Ser Arthur Dayne

"You and Ser Barristan shall escort my wife to Casterly Rock." King Aemon had told him the night of the farewell feast. Arthur had long ago learned not to question the Targaryens when it came to such matters, and as such had merely nodded in acceptance of what the king and his goodbrother had said.

Later though he had asked his sister why she was not returning to King's Landing with her husband, and she had sighed deeply and said in a sad voice. "Because Aemon expects there to be trouble when he returns and he does not wish to risk the lives of myself and our unborn child."

What sort of trouble Arthur did not need to guess, the Tourney of Harrenhal had been planned originally be the king and his hand Lord Tywin Lannister, as a means of assembling all the great lords and their powerful bannermen together in order to gather enough support in order to have Prince Aerys removed from the regency a year early. Arthur had served in the Kingsguard for four years now, and had seen Prince Aerys grow steadily more insane by the day, and so he was not surprised when Ashara told him of the purpose of Harrenhal, he learnt much about what the King was plotting from his sister, and though had he been anyone else he would have told Aerys by now, he was not anybody else, he was Arthur Dayne of Starfall, a sworn knight of the Kingsguard and the king's goodbrother and if he was honest with himself he agreed with what the king was planning. Better a peaceful removal than the bloody one that had at one stage threatened to happen.

Still the ending of the tourney of Harrenhal was not without incident, Prince Rhaegar's naming of Lyanna Stark as Queen of Love and Beauty over his own wife had caused quite the gossip mongering to erupt. Lady Lyanna was betrothed to Robert Baratheon the heir to Storm's End whilst Rhaegar was married to Princess Elia, who was also heavy with his child. The rumours spread far and wide were that the prince meant to set aside Elia and take the wolf girl as his new wife, what to make of these Arthur knew not, all he knew was that he was deeply angry with Prince Rhaegar for his callous actions. The wolf girl was nothing but a child compared to the radiance of Princess Elia, a woman grown who continued to grow beautiful with each passing day as far as Arthur was concerned, but of course he would think that, he had loved Elia since they had been children playing in the Water Gardens.

Still he had taken some satisfaction when Ashara had told him later on that the king had punched Rhaegar square in the jaw for causing such a scene, and that he had been banished to King's Landing for the rest of the tourney. The Starks themselves had retreated back to the north and Winterfell as well with some haste, the king's friend Brandon Stark going with them, fuming all the while. Aerys, had been beside himself with anger at the actions of the Starks and the actions of the king, but feared to say anything that might belittle his own self in front of half the realm.

And so with Harrenhal done and the plans the king had made knocked back a few stages, the royal party left. The king and his brother Viserys for King's Landing along with Prince Aerys and Ser Arthur's sworn brothers Ser Brandon the elder and Ser Gerold Hightower, whilst Prince Lewyn escorted Elia to Summerhall by the king's decree. With Arthur and Ser Barristan rode the king's younger brother Baelon, who was squiring for Tywin Lannister himself. As to why the hand was not returning to the capital not even Ashara knew, but Arthur had held some slight reservations about heading to the Rock. After all it was no surprise that Lord Tywin had wanted his own daughter to be queen, and was not above doing all he could to achieve his goals, and yet the man had proved very hospitable to Ashara during their stay there, whether it was because of Arthur's presence or because he generally liked Ashara, Arthur could not say but all the same it was some slight comfort.

Lord Tywin's daughter Cersei Lannister however, was a completely different case. She always spoke shortly and snappishly towards Ashara and there was always a hateful glint in her eye, that had Arthur's hand constantly on the pommel of his sword whilst she was in the same room as his sister. Tywin's son, Ser Jaime Lannister was a good lad, a good swordsman with the potential for great deeds and a boy who as madly in love with his wife, princess Rhaena who was every bit as fiery and passionate as her brother, had the heir to the Rock wrapped around her Littlefinger and she had the ability to make him do whatever she wanted. The youngest Lannister child, Tyrion was but a child, wandering around at his brother's heels and constantly badgering Arthur and Ser Barristan for stories about the wars and the knights they had fought against he was a sweet child.

Roughly three moons into their stay at the Rock, Ashara went into labour, it was a hard one for her. One that brought back memories of Arthur's own mother's painful birth with Allyria some five years ago and how she had not survived that birth. As the hours ticked by and still the screaming could be heard Arthur began fearing for the worst. Eventually however, the screaming stopped and Arthur was bid enter the room, he found his sister sat up in bed, her skin flushed and her hair sticking to her face with a baby boy with her dark black hair and the king's purple eyes suckling at her breast. She had named the boy Maekar after the king's great grandfather, a fitting name Arthur thought. A raven had been sent to King's Landing to inform the king, but there had still not been a response and that was now two moons ago.

