Chapter 28

Harry Potter + A song of Ice and Fire Crossover

Chapter 28

The three women quickly formulated a plan in which Lysa would remain hidden under Lily's magic for the next few weeks until they heard a reply from Doran. She would stay in Lily's chambers and only go out when Lily did.

This was especially imperative because Tywin Lannister himself was still at court along with his two twin children. He had been a silent lurker these past few weeks and Lily had done her best to avoid him.

But now she was beginning to wonder whether or not that was a mistake. The man may have been ambiguous, his personality as abrasive and prickly as a porcupine, but he was also a brilliant cunning man who she was beginning to realize she should be paying attention to.

His children on the other hand, they were a pair that Lily did not know what to think of.

The girl, Cersei, seemed to be in a permanently bad temper and more than once Lily had heard her hurl insults at servants for the slightest indiscretions. She seemed to stalk about the keep with a snarl on her face at all times and Lily didn't think she had ever seen her smile.

Her twin on the other hand, Jaime Lannister was never to be seen without a smirk on his face. Where his sister stalked about snarling at everyone, he strolled everywhere, taking his time with eyes that missed nothing and looked far too intently.

Between the two of them, Lily wasn't certain which was more dangerous, but she resolved to keep an eye on both siblings in equal measure.

Another thing that all three of her Elia and Lysa were looking out for was the return letter to come from Dorne.

After they had penned a missive to Doran, with Elia detailing Lysa's predicament and the request to have her come and stay with them, Lily had sealed the letter with magic so it wouldn't be viewed by prying eyes and had tied it to the raven's leg personally before sending the creature off into the air and watching until it was out of sight.

The smaller it grew, the less her worry became until she almost couldn't feel it at all.

Soon, very soon, Lysa would be safe.

In the meantime, she was quite content to remain in her sister's chambers under the disguise of magic and work on her sewing, humming all the while.

The cares of the last few weeks seemed to have fallen off her and even though she could only speak to Lily and Elia, that seemed to be enough for her.

She smiled more frequently, laughed more easily and there was a spring in her step whenever she walked anywhere with them.

She also pelted Elia with a million questions about what Dorne was like, what her family was like and what Sunspear was like.

Elia took it all in stride and told her everything that she needed to know while Lily watched on and chuckled all the while.

Every so often however, a sad look would enter her friend's eyes before it would flash away.

Lily wondered just how much the princess thought about Dorne and missed it.

If it was as beautiful of a place as she was describing than she knew she wouldn't want to be away from it if she could help it.

From the picture Elia painted, Lily knew her sister would love it.

Sunspear was right on the shoreline and when her child was born, she or he could play in the waves with Oberyn and Doran's children. She would have a midwife in Ellaria to help her with the birth and she would be among people who wouldn't judge her for the choices she had made.

It was the ideal situation.

It was perfect.

Now they just needed to wait to hear back from Dorne about when a private transport could be sent for Lysa.

Elia had pulled Lily aside privately to let her know that the Dornish were famous for their ability to be as cunning as possible. She knew that Doran would never send a wheelhouse to the Red Keep to pick up Lysa as it would arouse far too much suspicion.

Therefore, they would need to go into the city to meet whoever her brother sent and sent Lysa off privately.

Truthfully, Lily liked that idea better. The less people who knew about Lysa's pregnancy the better.

She still couldn't believe that it seemed like they were getting away with all of this. Things had gone much too smoothly so far and Lily found herself tensing as if waiting for the other shoe to drop.

At some point, she knew she would need to make a return visit to Riverrun to see Cat and update her on what was going on.

After everything that had happened with Brandon Stark, Lily knew her sister was no longer the same dreamy eyed person who believed in their ideal because she had been raised with them.

She was certain she could be trusted to keep this secret.

She also secretly wanted to see how her father was handling Lysa's disappearance and how much information had gotten out regarding her escape.

She had a feeling that even though they had done a decent job of keeping this secret under wraps, but she had a feeling it wouldn't be like that forever.

Secrets were harder to hold onto than an eel.

Lily never became more aware of the truth of that statement until one afternoon a few weeks after Lysa arrived in the capital when she was walking down one of the hallways in the Red Keep.

She had just come from the library and departed with a book tucked under her arm, intent on reading a bit more into the concept of prophecy into the early days of Westeros. The realm had some truly interesting stories that she wanted to familiarize herself with and perhaps gain some new knowledge on whatever prophecy that Rhaegar Targaryen had been obsessed with.

She hadn't bothered on waiting to get back to her chambers to sit with Lysa and read it and had cracked the book the moment she stepped out of the library's cool quiet.

Maybe that was the reason she hadn't been watching where she was going.

Maybe that was the reason when she looked up she found herself in an unfamiliar hallway.

Maybe that was the reason she had gotten herself lost.

Lily's eyes narrowed as she looked around the wide hallway. Windows on the right side of the hallway let in warm breezes from the gardens and the salty smell of the bay beyond. On every other strain of air, Lily caught the scent of spicy hibiscus and sweet lavender.

Maybe instead of going back to my room I'll just go out to the gardens to read.

The possibility was an attractive one and she had just turned to leave the hallway when the sound of voices met her ears.

Lily paused, wondering at the odd familiarity of the tone. It was coming from one of the doors nearest her.

"Father won't be back for hours," the voice was saying. "He's too busy burying his head in letters and muttering about plots to pay attention. We have all the time in the world."

"You fool!" a second voice hissed. "We have far less time than you think!"

Lily nearly flinched at the grating tone and her eyes widened with recognition.

Those are the Lannister twins. I knew I remembered those voices!

All of sudden, examining the contents of her book seemed far less interesting.

As a means of personal insurance, Lily whispered the words to the disillusionment spell and waited for a minute until the magic took hold.

And then she did something that Severus no doubt might have been proud of and crept towards the door that the voices were coming from.

She wasn't sure what the twins were doing here when they were staying in the Tower of the Hand with their father but any secrecy they were engaging in away was something that she was fiercely interested in.

She paused outside the door, wondering if she should press her magic and enter when something was uttered that brought her up short.

"We need to move fast," Cersei was saying. "Your marriage contract may be broken but it won't be long before father tries to marry you off to someone else."

