Chapter 13

Harry Potter + A song of Ice and Fire Crossover

Chapter 13

Did it really have to be so bloody hot here? I'm afraid my dress is going to melt right off me!

Absently, Lily tugged at the collar of her dress with a grimace. The two guards who followed behind them, whom were brought with the princess from Dorne as well as Ser Harlan Grandison of the Kingsguard were carrying coverings but those mostly went to the princess and she and Ashara only managed then when the footing of the guards turned the parasols in their direction.

It was a beautiful afternoon but at the same time there was a conglomerate of clouds far off out in the bay that promised rain later in the day. Soon enough the wind would pick up and Lily hoped that this shopping trip would be over before then.

"You're awfully quiet," Ashara said to her as they passed a certain stall laid over with bolts of exotic fabric. "Something on your mind?"

"Not really," Lily replied trailing one of her hands across the edge of one of the tables they walked past.

"Is it family related?" the other girl wisely guessed. "There are only two things I find that cause a woman's face to appear downcast. The first is a romantic experience gone wrong and the second is family related. Now pardon me for assuming but you are still quite young for the first so it must be the second."

Lily raised an eyebrow at the brunette. "I'm impressed. How did you get to be so astute?"

Ashara rolled her eyes. "One of the benefits to being a woman is that no one asks you for your opinion on anything. So you get to be very good at watching people and determining what their motives and desires are. Also, being a female in this world means only caring about two things, being a good wife and a good daughter and since you are not yet married yet and you are here in the capital with all of your family and your father, it was rather simple to conclude what was on your mind."

Lily made a mental note to never underestimate Ashara again. She had seemed rather quiet when she had met her the night before but now there appeared to be a social astuteness to the brunette that would serve Lily well in a snake pit like the capital. She was suddenly very glad that the brunette would be one of Elia's other companions.

"Very well," she said. "Since I told my family I would be staying in the capital, every single one of them has been strange."

"How so?" the brunette asked as they continued to walk along behind Elia.

The red head raised an arm to block out the sun and stifled a grimace as a rather revolting smell drifted past her nose. Most likely it had come from someone emptying a chamber pot into the street. The lack of public plumbing in this world still appalled and disgusted her at times.

"Well my father is quite pleased," she began. "He thinks that my being here will prompt a good match being made for me. My two older sisters are simply stunned and my younger brother is flummoxed. But the worst reaction has come from someone who I call a friend."

"Would this be that rather slender boy with brown hair who was standing with your family last night? Petyr Baelish is it?"

"Yes," Lily replied. "He's been fostered in Riverrun for as long as I can remember and we've grown up together. We've always laughed and had fun together but when I told him that I would be staying in the capital for the indefinite future he became angry, citing that he wouldn't be the one to tell my youngest brother that I was leaving him."

"That seems a bit harsh," Ashara mused with a frown. "Did he say anything else?"

Lily thought back to the previous night and then frowned as one particular detail came to mind. "Actually, I remember him being upset when the idea of marriage was brought up. I don't really like the idea of someone being chosen for me so I told him that maybe my being here will allow me to choose who I want to marry, or at least get to know the person that's chosen for me before hand. He didn't seem to like that much."

Ashara raised an eyebrow and then to Lily's surprise began to chuckle. "Well there's a rather obvious reason for that Lily."

The red head narrowed her eyes. "There is?"

The brunette's chuckle morphed into a laugh. "I forgot how young you were. He has feelings for you Lily. Anyone could see that and he is afraid that should you live the next few years in the capital, you will forget about him and that this may be the last time he has with you."

Lily frowned. "Don't be absurd Ashara, Petyr couldn't possibly feel that way about me."

"Oh?" the brunette asked folding her hands across her chest. "And why not?"

Yes, a dark little voice in the back of Lily's mind asked. Why is that so impossible? After all wasn't there another dark haired boy that you grew up with a long time ago that felt the same way about you? I wonder what happened to him?

Lily sucked the air through her teeth as she contemplated the ramifications of what Ashara had said. Thankfully there weren't any dark lords in this world for Petyr to join and no one had treated him badly as the Gryffindors had Severus but there was an inherent bitterness to him that was eerily similar to her Slytherin best friend.

But Petyr's father wasn't abusive like Sev's had been and he was taking an active part in his life. Surely things couldn't turn out the exact same way could they?

Don't you dare blame yourself for Sev! He made his choice. He chose the dark lord and his minions long before he fell in love with you. He had a completely different home life from Petyr and Petyr's had good influences. You didn't reject Sev and that's what drove him to Voldemort. No, he had made his choice a long time ago. Petyr doesn't have anyone to bully him here. It's a harmless crush and it will pass. It has to.

But she said none of that. Instead all that came from her were the words, "Oh no."

"I take it that this isn't welcome news," Ashara observed.

"Not really," Lily replied and ran a hand through her hair. "I must be more naïve than I thought. Or maybe I was just ignoring the signs, I don't know. All I know is that this isn't good."

"I take it that he wouldn't be a suitable match in your father's eyes," Ashara offered.

"Not even that," Lily said. "I could care less about suitable matches and alliances even though I know my father would die if he heard me say that. No what I care about is not hurting the feelings of my friend."

"Because you clearly do not feel the same way," Ashara nodded. "It is a difficult conversation to have. This is one of the reasons why I don't like fostering. Throwing someone into a new environment where they will grow up around other people sometimes females, they are going to inevitably bond with those people and not always in the most appropriate sense."

Lily sighed. "I should talk to him soon then."

Ashara pursed her lips and the red head frowned at her. "Do you think otherwise?"

"Not necessarily," Ashara said. "The last thing you want to do is wound his pride. And he is going back to the Riverlands with your family after the wedding yes?"

"Yes."

"Well then perhaps its something that will blow over in time. If he thinks that you may potentially find a match here than it will be easier for him to move on from the idea of the two of you. Talk to him if you can, but if you can't I wouldn't worry too much about it. Men are like rocks in a stormy sea, the water and wreckage just washes right off of them. It always does."

"What are you two talking about?" Elia asked from her place two steps ahead of them.

"The subtle intricacies of the male ego your grace," Ashara replied smoothly. "I was simply educating Lily in the finer details."

"Then by all means continue," Elia said throwing a sly look over her shoulder. "I think such a lesson would be good for us all."

Ashara grinned at her long time friend. "As much as we may debate the many meanings of the male species your grace, I don't think we'll ever stumble upon one correct answer. That is a question for a learned scholar and we do not ascribe to such a position."

