Chapter 14: Gulltown and closure
Riverlands
Brynden Tully read the the letter that the raven brought to him. It was a raven from Kings Landing. A raven that was written by Brandon Stark. The new Ward of the Riverlands. Ever since his brother and nephew died. At first he was sceptical that Brandon would be a good Lord. He was off course bred to be the Lord of Winterfell and the Ward of the North. They were different as light and day and yet he was doing a good job. With the help of his little Cat he was a great Ruler of the Riverlands and people were also warming towards him. Stark the Ward of the Riverlands and the Ward of the North now as Eddard took over Winterfell and now there is one Stark in the Crownlands as well. It seems Starks are taking over the realm. If any family should rule the Kingdom it should be the Starks. One of the most honourable family he ever come across.
He took the letter and went to the Great Hall to find his other niece. When he entered he saw her she was sitting on the window sill looking upon the river. Lysa was not as a striking beauty as her sister Catelyn. She had more of a delicate beauty with her rosy cheeks and a small cherub face. Long wavy red hair and big blue eyes that make her look so innocent. He was a small creature not much taller than 5 feet. She had the most delicate giggle in the word. She was a gentle creature by nature and loosing her brother and father hurt her a lot. What also nearly destroyed her father refusing to marry her to that Petyr boy. He never really liked him. He was to slimy and sneaky and he plotted to get the sisters fighting with each other. Before anything bad could happen Hoster sent him away. Away from the sisters. Maybe this marriage that Brandon arranged with the Arryn boy is what the little Lady needs to bring the smile back on her face and the light in her eyes.
"Lysa I have good news for you." Brynden said alerting the red headed girl who looked at him with sad blue eyes
"Can I go to King Landing Uncle? I want to be with my sister. I want to see the King and Queen." She asked with exited voice and her eyes shone.
"You are not going to Kings Landing. A war started it is too dangerous. You have marriage proposal that Brandon and Cat agreed to and so did I." Brynden said and Lysa although looked a little bit deflated looked exited at the prospect.
"Who is he Uncle. Is he handsome? Is he brave?" Lysa said with an excitement of a child making Brynden chuckle.
"It is Elbert Arryn. You will be Lady of the Eyrie and Warden of the Vale. He will march here as soon as the Rebels in Gulltown will be defeated." Brynden said and Lysa giggled and clapped her hand.
"I heard he is a handsome man Uncle! Oh I must begin to make the best beautiful dress ever. I must look splendid!" Lysa said giggling taking the bottom of the dress in her hands and running out of the Great Hall. Brynden shook his head at his niece and sat down at the table and began to write the to Brandon. He needs to write that Lysa is happy about the marriage.
Gulltown
Elbert Arryn was in the tent looking at the table with the map. Gulltown was harder to take back then anticipated. The rebel forces were to hard to fight back. Almost two one third of the Vale took Roberts side and Elbert was angry and saddened by that thought that men that he was supposed to rule over. Men that he grew up with will be against him. They fought for almost a fortnight now. One thing Elbert can say about the men of the Vale is that they can fight like no other for what they believed it. They believed that Robert would be a better King then Rhaegar. They though that the Targaryen line was tainted. That it was rotten and diseased. They still remember the Mad king and how he wanted to burn the whole Kingdom to grown. They do not believe that the son would be better than the father.
Elbert did not believe that. He met Rhaegar at the Tourney of the Harrenhal and he was a soft spoken young man. He was not his father and Elbert was faithful to the King. To be honest Elbert never liked Robert. He was a drunk. All he wanted was to fight and fuck. He was never serious. Even if he was supposed to be the Lord of Storms End and the Warden to the Stormlands bit he never took it serious it was all joke to him. Now Eddard was a serious man who took everything to seriously. He was a second born who had to take the responsibility to rule over the largest kingdom of the country. Elbert looked up to him. He wanted to be like him.
"My Lord, the rebels are taking over. They will get through the port soon if we don't find them off." Lord Grafton said and Elbert nodded.
"Then we must fight until we win." Elbert said took his sword and fallowed Lord Grafton t the war ground that once was a beautiful town.
Elbert fought valiantly cutting every man that came at him. Men that at some he knew. Men that he admired. Men that he played with at children. He was fighting men that he would have to rule over if he became the Warden of the Vale.
It was then that he saw him. Robert Baratheon striking men with his hammer. It was a truly a vision. Tall and broad man with raven hair blowing in the wind. He wanted to kill the bastard. Wanted to make him pay for putting friend against friends family against family. He was the reason that the war started.
