Rosamund

"You must be strong," she told her brother as she kissed him on the forehead. I'm the one being sent away, but he's the one crying. She could not blame him for that either. Today was the day that had been set for her to finally leave King's Landing. She would be leaving this life in King's Landing, and beginning her adventure to start a new one in Dorne.

Trystane was already waiting on the ship, Seaswyft, the fastest of the royal fleet that still remained in King's Landing. Her mother and uncle had worried that their ship may be intercepted by uncle Stannis's men as they passed by Dragonstone, so they would be traveling with ten ships to escort them. Uncle Tyrion had assured her though that he didn't think it likely they would be attacked by Stannis. All his strength was still at Storm's End, laying siege after all. Her father's other brother, Renly, had been killed too, though how remained unclear. She had been fond of Renly, and now his Castallen was holding out at Storm's End, forcing Stannis to stay there until the castle fell.

She had said goodbye to Joff first, and he had been polite to her. He always could be polite enough when he needed to be, but she could always see the more angry look in his eyes. It was plain to her that he did not want her to remain in King's Landing any longer. A part of her hoped this would be the last time she ever had to see him again.

But it was Tommen who worried her more. "Promise me you will," she said, wiping away the tears from his emerald green eyes.

"I will…" He replied, but with how softly he spoke, it didn't really reassure her.

"Perhaps mother will allow you to visit sometime," she told him. She didn't think it was very likely. Her going to Dorne was already dangerous enough, and Tommen was the heir to the throne. If anything happened to him, that would mean Myrcella or little Eddard or Stannis would be heir. She thought any one of them would make for a better ruler than her older brother, but she knew better than to say that aloud.

That seemed to cheer him up a little at least. She didn't need him to say anything to know he was imagining what it would be like to go to Dorne, and perhaps for them to pay a visit to Myrcella. One day, she hoped, thinking of how the Young Wolf had sent peace terms to King's Landing. Uncle Tyrion had told her the terms were unacceptable, though perhaps a peace could be made in time. With Dorne in the fold, he had said perhaps peace can come a little sooner. And her marriage had been the key to that.

"Goodbye," she told him one last time, before turning to her mother. She was wearing a red and gold dress, with her emerald crown, that made her look beautiful. Like a queen should, Rosamund supposed.

"You look wonderful, dear," her mother said, kissing her on the cheek, and Rosamund forced herself to smile a little.

"Thank you mother," she said. They embraced each for only a few seconds, and then she began to turn away, walking to the ship. Her uncle was speaking a few words to the captain, while the princess took her place on the stern of the ship, waiting for them to leave.

As the ship began to move, she could see her mother, uncle, and brothers all clearly standing on the docks. Rosamund waved goodbye for a time, blinking as little as possible, taking in the last sight of what had been her home, as it faded from view. She remained there a while afterwards, until Ser Arys came to her.

"Are you well, princess?" The white knight asked. He was a comely man, with brown eyes and lighter hair. Strong and brave and honorable. A true knight. Trystane had a sworn sword of his own, Ser Gascoyne of the Greenblood, who had come to King's Landing with him when Lord Arryn had agreed for him to be taken as a page in court. Rosamund prayed neither would prove to be of need during their journey though.

First they would be sailing to Braavos, and then from there they would be safe according to Tyrion. If Stannis attacked them then, he would be angring the powers of the greatest of the nine Free Cities then, he said. And after that, they would be able to continue on to Dorne, unmolested.

"Yes," she lied. She already felt a little seasick, even though she never had before in the past. Or at least she wished it was only seasickness. Deep down, Rosamund sensed it was something more than that. The sooner we arrive at Sunspear, the better. She had been a fool, but she had felt it better than entertaining the fancies of Morros Slynt or allowing herself to be shipped off to the Vale to marry Jon Arryn's sickly son who was several years her junior. Dorne had been the only kingdom save for the Iron Islands that she had never traveled to before, and she was glad for the adventure.

"You don't look well," he said.

Rosamund shrugged. "So be it." It's not going to be easy.

She started away from the rail, looking for Trystane, and eventually found him below deck in their quarters, setting up a game of cyvasse. She walked in and closed the door behind her.

"Care to play?" He asked her.

