This stuff - Flashback

'This stuff' - Their thoughts

This stuff - flashback within a flashback

Memories 2

(On the night after their return)

After the feast, Elia who was already in her chambers preparing for bed, heard a knock on her door.

"Who is it?" She asked

"It's Lann"

Smiling, Elia hurriedly opened the door to the view of Lann with his hands full of blood oranges. "I know you missed them. Nothing is as delicious as the fruits in Dorne." He said.

Elia kissed Lann's cheek before she ushed him inside. "I did, but I missed you more. I also yearned for your kisses the most."

Lann placed the oranges in the nearby table. "And it shall be kisses that the princess gets." He took Elia into his arms, he pressed his lips against hers, and kissed her passionately then slowly parting from her after.

Elia rested her head against his chest. "Oh how I missed your touch Lann." She hugged him tightly. "I hope there were no other fair maiden to catch your eyes just after we parted. Because I'll be ready to beat them off of you. I'll even push them to Oberyn's direction if I have to." She lets go of Lann to sit on her bed.

He grabbed one blood orange to peel it and then proceeding to sit beside her. "Well if it eases your mind, Ashara already did that job for you. Whenever another lady came near me, she would appear out of nowhere to scare off those women." He fed her a piece of orange which she happily takes into her mouth. "She's better than any guard I grew to have."

Elia giggled then accepted another piece of orange being fed to her. "She is a great friend to have and I'm grateful for what she did for me."

"And she's fun to be with. The only problem was those boys trying to talk to her. So we switched jobs from time to time. She protects me from those ladies and I protect her from the dumb squires and knights." Lann pulled Elia onto his lap, to keep her close to him.

Elia comfortably straddled Lann's lap with her arms wrapped around his neck. She stared into those deep green pools he called eyes, like the color of life.

"I'm gonna marry you." He said and when Elia saw the spark in his eyes, she knew he meant it.

"I'm going to go home, talk to my father that you're meant to be the Lady of House Lannister. That you're strong, that you fight back, that your roar is as loud as any Lannister in Casterly Rock... I'm going to tell him that I love you, that I dream of having a life with you, that I'd proudly have several children with you." Lann noticed a tear slide down onto Elia's cheek, which he wiped. Then Elia took his face into her hands to kiss Lann.

He got lost in her smile for a moment and, impulsively, he kissed her. Her lips met his and parted immediately. Their tongues gently explored each others mouths, remembering their favorite places. It wasn't a hungry, driven kiss. It was a passionate, loving kiss, love that is a sentiment not characterized by words but said by each touch, each kiss, each feeling. Lann felt years of tension and longing falling away from him. If anything had ever felt more right to him in his life than this moment, he didn't know what it would be.

Lann's free hand came up and wrapped around the side of Elia's neck, his thumb rested just beneath her ear. She purred contentedly against him, letting out a relieved sounding sigh. She pulled away slowly to push him gently on her bed.

Elia thought that nothing but this moment and his mouth on her body, his hand on her skin, his kisses in brand new places making her absolutely insane. She cries out and clings to him, dying somehow and being brought back to life in the same moment and the same breath.

Lann is on top of Elia, he kissed her with a kind of intensity that makes Elia wonder why she hasn't caught on fire with the flames of their passion and died. He's running his hand down her body only to bring it up to her face and he kisses her once, twice, and his teeth caught her bottom lip for just a second and she clings to him, she wrapped her arms around his neck and runs her hand through his hair, she pulls him into her. 'He tastes so sweet. Like those blood oranges i love so much' Elia thought. He was so hot and so sweet that she kept trying to say his name but she can't even find the time to breathe much less say a single word.

He kissed her and time topples over and both their heads spin into oblivion.

It's the kind of kiss that inspires the stars to climb into the sky and light up the world. The kind that takes forever and no time at all. Elia held onto Lann's cheek and she pulled back to look him in the eye, her chest heaving. "I love you Lann."

"I love you too."

Both wished that they knew how to capture moments like these and revisit them forever.

