A/N: Hey guys! Another long awaited update, I apologise for the delay. I lost my first drift of this chapter so had to completely re-write it, then the Holidays happened. But it's finally here!

Don't know if anyone is keeping up with the little song-lyric challenge I set myself at the beginning, but just in case you are: last chapter's lyric was "human nature has this way of running away when it should stay" from the song "Sex Foot" by Molotov Jukebox. This chapter has a song lyric by Coldplay hidden in there.

Thank you all for reading so far, and a huge thank you to anyone who has stuck with this from the beginning. Thank you for all the wonderful reviews, I hope this update was worth the wait.

Enjoy :)

xBx

Chapter 17: Aegon

After years of planning, countless skirmishes, and what had felt like a plethora of tomorrows, Aegon had finally succeeded in acquiring the Iron Throne with surprising ease. The morning of the storming had dawned, cold, crisp, and clear. There was a sense of quiet, yet charged, expectation in the camp as they packed up and made their way to the very edge of the Kingswood, keeping just inside the tree line, cloaked in the darkness. There they waited in silence, as the sky began to lighten, for the unknown signal.

When the sun began to fully rise, Aegon began to become anxious.

"Where is the signal?" He asked of Edric Dayne, who was standing beside him. "Have we missed it?"

It was the Northman, Norrey, who answered, quiet and calm: "We haven't missed it. Patience, it will come."

Arya Stark's men continued to wait with patient confidence, but Aegon could sense the restlessness creeping into his own men; much longer and they would no longer be shielded by the shadows of the trees – soon enough the sun would illuminate them and give away their positions.

Suddenly, the quiet morning was disrupted by the howling of what sounded like hundreds of wolves: The Northmen smiled, and sent out a rally cry in response, and Aegon laughed in sudden understanding. Of course, what else would Arya Stark's signal be?

"Forward men!" Aegon called, raising his sword and making forward towards the gate. His men followed with enthusiasm, the Northmen by their sides.

Gaining entry to the city was easy: they were greeted by a dead guard in Lannister crimson, and one of Arya's men leaning nonchalantly at the gate and twirling a bloodied knife.

"Nice of you to join us, Your Grace," he grinned. "A few moments more and you would have missed all the fun."

At that moment, the bells of the city began to toll. "It appears we are just in time," Aegon retorted. They moved quickly through the city, and were close to the keep when the Gold cloaks and Lannister guards met them with their blades unsheathed. The battle went quickly in Aegon's favour: the capitol had been caught unawares; their defence was hurried and unplanned.

Midway into the battle the bells silenced, and only the sounds of ringing steel could be heard. Sooner than Aegon could have hoped, the sound of steel clashing was overshadowed by a dozen horns blasting two long notes, and the bells of the city began to toll once more, this time in surrender. The battle slowly desisted around them; the Red and Gold cloaks yielded their weapons and Aegon pushed his way through the keep and the castle, towards the Throne Room, to finally see for himself the legendary Iron Throne that had once seated his ancestors, and that was now rightfully his.

When he entered the Throne Room, the Iron throne was already occupied: a young boy, barely thirteen he would guess, with hair of yellow gold was sat there looking pale. This must be the boy King, Tommen, he had heard of. Stood at his side was a young woman of considerable beauty, wearing an expression of quiet defiance; Tommen held her hand in his – this, then, must be his Queen, Margaery. Surrounding the two of them were four men in the white cloaks of the Kingsguard: one unnaturally large, who made Aegon automatically think of the stories he had heard of the man responsible for the death of his mother and sister – but the Mountain had been killed, he had heard. A second in white was undoubtedly Ser Jaime Lannister – with hair the colour of the sun, and a golden hand to match, how could he be anyone else? The other two were unknown to him. His own men, Brent and Florey were also there, and Aegon assumed the last two – a boy around Tommen's age and a battle-hardened man – were Arya's men.

As he approached the throne, Brent and Florey went to their knees.

"Your Grace,"

"The battle is over, your men have yielded," Aegon said directly to Tommon. "And now you must do the same. My name is Aegon of the House Targeryan, and I claim the Iron Throne and the Seven Kingdoms in the name of my ancestors."

"The Stark girl promised no harm would come to us," Tommen said, looking slightly fearful but keeping his seat. He sounded younger than his years and Aegon was slightly surprised.

"And I intend to keep that promise: No harm will come to you, or your wife -" he nodded at the lady at his side, "- nor any of your men. So long as you draw no steel against me, and bend the knee."

Tommen looked briefly at his wife, then across at the golden handed knight who gave the tiniest of nods. Tommen rose from his seat and stepped hesitantly down the steps to stand in front of Aegon, Margaery following a step behind. He removed his crown to place at Aegon's feet, bowed, and declared: "I surrender the Iron Throne, and the Seven Kingdoms, to you, Aegon of the House Targeryan."

