cw / descriptions of blood and wounds, age gap (she's 17 he's 8000... it happens sometimes y'know)
The days had started blending into each other. An endless cycle of sleeping and riding. Sleeping and riding. Sleeping and riding.
She did not even have a destination in mind. She just needed to get away. Away from the people she had harmed. From the people she had killed.
Her dreams were haunted by their wails. By the blood on her hands. The laughter of the soldiers. She had awoken with a scream more than once.
She should have never come here. She should have gone back to Sunspear when she still had the chance. She should have gone home.
By what right had she called herself a knight? Knights protected people, saved them from the kind of monsters that followed her eternally. Knights certainly did not bring the doom onto those they were sworn to protect.
She could have gone bathing in her misery forever, yet the gods had other plans for her.
It happened during a full moon. She had been lying curled up against a tree, staring into the distance, and trying not to fall asleep. She would have travelled through the night, but she had to let Starlight rest.
Her gaze had wandered up, looking through the canopy to the moon above. That was when the voices had begun.
They started slow, almost unnoticeable. And when she had finally realised, she couldn't move anymore. Forced to stare at the moon, laid bare for the spirits.
come come come
follow us follow us follow us
we need you we need you we need you
Who are you?
we are nothing
but he needs your help
he is trapped
I cannot help you. I cannot help anyone.
you are the only one
go and find him
he is not far
Where?
in a castle nearby
your steed will lead you
you have to go
Why me?
you know why
look inside yourself
there you will find the answer
A blink of her eyes, and the sky had turned a bright blue, scattered sun rays breaking through the leaves and caressing her face. The usual headache was slowly creeping up.
She did not want to go. Did not want to risk endangering anyone else. And yet…
It was only one person, if the spirits were to be believed. Only one person she had to free from an unknown danger - something she had become quite adept at.
One last task. Then she would bother the Riverlands no longer.
Starlight indeed seemed to know the way, strengthening her conviction that there was something odd about her horse.
It was not long until they reached their destination, and it took a moment for her to realise it. The castle was almost completely hidden behind mountains of thorn bushes, only some stones and the roof of the highest tower jutting out from the endless green. A trench separated the castle from the outside world.
She dismounted from Starlight and walked closer, hand gripping the reins.
The decline was steep, and it looked like the moat had once been filled with water. Yet no grass grew on the earthy bottom.
Starlight whinnied.
"Hey, it's alright." She petted her mare. "I'll be alright."
Both the moat and the thorns surrounded the castle completely, no bridge or portal or safe passing in sight. So the only way inside was to climb.
She could do this, she told herself as she slid down the stones into the trench. She had climbed walls before, she had climbed castle walls before, this was nothing new.
Except that she had never had to make her way through waist-high undergrowth filled with thorns just to begin her climb.
Finding stones secure enough to hold on to was difficult, but she managed. She had to go slow, had to evade the greenery out to get her. Yet no matter how careful she was, every movement led to her clothing getting entangled with the thorns, and when she tried to free it she pricked herself. Over and over again.
Her cloak got stuck most of all. To the thorns on her right, to the thorns on her left, to the thorns below her. She tugged and pulled at it, desperate to get it untangled quickly as her strength was slowly leaving her, but all it did was rip the fabric. Perhaps she should have left it behind. All it did was remind her of her failures.
She grabbed a stone with her left hand and tried to pull herself up, when it was suddenly ripped out of the wall. A scream passed her lips as she lost her footing and almost tumbled after the brick to the ground, only hanging on by one hand's fingertips. Her heart hammered in her chest as she was faced with the deep plunge that awaited her.
Starlight's whinnies echoed through the clearing. She swung her upper body back forward and quickly grabbed the first thing her hand could find, pressing herself closely to the wall.
Her skin was littered with wounds, her breath came in short bursts, and her arms trembled from the exhaustion. She could not go on for much longer. She was tired and so, so exhausted. The top was so close, and yet too far away at the same time.
She closed her eyes and leaned her forehead against the cold stone.
Warrior, I beg you, lend me your strength. Let me finish this. Don't abandon me. Please, I beg you.