"I might if it would get me out of an arranged marriage," Lily muttered prompting a laugh out of Ashara and Elia.

"Come now Lily, arranged marriages aren't all bad," Elia said.

"Really?" Lily challenged. "Can you tell me one good thing about them then?"

"Certainly," Elia said with an air of serenity that told Lily she was used to debating others. It must have come from being the only girl amidst two brothers.

"One example is that arranged marriages often lead to increased perspective of the other person," Elia explained. "If people were simply allowed to marry and then separate from the other as they please it would remove the desire to work hard to make one's marriage work. You see, a marriage is more than a means to achieve a political alliance and children. You're sharing your life with someone else. Now you have the power to either make that life miserable or to work hard to make something of it. Don't you want to be happy in a marriage?"

"I do," Lily replied wondering where her new friend was going with this notion and not sure she was liking this. "But suppose the other person doesn't want to make it work?"

"It would be in his best interests to make it work," Ashara cut in. "No one, male or female wants to be miserable. If you show you are willing to work hard to make your marriage work, I guarantee they will too. Tell me something Lily, did your parents love each other?"

Lily blinked as she thought about the union of Minisa and Hoster Tully. In the beginning of her new life here, she never remembered them fighting and there was still a hollow look in her father's eyes whenever her mother's name had been brought up. She knew that for as tough and hard as he tried to make himself appear even after her being gone a few years, he still missed her and likely would for the rest of his life.

"Yes," she said finally. "Yes, they did."

To her surprise, Elia stopped in the street and turned around so she was facing the fourteen year old. "A union like that would have been the envy of many.

There are men in this world who want nothing more than children and alliances from a marriage but I don't know many. A man's base desire is the same as a woman. They all love and want to be loved. The trick is to find that person whose desires for that are not buried and who has political connections. I think you'll find that arranged marriages are not all bad. You get to know that person before you fall in love and sometimes that can be a wonderful thing. Friendship before love is how it should be. Do you understand?"

Suddenly feeling floored and more than a little overwhelmed all Lily found she was able to do was nod.

"Good," Elia smiled. "Don't forget that. It will serve you well when your time comes. If you want to make a marriage work, than work hard at it. Love will be all the sweeter because you worked for it. Alright?"

Before Lily could respond, all of a sudden Ashara spoke up. "This was the street I was telling you about your grace."

Lily blinked and glanced up to find their small party standing at the entrance to a rather large alley about thirty feet in length. It only had one exit to the main street which was where they were standing. But it also had several small alley leading between the buildings at the far end to get to the larger streets on the other side. The alleyway was lined with tables and stalls of different vendors selling everything from Myrish lace to amber and jade from Qarth. Lily glimpsed intricate sea shells, exotic creams and ointments from Pentos and precious white stones.

Elia smiled. "I believe we'll find everything we're looking for here."

"And what exactly are we looking for your grace?" Lily asked as the three women moved into the alleyway.

"Adornments for the wedding," Ashara said over her shoulder.

"I thought that you had everything you needed for the wedding your grace," the red head asked in confusion.

"Not for me," Elia replied. "For the two of you. The both of you will be standing at the front of the Sept of Baelor with me and thus many eyes will be upon you. As companions of the future queen, I want the both of you to look your best. And as an aside, its simply entertaining."

Lily gave the princess a half smile. "I suppose that's true. Are we supposed to look uniform?"

"No," Elia replied. "Simply choose a dress that best suits you but it must be an elaborate one. This little shopping trip is simply to add to those dresses."

"Very well then," Ashara said. "Shall we look?"

What followed was a half an hour of the three of them perusing every stall and table in the alley, looking over each piece of jewelry and each jar of ointment and cream.

Lily, who had never really gone shopping in this world in the fourteen years she had lived in Westeros had to admit that she found it rather fun. Shopping in King's Landing was far different than shopping in England.

Everything was so organic and fresh that she wanted to take it all in.

It wasn't until they had stopped at a particular jewelry vendor and Ashara and Elia were marvelling at a collection of stunning rubies that Lily's eyes caught sight of a unique piece.

It was sitting at the very edge of the table and appeared to be a necklace of some sort. It had a simple silver chain. It's pendent was what interested the red head in that it was clearly made of emeralds but the end of it was slightly curved and large enough that one could rest a finger there.

"What is this piece?" Lily asked the merchant standing behind the table. He was an older man with salt and pepper hair and skin so tan and leathery that Lily was certain he was from the far east in Essos.

"My lady has an eye for quality," the man said and reached for the pendent. "This piece comes from the City of the Winged Men, a fabled destination where it is said that every inhabitant possesses a pair of wings."

Lily's eyes widened in fascination. "Have you ever been there?"

"Nay my lady," the merchant said with some regret. "But I have sworn an oath that I will see it before I die. The companions I have had go there have told me stories of an oasis in the desert where the men and women are ageless and where precious stones are more numerous than the grains of sand in the desert. I don't know how true that is but upon seeing this item I cannot dispute the gem story."

"It is solid emeralds isn't it?"

"It is," the merchant said. "But it's function is twofold. Observe."

The pendent itself was the length of Lily's hand and she watched as the merchant pulled at the top of the pendent that was connected to the silver chain and to Lily's surprise removed it only for her to be confronted with a small razor sharp blade about the length of her index finger. The hilt of the tiny weapon was also about the length of her finger but curved at the end.

"Fascinating," Lily murmured.

"It is a weapon of speed more than a weapon of force," the merchant explained. "There is a legend originating from the City of the Winged Men which states that these weapons are the only ones they carry. Their wings increase their speed to such a degree that they do not need a normal sword to keep a foe at arms length as no one can match their velocity. They also seem to possess a unique perspective on the best and least bloodiest places to kill. Subtlety is the greatest weapon of the Winged Men."

"I'm afraid I don't understand," Lily said with a frown.

"In essence, this weapon is cleverly concealed as a pendent so that one might get close to the object of their assassination without said object ever knowing."

"An assassin's blade," Lily marveled reaching out for it. "How clever. With the right speed, no one would ever see you coming."

"Precisely."

Lily turned the small piece over and over in her hand. "I'll take it."

Once she had counted out the correct amount of coinage for the merchant, she turned to Elia and Ashara to show them her find.