"Sure," she said. I don't have much else to do at the moment. Myrcella had taught her how to play Cyvasse as a girl, when she had taken one of her trips back to King's Landing from Winterfell, but she had never learned where Trystane was taught how to play.

Rosamund began to arrange her pieces to start, taking note of how Trystane had already set his up. She knew his strategy well enough by now, but still had yet to find a way to beat it.

"Are you ready?" He asked when she finally looked up.

She nodded, and made her first move, bringing forward one of her elephants.

They played silently, as they often did. The game seemed to take several hours, with them carefully thinking through each and every move. But this time, she won.

"Another round?" He asked after. She tried to read his big brown eyes, but wasn't sure what he was thinking still. He is still a stranger to me, even though we are wed.

She shook her head. "I… I have something to tell you…"

"What is it?"

"I… I…"

She couldn't quite bring herself to say the words aloud.

"W-what's happened?"

"C-come here," she told him.

Trystane did as she asked, walking around the Cyvasse table, looking over here. "Is… Is something wrong?" He sat down next to her, looking over her, concerned, trying to figure out what was wrong.

She took a hand and grabbed his to place it on her tummy, pressing down to reveal it wasn't quite flat.

He was silent for a moment, and then his eyes widened as he realized what he was telling her. "You… You're…"

Rosamund nodded. Her mother had forbidden them from sharing a bed after they had wed, whilst still in King's Landing. After they had been caught with one another, her mother had been furious, and threatened to geld Trystane. Only Uncle Tyrion had been able to talk her down from that, and convinced her that a Dornish alliance was needed. "Let them wed," he had said. "Their marriage shall heal the rift between our two houses."

"Small good that served us with Ned Stark," had been her mother's only response before storming off.

"W-why didn't… You tell me earlier?" He asked, sitting down next to her. There was a little frustration in his tone, but mostly shock..

"My mother… She… She wouldn't have been-" She started.

"-Pleased?" He finished, with a knowing look in his eyes. "That won't matter in Dorne," he assured her.

"Can you tell me about your mother?" She asked. She and Trystane had not been allowed much time together since the wedding, and had seldom spoken before. "Is… Is she kinder than mine?"

"I… I scarcely know her," he admitted, shrugging "She… She returned to Norvos when I was seven… Not long before father sent me to court."

"Oh," Rosamund said. Her father had seldom been present in her life, but she had a hard time imagining what it would be like without her mother. "W-what's her name?" Uncle Tyrion had told her at some point. Melanie or Mylenda, she thought, trying to remember.

"Mellario."

"Mellario," she echoed. A pretty name. "Perhaps we could visit her… After the babe is born."

Trystane pondered the notion. "Mayhaps," he said. :"My father though…"

"What about him?"

"Mother returned to Norvos because of my father's plans," he told her. "Quentyn was fostered at Yronwood and Arianne in Tyrosh. Fostering children isn't custom in Novos, you see. She protested vehemently both times. When my father suggested that I would be sent to court to serve as a royal page, she told him she would leave Westeros, and did." He snorted a little. "They wed for love once, but all I ever remember is them arguing."

Rosamund had been only a girl when Myrcella had gone to Winterfell, but she still remembered how her mother and father had fought that entire night, just as her mother and uncle fought over her marriage. Her mother's voice had been completely gone the next morning, while did not see King Robert that next day at all. Myrcella had departed with Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn less than a week after that. "My mother and father never loved each other," she said. "Father was to marry Lady Lyanna Stark, until she was taken by Prince Rhaegar. After Lord Eddard returned, my grandfather suggested my mother as a bride."

Trystane nodded. She could tell he already knew the story well enough, so she did not dwell on the details. Rosamund had always wondered whether her mother and father might have been able to be happy had Lady Lyanna lived. Mother would most likely have wed some knight or lord in the west, for better or worse, and she was not likely to exist at all.

They had a silent exchange between them, and Rosamund could tell they were both thinking the same thing. Trystane put his hand on her belly for a moment before kissing her on the lips. A short kiss, but sweet.

When they finished, he went back over to his side of the table. "Care for a rematch?"

Author Notes:

This chapter does take place chronologically before the first Jeyne chapter, so… Just keep that in mind. So Rosamund doesn't know about Myrcella's "death" or anything.

Rosamund is 14 here, and Trystane is 15…

Special thanks to Theo_Lannister for the cover art.