Axel keeps up with his training and meets new people as well!
-x-X-x-
There were upsides and downsides to dealing with Renly via the Trial and then entertaining so many lords in King's Landing at the same time. But the greatest upside of all had to be the fact that they only brought their best knights and warriors with them the rest of the way to the city.
That meant new blood for Axel to spar against in the Red Keep's training yard. Given that he was still hunting for a knight to fill that final seventh spot in his Kingsguard, the young King found himself fighting men day in and day out to test their mettle. But he had to admit… he was pretty sure he'd found his favorite.
"Get back here ya shit!"
Laughing, Axel dodges Sandor Clegane's increasingly frustrated swings, even as he waves off the nearby Kingsguard from intervening in the fight. There were a great many men in the courtyard ready to take issue with the Hound's blatant disrespect for their King, but with Axel laughing it off like it's nothing, none of them can justify making the first move.
Instead, they just have to settle for enjoying the sight of Clegane being put through his paces as Axel dances around him, giving him a series of love taps here and there with a blunted sword while at the same time easily sidestepping the desperate strikes from the burned man.
Sandor Clegane was an interesting figure. For one, he came from the Westerlands, making Tywin Lannister his liege lord. For two, he was the brother to the much more famous Gregor Clegane, the Mountain Who Rides. And for three, he himself wasn't even a knight… but he was a damn good swordsman.
It still didn't mean much against Axel however, who at this point had to admit that he was showboating just a bit. Given that Clegane had defeated most of the actual knights in the yard since arriving in King's Landing, they're all pretty happy to see their King whooping his ass… but all good things come to an end.
Stopping, the Hound pulls back with a snarl.
"I'm done."
There's some bristling from some of the onlookers at that, especially given his opponent is the King. You don't just get to tell the King you're done, after all. But Axel just comes to a halt, grinning and nodding.
"Well fought, Clegane."
The burned man snorts derisively, shaking his head as sweat beaded upon his brow drips down his heavily scarred face.
"That was no fight. You kicked my fucking ass, Your Grace. I know when I'm outmatched. You're too fucking fast for me."
Finally, one of the watching knights can't hold his tongue any longer.
"Mind your words around the King, cur! You would do well to remember your place!"
Clegane just gives him a dead-eyed look, even as he straightens up to his full height. The knight looks ready to bluster some more, but Axel holds up a hand and cuts him off.
"No need to come to my defense, Ser. I'm not some maiden who can't handle a few harsh words."
His cheery grin and jovial attitude defuses the situation, causing the knight to back down and the rest of those watching to chuckle at his expense. Looking around the training yard, Axel raises an eyebrow.
"You know, I'm pretty sure this yard is for more than just a single spar between two men. You all seem to be rather comfortable standing around and doing nothing."
That lights a fire under all of their asses, and soon men pairing off or exiting the yard altogether like they have somewhere to be. In just a few moments, the sound of blunt steel impacts begins ringing out through the air, causing Axel to nods approvingly.
Meanwhile, the Hound just snorts derisively, his tone quieter as he approaches.
"Wish my brother were here to fight you."
Raising an eyebrow at the other man, Axel tilts his head to the side.
"I've heard a lot about Ser Gregor. I'm sure a fight between us would be a sight to see, certainly."
He keeps his tone noncommittal, even though Axel knows deep down that even a man as big as the Mountain wouldn't be much of a match for him. Gregor might be huge, but Axel had the strength of a hundred men flowing through his veins.
"Nah. You'd kick his ass up and down this yard. He wouldn't be anymore able to lay a finger on you than I was. And that… that would be wonderful, because the fucker has a temper as large as he is tall. He'd force you to put him down like the dog he is once he had his ass handed to him."
Axel raises both eyebrows at that.
"Your brother would try to kill his King?"
The burn scars on his face make the grin Sandor Clegane gives him rather macabre in appearance.
"Aye. The Lannisters don't exactly keep him around for his intelligence, Your Grace."
No, he imagined they didn't. Axel had heard plenty about the Mountain That Rides. None of it good. The man was apparently the largest in all of Westeros, with some wondering if he was half-giant. He was also a bloodthirsty monster with murder being the least of his crimes.
If the Mountain were here in front of him right now and was actually trying to take Axel's life… he doesn't think he'd bother holding back regardless of what the large knight could actually do to him or not. Killing him would only be good for the Realm, from everything that Axel knew.
But whether Tywin was being smart or just plain lucky, he hadn't brought Gregor Clegane with him to King's Landing. Instead, he'd brought the Mountain's brother… and Sandor was a different type of man entirely from how the Mountain was said to be.