The two of them were standing on a stoop speaking to an older woman whose head and face were wrapped in a silk scarf. There was a child in her arms and Lily glanced at the sign above the door only to see that it was an orphanage.

She moved in their direction but had gone no more than two steps when all of a sudden there was a prickling sensation in the back of her neck.

If she hadn't turned her head to the side just in time to look down the alley, she might not have caught it.

Long robes didn't seem to be an uncommon thing in King's Landing however the amount of figures wearing them had increased since they had stepped into the alley.

There didn't seem to be any pattern to their movements and they were all dressed in random colors. The only parallel between them all was the fact that their faces were covered by veils and only their eyes were visible.

There were so many people in the crowd that it would be easy to miss them and at the same time they stood out just enough so that one would know they all seemed to of one mind and one ambition.

They were here for one specific purpose it seemed.

Lily felt a cold feeling in the pit of her stomach and she swallowed hard, watching in silence as she realized that there was a veiled man standing on either side of the entrance to the alley.

Almost as if they were making sure no one could leave.

Where are the guards? Lily thought frantically as she hurriedly closed the distance to Ashara and Elia.

Looking around Lily became aware of the fact that she was the only one to have noticed them as the rest of the guard who had accompanied them along with Ser Harlan were watching the people they were supposed to be guarding

And it was in that moment that she realized all of their eyes were fixed on Elia.

This is a trap.

Reaching out she gently took hold of Elia's arm. "We need to leave."

The princess frowned at her. "Why?"

No sooner had the word left her mouth when all of a sudden there was a hissing sound followed by a groan and Lily watched in horror as Ser Harlan toppled over, bleeding and twitching profusely from his eye.

With terror she realized that somehow a dart had been fired from somewhere in the alley and embedded itself in his eye. It was an instant kill shot.

The matron of the orphanage screamed as the old Kingsguard hit the ground and from there, complete chaos ensued.

Yells and curses rang out from the crowd and then all of a sudden people were stampeding in every direction.

"Your grace get inside!" One of the Dornish guards yelled. "We will – "

He never finished what he was going to propose as just then there was another hissing sound and a dart was embedded in his eye as well.

This time Ashara was the one who screamed as he toppled to the earth.

"Inside! Now!" Lily barked as she pushed Ashara and Elia towards the door of the orphanage. She shoved them inside and slammed the door shut before looking towards the terrified matron who had backed against the opposite wall with her hands pressed against her mouth. "How many children are here?"

Somehow the woman managed to keep her wits about her. "F-Fourteen my lady."

"I would suggest you separate them all," Lily snapped. "I don't know what sort of men are out there but if they are the kind to fell members of the Kingsguard, they certainly won't feel very charitable to children."

"Lily what in the name of the seven hells is going on?" Ashara demanded.

"I don't know," the fourteen year old grunted. "But if I had to wager a guess, I would say that this was an assassination attempt.

"Assassination?" Elia gasped, her face going pale. "But why?"

"We can discuss the whys once we are safely away. Right now we need to find an exit and get back to the Red Keep."

"Poor Ser Harlan," Ashara whispered.

She turned to the matron in a trice. "Is there a back door into the orphanage?"

The woman looked at her, dazed from the speed with which things were moving. "Pardon my lady?"

Lily steeled herself for calm. Losing her temper now would no one any good. "Is there a back door into this place?"

"Yes but – "

"Where?"

"Just down the hall and past the great room where the children eat for dinner but my lady – "

"Then I would suggest you get them and find someplace to hide," Lily snapped.

"What is going on?" Elia demanded.

"This was a trap," Lily said. "I think those men were lying in wait for one of us, most likely you princess."

"Me…but why?"

"I don't know," Lily said. "But in order to find out, we need to survive first. Please barricade the door and then look for a back door."

Fortunately, Elia seemed to get her wits about her then and she nodded before turning back to the door and reaching for the chair that was propped beside it so she could wedge it beneath the knob.

Lily meanwhile ran down the hall of the orphanage into the great room which was just an indoor courtyard with an open roof so the sun could be allowed in. There were several children in there playing already but they stopped and stared at her as she ran past.

They must not be allowed in here. Gods know what they would do to those children if they caught them. No…someone knew we were going to be here.

Unfortunately, she had just caught sight of the back door of the orphanage when it was broken through by one of the men in black with a few companions.

A woman clearly employed by the orphanage because of her robes had just come down a hidden hallway by the door and as Lily opened her mouth to call out and warn her, one of the men in black stuck his knife in her throat and pulled it out with a savage yank causing her to slide to the floor, blood pumping from her throat like a fountain.

I can't let them get to the great room, in fact I can't let them get any farther down this hall. Elia and Ashara and Cassana are hiding nearby.

She could hear screams in the background mostly of children as they were hurried away to hide and grimaced.

And so because no one was around to see her, Lily decided the use of magic in this situation would be warranted.

She whipped out her hand and squeezed her fist shut muttering the stunning charm. Instantly the man dropped to his knees, and sprawled headlong on the ground, out cold.

Not allowing herself to feel guilt for the moment, Lily looked around wildly for more attackers. She had no sooner dropped the man to the ground when she heard movement from the greater hall of the orphanage and she hustled in that direction.

The matron was nowhere in sight, no doubt having found a place to hide and she didn't see Ashara either.

But what Lily did see was a man in a black robe holding a knife to Elia's throat in one of the corners of the great room. The blade was pressed against her throat and her golden eyes were fixed on it, going back and forth between the man's face and the blade. Her hands were pressed against the wall as if she were trying to get herself as close to the stone and away from him as possible.

Lily gritted her teeth, a rage coming over her then as she saw her new friend in harm's way.

And because she wasn't going to be able to get the man away from Elia by physical means…she had to employ the use of something else.

Knowing she was about to blow her cover for the first time in this life and not seeing any other way around it, Lily took a deep breath.

And so taking a deep breath, she muttered the stunning charm under her breath and waved her hand at the man.

There was a horrid moment of silence and the pair of women watching in horrified fascination as the man's eyeballs rolled back into his skull and he sprawled headlong on the ground unconscious. The knife fell from his hand to the floor with a clatter.

There was another long moment where the brunette released a breath and slumped down to the ground with her back against the wall.

Lily wasted no time in hurrying over to Elia and taking her hand. "Are you alright?"

The Dornish woman took a few deep breaths before it seemed she trusted herself enough to be able to speak. "Yes, yes I am."

She then fixed her friend with an incredulous but also wary look. "How did you do that?"