"Arthur, Arthur are you okay?" he heard his sister ask, bringing him back to reality.

"What? Oh yes I'm fine sorry Ash. You were saying something?" Arthur replied.

His sister smiled then. "Yes I was just asking if you thought Ser Barristan fancied me."

"What?" Arthur sputtered.

Ashara laughed. "Oh come now brother, don't play coy with me. I know Ser Barristan likes me, I can see it in the way his eyes follow my every movement as if I hang the moon."

Arthur is silent for a moment before saying. "He follows your every movement because you are the Queen, and we are sworn to protect you no matter what. Even if he does like you in that way, there is nothing he can do about it."

"When did you become so dire brother? Have a bit of fun, otherwise you are like to go mad here waiting for Aemon to write to us." Ashara teased.

Arthur sighed. "I'm sorry Ash; it's just that I'm worried. Why has the king not written to you in so long? He has not even written back to acknowledge the birth of his son and heir. Ser Barristan has heard nothing from Ser Gerold either, we are concerned. Aerys might have done something, especially now that Tywin is at the Rock."

His sister was silent for a moment before she said. "He's probably caught up in whatever it is he's doing at court. Removing a man who's been in power for five years has got to be a difficult task. After all, the man does have the Tyrells backing him with all their power and strength. Though the Hightowers are ours, still there are concerns. Lord Tully did not attend the tourney nor did Lord Steffon."

"And so you think that Aemon might have done something to get himself arrested under false pretences?" Arthur guessed.

"Aye I believe Aerys might have done something like that, he's mad enough and Aemon's brash enough to try it. I don't know Art, Aemon's been acting strange since Harrenhal. It's as if he's expecting something." Ashara replied concern lacing her tone.

Arthur was about to respond when there was a knock on the door. His sister called for whoever it was to come in and they found Ser Barristan Selmy, dressed in his white scaled armour standing in the doorway. "Pardons Your Grace, but I was wondering if I could speak with Ser Arthur."

"Of course Ser. Do come in." Ashara said. When Ser Barristan hesitated, Ashara said. "I won't speak of whatever it is you need to speak of with my brother to anyone Ser, besides what better way for me to be protected than with two of the finest knights in the Kingsguard here."

Ser Barristan blushed at the compliment, perhaps he did fancy Ashara after all, and he cleared his throat then and said in a clear voice whilst looking at Arthur. "I believe there might be a threat to the Queen here Ser."

Arthur tensed then and asked. "Who?"

Ser Barristan looked behind him to make sure the door was closed before saying. "Lady Cersei."

"What proof do you have Ser?" Ashara asked.

Ser Barristan was silent for a moment before he replied. "Admittedly at the moment my proof is limited though just now when I stood guard outside the room, I saw her walking towards the room some sort of drink in her hand, and when she saw me she froze and walked away."

"That could have been anything Ser. It could have been something for herself as well as for her goodsister." Ashara says.

"It was not for herself Your Grace. Forgive me but she is not as innocent as you would make her out to be." Ser Barristan replied.

Ashara laughed then. "Oh I know she's not as innocent as she makes out to be Ser Barristan, but with her father being Hand of the King and relying on Aemon actually liking him to retain his power, she is not like to try anything that could endanger her or her father. So no I am not worried for my safety, that of Maekar though I am."

Arthur is about to speak then when they hear another knock on the door. "Tell them to come in, I'm just going to go check on the babe." Ashara says, standing up and walking to the bed where Prince Maekar sleeps soundly.

Arthur opens the door and finds himself looking at Lord Tywin Lannister, the man is as imposing as ever, his blonde hair beginning to disappear, his moustache thick, his shoulders squared. He looks at Arthur briefly before saying. "Is the Queen in her rooms Ser?"

"Yes my lord." Arthur says, moving aside and allowing the Lion into the room.

Ashara reappears then a smile on her face. "Ah Lord Tywin, to what do I owe the pleasure?"

Lord Tywin sits down in the chair next to the desk and says. "There have been two letters from King's Landing Your Grace. One from the king, and another from Prince Aerys." He hands Ashara the two letters which she quickly reads.

"The nerve of the man. Saying I should come back to King's Landing and present my son for a proper Targaryen naming ceremony. What would that involve I wonder?" Ashara fumes.

The hand is silent and then asks. "What did the king write Your Grace?"

"He wrote saying that he is well pleased by the birth of our son, and that he was sorry he could not write sooner. He also writes to inform us of the wedding of Garth Hightower to Janna Tyrell. And that no this can't be true." Ashara says.

"What is it Your Grace?" Arthur asks feeling the fear within him rise.

Ashara looks at him and her eyes are scared when she says. "Rhaegar Targaryen has kidnapped Lyanna Stark and fled to locations unknown."