Northward Bound

Rohanne III

Rohanne straightened her back and crossed her ankles as she placed Rain decisively on her lap.

"I'm ready, Ronnel. How do I begin?"

The wagon rocked from side to side as it churned down the Kingsroad.

It had started raining heavily around six days into their journey and five days later it was still pouring. The Kingsroad had become wet and boggy, horses' hooves and wooden wheels alike becoming stuck.

Much to her father's ire, they were only just level with Harrenhal when they should have been half way along the Trident towards the Twins by now. They had also had to stop twice already to repair the axel on the wheelhouse, causing even more delays.

Cass was tied to the back of the wagon; her mare ambling along nicely behind them with no thought to the weather. The constant rain was maddening for Rohanne though, as there was no escape from it even in the wheelhouse.

She had sat in it for two days previously and had to contend with being in close proximity to her mother, Joffrey, Myrcella, Tommen and Meliana. It had honestly been one of the most unpleasant experiences of her life, the six of them crammed together in one damp little box with poor light and a musty, prickly smell that clung to everything.

Her dress was mostly soaked out here, with her oiled cloak doing little to ward off the water after such long exposure – but it was better than being stuck in there. At least the air was fresh.

Fine drizzle clung to the wisps of her hair still loose from her plait and she could feel a drip running slowly down her face. She brushed it off with a wriggle of her nose.

Six hunting hounds occasionally barked from inside the covered wagon, but otherwise everything was silent but for the sounds of moving. It was rather early in the day and few people were active enough to engage in conversation; the poor weather had sapped everyone's spirits.

Ronnel glanced at her from the corner of his eye as he directed the ponies around a large hole in the road.

"Well, first of all, you need to teach her to respect you. Ain't no use having a hound that loves you if they don't respect you. The minute they think they're in charge, they'll have you acting the way they want and that's no use." He said slowly.

Rohanne nodded.

"The trick is to remind them that you're the leader. Hounds need to be leaders or followers – if you don't take control of them, they'll soon be thinking you're their follower and they'll be a right terror to train."

"How do I do that? Make her respect me?"

"I'm just getting to that part, princess. To start with, they should learn just three words. Their name, 'good' and 'no'."

He held up three fingers to emphasise his point.

"You should say this one's name whenever you talk to her, call on her, anything. She likely won't understand for a good while yet, but it's setting the foundation that's important. You say 'good' whenever she does something right – coming to you when you call, eating when you want her to, shitting when you… ah wait, forgive my mouth, princess."

Rohanne shook her head with a smile. "It's fine, Ronnel, please keep going."

He looked at her hesitantly for a moment, before powering on.

"Aye. Well, you understand. 'Good' for good behaviour. Don't bother with anything more complicated yet; you'll just confuse her. These hounds are clever beasts, don't get me wrong, but they've got a fierce independent streak and they're right daft as pups."

Rohanne stifled a giggle and nodded in understanding.

"Lastly, you say 'no' when she does something wrong. Chewing, biting… uh, relieving themselves at the wrong time or place, stuff like that. You say 'no', loud and clear. Don't be afraid of sounding mean, you ain't shouting at her. If you was a hound, you'd be growling at her to behave. It's the same thing."

Rohanne hummed.

"I think I understand." She said, running a hand over Rain's little back.

Ronnel hummed in satisfaction. "Aye. It's also good to reinforce it. Give her a good rub whenever she does something you're happy with. The same as when she does something wrong – it's best to give them a scare, distract them from what they were doing."

Rohanne frowned. "Scare them?"

"Aye. It might sound harsh, but it's the best way to discipline them. Grabbing them by the scruff of the neck and giving a good shake works, same as a loud noise like banging something or clapping your hands. You might also give ignoring her a try. Say 'no' and then don't touch or talk to her for a small while. Pups love to be centre of attention – when you stop letting them be, it works to let them know they've done wrong." He said, turning his eyes back to the road and avoiding another puddle of unknown depth.

They really couldn't afford to break another wheel.

"Ah, I see." Rohanne said as she looked down at Rain.

Rather appropriately, it seemed Rain was rather fond of the rain, as she had her tongue out catching droplets and her eyes shut.

"One more thing, princess. Never try hitting her as a punishment, even if you might see us do it differently with the hunting hounds. They're trained to not be bothered by loud noises and you wouldn't see anyone with sense putting a hand near the scruff of a hunting dog – so sometimes we need to give them a bit of pain to shock them. You won't have any need for that, since that little one is going to be a pet. Hitting her won't work any better than the other things I've mentioned, and in some hounds it makes them turn mean."

Rohanne's eyes widened. "Really?"

Ronnel nodded. "Aye. I'm just looking out for you, princess – the last thing you want is her to bite you. Once they get the taste of blood, there's nothing getting it out of them again."

"I know, thank you, Ronnel. I truly had no idea where to start; I feared she would end up terribly spoiled."

