There was not a time in which Cassandra Baratheon was eager to come back to King's Landing. Especially during the celebration of the nameday of her insupportable, spoiled, little brother Joffrey. Every year a great tourney was to be taken place, in which many knights would fight, to honour their future King. And Cassandra had made her personal porpuse to not arrive on time.
Cassandra Baratheon was the eldest daughter of King Robert Baratheon and Queen Cersei Lannister, who ruled Westeros from the mountains of Dorne in the South to the cold Wall in the North, where Cassie spent most days of her life.
Because Cassandra Baratheon wasn't only a princess but she was one of what was historically called a Keeper of Light. Or for the most superstitious, like her mother, a Black-Eyed Witch, because of the color of their eyes, orbits and pupils, in the moment of their birth. M
aester Pycelle, who was supposed to be the wiser man in the Capital, said that it was to show their very soul, black and empty.
The Keepers of Light had a terrible power which must have been taken under control constantly by handling their emotions. With just a touch they could subjugate the unfortunate who ended up as the Keeper's slave. They were considerate the living form of stories for children. They were the last people who used some kind of anchient magic. But they were the last. Many things about their powers where still unknown and many legends were told about them.
Keepers of Light were only girls and it wasn't possible to predict their birth, it just happened. Especially during the Summer. On Winter not even a Keeper was ever born.
After the Conquest, the Targaryen decided to conduct an annual census to take every Keeper and send them to the Wall to help the Night's Watch to protect the realm. They said it was to have better protection, but Cassie knew that it was just to have them under control. Targaryens were cowards after all.
That was the reason why the princess didn't live in King's Landing. Not the she had ever complained about that. Her travelling forced her not to spend a lot of time with her family and the nasty people of the capital.
When Cassandra made her entrance in King's Landing, wearing her pitched black dress on the back of her horse; nothing was different. She looked around as she rode; the crowned stag on a golden field was shown hanging on many window.
The sigil of her House.
The pople turned to her as she passed, stopping what they where doing to bow their head at the princess. Some would smile at her, some would say her name. Children would wave at her or observe with curious yet fearful gaze. And some others would fix their gaze on Cassie's hand, her right hand; where the mark of the Keepers of Light was showing. Visible and unmistakable.
Cassandra rode from the most poorer part of the city, Flea Bottom, to the reacher parts. Where the stones became redder and redder under the light of the sun.
The Red Keep was enormous. It was a fitting castle for a King. Or so everyone said.
The more she got closer to the Red Keep, the more man of Lannister could be seen, as well as the roaring golden lion shown on the banner of Cassie's mother's House. It was almost impossible to see the stag anymore.
"Look who came riding from the North." The voice of her uncle made her turn, looking down from her horse "Late as usual."
Ser Jamie Lannister, the queen's twin brother and a Knight of the Kingsguard. He was known to be as skilled with his sword as he was beautiful. And he was. Lucent golden hair and bright green eyes. Cassie didn't like to look at him for more than it was necessary, feeling like her mother was staring back at her and talking to her.
"Why are you not celebrating, uncle?" Cassandra spoke smugly and her uncle shown an annoyed grin.
"I did not win the tourney" he admitted bitterly.
Cassandra chuckled "Well that was a sight I would have liked to see."
With a swift movement, the princess got down from her horse, barely making any noise as her feet hit the grownd. She pulled back her hood, showing her long black hair and her bright blue eyes. And she noticed some soldiers look in her direction.
Many said that it had been unfortunate for a young woman so beautiful to not be able to wed. Cassandra had hinerited the beauty above all from both her parents. And everything she shared with Cersei Lannister ended there. Because she had her father's colours, demeanor and temper.
"Varys had told us that you were coming" her uncle was saying as a stable boy came to take Cassie's horse. She stroked the mantle of her black mount as he was taken away from her.
Varys the Spider. So they had sent spies even in the North. Cassandra looked at the guards that were passing by. How many eyes around her, how many mouths around her.
"I wonder what my mother said about that" Cassie said before her uncle reached out to handing a black cloth at her. The princess glared at the man.
"This is insulting." she growled looking at the black glovers in his hands, but the man shrugged his shoulders.
"This is caution."