Right foot up, left hand up. Left leg up, right hand up. And again. And again. And again. And again. And again. And aga…
She heaved herself over the battlements and fell forward onto the ground, not even perceiving the thorns jabbing into her back. Her necklace had dislodged itself from her clothing at some point and now hung heavily around her throat.
The sun stood high in the sky. It must be almost midday by now. Had her climb truly taken this long?
She blinked. Then furrowed her brows.
Her headache was gone. Had disappeared from one moment to the next. The general exhaustion she felt after a full moon was gone as well.
What was this place?
She slowly rose from the ground, more careful of her injured hands than before, and looked around.
It was not only the walls that had been overgrown by the thorns, it was every other part of the castle as well. Stairs, balconies, windows, even what might have once been a well in the courtyard.
As she descended down a set of stony stairs, she noted for the first time how quiet it was. Not just just for a lack of human voices - she could go without those for ages - but also for a lack of every other sound. No birds, no stream, no wind, no creaking, no footsteps. Almost as if there were a barrier around this entire castle, shielding it from the outside.
(But then how did she get in?)
Her eyes skittered around the courtyard as she walked, on the constant lookout for movement.
There had to be something living here. No place was ever truly abandoned, especially not one situated in a forest brimming with life.
And yet she crossed the way to the main gate without interruption - without one that wasn't her cloak getting stuck on the thorns by her feet.
She wondered if it was worth salvaging.
The portal loomed tall above her, its dark wood covered almost entirely by the green tendrils. She tried to push against it, but- nothing. The thorns held it in place far too well.
Before she would end up fighting a losing battle against the vines, she decided to look around. There had to be some side door or servant's passage that perhaps had not been entirely blocked.
And indeed, she quite quickly found a door, not far from the main gate, yet she doubted it could have ever been used by the servants of this castle.
No vines covered it, either because someone had recently passed here or, and she decided she did not like the second option, nature was scared of what laid behind it.
Intricate carvings had been inlaid in the wood, of stars and sun rays, all positioned around a piece of glass worked into the centre of the door. She tried to look through it, yet was only met with darkness.
Much like the main gate, this door refused to move even an inch when she pushed against it. And unlike the gate, it did not even have a handle.
She groaned, and leant back against the wood, when her gaze caught on something in front of her.
A hole had been created in the castle wall; a perfect circle with golden lines engraved around it, making it look like… sun rays.
She turned back to the door.
The sun was situated under the glass, the thickest of its rays connecting the two. And the stars… They depicted a section of the night sky: the morning wanderer making its way through the constellations of the Pegasus and the Maiden's Snowdrop.
Back to the hole.
If the light shone through it at the perfect moment and hit the glass, perhaps the door would open. But what was the right moment?
Back to the door.
The constellations had to have been chosen for a reason. She studied them, trying to recall what she could from her short episode of obsessing over the stars a few years back.
The morning wanderer, sacred to the Crone, was the last object seen in the night sky before dawn, bringing an end to the darkness. The Pegasus had been Hugor of the Hill's steed, raised into eternity amongst the stars after it had died defending its rider. It was best visible during the beginning days of the year. And as for the Maiden's Snowdrop… The flower heralded the beginning of spring, but she remembered nothing about the constellation.
So where did that leave her?
The stars had to be showing her the exact time the door would open, she could think of no other reason for the carvings to exist.
The morning wanderer's symbolism was simple. The only connection to time the Pegasus had was its visibility on the night sky. And if the Maiden's Snowdrop did not reference the constellation but rather the flower then-
The morning of the first day of spring.
Well, shit.
It was the afternoon of a random day in autumn. Neither waiting nor abandoning her task was an option, not when she had come this far. There had to be a different way.
The sun stood just above the castle walls, and its rays did fall on the glass, but apparently not at the right angle. Perhaps she could…
She drew her dagger and held it up. Dorea and Teora had always used their jewellery for this, but a blade had to suffice.