The kennelmaster smirked in amusement. "She still might. Three bits of advice. Don't reward her with food, don't let her eat from your plate and stick to a routine. Best way to train a pup."

Nodding again, Rohanne held Rain up to her face and brushed noses with her. The pup's tiny tongue came out and swiped across the tip of her nose, causing her to giggle at the sensation.

"When can I train her to do things? Like sitting down, things like that."

Ronnel began shaking his head before she even finished.

"A good few moons, at least. She won't have much sense until then, and you don't want to start her on the harder stuff before she can do the basics. Just focus on what I've told you, princess, and you'll be on the right track."

Rohanne pushed down her disappointment and nodded.

"Alright then. Thank you again Ronnel. I didn't think of all this before, but I'll manage."

He inclined his head. "Aye, I've faith you will. You can come ask me if you think of anything else. Now why don't you put the pup in the wagon while you nip off and have something to eat? There's a few spare cages set up and it'll do her some good to get used to other dogs."

"Oh, thank you. She won't be any trouble?"

Ronnel chuckled. "I'd be a poor kennelmaster indeed if I couldn't handle one small pup."

"Of course." Rohanne muttered, her cheek red.

She climbed up on the seat and shimmied round to the opening in the thick cloth. When she opened it, she was met with several stacks of large cages, each holding a large hound of varying size and colour. A few barked when they saw her but most were unbothered or asleep. The smell of dog was quite strong but it didn't bother her as she crawled to the back where there were two empty cages, Rain tucked under one arm.

Rohanne placed Rain into the cage and shut the door quickly, sliding the latch closed. Rain sniffed half-heartedly at straw lining the bottom of the cage before she began to whine.

"Oh, don't worry darling. I'll be back soon."

She scratched her between the ears through the bars of the cage before crawling backwards out of the opening and tying it shut behind her. She continued to shimmy around the edge of the wagon until she was on the back, face to face with Cass who whinnied upon seeing her rider.

"Hello, Cass. Would you like to ride with me again?"

Rohanne quickly untied Cass's reins and leapt off the wagon, moving quickly to the side of the road out of the way of the column of soldiers that followed. They called out polite greetings as she led Cass to the nearest tree – she had no step to climb on. Bracing herself sideways against the trunk, she kicked off from it firmly with a grunt and threw a leg over into the saddle. She heaved herself a bit more and groaned in relief when she finally settled comfortably.

Far from the most graceful of mountings; she was very thankful for the heavy skirts that helped keep her modesty.

She set Cass off at a trot, passing Ronnel's wagon with a wave and making her way up the train. Several groups of smallfolk were travelling off the side of the road to make way for the royal party, but otherwise it was a peaceful day.

Rain continued to fall, albeit lighter, but now there was a fine layer of mist covering the fields at either side of them. It was quite scenic, although eerie and made Rohanne feel like she was in a small space.

Mud slopped under Cass's hooves, but her courser managed to catch up to the wheelhouse in good time.

"Hello uncle Jaime, Ser Boros." She called out as she passed.

Each Kingsguard knight kept a steady pace as they rode alongside it.

"Good morning, princess."

"Hello indeed. What can we do for you?" Her uncle Jaime said with a smirk.

"Where is everyone?"

"We're in here, Ro!" A voice shouted before the screen in the wheelhouse was yanked out of the way and Tommen's cheerful face appeared.

Rohanne spotted her mother's exasperated face in the background and Myrcella hiding a smile as she looked down at her sewing. Meliana was in the opposite corner reading a book but looked up when she heard her friend.

Pretending not to notice the way her face blanched when she caught sight of Cass's head, Rohanne gave Meliana a smile as she turned to her brother.

"Hello Tommen. Have you had luncheon yet?"

Cersei frowned. "We'll be stopping for that, surely."

Jaime appeared at Rohanne's other side and spoke over her to his twin.

"I'm afraid not, sister. The king has declared we won't be stopping until we reach Darry, to make up the time we've lost."

Cersei's frown turned to an incredulous scowl.

"He cannot be serious. That's a day and a half, at least."

Jaime shrugged. "I expect we'll arrive sometime in the early morn, under darkness."

Cersei muttered something biting under her breath that Rohanne couldn't hear. She decided to chime in.

"I am about to get some food; would you care for me to bring something back for you all, mother?" Rohanne said, steadying Cass as she stepped over a deep pit in the road.

Cersei raised an eyebrow in reproach. "Don't be ridiculous, you aren't a servant."

Rohanne refrained from rolling her eyes.

"Mother, the servants are all busy. We cannot do things here as we normally would."

Cersei looked as if she strongly disagreed, but Jaime caught her eye and she said nothing.

"Very well." She said grudgingly.

"Could I take Tommen with me? I'm sure he would like to get out of the wheelhouse for a little while." Rohanne said, glancing at her brother.

Tommen's face brightened and he turned to Cersei.

"May I, mother? Please!"