Elbert made a move toward Robert. He was turned away from him. Fighting other men. If he struck him the war will be over. If he killed the man now no more bloodshed will happen. He made a move at Robert when he felt a blow to the bag of his head and the last think he saw was Robert killing Lord Grafton before the world turned black.
When he woke up with he groaned as his was pounding and his mouth was dry.
"Do not move my Lord you took a nasty blow to the head." Kyle Royce said and Elbert closed his eyes.
"Did we win. Is Gulltown ours." Elbert asked
"Aye My Lord we managed to fight then off but some escaped in the ship. One of them was Robert Baratheon. He is sailing to the Stormlands as we speak. I believe that the fighting was just a cover up so that Robert can sneak out off the Port." Kyle said and Elbert cursed.
"I thought we can contain it here. Put an end to it. Kill the bastard. But it seemed that the war is only started." Elbert said.
"Aye My Lord. It is just the beginning. This war will change the history. It will be sung about for many generations." Kyle said.
"I know Kyle. I know. But a lot of people will lose their lives because of a fool that could not take rejection." Elbert said and closed his eyes. He needed to rest. He won the battle but lost it at the same time as Robert escaped. Only where was Lyanna now?
Kings Landing
Cercei was walking down the corridors of the castle. She atmosphere was grim. The death of the Queen Mother. The abduction of Lyanna. The impending War. The next few month will be hard on everybody. Men will leave for war and women will have to take care of everything. She was to stay on this Castle until the war was over. She will stay in this city until everything was over.
"Cersei long time no see sister." Cersei gasped and turned around fallowing the voice with the hand on her hand.
"Gods Jamie are you trying to kill me." Cersei said looking at the man who she loved. At the man who her heart ached for. At the man who she cannot have. A man that was married and so was she.
"You were deep in though just wanted to take advantage of it." Jamie said chuckling at his sister. At his lover. At his soulmate. She was so beautiful. He wanted to kiss her yet he knew he cannot. He was married. He swore an oath to another and he will keep it. No matter how much his heart ached for Cersei.
"Is married life agreeing with you brother?" Cersei asked crossing her arms.
"As much as I can at the moment. My wife is beautiful. Even a blind man would see it. I desire her. I liked talking to her yet she is not you. She is not the one I love." Jamie said keeping her distance away from her. He did not want to be tempted to take her in his arms.
"Oh Jamie I love you too but we cannot be together. We were just fooling ourselves. As much as it hurts it is the truth." Cersei said.
"I know sister. Do you love him?" Jamie asked closing his eyes. He did not want to know the answer bit at the same time he wanted to know it.
"I do not love him. Not yet. But I might. He is different Jamie. Very different than you. He makes me feel thing I do not understand. He makes me feel save." Cersei said knowing that the words could hurt her brother but he needed to tell him the truth. She never could lie to him.
"I guess it was bound to happen. His the honourable Stark." Jamie said with a bitter voice.
"Do you love her?" Cersei asked with a hard voice.
"No yet. I might do. I probably will. She is easy to to get on with." Jamie said an Cersei smiled sadly and looked at her brother.
"It looks like we were lucky to be married to such people." Cersei said and Jamie nodded and smiled sadly at her. He went over to Cersei and took her face in his hands and looked at her deep in her eyes before kissing her forehead.
"I wish you farewell sister. I hope you will have beautiful children with the Stark boy and a happy marriage." Jamie said. No mater what he wanted he cannot be with her so he will wish her good fortune. For now he is married and he cannot hurt Elia. She did not deserve one.
"I wish you farewell brother. May you be the best Lord of Casterly Rock has ever seen." Cersei said and Jamie chuckled.
"Thank you sister." Jamie said before turning on his heel and leaving. Cersei closed her eyes and let some tears fall before wiping them. She will not cry for her brother. Not anymore. She was married. To a good man. To an honourable man. She might even love him. She will be shipped to a far away land but she will be a Lady of Winterfell. She will rule the North alongside her husband. And Jamie was married to a wonderful woman who will help him to become the best man he could be.
When Cersei entered her bedchamber Eddard was already there. He was pacing the room angrily. She closed her door and Eddard stopped his pacing and turned around to face her.
"My Lady I thought you will be with Catelyn today." He said in a hard tone making Cersei confused.
"I was. She grew tired and went to sleep. Willam and Sansa too. Are you al right Eddard. You seem distressed?" Cersei stood there at the door looking as her husband face turned into shame and looked at the floor.