She stood facing the sun, dagger held before her chest. The light hit the metal and was instantly reflected onto the wall before her. Shifting the blade and herself, the bright spot eventually hit the glass, yet nothing happened. She adjusted her stance, walked forward, then back, held the dagger higher, then lower. She played this dance again and again and again until-
The glass glowed brightly for a second, and then the door swung open.
She sent a quick prayer to the gods, before she sheathed her dagger and carefully stepped inside.
Before her laid a long corridor. Small windows adorned the wall to her right, letting in the afternoon light. But besides them, there was nothing. Just stone.
She set one foot forward. Then followed with the other. When nothing happened she started walking. Slowly, prepared to act at a moment's notice.
At the end of the hall sat a staircase leading downwards into the dark.
She looked back to the door. It still stood open, light and warmth falling through it. It would be easy to walk out, leave this castle, and never look back.
She turned to the dark, and descended into it.
The stairs stayed strong and robust throughout, taking no turns, allowing her to rely on the light behind her for much longer than she would have anticipated. Yet, eventually, the darkness won out.
Her hands traced the walls on either side, giving her guidance as well as alerting her about any changes in the path's structure. Not that anything actually changed. There was just endless stone and small droplets of water.
Suddenly, an icy cold wind swept across her, and she lost the ability to move. Ghostly fingers crept across her skin, burying their nails into her wounds. She cried out.
you are not supposed to be here.
"Please. I only want to free him."
why do you think you will succeed where all others have failed?
"I do not know. But I have to try."
your unwillingness to back down will be the death of you.
"Let go of me!"
The voice didn't retort anything for a few moments, making her fear she would be left in this state forever, when a screeching laugh echoed off the walls.
i did not know i was in the presence of the prophecy child.
"I have no idea what you are talking about."
you deny yourself, child. the sooner you accept your truth, the better your life will be.
"I have accepted everything there is about me."
are you sure? i could show you.
She wanted to scream, to tell this creature to stop, but it was too late. The images started flashing before her eyes - frozen canals, bloody cobblestones, the sparkling of ice against the full moon. Agony, fear, rage. All of the memories she had tried to suppress came back up in a violent storm, eager to demolish any progress she had made.
She fell to the ground with a gasp. Tears were running down her cheeks.
you are stronger than i thought. more foolish as well.
Her entire body trembled while her heart tried to remember its natural rhythm.
i will let you pass this trial, if for no reason other than wanting to see how you will fare against the threats to come while locking yourself in.
She felt it all, so close to the surface, almost breaking out. What had this creature done to her?
but i want you to remember one thing, child: denying yourself the gifts you were granted will lead to your doom.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
A cave stretched out around her, with clean polished black walls, decorated pillars, and stairs leading upwards behind her and downwards into a golden shimmering pool in front of her. It looked less like a cave and more like catacombs.
If she would start to wonder how she got here she would have to wonder who that voice was, which would then force her to wonder why it knew so much about her, which would then force her to-
Best not think about it at all.
Her knees were still weak and on her way to the pond she stumbled several times, but she made it the entire way without falling over.
Cold water nipped at her boots, plattering against the stairs, rising and falling in a continuous motion. The light seemed to originate from a place beyond the pool. So no matter how she looked at the situation, her path led through the water.
Her cloak had already been too big a hindrance - she had to leave it here. Which she was totally fine with. Definitely. That cloak had been given to her because of her actions as the Golden Paladin, and she wasn't the Golden Paladin anymore.
She gently folded up the cloak, smoothing out the wrinkles in its fabric, hiding the loose threads, and laid it down beside the stairs. Then she turned towards the water.
Oberyn had taught her how to swim, first in the Water Gardens and then in the sea before Sunspear. They had explored the reefs, dived for oysters, and taken a boat out to the open water to go fishing. She wished she could go back to that time.
She walked the first few stairs down into the water, the cold immediately seeping through to her bones. Then she took a deep breath, and dove under.
The light provided her with just enough visibility so that she could make out the path in front of her - and the gate blocking it.
Another one?
She swam forward and took hold of the iron bars, but neither pushing nor pulling made them move more than a few inches.
A thousand curses flew through her mind, and she was close to screaming every single one into the underwater darkness.
