Author's Note: Thank you for tuning in to this story's update despite all the irregularities in my posting time. I've been so busy with schoolwork and I have been struggling with new ideas for this story. So, again, I apologize for that. I have more things to say so if you're interested, please read the author's note at the end of this chapter. Anyway, here is the twenty-first chapter. I still do not own Game of Thrones!

Long Live the Boy-King

Chapter 21: Admit It

Dark sky, sweaty troops, bloody stones, and flesh. Flesh everywhere left by the bodies of a hundred men, scarred by honor, innocence, and cruelty. I never asked for this war or anyone to get hurt in general. All I wanted was her. All I wanted was her love and loyalty. She gave me all of that, made me happy, made me feel complete. But they were against us. The monsters wanted to separate us, wanted to have her for themselves. I can't let that happen. They drew their swords, raised their shields, paraded into my land and caused chaos. I had to fight back even if it means my own death. They lost. One thousand of us against ten thousand of them yet they still surrendered to my blade. "Mercy my Lord," the wounded man begged as I take a step in front of his half-dead being. He bled through his armor and every inch of his skin was blotted with bruises. He spat red blood more than his pleads. His eyes filled with tears that rolled down his grimy cheeks dusty from ashes caused by the fire and torches. "Mercy, my Lord. Have mercy on me." He choked back his fear building up on his throat, making his face paler. "I have children, my Lord. Have mercy, please!" Then he screamed so loud, it pierced through the dark and quiet afternoon. Have mercy? For a moment I forgot what it meant, how emotions work, how a life of a possibly innocent man be ruined by a lovesick Lord. I raised my sword above my head, ready to strike at the terrified man, twice my age. My conscience came in too late. I've already beheaded the man before my senses dawned on me but I can't give back what I already took. The man is already dead.

"Lorcan!" a shrill voice called out to me.

Lorcan's Point of View

"Lorcan!" I woke with a start, almost gasping at the loud voice of my father mixed with rapid and heavy knocks on my door. "Lorcan! Open the door." Groaning, I decided to sit up, fixed my robes and finally made my way to open the door.

"What do you want?" I said groggily at Father who looked quite distracted. He always does but his face looks more problematic today. "What? It's too early for you to be bothering me, Father," I murmured only to myself before letting Father in.

His heavy strides pounded on the insides of my ears. This surely calls for a headache, a bad migraine. "First of all, it's already nearing midday." The thought of me oversleeping seems a little bit bizarre. I rarely miss the break of dawn. My nightmare, the one I've been trying to repress but never seem to, must be another factor for my prolonged slumber. "And secondly," Father started. "I am your father and I can bother you whenever I please," he said in an unreadable manner. Father's tone can be a bit confusing sometimes. I can't tell if he's stern or sarcastic. Sometimes it's a mixture of both. I rolled my eyes at him as he entered not knowing he saw my gesture. "My, my. Are you in the midst of your bleeding? Unless you're a horrid and moody Lady, don't ever roll your eyes." I ignored his remark and proceeded to pour some water to wake myself up. Wine would be impractical especially when my stomach's grumbling. "I received this earlier today." I put my goblet down as Father handed me a rolled up parchment. I took it in my fingers and examined the broken seal. Rosby, it indicated. I let my thumb and forefinger run through the waxy seal, feeling each crack and depression engraved in it. It feels like months since I've been back home when, in fact, it has just been a week. I have to admit the extravagance brought by the city of King's Landing has been a delight but the quiet land of Rosby is easy to miss. Here, parties and loudness is part of King's Landing's everyday life that it became a necessity as opposed to Rosby's sentient and quieter living.

I unrolled the small parchment in my hands and examined its contents. The ink seems to have been freshly scribbled along the paper. Dren's handwriting was never the best looking but at least it has been readable recently. I guess handling swords frequently has its own disadvantages. Unlike my older brother, I pay attention to my own studies. Being the fourth born, I do not stand out too much in the family. I had to work extra hard to be noticed. I had to read as many books as I can. I had to join battles as much as I can. I had to dress my best as much as I can. All that just to be as good as my brothers. Or so they say.

Father,

You and Lorcan are greatly needed back here. Mother is starting to divide the treasures that grandfather left for us before he died. Ships have arrived, three at most, each containing chests full of gold. We can't believe it! I thought Grandfather had the littlest amount of money before he bid farewell to this world. Anyway, Father, as Lord of Rosby, your signature is needed for official contracts regarding the division of riches among us, your children, and the funds for our people

Your Son,

Dren

I rolled up the parchment again and handed it back to my Father who looked at me, waiting for an answer or any kind of response. Grandfather has been dead for a week. We were never close and I never really cared much about him. Mother said that he was a cruel man. When his firstborn son died in battle, he shut people out of his life. Mother never felt the love of a Father so when he met mine, she didn't hesitate leaving for Rosby. And now, as if his ghost finally decided to leave its cage of misery, he haunts us with gold. "I'm not leaving," I bluntly said. I turned around and opened my cabinet, searching for a decent clothing to wear. "He never had anything to do with us and I never had anything to care about him," I added. Father's mouth opened wide.