"I almost broke my oath Cersei. I almost broke my oath to you Cersei. I am truly sorry." Eddard said with a voice full of shame. Cersei stood up straight. Her shoulders tense and her face hard as stone.
"What did you do Eddard?" She said looking at her husband. She let her guard down and was starting to fall and now she was rewarded for her stupidity. Love makes you weak. That is what her father always used to say. She was stupid.
"I know Ashara Cersei. I knew her before she was Roberts wife. I met her at the Tourney of Harrenhal. We danced and we spend the whole Tourney together. At the last night I kissed her and asked her to marry me. I was just a second born son then. Brandon was supposed to be the Lord of Winterfell. I did not have the responsibility. I fell in love. She said no. She wanted Robert and Iet it go. He had took her. I went to see her today. See how she was. If she was feeling alright. I almost kissed her." Eddard said and Cersei felt anger. She could almost picture that cunt looking at him with those pretty purple eyes looking like a damsel in distress. She got herself in that position. She fucked before she married and now she will birth a bastard.
Cersei closed her eyes and pictured Eddard kissing Ashara like he kissed her. Making love to Ashara like he made love to her. She went across the room to get a goblet of water but she felt red hot jealousy. How dare he?! How dare he shame her as well? She took a hairbrush and she threw it at him in her rage. She hit him in the shoulder.
"How dare you? How dare you embarrass me like that? I am you wife now do you have no regard for me. Did you two fuck? Do you still want her? Will you visit her bedchamber once more. She is a whore who fucked got pregnant and had to get married." Cersei asked shaking with anger. Eddard looked at her with angry eyes. They were almost black and Cersei felt a rush of want for this man when he looked at her like that.
"I did not fuck her my Lady. I wanted to and had she not moved her head I would have kissed her. May I suggest you not calling some one a whore where you have not been a maiden yourself when I took you in our marriage bed. You have fucked someone else as well yet I did not say a word about that." Eddard shouted back at her and Cersei screamed in anger and moved to hit to slap her husband when he stopped her hand and took a hold of it. Eddard looked at her. She had red cheeks eyes wet from anger and her chest was moving up. She looked so good that he kissed her. He kissed her hard on the mouth. Cersei stood on her tiptoes and returned the kiss with as much favour grabbing at his hair bringing him as close as she could. She wanted to hurt him as much as she wanted to please him.
Eddard felt his way from her backside to her neck and ripped the dress at that back making Cersei gasp in his mouth. He ripped the dress from her body and picked her naked form from the ground and carried her over to the bed squeezing her ass. She moved her lips from his mouth top the jaw biting and nipping where she could before making her way to his neck where she bit him. Hard. Leaving a ark and marking him. Making him hers. He groaned and dropped her to the bed. He looked at her now flushed and breathing heavily and took his clothes on as fast as he could before he was on her again kissing her. He took no time in preparing his wife this time he just entered her in one swift moment and biting her on her neck making her scream and rake her nail on his back until he was bleeding.
Eddard took both of her arms and pinned them above her head and keeping them there with one hand and the other one was playing with her breast and he began to pound into her mercilessly. Long gone was the proper Lord Eddard Stark the heir to the Winterfell. He lost himself in the woman he called his wife but he was fucking her like a common whore and she loved every minute of it. She trashed and screamed under him arching her back at the pleasure her husband was giving her.
Eddard looked at Cersei and she was different from Ashara. Ashara was never his and never will be but Cersei was his and will be his future and he was glad. He wanted this woman who can anger him to the point that he lost control. He let go of her hand and they found themselves into his hair and brought him in for a kiss. It was a desperate kiss. Full of want and passion. It was a kiss he wanted to get lost in.
When air was needed Eddard looked at Cersei and moved his hand down her body until he was touching that little nub inside of her. He wanted to see her come undone and it was not long before his wife was grasping the sheets and screaming so loud the whole castle would be able to hear her as she reached her climax. He wanted to reach it with her but before he had to say something with her. Still pounding hard into her he whispered in her ear.
"I do not desire anybody but you. I only want you. No one else." He said and Cersei sobbed into his shoulder and kissed it as they both reached another climax together.
Eddard fell onto the bed panting. He looked at his wife who was completely spend next him panting as well. He closed his eyes and wore a smile on his face. He was sated and happy that he finally let go of Ashara Dayne. He knew she would never be for him. There were was one big obstacle in their way and that was Robert. His future laid with Cersei.
"I apologize about what I said about Ashara. It was not my place to judge. But there is no one else but you Ned. Only you as well." Cersei whispered next to him and Ned smiled an d turned on his side and looked at his wife.