A Queen's horder, it could not be anyone else's. Her mother always found new ways to insult her. She wanted for Cassie to cover her hands the few times she was with her brothers; now she was supposed to wear them outside?
Gloves were something that a Keeper of Light had to wear until she learned how to master her powers. Cassandra was almost fourteen, it had been seven years since she had wore them last.
"Always hating on your mother" Jamie said drammatically "This has nothing to do with her."
It was his idea, then. No one else would have dared that much. Cassie's glare became angrier.
"I do not find it amusing, uncle."
"I'm doing this for you" Jaime said, even if his tone didn't sound so concerned "The old man is dying."
Cassandra's eyes widened at his words. That could not be. It was not possible. The princess took the gloves from her uncle's hands, throwing them on the muddy ground as she made her way towards the castle.
Jon Arryn was the Hand of the King and almost a father to Robert Baratheon. He was a just and kind man, probably the kindest in all the Capital and the only man in the South who got her father's trust.
She walked in the corridor made of red stones which didn't stop shining because of the sun, even too much to her liking. It was funny how a place so rotten could glow that much under the light.
In the corridor her footsteps were louder than usual and her wild black hair waved against her back. Servants turned as they saw her passing by, bowing in greeting. Cassandra kept walking, trying to reach as soon as she could lord Arryn's chambers. To arrive to the tower of the Hand of the King she had to walked by her mother's chambers. The door was closed and Cassie could not help but eyeing the carved wood. Surely Varys had told them the day the princess would have arrived in the capital; but no one was there to wait. Nor her father, nor her mother.
Cersei Lannister wasn't a lovable woman. She never cared how her children behaved. Actually, her children except for Cassie. To her Cassandra always did something wrong; it didn't matter what or how much she tried… Cassandra wasn't graceful enough, she wasn't proper enough. A costant delusion, that was what her mother always told her. That almost made her smile now. Cassandra Baratheon's life was no meant for grace and appropriateness.
When Cassandra arrived at Jon's door she knocked, hoping that his wife Lysa Arryn wasn't there. Lysa Arryn was a peculiar woman, she had always made Cassie uneasy. Something in that woman wasn't right and after the birth of her first child, Robyn Arryn, she was even worst, she saw enemies everywhere. She didn't want Cassie any near to the little boy, as if Cassandra was there to hurt him. Many times Jon had to intervene, to try and calm down his wife behavior. Every time Cassie came back to King's Landing, she found her crazier more and more.
That's what happened when marriage was the last hope to get allies and troupes.
In fact Jon Arryn had to marry Lysa, who was a Tully before her wedding, to have Riverrun's army.
Cassie was lucky in that manner. Not only because Keepers of Light couldn't be Ladies of any castle, but even because she would have subjected her lover. A Keeper of Light couldn't lie with a man, without making him her slave. Due to that they cannot wed.
Indeed, in Castel Black no man had ever came too close to one of them. Scared bastards.
But marriages weren't all bad, well… most of them were actually, like her parents'. But Eddard Stark and Catelyn Tully, Lysa's sister, had to marry before Cassie was born, and for what she knew they had something like the perfect life. The perfect family for the perfect marriage. And Cassie knew because she met the Starks often. In fact, since her first travel to the North she spent three or four days in Winterfell and a lot more on her way back to the South. She also knew the Stark children and they were… different.
But different was good for Cassie. No one was different in King's Landing.
Very often she thought that if she had had brothers like the Starks, maybe she wouldn't have hated them.
It wasn't like she hated her brothers, except for Joffrey. Joffrey, she hated.
But her younger siblings, Myrcella and Tommen, she didn't hate but she didn't love them either. In her defense Cassie barely knew them, her mother wouldn't let her spend much time with them.
"Come in" Cassie gnashed her teeth hearing Maester Pycelle's voice. She always needed a lot of patience with that old man. Taking a breath, she entered the room.
"Princess!" the Maester exclaimed standing on his feet. There wasn't respect in his eyes, just fear. He had always looked at her like that. If only he had done his readings right, he would have known that she was dangerous only if she wanted to be.
Cassie rolled her eyes "How is he?" she asked without looking at the old man.
"His fever is high, princess" Pycelle answeredwith a shaky whisper "I gave him the milk of the poppies."
It must have been worse that she thought.
