Shireen
In the Narrow Sea
"Arya, open the door, please!" I said sullenly. "You're my friend, my only friend besides Ciri, don't do this, please Arya!"
Soon, there was a sound as she unlocked the cabin door. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying. They were the same as when she learned of her father's death.
I took her hand and hugged her. "Don't hide anymore, Arya...".
"I will take revenge on them, Shireen, on all of them. Lannisters, Freys, Boltons, ALL of them!" She told me with absurd conviction, and I knew nothing in this world would change her mind.
"I know that, and I know that Orryn and my father want to help."
"I will not marry him!" She shouted angrily again.
"Believe me, Arya, Orryn has a plan. He'll help you...".
"He won't! He just wants the Iron Throne and my brother's army! And...".
"Don't say that!" I shouted back with tears in my eyes. "You know he's not like that!"
Arya sniffled at me. We hugged, both of us crying now, but she had much more reason than I did.
"Listen Arya, let Orryn explain everything to you... just listen." I said, pulling her out of her room by the hand. Most of the time it was she who pulled me, now it was I who had to take charge. In the state she was in, Arya didn't put up much of a fight.
I knocked on Orryn's door and he let me in. Ciri was there, as was Brienne. The three of them sat on chairs, swaying with the waves of the sea.
"Arya..." Orryn started to say, but stopped. "I'm sorry if I was so abrupt in telling you everything."
Sniffing again and wiping her nose on the sleeve, Arya stared at Orryn. "Shireen says you have a plan... tell me."
Orryn smiled and waved us closer. "What a demanding squire I have, eh, Brienne?"
The tall woman smiled and ruffled Arya's hair. She was always pressing Lady Brienne to teach her more about the sword, and the Heiress of Tarth was always willing to help.
"We are going back north... to gather the rest of your brother's army. Lord Bolton has held Winterfell in fear and the mistaken belief that you are his hostage. In fact, he has announced to all the lords that he will marry you to his son."
Arya's eyes grew hard. "That will never happen."
"I know." Orryn smiled and stared silently at the glass in his hand before speaking again.
"Your brother Jon, he can vouch for you, and we'll see him at the Wall, helping him with this possible Wildling invasion."
"And what the seven hells is your plan Orryn, just say it!" Ciri said annoyed, probably tired of waiting.
"You shouldn't talk to the prince like that, young lady, childhood friend or not." Brienne retorted and the two looked at each other.
"Peace, I'll explain." Orryn said, stepping between them. "More and more I think about the things that happened... the way the Tyrells tricked us. They controlled the game from the start, and that's what we're going to do with Bolton."
No one interrupted him and Arya looked at him almost glazed over.
"An announced marriage is not easily broken, frankly, it makes the one who broke it look very bad. But Margaery and I never had a proper wedding announcement, did we?"
"No... it was supposed to be announced during the tournament, but you were injured." I replied.
"Yes, and after that everyone took the engagement for granted. In a way, it was agreed upon between my father and Margaery's father, but... it wasn't really announced, not in the way that it was supposed to be. Whether Ser Robar Royce was there to hurt me on purpose or not, it doesn't matter. The Tyrells had the engagement and a possible justification for the supposed break." Orryn said with a bitter smile.
"Lord Bolton's engagement is a fake, it shouldn't even exist, so it's easy to call it off." Brienne said and Orryn nodded.
"And we... will do what the Tyrells did. I'm not going to marry you, Arya, my father knows that too, and he doesn't want us to."
"But then..." Arya said confused and I finally understood.
"It hasn't been announced... the lords have understood that it will be like this, but it hasn't been announced and there is no Stark in charge to accepting the betrothal." I answered everyone.
Orryn nodded in agreement. "Yes, think about it, Arya.
When we see your brother, he'll know you're the real and no one will question his word. My grandfather proposed you to me at the Council, that's true, but my grandfather would also propose to me that I marry Cercei Lannister if it would help him keep his own castle."
Brienne's eyes widened at the information. "That... that's not possible. Your uncle's wife... the enemy and such an old woman..."
"She can still give me children, that's what he said." Orryn said with an amused smile. "Fortunately, even he knows that such things shouldn't be talked about seriously or in public. But back to the point...". Orryn took a sip from his glass and spoke again.
"My father ordered everyone out of the room and argued with me, Ser Davos and Maester. And when he allowed them to return, we decided to go north, that's also a fact. But he never said we would marry. "
"But everyone thinks so..." Arya said slowly.
"And as long as everyone thinks we're engaged, no one else will seek your hand. That will protect you somehow, and I promise you, you won't be forced to marry anyone." Orryn said, kneeling in front of Arya and placing his hands on her shoulders.
"Listen to me. You may have only one other living sister, and your blood may be the last Stark blood to inherit the North. If that is the case, it will be up to you to fulfill your duty to your family and marry, or at least have an heir. As for me, as your prince and most importantly your friend, I will be there to support your decision."
I returned to our cabin with Arya. She was still sulking about everything that was going on around her. So many things being forced on her like this... she sat down on the bed and put her head in my lap, I stroked her hair lightly.
"You know, Arya, there's something that intrigues me... why wouldn't you agree to marry Orryn?"
"I have... from Ciri..." She said quietly.
"What?" I asked without understanding.
"I am afraid of Ciri, as any woman who marries him should be. Besides... I don't like him that way."
"But you wouldn't mind marrying Gendry." I joked and she stiffened.
"I don't know anything about that!" Arya said, as bold as a cat.
"But I know you'll always see him in the forges, watching him hammer the plates with his arms out..."
"I'm not watching! And if you keep saying that, I'll tell everyone you're in love with Ser Hugh!".