"But this is gold!" he exclaimed. "You know how important money is to us. Our house will be in ruins if we can't support our people's needs!"

"Really, Father? Our people comes first?" I spat back at him. I know for sure that my Father's desire for wealth has nothing to do with our people, or our house, or anything besides himself. It's his life-long dream, to be the richest man in all of Westeros so that when he buys soldiers and weapons and loyalties, he can take over the throne. Father might seem like a jolly old man with a fat belly but he is just like the rest; greedy and lustful for power. "Don't fool me. I know for a fact that you only want that for your army of airheads. If you like Grandfather's gold so much, then go back to Rosby by yourself."

"This is nonsense, Lorcan! I am not in it for the gold only. Your mother is grieving back in our home and you can't even pull your head out of your arse for goodness' sake." Mother is sickly, very old. Her heart can't take suspense or anything surprising. I worry for her very much. But saying that Mother is grieving for her supposed father sounds like a joke. For all I know, she is dancing around in his money now, grateful that he's already dead. "I might look like a greedy man to you, which I am, but I need to see her and comfort her." I almost laughed. "And the money, we could use it for our business with the Doreens. Wouldn't you like that, Lorcan?"

The Doreens. Corabella. Father proposed business to them. He even offered me to marry the sweet, beautiful Corabella. I turned away from Father, stopping in the middle of fixing my buttons and thought about her again. Her black hair, blue eyes, her body, her scent. My stomach turned again and my heart beat fast and in a second I felt very hot. Sweat built up my forehead.

"Oh, I see. The girl has an effect on you now," Father teased much to my annoyance. I decided to keep my back towards him and not meet his gaze. That smirk of his mocks me even if I'm not looking at him. It pierces at the back of my head and goads me to say 'yes'. "I wonder if you think about her at night. If you dream of having her."

"No!" I snapped back. My eyes looked at him fiercely making him take a step back in surprise. "See, this is why I don't trust you anymore. You want gold for business, then go get it. You can't make me marry Corabella because she is my friend and I will not be a traitor by keeping your filthy secret." I have decided to tell Corabella about this arrangement that they have. She is beautiful but she can't be mine. She's for someone else. "Besides, ten Lords are queuing for her hand. I can't just swoop in and claim her. She has that power over herself." I say those words out loud and I don't even know if I believe them. There is one side of me that wants her badly and I admit it now. And then, there's the other part that tries to push her away and only see her as a friend because I don't want to hurt her. I don't want Corabella ending up just like Leira. I had to the wars, I had to end my desires.

"Fine," Father said while putting the parchment back on his pocket. "If you do not agree with the marriage, then at least sign the contract. It's the least you can do to help me with my business." It is. Maybe it's better than denying the fact that Corabella has an effect on me. It's an easy way out. If Father wants my signature so bad, then I will give it to him. I just want him to stop pestering Corabella anymore. "Think about it."

Tommen's Point of View

I watched her run up ahead. The sun shone bright, blinding me momentarily. By the time I blinked away the rays, she was gone. Lorcan was never the nicest man in Westeros, he used to be my brother's friend, but he ended up better than Joffrey. News came to me of the battles he won with his brother. The women swooned over the sound of his name. I just don't see what's so special about Lorcan that even the beautiful Corabella is drawn to him. She might not admit it but I see her face brighten up whenever he's around. If only I was as handsome as he is, stronger like him, or not betrothed at all, maybe Corabella would notice me. This is the day I finally admitted it to myself. I love Corabella Doreen. Unfortunately, I shouldn't.

"She's one of a kind, isn't she, your Grace?" Ser Arthur said behind me. I turned to him and nodded. "Ahh… Women with swords are much more dangerous with men and their crowns." I couldn't agree more. I own almost everything in the Seven Kingdoms yet I can't have her. She is not an object. She is a goddess, that's why I can't use my power over her. "You have lots to learn, my King. But I'm afraid our session is over. Tomorrow?"