Lily opened her mouth to respond but was cut off when there was a shouting behind her. She turned around to see the last one of the Martell guards come running into the room. His sword was drawn and coated with blood and there was blood dripping from a slash wound in his arm but otherwise he seemed none the worse for wear.

All of a sudden Lily felt something being shoved into her hand and glanced down to see that it was a frying pan. Judging from the tables in the middle of the room and the plates with half eaten food on them, the orphanage had been in the middle of a meal.

She looked at Elia questioningly but the brunette simply shook her head.

"Are you alright my lady?" the man asked hurrying towards them. "The scum didn't hurt you did they?"

"No sir," Elia said. "This cretin here would have though if Lady Lilian hadn't snuck up on him and cracked his head with the pan she is holding."

And that's when it dawned on Lily. Her new friend was shocked by the magical display but she had recovered herself fast enough to realize that whatever the red head had done was quite obviously not a normal act that others had seen. So she was covering for her in whatever way she could.

The guard turned to the small red head and she could see the respect in his eyes. "You have down our future queen a great service Lady Lilian. The women of the Riverlands are sharp indeed."

Lily gave him a smile but there was an underlying bite to it. "Well sir, you weren't here so I had to get creative."

The smile fell from the man's face and Lily wanted to cringe at her ungenerous words. She usually wasn't that harsh but at the moment it was difficult to not feel emotional. She had been attacked by strange masked men, and stunned another and in the process had revealed her magic to the last person she would have expected to reveal it to. And now the entire experience had been covered up in a matter of seconds.

"Thank the seven!"

Elia, Lily and the guard looked up to find Ashara and the matron standing at the top of the stairs. Ashara's face was grey and she seemed almost speechless with relief however she sustained no injuries.

The Dayne girl practically flew down the stairs and grasped Elia's shoulders gently checking her over for injuries. "Are you alright? I never should have listened to you when you said we should split up."

While Elia explained to her friend what had happened Lily glanced up at the matron who was leaning against the railing and trembling. "Where are the children? Are they alright?"

She nodded. "Myself and Lady Ashara herded them into one of the back rooms. They're frightened but otherwise unharmed."

"Good," Lily said with some relief.

"Arden, who were those men?" Elia asked pointing to the man who was now lying knocked out on the flagstones of the greater room.

"I don't know my lady," the guard said, his upper lip curling in disgust. He prodded the still form with the end of his spear. "But as long as he is alive, we'll get the truth from him. Come, we need to return you to the capital, Prince Oberyn and the royal family need to be informed immediately."

"I think I saw another man on the floor in the hallway," Lily said casually. "Someone must have got to him too. Best grab him as well before we go back."

As they were leaving the orphanage however after Elia had insisted that they stay and help clean up some of the mess, the brunette caught Lily's hand.

Her grip was firm and tight as they stood on the steps of the orphanage bidding the matron farewell and hurried through the streets of King's Landing.

Elia kept a hold on Lily's hand as entered the gates of the keep and the red head had a feeling she would need to have a long conversation with her friend before long.

She was just glad that no one else had seen the display of magic.

I can only imagine what my family is going to say when they hear of this.

Ω

Once they arrived at the Keep, the guard Arden returned Elia to her chambers and handed over the prisoner to Arthur Dayne who was horrified to learn what had nearly befallen his sister as well as the future queen and her ladies.

Lily silently cast a disillusionment and a silencing charm on herself as she hurried through the halls. She didn't want people asking a lot of questions about why she was decorated with dust and the hem of her dress was torn and there were many people walking in the halls of the keep.

Thankfully she didn't see her brothers, father or sisters on the way and dashed into her own set of rooms, all but slamming the door shut behind her.

None of her maids were in there as well and Lily wasted no time in filling the bathtub with water and stripping off her dress before tossing it in the fire and settling down into the hot water to wash off the remnants of the ordeal.

She was grateful that the only one to see her magic had been Elia herself as Ashara and the matron had been hiding with the children.

She was probably looking for a place to hide when the man caught her, Lily thought to herself as she combed her fingers through her long red curls. More importantly though, what the bloody hell did they want? It was obvious they had been lying in wait for us and a trap had been set. But what was it all for? Princess Elia seemed to be their target and yet…part of me thinks they didn't intend to kill her…or maybe I am wrong…I need to know more. It's a good thing that prisoner is still in the dungeons. With a little luck we'll be able to nip this in the bud.

She had no sooner risen from the tub, dried herself off, dressed and contemplated if she should go in search of the princess or spend the rest of the day in her room when she was interrupted by the door bursting open and Lysa and Petyr barging in followed by her Uncle.

"Is it true?" Petyr demanded. His dark brown hair was windblown as if he had been running and his eyes were practically narrowed into slits.

Lily frowned. "Is what true?"

"Don't play games with me! Is it true that there was an assassination attempt on the life of Princess Elia while she was in the markets with you and Lady Ashara today?"

Lily sighed. She had been hoping to get to her sisters and her father before the news had spread, but any chance of that happening now had been shot to hell.

"Before I say anything- "

"Gods it is true!" Lysa exclaimed. "What the bloody hell happened? Are you alright?"

While she was still speaking, the door was opened again to reveal Hoster Tully who appeared even grimmer than normal. His blue eyes searched hers for a moment before simply uttering two words: "What. Happened?"

Lily grimaced to herself, knowing there was no way in the Seven Hells she was going to get out of answering this one.

"The trip commenced like any other," she began. "The three of us along with Ser Harlan and some Martell guards journeyed into the city, going into the Silk District. There was a particular street that Lady Ashara knew about which apparently had the best silks and jewels. It was a large alleyway nestled off the main street with smaller alleys leading to the other main streets. We spent about a half an hour or so looking the tables over.

"I had just finished an interesting conversation with one of the merchants when I got this prickling feeling on the back of my neck like we were being watched. I looked around carefully only to find that the crowd had been infiltrated by a group of men all wearing veils with head coverings. I could see nothing but their eyes. They weren't standing close together but some were guarding the entrance to the alley as if they didn't want anyone to leave.

"At the time, Princess Elia and Lady Ashara were speaking on the steps with a matron of one of the city's orphanages. They hadn't noticed the change in demographic and nor had the late Ser Harlan or any of the Martell guards she had brought."

Ser Brynden muttered something under his breath at the mention of the deceased member of the Kingsguard. "Old ruddy bastard should have been let out to pasture long ago. Who of all people commissioned him to go with the princess?"