Cersei's face had been reluctant, but upon seeing Tommen's good mood she softened. She reached over to where Tommen was sitting and pulled his cloak out from under him, wrapping it tightly around his shoulders.

"On you go, then. Be sure to keep this around you and stay warm."

Tommen smiled happily and leaned up to press a clumsy kiss to his mother's cheek. Cersei looked surprised but cupped his face gently in thanks. She looked up to Rohanne as she opened the door to the still moving wheelhouse.

"Be careful, the both of you. And be sensible, please Rohanne – keep your brother safe." She berated.

Tommen heard his mother's words and immediately disregarded them as he launched himself off the step and over Rohanne's horse in a rare display of courage. Only the height of the wheelhouse and Rohanne's closeness allowed him to do this successfully, and she scrambled to pull him up in front of her.

"Tommen!" Cersei snapped, her hand out in front of her in an aborted attempt to stop him.

"Please don't worry, mother. I'll look after him." Rohanne said as she wrapped an arm around him and pulled him close to her.

Tommen was only eight so he could ride comfortably in front of her, his pale blond head under her chin. She wrapped her massive cloak around him as well to give him some extra protection.

She turned to Meliana who was watching the whole thing with an amused smirk.

"Want an orange, Mel?" Rohanne asked. Dornish oranges were Meliana's favourite and she knew there were some packed in the supplies. They should be ripe by now.

Meliana nodded and Myrcella piped up.

"May I have one too, Rohanne?"

"Of course, little sister. Would you like one, mother?"

"No, thank you my love."

Rohanne nodded and tapped Tommen's thigh.

"Ready, little brother?" She asked, laughing when he nodded eagerly.

"Then, off we go."

She moved Cass's reins and the horse followed obediently, moving out to the side of the road. Glancing up the road, she could see her father's massive frame beside Ser Meryn. Uncle Tyrion rode behind him and she could see the Hound even further in the distance, likely following her brother and his minions.

Rohanne turned Cass around and took off riding down the column, Tommen bouncing happily in front of her. He was focused on the wagons and riders they passed, taking in every person and detail with a delighted expression. Many fond looks reached them as they rode and the greetings of soldiers and servants, as well as a few minor lords who decided to come with them. Tommen replied eagerly to each one with a proud wave and most humoured him with a polite bow of the head.

She acknowledged Ronnel as they passed him and slowed just past him, where another wagon full of supplies moved along slowly. There were two servants riding in it, handing out small bundles to passing soldiers since there was no time for anyone to stop and cook their own meals.

Rohanne listed off everything she needed and Tommen took it all into his arms.

Thanking the servant, she took off riding back towards the wheelhouse after making sure Tommen had a firm grip on his burden.

Rohanne slowed to a steady walk as she tapped lightly on the side of the wheelhouse. The screen was pulled out of the way and the shutter opened to Myrcella's face. She smiled and reached out as Tommen stretched to hand her the bundle of food.

"Rohanne, Tommen, come eat with us." Cersei commanded, reaching down for the skins of water at her feet, since proper flagons and cups were hardly practical as they were constantly rocked back and forth.

Suddenly, a loud roar erupted from in front of them and three lone horsemen shot out from the left of the party. They rode wildly through the trees and down the small grassy embankment into the open fields, hollering laughter echoing through the mist. Another, larger rider followed them from a distance.

With narrowed eyes, Rohanne recognised Joffrey's golden head – which made the other two riders Florian and Jonquil. She smirked in amusement as one of the horses veered into the other and a faint shout of outrage reached her Glancing down at Tommen, she was surprised by the wistfulness in his eyes as he stared after them.

"I'm afraid Tommen and I aren't quite hungry yet, mother." She said with a wink to Tommen as he looked up in confusion.

"Rohanne." Cersei said, with the fierce glower and stern voice of a mother.

Rohanne gave her a mischievous grin and smirked at her uncle who was once again riding sedately alongside the wheelhouse.

"Hold on tight, little brother!" She whispered in his ear and dug her heels hard into Cass's side.

Cass took off immediately, gathering speed quickly as befitting a well-bred courser.

"Rohanne! Come back here this instant!" Cersei shouted after her.

Ignoring her mother's angry rebuke, she dug in her heels and took off, Tommen holding tightly to Cass's mane with wide eyes.

Rohanne rode up the length of the column, her long plait flying out behind her as she passed her uncle Tyrion and her father with a cheeky wave – her father's rare laughter booming as Cass finally made a gallop.

Turning Cass down into the field following the boys, her mare leapt easily over the roots of the trees and down the embankment. The ground was hard despite the rain and Cass's hooves flew over the ground as they thundered towards her brother.

The boys were only doing a canter so she passed her brother's guard, the Hound, with relative ease and was crossing the distance between them easily.

She leaned out left and smacked the shoulder of the nearest boy to her.

"I can't believe you're so slow Florian; Tommen and I have you beat without any effort at all!" She shouted, catching the attention of the other two.