"No," I said. "Let's skip tomorrow. I have important things to do. You can take a break now." Ser Arthur shrugged his shoulders and walked towards the exit, producing loud metallic sounds from his armor as he did. I picked up my sword and put it back in its sheath. I have lots to learn, he said. Might as well read some books tonight about the art of combat. I proceeded to leave the division assigned to me when Lord Doreen approached me. My skin crawled at the sight of him. He still looks intimidating even if he's wearing a smile. Or a smirk? I can't tell. "Good afternoon, my Lord." Usually, my subjects should be the ones greeting me first as sign of respect but I can't expect Lord Doreen to do that. When I stand close to him, he might be mistaken as the King. I am just a little boy, a weakling, compared to him.

"Good afternoon, your Grace. I was checking on the Lords' trainings when I saw you with my daughter a while ago. You're her new training partner during Loran's absence?" he asked sincerely. I heard that Lord Rosby and Lord Doreen are exchanging a few conversations in the past week. Grandfather even mentioned some sort of business being planned by the two houses but I didn't pay too much attention about that.

"I'm afraid not, my Lord." I tried pulling a genuine smile at him but his stone cold stare made me falter a bit. I felt my sincere smile turn into an awkward beam. I turned away before he saw the embarrassment that is the young King. "What do you think about the Lords? Fancy anyone for your daughter?"

He gave me a loud, sarcastic chuckle, the one that sounds nasal. I'd chuckle, too. We both know Corabella is stronger than anyone of the candidates. "I'm afraid I don't. I've seen my daughter fight. If I had to narrow it down to two possible winners, I'd probably choose Lord Farwynd and Lord Massey. They have a good chance of winning but the odds are very slim, I could cut through it with ease."

"I wouldn't wish for Massey to win, if I were you," I mentioned as a light joke. His face went serious, though. He reminds me of Grandfather sometimes but unlike the King's Hand, I doubt Lord Doreen could pull off a genuine and bright smile. Grandfather rarely does but at least I could witness those beams of his. Confusion was clear on his face and I'd rather not hear his low voice so I proceeded to explain. "Lord Farwynd is undoubtedly a great fighter and he has a lot of experience when it comes to tourneys. Lord Massey, he does as well but he's very arrogant. He couldn't keep his mouth shut and word is, he isn't very smart as well." It is true, though. My brother even hates him and I don't think anyone is worse than Joffrey. No one adores Massey, not even the prostitutes. I heard the maids gossip about him once. When he visited one of the brothels in King's Landing after he won the tourney, one lady from a brothel he visited refused to give service to him because he was an airhead. Needless to say, the woman was punished but I admired her honesty. I didn't mention that fact to Lord Doreen. Massey is still one of my people and I don't want to give him a bad image even if he already did that for himself.

I turned to Lord Doreen whose eyebrow raised at my explanation. He opened his mouth slightly and was about to say something when a loud shouting was heard approaching us. "Father! Father!" Cosimo, one of the twins was running towards Lord Doreen while waving his arms. The Lord opened his arms in a welcoming gesture and even… smiled. Yes, he smiled. It was something real. The corners of his mouth pulled at both sides, straight white teeth showing. His eyes lit up, showing the crinkles on the sides of his face that felt unusually warm and sincere. Cosimo crashed towards his father's arms and was lifted in the air. "Father! I found a new friend. He's very adorable, Father."

"Who's your new friend, son? Introduce me to him." Lord Doreen let the little boy down the ground and let go of him. He started running behind a large barrel, gesturing for his new friend to show himself. I find it odd if it's going to be a commoner. Only Highborns are allowed inside the castle grounds. I doubt that it is a young Lord as well because Cosimo is not the sort who makes friends with snobby rich children. So, much to my amusement in surprise, behind the barrel emerged a furry cat with green eyes. It was Ser Pounce.

"Father, your Grace, this is my new friend, Neve nera. Neve nera, this is my Father, Lord Ferardo Doreen. And this young lad here is the King. He's Tommen Baratheon." With much enthusiasm, he introduced us to my pet cat. "Neve nera, come here. Come on. Don't be shy." Cosimo called out to the cat a couple more times but Ser Pounce only sat there and looked at him with his bright green eyes. "He's still not used to his new name but he'll get it eventually."

I chuckled at him and ruffled his hair. "That's because he has one already," I told him with a smile on his face. Like his father, he was confused as well. To prove my point, I called out to my pet. "Ser Pounce, come with me. We'll arrange dinner with the Doreens." In an instant, Ser Pounce jumped up into my arms and purred silently towards my chest before closing his eyes. I saw Cosimo pout at himself.

"I've always wanted another pet. Too bad he's already yours." I chuckled at him once more.