"You know, I have half a mind to knight you and name you to my Kingsguard, Clegane."
Its idle musing at best, and yet Axel's words have more of an effect on the Hound than anything else that's happened so far. For the first time since Axel has met Sandor Clegane… he sees honest fear in the other man's eyes.
"Now why the fuck would you do that? Plenty of men better than me for the role, Your Grace."
Axel just scoffs.
"Are there? You're the best fight I've had since I left the Vale, Clegane. And you're not even a Knight."
That's not quite true. A few of Axel's sparring partners, now Kingsguard in their own right, are even better. But he doesn't mind telling a little white lie, especially when it makes the Hound squirm and frown.
"… I'm not exactly knightly material."
Shrugging, Axel waves a hand through the air dismissively.
"Neither is your brother, from what I'm told. And yet, everyone still calls him Ser, don't they?"
Sandor Clegane doesn't seem to know what to say to that. Axel had been mostly joking… but he would be lying if some part of him wasn't tempted to go through with it.
The Kingsguard was doing fairly well, with only Ser Trant really dragging down the quality at this point. Arys Oakheart was proving to be a decent Lord Commander and the other four knights who'd fought beside him in the Trial were each skilled warriors in their own right.
But that empty seventh slot was a bit of a drag, an issue to be taken care of second only to Axel's impending nuptials. Just as the King had to have a Queen and heirs to ensure the stability of the Realm as swiftly as possible, so did the Kingsguard have to have seven knights. It was tradition, after all.
… Alas, he can tell that Clegane isn't precisely keen on the idea. So he won't demand that the man bend the knee for a knighting right this moment. In fact…
"Consider this your warning, Clegane. Stick around the Red Keep too long and I'll probably make you a knight at some point if only because I'll feel bad for beating you black and blue one too many times. If you're that afraid of the responsibility, then you're better off leaving the city sooner rather than later."
The Hound looks as relieved as his facial scarring will allow, even as he slowly nods.
"… I'll take that under advisement, Your Majesty."
Axel just waves him off with a chuckle, watching the man leave for a moment before turning and putting his own sparring sword on the rack and departing the yard as well. No sooner has he stepped off of the grass and onto stone however, before he runs into an unexpected pair, his eyes darting between them as he stops in his tracks.
"Lady Margaery… and Brienne of Tarth."
Indeed, standing before him is the ill-fated wife of his treacherous uncle Renly… and the warrior woman who had fought in the Trial by the Seven as one of Renly's so-called Rainbow Guard. Axel isn't all that surprised by Lady Margaery's presence in the Red Keep, given that he'd ordered it… but he is surprised to see Brienne at her side, dressed in what looks like leather armor and armed with a large dagger that looks positively small on her waist.
Brienne of Tarth tenses up at his address, her eyes narrowing and her wide mouth flattening. Now that she's no longer armored and her features are no longer hidden, Axel has to admit that he somewhat understands why she'd chosen the warrior's path instead of being married off to someone. She's not exactly what he considered attractive.
However, as if in stark contrast to Lady Brienne's looks, Lady Margaery is the exact opposite. She's easily one of the most beautiful women that Axel has ever laid his eyes on, even beating Cersei Lannister out in looks. And judging by the way she smiles at him and bats her eyes, she knows it too.
Not missing a beat, the Lady of House Tyrell curtsies before him, bowing her head.
"Your Grace! What a pleasant surprise to cross paths with you. I hope we're not interrupting your training though."
Axel hums, trying not to be too distracted by the way Margaery's bosom bounces up and down with the curtsy. Sighing, he shakes his head.
"No, you're not interrupting anything. I was just moving along, in fact."
Margaery perks up at that.
"Oh! Are you perhaps heading to the Great Sept by chance? Lady Brienne and I were going to head over there soon enough as well if you wished to journey together!"
Blinking, Axel starts to shake his head.
"No, I-… sorry, before we continue, what role are you fulfilling here exactly, Brienne of Tarth?"
He had his suspicions, but he wanted it confirmed all the same. Brienne bristles at his questioning tone, but Margaery is all pretty smiles as she places a hand on Brienne's arm to calm her down.
"Oh! Lady Brienne here is just… my companion, Your Grace. I hope that's alright. I know I'm not allowed a sworn sword, of course, all things considered. And truly, you've been so very merciful towards both me and my House… there's nothing I could possibly justify asking of you at this point. But if it pleases you my King, I would beg to be allowed to keep Lady Brienne at my side for her companionship."