Lily thought her eyes might fall out of her head at this news. She had known deep down that Lysa's marriage to Jaime Lannister wouldn't go through because of her pregnancy but it was one thing for her to know it and an entirely other thing for the Lannisters to know it as well.

Had Tywin Lannister written her father in the last few weeks and she just didn't know about it?

Was that why letters from Riverrun had become practically nonexistent?

It made sense. Her father was an intensely private man and any sort of humiliation or indiscretion would be kept under tight wraps.

Then she frowned as another thought occurred to her.

But if Tywin Lannister had in fact broken off the marriage contract, did he know about Lysa's pregnancy? Or had he done it for another reason entirely?

And if it was the first reason, then how in the seven hells had he found out?

She needed to know more.

Though the door was shut, Lily pressed her hands lightly against the cool wood and murmured the words to a spell that she used very infrequently.

It was a spell to make solid things see through, in effect turning a brick wall to a pane of glass.

She needed to be careful because whoever was in the room might be able to see the wall of glass, but because she was already invisible, it would be a little less risky.

Taking a deep breath, she peered into the room in time to see both Cersei and Jaime Lannister standing across from each other behind a table where a decanter of wine and two goblets were sitting.

She frowned, taking the picture in. Something about the way the two of them were standing looked odd to her.

She didn't have time to follow that thought further when Jaime opened his mouth and shocked Lily breathless.

"Do you know how father found out about the Tully girl in the first place?" he drawled. carelessly. "That seems like the sort of thing that Hoster Tully would never let get out."

Cersei shrugged and raised the goblet of wine to her lips. "All the servant told me was that she delivered the letter to father and waited for him to pen a response. She said she didn't remember seeing the name on the letter but whoever it was, father must have trusted the sender enough to believe what they were saying. If you ask me I don't think he ever wanted to marry you off to that wench anyway."

Lily bristled at the girl's language. I can think of a few other girls that qualify as wenches right now.

Cersei was still talking. "The servant told me that father penned an immediate response and then sent off another one which she saw was for Riverrun. That's all I really know."

Jaime took up the story again. "And the next thing that I know I am being called into his study to be told I will not be marrying the Tully girl. What a relief that was."

Cersei sniffed, sipping from her goblet. "It won't be a relief when father no doubt finds someone else for you to marry. The timing couldn't have been better for you to get out of that ridiculous marriage anyway."

Her brother frowned at her. "What are you talking about?"

Cersei rolled her eyes at him. "Don't be an idiot Jaime. Don't you see what's going on? The prince has rejected his wife and all of the realm is rumbling about it. There have been rumors for the last two years that he has no interest in her and now that there is still no heir to the throne, the rumblings are louder than ever. They haven't even been seen in the same room together since Harrenhal and any day now, he may choose to set her aside!"

Lily bristled again and leaned closer. She had to know more.

Jaime chuckled. "You and your ideas sister. Even if he did so, he still has two legitimate children that he would need to disinherit and House Targaryen isn't in any sort of position to do such a thing."

"You're not listening Jaime!" the Cersei said raising her voice and Lily grimaced and fought the urge to put her hands over her ears. Merlin, the girl was a harpy.

"An heir needs to produced and the prince seems to believe that his current wife isn't capable of doing so!" she went on. "Why he married her in the first place I will never know. What possible advantage could the Dornish have over us? Over me?"

Lily raised an eyebrow at the girl's petulant tone. She remembered hearing something a while back about how Tywin Lannister had designs to make his daughter the next queen, but for some reason Aerys had gone with Elia instead.

Clearly that rejection still rankled the girl.

"And what exactly do you plan to do about it?" Jaime asked looking clearly amused, though Lily had a feeling he was always in such a state.

"Don't you see Jaime?" Cersei replied, spreading her arms and looking somewhat like a politician Lily had seen on television when she was younger. "I am the next likely option. The king will soon see that he has made a horrible mistake picking that Dornish whore for Rhaegar and I will be asked to step in!"

Lily's fists clenched and the words to a stinging jinx were off her lips and flying through the air towards the girl before she could stop herself.

Cersei frowned and slapped a hand down on her arm.

"What is it?" Jaime asked.

"I don't know," his sister frowned. "My skin just began stinging."

She shook her head and leaned forward again, obviously choosing to ignore it.

"You seem very certain that the king will set aside the Martell princess," Jaime said. His tone didn't sound quite as jovial anymore. In fact if Lily didn't know any better, she might have thought that he wasn't happy with his sister's plan.

"Do you see a male heir?" Cersei asked, still scratching at her arms. "The crown needs an heir and I am in a perfect position to give them one. It's only a matter of time."

"I see," her brother drawled. "And what exactly is it that you want from me? I've heard the way you fit into all these plans but no reason for why you asked me to meet you here."

Cersei shook her head as if her plan was obvious and she couldn't believe her brother still wasn't getting it. "I have devised a way that you and I won't be separated again. Ser Harlan still has not been replaced to our good fortune and there is still an open spot on the Kingsguard. It is a spot that you will fill."

Lily reared back in shock. She had suspected that Cersei Lannister had a conniving bone but she wouldn't have expected this level of scheming from the girl. After all Jaime Lannister was his father's heir.

To have him on the Kingsguard would mean that he would remove himself from the line of succession.

Lily narrowed her eyes, looking back and forth between the two of them. But why on earth did Cersei want her brother with her so badly?

She looked at Jaime who seemed as surprised by her plan as Lily felt. "I thought we would go back to Casterly Rock before long."

"Do you not want to be with me?" Cersei asked and Lily was astonished to see her eyes now shining with tears. "Do you want to be apart again? Because that is what will happen if we let father have his way."

Crocodile tears.

That was all it was, Lily was certain of it.

But her brother didn't seem to realize it for an alarmed look came over his face and he reached out to take his sister in his arms. "Hush now, don't cry, of course I don't want to be apart from you."

She looked up at him with hopeful eyes from the cocoon of his arms. "So you will do it?"

When Jaime hesitated, Cersei did something that shocked Lily more than anything else she had said thus far.

She stood on her toes and pressed what appeared to be a passionate kiss to her brother's mouth.

Lily reeled back in surprise as a moan of pleasure emitted from Jaime's mouth and he returned his sister's kiss full force.

The antics continued on, becoming more heavy and passionate until he had backed her against the base of the bed in the room and had begun the beginning stages of unbuttoning her dress.