"Don't worry. There's lots of people I know who sells domesticated animals. Maybe I can ask him to show some to you so you can have one," I offered. Cosimo smiled bright at me, excitement plastered all over his young and freckled face. Up close, he looked like a young Lord Doreen. He has the same dark eyes, same dark hair, and same odd-shaped lips. If he grew taller and maybe fashioned a beard on his face, I probably wouldn't tell him and his father apart. Unlike her brother, Corabella looked more like Lady Edvige if Lady Edvige had the skies trapped in her eyes.

Cosimo hugged me by the side and said lots of thanks while shaking in anticipation. "Thank you, your Grace! You are the best King I have ever met." He probably only met one, me. But I'll take his word for it.

"Well, my Lord, as I said, I will be arranging our dinner for tonight. Please bring your whole family to the dining halls. I would be glad to spend the rest of the evening planning out this tournament to come." Lord Ferardo gave me a small smile and nodded his head. He put his arm around Cosimo and said their farewells as they headed back to their quarters. I'll strip off of this armor in a minute then call Mother for the halls. I hope this spontaneous dinner arrangement I made turns out better than expected.

Corabella's Point of View

In the distance, I saw the back of his head. His brown hair which is usually swiped up now laying down in short brown waves. "Lorcan!" I called out. He was talking to a short man with a black moustache and long beard on his face. Both of them are wearing armor and tending to their stallions. I'm glad I made it just in time. They haven't left yet. "Lorcan!" This time, his head snapped to my direction. He gave a few more words to the man he was conversing with then nodded his head. He walked towards me, making me halt from my running.

"Corabella. What are you doing here?" he asked. "Aren't you supposed to be training?"

"I would be but you weren't there," I said through breathlessness. I paused for a while and inhaled. He offered me water from his pouch but I declined his offer, waving my hand. "You didn't tell me you were leaving. If Tommen didn't tell me, I wouldn't know."

He hooked the pouch back to his belt and gave me an apologetic smile, his dimples showing. I had to look up to him, considering our height difference, to get a clear view of his face. His eyebrows were drawn together as he spoke. "I'm sorry, my Lady. We got an urgent notice from my brother to go back to Rosby. We have to sort out our family's… well," he shrugged and rolled his eyes before continuing. "…finances, if that's the most proper word for it."

"How long until you come back? I had to train with the measly King today, you know!" I whined like a child. He only laughed in response. I am serious though. He can't expect me to train with Tommen. What does the boy-King know about the art of combat? Lorcan was the best thing that ever happened since our visit here in King's Landing. His precious knowledge about Westerosi techniques should not go to waste. Our stay here is limited and I'd rather spend it learning some new things from Lorcan than engage in the pathetic arrangement that my parents are forcing me to do.

"Three days, at most." He answered bluntly. That means he's going to miss the tournament. I wanted him to sit on our booth when the event takes place. I wanted to judge the Lords' skills with him and maybe pick up some new moves that he will elaborate. Plus, we share the same hatred to snobby, weak Lords and laughing at them as they plunge their faces to the muddy ground is a dream come true. And, though I didn't want to admit it verbally, I'd like to actually spend time with him as friends. I never had a lot of friends, in fact, my only friends are my siblings and my cousins, and so Lorcan is a genuine first. "Turn that smile upside-down, my Lady," he pointed out to me. I was involuntarily pouting at him and I was only noticing now. "I'll do my best to get back here before the grand finale takes place. We still have Lords to laugh at." I rolled my eyes at him teasingly, making him laugh hard. "Don't do that. It's improper for a Lady."

"Just promise me you'll be back here before it ends. I want you to see how I refuse the winner's offer." Lord Gyles was calling from afar and was gesturing for Lorcan to hurry up and mount his stallion. "It seems you have to go now."

He looked at me sadly and I can't help but pout again. To my surprise, he grabbed my hand in his and kissed it. I felt myself tense to his touch, his lips making contact with my skin felt foreign. He let go of my hand slowly and carefully locked eyes with me. "Wait for me, my Lady." I gasped at his words. Wait… Someone waited for me once and now I have to do the waiting. This scene felt like a different kind of déjà vu and it makes me feel strange all over again. In a second, he turned around and never looked back. I watched him ride his horse away as he faded farther and farther into the distance.

I decided to make my way back to my chambers and wash off the day. I just can't help but touch the spot on my hand which Lorcan kissed. His lips felt warm and plump, yet they felt so foreign as well. His kiss felt illegal, like he shouldn't have done it. It felt wrong in a lot of ways that I can't name. But at the same time, I did something worse. With the same finger going over Lorcan's kiss, I touched my lips carefully. Tommen kissed me here and I let him kiss me here. This is the same spot where we sinned. That morning, we did something wrong that I let done. I bit that spot. Though their kisses were different, I can't decide which scene I would want to happen: For Lorcan to kiss me on the lips, feeding my curiosity of how he feels sharing his taste with mine or kissing Tommen again and getting over my conscious guilt? Either way felt wrong, anyway.