"Princess?" his voice was so low, that even an answer from the Gods would have been more perceptible. But when he opened his eyes and he looked at her he started to stir.
"Cassandra…I have to tell you…" he said starting to sweat "I need to…"
Jon seemed desperate, he kept moving and he tried to get on his elbows, but he was too weak for it. Cassie sat next to him trying to calm him down, or at least make him to stay still.
"… I need to tell you…" Cassie looked him in the eyes, she had always trusted him, so she nodded to let him know that she would have listened to him. But she would have been the only one.
Without taking her gaze away from the man next to her, she spoke "Get out."
Pycelle stared at her with wide eyes "My princess…"
"I like it when you call me that" Cassie answered turning to the Maester with a glare "But maybe it would be more pleasant for you to call me mistress."
Pycelle's face was white as his long beard and Cassandra even saw him shake slightly. It was a funny view really. But it was soon gone, because the Maester nearly ran out of the room.
Now, they could have talked in peace. Jon's voice was too low to be hear by anyone, especially from Maester Pycelle. How old was he by the way? One hundred and fifty? Or something like that?
"Where were you?" the poor man lying next to her asked in a whisper.
"Lost on the King's Road" she said smiling taking his sweaty hand "You know how I appreciate moving around" Jon coughed. He was suffering.
"You have to…" Cassandra frowned looking at the man, who was trying to talk "… You need to hurry…"
Hurry? Hurry to do what?
"Cassandra…" he said opening his eyes a little more "… Flea Bottom…"
Flea Bottom was the poorest part of the Capital. No noble ever went there. Well, no noble except for Cassie.
Cassie always loved to walk; she knew every part of King's Landing. She mostly like Flea Bottom, because she could have been alone there. Cassandra Baratheon always walked alone, not by choice at first. Indeed, after her first time at the Wall her mother decided to give Cassie's guard escort to the poor little Joff.
"Joff is the future king after all" her mother said to her "He needs protection more than anyone. And you can protect yourself."
Of course, she could. Cassie was trained by Sandor Clegane since she could hold a sword, and she had never stopped training every single day of her life since. But it was nice to know where her mother's only preocupation laid.
And with her escort even Sandor Clegane was sent completely to Joffrey. That was too bad, Sandor was the only one in King's Landing she wanted to spend time with. He was the only one who was different in that place.
"Flea Bottom, Cassandra!" he shouted taking her wrist "You have to go!"
His grip was tight, very tight, deadly tight. How could he be so strong?
"You have to go…" but the door burst open and her father's thundering voice echoed in the room. It was so loud that probably he had been heard even in Flea Bottom.
"Cassandra!" Robert said.
"Hello Father" she replied still in Jon's hard grip.
Robert Baratheon was standing right in front of her. Same black hair as hers, same blue eyes, same attitude and same perfect warrior figure. At least his former perfect warrior figure was the one they shared.
Robert Baratheon was a little different from when he was younger, well maybe a little more than a little. He used to be tall, handsome and fit. And he still was tall but what once was fit had now become fat.
"Your mother is not here to bother me and you come back to take her place?" Cassie rolled her eyes, still trying to free herself.
"I am alright, Father. I appreciate your concern" her father looked at her, he was not happy not even a bit. She should have known he would have been sober with Jon in that condition.
"Why did you send the old man away?" Pycelle entered the room without making a sound. Cassie glanced at her father. He couldn't stand Pycelle more than her, she was sure he would have sent the old man away too.
"Step away from him, Cassandra!" Jon was still struggling telling her to go to Flea Bottom and his grip was still around her wrist.
"The Gods keep mocking me" Cassie mumbled turning to Jon.
"Alright, alright! I'll go and see" she said to the man who nodded losing his grip, giving Cassie the time to free herself.
Damn, he could have been ill, but his grip was still pretty damn strong.
"You need to know that…" he muttered something but her father's voice covered Jon's low whisper.
"Why are you here anyway?" Robert voice was loud.
"Why are you here anyway?" she said back "Isn't your son's nameday? Or it was…"
Cassie almost laughed. Her father never seemed to notice her brother's nameday, she didn't know about the others, she was never at King's Landing at those times. Namedays weren't celebrated at the Wall, but she usually recieved a message from her King Father, but maybe it wasn't even him the one who wrote the message for her. Not that it said a lot, the words where always the same.