The aftermath of the battle happened in a haze of hectic bustle: The most pressing point of order (after the removal of Tommen, Margaery and their household to more modest, and guarded, quarters) was the restructure of the Gold cloaks, and the removal of the Lannister guards. All those who had fought against him came before him in the throne room, where Aegon sat upon the Iron Throne (still bruised and bloody), to kneel and beg his forgiveness. Those in the commanding ranks of the Gold Cloaks were stripped of their duties, and replaced by Aegon's own men. The White Cloaks of the Kingsguard were temporarily confined to their tower (guarded by men of Aegon's personal guard), until Aegon had fully decided on what he would do with all those who served. In a brief exchange with the Lord Commander, Jamie Lannister gave the impression that he would continue on to serve Aegon – this came under much discussion the following morning, in the first council meeting Aegon convened as King on the Iron Throne, though no definitive answer was yet to be reached.

The rest of the day he spent sat once more upon the throne, receiving the Lords and their families who still remained in the Capitol, accepting their pledges of fealty and forgiving them their support of the Usurpers.

During the hectic aftermath, Aegon had seen little to nothing of Arya Stark and her men: He had happened across some of her men, those who were camped out on the tourney grounds, once or twice, though he had only seen Arya, herself, once since taking King's Landing, directly after the battle when she was looking decidedly the worse for wear. She had spoken to him with spirit considering her appearance, but there was a general air of concern in the room that told him all was not well. He had ordered for arrangements to be made for her and her men's comfort, and had asked for updates on her condition, but as yet he had been too busy to see her himself.

Preparations for his coronation had taken up much of his council's time, though it was only going to be a simple affair: a blessing in the Sept of Baelor, crowned in the sight of the seven, and then a modest feast in the Great Hall of the Keep.

The business of the day had taken longer than he had anticipated and as such he did not begin his descent down to Baelor's until well after the bells began to toll, signalling the setting of the sun. As he and his men approached the square, they and their horses were startled by the sudden outburst of wolves, howling with what sounded like despair.

"Seven Hells!" Arianne exclaimed beside him, as she brought her horse back under control. "I will certainly be glad when Stark and her men go off on their way: that many wolves together is unnatural and unnerving."

"She and her men will need time to rest, and recover," Aegon reminded her with a smile, as they entered the square and parted the gathered crowed. "We would not be here so soon without her help; no doubt she will wish to be on her way soon enough, but mayhaps they will at least delay until after our wedding."

The ceremony was long: the High Septon spoke passages from the [book of the seven], blessed him in the name of the seven, asking each of them to bestow something on him to make him a worthy King. Hymns were sung, incense swung, and prayers were made. As Aegon sat through the lengthy process he took in the crowd watching him intently: Arianne, his council and guard were in the very front; Tommen and Margaery were seated just behind, with the Lords and Ladies who had sworn their fealty early today. Arya Stark and a select few of her men were gathered at the very back; he noticed she wore a circlet of steel and bronze, which glinted in the glimmer of the hundred candles lighting the Sept. She was standing tall and looking strong, a vast improvement to how she had looked only the day before, though still looking rather pale.

Finally it came time for the official crowning; Aegon knelt before the High Septon who stepped behind him and raised a golden crown high above them, then lowered it onto Aegon's head with formal ceremony, while declaring strong and loud:

"In the name of the Seven I crown thee, Aegon Targeryan, the sixth of his name, King on the Iron Throne, and protector of the Realm."

As Aegon rose to his feet, drawing himself up to his full height, the Septon stepped out from behind him and continued to address the congregation.

"This man has been anointed and crowned in the light of the seven, blessed to rule over you. Kneel before your new king, and swear fealty to King Aegon, of the House Targeryan."

The High Septon went to his knee, and as one, the entire mass followed suit - all except a small number at the rear of the Sept. Arya Stark stood tall and firm; Aegon noticed her men make brief movements as if unsure whether or not they should take the knee, but when they saw their Princess standing resolute, they too remained standing tall. Aegon and Arya locked eyes for the briefest of moments; she gave him a small smile – not a smirk, but a genuine smile – and a quick quirk of her eyebrow as if to say 'I told you the North would never Kneel, and you agreed.' Aegon gave a small smile and nod in return – he understood: Arya had already sworn her friendship and alliance. If anything, her resolution to stick to her word only heightened her in his esteem.

"I accept your fealty," he spoke to the crowd at general. "And your allegiance," he added with a pointed look to Arya, who bowed her head. "And I promise to rule you justly and strongly, until my last breath."

The crowd rose to their feet and the ceremony came to an end. The feast that followed was a fairly raucous affair in light of the underlying tensions and unease which one expects when foes that had been sworn to two different kings only days before were now eating and drinking with each other under the rule of a single monarch.