She moved along the bars towards the left side of the gate. A large chain had been wrapped tightly around the frame, with a heavy lock keeping it closed. Pulling at it brought nothing.
Her breath was running short, so she pushed herself off the grate and swam towards the surface again.
There had to be a way to remove the chain. She had opened the previous door, so this could not be too difficult.
Yet no matter what she did, no matter how hard she pulled, the chain refused to give an inch. She had even contemplated trying to break the lock open with her dagger, but she valued it too much to possibly damage it.
For the umpteenth time, she returned to the surface, taking in much needed air.
Her hands hit the water in frustration as she swallowed her scream. She could not fail, not now, not after having come so far. There had to be another way.
Diving under once more, she did not return to the lock. This time, she swam to the other side of the gate, where its hinges were located. Through the watery haze, she quickly realised they were not actually built all that securely. One of the pins keeping the gate to its frame was already loose, and it did not take her long to remove it completely.
The other two came undone equally as quickly. She pulled the gate open, pushed herself through the opening, and hastily swam to the surface on the other side.
Breaking out of the water she gulped down all the air she could.
If she had to open one more fucking door-
This side looked exactly the same as the previous one, and for a moment she wondered if she had accidentally swam back up again instead of through the gate.
But she couldn't see her cloak lying next to the water. So she was in the right place.
Walking up the stairs and wringing out her hair, she wondered not for the first time what she had gotten herself into.
On top of the stairs laid another door, but luckily for her and her sanity, this one was not locked. She stepped over the threshold, and something charged at her.
She immediately jumped to the side, drew her dagger and slashed it out in a wide arc in front of her. Something screamed out and through the torchlight she had a single moment to stare at the creature in front of her.
It was massive. Taller than even the Mountain, its body was covered in black bristles and every paw was decorated with four claws, sharper and longer than any dagger she could ever hold. Two antlers sat on top of its head.
She'd had barely enough time to comprehend what she was seeing when the beast jumped at her again.
With that began a seemingly endless scramble around the room, the creature lashing out at her with its claws, attempting to crush her beneath its body, and her desperately trying to get away, mindlessly slashing her dagger before her.
When at one point the beast was about to bring down its claws on her, she feared it was over. She would never be quick enough to be able to dodge this attack.
And yet, all of a sudden, it screamed out in pain and fell to the side.
Had someone come to save her? But-
Then she saw the blade stuck in the beast's side, and she understood.
She looked into its eyes and saw no malice. That was no monster mindlessly attacking her, trying to kill her. It was lashing out because it was hurt. Confused. Lost.
She had to get that blade out. Even if it meant getting dangerously close to the razor-sharp claws.
The beast charged at her again. She jumped away from its paws, but missed the blade. The second time she tried she got closer, but missed it as well. On the third try, she put her all into the jump, wrapped her hands tightly around the blade, and ripped it out.
It let out a bone-shattering screech. She wanted to get out of reach, but was just a moment too slow. The beast's claws slashed across her chest and face, the impact knocking her to the ground.
Tears welled out of her eyes immediately. The cuts burned and quickly soaked her clothes in warm, sticky blood, some of it even entering her mouth and leaving a metallic aftertaste. She tried to keep her sobs contained in case it would upset the creature. Clenching her teeth, she slowly sat up.
It had rolled up towards the end of the circular room they were in, far away from her. Its black eyes stared at her.
Conscious not to make any sudden movements, she stood up, walked over to where she had dropped her dagger, and sheathed it. The creature just looked at her.
She bowed her head, before disappearing down a corridor.
Walking down the tight passage, she finally allowed herself to take a deep breath and inspect her wounds.
Three slashes drew all the way from her left arm to her cheek, leaking concerning amounts of blood and soaking her tunica and shirt. She needed to find a healer as soon as possible. And a seamstress. Perhaps her clothing could still be salvaged.
A faint, blue light started enveloping the corridor.
It called out to her, awoke something in her blood she had long since thought gone. She was so transfixed by it she did not even notice the bones she was crushing under her boots.
A blue curtain of light laid before her, blocking her path. It sparkled and swayed as if moved by an impalpable wind.