Margaery lowers her head, projecting a perfect image of shame and regret that Axel doesn't buy for even a second. Oh, he was sure that the beautiful young woman regretted the fact that they'd lost. And she almost certainly regretted that her House had tied their fortunes to Renly. For more reasons than one given the all-but-confirmed rumors of his uncle's proclivities.
But at the same time… he can admire the audacity. Margaery is right that she's not allowed to have a sworn sword or anything like that. She's a hostage because of the actions of her father and not a single Tyrell Knight is allowed to step foot in the Red Keep after how badly House Tyrell had fucked up.
… However, Brienne of Tarth is no knight. She's not even from the Reach either. How she'd wound up attached to Lady Margaery when she came from an island off the coast of the Stormlands was something Axel was a little curious about… but he also found he didn't care that much either.
More than that, he simply wasn't bothered by the warrior woman's presence, no matter how good she was with a sword. Perhaps a lesser King might have feared Brienne's intentions after facing her in battle, but Axel wasn't worried one bit.
Smirking and watching as Brienne narrows her eyes at him like she's about to throw herself between him and Margaery, Axel finally nods.
"It's more than fine, Lady Margaery. Who am I to stand between a woman and her… companion? As to your offer, I'm afraid I'll have to decline. I tend to visit the Great Sept early in the morning, just as the sun is starting to rise. I've already been today."
Margaery blinks at this, but if she feels any disappointment, she doesn't let it show on her beautiful features.
"Oh! Then I suppose we'll have to see if our paths cross one of these mornings, Your Majesty."
She smiles coquettishly at him and Axel feels a straining down in his loins. Smiling back, he makes his goodbyes and sends the two women on their way. Fortunately, Margaery had already committed to them leaving the Red Keep, so it was easy to see them off.
… She was definitely going to show up during a prayer session one of these mornings, wasn't she? Axel is reminded yet again that he hasn't had anyone to warm his bed since Cersei went crazy and tried to kill him. Lady Margaery's presence in the Red Keep certainly wasn't helping matters.
However, Axel refused to be like his father. He wasn't about to start whoring around, especially not when he didn't even have a Queen yet. No, he simply needed to control himself.
Besides, Jon had told him that the conversation with Lord Stark had been a success. Sansa Stark was being sent for so soon enough Axel would have the opportunity to meet the young woman and see if they were compatible with one another.
Likewise, a letter had been sent to Dorne as well, to see if they might be interested in having Princess Arianne Martell come to King's Landing for a visit. However, Jon had been quick to tell Axel that that was far less likely to actually happen. The Dornish were notoriously isolationist and even more so ever since Robert's Rebellion.
But it was fine. At least they'd made the offer. There was nothing else to be done on their end after that.
-x-X-x-
A/N: Tomorrow's chapter will be a split POV chapter of both Sansa and Arianne to see them reacting to the news and Axel's offer~
Feedback is GREATLY appreciated, every comment helps me shape the story with a Daily Free Write like this one!
Plug: If you're interested in reading more ASAP, you can sign up over on my Patreon right now to read FIFTEEN chapters ahead!
(The base price of my Patreon also increases from $3 to $5 at the end of July but if you get in now you keep the $3 price as long as you want, so now is a great time to sign up!)
-x-X-x-
A/N: Leave a Like if you enjoyed please, would mean a lot!
Spoiler: Patreon and other Links
The letters get to their intended recipients, one way or another~
-x-X-x-
"Hyah! Hah!"
"Good! Keep it up!"
"Grrr, d-on't patronize me!"
"I'm not, I'm teaching you. Unless you don't want me to anymore…"
"S-Shut up! Let's keep going!"
Sansa Stark watches with a smile on her face as Arya and Jon spar with one another in the depths of Winterfell's catacombs. It's the best place for it in all of Winterfell, especially after Arya had gotten caught practicing her swordplay a year back in the Godswood.
Funnily enough, there would have been a time when Sansa would have balked at the sight of her younger sister wielding a sword against their bastard brother. Years ago, she would have happily been the one to tattle on Arya and Jon, telling either her and Arya's mother or maybe their Septa.
But time had a way of changing one's opinions of things. The more the years had passed, the more Sansa had grown up. Not just as a woman, but as a Stark. She'd also come to accept that Arya was never going to be the perfect noble lady like Sansa strived to be. Really, she loved Arya for her rebellious streak these days. Also, it wasn't Jon's fault for being born the way he was. If she didn't hate her father for fathering a bastard, than it made very little sense to hate Jon for being that bastard.