The great hall was crowded with more people than had been at the sept; Lords and Ladies were joined by Knights and guards. Aegon was resolute at keeping a clear head on his shoulders and so refrained from emptying his glass as often as his companions, but was enjoying the merriment none the less. When the simple five courses were complete, and the singers and jugglers had entertained, musicians began their task of playing for the night, and eventually people began to dance.

Throughout the evening Aegon had been observing everyone in the room, watching their interactions as they moved between tables. He noticed the slight air of discomfort that seemed to accompany almost all, except Arya and her men. They seldom moved, except amongst themselves, but they were more relaxed than most. They drank, they ate, they laughed, and talked, and joked with gusto; Arya herself joined in with it all, though once more the smiles and laughter were never reflected in her eyes – they remained as devoid of emotion as ever.

By now people were moving more freely, and as the first set of dancers got well under way, Arya excused herself from her seat, goblet in hand, and meandered through the crowed in Aegon's direction. She ascended the raised dais and made her way along the table, coming to halt between Aegon and Jon.

"Your Grace," Arya greeted with a small, stiff, curtsey. "Princess Arianne, Lord Connington. Might I sit with you for a moment?"

"Of course, my lady," Jon had risen to his feet at her greeting. "Please, take my seat. I have grown rather stiff from sitting so long, so if you will forgive me I shall walk a little."

Arya smiled and nodded as Jon moved off along the table and she took the seat at Aegon's left, again moving with slight stiffness, clearly still suffering from yesterday's injuries. There was brief moment of almost awkward silence, which Arya quickly broke it could become uncomfortable.

"Everyone looks to be enjoying themselves," she commented, glancing over the room. "They seem to have all come together quite peacefully. Your coronation went well, it was very," she paused for a second.

"Long," Aegon finished with a smile. "I think the word you're looking for is long."

Arya laughed. "I have never sat through a coronation, so I have nothing to compare it to; I had no expectations."

"I asked for something simple; no extravagance, I didn't want a spectacle."

"This is King's Landing, everything is an extravagant spectacle; so by the usual standards I suppose it was. Your people saw you crowned in the light of their Gods, they knelt and swore you their fealty; it wasn't overly extravagant but it did what needed to be done."

There was a loaded silence between the two of them now; Aegon reluctant to bring up Arya's refusal to kneel in front of Arianne – he doubted very much that Arianne noticed what had transpired at the back of the Sept, and he was certain this was the wrong moment for it to be brought to her attention. As he looked keenly at Arya, he got the sense that she was aware of some of what he was thinking, if not all.

"From the moment we met I have been open and honest about my intentions," Arya reminded him carefully. "You were fully aware of them when we came to our understanding. I have kept to my side of the bargain from the start, and I will continue to do so: Nothing has changed."

Aegon nodded. "And I too will keep to mine. Nothing has changed," he echoed, raising his goblet in a toast.

As Arya lower her glass back to the table, she glanced quickly to Arianne who was sat watching the dancing but who was clearly listening.

"There is a surprising lack of white about the room," Arya commented. "The Kingsgaurd are noticeably missing this evening."

Aegon could see that Arya had something she wished to discuss, but this certainly wasn't it.

"Arianne, why don't you go converse with the ladies at the end of the table," he suggested quietly. "Give us few moments, please. Please," he repeated with slightly more conviction when she looked set to interrupt.

Arianne smiled in good grace and excused herself.

"I have yet to decide what to do with the Kingsgaurd," Aegon admitted as Arianne walked away. "They were all sworn to the Lannisters, and to have a Lannister as Lord Commander," he trailed off.

"They were sworn to the King," Arya corrected. "To whoever sits the Iron Throne, a name makes no matter. The Kingsguard have no real loyalties except to the life of their King; they effectively disown their family when they join. Don't dismiss them all in a hurry simply because they served the Lannisters – most the people in this room were sworn to the Lannisters less than two days ago, but now they are sworn to you. With the Kingsguard you need to trust your instincts; they are, after all, there to protect you."

"Do you think Jamie Lannister is trustworthy?" He asked her. Aegon had never intended to seek her opinion on the matter, but she seemed to be able to read people better than most.

"He has no reasons left not to be," Arya said carefully after a few moments of deliberation. "He has no family left aside from his niece and nephew – the former of whom is soon to be your bride's sister through marriage. He would have nothing to gain from betraying you. He surrendered quickly, putting up no fight, and convinced Tommen to surrender in a moment. In that brief time I spent in his company, I got the impression that he is tired. Tired of the politics I would imagine; he is a Knight, fighting is what he knows. Under you reign he will be able to go back to that, without worrying about anything else."