Something in her tried to make her turn around, to run away, to do anything except touch that thing. But she did not listen. Could not listen. What she sought lay beyond the light. She knew it. Knew it deep down.
Whispers emanated from the curtain, speaking an ancient and long-forgotten language, drawing her in, keeping her close, commanding her every movement.
She lifted her hand to the light and let it hover, the familiar cold seeping to her bones.
Then she stepped through.
An enormous hall stretched out before her, bathed in golden and green lights, half-overgrown with various plants and trees and flowers. In its middle, stairs led up to an altar high above the floor. And on it laid a person.
Her skin still tingled as she ascended the stairs, and when she reached the top, her breath stopped.
Before her laid the most beautiful man she had ever seen. His dark hair was short and ruffled, falling back onto the altar and revealing his face - his sharp jawline and pronounced cheekbones and full lips. He was dressed in a bright red and white garb, the like of which she had never seen before. Despite it all, he could not be much older than her.
His eyes were closed and he wasn't breathing, but he was not dead either. She would feel it if he were. But then what was he?
Unwillingly, the songs came to her. Not of her, but the ones of fairy tales and legends, brave knights and faithful maidens, hope and perseverance. And of the belief that love conquered all.
Of course, real life was more complicated than that. Brave knights got killed, and faithful maidens sold to advance their father's goals.
And yet… And yet…
What other choice did she have? She was here to save him (whoever he was), and besides putting her faith in stories like Helena had done, she was out of ideas.
Fuck it.
She leaned down, and laid her lips onto his.
They were cold for only a second, before they started warming up rapidly. His lips were rugged, likely a consequence of lying here unmoving for who knew how long.
She quickly moved back as he took a breath. His chest was rising and falling in a steady rhythm, fingers curling against his stomach. Then he opened his eyes.
Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at them. One eye was of the deepest black, dark as the night itself, while the other seemed to have captured the colour of a summer sky. It looked not much unlike her own.
Something strange laid in his gaze, something she had not seen in a man since her first kiss with Jon. She couldn't quite place the emotion it conveyed.
He slowly sat up, eyes finally breaking away from hers and wandering around the hall.
"What tragedy has befallen my realm?"
His voice was light, with an accent that gave his speech a melodic and even ethereal quality.
"I- I don't know. I was just asked to come and save you."
He studied her, gaze raking over her body, and she realised for the first time what she looked like. Wet, bloody, with torn clothing and three giant wounds across her face and chest. Next to him she had to look like a vagrant.
"And who is it that I owe my life to?" he asked.
"I'm Elle."
"Elle," he repeated softly. "Your face awakens memories of a companion of mine. Do you share blood with the Lady Aurelia of Casterly?"
She cocked her head. "House Casterly? They have been extinct for centuries."
He stared at her, blinking once, twice, as if in a trance.
All of a sudden, he jumped up and almost fell over immediately. She caught him.
"Careful." She still did not know his name. "Careful. Who knows how long you have been lying here-"
He freed himself from her arms and ran down the stairs, the red fabric of his garment flowing behind him. She set after him despite her exhaustion.
He knew a Casterly. Aurelia, he had called her. How was that possible? She did not know when exactly her family had come into possession of the Rock, but it had to have happened at least four thousand years ago. He could not- No one could be that old.
He waved a hand and the thorns and vines shrunk to the side, revealing a wide, sun-filled staircase. She hurried after him.
They ended up in a small, circular room, completely untouched by the wilderness that had taken over the rest of the castle. A hole in the ceiling shone light on the shimmering pond directly underneath it. Engravings decorated the walls; scenes of battle, of festivities, of animals and humans and forests.
"What is this place?" she whispered.
He sank down beside the water. "You stand before the pool of remembrance. In it there are the collective memories of all living creatures to be found." He turned to her. "Have you never encountered one?"
She shook her head.
"Peculiar. Every castle is supposed to have one."
Concern laid in his gaze. She was about to say something when he turned back around and laid his hands on the surface.
"Offenbare mir deine Wahrheit."
