when he had three healthy trueborn children, two of which were boys. Granted, Aly was firmly of the opinion that something had to be done about Joffrey. Such a sadistic and blatantly mad child could not be allowed to ascend the Iron Throne. It would send them right back to the days of the Mad King, when literally just breathing too loudly was grounds for being arrested and burned alive on accusations of treason.

Yet Prince Tommen and (according to the letters she was receiving from Sunspear) Princess Myrcella were both sweet, intelligent children, if a bit shy in a way that made Aly certain that Cersei had lavished attention on her firstborn and neglected her younger two. And the Usurper Queen was yet young enough to provide more children. The king clearly had no difficulties at all siring children. Even if Joffrey were removed from the line of succession, there was no real need to legitimize Robert's bastards, or pour resources into finding them all. Especially when there was an acknowledged son already under Renly's guardianship in Dragonstone.

And then there was the fact that Elbert Arryn too had died so mysteriously. She found the death incredibly suspicious, to say the least. The man had grown up in the Eyrie, how could he have carelessly fallen out of the Moon Door, even whilst drunk? It was far more likely that he too had been murdered.

But had the killing been committed by the Lannisters or by someone else, over an entirely different matter? It was very curious, in Aly's opinion, that two healthy Lord Paramounts of the Vale had died within a year of each other, even if Jon Arryn had been verging on eighty. And though Jon Arryn had definitely been investigating something, it struck Aly that Elbert's widow had benefited the most out of the two men's deaths, as Lysa Arryn was now Lady Regent of the Vale, and would be for at least the next decade.

Though, from the letters Oberyn was getting, it was possible that was not as certain as it seemed. Most, if not all, of the Vale lords were firmly in favour of the young Ser Artys becoming the new lord, and they were pushing for him at the least being named as Lord Protector and the boy being fostered away from his mother. That was a request that Oberyn was likely to grant, given the reports they had been receiving from the Vale. What kind of madwoman nursed a six-year-old? Everyone said that the boy was of a fragile health, and personally Aly blamed the mother for not raising him properly. Honestly, a six-year-old sucking on his mother's teat. She couldn't believe it. Madness, that's what it was. She weaned her babes after they began to teethe, switching them to cow's milk for the sake of her breasts and their growth.

She continued to brood over the whole thing as she walked through the gardens with Arrana and Daemon at her heels, Arron clutching her hand in his own. She wished that Crystal was there also, she always felt far safer with her direwolf trotting at her heels, but it would not be wise to aggravate the king's already-precarious mood by having her wolf in view. Since word had arrived of Elbert Arryn's death, both the king and Hand had been in foul moods. Whilst they had not been as close to Elbert, who was nearly four years their senior, as they were to each other, they had still grown up together. Oberyn was very grieved by his death, coming on top of everything else they were dealing with and struggling to handle the wealth of problems plaguing the realm. It pained her to see his tiredness and stressed sorrow.

"And then I-, Mama, Mama are you listening to me?" Arron interrupted his tale to frown up at her with the dark brown eyes inherited from his father. She smiled back down at him, using her free hands to brush his dark curls out of his face. He was the image of Oberyn, not a drop of Stark to be seen. All of her children favoured their father's side in colouring. She pitied the women of the realm when Dorren decided to take an interest in girls over books, and when her younger boys finally realized that, no, women were not in fact another species. Given Rickard's attitude, Aly half-wondered if she was a grandmother already. Gods help them all if the rest of the boys followed in their elder brother, father and late uncle's footsteps in regards to ladies.

"Of course I am, my darling," she assured her youngest son. "You shot a bullseye! I am so very proud, and entirely unsurprised by your skill."

Arron beamed delightedly at that, as they began to walk again.

"Do you know, my love, whom you remind me of?" Aly questioned softly, unable to help herself.

"No, who?" Arron inquired, shaking his head.

"My younger brother, Benjen," Aly stated with a sad smile. "He was not the best with a sword, though he was still very good. But his true talents lay in archery and hunting. He wanted to become a Ranger of the Night's Watch."

"Why didn't he?" Arron asked innocently.

Aly exhaled and tried to suppress the tears that pricked at her eyes. Under normal circumstances, she would not be so discomposed, nor would she had brought up the topic of her younger brother. But she was with child and stuck in the living hellhole that was King's Landing, and the longer they remained the more distressed she felt, haunted as she was by memories.

"He died, sweetling," she explained, her voice strained. "When he was the twins' age."