That was something it felt like Sansa's mother had never really understood, and ever since she'd come to that realization, she'd also come to the realization that the Lady of Winterfell was… far from perfect. She loved her mother, don't get her wrong… but Sansa did not strive to be like her mother, not anymore.
Funnily enough, Jon leaving them the first time a few years back had been the impetus for all of those different realizations. Uncle Benjen had stopped by in Winterfell and Jon… Jon had decided out of the blue that he was going to leave with Benjen when he departed again for the Wall in order to join the Night's Watch.
Or rather, it wasn't out of the blue. It just felt like it to Sansa at the time because she hadn't been paying enough attention. She hadn't realized just how much her mother's hatred of Jon hurt him. She hadn't figured out that Jon had been longing to escape Winterfell for years before that point.
In the end, her bastard brother leaving had led to Sansa realizing just how much she missed having him in her life. And after catching Arya crying to herself in an alcove one day, it had also led to the two sisters bonding with one another in a way they never had before.
Ultimately, it had been Sansa who changed for the sake of their relationship. Because Arya… Arya didn't need to change, despite what their mother and the Septa said. She was perfectly alright the way she was.
Fortunately, Jon tended to come down to Winterfell to visit every time Benjen did, with their uncle taking him on as his direct apprentice or something like that. Sansa didn't fully understand it; all she knew was that it meant Jon came by every so often. And when he did, he always made sure to sneak Arya a few fighting lessons while he was here.
Somewhere along the way, Sansa had joined them… not as an active participant of course, but merely as an observer. There was something to be said about seeing Arya with a smile on her face, rather than the sour expression that the younger woman tended to wear whenever she was being forced into wearing a dress or attending yet another embroidery lesson.
Of course, they had to do everything in their power to avoid being caught for both Arya and Jon's sakes. Which is why when Sansa hears footsteps coming down the stairs from where she's seated near the exit of the catacombs, she quickly calls out to the others.
"Someone's coming you two!"
Immediately, Jon and Arya stop what they're doing and get into position. As their heads bow as they feign paying their respects to the ancient Stark Lord they were just fighting right in front of.
… A moment later and Robb Stark, the current Lord of Winterfell while their father is down in King's Landing, steps into view. He looks at all three of them with an arched brow like he doesn't buy their act for a moment… and then cracks a grin and chuckles ruefully.
"How did I know I was going to find you all down here?"
Arya breaks first, immediately whipping around once she hears Robb's voice, her face lighting up as she rushes over to hug him.
"Robb!"
Robb just laughs, catching her in his arms and hugging her back for a moment before setting her down. He then clasps arms with Jon, who smiles and nods.
"My Lord."
"Tch, none of that Jon. Not when it's just us."
"… Robb."
With that settled, Sansa finally speaks up.
"What brings you down here, Robb? Is mother looking for one of us?"
Arya looks immediately hunted by the suggestion, and her shoulders droop when Robb nods. However…
"Yes actually. She's looking for you at the moment, Sansa."
For her? How surprising. For all that Sansa may have… broadened her horizons a bit over the past few years, she had kept up the act around both her mother and father. That way neither had any reason to suspect she was anything less than their perfect, ladylike daughter still.
Of course, if she wanted to keep the ruse going, she should definitely not keep their mother waiting.
"I'll go to her now then. Thank you, Robb."
Her older brother gives her a grin and a hug before Sansa heads back upstairs. Behind her, she hears the sounds of sparring kick back up again and smiles as she ruefully shakes her head and chuckles. Those sounds fade though as she escapes the catacombs and quickly locates her mother.
"Ah! Sansa, there you are. I've had people looking everywhere but the servants couldn't find you."
Smiling demurely, Sansa inclines her head while neatly bypassing the question inherent in her mother's words.
"Robb found me and told me, mother. Now, what did you need me for?"
Catelyn Stark looks like she might want to ask questions for a moment… and then decides otherwise, her eyes brimming with joy as she holds up a piece of parchment.
"There's been word from your father in King's Landing, Sansa. Pack your things… we're going South."
Wait, what? Sansa blinks owlishly, caught wrongfooted by her mother's sudden declaration.
"I… c-could you please explain first mother? What did father's letter say? Who exactly is going South?"
Smiling, Catelyn comes over and takes Sansa's hands in her own.
"You and I, my daughter. Lord Arryn has spoken with your father and told Ned that our new King is currently in the process of looking for a Queen. And of course, he wants you, Sansa."