Erryk looked at her in annoyance as she passed him quickly, followed by Joffrey and Garrett.

"And they call themselves able horsemen, Tommen, can you believe it?" She asked her passenger, smiling when he giggled shyly and held on tighter.

He seemed both enthralled and terrified by their speed, looking down as the ground disappeared behind them. Colour rose in her cheeks as the wind whipped by them and the rain began to pour harder, cold droplets feeling like sharp pieces of glass on her skin. She could hear the boys catching up behind her and tilted Cass's direction so that they could end up back at the road in a wide curve.

Joffrey caught up with her just as the rain became even heavier, visibility reducing until she could barely see the procession at all. He grabbed the back of her cloak and she slowed down to stop herself from being pulled off.

"I'm surprised you can even get to a gallop with that lump next to you!" Joffrey yelled with a sneer, looking down his nose at Tommen.

Rohanne felt Tommen shrink back into her and rolled her eyes as she ran her fingers comfortingly through his wet blond hair, darkened by the water.

"Don't be an arse, Joff! We've had fun, haven't we Tommen?" She asked him quietly.

She felt him nod against her and smiled – although he was beginning to shiver.

"Come on then. Let's go back and eat with mother before she becomes cross with us."

Rohanne took off once more, riding in the general direction of the road since it was near impossible to see. Joffrey didn't follow, likely to stay out here and cause more mischief. Squinting through the hail water, she finally began to see the trees lining the road.

Riding towards the flash of white Kingsguard cloak and the ire of her mother; she hoped her little jaunt had been worth it.

It had not been worth it.

Cersei had all but confined her to the wheelhouse for the next week, her only respite when they stopped for a day and a night at Darry.

It wasn't just her own recklessness that had infuriated her mother, but that she had involved Tommen. Endangering them both like a fool, her mother had called it, but Rohanne hadn't seen the problem.

She was a capable rider, everyone knew that, and she hadn't gone far. Her mare hadn't been pushed too hard either – Cass was able to reach a gallop much faster than she had been going.

Rohanne thought her mother was overreacting but she knew better than to say that to the woman's face. Instead, she put up with sitting by the window, staring out the high peaks of Mountains of the Moon as they drifted across the Trident and along the Kingsroad. Finishing two books and knitting part of a shawl in the time passed some of the time while she was trapped, in between playing with Rain and talking to Meliana.

Cersei had given the two of them countless poisonous looks whenever they had gotten loud but she managed to ignore them as Meliana's solution was simply to be louder.

Finally, one morning she managed to make her escape.

Stopping for the night in a large clearing, they slept in large tents on wooden pallets topped with fine, soft furs. The party was just past level with the Twins, the seat of House Frey. Weather had long since eased, leaving the days dry, if cloudy and slightly colder than she was used to.

Rohanne stirred quickly from sleep, her eyes flying open as her shoulder was shaken hard. Jumping in fright as she saw the tall silhouette standing over her in the darkness, she relaxed when the figure bent down to her and she recognised Joffrey's scowling face.

He held a finger up to his lips and gestured silently for her to follow him, holding up her bow when she gave him a questioning look.

She nodded in understanding and looked hesitantly over to where Myrcella and Tommen lay sleeping, the day still entirely too young for them to be awake. Cersei's maid Bethany also slept on a less opulent pallet at the end of the tent, here to watch over her queen's younger children.

Rohanne slipped out of bed and grabbed her hunting dress that had appeared at the foot of her bed. It was creased from being in Joffrey's chest but wearable – she looked again to Bethany. She was going to need her to lace her into her dress, but Rohanne knew that the instant she did she would go to wake her mother and tell on her. Cersei would be furious, stop her from going and probably exile her to the wheelhouse until they reached Winterfell.

Of course, she would probably still do that once she realised Rohanne was gone, but at least it would be worth it.

But that still left the problem of dressing.

With a reluctant heart, she turned to Joffrey.

"Joff!" She whispered near silently, enough to get his attention but not to wake the other sleepers.

"What?" He asked, a frustrated twist to his face.

"I need to be laced up." She said, gesturing to the back of her dress.

He was silent for a moment. "And?"

"And I can't do it myself!" She hissed.

"I'm not doing it!" He said disgustedly, making to leave the tent.

She grabbed the sleeve of his arm and yanked him back towards her.

"You have to! If I'm stuck in the bloody wheelhouse for another day, I swear to the Seven you are the one I'll make suffer!" Rohanne spat, ignoring the ferocious way her brother bared his teeth.

"Don't you dare talk to me like that!" He growled, slightly louder and pushed her roughly.

She stumbled back a few paces and looked over to the closest sleeper, Myrcella, as she shifted at the disturbance. After a moment, she settled back into sleep again and Rohanne let out a breath.

Turning back, she was met with Joffrey's glare.

