Disclaimer: I don't own the A Song of Ice and Fire series.
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who read the prologue. Also, a special thank you to everyone who has followed and favourited this story, I really do appreciate it. :) I hope that you enjoy this chapter and please feel free to review and tell me what you think.
Before you read this chapter, I would like to say that this story begins several months before the start of the events in A Game of Thrones. I decided to do this mostly for character developement, and to show the relationships between certain characters. Once again, please enjoy. :)
Chapter One: The Letter
Lady Alyssa Arryn looked down at the newly arrived letter and smiled to herself. It had come from the capitol, and it held news that she was more than happy to receive. She hadn't heard from her lord father for some weeks now, and she missed him terribly. She'd returned to the Eyrie with her brother over two years ago to look after affairs in the Vale, and she'd stayed there to help him manage the Arryn household rather than going back to court. They hadn't visited King's Landing since they'd come home, but now this news gave them an excuse to visit the capitol, and more importantly, it gave them a chance to visit their father and their little brother, who both lived there as her father served as the current Hand of the King.
Alyssa rose gracefully from her seat and smoothed down the skirts of her sky blue silk dress. She tucked a strand of her long blonde hair behind her ear before leaving her chambers, striding quickly through the halls of the Eyrie until she reached her destination.
Without so much as a knock, Alyssa opened the door to her brother Artys's chambers and smiled when she saw that her twin was indeed inside.
"Artys, we have some news from King's Landing," Alyssa announced, going over and taking a seat near Artys's hearth. "We should pack and travel there as soon as possible."
Her brother looked up at her from the book he'd been reading, his expression somewhere between amusement and curiosity. His blue eyes, the same colour as her own, had lost their normally serious look, and they sparkled with the prospect of seeing their father again. Alyssa knew that he missed father as much as she did, and she was delighted to be able to give him this news.
"What was the news, Lys?" He asked, and Alyssa smiled at hearing the name her brother had for her.
"The king is holding a tourney for the crown prince Joffrey's name day. We should go, Artys, it's been over two years since we last saw father." She hesitated, unsure if she should say her next words, but she went ahead regardless. "We haven't seen little Robert in that time, either."
"That is true," Artys agreed, and although his voice was carefully calm, his blue eyes had hardened at the name of their half brother. Little Robert was sickly, and Alyssa worried for him. It mattered little to her who the child's mother was, he was her little brother, and to Alyssa, that was all that mattered.
"Artys," Alyssa said softly, her eyes pleading. "He's still our brother, and he's never been well, not since he was a babe."
Artys sighed, and nodded at his sister's words. "I know that Lys, but his mother is..."
"Lady Lysa is our father's wife." Alyssa interrupted firmly, letting out a sigh of her own. "I know that she can be difficult, but-"
"Lys, the woman is mad, she treats Robert as though he were a babe, not a boy of five. Besides, she's never been kind to us, so why must you defend her so?"
"We aren't children anymore, Artys, we're 20 name days old now, we don't need her to be kind to us. You need to stop this grudge you have against her, it isn't good for our family, not at all."
Artys looked at her, incredulity clear in his blue eyes. "How can you say that? Lysa Tully is not part of our family, Alyssa, and she never will be. She's nothing to me, and she should be nothing to you as well."
"Artys-" Alyssa started, but her brother cut her off with a sharp look.
"Go if you wish to this tourney, sister," He said, a rare note of ice entering his normally warm tone. "I will remain here, and rule the Vale in our father's name as is my duty as heir to the Eyrie."
"But, Artys surely you want to-"
"Don't presume to tell me what I want," He snapped, rising from his seat. "Now go, you should prepare for your journey."
Alyssa left the room, letting the door fall shut behind her with a bang. Lady Lysa had always been a sore spot for her brother ever since they were young, and she should have known bringing up Robert was a bad idea. Still, his cold tone and words had hurt her more than she wanted to admit, and as she hurried back to her own chambers, she could feel the burn of tears welling behind her eyes.
She rushed into her chambers, furious with herself for letting the tears fall as she slammed the door and called for her friend and handmaid Elyse to attend her. When Elyse entered, she let her brush out her hair soothingly as she slowly controlled her feelings, and she vowed not to leave her chamber for the rest of the night. She would not give Artys the knowledge that she was hurt, not if she could help it.
Ser Artys Arryn stared at the closed door that his sister had left through a moment ago, and let out a long, unhappy sigh. He'd seen the hurt on his sister's face as she'd left, and he'd instantly felt guilty about his cold words to her.
