**Author's Note: Mostly more exposition and character introduction, but next chapter we finally get to see what's happening outside of Westeros with the Dothraki.**

It had been several months since the wolf pups had been found, and they had been growing more quickly then anyone could have expected.

Artemis could here them howling outside as she lay with Theon and Ros. Their limbs entangled on the large feather bed of the whorehouse.

"You ladies continue to surprise me," Theon breathed.

Ros laughed. "There's quite a few things you don't know, Greyjoy."

Artemis laughed and continued threading her fingers through Ros's long red hair.

"Well I know some things you don't know too," Theon said.

Blue and green eyes under long lashes were suddenly filled with curiosity. The two young women looked up at him expectantly.

"The Hand of the King has died."

"Jon Arryn?" Artemis gasped. "He was like a father to Lord Stark, was he not?"

Theon hummed in agreement. "And the King like a brother."

As soon as the three had cleaned up, Artemis excused herself. She beelined for a small stone building outside the walls of Winterfell. Inside, she found her two friends exactly where she expected to. On the floor of the orphanage surrounded by children, sat Kahlan and Gianna. Artemis rolled her eyes, but couldn't help but smile.

Ah the soft hearts of women, she thought sarcastically. What would these little orphans think if they knew how quickly Gianna could cut through a man with a blade, or how quickly Kahlan could reduce a man to begging with her sly charm.

Kahlan looked up first. Her soft dark blonde hair falling in her face.

"Hey Art," she said smiling. She gestured for the children to give them a moment alone.

Kahlan had a grace and charm about her that put people at ease. She was highly intelligent as well. Fortunately for others, her heart was as pure as it seemed, and she used these traits to help others...unless there was a really good reason to use them selfishly.

Artemis shooed the rest of the children away impatiently.

"I have news."

"Well don't keep us waiting, what is it?" Kahlan asked eagerly.

"The hand of the King died."

"Jon Arryn?!" Kahlan exclaimed.

Artemis nodded vigorously. She didn't need to go through those details again.

Gianna dropped the toy doll she had been holding as realization hit. Her friends looked at her, perplexed.

"That means the King will need a new Hand," she said.

"Yes, and?" Artemis prompted.

Gianna continued, "Who is the logical choice for that position?"

Her two friends gazed back with blank stares.

"The King is coming to Winterfell."

Weeks had passed, and Gianna turned out to be right. King Robert WAS coming to Winterfell, as was the queen, their children, the queen's brothers, and the rest of their party. He would undoubtedly ask Lord Stark to accept the position as his right-hand man, and everyone knew Lord Stark would have no choice but to accept.

The three friends were currently laying outside on a grassy knoll, staring lazily up at the clouds above.

"I heard Lady Stark stocked Lord Tyrion's room with candles. He supposedly reads all through the night," said Kahlan.

"I heard he drinks all through the night," Artemis retorted with a laugh. "They brought up eight barrels of ale from the cellar."

Kahlan giggled. "How much could he possibly drink? A man of his...stature?"

All three of them burst out laughing at that. Lord Tyrion, the Queen's younger brother, was a dwarf, and stood just over four feet tall.

When they all finally caught their breathe, Kahlan reached for Gianna's hand. "Are you alright, G? You've been awfully quiet," she whispered.

Artemis laughed. "I expect it has something to do with the fact that the man who slaughtered her family is coming for a friendly fun-filled reunion."

Kahlan bolted up straight and glared at Artemis. "Artemis Hullen, you bite your tongue!"

Artemis rolled her eyes. Gianna just sighed. "No, she's right Kahlan. The King has been wavering back and forth over whether or not to let me live for the past sixteen years. I thought he'd forgotten about me. Seeing me will only remind him there is a potential threat to his title still alive. Some people do still call him Usurper after all. He's not very well going to let me marry a foreign prince."

The girls were silent for a long time.

"Well," Artemis began, "I guess we'll find out today."

The party accompanying the King was huge. Carriages, wagons and horses paraded down the King's Road for nearly a mile.

The Starks and their household were lined up in the main courtyard to receive the royal family, all dressed in their best clothes. Artemis stood behind the Starks, whispering suggestively in Theon's ear while he tugged gently on the edge of her green velvet gown.

It brings out her eyes, Kahlan thought.

Kahlan too had chosen to match her gown to her blue irises. Her dress was light cobalt, and the brown silk trim matched the brown silk strings of her corset. She had been very pleased at how the look had come together this morning, and she was well aware of the lusty glances thrown her way by the Stark bannermen. She stood up straighter and tilted her head up confidently. Beside her was her father, Rickard Karstark, Lord of Karhold.

She spared a glance in Gianna's direction. The teenage orphan was pulling on her gown's white fur collar nervously, and Kahlan felt a pang of sympathy for her friend. She had helped Lady Stark pick out the dress for her the day before. The Stark matriarch had been almost beside herself with anxiety. Gianna had become a surrogate daughter to her these past sixteen years, and she had welcomed her in a way that she never had or would her husband's bastard son Jon.

Kahlan couldn't help but feel sorry for the woman. She was already losing her husband to the King's demands. Kahlan hoped he wouldn't take Gianna away from her too.

I suppose Gianna is lucky she looks like her mother, Kahlan thought. With her large honey eyes, olive skin, and dark brown hair, perhaps the King would see enough of himself in her to take pity.

Finally, the carriages pulled through the main gate, Baratheon and Lannister banners flying high. As the king approached, everyone gathered kneeled in respect. As King Robert went to go greet Lord Stark, his wife and queen, Cersei Lannister, stepped from her carriage with her ladies.

The legends didn't do her justice. She was strikingly beautiful with long golden hair and emerald green eyes. She was so graceful she practically floated out of the carriage. She was followed by her handmaids and other ladies of the court who quickly stepped out behind her.

Kahlan admired the other ladies dresses as they emerged, but couldn't help but think (quite haughtily) that none of the ladies themselves were much to look at.

Her thought was interrupted though when one of the handmaids caught her eye. She had sensual curves and the most beautiful jet black hair. Her eyes were so dark, they were nearly black, and Kahlan couldn't help but marvel at their mesmerizing intensity.

She must be from somewhere in Essos, she thought to herself.

Just then the girl looked up and caught Kahlan staring. She glared back.

The King and Queen's three children rode in behind them, two boys and a girl. All three of them were blonde and beautiful like their mother.

The knight behind them removed his helmet, and Kahlan felt her breath get stuck in her throat. It was Jaime Lannister, the Queen's twin brother. She had heard tales of how handsome he was, and she had expected him to be just as fair and golden-haired as his sister. However, she did not expect to feel the warm tingling sensation deep in her abdomen that she did now.

Somewhere in the back of her mind Kahlan noticed the King and Queen greeting the Starks. She may have seen the King grow red in the face and completely ignore Gianna out of her periphery vision. She remembered foggily that the King disappeared into the crypts with Lord Stark. But for the life of her, she couldn't take her eyes off of Jaime Lannister.

Kahlan didn't even notice as the crowds began to part and thin. Her eyes followed the blonde man as he walked off. She was only pulled back into reality by her father tugging on her hand.

"Come now, Kahlan. You'll want to be getting ready for the feast."