"Oh," Arron said solemnly. He paused, tugging her to a stop. Aly also stopped walking and bent down slightly to near his height. Her youngest son promptly flung his arms around her neck and buried his head in her shoulder, patting her back in a child's attempt at comfort.

"Do not be upset, Mama," Arron cooed to her as she hugged him back tightly. "I will join the Night's Watch instead. I can be Uncle Benjen for you!"

Aly let out a watery laugh to hide her alarm at his sweet natured suggestion, pressing a kiss to his forehead. She prayed he never fulfilled that promise. She had the greatest of respect for those brave men of the Watch, but that didn't mean she wanted any of her boys to join it and live such a harsh and dangerous life. "Oh, how I love you, my darling desert wolf-cub," she whispered into his ear, before straightening up again so they could continue with their stroll.

Arron was just beginning to tell a new story when they came across a group made up of the queen, Prince Tommen, the queen's ladies and Ser Jaime.

Aly gave a cool nod and curtsied to the lioness and her son with great reluctance. She noticed, not for the first time, that the queen and her son were mirror images of one another. Like all of Cersei's children, Tommen was pure Lannister, with golden hair and emerald eyes. Though he was very different in temperament, waving cheerfully at Arron, who greeted him happily. The pair had become great friends with one another.

As she greeted the young prince kindly, Aly could not help but be smug to know that she had produced four strapping boys, all of them closely resembling their father's House typical traits, and three beautiful daughters who also favoured the Martell looks, where Cersei had failed. It was, after all, generally expected that a woman produce children who favoured their paternal family, as if women had some in built ability to affect a child in their womb.

However, whilst all of Aly's children were very clearly Martells, one would be forgiven for assuming that Robert had not contributed anything at all to his trueborn children's make-up. It was actually rather strange how little they favoured him, in either looks or temperament. Especially given that Aly knew that all of his natural children had his dark hair and blue eyes. Even the infant girl Barra had been described as having her father's colouring, the reason that Daemon had so easily recognized her as the king's child. Yet none of his trueborn children even had the same cheekbones as their father.

When that thought crossed her mind, Aly suddenly felt the missing piece of the puzzle finally fall into place. "The seed is strong" had been Jon Arryn's last words to his foster son and king. It took everything in her not to react to her realization. She felt almost sick with amazed triumph and terror at the consequences of what she had just realized.

"Your Grace," she greeted the queen after the prince with the appropriate courtesies and required look of suppressed contempt at the woman that she always did. Nobody looking at her would be able to realize any of the thoughts that were running frantically through her mind, connections at last tying together after moons of attempts to make them fit.

"Lady Martell," Cersei sneered back, whilst Ser Jaime simply nodded curtly. Aly's anger towards him had thawed after his revelation, but she maintained the façade for the sake of appearances. The queen said nothing else, nor did she allow her son to do so either, instead grabbing Tommen's arm and striding away from Aly and her own son, much to the Lady Paramount's relief.

"Arron, sweetling," she said as calmly as she could once they were gone. "Mama has a bit of the headache, and I must lie down. We shall return to the Tower now, love."

Arron pouted, but her children knew when to push and when not to, and he conceded with any complaints. Aly tried not to appear rushed as she hurried her son back to their rooms, but she feared that something might have shown in her manner.

Once they arrived, she quickly sent Arron off to his chamber to play under the watchful eyes of a guard, and pulled Arrana into her bedchamber, under the guise of having a lie down.

"How many men did my brother send to protect my family whilst we are here?" Aly asked urgently, in a low voice and using Old Tongue to make doubly certain she would not be understood by unfriendly ears. "They still here and prepared to leave at a moment's notice?"

The group of Winterlanders had arrived posing as merchants from the Vale selling their wares for the tourney and had contacted her discreetly by slipping her message via the orphanage matrons to explain their presence. They had promised to remain so long as she did, altering their disguise as necessary. Arrana and the three other Winterlander servants who had come with them to the capital were acting as go-betweens, aided by the fact that Arrana was the first cousin to Lord Skystark, and nobody in Robert's court paid attention to servants.

Aly had informed Oberyn of the escape route as soon as she learned of it. Only a few moons past, he would have dismissed her and Ned as being paranoid due to Lya and Ben's deaths. By the time she had revealed the plan to him, he had enough experience with the capital for his anxiety to be alleviated by it. Frankly, it was a great relief to Aly that her husband at last understood just what type of place the capital was.

"Aye, my magnara," Arrana confirmed in the same low tone and language."Magnar Eddard sent a hundred men to protect and aid you and your family, including your husband. They are under my cousin Lord Skystark's command and disguised as merchants. They remain in the city, ready to flee or fight at your order."