The water began churning, rippling, and glowing. She was unable to avert her eyes as the images started flashing in rapid succession. Castles crumbled, men stormed the battlefields, blood soaked the green earth. Winter turned to summer turned to winter again. Fire laid waste to forests and fields alike, ice crept over lakes and rivers and oceans.
He suddenly stood next to her, breathing heavily, yet continued to stare at the water.
"I do not understand." His voice trembled with fear. "My magic refuses to obey me. The things I seek lay out of my reach."
She thought back to his mention of House Casterly. "What is the last thing you remember?"
He hesitated. "Darkness. Screams. The- the cold. Anzīg ane da unsāren." The smile returned to his face. "And then your lips."
She blushed and started stammering. "I- I apologise. I just could not, uh, think of-"
"I perceive it as an honour to be kissed by the most beautiful maiden in the land." His eyes flickered up and down her body again. "Especially if she is a princess."
Her breath hitched, and she almost took a step back. "How-"
"A handful of things I was able to observe more closely. A massive graveyard. An eternal winter. And you, Princess Cerelle." He raised his hand and let it hover over the side of her face. "Why have you not said your true name in the beginning? Were you afraid of how I would react? You must not be."
"I just- It's been so long since I used that name."
His hand traced her wounds. "Perhaps the time has come, then, to pick it up again."
"It's not that simple."
"Why?"
"How much did you see?"
"Not as much as I would have liked. Fragments, slivers of a greater picture."
"But even still you have to understand the desire to separate yourself from what came before," she said. "To not let your heritage define you."
He chuckled quietly. "Being born into royalty is a privilege we have to take seriously. We cannot decide from one day to the next to ignore our responsibility."
"We? Does that mean you are a prince as well?"
"Where are my manners?" He took ahold of the hand he had been hovering over and laid a kiss on it. "My name is King Arthur of House Penfenics, Third of my Name. But you may call me Arthur."
"King?" she exclaimed, trying to ignore the way his lips had felt on her hand.
"Of course. And I need to look after my people now."
He started walking towards the stairs, still uneasy on his feet.
"There is no one else in this castle," she said.
"Then why do I feel them?" He smiled and offered her his arm. "Please, join me. My court will want to know who saved them. Besides, your wounds need attending to."
Arthur was correct, of course. The bleeding had stopped by now, but she needed stitches and bandages. And if he was convinced there were people here then who was she to stop him?
She took a breath and closed her hand around his arm.
As they ascended a set of wide, sun-filled stairs, she realised the castle was not quiet anymore. There were birds chirping, footsteps echoing through the halls, people talking.
Where was all of this coming from? Had she, upon freeing Arthur, somehow freed the entire castle from whatever curse had been laid upon it? There was something magical interwoven in its walls, otherwise she would not be so normal the day after a full moon.
They walked through a marvellous entrance hall. Through the various thorns and plants she saw the white stone it had been built from, as well as red and white banners, decorated with golden horses.
The gate opened by itself, the vines falling uselessly to the ground, and Arthur and Elle stepped into the evening light.
Dozens of eyes were suddenly upon them. The courtyard, which had been abandoned when she had walked through it, bustled with life. Men and women and children, all dressed in this garb she had never seen before.
As she stood now before all these people, she not for the first time that day realised how she looked. Especially next to Arthur, who exuded such magnificence.
She held his arm tighter.
A woman walked towards them, yet stopped half-way up the stairs. She was small, with dark skin, and was dressed in a creme-coloured gown that exposed her arms.
"Your Majesty." She curtsied deeply. "What happened?"
"I am still not quite sure myself." He looked up and addressed the entire yard. "All I know for certain is that we fell victim to a curse put on us by the creatures from the north. The question of the why is still open, however, and I shall count on your help to solve this mystery." He then smiled at her and took a step to the side, leaving her standing alone and in the centre of everyone's attention. "But I know that we would not be standing here today if it were not for the bravery displayed by Princess Cerelle."
She smiled as politely as she could, tapping her fingers together behind her back.
The woman stared at her before curtsying again.
"Your Highness, we thank you from the bottom of our hearts."