"Happy nameday.
Father".
At least it was more than what her mother had ever wished to her.
Cassie's messages for her brothers were exactly like his. She never remembered which date was for who but of something she was sure, they weren't for Joffrey, never for Joffrey.
"Why no one wrote to me about Jon's conditions?" Cassandra asked, earning a glare from her father.
"This is not a concern of yours" her father said "You've got other duties."
Cassie took a breath "Still, I know the man" she insisted "I might be a Keeper, but I'm also a Baratheon, I should be warned about what happenes."
"Do you want for me to write what happen in here every damn second?" the King roared, not making her flinch, she only glared "Your life belongs to the Wall."
Cassandra shook her head.
"Being heard by the Wall would be easier" she hissed earning an angry glare from her father.
"You can go, Cassandra" her father growled "Quietly."
Cassandra let out an angry chuckle before bowing "As my King commands."
Then she angrily walked towards the door. Cassie looked her Father sitting next to his friend. He never looked at his children with so much care or love. She often thought that Robert Baratheon didn't have the life that he dreamt to have when he was just a boy. Still, she couldn't know for sure, nobody talked about her parents' life before her father became King of the Seven Kingdoms. Cersei Lannister didn't like to talk about it, there were too much irrelevant details in that story. To get an education the only thing them children needed to know was that the Baratheons and the Starks fought against the Targaryens and won. But every time the Queen quickly told them the story, and only after Joff loud request, she always forgot to mention Lyanna Stark. The girl that Robert and Eddard had come to rescue from Rhaegar Targaryen.
And her father, every time someone asked him to tell that story of the war, he always just got up to go in his chambers.
Everyone in the Seven Kingdoms were happy, but her father never seemed so happy. Well, she couldn't blame him, he had a hyena for wife.
Cassie left the room after have looked at her father and his ill friend for the last time.
She spent all the day alone, like always. King's Landing wasn't a place where it was possible to live safely. There was always someone ready to use, betray and kill someone else. The only people who could live in the Capitol were people who had spent a lot of time there and mostly not honorable or honest men.
The next morning, she had been woken up by loud knocks on her door. She looked at her window, the sun was barely up. What was happening?
"My princess!" a servant run in the room, she was breathing heavy like she had run all the way there "It is Lord Arryn, my princess" Cassie got up from the bed already knowing what she wanted to tell her "He died during the night."
Cassandra looked down; she couldn't believe how death always surprised her. It didn't matter how great a warrior or how noble he has been, the death had come and took him away with a simple fever.
"The King required your presence" She nodded at the servant who bowing her head left the room in silence.
Cassie started to get dressed. She was used to death, a lot of Keepers of Light and Nights Watchers died every day behind the Wall, but still Jon was good. Probably the only good man left in all King's Landing and death had to choose him before others.
Gods like to make fun of us, she thought leaving her room to go to her father. He probably already knew what had happened and she wanted to see him before he would get drunk.
"Your Highness" she said once she entered his chambers.
There he was, the King of the Seven Kingdoms sitting on a chair looking at the sea below the Red Keep. Cassie wondered for a minute how he could feel in that moment. He lost the man he trusted the most in the Capital and now he was alone against lots of hypocrites. Cassie really didn't envy her father at all.
"You've heard; I presume" the man spoke still looking ahead of him.
"I heard" she said without getting closer. Her father nodded.
"Why did you want to see me, my King?" she asked after a moment of silence. She was sure her father didn't call her to talk about what an amazing man Jon Arryn was or how much they all would have missed him. He had never talked about his feelings, not with her and not with anyone else.
"For how long will you be staying here, Cassandra?" she rolled her eyes at his question. What? He wanted to send her already away? But strangely she wouldn't have been surprised by that.
"For other…" The travel to the Wall took a month and she wanted to spend some days with the Starks before came back to her duties "Ten days, I think."
"No, you'll stay more" her father's words shocked her, something like that had never happened in ten years of traveling. He stood up from his chair and looked at her.
"You're a Baratheon, you've said that" her Father said "You will attend Jon Arryn's funeral" Cassie agreed with that but why she needed to stay longer than planned?
"And then we will all leave for the North" the King kept saying "We are heading to Winterfell."
She stared at her father with wide eyes.
"What?"