Sansa's eyes widen in shock. She's heard about everything going on down in the South, of course. From the death of the King and his sons to Renly Baratheon's attempt at rebellion. It had been what forced her father to leave them in the first place, a mobilization of the North's men that had even seen Robb departing for a time.
… But before the North's armies could reach King's Landing, apparently everything had been settled with a Trial by the Seven of all things. Robb and most of the North had returned back home while their father had continued on to King's Landing with only a small portion of their forces in order to swear loyalty to the new King in person.
And yet, it hadn't crossed Sansa's mind that this might come of that. After all…
"A-Are you sure, mother? Aren't I a little… old at this point?"
Despite still being a maiden, untouched and unclaimed by any man, Sansa Stark knew full well that she was nevertheless very nearly past the optimum marrying age. Being the daughter of a Lord Paramount, it was almost certain that her father could still get her a good match anyways of course. But by the same token, a King of the Seven Kingdoms could have his pick of anyone… he didn't need to settle for someone like her when he could have someone younger.
But her mother just shakes her head.
"That's just it, Sansa. According to Ned, the King wants a woman, not a girl. He wants someone his age and of the eligible maidens across all of Westeros, that leaves just you."
"J-Just me? Surely n-not!"
Here, Catelyn Stark chuckles softly.
"Well… maybe not just you. But none of the other options make any sense, nor are they likely to even respond to the offer. No, we'll go to King's Landing and the two of you will meet and I'm sure you'll hit it off right away! Ned says that our new King wants to make sure the two of you are compatible before making any final decisions… but I'm sure once he meets you, he will see what a beautiful, intelligent, and wonderful Queen you would make. And with nobody else in King's Landing to get in your way, you'll be unopposed!"
Well… damn. Part of Sansa wants to point out her mother's hypocrisy in the way she's treated Jon all these years just for being a bastard compared to how much she now wanted Sansa to marry Axel Baratheon, despite him living most of his life as a bastard himself.
… But she knows better than to say anything about that to her mother's face. It would seem… she was bound for King's Landing.
-x-X-x-
"Were you even going to tell me, father? Or were you going to hide this letter from me, your heir, until it was too late for us to take advantage of this opportunity?"
Barging out into the space, the Princess of Dorne shakes the missive in one hand angrily as she lambasts her chairbound father for his cowardice.
Of course, even as she watches her father Prince Doran grimace at her words, Arianne already knows the truth. She knows that he has long planned for her younger brother Quentyn to inherit Dorne over her. She has for years at this point. Really, this latest injustice is nothing but another in a long series of injustices. But this time will be different. This time, Arianne has an ally she's never had before.
"Oberyn…"
Its so very typical that despite her being the one who spoke first, her misogynist of a father addresses the man who enters the room just behind her instead of her. Arianne's teeth grind together, even as her uncle puts a hand on her shoulder and steps past.
"Brother."
"You told her, Oberyn?"
"I did. It's a good offer and she deserved to know."
Arianne lifts her head a little bit higher at that, her spirits buoyed by her uncle's words. Oberyn Martell, known far and wide as the Red Viper, had not always been on her side when it came to the altercations between her and her father. Indeed, once upon a time when she and Tyene had tried to sneak away to the Reach many years back, he'd been the one that caught them and brought them back to Sunspear, acting in the role of his brother's attack dog.
But really, Prince Oberyn was nobody's dog. He was called the Red Viper for a reason, and he could just as easily change his mind and act upon his own whims when it suited him. As it apparently did now.
Surging forward as Doran sighs and places a hand against his brow, Arianne tries a different tack. Letting her anger bleed away, she pleads with her father instead.
"Father, don't you see what kind of opportunity this is for us? The Usurper is dead. The Lions have never been weaker and there's even talk that says Cersei Lannister has been sent back to Casterly Rock! And now we receive a letter letting us know that our new King wants a Queen with some experience! There has never been a better time for Dorne to stop isolating itself from the rest of Westeros!"
Lowering his hand, her chairbound father looks up at her.
"This new King is still Robert Baratheon's son, my daughter."
But Arianne is ready for such words.
"And yet he was raised a bastard. Far from the machinations of our enemies. I'm sure he's far more like us than he is his father or the Lannisters. If I can get close to him… if I can become his Queen, it won't be difficult to convince him to enact justice for Aunt Elia and her children. The Lions can finally be made to pay for their crimes."