Understanding what was about to happen, Lily released the spell allowing her to see into the room and leaning against the wall just outside of it.

Her eyes were wide but the thought of someone coming along was enough to spur her to action. Even though she wasn't visible, she didn't want to have to be quiet either when all she wanted to do was shout her surprise from the rooftops of the keep.

Lily wrapped the book in her arms and nearly ran from the corridor, she wasn't even watching where she was going and thankfully didn't run into anyone in her mad dash from the hallway.

It wasn't until she got out to the quietness of the gardens and found herself alone that she allowed her mind to catch up with what her eyes had seen.

Incest…..

It was one thing to know that acts of incest had occurred such as what had happened with King Aerys and Queen Rhaella but another thing entirely to see it….

She had been so shocked that she had almost stood there for too long, unable to believe what she was seeing.

She slowly sat down on a nearby bench, the book still pressed against her chest and stared unseeing at the flower bed in front of her.

There had been too much information shared between the siblings and she was trying to process it all.

The first morsel of knowledge that she tore into was the knowledge that Lysa's pregnancy was now public outside of their family.

Tywin Lannister had received a letter from some unknown source informing him about the situation and he had promptly cut off the agreement.

Lily grimaced wondering how apoplectic her father had been when this news had reached him from Lord Lannister. If he hadn't had an aneurysm when he had discovered Lysa missing, the rage must have been tearing him apart now.

Not that she cared too much about that.

What she did care about was that someone had informed Tywin Lannister of this information that had previously only been known to a few.

Her father would never in a million years have admitted this indiscretion to the Hand of the King.

And she couldn't imagine Lysa shooting herself in the foot by writing a letter to the Lannister lord and admitting what she had done and that she couldn't marry his son.

So that left…..

Petyr.

I wrote him a letter telling him everything….begging him to write me back…..but I never heard from him.

Lily felt as if she had just downed a shot of ice, chased quickly by a shot of fire whiskey. She felt hot and cold all at once and her hands started to shake as the combination tussled for control in her chest.

She felt sick.

Was it possible?

Could Petyr have received the letter, not only decided to do nothing, but sent it on to Tywin Lannister informing him of Lysa's situation so that the alliance was dissolved and she was essentially ruined?

The part of her that still wanted to believe the best of her friend was trying desperately to rein her thoughts in.

The other part, the darker more cynical part was claiming that she should have seen this coming, that Petyr had been changing before her very eyes since she had gone back home since the royal wedding.

Above it all however, her brain was screaming a question that logic still did not have the answer to.

Why?!

If Petyr had been the one behind the revelation, why had he done it?

In some ways it made more sense for Lysa to do it, foolish as it would have been. She wanted to get out of the marriage contract and informing her future husband's father of her inability to fulfill it would have guaranteed her a quick exit.

However Lily didn't think Lysa had the nerve to do something like that and so ruin herself intentionally in the process.

Her sister was a private person. Surely she wouldn't have wanted to make so public a spectacle of herself.

Could she?

There was only one way to find out.

Lily jumped to her feet so fast that she nearly dropped the book she was carrying and sped out of the garden.

She remembered gratefully that her rooms were near this section of the garden and made a left turn instead of a right the instant she was able to get back inside.

A few minutes later, she found herself at her own door, wrenching it open, dashing inside and slamming it behind her.

Fortunately the only inhabitant was Lysa who looked up in shock at the bizarre entry. "Lily! Seven Hells, is everything alright?"

The younger girl made sure that the door was locked behind her before crossing the room and depositing the book on the table next to the bed.

She turned to her sister, expression grim. "No Lysa, everything is not alright."

Her sister set aside her sewing in alarm. "What's wrong?"

Lily released an enormous pent up breath and then crossed the room to the window seat where the other girl was sitting. "It's a long story and when I tell you, I need for you to not speak until the very end. Can you do that for me?"

Lysa went from looking confused to downright flummoxed. "I suppose so but why – "

"No! No, don't speak yet, not until I tell you everything."

And Lily did.

She told her sister of her leaving the library and her mistakenly wandering into the wrong hallway. She told her of her hearing voices in a room nearby and recognizing them as belonging to Jaime and Cersei Lannister.

She told her sister about her spying on them and the shocking revelation that Tywin Lannister had severed the marriage agreement between her and Jaime after receiving a mysterious letter.

She told her about Cersei's desire to still be Rhaegar's queen after it was revealed at Harrenhal that Elia seemed to no longer held his interest. She seemed certain that Rhaegar would set his wife aside in favor of someone else and she seemed determined that that someone else be her.

But regarding the matter of Jaime joining the Kingsguard at the behest of his sister, Lily remained silent.

She did so for two reasons; the first being that she wasn't sure how his possible inclusion could mean anything for them personally. The second was that if she told Lysa about what she heard regarding that, she might be tempted to tell the secret of the most explosive piece of information gleaned from that entire encounter.

She would keep Jaime and Cersei's disgusting secret for now because she still wasn't sure what to make of it. She also knew that doing so would give her some leverage over the Lannisters, even if they didn't know it.

It was impossible that no one else knew about aside from her and that explosive knowledge was enough to excite her and terrify her.

When she had finished telling Lysa what she had learned, her sister leaned back against the cushions of the window seat, face ashen.

"Well," she whispered after a moment of silence. "I suppose it was going to get out at some time. It was just a question of when."

"That's not the only question we should be asking," Lily said grimly, getting up and heading for the decanter of wine on the table across from them. She poured herself a small portion and took a sip before continuing. "We should also be asking who."

Her meaning wasn't lost on Lysa and when she turned back, her sister's eyes were narrowed at her. "Lily you don't honestly think that I would have sent that letter to Lord Lannister do you?"

The younger girl shook her head. "No, I know you aren't ashamed of this child but you also don't people to know your personal business. Plus, doing so would be highly foolish and affect more people than just yourself."

Lysa's expression was unreadable. "I won't lie to you and say that I didn't consider it when father had me locked in my room. I wasn't sure what to do and I had a moment of insanity when I wondered if the only way to end this was the tell Lord Lannister myself, tell him why I couldn't marry his son. But then clarity took over and I realized I would be outing myself and my sins to the entire realm as the man was certain not to keep this quiet because he would realize that he and his family had been insulted."

