Author's Note: Hello, everyone! This is the twelfth chapter. I don't really have much to say. I just feel like writing a first A/N is a staple duty of mine whenever I start a chapter. I still don't own Game of Thrones. *cries*

Long Live the Boy-King

Chapter Twelve: A First for the Two

With one quick swipe of my dagger, I sent the young man down into the mud. What feels like hours of dueling has finally come to an end. He shouted for forfeit as I rise up and look to the crowd. I raised my arm up, holding my dirty blade and made all the Lords and Ladies cheer for yet another triumph of mine. I smiled at them with pride as I slayed another weak admirer. I turned to him and almost laughed at how pathetic he looked. His already black hair almost turned even darker from all the dirt he acquired when he fell down. His left cheek is swollen and a cut was made on his right arm. The other soldiers carried him to the Maester for further inspection of his wounds.

Meanwhile, I walked with my chin up towards my family's booth. Father stroked his beard slowly as he gave me a smile. He is disappointed that I will not be married but his eyes are wide enough to tell me that he is more than impressed at what I did in the arena. Cosimo and Gino were on the edge of their seats as they applauded loudly with the crowd, even cheering for me. They were the first ones to run towards me and give me a hug.

"Incredible footwork and strategies, as always, sister!" Gino said to me as he hugged me by the waist. Cosimo, who was laughing as he approached me, shouted in anticipation. "Magnifico! Magnifico!" he raised his hands up as he yelled. "Magnifico, combattente Signora!" He, too, embraced me tightly. I let go of them and continued my way in front of my parents.

Mother was much disappointed. She clapped her hands in a cheerful manner but her face says otherwise. I turned away from her, trying my hardest not to get hurt by her stubbornness. Why can't she just accept that I will not let anyone be my groom? No one is worthy of me.

I kneeled with one knee in front of my father and bowed my head as I present to him my two trusty weapons, Taglierina and Zaffiro. "Father, I present to you these daggers that gave me triumph this day. May you bless them with your wisdom and bravery so that I may cut through… my enemies… in the future." I put much emphasis on 'enemies' much to my Mother's annoyance. I saw her roll her eyes through my periphery.

"Stand up, child." Father whispered to me as he rose up his seat. I quickly stood up and followed him in the middle of the booth. I stood beside him as he took my arm while clearing his throat. The crowd instantly silenced down before Father spoke. "My Lords and Ladies, I am pleased to present to you the winner of today's duel, Lady Corabella Doreen." He raised our arms up making the crowd cheer loudly than before. I chuckled under my breath when they started throwing carnations out of their seats and into the arena. But it was only seconds when my father put his arm around me as he guided me back to the castle to get cleaned up.

"I'm expecting you to apologize to him," Mother said with all humor drained from her voice as she ties the bows of my dress.

I rolled my eyes and chortled at her. No way in seven hells will I apologize to that boy. That's what someone gets for trying to be betrothed to me. "A true fighter never apologizes to his OR her enemy. That's like a pathetic way of losing."

She tightened the bows making me groan in annoyance. She then raised her voice and sounded more serious. "I don't care if you are a fighter or not. He is not your enemy and you will apologize to him or else I will lock you down in your chambers and forbid you to train."

I moved fast away from her and turned to see her face. My eyebrows furrowed and I could feel my patience running thin. "You can't do that! I will not apologize to that boy and you cannot do anything about it." To my surprise she put her fist down on the table, making a loud sound. My eyes widened at the sight of my raging Mother. I gulped down hard and took back my words. "Fine. I will apologize to him. Just don't destroy my things, Mother."

I practically ran out of my chambers to get away from Mother and hurried down to the field. One of the knights told me that he is seen strolling around here the moment he was discharged from the Maester's place. The sun was starting to set when I made it to the green field. And sure enough, the wounded boy was there, trying to climb the old Sycamore tree. I watch him struggle to get a grip on to one of the branches and giggled as his foot slipped, sending him down to the ground once more. I approached him slowly, trying not to make a sound.

I put my hands together under his feet and gave him a boost up. He sat comfortably on one of the branches. He muttered a quick, "Thank you," without looking at me. His eyes gazed into the horizon as he avoids mine. A gentle wind blew against his face, messing his now clean black hair.

I decided to climb the tree and sit beside him, putting a favorable distance between us. From up here, the wide fields of Bedoco looks much more magical. The orange sky looks beautiful with the green grass and I can't help but sigh at its beauty. I turned my attention to the boy beside me and saw sadness on his face. He looks handsome with the light illuminating his face. "Mother urged me to apologize to you. I mean, it's stupid but—"

"You didn't have to," he said with no discernable emotion in his tone. He just kept looking ahead, paying no mind to me. I stared at him for a while, not knowing what to say more. He suddenly turned to me. I instantly became aware of how close we were from each other. I might have miscalculated to sit on the right spot. "Why do you do this, Corabella?" he asked softly. His eyes were pure with sadness.