Doran's eyes flicker to Oberyn at that, but the other man stays quiet. Yes, Arianne didn't fully understand why her uncle was on her side in this… but she had her suspicions and she was more than willing to play off of them. If Oberyn wanted her to become Queen of the Seven Kingdoms so that she could convince Axel Baratheon to punish House Lannister for Elia and her children, then so be it. She was more than happy to make that bargain.
"… You would give up being my heir for this? You would pass the Seat of Sunspear to Quentyn for this opportunity to become Axel Baratheon's Queen?"
Arianne scoffs. She almost tells her father then and there that she knows. She's known for almost half her life at this point, having snuck into Doran's solar and read a half-finished letter of his that made it clear he intended to have Quentyn inherit Dorne from him instead of her.
Unlike the rest of Westeros, Dorne had a history of allowing women to inherit. She should therefore have been her father's heir as his eldest child. She should have become the Princess of Dorne one day when his health issues finally caught up to him.
But no… Arianne had never fully understood why, but Doran seemed to have long hated her, even going back to when she was very young. From never intending for her to inherit, to throwing nothing but old and feeble suitors her way, to refusing to even allow her to seek a match with a younger, more acceptable match for herself.
All in all, Doran Martell had made his position very clear to Arianne… but she refused to let him tear her down. She refused to stay here in Sunspear wasting away for the rest of time. Feigning a lack of care, Arianne smiles and flicks her fingers through the air.
"Let him have it, father. I'll give it up in a heartbeat for the sake of Dorne and for the sake of justice for my Aunt."
And she would give it up in a heartbeat for the opportunity to escape her spiteful father's controlling clutches at long last. But of course, she doesn't say that part out loud. She's not stupid.
After a moment, Doran's eyes move from her to Oberyn.
"And I suppose you would go with her as her escort, would you?"
Arianne is expecting as much as well… but Oberyn surprises them both by shaking his head.
"I thought I might send Tyene and a couple of the others with her, but I see no reason to go myself at this point in time. As my lovely niece has already pointed out, the Capital is emptied of Lions for now. My presence would be… unnecessary."
Doran scowls, his eyes flinty as he stares at his brother suspiciously.
"Just what game are you playing here, Oberyn?"
Oberyn just smiles and shrugs.
"No games, brother. It's exactly as Arianne has said. This is an opportunity we'd be fools to pass up. I know you had other plans, but the rumors make it clear those plans could fall through at any moment. Why not hedge our bets a little bit, hm? Besides, the letter made it obvious that the young King doesn't want a betrothal. He's not asking for any assurances nor giving any guarantees at all. In the end, nothing might come of this except to give Arianne a chance to stretch her wings just a little bit."
See, this is why Arianne didn't fully understand her uncle or his motivations. What other plans did her father have? How were they about to fall through at any moment? How was sending her to King's Landing 'hedging their bets' exactly?
She didn't know and that burned inside of her more than the most virulent of poisons… but in the end, she holds her tongue and watches with bated breath all the same. Doran, meanwhile, considers her uncle's words for a long moment in silence before letting out a shuddering sigh.
"… Very well. You may go to King's Landing, daughter. See if you and this Baratheon are… compatible. And if not, there will always be a place here for you in Sunspear."
Like hell there was. But Arianne keeps her true feelings to herself as she smiles sweetly and walks over to give her father a chaste kiss on the cheek.
"Thank you, father. I swear I won't let you down."
Doran smiles sadly as she pulls away.
"I've never thought you would, daughter of mine."
He sounds almost warm, maybe a little tender even… but too little too late. She doesn't trust it, not one bit. Arianne gives him one last false smile and a much more real hug to her uncle for his help before leaving the room behind and hurrying to get her things together. This was it. This was her chance to escape the gilded cage her father had kept her in all her life once and for all.
Not to mention, she'll grab a few of the Sand Snakes as well, just like Uncle Oberyn suggested. Tyene in particular just had to come with her. Apparently, the new King of the Seven Kingdoms had a thing for the Faith of the Seven~
-x-X-x-
A/N: And there we have our first POVs of Axel's would be Queens. But certainly not their last~
Feedback is GREATLY appreciated, every comment helps me shape the story with a Daily Free Write like this one!
Plug: If you're interested in reading more ASAP, you can sign up over on my Patreon right now to read FIFTEEN chapters ahead!
(The base price of my Patreon also increases from $3 to $5 at the end of July but if you get in now you keep the $3 price as long as you want, so now is a great time to sign up!)
-x-X-x-
A/N: Leave a Like if you enjoyed please, would mean a lot!
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