She paused here and took a breath. "So no, I didn't. But I think I know who might have."

Lily nodded. "So do I."

They exchanged a look and Lysa was the first to break it by sighing and burying her head in her hands. "I don't know why I sent that letter, my own whimsy maybe. I hoped that he would come racing back when he learned the truth, that he would prove the image I had of him true. When did I become so foolish?"

"You're not foolish," Lily said sitting down next to her. "You were hopeful. I might have been too had I been in your situation. No one wants to believe the worst of people. But unfortunately we were both taken in by our hopes. It's time to look forward. Now if this was Petyr who sent the letter, why do you think he would do that?"

Lysa shrugged. "I wish I could tell you. The letter being sent by Petyr only makes sense. It certainly wouldn't be father unless he has lost his mind and no one at home outside of him knows."

"What about Vyman?" Lily asked.

Lysa blinked. "To my knowledge father never told him. He may have suspected something like this was amiss when he brought me parchment to send that letter to you. But I don't think father would have told him. The less people who needed to know about this the better."

Lily sighed. "That was my fear then. So it must have been Petyr. But why?"

Lysa shrugged. "To humiliate me maybe, to wash his hands of all of us. His last weeks in Riverrun were not the most pleasant you know."

Lily frowned. "What exactly do you mean by that. I left before he left. Petyr never even came to the tourney."

This time Lysa was the one sighing. "Petyr was in love with you Lily. Surely you knew that."

The younger red head flinched. She had tried to forget about the words they had spoken the last time they had seen each other. It was too painful.

"I knew," she said in a halting voice. "It was one of the reasons that he was so angry, with me, with Brandon Stark, with everyone."

Lysa's laugh was a cynical one. "Brandon Stark was in love with you too Lily."

If it were possible, Lily chuckle was even more cynical and she got to her feet to pace the room as if she wanted to get away from her sister's words. "Brandon Stark, was in love with himself. He was arrogant, he was brash, he was manipulative and he was careless."

"All true," Lysa conceded. "But obviously he saw something in you that he liked, that he wanted to be around. So that was why he took the risks that he did, trying to be near you, even though he's promised to Cat."

"I wish there was some way to break that agreement," Lily whispered, frustrated. "Cat knows everything….and can she ever be happy knowing her husband may constantly be looking at someone else."

Lysa smiled at her, but it was a sad one. "Cat's a big girl Lily. She knows what she's getting into. And she chose to go through with it. She embodies our house words better than any of our siblings. Maybe its because she's the oldest. And if I know her, she'll do her duty, even if it means she's unhappy. Hopefully he'll do his and provide her with a child that she'll love, even if she can't love him."

As she said those words, she glanced down at her stomach and Lily swallowed hard. "It's not fair."

"I know," Lysa murmured. "But there are a lot of things in life that aren't fair and not everything can be fixed with magic."

"It's what we do in spite of all that unfairness," Lily whispered. "We choose to do things differently."

"Exactly. I think that's what mother would have told us if she were still here."

"Gods I miss her," Lily said sitting down again heavily again. "I wonder what she would think of all of this."

"She definitely would have been a foil to father's temper," Lysa said picking at her sewing. "She would have been the voice of reason in our lives."

"Do you think she would have approved of this plan?" Lily asked. "Sending you into hiding in Dorne?"

"It doesn't matter," Lysa said. "Mother loved us but I don't know if she would have condoned me ruining myself for a dream."

"You didn't ruin yourself," Lily protested.

Lysa raised an eyebrow. "Didn't I? I don't regret this child because something good came out of something bad. But I do regret my actions in all of this. This child might not have much of a future."

She raised her hand when Lily made to protest. "Even though the child will be raised in Dorne and they are much more lenient about bastards there….he or she will never have the life they could have had had they been true born."

She glanced down at her stomach. "For their sakes I hope this child is a boy."

Lily frowned. "Why?"

"Because life as a boy in Westeros, even a bastard will be kinder to a boy than it will a girl. He could decide to make something of himself, become a sailor, knight perhaps, travel. A girl will not be afforded such privileges. And I would not want her become something like a silent sister. It will be better off if this child is a boy."

Lily frowned. "You know if it is within my power to help this child…then I certainly will. They will not be battered by the world."

Lysa fixed her with a smile that was suddenly watery. "I know. I know you'll do what you can. And I'm so glad that he or she will grow up with playmates. I just wish things had been different."

Lily reached for her hand and grasped it tightly. "I know sister. I know."

Ω

True to her word, Lily spent the next few weeks keeping a close eye on the Lannister twins. There were times when she followed them under the cover of her magic and when one separated from the other, she often chose who she would follow at random.

Though Cersei definitely seemed to be the schemer of the two, Lily had a feeling that underestimating Jaime would be a mistake.

In some ways he reminded her of Brandon Stark; but where Brandon had a something of a penchant for the right way of doing things, Lily sensed that Jaime wouldn't hesitated to rush into an evil act if given the right motivation.

In other ways, he reminded her of Lucius Malfoy.

He was dangerous to say the least, and even without magic he would bear watching.

Someone else who would merit watching would be her very own father who had been curiously silent lately.

More importantly, Lily wanted to check in with Cat and Ed who by now would have found out the extent of their sister's problem.

Having Lysa disappear for weeks on end would certainly not go unnoticed.

How was Riverrun holding itself together.

She asked Lysa if she wanted to come with her, but the older girl declined, having no desire to travel by magic again after the last time.

Lysa had taken the revelation of Lily's magic quite well, only asking a question or two here and there and then putting certain events together about why her siblings had been acting weird at certain times over the last few months.

All in all though, she wasn't fazed and Lily was relieved. The only people now who still didn't know of magic in her life were her youngest brother Ed, her father and Elbert.

Axel would be told when he got older, Ed she intended to tell as soon as possible, Elbert hopefully within the next few months and her father would likely never found out.

Her magic in this world was Lily's ace and she intended to keep it hidden from certain people for as long as possible.

So on a day when Elia promised to keep an eye out for Lysa, Lily bid the both of them farewell and apparated back to Riverrun's godswood. She chose that specific place as she knew it was rare for someone to come there.

As luck would have it however, it turned out that someone was frequenting that small patch of trees when she arrived.

Cat jumped to her feet when Lily appeared with a crack beside the heart tree and the two sister's gazed at each other in shock.