"Come on Joff, be reasonable! You know how much I want to go hunting!" She pleaded, retrieving her boots and her corset, as well as a shift.

He looked away from her, the affront obvious on his face.

She sighed. "I'm sorry for what I said. But it's easy – you just need to tighten the laces like you would a riding boot. It'll be done in moments!"

Joffrey still looked outraged, but after a long moment he gave her a stiff nod.

Rohanne let out another breath in relief.

"Turn around for a moment."

The instant he turned around she whipped off her nightgown and yanked the shift on over her head. Lacing up the corset as loosely as she could and stepping into it to make it easier for him, she then tapped him on the shoulder and turned around.

"Alright, start from the bottom, tighten each one and then tie it in a knot at the top. Not too tightly though, I still need to breathe."

She heard him scoff but he began to follow her instructions, albeit clumsily. She hissed when he deliberately dug into her back with his nails, but soon enough he reached the top.

"Turn again."

She then pulled the thick green hunting dress over her head, pulling it down until it sat comfortably on her hips.

He repeated his previous actions and Rohanne stretched to the left and right to test it before nodding in satisfaction.

"That's it, thank y-"

He vanished from the tent immediately and she rolled her eyes. Gods, he could be such a child. It was hardly her fault that women were made to wear such ridiculous clothing.

She slipped on her boots and plaited her hair into a thick braid, pinning it up around her head in a bun. A quick look confirmed everyone else was still asleep and she ducked out of the tent. Immediately, a hand grabbed her wrist and dragged her away from the tents until she was pushed against a tree.

"Never, ever tell anyone I did that for you!" Joffrey hissed at her, a few droplets flying from his mouth in his rage.

Rohanne looked away bitterly.

"It isn't you people would talk about, Joff, but me! Perhaps I should be asking you to keep your mouth shut?" She asked, her hands on her hips.

"I'm not going to say anything." He said defensively.

"Then it seems we're in agreement. Shall we?"

She gestured in the direction of where the horses were kept.

"You definitely won't tell anyone?" He asked, his eyes narrowed suspiciously.

"Others take you, no! What are you so worried about anyway? It is I who would have a 'scandal' to deal with, despite the fact you are my brother and it is entirely preposterous."

Joffrey faltered and Rohanne crossed her arms.

"Don't worry Joff, the momentary contact with my dress didn't geld you – you're still a man." She mocked, tilting her head and smiling unkindly.

Rohanne grunted when his scowl reappeared and his fist connected with her chin.

"Cunt." He spat.

"Can we go now, before you wake someone up?"

He gave her one last mean look before shoving her bow into her hands and taking off with long strides. She rubbed the angle of her tender jaw with two fingers, grimacing as the pain flashed. It wasn't her cheekbone this time though, so there shouldn't be too obvious a bruise. That was something.

She slipped her arm through the bow and rested it on her shoulder as she followed him.

Their horses were saddled and her full quiver was looped over hers. Several men were waiting by their horses including the Hound and Ser Preston of the Kingsguard, as well as a few soldiers.

Rohanne slipped behind the last two men.

"Florian, Jonquil. It's awfully early, shouldn't you two still be cuddled up in bed together?" She asked innocently, closing her eyes as she smiled with her hands held behind her back.

Garrett rolled his eyes and sighed a greeting while Erryk gave her an ugly frown – but unlike with Meliana, he held his tongue. She was still his princess, and her brother might feel like defending her that morning, however unlikely an event that may be.

"Stop tormenting the lads, Rohanne." Robert said suddenly from behind her.

She spun on her heel and nodded.

"Good morning, father. You are coming on the hunt as well?"

"Aye." He looked at her knowingly. "Come on then, up on your horse. I want to see how good you are with that bow."

Rohanne bounced up the step and swung onto Cass as one of the men handed her the reins. She smirked at her father, one corner of her mouth turning up and her green eyes narrowing.

Hunting was one of her favourite things to do, and she was rather good at it.

"I'm very good with that bow."

Robert looked unsettled for a moment as he stared at her but grunted and turned away as he mounted his own stallion.

All those accompanying them mounted as well and soon they were all riding out deep into the forest.

A Baratheon knight by the name of Ser Denys attached himself to her side, ordered to attend her while they hunted. Being forced to have a chaperone was particularly annoying, but at least she there was only the one. Her mother would have insisted on at least four, but her father was able to be persuaded and she talked him down. She had no need for so many guards, it was absurd.

Besides, Ser Denys' company was no hardship. He was a pleasant man of perhaps six and twenty with a healthy sense of humour; she had been guarded by him before.

It was a crisp, clear morning and the sun was only just beginning to pierce through the trees. The hunting party soon split off into smaller groups and Rohanne ended up with her brother, the Hound and Ser Denys.

Her father soon disappeared with the rest of the men. One of the horses carried spears but there was little chance of getting any boar in the riverlands; deer were more likely, although not the large ones found in the stormlands. Rohanne herself was hoping to bag a small doe if she was fortunate enough, perhaps a few hares if not.