"Anyway," Lily sighed, eager to rush through her story and be done with it. "Upon realizing that the situation had taken a sinister turn, I hurried towards the princess and told her that we needed to leave. No sooner had the words left my mouth when all of a sudden there was a hissing sound almost as if an arrow had been released from a bow and I looked to find Ser Harlan toppled over. There was a dart sticking out of his eye, the only vulnerable place in his helm. One of the other Martell guards only had time to shout for us to take cover before he too was struck.

"We dashed into the orphanage and princess Elia suggested we split up to ensure that we were not easy targets. I dashed down the hall in search of a backdoor where we could escape from and narrowly avoided meeting another robed man who had just come in through the back door. I hid behind a barrel and watched as he headed into the greater courtyard of the orphanage before following him as I had seen Princess Elia head in that direction and I wanted to make sure she was alright.

"As it turns out that instinct saved the both of us for when I entered the courtyard I found her with her back against the far wall and a knife at her throat. The man cornering her didn't hear me thankfully and I reached down and picked up one of the pans that had been left on the table when the children had scattered during dinner. I was able to sneak up on him and hit him across the back of the head, knocking him out cold.

"Not long after that, we were reunited with Lady Ashara who had hid with the matron and the children and the princess's surviving guard who had somehow managed to dispatch some of the attacking assassins. The man who I had hit was bound and brought back to the keep where he currently in the Black Cells waiting to be questioned."

The red head finished the tale by taking a deep breath. "Now you know andI don't really want to talk about this anymore. We're all safe and sound, so there is no reason to become overly upset."

"No reason!" Petyr burst out. "You were almost murdered in broad daylight by men sent from gods know where! This is exactly why you shouldn't stay in the capital, you'll be a target here. Any lady of noble birth would be!"

"Are you implying that I can't take care of myself?" Lily demanded, her temper flaring. "Because I think I proved that with the frying pan. I'm not helpless Petyr, I know how to take care of myself. The truth will be wrested from that man shortly. We'll find out who sent him and the problem will be taken care of."

"Be that as it may, a potential monarch being targeted in the streets of King's Landing in broad daylight from masked assassins is hardly a normal occurrence," Hoster Tully rumbled from his place by the door. "Somehow I don't think this was an isolated incident or the work of some radicals trying to make a political statement. These men sounded trained."

"Aye, it sounds like it was a calculated and pre-meditated attack," the Blackfish mused. "But if the target was the royal family then why go after the Martell girl? Surely the king knows that even if she were to be killed another girl from a noble family would be chosen."

"Well perhaps that truth will be revealed from the assassin," Lily said with a sigh.

"Maybe so," Hoster said. "But for now the entire court is in an uproar. I can't imagine when Prince Doran receives a letter that he will be happy with the attempt on his sister's life and there is the matter of naming a new soul to the Kingsguard. This is going to overshadow the royal wedding most heavily."

Lily wanted to roll her eyes. Was that really all he cared about?

"But Lily's still not going to stay here after what happened is she?" Lysa asked fearfully. "Suppose something like this happens again?"

Lily glanced at Petyr who looked as if he wholeheartedly agreed with everything that her sister had said and this time she really did roll her eyes.

Hoster was silent for a moment and Lily began to fear that he would tell her that she was to come back to the Riverlands with them. A small part of her was afraid of the thought. This was the first adventure she had had since her trip to the Eyrie and she wasn't ready for it to be over. Elia and Ashara seemed like genuinely good people and she wanted to help the former in an environment that might be very difficult. Also, remaining at court would allow her infinitely more freedom than she had had in the Riverlands.

"If you are concerned about Lilian's safety, might I suggest a compromise brother?" Brynden Tully asked, speaking up suddenly.

"Of course," Hoster Tully replied.

"Lilian's safety is of paramount importance to all of us as she will be remaining behind in a new and unknown environment. Suppose we counter the unknowns with what is known. I will stay behind in the capital with her."

At those words a deep musing silence fell over the room and Lily felt her eyebrows race to her hairline. This had taken a new and interesting turn.

"I would be thrilled to have Uncle Brynden here with me," she said quickly and felt Petyr's eyes snap to hers. "I think that cancels out any concerns."

"It would," Hoster mused rubbing the side of his face wryly. "Very well then Brynden, have it your way. You will remain with Lilian for the duration of her time here. Now then, come along Lysa, you and I were on our way to a meeting with the Lannisters before we were redirected here with the news of the attack. Lord Tywin and I have many things to speak of.

"But – " Petyr made to interrupt but Brynden silenced him with a glare.

Lysa sent a helpless expression at Lily before she followed their father out of the room leaving Petyr with her sister and Uncle.

Baelish looked fit to be tied and opened and closed his mouth several times looking at both her and her uncle but couldn't seem to figure out what he wanted to say or how he wanted to say it.

After a moment of awkward silence, he turned and stormed out, slamming the door behind him making Lily cringe and the Blackfish mutter.

"I need to have a talk with that boy at some point," he said quietly as if speaking to himself before turning to Lily. "And speaking of conversations, you and I need to have one."

"I already told you the whole story Uncle," Lily sighed. "Must we go over it again?"

"It's not that story I am referring to," her uncle said.

Lily frowned and opened her mouth to ask which tale he was talking about when he turned away from her and walked over to the bedside table.

From there he reached down and retrieved a small object causing her to frown. It wasn't until he picked it up and turned it over in his hand that Lily realized it was the medallion she had been given on that misty road to the Eyrie weeks and weeks ago.

She swallowed hard.

"It's not like you to keep secrets Lilian," her uncle said she cringed at the use of her full name. "You've always told me everything."

"I have," she replied.

"Then why is it that this medallion was given to you by the Mountain Clans of the Vale before they dissolved into a fine mist? They knew who you were and they called you by name. How is that possible?"

Lily sighed and steeled herself. She had already revealed her magic to one person that day, might as well do the same for another.

"I have no idea how they knew who I am Uncle," Lily said carefully. "But they must have given me that medallion because they sensed I was different."

"In what way?"

Lily took another deep breath. "In this way."

And then without another word of warning, she whispered the summoning charm under her breath and the medallion leapt from the Blackfish's hand. It flew through the air toward her before coming to a stop and nestling itself into the palm of her outstretched hand.

Her uncle who had cursed at the sudden movement had whirled around to face her and was now watching with wide eyes as Lily levitated and lowered the medallion before his face.