Elia and Lann

Bodies as one

It was everything.

Both Elia and Lann were already in the bath to clean themselves. More like using it as another reason to be against each other.

Elia was sitting in front of Lann with her back resting against his chest. She had one of his hand in both of hers while his other hand was currently moving her hair to the side so he could tilt her head and start dropping sweet kisses on the side of her neck.

She closed her eyes but still kept that smile that Lann loved most. "I'll always remember us this way."

Lann trailed his kisses up, then stopped at her cheek. "No matter what happens, you would always hold my heart. You will always be my love."

Elia and Lann spent a whole fortnight together both private and in public and after all their lovely time together, Lann had to bid Elia goodbye, reminding her that he had to leave for Casterly Rock. Not without promising that he would be back for her.

Their parting was filled with kisses and promises of a future together.

Seven Moons later Lann would arrive back in Sunspear, with the good news he swore to give Elia before his departure from Dorne. He finally managed to convince his father that Elia was the one, that she was fit to be a Lady Lannister, just like how his father picked his mother.

All of the guards and servants he passed by politely bowed at him, calling him 'My Lord'. Everybody were familiar faces, he smiled at them respectfully returning it with a nod and a greeting.

He finally arrived in front of Elia's chambers, he knocked on her door like he always did.

"Who is it?"

"I'm sure a ray of sunshine such as yourself would never forget the lion you shined upon." Lann heard every activity cease inside the room and he waited for a few seconds for the door to open and there she was. She was every element that gave him life.

"Lann!" She immediately pulled him into a hug, both missing each others bodies, each touch, each look. "You came back. You're finally back."

"I definitely am, and just like I promised. I've convinced father."

Lann heard some movement behind Elia to see that Ashara was also in the room. "Ash! Oh how I've missed you too." He released Elia to give Ashara a hug.

Ashara rubbed Lann's back affectionately. "I've missed you too Lann." She lets go of Lann to walk towards the door. "I'm needed... by Oberyn, he told me to meet him in a while. So I'll meet him now." She rushed pass the door, closing it behind her.

Elia inhaled deeply, her knees giving out so she sat down onto her bed. She pats the space beside her. "Lann, come sit with me."

He sat beside her but he was now worriedly looking at her. "Is something wrong?"

Elia gently placed her palm against Lann's chest, on where she could feel his heart beat. It was comforting for her, but nothing could calm the coming storm. "Lann, we can't."

"What do you mean?" His heart beat increased, feeling something dreadful coming.

"We can't get married." Elia was now uncontrollably crying. It was like the pouring rain on those rainy days and the only sign for it to stop was the sun. But the sun was dead, her heart was dead, all of her being was dead. "Prince Rhaegar and me are betrothed."

Lann froze. His heart stopped beating for a few seconds, not believing the words being told.

Two days ago, both Elia and Oberyn were called into their mother's solar to inform them of something that could be critical to Dorne.

Princess Obella stood in front of her children to inform her of news that could break not only Elia's heart, but Oberyn's too.

"The king has been searching far and wide for a bride for his son. Since Queen Rhaella has not given birth to any daughter's yet. The King has chosen you, to wed his son."

Elia who was shocked but didn't want any of it. "I am not about to marry a man who I do not know and do not trust! I am loyal to Lann and promised him that I would wait for the time where he could finally ask for my hand in marriage!"

Oberyn, who was shocked not by his sister's outburst. But of the news their mother had given them.

The Princess, taken aback by her daughter's reaction. "You cannot reason against it Elia. You will marry the prince."

Elia kneeled in front of her mother, burying her face in her hands, she cried. "How could you let this happen mother? I love him. I love Lann, he would give everything for me. I would too..."

