they married for duty.
they ruled for the realm.
they fought for justice.
but they healed for each other.
A story in which two broken souls, brought together by chance, find solace with one another in the aftermath of a war.
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Pre and Post R...
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VIII. Reduced to Ashes
282 A.C.
The screams echoed across the throne room yet no one dared utter a word against their king. Livia's whole being was screaming against all this yet what could she have done?
She was terrified. She, a lion of the Rock was scared. She could not expect what could have happened but this, this madness. She looked to King Aerys, smiling in glee as he watched Brandon Stark slowly getting strangled as he struggled to get to Lord Rickard Stark who was burning by wildfire.
Horror. Complete and utter horror.
After the tourney, everything descended into chaos. Rhaegar Targaryen supposedly kidnapped Lyanna Stark and her father and brother came to seek justice.
In return, they received the King's justice. Fire and blood.
Livia couldn't help but let slip a tear as she watched Brandon Stark cry out for his father. This wasn't right. This could never be right.
Her days in King's Landing have destroyed her shield. Watching Elia and her children cry every night, watching Queen Rhaella become reduced to a shell and Jaime.
Jaime, whose lifelong dream was to be a knight of the Kingsguard, now was forced to watch the king he served kill two righteous men.
A small sound of horror escaped her lips, cracking the mask of the lioness for she could no longer hold back.
She suddenly felt a hand grabbing onto her own and she looked to see her brother, still staring ahead yet squeezing her fingers as if he would rather die than be where he was at that moment.
But he dared not look away. He could not. Both of them, forced to forever listen to the screams of the Mad King's victims, knowing they could not do anything about it.
•°•°•°•
"Please, Aerys, stop!" The muffled pleas of the queen were heard even through the door.
Jaime stood stoic yet his resolve was crumbling. The king was a vile and sick man. Burning people had aroused him and he found this a suitable time to rape the queen.
His vows rang in his head.
I vow to protect the king and his family.
Yet the king he served maltreated his family, hurt his wife. The king he served killed innocent men. What was he to do then? What sort of vows prohibits this sort of injustice?
His thoughts were interrupted by the arrival of his sister, Livia, her face somber and serious but he remembered the way she looked at the execution.
He remembered the tear that trickled down her face and the silent cry she held back. His sister was breaking and so was he.
If their father were there now, he would be disappointed to see his prized children reduced to nothing but ashes.
"Livia." He whispered.
"Jaime." She answered, looking around and seeing there was no one before wrapping her arms around him.
"I want to go home." Jaime said, his age is reflected in his voice.
"So do I, dear brother. So do I." Livia replied, her exhaustion evident.
"What do I do, sister? I-I don't know what am I to do?" He asked, careful to keep his voice down.
As if in mockery, another scream echoed from the queen's chambers and the two siblings winced at the sound.
Livia looked up, her entire demeanor changed, as if in resolve. "We wait. We're Lannisters, we do not cower in fear. Father taught us that much. We do not whimper."
He found his strength in her words and continued. "We roar and when we do, the whole world will know."
His sister smiled at him, ruffling his golden locks. "Hold on to your courage, Jaime. Don't worry, I will keep you safe."
He laughed, a real laugh at that. "I thought that was my job."
•°•°•°•
Reading to little Rhaenys was a delight to Livia. It allowed something other than screams to fill out the silence.
As she finished the story of the legend of the Titan of Braavos, the princess was already asleep. Smiling, she stood from the bed and tucked the blanket around the little girl.
"Thank you, Livia." A voice sounded and Livia turned to see Elia Martell, looking exhausted. Her eyes rimmed red though a small smile was still on her lips as she glanced at her daughter sleeping.
"You don't even need to thank me, Elia. I love reading to her." The Lannister said, brushing a hair strand from Rhaenys's face before moving towards the door.
"Not just that. For everything. For your comfort and support. I know it must be hard. Especially with the..events occurring." The Dornish princess spoke, her tone heavy with heartbreak and exhaustion.
Livia couldn't help but pull her into a hug. "I'm here for you. Do not worry, we will all get through this." She said, trying to convince even herself even though it proved to be difficult.
Suddenly, Elia laughed tiredly. "In times like this, I almost wished you had married my brother so that I may consider you my good sister."
"I already consider you my sister. Anything at all, please tell me so that I may ease your burdens." Livia smiled, feeling the heavy weight in her pocket.
•°•°•°•°•
Oh gods, what have I gotten myself into? Livia thought.
She paced in her chambers, before unwrapping a piece of parchment. In it were the last words of Lord Rickard Stark. It had been a mistake on her part but she had been desperate for news.
She had traveled down the dungeons and spoke to the elderly Stark about what the whole of Westeros had been saying. That was how she knew things and informed Elia and the queen.
This information helped massively and Lord Stark asked for something in return. That she delivers a message from him to his heir after Brandon, Eddard Stark if they were to perish.
She had hoped that things would not go that way yet it had and now, her only hope was that Lord Eddard was to survive this war so that Livia may keep her last promise to a dying man.
She may not have the honor of the Stark but the devotion of a child to their father was the only thing she knew, therefore she had to do this.