"How…." The man paused and almost seemed as if he were struggling with his own thoughts. "How long have you been able to do that?"

"A very long time Uncle," Lily said. "But this isn't all I can do."

She lowered her hand and strode towards him before taking his wrist in her grasp. "Don't let go."

"Don't let – "

Before he could finish however, Lily closed her eyes and envisioned the library of Riverrun in her mind. Then without another word, she spun on her heel and the two disappeared from the capital with a crack.

A moment later the smell of old books and parchment assaulted her and the red head opened her eyes with a smile to find herself standing between two tall shelves lined with old manuscripts. There was a shaft of afternoon sunlight emitting from the tall window at the end of the aisle which cast a warm glow on the dark wood floors. The light also cast into sharp relief the old scuff marks from shoes and the scratches from dragged chairs when one had to reach a book on the top shelf. Particles of dust drifted lazily on the air being tossed this way and that by the changing currents. Lily took a deep breath and released it slowly.

She was home.

A moment later she reached out a hand to steady an astonished Brynden Tully who had stumbled upon their landing in the library.

Slowly she let go of his hand and looked him over carefully. The expressions that passed over his face were interesting. His eyes went from dinner plate astonishment size to disbelief to stark grim realism and finally they found hers.

"Are we in Riverrun?" he asked softly.

"We are," she replied. "Look out the window and see for yourself. The training yard is just below."

She watched as he strode over to the window at the end of the aisle and pressed his hands against the glass like a little boy. It was almost comical.

But when he turned back around the expression on his face was anything but amusing. "Is that all then? Is there more you can do?"

Lily nodded. "Magic is an all encompassing thing Uncle. I'm not immortal and I can't turn back time or raise the dead but I can summon and conjure objects, levitate items and other simple charms as well as take us to any place in Westeros as long as I've seen it before."

Brynden Tully began blinking rapidly for a second as if he were trying to take this all in. After a time however he closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "That's why those mountain clans came to you then. Magic isn't gone from this world and somehow they knew it. But how is this possible? How is it that you are a magical being and no one else in this family is?"

"As far as I can understand Uncle, my condition is a random thing. I'm convinced that there were many in Westeros in the past who had magic."

"Like who?" her uncle asked with some interest.

"Well Bran the Builder comes to mind. I've never seen the Wall but I've heard that it is absolutely enormous, the biggest structure ever built in this land. And seeing as how it was built in a more primitive time, you don't think something like that would have been built without the help of magic do you? Also Durran Godsgrief who married the maiden of the sea Elenai. She was no doubt a magical being able to choose to spend her life with a mortal man. And what of the Targaryens?"

"What about them?" the Blackfish frowned.

"You don't think they would have been able to tame their dragons without the help of magic do you? We've all heard the stories about how the ancient dragons have a deep seated connection to magic. Why do you think they're all gone now?"

"Because magic has disappeared, or at least I thought it had," Brynden said slowly.

He was taking it all rather well and Lily allowed herself to breathe a sigh of relief. But then he countered her calm with another question.

"That is why you were so calm after the incident in the marketplace today. You didn't incapacitate the man with a pan you used your magic to get rid of him. How?"

"I used a stunning charm," Lily explained calmly. "It renders anyone unconscious. We needed the man alive to learn who sent him. We can't very well do that dead can we?"

"I suppose not," her uncle said running a hand through his hair. "Gods this is unbelievable. Does anyone else know?"

"Just Princess Elia who witnessed the magic, and now you," Lily said. "I've been very careful about who I tell this to. Not even Petyr knows."

"Good," Brynden replied. "I think continued silence on this is wise for right now. You're father is a traditional man and there's no telling how he would react to this. Petyr, while a good lad harbors a good deal of bitterness about his position in life and he might see this as yet another weapon that you have an he doesn't. Cat might follow her father and possibly ostracize you as a means of dealing with this. I don't know about Ed, Axel and Lysa but the unknowns are enough that you must be careful."

Lily nodded sadly. "I was worried about their potential reactions. There may come a time when I have to tell them though. I just hope they'll take it well."

"So do I," Brynden sighed. "Tell Lysa and Ed if you must but ensure that they know they must speak of it to no one. And I would hold off on telling Axel for a while. He wouldn't understand as he is still just a child."

"I will."

"Good, now perhaps we should return to the capital before someone sees us."

"Very well, give me your hand."

A moment later after the spinning sensation had ceased and Lily opened her eyes to find the two of them back in her chamber she let go of her uncle's hand and gazed up at him. "What are you thinking?"

"I'm not sure what to think Lilian," Brynden replied running a hand through his hair. "This is all so fantastical I think it will take some time to wrap my head around."

"I…I hope my magic won't change how you see me," Lily whispered looking down at her feet.

All of a sudden she felt a pair of large hands on her shoulders and looked up to see her Uncle's blue eyes looking at her intently. "Nothing about you could change the way I view you Lilian, not even this. You're still Lilian Tully magic or no."

Feeling a certain measure of relief, Lily nodded. "Thank you Uncle."

"Get some rest now," the Blackfish said releasing her and striding for the door. "You've had quite a day and I fear the excitement is only going to increase from here on out."

Ω

Lily didn't see Elia or Ashara for the next two days after the incident in the markets. She wasn't surprised that all involved had laid low given the fact that there was an attempt on the future queen's life. People involved would want to keep quiet until a proper investigation into the attempts was launched and information discovered.

Although unfortunately it appeared that everyone in the entire keep had heard the story in the forty eight hours that had passed since it happened and with each minute that went by Lily heard wilder and wilder theories about who was behind it.

She was glad Elia had kept silent about her part in the whole affair although it did make sense why. It was likely that no one would believe her and no one else had been there to corroborate her story but Lily.

Accusing the daughter of a Lord Paramount of something as fantastic as sorcery was outrageous at best and dangerous at worst.

Even still, she was glad some people knew her secret now and that her Uncle would be staying with her. Magic or no, she knew he would never treat her differently.

In the meantime she had decided to lay low and wait to be called by Princess Elia. She was unsure of what the other woman would think of her odd abilities as such things hadn't been seen since the days of Old Valyria.

So she kept to herself in this two day period and simply focused on her magic and avoiding the questions of people who had heard about the attack.

On the third day since the attack had occurred and only three days until the royal wedding, Lily received a message from a servant on behalf of Elia Martell asking if she would meet her in the gardens.