Arthur smiled at her before turning back to his people. "We shall hold a feast tonight to celebrate our freedom. And Princess Cerelle shall be our guest of honour."
She did not like that he openly called her by her real name. The chance of such a news reaching King's Landing was too high. But- Just for one night- She could live with that.
She was quickly ushered away by three women, one of them being the dark-skinned woman who had introduced herself as Viona, and towards a chamber in one of the towers.
They undressed her, bathed her, and combed through her hair. Usually, she would have sent them all out, would have handled this on her own until she was wrapped tightly into a shift again, but for tonight she allowed their help.
(They did not comment on her scar, likely out of respect or reverence or pity or fear-)
Mikaela, a red-haired woman, tended to her wounds while her curls dried. The cuts were deeper and more extensive than she had thought, stretching from her left arm over her chest and ending on her cheek. Yet Mikaela did not sew them shut. Instead, she used a strange paste, said a few words in a language she did not understand, and then washed them with boiling hot water.
"They are magical wounds," Mikaela explained as Elle stared at the ugly red scars in the mirror. "It will take a while until they fully heal. If they ever."
Comforting.
Viona and Yulia finally brought in a dress after they had finished tending to her hair, and she was left speechless.
The gown was almost too difficult to describe. It seemed to have been woven by gold itself, with a wide, billowing skirt, off-shoulder sleeves, and a tight fitting bodice. Every inch of fabric was covered by intricate embroidery; images of leaves and vines and flowers, of snakes and lions and horses. The crystals interwoven into it all made the dress glow like a thousand stars.
The women helped her into the gown, the fabric somehow remarkably light despite the impression it gave. She was then led in front of a mirror, and Elle could do naught but stare at her image and the beauty she had so long denied herself.
What caught her eye for a moment too long was her neck - and the scar that was no longer there. Sure, it had been two years, but with how much pain it had caused her, she had assumed she would be forced to wear the mark of her failure for the rest of her life.
"What do you think?" Yulia asked.
"I- I look like a princess."
"Like a queen."
She whirled around to see Arthur standing in the middle of the room. He was dressed in a bright white attire, decorated with red gemstones. An ivory crown adorned his dark hair.
"Would you be so kind as to give me some time alone with Her Highness?" he asked.
The women quickly adhered to his request, Viona squeezing her hand in encouragement before following the others out of the room.
Arthur stared at her, mouth slightly agape, and with a sparkle in his eyes.
"You look radiant."
She blushed, playing around with the stitching on her bodice. "I can only reciprocate."
"I have come to request something of you." He smiled as he stepped closer to her. "You have saved not just myself but also my people on this day. The expectation, if not even the requirement, in such a situation is that I take you as my wife." She must have not hidden her shock as well as she thought, because he quickly added, "Do not worry, I will not force you into marriage, despite how appealing such a union might look to me. You are a princess and heir to a kingdom in your own right, it would not be right to tie you down. All I ask for is one night. One night at my side. One night as our queen."
He unveiled a box, previously hidden between the folds of his robe, and opened it. Inside it laid a simple golden crown.
She should refuse. Becoming queen, any queen, was the one thing she never wanted to do. Had never wanted to, for as long as she could remember. Even if it were for only one night.
It would also feel like a betrayal to Jon. Which was nonsense, she knew. Jon was all the way up north at Castle Black, a brother of the Night's Watch no less. They had parted knowing they could never be together, knowing they would never even meet again. What they had was sweet and true and doomed to fail.
Perhaps this was how she would finally be able to let him go. It was only for one night, after all, and Arthur looked at her with so much hope, so much adoration, so much-
"Yes," she said. "I would be honoured to be your queen."
The ballroom was filled once they arrived. All eyes were on them as Arthur introduced her, pronouncing her the Nightbreaker, a title that would have held more weight if she had known what it meant.
She allowed him to lead her through every dance, somehow not minding his refusal to let go of her. He pulled her to the front of the room and she allowed herself to be convinced to sing for the guests. And when he led her to her room and asked if he might thank her the way a king would thank his saviour, she allowed that as well.