"Do what?" I asked confused. He leaned in closer to me, letting me inhale his spicy and musky scent. He looked much different when we first met. His dark eyes seemed darker. His face seemed older. And he seemed much more broken. I shouldn't feel guilty. He should have tried harder.

He turned away from me and back at the setting rays of the sun. He smiled sadly at himself. Then, he spoke slowly in a soft voice. "You are so oblivious." He looked down at his hands before continuing. "You just don't know the effect you have on people. On me."

I was taken aback by his words. "What do you mean 'on you'? All I know is every single one of you is scared of me." In my attempt to lighten up the mood, I laughed loudly and even threw my head back. But he was only silent. I stopped immediately and looked away from his eyes.

"I'm not," he whispered. "I wish I was scared of you. But I'm not." He moved closer to me and took one of my hands in his. My head suddenly snapped to look at our intertwined fingers. I felt my hand buzz with a strange feeling. I turned my eyes and locked them with his. "If I didn't lose out there, if I was strong enough to beat you, if I actually even disarmed you at some point, would you have accepted me?"

I looked deeply into his eyes. He is a friend of mine and I wish we were something more than that. But I can't let my guard down. My decision has been made and I can't take it back. What's done is done. He inched his face closer to mine as I froze to the spot. I looked at him with pleading eyes, wanting to push him away but I couldn't. We were less than inches apart and I held my breath. He saw the alarm in my eyes and decided to tip his head to the side, kissing my cheek, instead.

"I will wait, Corabella. I will wait even if the gods take me away from you."

Corabella's Point of View

I gasped loudly as I woke up. Sweat and tears rolled down my face. I can't have him invade my mind again. He needs to get out of my head. I wiped my forehead and cheeks with the back of my hands, ridding it of my salty emotions. I even slapped my face to wake me up, making sure that I'm not trapped in that dreaded nightmare of mine. I pushed my covers away and stood up, walking briskly to the mirror. My face looks paler than usual and dark circles were prominent under my eyes. I look horrible. "Calm down. It's just a dream."

A gentle wind blew through the balcony. Perhaps I would feel better if I get a breath of fresh air. I made my way to the balcony and let myself be enveloped by the cool air of early morning. The sun hasn't made an appearance yet and the stars still faintly glows in the sky. I tried my best to repress that memory of him. But even if I'm on the other side of the world, he still reminds me of that moment we had, his last day in Bedoco. Before he…

I was brought back to reality when a white Raven landed in front of me. That's strange, white Ravens are very rare in this country unless someone back home decides to send me a message. I stroked the bird with the back of my finger and noticed the blue and white ribbon tied on its neck. The Doreen colors. "Sussurratore?" The Raven produced a low sound in its throat. This is Abrielle's personal Raven sent directly for me. I untied the piece of parchment on its claw and read it immediately.

To my everdearest cousin,

I have not heard from anyone of you since you left Bedoco. I hope you are in King's Landing by now. Please send back a letter of some sort after you finish reading this. My Raven is patient as long as you feed it. Glendon and I are missing you terribly. He's struggling to find a training partner as not many soldiers here are as good as you two. No one could keep up to him but you. I hope you are enjoying your stay there. I hope I could accompany you but I can't. A baby is now resting in my belly and I fear that I might get sick if I travel while I carry him or her.

I can't wait for you to be back. With a husband, I hope. I love you.

Kisses from Bedoco,

Abrielle

I couldn't believe Abrielle is now pregnant. I am more than excited to be back and watch her go through the early stages of motherhood. I want to be the first one to see her first baby. Perhaps, name it myself. With a smile on my face, I hurried to my table and dipped the quill on my ink bottle before writing carefully.

To my pregnant cousin,

We are safe and sound here in King's Landing. You need not to worry. I apologize for not writing immediately. I've been caught up with the parties that these people are so eager to throw almost everyday. I just feel a little bit awkward since they are taking a fascination with how I look. I'll just have to get used to it, I guess. Tell Glendon that we will train the moment I step on Bedoco. Tell him that I will teach him some Westerosi moves as I am training with a young Lord here.

We shall see soon, cousin. And I will be happy to see you turn slowly into a mother. I love you.

Hugs from King's Landing,

Corabella

P. S. Do not expect a new face when I return home.

I carefully rolled up the piece of parchment and sealed it. Then, I quickly tied it to the Raven's foot. "Avere un volo sicuro," I muttered to the beautiful bird as I gave it a piece of biscuit. It took only a second before the Raven spread its wings and fly back across the world. I hope Abrielle receives it immediately. I miss her and Glendon. I miss everything about Bedoco. But right now, I have to enjoy King's Landing.