There was a particular terrace overlooking the sea that Elia was fond of. It reminded her of Dorne and the ocean by Sunspear.

Lily had a feeling the future queen would be there.

Curious that the Dornish woman would pick now of all times to speak with her, Lily dressed quickly and hurried down the halls towards the gardens outside of the keep.

In her heart she hoped Elia wouldn't judge her too harshly for what she had seen and keep an open mind about the whole thing. Magic wasn't very in common in Westeros and though there were some who could do it they generally did not live in the Seven Kingdoms.

It didn't take Lily very long to find the terrace although she had to walk through many long cobblestoned pathways lined with tall flowering trees before she came upon it at the end of one of the many aisles.

It was situated on a rock overlooking the ocean and had a lovely view of the water and the sunlight beyond.

At the table underneath the overhang, Lily spotted a single woman sitting in one of the chairs with her back to the pathway.

There were two guards in Martell armor standing on either side of the path and Lily wanted to smirk.

No doubt after what had happened earlier Oberyn Martell was taking no chances with his sister's safety. Just in case however as she passed the guards, she placed a silencing charm around the terrace so they wouldn't be over heard. She didn't want anyone else but the princess to hear what she was about to say.

There was a goblet of wine sitting on the table and Lily took a deep breath before walking over to her.

The dark haired woman who was princess Elia turned at the sound of the footsteps and gave her a small smile when she saw her. "Lily."

The red head decided she would take the use of her nickname as a good sign and stepped forward.

Elia gestured for her to sit down and Lily did so primly, perched on the edge of her chair so that she might leave in a moment if necessary.

Elia took a sip of her goblet of wine and was silent for at least five minutes, causing the red head to want to squirm uncomfortably. She obviously wanted another few moments to choose the words she was going to say and that made Lily nervous as she must have been thinking about what she had seen for the past few days.

Finally she locked eyes with the younger girl and spoke. "I went to Asshai as a young girl. Oberyn came with me and we watched some of the Red Priests in the temple of their god R'hllor or the Lord of Light as they call him. His priests said that he had a deep love of fire and that it was his powers that gave them the ability to do sorcery. I wasn't sure what I thought of it other than being rather afraid of this deity who called his followers to burn others alive as sacrifices and it was somewhere I never wanted to go back to. It's somewhat ironic I suppose that sorcery has found me."

And there it was.

Elia was nothing if not direct and Lily kind of liked that about her. She was straight to the point and there was no nonsense with her when she talked. She would make a good queen with that ability.

"Are you asking if I am a follower of the Red God your grace?" Lily asked, knowing full well her next answer would be important.

"Are you?" Elia asked directly. She didn't seem angry or afraid only determined to get to the truth.

"No," Lily said looking her squarely in the eye. "Magic….it's something I was born with. No god have me this ability nor did I ask for it. But from the time I was born, I knew I was different from my siblings….and they could never know."

That seemed to give Elia pause. "None of them know?"

"Only you and my Uncle now know the truth," Lily replied. "I know they love me but I would not want to be treated differently because of what I can do."

Elia was quiet for a long time. "I suppose I can see the logic in that. But to have such a gift….." She trailed off wistfully and for a moment Lily wondered if the future queen was wishing she had magic too.

The two women were quiet for another few moments and Lily found herself more comfortable with the silence. She began to realize that Elia only wanted to understand what she had seen and not condemn her for it.

"What exactly can you do?" the Dornish princess asked quietly.

In answer to her question, Lily took hold of her own goblet of wine and waved her hand over it, turning it into a raven.

It had been one of her first lessons with Professor McGonagall and transfiguration had been one of her best subjects.

Elia stared at her and the raven in utter shock before Lily waved her hand again and transformed the bird back into the goblet.

Hesitantly she reached for the goblet and picked it up. "This is….This is incredible. The magic of the red priests is very different. It's…..darker and always has a purpose because it's the Red God that gives them their abilities. His purpose is channeled through his servants. But this…..this doesn't seem to have a purpose at all….or if it does, it's your own purposes directing it. You aren't doing it because some god gives you the power…..you do it's because your gift and you don't depend on anyone else for it."

Lily smiled as she watched her friend work out her abilities for herself. Elia was correct, her magic wasn't tied to someone else's darker purposes. Magic was a tool and a gift, not something to be afraid of.

"So you're not angry with me then?" she asked and Elia looked confused.

"Why would I be angry with you?"

Lily shrugged. "Because this is a dangerous secret you have never seen before and I kept it from you?"

Elia smiled. "I admit I was a little surprised at first when I saw what you could do but you also helped save my life and that's something I could never find fault with. If anything this solidifies why I need you by my side."

Lily let out a breath she didn't even know she was holding and gave her new friend a smile. "That's a bit of a relief. In the past people haven't always reacted favorably to the idea of magic. The faith regard it as heresy and would burn people at the stake who have been accused of it."

"I have seen enough to know that this is true, especially when the Red God is mentioned," Elia agreed.

She looked at the younger woman with gentleness. "I'm not angry Lily, if anything I'm pleased that someone has watched out for me and can probably do it better than any of the soldiers my brother appointed to me."

"Does that mean you still wish to have me as one of your ladies?" Lily asked even though she was sure the answer was yes.

"Of course," Elia replied. "I have a feeling your magic is going to be an invaluable skill set while I'm living here in King's Landing. There are spies and traitors around every corner and this way I would know should the worst happen."

"And what are you expecting to happen your grace?" Lily asked curiously.

"I don't know," Elia said quietly and she sounded a bit nervous. "My good father is going to prove to be an…..interesting challenge given his…mannerisms and I don't want any children Rhaegar and I might have to be at the mercy of one of his…..fits."

She was choosing her words very carefully and Lily suppressed a smirk. "Yes the king is one of those…..special individuals."

Elia sat forward and took the other girl's hand in her own. "I also urge you to continue to keep this a well-guarded secret and only speak of it with those who know. Aerys is obsessed with magic and dragons and he would do anything to get his hands on one or the other. If he knew that you were capable of this, he would immediately seek to keep you here by force if necessary."

Lily grimaced. She had a feeling that something like that might happen if word got out about what she could do. However there wasn't anything Aerys could do to her that she couldn't undo and his attempts to stop her would only be met with force of her own.

"He could certainly try," she said grimly. "It does not mean he would succeed."

