"Cosima?"
She whirls to face the woman approaching, every step measured even if it was hurried, every movement no doubt perfected from growing up with a septa to dictate the proper way to act, a noblewoman in every sense.
"Alison." It wasn't hard to recognize the auburn hair, the blue grey dress and fitted dark blue top, a fish sigil visible below her neck. This reminds her first encounter and the proclivity for titles. "I mean, Lady Tully," she quickly amends, nodding slightly, receiving a nod in return when they are finally face to face.
They mutually stare, having not seen each other since they were children, noting the differences the years have managed to carve into the little girls they once were. A quirk on a lip, the other trying not to do the same, and then they are both laughing, breaking the formal air as they embrace, Alison's genuine happiness overriding her usual formal and dutiful demeanor.
"Oh you have no idea how good it is to finally see a familiar face that is happy to see me." Cosima gushes when they release each other. She gets a confused and questioning gaze in response.
"Lady Rachel Lannister" she says with an eye roll.
"Come now, no need to be so harsh, she is grieving." A slight admonishment.
"Harsh? I'm the one who's harsh? The first thing she does is turn her uppity nose at me, all high and mighty. I told her she has an icicle stuck in her ass."
Her friend gasps in absolute horror. "Cosima Martell, you did not."
"Oh yeah, I absolutely did," she says with an impish smile, you should see your face.
The knight, all but forgotten, intrudes with an ahem. Both ladies remember his presence and look at him.
"I'm supposed to take the princess to her quarters."
They both give him an "are you serious" glare.
"Tell me where it is, I can take her there myself, after we have exchanged pleasantries." Alison's clipped tone surprises the woman beside her.
The man in Lannister armor hesitates, scared of the consequences if he were to disobey his Lady. Alison sees this and softens her tone. "I can tell Lady Rachel later when we meet, I take full responsibility."He still hesitates for a moment, weighing his options, then bows, deciding he could trust her.
"As you wish, Lady Alison." He walks back to his post after pointing out said quarters.
"Wowwwww, Lady Alison, are you friends with Lady Rachel now? Her royal guards are familiar with you, they even let you 'take responsibility' of her commands" a tattooed shoulder nudges a clothed one in teasing.
"Oh, stop it. I've been staying in the capital for the past few weeks, conducting business and trade between the Riverlands and King's Landing, amending the original deals made by the Hand, making it better to suit the city's needs, and Lady Lannister IS the Master of Coin." Brown eyes go wide in astonishment."I must say, you arrived quite early. The announcement of the arrival of guests isn't in two more days, maybe three."
"My father put me on the fastest ship, and I'd rather not spend two weeks on bumpy roads. The sea takes about a week." Hands fly in gesture distractedly. " Wow, Lady Rachel sure has gone far." Although I shouldn't be surprised, based on my first meeting with her and how everybody acts around her.
"Yes. So we have been spending more time with each other. I was here when her father...she needed a friend." That was the one and only time I saw that face show true emotion. Alison thinks back on that day, She remembers the broken expression, looking quite lost. There was no resistance when she slowly approached and put her arms around the always-straightened shoulders, no pulling back when she carefully cradled the blonde head with one hand, feeling a chin laying down between her shoulder and neck. They just stood there in a one sided embrace, not knowing how long, until she feels the other woman slowly pulling, a stiff "I have to call the small council for a meeting" and walks away, never turning back, Alison all too aware of the dampness on the side of her neck. The next morning, Rachel was her usual cool and collected self, a new resolve in every action and order, and when their eyes met, it was as if nothing happened, a silent agreement to never speak of it again.
"Lady Highandmighty does not make friends."
"Well, Lady Rachel has always been...difficult to understand." She's less harsh to me though. She noticed a changed, a difference whenever they encountered each other, barely there, but there nonetheless, almost as if they were friends. Or as close to having a friend for Rachel Lannister.
"Please, save it. And she's not the only one who's grieving." Cosima's voice turns somber. She feels a hand gently rubbing her arm.
"I'm sorry. I know he meant a lot to you."
"Not just to me. Seven hells, all of Westeros is probably grieving." She sees a slight flinch at her choice of expression.
"Enough about that, let me look at you properly." Alison slowly turns her around, gawking at the orange garment loosely clinging to her small frame, fingertips tracing the ink on her right shoulder, but the first thing she says is
"What is that on your face?"
Cosima groans. "Don't start. Iv'e already had an earful of criticism from Rachel, sorry, Lady Lannister"
"And what did you do to your hair? It's quite unique." she scrutinizes the many strands of thinly and intricately braided dark hair.
The princess smiles and gives a little shake of her head, a rattling sound coming from some of the beads bumping into each other. "Yeah, I like it better this way. It's easier to move around and work when it's off my face. Plus, it's way warmer in Dorne."
"I suppose it helps with the temperature."