While Cat hadn't aged since the last time Lily had seen her, somehow her eyes looked far too old for her face. There was a heaviness to the blue of those eyes that reminded Lily less of water and more like stones.

They were lined with red and it was quite clear that she had come to this place to be alone.

"Lily?" she whispered. "Is it really you?"

Lily swallowed hard and stepped away from the heart tree. "It's me Cat. I'm here."

The next thing she knew, she was nearly bowled over by her older sister throwing her arms around her.

Lily staggered back in shock before managing to catch her and the two just held each other in silence for a moment.

"Lily you have no idea what's been happening," Cat whispered. "Seven hells it feels as if everything is upside down."

Lily pulled back and gave her older sister a wry smile. "Oh believe me, I understand far more than you think."

Cat's eyes narrowed as she took in her words and she took a step back slightly as if to look her sister up and down. "Lily, what have you done?"

The younger girl chuckled. "Why do you assume I've done something?"

Cat folded her arms across her chest and fixed her with a deadpan expression that said don't play with me right now.

"Because," she began in a tight whisper. "I've come to understand that you are capable of far more than I could imagine. If anyone could have had a hand in recent events it would have been you."

When Lily pulled back she could see that Cat wasn't going to tell her anything until she first had answers herself.

So she sighed and gave in. "Very well, I'll tell you everything as long as I have the promise of full disclosure from you in return."

Cat nodded tersely. "I will give it."

"Good," Lily replied. "But before we talk, will you go and fetch Ed for me? He needs to hear this too."

Cat's look was wary but she nodded as if she wasn't sure she wanted to hear what her sister had to say.

"Wait here," she said after a moment. "I don't think anyone will come in…but maybe you should hide yourself….just in case."

She turned and hurriedly strode out of the godswood and Lily seated herself on the bench before the Heart Tree, muttering the words to the spell that would disguise her. She knew she would give Ed one hell of a fright when the two of them came back but it couldn't be helped. She couldn't risk anyone seeing her after all.

As she waited, Lily turned and placed a hand on the face carved into the Heart Tree, wondering absently why of all places in the keep to come to, her sister had gone here.

As far as she knew, Cat had never set foot in this godswood, always preferring to worship the Seven, the south's more "civilized" gods.

Lily felt her mouth twist into a mirthless smirk.

Merlin if she was praying here, then Riverrun has really gone to the dogs.

The sound of footsteps drew her attention back to the entrance of the wood and as soon as she saw that it was only Cat and Ed approaching, Lily released the spell holding her invisible.

Ed who was being led by Cat and looking somewhat put out, reeled back a step as soon as he saw his other sister.

"Lily?" he whispered a voice devoid of anything besides shock, "you're here? But how?"

Lily exchanged a look with her older sister who rolled her eyes. "You're going to have a lot of explaining to do before we tell you our story."

She shook her head. "Fine. Ed take a seat, I've got a story to tell you."

Still looking bewildered and very wary, Ed slowly sat down next to her on the bench with Cat taking the opposite side.

Lily told him everything, the story of her magic, how she had been born with it, how she had managed to learn different useful spells and give them names. She told him how magic had enabled her to walk unseen, to summon items, to conjure of elements and to levitate both objects and humans.

For the most part Cat let her talk, but she did interject once to let her know that Lily had saved her on a ride a while back which was how she had learned the truth.

"And father?" Ed asked when she was finished. "Does he know as well."

To Lily's surprise, Cat began to laugh. "Ed can you imagine what father's reaction would be? He would either condemn our sister for some sort of heretic, or he might try to use her as a weapon. There is not a chance in the seven hells that Lily can tell him."

Grateful for the show of support, Lily slipped her hand into Cat's and gave it a squeeze.

Cat squeezed back and the gesture spoke to Lily that whatever tension there had been between them as a result of Brandon Stark's meddling was now gone.

Cat accepted her now…all of her.

Finally Ed sat back and ran a hand through his unruly hair. "Lily…surely you realize how insane all of this is. For the longest time, I had no idea that there was this other….extraordinary part of you. And Uncle Brynden knew?"

"He was the first one," Lily nodded. "I wasn't sure when I was going to tell all of you but I knew it wouldn't be all at once. I didn't know how each of you would react. So I waited…and I watched."

"Watched for what?" Ed asked.

"I wanted to see how open your thoughts were to things you didn't understand," Lily said softly. This was harder than she thought it would be. When she had been Lily Evans, she had learned of the extent of her magic at the same time as her parents and Petunia. There had never been someone else she had to tell.

"I wanted to make sure you understood that this didn't change anything," she continued. "That it didn't change who I was. It's a part of me, but it doesn't make me someone that isn't understandable."

Ed nodded after a long moment. "I've never thought of you as anything other than my sister Lily, magic or not. Surely you must know that."

His sister offered him a smile that was somewhat watery. "I know. I was fairly certain that you would take it well. I just wanted to tell you in my own time."

"And speaking of time, I'm not sure how much of it we have," Cat broke in looking towards the entrance to the godswood. "At some point, father is going to wonder where we are. We should probably move our discussion to why you're here Lily."

The younger girl nodded. "Right. So what I have to say is for your ears, and your ears alone. Do I have your word on that?"

Ed and Cat exchanged looks. "Of course you do."

"Good, because no one outside of the three of us here in Riverrun can be allowed to know."

Lily took a deep breath and wondered how much they had discovered already. Then she decided that it didn't matter and began from the beginning. "Lysa's pregnant."

If anything Cat's expression turned even more grim but Ed's jaw slackened until it was nearly hanging open.

"What?" he whispered.

"Go on Lily," Cat said softly and Lily had a feeling that her older sister had already known.

"She told me a few weeks ago at Harrenhal," Lily went on. "Apparently she had been feeling poorly for days and suspected. But when her time didn't come, she knew."

"That was why she was feeling so sick?!" Ed burst out, smacking palm against his forehead. "How did I not realize?"

Lily smiled at him. "Ed no one suspected anything until Lysa herself told me. She tried her best to keep it hidden from everyone and I had to pretty much drag it out of her."

"Well then?" Ed demanded. "Who is the child's father?"

Lily fell silent for a minute, flinching only when Cat whispered: "It was Petyr wasn't it?"

She could only nod.