As I averted my eyes away from the majestic bird carrying my message, something golden caught my attention. I quickly looked down to the moving object and saw none other than the boy-King making another early stroll to the gardens. I grabbed my robe and put it over my nightgown as I decided to follow the golden-haired boy.

I took careful but large strides as I try to catch up with the boy-King but he was already seated on the same bench when I arrived at the gardens. I made my way to him, not making a sound before softly speaking. "May I join you, little boy?" I asked him. He turned around, slightly startled by my voice but his features softened into a smile as he saw me. He slid to the side making room for me to sit down.

The sea looks flawless especially in the early morning. The salty ambience seemed calming. I hugged myself as a cold draught collided with my body. I felt the boy-King turn to me with intrigue. I rolled my eyes at him, making him laugh. "Nightmare," I told him briefly.

"Same," he said while running a hand through his messy hair. Boys and their habits. Father used to do the same thing to his thick hair which always annoyed Mother. She would occasionally reach out through the dinner table to fix it herself. Mimicking my mother's actions, I moved closer to the boy-King and swiped his hair away from his face with my fingers. He stared at me with wide eyes as I did that. He looked nicer and I smiled at how well I've done his hair.

I moved back and put down my fingers to my lap. "That's much better," I said with much enthusiasm as if I've sculpted a golden statue. I turned away from him, feeling uncomfortable as he continued to stare at me. I felt him scoot closer to me but I didn't mind. When he's closer to me, I could smell his spicy and musky scent. A fragrance I've quite adored.

"Can I ask you something, my Lady?" he asked with a shaky voice. I looked at his young face and smiled.

"Please, call me Corabella. Ask anything and I'll answer as best as I could."

I heard him clear his throat and take a deep breath before asking me that question of his. "The other night… When we were here… I-I s-saw your…" he briefly gestured around his eyes before continuing. "They were… glowing. And I wanted to ask why they were?"

I watched him fumble as he nervously asked me his question. Right now, I don't want to talk about the curse that are my eyes. But sensing his curiosity and innocence, which I found adorable, I decided to answer him briefly after chuckling. "I don't know. No one does. They just do that."

"Oh," he whispered under his breath, clearly disappointed that he didn't get a concrete answer. "Sorry. I was just curious. I mean, they are the bluest eyes I've seen." We both laughed quietly. They are my biggest insecurities but I feel better sometimes when I talk about them to other people.

"There's actually this Bedocian myth that could be related to the answer to your question. It's the same thing that my mother told me whenever I asked her the same thing. Do you want to hear it?" I asked with a smile on my face. He nodded his head wildly like a child excited for a bedtime story. I collected my thoughts first before telling him the story. "Well, on the early days of Bedoco, the gods used to live with the common people. Everyone treated them with much glory and adoration. Every night the gods would have a feast and open their castle doors for the people to show up. They would dance and drink and have the night of their lives only to experience the same things again the next night." I paused briefly, checking if Tommen was still listening to me.

"Go on," he urged me to continue.

"There was this one god, the most powerful of all the Bedocian gods, who had the ability to transform into animals. He had the bluest eyes in the whole country. Some say that a piece of the sky was trapped in his orbs so that he could remember his true home above. One night he met this girl with black hair and dark eyes. She was the beautiful creature he has seen in his life. They danced until the sun rose up and they declared their love for each other. But some people rebelled against the gods, stealing all their food and wine. They tried to kill them but they were immortal and they were too powerful. The blue-eyed god was forced to go back to his true home, leaving a brokenhearted Lady." He shifted closer to me and I turned closer to him for warmth as another cold breeze went our way. "But he watched her every night and every day from up above the heavens. He loved her so much that he descended for a night to accompany his love. They never met again but the Lady bore a child who was later brought into this world with the same blue eyes that made every single person love him."

"Did he have a name? The child?" I nodded my head at him. His fascination to my blabbering delighted me.

"He did. Some say he was the father of all the Doreens that lived Bedoco. Minton Doreen, they call him," I blinked through my lashes as I stare at him. I can't believe that I still remember the story that my mother used to tell me. And now I'm passing it down to a new a friend. Yes, I consider Tommen a friend of mine now. He seems nice. And judging by the way he treated me yesterday, how he accepted my apology immediately, he wouldn't do anything bad to hurt me or anger me.

He looked at me with wild eyes and a wide smile, showing me his perfect teeth. "He must be your ancestor. No wonder your eyes look too beautiful for a human to acquire." I raised my eyebrow at his statement. Making him look away briefly with burning red cheeks. "I didn't—"

I cut him off by laughing out loud. "My story isn't over, yet. He nodded at me attentively as I continue. "The god knew that one day, Minton would pass away but he wanted everyone to remember his legacy. So, he decided to bring blue-eyed cats to the city as Minton's old body burned into flames. Everyone thanked him and the other gods, promising that they will take care of the furry animals. They were then decided to be called the Bedocian cat and became the house Doreen's sigil. And up to this day, the blue-eyed animals inhabit the city along with the common people. Some say that once a year, the god would turn into a cat and visit the grave of his wife and son."