(She wanted to know what it felt like at least once in her life, having abandoned any notion of marriage long ago. And maybe, just perhaps, it would allow her to get over Jon.)
Afterwards, they sat on her bed, hands interlaced.
"I haven't been a princess in so long I had forgotten what it felt like." She traced his knuckles.
"I can guarantee you that no one noticed."
He turned his hand, sliding up her wrist and softly encircling her arm.
"I have been wondering… If perhaps, after tonight, you would consider staying with me?"
"As… your queen?"
She had never seen him this flustered. "Yes. Yes, indeed. As my queen. Stay here, with me, and help me navigate this new life."
Her eyes wandered around the room, over the white stone, the polished furniture, the vines still sneaking through the crevices. So similar to the Red Keep.
"You could be safe here. The pain you have endured is clear to see in your eyes to everyone around you. If you stayed I could take that away. Could take away those memories."
She met his gaze, saying softly, "You could do that?"
"I know someone who can." He brushed a strand of hair behind her ear. "Just imagine - you could be free."
Free. Of her past, of her memories, of herself. No more expectations laid upon her, no more people she could disappoint.
It was tempting. And yet-
"But that would solve none of Westeros' problems. I just… would not have to watch anymore."
He simply looked at her.
She took a breath. "Even were I no princess - I am a knight, and the people have pronounced me their Golden Paladin. They believe in me, and I cannot run away every time it gets hard. Not anymore."
Arthur smiled sadly. "I knew you were going to say that."
"Then why did you ask?"
"It was worth a try. But if you are truly heading out again-" He stood from the bed and walked towards a dresser, taking something out of its drawer and returning to her. "Then I believe you shall need this."
She instantly recognised the fabric he handed her.
"My cloak." The cloth was as soft and light as ever in her hands. "How-"
"One of my men found it. I had it repaired."
Indeed, every tear had been stitched and every abrasion patched. The blue thread that had been used had given the cloak a beautiful gradient.
"Thank you."
She leaned forward and tilted her head back, pressing a soft kiss to his lips. He laid his hand on her cheek, keeping their mouths interlocked for just a moment longer.
"There is something else," he said, letting his hand glide down to hers again. His fingers started circling her left wrist. "As you are not staying, I have to reward you differently."
"You truly don't-"
"No. I do."
His fingers started getting more insistent on her arm, more purposeful. And slowly, a white light started emanating from them. She almost pulled her hand away at that, especially as the heat spread through her arm as well, but Arthur's grip stayed tight.
Eventually, the light faded, and what was left was a white band ingrained on the skin around her wrist.
"What-"
"See this as a promise," Arthur said. "When you find yourself in trouble, when the world stands against you, when you see no other way out, call upon me. And I shall fulfil you one wish."
"How?" she whispered.
"Such is my gift, laid into my cradle upon my birth by the gods, as is custom with royal children." He cocked his head. "Which one has been given to you?"
"I… do not have one." He looked at her so strangely, like he knew something he wasn't supposed to. She took in a sharp breath and stared at her wrist, which was still being cradled by his hands. "Any wish?"
"Anything you could need. However," he added, "I am not able to reverse death. That is not a power mortals should trifle with. I need you to remember that."
She knew not to play around with the dead, and she was also certain she would never fall to the temptation to try.
"Thank you, once again. But I do not think I will ever use this. I need to learn to solve my problems on my own."
Arthur saw her off in the morning. He had made sure she had gotten new clothing and Starlight a new saddle and bridle. Before she could mount her horse, he spun her towards him and kissed her one last time.
"Stay safe out there."
She would. And even if she herself could not, she would make sure everyone else would be. She would help and protect the people of the Riverlands for as long as this war would wage. And once it was over she would leave all of this behind and return to Sunspear.
No one knew her real name. Once peace had returned to the land, she would discard her mantle as the Golden Paladin and become Elle again. Nothing more, nothing less. Her knighthood and her duty would never be mentioned again.
a/n: and that is a wrap on act one! your regularly scheduled programming will resume next week 6pm cet as always
until then tell me what you think so far! i'd love to hear from you :)