It was a credit to Edmure's newly found restraint that he didn't respond with the stream of curses that he no doubt wanted to. Instead he settled for clenching his fists. "That slimy wretch! How could he do this?"

"I think the truth is more complicated than any of us ever thought," Lily said softly. "Lysa told me a while ago that she was in love with Petyr. But he didn't return her feelings. Apparently not long before I left for Harrenhal, they were…..intimate….and she discovered it not long after."

Ed's face was ashen and Lily wanted to curse knowing how much she and her sister's kept him in the dark about certain things. Yes he was younger than they were, but he was also mentally capable of understanding things beyond his years.

She vowed then and there that she would share important things with him in the future and not just run to Cat with her problems.

"And now what?" Ed asked as he seemed to be finished processing everything. "Where is she?"

Lily released a wry chuckle. "Well, that's sort of what I'm here to talk to you both about."

"She's with you isn't she?" Cat asked softly and Lily sighed softly, glad her sister had said the words so she didn't have to. "You came and got her."

"Yes," Lily said softly. "She wrote me a letter a few weeks ago, telling me that father had found out and he had locked her in her room, forbidding her to see anyone. She told me that somehow Vyman had snuck her in a piece of parchment and she wrote to me, I'm not sure what she thought I would be able to do, given that she didn't know of my magic at the time. But I came anyway. I took her back to King's Landing…and from there we came up with a plan."

"Who's we?" Cat asked warily.

"Myself, Lysa and Princess Elia," Lily replied.

Ed looked taken aback. "The princess knows everything?"

"She does," Lily said thinking back with a sense of relief, at all the words that had been spoken. "In fact, she was the one who came up with the plan to keep Lysa safe permanently."

"Well?" Cat demanded. "Don't keep up in the dark! What is the plan?"

Lily smiled at her. "Lysa will go to Dorne. Elia has arranged for her to stay in Sunspear with her two brothers where she'll be safe. She can have the child there and raise it and she'll be away from father for good."

Relief can look different on many faces but it was especially jarring between Ed and Cat's expressions.

The tightness on Cat's face loosened immediately and her skin fairly glowed. Meanwhile Ed looked as if someone had poked him with a pin and let all the tension fueled air filling him up out.

It was so comical that Lily began to giggle. She ignored their incredulous looks and waved her hand, trying to dismiss the laughter.

"When will she go to Dorne?" Ed asked after blinking a few times.

"Within the next couple of weeks I hope," Lily explained. "I'm still waiting to receive word but Elia's hopeful the letter won't be long in coming. And I've met Doran and Oberyn, they would never turn her away."

Cat turned away and Lily thought she saw her shoulders shaking slightly. She reached out a hand to rest against her sister's back but Ed shook his head slightly at her.

"That…That's good," her older sister managed to say finally and she turned back to them, scrubbing furiously at her eyes. "I'm happy she'll be safe somewhere."

Lily nodded, choosing not to address the older girl's tears. "For now, she'll remain hidden under the cover of my magic and no one besides Elia and myself is the wiser."

"It's an ingenious plan Lily," Ed offered encouragingly. "I just wish we could see her off. I don't really like knowing she's so far away, but Dorne is certainly better than the alternative."

"I agree," Cat said, some venom creeping into her tone. "If I had known what father had planned, I would've…..I would've…..said something….done something….anything."

"That was the point Cat," Lily said gently after exchanging a look with Ed. "He didn't want anyone to know. The only reason I found out at all was due to Vyman's cleverness and I still don't understand why Lysa wrote me instead of passing the note along to one of you. You were nearer to her than I was."

Ed sighed and closed his eyes as if pained. "Lily, you were the only one who knew her story at that point. It makes sense that she would have felt more comfortable telling you as the secret had already been revealed."

"You were also the only one who could have done something about it," Cat said in a low voice and Lily frowned, wondering if she detected loathing in Cat's tone.

Surely she doesn't blame herself for this does she?

Ed cleared his throat and attempted to get the conversation back on track. "In the meantime, I feel we should catch you up on everything that's been happening here since Lysa vanished."

"I would appreciate that."

"Aside from Cat and I nearly losing our minds with worry," her brother began, "father was impossible to talk to. He would stalk through the keep, muttering under his breath for days and I began to worry that he had taken leave of his senses. For the last few weeks, none of us were allowed to leave the keep let alone step foot outside the grounds. Father was constantly breathing down our necks and I wonder if he thinks we had something to do with Lysa's disappearance. He questioned Vyman extensively but he was just as confused as the rest of us."

Lily felt a pang at the mention of the aging maester. She hoped no one had found out about the letter he had smuggled to her.

"He knows something I think," Cat said softly. "I don't know how I know, but he's been very quiet the last few weeks and barely leaves the library."

Most assuredly Lily was going to have to pay him a visit soon.

"What about you all?" she asked, changing the subject. "Father hasn't….taken anything out on you has he?"

Ed's eyes widened and he frantically shook his head. "Gods no. Father may be short tempered but he never did anything to me or Cat or Axel."

"Even still, I wish Uncle Brynden were here," Cat muttered. "I know that he's in the Vale with Jon Arryn right now, but it is the one time that I wish he would show up unexpectedly. We could use his wisdom right now."

"Well I hope that this meeting gave the both of you some peace of mind," she said softly, looking between them. "Everyone is safe, everyone is being looked after. All that needs to happen now is for father to not know anything about what has happened here. He cannot know where Lysa is."

Ed nodded seriously. "Don't worry Lily. Our lips are sealed…and besides, father would have no reason to suspect that we knew anything. Lysa has as good as disappeared."

"Good," Lily said releasing a sigh of relief as she got to her feet. "Maybe this whole thing will get pulled off without a hitch."

"I don't doubt it," Cat said standing also. She reached out and pulled her sister into a hug. "Take care of yourselves. Give Lysa a hug for me….and tell her I'm sorry."

Lily frowned at her sister as she pulled back. "Whatever for?"

"I didn't speak up," her sister shrugged. "I've always been so quick to keep my head down in the name of duty because I thought it was right. Now I'm beginning to question that."

Before Lily could respond, Cat planted a kiss on her cheek and then hurried away, trying to inconspicuously wipe her eyes.

Ed shook his head and wrapped his arms around Lily next. "Don't worry, I'll keep an eye on her. She's been a bit emotional lately but I think that's because her current worldview is changing."