The sun was much higher in the sky by the time they caught sight of any tracks and Joffrey was already complaining of boredom.

"Perhaps you should go back then, brother?" She said with a grin on her face. "Leave all the fun to me?"

"Ha!" He replied with a creased brow. "You only want me to go back because otherwise you don't have a chance."

"Is that a challenge?" She asked.

He looked thoughtful as he gestured to the fork in the deer tracks they were following.

"It is. You follow this trail, and I'll follow the other. First one to kill something wins."

Rohanne cocked an eyebrow. "I accept. What will I get when I win?"

"You mean when I win. I want your Qartheen bow." He said with an arrogant smirk.

Rohanne's face dropped. "You can't be serious."

Archery was the only martial pursuit that was acceptable for women and Rohanne clung to it once she had been forced to stop her sword lessons, with the middling support of her family.

For her fifteen nameday, her uncle Tyrion had gifted her a double-curved bow of shaped elephant bone, embedded with small sapphires and opals around the handle with small animal carvings etched into the length of it.

It was the most ostentatious and valuable thing Rohanne had ever owned, even as a princess, and she was extraordinarily careful with it. Having only ever been used twice hunting in the crownlands, she didn't bring it with her for fear of losing it. The handling was infinitely better than the older one she took with her on this journey- yet the Qartheen weapon was more an oddity than practical.

"I am. When I win, I want it."

Rohanne swallowed carefully, but eventually nodded.

"Fine. Then I want that dagger I saw you filch from the baggage train."

Joffrey's smug smile vanished and he glared at her.

"You're a woman, what are you going to use it for?"

She ignored the derision in his voice. "Are you scared you're going to lose?"

"Fine. You aren't going to win anyway." Was his parting quip.

And with that, he rode off, the Hound following him dutifully. She stared after him for a moment, gathered herself and began moving as well. Ser Denys followed some ways behind her, only just within eyesight to avoid scaring off any prey.

They were very far from any kind of village, so the only real danger to her was perhaps a shadowcat from the mountains – and they did not make a habit of hunting people if there was ample prey.

Good light became scarce as the trees grew closer together and the dense canopy thickened as they went deeper into the forest. Despite this she soldiered on, determined to win this wager with her brother. Following the tracks became harder on horseback and she dismounted, taking her quiver and bow with her. Leaving Cass in Ser Denys' safe care, she crept onwards with haste.

Common sense was overruled by the resolve to win as she walked the path of her prey.

Her boots and the bottom of her skirt became filthy as the mud grew boggy, the prints clearly visible as she slowly nocked her bow. Hunting lessons with her uncle Renly came forth in her mind and she looked for broken branches and the way the hoofprints were pointing.

There was a glimpse of pale tan between the trees ahead and she froze. From her distant vantage point she thought it was a doe, until he turned his head and she could see the two solitary spikes from between his ears. A stag, a young one.

It was still far better than she had expected and she thanked the gods for the stroke of luck; it was extraordinary how quickly she managed to find it. She was going to win the wager with her brother – he would react poorly, as always, but sometimes she just wanted to win despite the consequences.

Creeping forward as slowly and silently as she could, she focused on trying to avoid making a blunder and causing him to take off. Making it to the nearest tree, she paused to take her breath and crept to the next one. All the while, her target bent to eat the grass, chewing slowly with no indication he knew she was there.

Soon enough she was as close to him as she dared.

There was a distinct lack of any other sound in the forest, but Rohanne only half noticed – even Ser Denys following behind seemed to have disappeared and the birds had long stopped singing.

She was so focused on the deer that she thought she could actually hear each time he chewed the grass.

Her chest shuddered as she took a deep breath as silently as she could, and lined up the bow. If she could make this shot, this would be one of the fastest hunts she had ever done and would be something she could legitimately boast about. She could already see her father and uncles' pride, her mother's fond exasperation, Joffrey's mad frustration when she beat him.

Her fingers twitched as she made to release the drawn arrow. The stag's ears suddenly twitched and his head spun in her general direction causing her heart to clench.

She released just as he bolted away, the arrow piercing hard into the bark of a tree.

Rohanne had only a moment to groan as something caught the corner of her eye.

Her only warning to move was the glint of silver as light danced across the blade coming towards her face.

As she dived away from the tree, the sword plunged into it and took out a large chunk of the wood. Landing on the ground, she quickly clambered to her feet with shocked eyes on the dark form of its wielder.

He was unremarkable, a man of perhaps her mother's age wearing brown leather armour and worn boots. The aggressive grin on his face twisted him into a monster.

"W-who are you!?" Rohanne stammered, backing away as fast as she could.

She stumbled over loose tree roots and rocks but managed to stay on her feet, her gaze locked to the man who just tried to kill her.

"Don't think that matters much, do you?" He said as he began to stalk towards her.