Oberyn kneeled beside his sister to hug her. His heart breaking, just by hearing her speak. "But he was the one, I would wait for another conqueror just to be with him, I would only love him" he heard her say

The princess looked at her daughter with sorrow in her eyes, because they both thought so too. Both Lann and Elia were meant to be. But time wasn't good with them. "I didn't let this happen... The King ordered for the betrothal." She came over to her two youngest children to kneel beside them. "I reasoned with the King that we were negotiating with Tywin Lannister to betroth you to Lann, but King Aerys pushed for the match. That he would rather spite Tywin by marrying his son to the woman Tywin's son wanted."

Oberyn's fist shook in rage. 'That rotted cunt.' He thought

The Princess just held both of her children even though she knew that Elia could not be consoled and only time would heal any wound.

He moved to kneel in front of her, he held her hands in his. "Marry me"

Elia tears continued to drip but she managed to look at him like he's insane.

Lann continued "Leave with me, and we'll roam the free cities together. I'll leave everything behind just for you... just for us to be together. Please, marry me." Now it was Lann who had tears pouring down his face, tears that would stain his cheeks. Tears that would taint his blood, tears that would haunt his journey back.

"I love you El. I love you as bright as each sparkling star, and as a ways over the stars, I love you that far." Elia held Lann's face in her hands, her forehead against his. Their tears melded together.

"It won't matter to me. I don't have a favorite place, I only have my favorite people. You're one of my favorite people. Whenever I'm with that person, it would be my favorite place." He planted a chaste kiss on Elia's lips.

Elia finally decided on her answer, giving Lann a tight lipped smile. "Thats the thing, your favorite place is with your favorite people. I'm one person, you have so much more people who you love that loves you back. I'm not your only favorite place." She traced his cheek, he has not left yet but she was already missing his touch. "We can't leave, and we can't get married. I'll always love you, you'll always have my heart but it is our responsibility."

Elia closes her eyes, wishing that those moments with Lann a few moons back was what she had now. But she opened her eyes only to see his eyes reflecting the stormy sea, seeing a little ship being washed away by the big waves. She did not know pain greater than this. But her heart would stay the same, she would love him far greater than Lann's love for her. But she would not make him leave his family, she would not let his family be punished by the recently insane King. Like he always said, family is most important. Elia thinks that even though they would not get married, she would still be a part of his family and she would be okay with that.

For the greatest love required great sacrifices.

She kissed his lips one last time. "Farewell my love." She would not bid him goodbye, bitter words were not meant for the good. She stood up, not bearing to see Lann shatter in her own room, and for the fear that she might change her mind and give in to Lann's idea. She quietly left the room to cry her heart out trying hard not to look back.

Lann stayed in the room, kneeling, numb from head to toe.

Defeated.

Her words.

Her face.

Her smiles, her sighs, her scent, and those eyes.

There was a massive gap inside his head, but mostly in his heart.

Defeated.

Feeling more defeated than when a sword was pointed at his neck, a spear piercing his heart, a knife stabbing him in the stomach.

He knew that there was someone behind him and he knew that it wouldn't be Elia. He knew Elia to be strong, and he knew that she always stood by her decision.

"Come on Lann, let's take you away from this dreadful place" Oberyn said in a joking manner, but it came out sadder than Oberyn thought.

Lann had hours of thinking and greeting Princess Obella never once came into his mind. He just decided to leave hoping to not cause any more trouble. He needed that silence for himself.

Defeated.

The guards who accompanied Lann to his travels needed no explanation for the silence of their young lord.

They all knew that he wont be leaving with a new Lady Lannister today. The Lannister soldiers left defeated like their leader who left with his heart still in Sunspear.

'It was my responsibility after all'

Lann at the age of seven and ten and Elia at the age of eight and ten. Together, would feel the joys of love and the sorrow of heartbreak early in their young life.

Years later, Lann and Elia would still write letters for each other, because even though their love was not meant to bloom in a way they hoped for, they were still family. And Lann vowed to always be there for Elia, and Lann never broke his promises. Lann would be there even when Rhaenys arrived, and he was still there when Rhaenys wanted her Uncle Lann. Rhaenys, just like her mother, had much love for Lann in her heart.

It wasn't what Elia hoped for her future, but she would take what she can get.