"That might not be a bad thing," Lily said as she gave her brother one last squeeze. "I'll speak to you again soon. Hopefully we'll be hearing from the Dornish any day now."

"Keep us posted," Ed said quietly. "Father may have written Lysa off…but none of us have."

Lily flashed her brother a big smile as she spun on her heel and apparated back to King's Landing.

Ω

As they had hoped, a letter from Sunspear arrived a few weeks later, signed in Doran's elegant hand and stamped with his own personal seal.

Elia had hurried to Lily's room so that they might all open it together and the three of them huddled over the table as the princess slit open the seal with her thumb nail.

Elia yanked the sheet of parchment out and spread it out on the table and they began to read.

Dearest Sister

It pleased Oberyn and I to hear from you and to hear that you are doing well given the crown's recent fiasco. May the gods sincerely bless Lilian and Ashara for their continued support of you and this house. I am glad to see that you have garnered for yourself such loyal friends. The capital is a treacherous place little sister and you will have need of all the allies you can get.

Elia paused here and rolled her eyes. "It figures that Doran would start off his letter with political assignations."

As to the matter of your request, to say that Oberyn and I were surprised was an understatement. It is a strange thing to ask of us sister but I have no qualms about my agreement. Certainly Lilian's sister may come and stay with us. As her sister's support of you and our house continues, a favor is certainly in order. Given the delicate nature of Lysa Tully's circumstances however, it will be advisable to handle her transport to Dorne with all the discretion and privacy that we may. In accordance with this, we will be sending a representative of our house to King's Landing to meet with you, Lady Lilian and Lady Lysa. The man's name is Kaltas Sand, he has run many covert errands for us in the past and will be responsible for ferrying Lady Lysa back to Dorne. When he arrives sister, he will send a raven advising Lady Lilian and Lysa where to meet him. Ensure that you are not seen nor heard.

Be well sister

Doran Martell.

The missive was short and concise and contained no personal endearments between brother and sister.

Lily remembered Doran being a serious man when she had met him at the wedding and his constantly moving eyes reminded her of a snake waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Though she didn't get the same feelings from him as she did Tywin Lannister, she also knew that he was not someone to be underestimated.

A part of her wondered whether this favor would come with strings attached.

Although at the moment however, she couldn't bring herself to really care because at the very least her sister would be safe.

The dark circles that had been under Lysa's eyes since the day Lily brought her to the Red Keep had become very much less and there was a smile back on her face.

When all three of them finished reading the letter, they looked up and exchanged glances. Elia had a mischievous look on her face whereas Lysa just looked relieved.

Lily glanced at the name of the man who would be coming to collect Lysa.

"Have you met this Kaltas Sand before Elia?" she asked curiously. Call her crazy but she knew what sometimes happened to young women on the road to a destination.

She was certain that none of that would happen this time, but even the knowledge that it had happened before was enough to keep her on edge.

The princess nodded. "He is a bastard who personally answers to my brother and occupies a position of some authority in our court. I wouldn't be so heavy handed as to name him the title of Master of Whispers, but he does deal in….espionage of a sort."

Lily raised an eyebrow but she supposed she shouldn't have been surprised. Doran was a schemer and it might have been easy for other lords throughout the realm to forget about Dorne at the southern tip of the country, but she was certain the Lord of Sunspear hadn't forgotten about them.

Lysa was clutching her sewing in front of her, a wild hope like a blazing fire lighting up her eyes. "I can't believe this is all happening so fast. It feels like a just got here after all. Though I suppose it will be nice to walk around and have people see me other than the two of you."

Lily chuckled. "It'll be a little less stressful that's for sure."

Elia looked between them and then carefully took the letter to the fireplace and tossed it in. The trio watched the whole time while it smoked and curled, slowly rolling up into itself as the parchment turned grey and then black.

Only when it was ashes did the princess turn back to them, a conspiratorial look on her pretty face.

"If there's one thing I know about my brother its that he will move as slowly as possible until the moment to strike comes. He's moved very slowly on this particular venture, but soon he will be moving fast. When I tell the two of you that we need to move, we move. Do you understand?"

Ω

Sure enough, Elia was right.

No more than a fortnight passed before the three of them found themselves back in Lily's chambers looking over a much different letter than the one Doran had sent.

It was a missive that only contained two sentences, telling the Tully sisters where they were to meet him in the city and when they were to arrive.

Elia wanted to go with them, but if she disappeared for even a short time and her absence could not be accounted for, too many questions were likely to arise.

No one would know if Lily disappeared for a bit however.

So after Lysa gave the princess a hurried hug and gathered some of her things, she and Lily donned cloaks and disappeared into the darkening twilight.

As they hurried into the city, after a well placed spell landed them outside the gates of the Red Keep, Lily tussled with feelings of relief and worry.

Twilight was coming on and vendors were beginning to close their stalls and return to their homes for the night. The lights from the windows of inns were blazing as the two girls hurried past them.

"Where were we supposed to meet this Kaltas Sand again?" Lysa whispered as they continued down the street.

Lily glanced down at the letter sent to them from the man in question. "There is a an abandoned warehouse at the very end of the Street of Steel. It's next to a forge run by a man named Master Mott. We're to meet him just outside."

The girls slowed their pace as they entered the street aptly named for its forges and metal works. In the day time it was usually a hive of bustling people running to and fro to the beat of clanging metal and relentless fires.

Right now however, with the sun going down, it was very quiet and doors had been closed for the night.

It didn't take Lily very long to find the warehouse in question, sitting empty and low at the end of the street. "There it is."

It was low, squat, small building serious need of some repair but Lily knew in an instant why it had been chosen for a meeting. No one would think there was anything suspicious taking place here, it also lessened the need for extra eyes.

"Do you think he's inside?" Lysa whispered nervously as they paused to take the building in.

"Maybe," Lily said.

They slowed to a stop just outside of its main entrance and were considering next steps when a sound greeted their ears.

Emerging from the shadows beside the warehouse came a man. He was tall and solidly built, dressed in a beige colored tunic, brown trousers and tall boots. He was wearing a saffron colored cloak and had a long sword strapped to his waist.

Lily took in his olive skin and dark hair and saw the Dornish in him instantly.