There was another brief pause as Aegon sipped on his wine thoughtfully, and then gave a small laugh. "I haven't been crowned a day and I'm already second guessing myself at every turn. Nobody said it was easy, no one said it would be so hard. Are you sure you want the burden of ruling?" He jokingly asked. Arya smiled at him, but was not offended; she understood it was spoken in jest, but didn't answer him regardless. Instead, she finally steered the conversation to its purpose.

"But this is not what I sought you out to discuss," Arya said, lowering her voice slightly. The music had grown louder for a particularly exuberant dance, and as such Aegon had to listen carefully to catch what she was saying.

"I have a pressing matter I need to discuss with you, that will be best kept to yourself, and your Hand; Lord Connington seems honourable enough, and you obviously trust him. The Castle is full of ears, I will say no more about it now." Arya sat back in her seat and was quiet for a moment. She took a sip of her drink.

"Have you ever visited a Godswood, your Grace?" She asked suddenly.

"No, I have not," Aegon responded with some confusion and the sudden turn of the conversation. "I was raised to worship the seven, but Jon has told some of the Northern religion."

"There is a Godswood here, in the keep. It is not a proper Godswood as they are in the North, but it is peaceful and quiet. In the North, the heart trees are carved with faces; in this one there are no faces – no eyes. No ears. I went there this afternoon, in the hour before the setting of the sun, I shall no doubt return there at the same time tomorrow. If you find the time you should visit it, perhaps Lord Connington would accompany you to tell you more stories."

And suddenly Aegon understood the change of conversation was not random at all.

"I will," he assured her with small smile and a nod, hoping to convey that he fully understood her meaning, and would meet her as requested.

"If you do decide to venture forth, I would suggest you bring along your man Shore, just in case. He too, is trustworthy. Will you excuse me?" She said suddenly, and rose from her seat.

As Arya made her way back to her men, Arianne – who had been watching the pair closely – moved back to Aegon's side.

"What was all that about?"

"Nothing of great importance for tonight," Aegon brushed off the question, still watching Arya. It appeared her attention had been caught by two of her men who seemed to be having a slightly heated discussion at the side of the hall – one he recognised as Edric Dayne, the other was the large, well muscled, man who was often at her side.

"What do you suppose is happening there?" He asked Arianne, directing her gaze to the men just as Arya came to them. As she was speaking, Edric looked almost defiant; the other looked at Edric with quiet anger, almost loathing. "Do you think there is a love triangle there – will they fight over their love for her?"

Arianne looked thoughtfully at the three for a few moments. "The larger one will win," she declared, draining the last of her wine and holding it out to a passing server to replenish it.

"He may win a fight with sheer strength, but size does not matter when it comes to love."

Arianne laughed wickedly. "Oh, what little you know," she teased. "But I was not referring to a physical fight: he will win her heart in the end."

"You think so?"

"I know so."

"How?"

"Because he is the one who loves her."

Aegon looked carefully at the two men they were discussing. "Lord Dayne looks taken with her also," he argued, remembering his behaviour during dinner. Dayne had been sitting opposite Arya, and had very rarely taken his eyes from her.

"He is," Arianna agreed with a shrug. "But it is an infatuation, not a true love. That man, on the other hand, he worships her and the ground she walks on. You can see it in his eyes, in his body – how he moves around her: He adores her, he would die for her. He will love her until his last breath."

"How can you possibly know that? You've never even met the man – never seen him until this evening," Aegon argued with scepticism.

"I don't have to speak to him; I am well versed in the language of love and our bodies tell more of our hearts than our words can ever do. One only needs to observe to see the truth. Look, watch them," she added.

As they watched, the conversation came to a close: Arya must have given Lord Dayne an order, or a dismissal, as he bowed graciously to her and moved away into the crowd. As he left he gave the other man a glare of defiant loathing, and his lips moved ever so slightly as if he muttered something under his breath. Whatever it was, it seemed to be a cause of anger that flared in the large man's face and he began to take a step forward, but halted when Arya's hand touched his wrist. It was a subtle movement, and lasted barely a minute; it would have gone unnoticed if Aegon had not been watching intently. Arya said something brief, which caused her companion to look at her with a furrowed brow, she then said more as if to elaborate which caused the other to laugh and in that moment Aegon could see what Arianna had been talking of – the look in his eyes when had regained control; the way he looked at her, was completely different from any look Edric Dayne had ever given.

"And what of Arya; since you can read them all so well, what are her feelings?"

Arianne frowned, and concentrated on the woman in question for a few moments. "I cannot tell," she admitted finally. "I have never met anyone more closed off than her; her ability to hide all her emotions is unnerving. And yet, at the same time, it is fascinating."

A/N: Thanks for reading, I'm not sure how long the next update will be - I have another fic I need to complete and get out of the way before I fully focus on the next chapter, but I will aim for another update by the end of the month.

Next Chapter will be Arya and we'll be finally starting to progress North :) I'm really excited about writing the upcoming chapters.

Please leave a review :)

Until next time

xBx