"And you, you still have your bangs"which is actually why it was so easy to recognize you.
"I grew my hair," Alison scoffs with affront, but they both know, she's always kept her bangs, with the longer parts of the auburn hair braided and tied at the back.
Dark eyes twinkle in teasing. "Yeah, I can see that."
The ink on her right deltoid is slowly traced by curious fingertips.
"Is that a...turtle? I thought you're a viper."
Hesitation. Not wanting to explain a turtle. A smile. She turns her back, smirking at the 'oh' from her friend, no doubt from seeing the tattoo on her left shoulder blade, a viper surrounding a sun done in hues of orange and red orange, with the words Unbowed Unbent Unbroken in black ink, stylized to look like a spear, running from top of her shoulder down to her lower back, piercing the sun and dissecting the left hemisphere of her back. Even the uptight, prim and proper redhead cannot deny its beauty.
"It looks so artfully and masterfully done." She breathes out, still staring at the image."It's very beautiful." Cosima smiles.
"And really, have you no other dresses?" The tone was condescending, eyes narrowing at how provocative the orange garment is, gold chains on her neck and hanging in front, doing nothing to hide the tanned olive skin, taut and flat stomach, the blending of red, orange, and black ink at her back, and sculpted arms, with leather bands wound and crossed on both elbows.
A shrug and a small smile. "Like I said, it's warmer in Dorne."
"You Dornish sure are more...loose...I mean, you do things with little disregard for conduct" she rushes in explanation by the arching of Cosima's brow.
"Not really, we're just more accepting in the South."
"Mmmm, well, you've grown quite beautiful yourself." A shy smile, and then it disappears at the next comment. "Although you haven't really grown much in the literal sense, you're a little short."
"Excuse me?" Cosima gasps in mock indignation, "speak for yourself, I'm still taller than you...by maybe half an inch, but I'm still taller." Her companion scowls at this truth.
"And again, speak for yourself, you're a classic Tully beauty. Slim frame, graceful body, auburn hair, fair skin...no more scrawny wild and free Alison. Man, I still remember that time you bit the butcher's son." She hears another gasp in the midst of her laughter.
"He was mean. He laughed at me when I said I will grow up to be a Lady."
"I don't blame him, what with your muddy face and your hair flying all over."
Pale cheeks turn crimson at the memory, something she'd rather forget. "I was a child. Those days are behind me now."
Cosima eyes her, deciding to let it go. For now at least. "Well, you proved him wrong. All the septas will probably mention you to all those young girls they're torturing on 'how to be a proper lady'"she tries to mimic the strict way of speaking the old women when imparting lessons. "Although I must say my chest is definitely bigger than yours." She laughs as she tries to dodge a hand swatting her arm. "I mean it though, you're beautiful too."
Alison finally decides to stop hitting her, a pleased smile on her lips.
From the corner of her eye, Cosima's gaze is suddenly drawn towards a tall hooded figure blending in the shadows, walking at a hurried pace, clearly not wanting to be noticed and is very good at it. She sees a brief flash of blonde underneath the dark hood as the person slips quickly and quietly inside the room she herself just came from.
"Oh look at us, we've been standing in one place, babbling, and we didn't even notice. Come, let's start walking." The high and bubbly voice pulls her from her thoughts.
"Who was that?" her thumb points to the room where Lord Ethan's body was being dressed.
Alison stops from the few steps she's taken. "Who was who?"
"Somebody went inside."
She glances to where Cosima was pointing, noting nothing of the ordinary to indicate that someone went inside."I didn't see anything."
Odd. How come I noticed it?
"You must be tired from your journey. Come on, I'll take you to your quarters."
She lets her friend pull at her arm, and she is forced to follow. It all happened so quickly that she herself began to doubt if it really happened.Yes, that must be it. I'm just tired. But a part of her still isn't convinced, that flash of blonde imprinted in her mind's eye.
Rachel slightly notices the dark figure in the shadows and orders all the workers out, glaring at the guards who hesitated but eventually scurried out, leaving herself alone with her father in the throne room. Although I'm not really alone.
"You can step out now," the crisp command echoes into the empty walls, her gaze fixed on where she knew the intruder was standing. For a moment, nothing happens, and then a cloaked person steps out into the light, heading straight for Lord Ethan's remains.
AN: thank you for reading this asshole of a story that wouldn't let me rest until I wrote it. It's fun putting them in houses that match their personalities, although I'm still struggling with the others.
Visuals! Use your amazing mind to imagine Cosima in this www. pinterest (dotcom)/pin /524387950335783309/ (remove spaces, put " Hotel Tango Tango Papa Sierra : / /" first, salute to those who get it, translate those in parentheses, same goes below, sorry, FF has its moments of douchebaggery). because, HELL YES
and Alison in this justorka . wordpress(dotcom slash) 2012/12/06/game-of-thrones/lady-catelyn-stark/