"Wait… wait! Don't you know who I am?" She asked, backing into another tree trunk but swerving around it quickly.

"You look highborn, and rich."

He sprinted forward and swung his sword again, this time in a horizontal arch right where her head would have been hadn't she ducked and rolled away herself.

Her uncle Jaime's training came back to her slowly, but she remembered the importance of dodging. Never block an attack you can avoid altogether was his very first lesson. She didn't have the option to block even if she had wanted to though, since she had no blade.

The roll almost finished her when her dress caught on a sharp rock and pulled her back – she yanked with all her might and the material ripped from mid-calf down.

"Please! You're right, I can give you money! I have plenty!" She pleaded when she was upright.

He seemed to consider it for a moment and she almost allowed herself to hope. Then he shook his head.

"Nah, I think I'll just take it off you once I'm done."

Rohanne looked at him desperately and then took off running as best as she could with her awkward dress.

"Ser Denys! Ser Denys, where are you!" She shouted, holding up her skirts with one hand.

In the other was her bow, held in an iron grip but she didn't think she would have the chance to use it anytime soon. She could hear the harsh breaths of her assailant and he was terrifying close behind her.

Suddenly she tripped over something soft and landed hard with a whoosh of breath as all the air was forced out of her lungs, the impact causing her braid to fall out of the bun on her head.

She forced herself to her knees and looked back, only to cry out in distress.

"Ser Denys!"

His body lay on his back with his throat dashed out, staring vacantly up at the trees. Blood stained his armour and seeped into the ground beneath him – there was another wound on his side in the gap between his chestplates.

Rohanne stared in horror, noticing the blood soaking into her skirts and covering her hands from the crimson grass.

She wiped her hands on her dress frantically but only managed to smear it into her skin.

"He wasn't much of a fight, I'll tell you that much. Gutted him like a pig."

Rohanne's attention was drawn back to the man as he stood over the body of her guard, as if contemplating his work. Gods, how was this even happening?

Grabbing her bow from where she dropped it, she pulled an arrow from the quiver on her back which had miraculously remained full during her desperate flight.

Her hands shook hard as she nocked the bow with difficulty, finally managing to get the arrow in place and pointing it at her enemy.

"S-Stay away from me." She said as firmly as she could, climbing to her feet as best as she was able.

He didn't seem at all threatened as he took in her stance, there was even a smirk on his face. He began to walk towards her with slow, even steps – instead of moving around the body he stood on poor Ser Denys' chest like a step.

She began reversing slowly again as he approached, her hands still shaking and tears beginning to blur her eyes.

"You're quite good with that bow, ain't you? Bet a tall lady like you's gone hunting loads of times before. Bet you've even gotten a few things, maybe a buck like that one back there."

He gestured over his shoulder with a thumb.

"But shooting some buck is different to shooting a man. When you shoot a buck, it's food. Even you highborns need to eat. You don't eat men. You shoot them and you have to watch their last breath wobble out from their mouths as their faces turn blue and their eyes pop from their sockets. You watch all the blood pour out like water and you know it's happening because of you. Maybe for a good reason, or maybe just because you felt like it. It don't matter. It takes something different to kill a man, and you know what?"

He glanced away and then back into her eyes with a wicked stare.

"You ain't going to do it."

He darted forwards and slapped the bow from her hand. Gasping as it fell, she shrieked when he smacked her across the face with his backhand – she'd never been hit so hard in her life.

The force of the blow threw her off-balance and her head bounced hard off the ground.

Time froze for a moment and the world swam.

"Get up, there's more in you yet."

"Uncle Jaime?" She murmured through the taste of blood and dirt on her tongue.

"Didn't you hear me? Get up!"

"- ain't going to get up?"

Rohanne rolled onto her back just as the man lifted his sword into the air and kicked out directly into the side of his left knee. Just as she had hoped he buckled and the grip on his sword loosened.

She took advantage of his momentary lack of focus and scrambled to her feet, running back in the vague direction she remembered leaving her brother. The throbbing in her head was fierce and she felt like she might throw up at any moment but she kept running.

"Joffrey! Clegane!" She yelled between heaving breaths.

All she could hear was the sound of her feet pounding the earth and the beating of her heart.

"Father!" She tried as well, praying beyond anything someone heard her.

Anything further was choked off as her pursuer's hand grabbed the long braid trailing behind her and wrenched her back. She took a deep breath and screamed as loudly as she could before a hand clamped around her throat.

"Shut the fuck up!" He growled in her ear as he pulled her back against him.

She saw his sword rise again and kicked backwards like a horse into the same knee she had gotten before. He swore and managed to dodge when she tried it again, jerking his hand on her neck and forcing the breath from her.

Although unable to breathe she fought as hard as she could, grabbing his sword arm from the corner of her eyes and twisting it as best as she was able.

As she had grown, Rohanne had surpassed many boys and girls, then men and women in height. In the life she had led prior to this moment, it had been nothing other than a trait she had gotten from her father. A curiosity that only affected which men were willing to marry her, since no husband wished to be shorter than his wife.