"Take them a message for me right away. They are to prepare to flee the city with my children tonight," Aly instructed her old friend. A thought occurred to her and she quickly added,"As well as at least three others, a young mother with her infant daughter and a boy of about four-and-ten. I have figured out what Lord Arryn was investigating, and I will not allow my children to be used as hostages. Or worse."

"And you, my magnara?" Arrana replied, looking worried."Lord Martell?"

"Oberyn will not leave before this is finished,"Aly answered steadily, even as her hand came to rest on her swollen belly. "And as his wife, my place is with him. He is mine, and I am his, until the end of our days. But you and Myriame will go with the children, and see them to safety in Winterfell."

Arrana nodded solemnly, though Aly could tell she was reluctant to accept the order."Winterfell, milady? Not Sunspear?"

"Sunspear has been breached a thousand times in a thousand ways during a thousand wars,"Aly explained."But no enemy has ever gotten past Moat Cailin, Winterfell has stood untouched since Brandon the Builder raised it. And most importantly, I know that Ned and our people will protect my children from the lions for me."

Arrana bowed her head in acceptance."If the Lannisters wish to lay a finger on any of them, they shall have to get through every sword in the North,"she assured Aly. "Stark blood runs through their veins, and we will never fail the Wolves of Winterfell."

"I know," Aly answered simply."That is why I am sending them home."

Arrana nodded, a knowing look in her eye.

ASoVASoVASoV

Aly could not bring herself to settle as she waited impatiently for Oberyn to return from his work. She did not dare to send for him, paranoid that somebody would be tipped off. But she couldn't prepare the children to leave either. They would have to leave everything, clothes, toys, everything behind. Baggage would hamper them and draw attention. The only thing she did do, other than send Arrana to alert Lord Skystark, was send Daemon to find and secure Gendry the blacksmith's apprentice and the young prostitute and her daughter. Unfortunately, whilst Aly expected that there were more of Robert's bastards scattered through the city, she did not know who or where they were. She could only pray that the gods would be merciful, and Cersei was as unaware as Aly. The whore had already proved that she was willing to murder infants with her own hands to protect her secret, Aly was desperate to prevent it happening a second time.

In order to keep from going mad waiting to tell Oberyn what she had discovered, she went to her bedchamber and dragged out Malleon's book so that she could find more evidence to support her suspicions. Up until then, they had been focusing on the Lannister section, but this time Aly skipped right to the Baratheon page.

She took out a piece of parchment and a quill, and starting scribbling down everything that could be used to prove her theory. There was no way to physically prove it, of course. No way to, say, compare the children's blood to that of their alleged father's and see if Robert had truly sired them. But if enough evidence could be shown to cast sufficient doubt on the trio being his children, then combined with Robert's hatred for his wife things would go in their favour.

She worked almost feverishly, more thoughts popping up as she scribbled.

Cersei would die for what she had done, and House Lannister would be utterly ruined by the whole scandal. Tywin and the Mountain and Lorch would all escape with their lives, but they would pay eventually and the woman who had stolen Lya's crown would finally die. It would not be for the right crime, but so long as she paid, Aly did not care what crime she went down for.

She was so caught up in her thoughts and writing that she failed to notice her husband's return until he rested a hand on her shoulder to draw her attention after she failed to reply to two calls of her name.

She jolted and cried out in panicked surprise, grabbing the dagger she had laid beside her. Crystal instantly tensed, growling and searching for a threat.

"Aly, calm down woman!" Oberyn barked in startlement, raising his hands in the air and jumping back from the panicked woman holding a sharp blade to his throat and the large direwolf with her long fangs bared.

Aly gasped and lowered the dagger, hand trembling slightly. "Crystal, peace," she ordered her companion. "Forgive me, my lord husband. I am, I am on edge."

"I can see that," he answered dryly, dropping his hands and turning concerned at her out of character actions. "Aly, what in the Gods' names is wrong with you? Is it the babe?"

"I figured it out," Aly explained, slumping back into her seat and putting the dagger on the desktop, within reach. "What Lord Arryn and Lord Stannis were investigating, I know what it is."

Oberyn's eyes widened and he strode over to her, kneeling before his wife and grasping her hands. "Well, Wife?" he pressed eagerly. "Do not leave me in suspense, tell me!"

Aly swallowed and responded in Rhoynish. "I do not believe that the Princes and Princess Myrcella are the king's children,"she declared. Oberyn's face paled and his mouth began to open as if to object to her claim. She hastened to explain before he could cut her off.