"Why, Ser Hugh? Everyone knows he's with Alys, little Barra's mother. Not to mention that Ser Hugh isn't nice...".
"And who did you find nice? Ser Loras and his fragrant curls?" Arya scoffed and I felt my ears heat up.
"Ser Loras doesn't...".
"Ser Loras didn't... but then... Ser Garlan?" Arya said, standing up and seeing my red cheeks.
"Really? Ser Garlan?".
"He was quite gallant...that is, before he killed Ser Borys and wounded Orryn."
"How do you know it was him? Isn't it your Uncle Renly who did it?"
I shook my head in denial. "Orryn says no... he says the armor was Uncle Renly's, but he wasn't the one who fought."
"What a coward!" Arya snapped, and we continued the light conversation. It made things easier, kept her mind off her grief.
Not every day of the journey was easy after that, but as Orryn said before, I also had a duty, as a princess, and above all the duty to help my friend.
Margaery
The Red Keep
Smile, smile the best you can, the best you know how. I told myself as I looked in the mirror.
Dark bags under my eyes needed to be smoothed, a red bruise on my arm and I didn't even want to see what my back looked like.
It hurts more between my legs... just not as much as the humiliation. I thought bitterly before I started combing my hair. I needed to look presentable before the servants even came to prepare me.
Joffrey leaves no visible marks, visible through the clothes, that is, depending on which ones I use.
I tidied up as best I could and the door slowly opened. Elinor was the first to enter, without the servants this time.
"Margaery... are you all right?" Elinor asked softly.
"Yes, I had a wonderful evening with my husband. I feel... refreshed." I replied with the best smile I'd ever practiced.
"Margaery..." Elinor said, taking my hand in concern. "Your grandmother and mother want to see you for breakfast."
I nodded, and Elinor helped me put on a beautiful closed dress, conservative by my standards, some would say, but appropriate for the coming of fall, I'd say. Surely some ladies would be wearing similar dresses the next day.
I went to my family's garden, it was early and I didn't see my father, but there was my grandmother and my mother.
"Darling, how good it is to see you. How good it is to have a moment alone with you, Your Grace." Mom said, taking my hand.
"How is the little shit? Has he learned how to be a man?" Grandmother said before sipping her tea.
"Grandma, I think that's..." I started to speak but was cut off.
"Everything is safe here dear, no cobwebs, so speak up, I made sure of it myself."
I remained silent, my eyes just staring at the food in front of me. Everything was so richly prepared, yet it still made me sick to my stomach.
"Is he hurting you very much, dear?" Mother said, putting her hand on my arm.
I laughed bitterly. "Joffrey... no, he doesn't beat me. He makes his men beat me, then he gets between my legs. He's kind of strong when he wants to be, he likes to push my face against the covers so I don't move, so I don't whimper."
My mother massaged my arm and cradled my head in her lap. "We have to fix this, Mom... things can't stay like this."
"I told you not to call me that, I don't remember bringing you into the world, Alerie." Grandma snapped, she was nervous too. "But you're right, something has to be done."
'We should have done it from the beginning... Orryn, Orryn would never do this to me'. I thought, but I didn't dare say anything.
"Does he have anything we can use?".
"The Stark girl, he forced her to marry his uncle, but he wants her too. I heard that Tiryon stopped him once... and he's not happy about it. The only thing holding him back is his grandfather."
"Well, well... that's something." Grandmother nodded, I could see the cogs in her head turning, planning.
"None of the servants have seen your moon blood, dear... I wonder if you're not..." Mom commented, taking her hand off my arm and placing it on my belly.
I shook my head, I was pregnant. Two moons pregnant because of an impulse and foolish ideas. For a moment I began to like him. I thought we'd be happy.
"Having such a quick heir also helps us." My mother said, not very excited about the fact that she would have a grandchild, at least not a grandchild under these circumstances.
"I don't think it's from our dear, beloved king, is it?" Grandmother said, narrowing her eyes.
"Loras told me about your adventure before the battle, do you know the risk we take if this child is born looking like its father?"
"Joffrey is King Robert's son, many children can carry traits from their grandparents." I spoke, trying to convince myself more than my family.
"You know very well that men like Eddard Stark and Stannis Baratheon wouldn't speak out against Joffrey if his bastardy wasn't real." Grandmother said, practically slamming her cup down on the table. "Joffrey may be stupid enough to believe that story, but Cersei? She knows who the real father is and it certainly isn't Robert."
We were all silent, but the looks I received were harsh. "How could you keep the child until now, Margaery? Have you not considered how disastrous this could be for us?"
"We... we... we... I'm the one who's humiliated every night, Grandmother, and you still want to talk about us?" I spoke bitterly, on the verge of tears. "I've said a hundred times that I could get along with Orryn, that I'd have his ear every night, but you let me marry a monster!
"Honey, we get more out of it and...".
"We won nothing! That idiot Renly died right after we got to the capital, we don't have the Stormlands anymore, or the Narrow Sea. We don't even have that stupid Sansa Stark to marry Willas! We're losing ground because of your ambitions!"
"Margaery..."
"She's right, we could have had more than we have now, we could have continued with Stannis and had a firmer position, but we made a mistake, we trusted too much in Renly's ability not to be an idiot." Looking at me, Grandmother's eyes softened. "Let us make things right Margaery my dear, our garden has only weeds and we, being the good gardeners that we are, will tend it very well."
I didn't know what they were planning until it happened, but this time I knew one thing, one thing I wanted: "I want him to suffer.
"Your Grace will get everything he deserves, of course." Grandma replied, and we all went back to smiling and laughing as everyone expects us to.