"I like it when you call me Ned." He said kissed her cheek.
"I like it when you lose control." Cersei said and Ned chuckle. He took her in his arms and laid back down on his back.
"Will you have to kill Robert?" Cersei asked and Eddard opened his eyes and looked at the canopy of the bed. He though about it. A lot over the last couple of weeks and he made peace with the decision.
"I hope it will not come to that but if I would have to then yes I would have to kill him. Even if doing so will kill me as well." Eddard said and Cersei kissed his chest.
Elia stood in the royal nursery looking at the babe who was just woke up from her nap. She was now nearly a month and he was a beautiful babe. She looked a lot like Rhaegar and the late Queen. She picked the babe up and began singing to her. She could imagine that in another lifetime this would be hers and Rhaegar's child. Rhaegar was a constant visitor of the Dorne since he turned ten and one. He would visit al lest twice a year. He mostly was present at Starfall where his great friend Arthur was from but Elia and Oberyn visited there often as well and met then Prince Rhaegar many times. Rhaegar had a voice of an angel and Elia loved to listen to him when he sang. She dreamed that at some point they will marry and she would become her Queen. Years later she was happy when there were talks of her being betrothed to the Prince. She would be a great Queen and wife to him and she dreamed if many silver haired children.
Yet the betrothal never came and the fateful Tourney happened when Rhaegar names Lyanna Queen and Love and Beauty. Rhaegar saw Lyanna and wanted her. He wanted to marry the young wolf and marriage to Elia was a distant dream.
"You look good with a child on your hands." Rhaegar's voice startled Elia and she yelped making Rhaegar chuckle for the first time in a months time. Elia looked at the now King and smiled sadly. He looked thin and pale. He had dark circles under his eyes.
"Thank you Your Grace." Elia said and smiled at the King
"Please Elia you never bothered with pleasantries why start now?" Rhaegar said remembering how seven year old Elia through a mud pie at his face the first time they have met.
"You were not the King then." Elia said putting the babe back in the crib and looking at the King.
"I was not. At one point I thought you would have been my Queen." Rhaegar said and walked over to the window looking at the stars.
"In another life time maybe you have found your Queen and she will return to you soon." Elia said walking towards the King and standing next to him. It was a quiet evening.
"Half of the Kingdom is turning against me Elia. They do not want me as the king." He said
"Prove them wrong. Show them that you are not your father. You are a better King then he could ever be." Elia said and Rhaegar smiled.
"You have great men who standing behind you and they are not looking for just their Queen. They are looking for their sister and daughter. She will be found and will come unharmed to you." Elia said and Rhaegar nodded
"Are you pleased with your marriage?" Rhaegar asked and Elia chuckled
"I am pleased Rhaegar. You do not need to carry the guilt with you of not wedding me all f your life. You married for love. That is rare. I may come to love my husband in time but I am pleased with my match." Elia said and she walked out of the chamber leaving the King with the little Princess.
Elia walked into her bedchamber and found Jamie concentrating on writing a letter. He was deep in though that he did not hear her come it. She smiled and walked over to him and kissed his cheek. He jumped a little but smiled and grabbed her and made her sit on his lap and kissed him. It was slow nd lazy kiss and it brought a smile on Elia face.
"Where have you been oh wife of mine." Jamie asked and Elia chuckled putting one strand of his golden locks behind his ear.
"You need a hair cut oh dead husband of mine." Elia said and Jamie took her hand and kissed her wrist.
"Do not change the subject wife." Jamie said
"I was with the Princess and I was talking to the King." Elia said and Jamie stilled kissing her wrist and looked upon Elia.
"Do I need to be jealous?" He asked and Elia shook her head.
"No you do not. I am faithful to you husband. Will you be faithful to me?" Elia asked and Jamie felt his heart jump. Did she know about Cersei. Did she know he loved another.
"Stop it Jamie she does not know." Jamie said in his head.
"I will be faithful to you and only you my wife." Jamie said and Elia smiled kissing his lips.
There we go its another chapter out of the way. Here we have another marriage will happen. This time it is Elbert Arryn not Jon like in the cannon as he is not dead here cause he did not go with Rickard to Kings Landing. Maybe this time she will be happy. Cersei and Jamie let each other go. Gulltown in taken back but Roberts slipped away and will rally his forces in the Stormlands. Ned let go of Ashara. Read and find out more about the rebellion on later chapters. I am trying to keep the rebellion as it was in cannon. As much as I can without reading the books. Hope you guys like it.