"I cannot say if the affair is still on-going, but I would not be surprised if it were so,"she stated."But it is obvious, I cannot believe that we failed to realize it before this. Let me explain my reasons for this belief before speaking, I beseech you."

She was relieved when he nodded, grabbing her notes and taking a deep breath as she paused to organize her thoughts so she would not sound like a madwoman when she explained.

"The royal children, they have absolutely no resemblance to King Robert, not even in character,"she began. "They are their mother's mirrors. And yes, I am aware that 'tis not uncommon to favour one parent over the other, but all three of them? When his bastards all favour their sire? Thinking back to when you and His Grace were Joffrey's age, can you think of any similarities at all between him and the queen's children, even in their personalities?"

Oberyn pursed his lips and seemed to consider it before at last shaking his head with great reluctance, expression grimmer than she had seen in a long time, which said a great deal as to the severity of the accusation. She felt the same way. Much as she longed for vengeance, this was a very dangerous situation. There was a very real chance that a war might be ignited over this whole thing, depending on how it was handled and everyone reacted.

Aly did not want a war. She had lost everything in the last war. What would she lose in this one?

Despite her worries, Aly simply nodded in response to his denial, continuing. "Yet, as I said, all of his natural children are black and blue eyed. And I have heard descriptions of Lord Stannis' children. Not one of them has even a red tint to their hair, they all have dark hair and blue eyes. His brothers too are all the same as the king, features wise. And I was looking through the book by Malleon. All the way back to the children of Argella Durrandon and Orys Baratheon, the children of a Baratheon have the same blue eyes and black hair, whether the Baratheon is their mother or father. And look, read this."

She handed him some of her notes, pointing to the bit she wanted him to read. Oberyn, looking more than a little stunned by everything she had thrown at him, read the section of the page that she had pointed out to him, swearing softly under his breath as he scanned it.

Gowen Baratheon, third son of Lord Beric Baratheon, the reigning Lord Paramount of the Stormlands in 207 AC. Wed Lady Tya Lannister. One son named Orryn, died in infancy. Black haired, blue eyes.

Jason Lannister, cousin of Lord Tymond Lannister, the reigning Lord Paramount of the Westerlands in 177 AC. Wed Lady Alynne Baratheon. Three daughters: Jocelyn, Ellyn and Elenda, one son: Tymond. All described as black-haired and blue eyed.

"That was the last time a Lannister and a Baratheon wed up until the king and queen," Aly informed him grimly. "But you see? And Cersei has the opportunity to carry out adultery.

One of the first things that Queen Rhaella told my sister about being a princess and especially a queen was to never allow herself to be unchaperoned with a man save for Rhaegar, even one of our brothers. Adultery in a lady is illegal, as they risk passing off a bastard as an heir, but adultery in a queen is treason. The conduct of a queen must always be unquestionable. Queen Rhaella told Lyanna to choose a few ladies, ones known to be deeply pious. They ought to be a mix of Lya's supporters and her opponents, and to have excellent reputations. Women whose word that Lya was faithful would be unquestionable, women whom one would be sure would never dare lie if asked to swear an oath.

My people in the castle say that the queen frequently has time alone, and all of her ladies are Westerwomen, most of them cousins of hers in some way. Her brother is her typical guard. If not Ser Jaime, then it is either Ser Preston or Ser Mandon, who are both Westermen and in her pocket. It seems to me that all of those people would be willing to lie for her.

And from what we can figure out, it appears that Lord Stannis and Lord Arryn began their investigation shortly after the birth of Lord Stannis' youngest child, after a visit to Dragonstone, where Edric Waters is. I bet he noticed the differences between his children, Edric, and the queen's children, and grew suspicious. If he suspected but was unsure, going to the Hand would be the natural and logical action."

She fell silent, handing over the rest of her notes to let him look them over stone-faced. As soon as he was finished reading, he jumped to his feet and started storming around in a circle for several minutes, cursing violently and hitting the wall with a clenched fist. Crystal bristled, but relaxed as Aly stroked her ears soothingly.

"We must tell Robert," Oberyn said finally, after his temper had cooled.

Aly exhaled deeply and tried to gather her thoughts. "The king is away on a hunt," she reminded him. "And before we do anything else, we must ensure that the Lannisters cannot use our children as hostages when we move against them."

Oberyn's expression darkened. She knew that he was probably thinking, like her, of tiny bodies with smashed in heads and threads of hair clinging to broken little skulls.

It would not be her children who suffered such a fate. Lyanna had not been able to save her children from the cursed Lannisters, but Aly would not repeat her much-lamented sister's failures. Not with her babes.