He smiled wildly at me as I ended my story. "That was such a nice story. It made me feel better after my nightmare," he said cheerfully. I laughed at his reaction to the myth. "So that makes the late Minton Doreen your great-great-great-great-great—"

"No." I shook my head at him, cutting his lame attempt to give a joke. "It's a myth, Tommen. No one knows for sure if he existed or not. So far, I'm the only other proof of the blue-eyed god along with the cats back in Bedoco."

"I almost forgot that our houses' sigils are almost related. You are the cats, we are the lions," he beamed spontaneously, making me laugh at him again. "Do you own one?" he asked.

"Yes, I do. She's named Gioia, Bedocian for 'Joy'" He furrowed his eyebrows and narrowed his eyes at me like I said something conspicuous. "What? Is something wrong?" I asked. His face suddenly changed. He must have sensed my confusion from the staring he has done. His eyes suddenly became pools of delight once again and his lips curved up into a smile.

"Nothing's wrong. I think it's just amazing how you speak two languages. But I can't hear a different accent whenever you speak. Do you often speak in Bedocian back on your city?" he questioned further. He must be enthralled by our culture. I wouldn't be surprised if he suddenly takes interest to study the histories of Bedoco. But of course, if he does, I wouldn't be the one teaching him.

"Not really. We often speak the common tongue in Bedoco. But the older folks prefer the Bedocian tongue so we had to study it as well. It's not too hard to learn,"

"Now, I want to speak Bedocian. How amazing would it be if a young King would speak different languages," he paused then snickered, much to my confusion. "And it would be funny if I said something silly during council meetings without no one understanding." I laughed immediately as I imagined him having fake outbursts while speaking my native tongue. I could only imagine the confused and terrified looks of his colleagues as he lashes out with a foreign dialect.

"My, my. You are one sinister, King," I said at him mockingly. To which he replied with a sarcastic bowing of his head. I threw my head back as we had once again shared a fit. I was too caught up in laughter when I suddenly moved closer to the edge of the bench almost dropping to the concrete floor. Luckily, the boy-King caught me in his arms before I could fall completely.

"Careful, Corabella," he said in a concerned tone. His features became a bit anxious. I held him by the shoulders, feeling his warmth underneath hos robe. He steadied us both up the bench but we didn't let go of each other. His hands were still on my waist, gripping them softly. And my hands were still placed firmly on his shoulders. I felt my breath hitch on my throat while my heart pounded on my chest wildly. I stared at him with wide eyes and he did the same to. His blue eyes locked with mine for a long time before I studied his face more.

His eyebrows furrowed, making little crinkles and wrinkles on his forehead. His eyelashes looked pretty on his eyes making little fans on his eyelids. His mouth was slightly opened apart in shock. And up close, I could see the little freckles dusted over his cheeks. We sat like that for a moment, just staring at each other in silence. Only the sound of the sea invaded our ears accompanied by the harmonies that the early birds are starting to sing. I could smell his spicy scent again, making me feel a little dizzy, a little deluded from the moment.

Then, he broke the silence as he spoke in a deep husky voice, something that sounded manlier than he looks. "You are a great storyteller, Corabella." I felt his warm breath touch my skin, instantly burning them with the intensity of the moment.

It took quite a while for me to gather the words inside my head before managing to push them out of my mouth. "I aim to please, little boy."

I felt the world spiral down in an instant. My brain was starting to melt down. My skin was burning with an uncommon feeling. But at the same time, I feel numb. I couldn't move. I thought I was going to faint but I didn't. I wanted to speak, but I couldn't.

Because my lips were captured by his. I let my eyes remain open as I watch him slowly close his. His little lashes brushed softly across my cheeks when he closed the distance between us. I didn't know what to do, I was frozen at the moment, frozen in time. And only the warmth of his velvety lips kept me sane. I felt his hands hold me tighter, closer to him.

I might be going crazy now, and my name might not be Corabella for the moment, because I slowly closed my eyes and kissed him back, letting reality slip out of my fingers for the moment.

Author's Note: GAAAAAAH. I'm freaking out, okay? I promised myself I wouldn't rush the story too much but I can't wait. I want them to be all lovey-dovey for this chapter. I hope you enjoyed it because I certainly did enjoy writing it.

Qs:

- Who do you think is the boy in Corabella's dream/nightmare?

- How do you feel about Corabella and Tommen's first kiss? (I hope you're jumping at the moment, because I sure am.)

- What would you want to happen next?