"Even still," Elia said looking fearful. "Please promise me you will refrain from using it again unless the situation demands it."

"I promise."

"Good."

The sound of footsteps interrupted whatever Elia might have said next and the two women looked up in time to see two men walking towards them followed by half a dozen guards.

Lily noted the comparisons between them and Elia right away and guessed them to be Prince Doran and Prince Oberyn Martell.

One had long curly black hair brushing the collar of his burnt orange tunic and the other was slightly taller with close cropped black hair and beard. His hand was leant casually against the long sword at his waist and his shirt beneath his embroidered yellow tunic was open to about halfway down his chest to give some relief from the heat.

He was quite good looking and from the way he walked, it was obvious he knew it.

I know Robert Baratheon reminded me briefly of Sirius when we were in the Eyrie, but if anything Oberyn Martell is even more like James' best friend. Sirius had the same sort of walk.

Doran Martell on the other hand was good looking as well but didn't seem to have his brother's raw sexuality. From the way his eyes scanned the situation he was walking into, Lily was certain however that he was a cunning man.

They both stopped at the edge of the terrace and nodded to their sister. "Elia, we have just returned from speaking with Prince Rhaegar. He has assured us that a new member of the Kingsguard will be named to replace Ser Harlan."

"Good," Elia sighed. "I wish the poor man hadn't met his end in such a way. He had served for so long. His death should have been an honorable one."

"If he had been paying closer attention it might have been other than receiving a dart through the eye," Oberyn muttered and Lily grimaced slightly.

She too thought that members of the Kingsguard should only serve for a certain time. Once they became old their reflexes were not what they used to be and would only be a danger to themselves and others. But Ser Harlan's death had been sad. He had served the royal family all his life. Surely he should be given a decent burial.

Finally Oberyn's eyes met hers and he smiled slightly as he looked her over. "And who might this be?"

"Ah," Elia said getting to her feet. "Doran Oberyn, allow me to introduce the girl who is responsible for saving my life in the market. This is Lady Lilian Tully."

Both brothers were silent as they looked her over, Oberyn with more interest and Doran with subtle calculation.

Finally the latter spoke. "Lady Lilian, House Martell owes you a great debt for your service to my sister. I must admit when she informed me she had chosen someone of your age to remain with her in the capital I had some concerns. But now I see they were unfounded. You will always have a loyal ally of House Martell in whatever service we may provide."

"Thank you my lord," Lily said with nod. "I would only ask that you call me Lily instead of my full name. I've never really liked Lilian.

There was a brief silence and Lily was surprised to see a small smile on Doran's face followed by a chuckle from Oberyn.

"I think I'm going to like this one," the younger brother said with a small smile.

Elia rolled her eyes. "I can't promise that the feeling will be mutual Oberyn. You occupy a special class all your own."

"I wouldn't be too worried your grace," Lily said with a small smile. "I have a lot of patience in dealing with ornery younger brothers. I have two of them after all."

There was another breath of silence in which Elia surprise Lily with a giggle and pressed a hand to her mouth to hide it.

"I am not ornery," Oberyn protested.

"Quite right indeed brother, you are as passive as the wind and about as consistent," Doran said with sarcasm as dry as the Dornish sands.

This time Lily laugh and covered it with a cough. She found she liked the Martell siblings right away. Oberyn appeared charming and easy going whilst Doran was full of sarcasm and wit to cut his brother down to size and Elia served as a mediator between the two.

"Will you be staying in King's Landing after the wedding Prince Doran?" she asked as the four of them sat down at the table again.

Doran swirled the goblet of wine in front of him and sipped from it before answering her. "For a time. House Martell has a vested interest in ensuring that those responsible for the attack on Elia are rooted out and destroyed. But I feel this was not an isolated incident."

"We don't know that yet," Elia said. "The man has refused to speak even under the most egregious of torturers."

"He'll talk," Oberyn muttered darkly. "And this most certainly was not an isolated incident. Who attacks a future monarch in formation in broad daylight on a crowded street if it wasn't a separate incident?"

"Peace Oberyn," Doran said calmly. "This is a delicate matter that will take time to resolve."

"Hang the time!" Oberyn snapped slamming his goblet down on the table and making the plate of cheese and fruit jump. "Suppose this happens again."

Lily glanced at Elia in time to see the Dornish princess give a long suffering sigh. "I'm certain Lily will have something to say about that."

She had meant it as a joke but both brothers turned to Lily with raised eyebrows.

"I don't doubt your resourcefulness Lady Lilian," Prince Doran said. "But is this a feat you could duplicate if the situation called for it."

Lily chuckled, "I do know how to use a sword if that's what you're asking Prince Doran. My Uncle has been instructing me in the art since I was six."

"I didn't know that," Elia said.

"Impressive," Doran mused. "The Blackfish is a legend. It would appear that the Tullys are a different family than most."

"That's not entirely true," Lily explained. "Both of my older sisters have no interest in the art and because they're going to be married soon they have no use for it."

"But you do?" Oberyn asked.

"I am only four and ten. There's a long time before I marry," Lily said breezily. "I want to learn everything I can."

"Excellent," Doran said with a bit of an imperious tone. "A woman should not be limited in anyway."

"I think mother would like her," Elia said in a soft tone giving Lily a smile which she returned. "She certainly doesn't like other people thinking there are things she can't do."

"Of course Lady Lilian is welcome in Dorne anytime but perhaps we can hold off on a visit until after the royal wedding."

"I have seen to it that the guards have been doubled," Oberyn said. "I have also sent a letter back to Dorne requesting more."

"Excellent," Doran said. "Then we are ready."

The way he said it made it seem as if he was preparing for battle and caused a chill to rise on Lily's skin.

When she glanced sideways at Elia, she could see that the princess was similarly affected.

Merlin I just hope something terrible doesn't happen again. It seems as if everyone around here is preparing for war.

Ω

So I have decided that Lily's relationship with Oberyn is going to be a lot like her relationship with Sirius. Because she's so young he's not going to flirt or try anything romantic with her. They're going to become good friends but that's really all. And so now both Brynden and Elia know about Lily's magic which will come in handy later. I've received a few reviews suggesting that perhaps Lily would be better off with Brandon and let me tell you outright that's not going to happen. I have a plan and I'm sticking to it. One thing about Lily is that she had an innate ability to draw people to her completely unconsciously. She was just that sort of person that people wanted to be around whether it was romantically or un-romantically. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to review. Next up...the wedding!