"My Lady, good afternoon!" I woke from my trance as a familiar voice called out to me. I looked up and saw Lord Quagg approaching me. "You look beautiful today, my Lady. Not that you don't look beautiful yesterday or the day before that but I wouldn't know because…" he paused suddenly and gave me an embarrassed smile. "I'm rambling senselessly, aren't I?"

I let a small chuckle escape my lips before saying, "It's fine, my Lord. Good afternoon to you as well." He scratched the back of his head and looked down to his shoes. We're both walking side by side now. I'm guessing he's heading for the castle as well. "Did you train today, my Lord?" I asked casually.

"Oh, yes, my Lady," he said plainly. "It was my first time wearing heavy armor because I've never joined battles. It was quite a shock to me when I managed to move under its weight. I mean, you know," he wiggled his arms around in the air. "Frail arms aren't as stable as you'd think." He really is thin. I hope the knights took it easy on him. Lord Quagg isn't one of the toughest Lords after all. I'm not belittling him but even though he doesn't have much experience in the art of combat, he isn't totally hopeless. "But I did have fun, my Lady. This training and asking for your hand are all new to me. I've never done any of this before but I'm happy to finally delve into these activities. Thank you."

What he said touched me in some way. He was sincerely thanking me for a test that might injure him in the process and he's even wearing a smile on his face. "I'm just glad you're making the most of your time, my Lord." I don't think he will win, and I don't want him to, but I admire his perseverance. I admire his hard work.

"I'm sure my father would be proud of me."

"Your father? Where is he now?" I asked in curiosity.

He gave me a small smile. "He's in the hands of the Gods now, my Lady," he said while looking up the skies. The tone of his voice was sadder as well. All I managed to say was 'oh' and I quickly apologized for asking. "That's fine, my Lady," he countered. "I just wish he's looking down from the heavens and telling the other souls there 'Hey! That's my son. I'm glad he knows how to hold a sword now and work for something important.' While he was living, I was nothing but a disappointment but he was patient with me. My brothers fancied weapons and women and all I did was hide behind their shadows." I continued my silence as we walk. I noticed that he was in his own bubble now, reminiscing about his father. "My uncles told me how shameful it was for me to be his firstborn but he kept his hopes up, he still had faith in me even on his deathbed. And finally, now that I met you, my Lady, I finally have something to work hard for."

"You don't need to do these for me."

"I'm not." I was taken aback. Aren't all these for me? His perseverance, his hard work, his newfound self-esteem? "I wouldn't win in that arena, my Lady and I know that you know it." I turned away in embarrassment but all he did was chuckle. I felt my cheeks grow warm. "You wouldn't be my wife, my Lady. You're too good for me. This is for me, my Lady. I'm finally finding myself. But to be honest, I should've done that from day one."

After that we walked in total silence and only our breaths invaded our ears. What he shared to me lit up something inside me. I have been so selfish this whole time. I have put these Lords to a devious test hoping that I will have them bruised here in there before having my hand without thinking of the fact that maybe some of them couldn't handle it. I thought Lord Quagg was like that but it turns out that he isn't as weak as people, including me, think. These other men are only strong in the outside but their insides, their hearts, are dead. Winning a tourney is not the only measurement of strength. Lord Quagg defeats them when it comes to a strong mind and heart. When one of the Lords win, what will happen next? If I accepted them will they love me because I am me as a person? Or will they love me because I look like this person that they want? I realize it now that they are not fighting for me but for how I look. Did I make the right decision of letting them battle one another for my hand?

It's too late now. "Well, here I am, my Lady." Lord Quagg said, snapping me back to reality. "I'll see you later, then. Thank you again for this opportunity and I hope whoever wins this tourney would be the one deserving."

Oh, my Lord. I do hope so to.

Author's Note: Thank you for being so patient with this story and my broken promises for updating L Anyway, since school is still taking up most of my time and since I'm working on another fanfiction (to be released soon), Long Live the Boy-King will be updated monthly. It's a hard decision for me to make especially now that my reads are dropping but it's a risk I'm willing to take. So, to those readers who are still willing to follow my story, thank you very much!

Qs:

- How do you feel about Lorcan and Tommen admitting their deep attraction to Corabella?

- What are your thoughts about Corabella's conversation with Lord Quagg?

- What would you want to happen next?