He shouldn't have let the thought of the Toxic Trout Lysa Tully anger him so. It was hardly his twin's fault that the mad witch was embedded into their family, and yet he'd lashed out at Alyssa anyway.
Artys got to his feet and paced across the room, trying not to think of the argument that had just taken place. He loved his sister dearly, and they very rarely fought, and knowing that this time was because of him shamed him.
It would be all right, he tried to reassure himself, stopping to look out of the window as he did. He'd speak to Alyssa at dinner, and they'd set things right, just as they always did after a fight.
His plans for apologising to his sister were dashed however when he entered the dining hall and saw that his sister's place at the high table was empty.
"Where is lady Alyssa?" He asked maester Colemon as he took his seat beside his sister's empty chair.
The maester looked at him, an expression of surprise on his face as he noticed that Alyssa was not in her usual place. "I do not know, my lord," He admitted. "If the lady Alyssa is not here, then mayhaps she is in her chambers."
Artys nodded, a small frown forming on his face. "I will check on her later." He decided absently, and he picked at his food, his mind swimming with fresh guilt from the knowledge that this time, he'd clearly hurt his sister more than he had thought.
After dinner, Artys headed to Alyssa's chambers and knocked on the door. He waited there, worrying that there would be no answer, but at last his sister's loyal handmaid opened the door.
"Is my sister inside?" Artys asked as the girl curtseyed to him stiffly.
"Yes, my lord she is, but she does not wish to see anyone at the moment."
"Nonetheless, I'd like to see her," He said, noting the coolness in the handmaid's tone. "Will you tell her that I am here?"
"Yes, of course my lord." The handmaid curtseyed again, before hurrying back into Alyssa's chambers, closing the door firmly behind her.
"My Lady, your brother is here and wishes to speak with you." Elyse said, and Alyssa tried hard not to scowl.
"Did you tell him that I wish to be alone?" She asked, and Elyse nodded, looking a little apologetic.
"I did my Lady but he still wishes to speak with you. I am sorry, I could not dissuade him."
"It isn't your fault, Elyse." Alyssa gave her friend a small reassuring smile, before sighing softly. "Very well," Alyssa said, letting out another tired sigh. "Let him in Elyse, and then take the night off. I have been poor company, I know, and you should rest for a while."
"Yes, my Lady, as you wish." Her handmaid gave her a small smile and hurried out of the room,. Artys came in a moment later, looking decidedly unsure of himself.
Alyssa rose and gave her brother a cool look and a small stiff curtsey. "Brother," She greeted, her voice as cool as water. "To what do I owe this pleasure?"
Her brother hesitated, clearly unsure what to say next. Alyssa regarded him, not giving him the satisfaction of seeming hurt or upset over their earlier argument.
"I came to apologise, Lys," He said eventually. "I should never have spoken to you so coldly, I'm sorry."
"You're right," Alyssa said, her cool mask still in place. "You shouldn't have, and yet you did."
"I know," Artys said, shifting uneasily. "And I'm sorry, it won't happen again, I promise you."
Alyssa studied him, not saying anything for several long moments. Artys did seem truly sorry, she decided, and finally, a small smile formed on her lips.
"It had better not," She said. "You know you hate it when I'm very angry at you, and I will be if you speak to me like that again."
Seeing her smile, her brother smiled too, looking relieved. "You're right, Lys," He said. "You're as fierce as any falcon when you're angry."
"That's because I am a falcon, brother, as are you," She said. "Not that you'd know it. You're the least fierce falcon I've even seen, and that includes that falcon chick that father gave me on our 12th name day." She was teasing, of course, and Artys knew it. He laughed, rolling his eyes at his sister's words.
"We'll see about that when I win this tourney you were talking about and name you Queen of Love and Beauty, sister." He said, and Alyssa perked up, grinning at his words.
"So we're going to King's Lying then?" She asked happily.
"Yes, sweet sister we are," He said. "Mayhaps father will even have found you a husband by now. I'm sure you'd hate to miss that."
Now it was Alyssa's turn to roll her eyes. "Not as much as I'd hate to miss seeing you get knocked into the dirt by some Tyrell rose before you can name anyone your queen." She laughed. "Now get out, Artys, I have a journey to pack for, and you definitely have a lance to learn how to wield."
Artys gave her a mocking bow. "As my lady commands." He left, and she heard his laughter echoing down the hall. She turned to her wardrobe with a smile and began choosing dresses to take with her to the capitol.