Suddenly Rohanne recognised it as a distinct advantage, and she used it.

She arched backwards and pushed with her legs, forcing her entire bodyweight onto her attacker. Normally this wouldn't have had an effect – he was clearly a man with some sword training which meant the first thing he learned would be how to place his feet in a stable stance.

But at that precise moment he was already off-balance from her twisting and throwing her body – all while he tried to hold her in one hand and his sword in another. With the added force of her push; he went down hard.

She landed solidly on top of him and elbowed backwards directly into his ribs, startling in surprise when she heard a popping noise. He grunted.

Had she just broken a rib?

His left fist sank into her side in retaliation and she cried out. She reached around and clawed his face as she rolled off him, willing herself towards the sword he had dropped just a fraction away from his hand.

She needed to get it. If she had the sword she wouldn't have to fight any more; he wouldn't be able to kill her.

Her own ribs throbbed from his punch as she scrabbled towards the sword. He heaved the back of her dress and she yelped as her fingers brushed the hilt.

She had to get the sword!

He pulled her back and got to his feet before his leg swung and he kicked her violently in the stomach. Rohanne's eyes watered as she gagged and threw up most of the loaf she'd eaten as breakfast. The pain in her abdomen was searing, shooting through her entire body with each breath she took until she could barely move.

"Fuck, you've a lot of fight for a highborn bitch. More trouble than you're bloody worth."

He kicked her again and spat on the ground in front of her. Bending down, he picked up the sword.

Through absolute sheer force of will against the agony coursing through her, she pushed herself up into a sitting position and shuffled back. She didn't want to die, gods, she didn't want to die.

This isn't how she thought it would be. She was supposed to have a sword and she was supposed to win. It wasn't supposed to be like this.

She had never hurt this much in all her life.

Rohanne didn't see how she could win this time.

He had a tight grip on the hilt of the sword as he marched towards her with a savage glint in his eye. Her bow was lost along with Ser Denys and the arrows on her back were useless without the bow – she'd never get close enough to stab him with them. The horses were gone, likely ran far away.

She had no weapons and no escape, yet the unfamiliar voice whispering in the back of her head told her to get up. Get up, get up and fight with everything she had, her bare hands if need be.

The hopelessness she felt did nothing to quell it and without even realising it, she was up and swaying on her feet.

"I… am not.. dying here…" She wheezed, forcing the words through her tender throat. It hurt her stomach to talk.

The voice sparked something to life that pooled like liquid fire in her aching belly – something monumental that bubbled in her chest as she glared at him. Her nostrils flared as she shook and her fists clenched.

It had been so long since she last trained but she finally allowed herself to recognise the feeling of what her uncle called 'the thrill'. That sensation just before someone is about to kill you when everything becomes clear. Uncle Jaime said it caused some people to freeze and got them killed – but that if she should ever be in such a situation, she should use it. Let her mind race and her body move faster, use it to push herself further and survive.

Everything came into focus. He was one man with a sword. He wasn't even wearing proper armour. How many times had she sparred with uncle in his full armour before he stopped teaching her? Too many times to count and he was unforgiving. He never once let her win – every blow she landed, she earned with stretched muscles and sweat drenched clothes.

The satisfaction at his pride when she managed to hit him, when she successfully countered one of his attacks at full speed – that had driven her then, but living would have to drive her now.

"I won't… let you kill… me."

"Oh, shut the fuck up."

He drew back his sword and she braced herself against the pain to move. This would not be her death.

The only warning either of them got was the ground shaking.

Her attacker seemed to gurgle before his head flew from his shoulders and fell to the grass with an anticlimactic thump.

"Princess! Are you alright?" Ser Preston of the Kingsguard shouted from atop his horse.

His eyes scanned the surrounding forest before he rode towards her, sheathing his bloody blade.

Hazy relief flooded her.

The 'thrill' drained away as quickly as it came and left behind more pain than she expected.

Ser Preston's white cloak entranced her as it billowed in the wind and with each flutter the throbbing in her head returned louder and harder. Her stomach clenched in agony and each unsteady breath she took caused her ribs to ache fiercely, while the right side of her face stung all the way around to her lip.

She could taste blood.

Vision began to blur and she felt herself lurch. The ground grew closer but a pair of strong arms caught her before she landed in a heap.

"You're safe now, princess. Your grace!"

Just as her eyes slipped closed, she saw a group of men gallop into the clearing.

Her last thought was that it was the first time she had ever been happy to see the fury on her father's face.

A.N. Now that was an exciting one, wasn't it? Rohanne has a lot to learn about the real world, and is finding that at the current moment, she is woefully unprepared for it.

I hope it turned out well - I'd love to hear your thoughts on the fight scene especially.

I'll see you all next Wednesday with a new update! The next chapter will be a Cersei POV.