He looked at them quietly for a moment but didn't say anything and Lily thought she had better speak up. "Kaltas Sand?"

He nodded and stepped more into the light. "And I presume you are the Tully sisters. Here is the seal of Prince Doran."

He reached beneath the color of his tunic and pulled out a small round pendent in the shape of the bronze Dornish sun. It's tines were curled and spiky and in its face the letter U was carved three times, the first letter of the words of House Martell.

Lily breathed a sigh of relief, Doran's letter had said his messenger would be carrying his own personal seal but it was still nice to see it and see that things were on track.

"Where is your vehicle sir?" Lysa asked trying to peer behind him and the man stepped aside so that they were able to see into the alley where he had come from.

Sitting behind him was a modest wagon with several blankets and other barrels and baskets of provision in the bag.

Lily had had a feeling that Lysa would be taken out in something that wasn't conspicuous so she had insisted her sister where a simple dress and cloak but good shoes for the journey. In fact, the cloth bag that her sister carried was filled with simple garments.

She would be better outfitted when she got to Sunspear anyway.

There was a second person in the cart, a younger girl wearing servants clothing and Lily breathed a sigh of relief when she realized it wouldn't be just her sister and Kaltas.

Lysa glanced back at the man's impassive expression. "How long with the journey take?"

"Several weeks my lady," he said. "Dorne is very far south."

Lysa took a deep breath and steeled herself. "Very well. We should get going."

Before Kaltas could take her around the back of the cart and help her into it however, Lysa turned and threw her arms around her sister. "Thank you Lily. Thank you for everything, for saving me, for hiding me for being brave when I couldn't. You may be the youngest girl but you've always been Cat and my protector."

Lily felt her eyes sting at the omission and she brushed a hand across them to hide the effect her sister's words had on her.

"You know I would do anything for you or our siblings," she said tightly. "You only have to ask."

Lysa kissed her cheek and then took Kaltas hand so that he might help her unto the back of the cart. "Be safe little sister."

"You as well," the younger red head said as she watched her sister sit down beside the younger servant girl. "Write to me as soon as you arrive."

Kaltas nodded to her once and then climbed atop the cart and took hold of the reins. He snapped over the back of the horse and Lily stepped back, watching as the cart pulled away from the alley and into the street, heading down towards the southern gates of the city.

They still had some time before the gates closed for the night but she still watched them until Kaltas turned a corner and all three of them disappeared from sight.

Only after, did Lily release a breath she knew she had been holding for a very long time.

They had done it.

Lysa was safe.

Their father couldn't ever hurt her again.

Before long, her sister would be in Sunspear surrounded by people that Elia trusted and spending the rest of her life in the sunshine.

Just where she belonged.

Lily suddenly felt more relieved than she had in a very long time.

And as she slipped into the shadows of the warehouse so she could apparate back to the Red Keep, she knew that Lysa was too.

Ω

Elia jumped to her feet when a crack signalled Lily's arrival back in the keep's godswood.

She hurried toward her friend and took the other girl's hands once Lily had gotten her bearings. "It is done then?"

Lily nodded. "Kaltas put her into the back of the cart with his servant girl and they headed for the Mud Gate. She's safe."

Elia released a sigh of relief. "Good."

They turned to leave the godswood but were stopped when both heard a familiar voice calling their names.

"Your grace? Lily? Where are you?"

The red head and the brunette exchanged glances. "Ashara?"

A moment later the familiar brunette appeared through the trees and her face sagged with relief when she saw them. "There you are! Thank goodness, I was looking everywhere! You won't believe what's just happened?"

Lily shot a look of trepidation at the princess. Merlin, what next?

"What is it?" Elia asked warily.

Ashara looked around as if to ensure that they were alone before guiding the both of them back into the trees.

Once they were safely hidden, she ran a hand through her hair that was mused as if she had been running. "No more than a half an hour ago, the king called Lord Lannister and his children to the throne room."

The breath in Lily's throat caught, she knew instantly what her friend was about to say.

"Whatever for?" Elia asked.

"As it turns out," Ashara whispered. "He was looking to replace Ser Harlan and all of a sudden chose Lord Lannister's son Jaime for the role."

"Wait a moment," Elia snapped. "He chose a child to serve on the Kingsguard? Jaime Lannister is only six and ten!"

Lily folded her arms across her chest. "You know I'm six and ten right?"

Elia waved a hand dismissively. "But to serve on the Kingsguard at that age and to be so green….do you know why?"

Ashara shook her head. "I think we all do but no one is willing to say it."

That caused an uncomfortable feeling to circulate between the three of. It was common but unspoken knowledge that the king was jealous of Tywin Lannister, of his intelligence, of the whispers that Tywin was really the king and Aerys was a puppet. One man had even had his tongue cut out for hinting at such a thing.

"It was a power play then," Lily whispered looking back and forth between her friends. "He wanted to remind Lord Lannister that he is still in control. So he took his heir."

"There will be hell to pay for this," Elia whispered, her face pale in the moonlight. "Lord Lannister will not forget such an insult. His memory is a long one."

"So is his reach," Ashara supplied. "He's already begun to act."

"What do you mean?" Lily asked.

"He's leaving," the Dayne girl informed them. "The moment Jaime was sworn in, the Hand resigned his post and packed off his other daughter to the Tower. They are leaving King's Landing tomorrow."

Lily cast a bewildered look at the princess. "But…But who is going to replace him?"

As much as she may have despised Tywin Lannister with the way the man had spoken of her family, she also knew that there was no better person to have running the Seven Kingdoms than him.

And if he was leaving, the decision of who was to replace him fell to an already mentally deteriorating king.

Gods knew who Aerys would choose.

"This place is falling apart," Elia whispered and no one had anything to say to counteract that.

As the three of them stared at each other in the silence of the godswood, trying desperately to think of something to say, the only thing that crossed Lily's mind was how much farther down they could go.

She didn't want to know.

Ω

So we're going to be jumping ahead a few months in the next chapter. I'm just really anxious to get to the rebellion as soon as possible. Next chapter, Aerys continues to deteriorate, Lysa spends time in Dorne with the Martells, Rhaegar grows even more distant and Lyanna Stark disappears. Meanwhile Lily tries her best to keep her friends and family close in a realm that is one spark away from being set ablaze. I hope you all enjoyed the chapter and don't forget to review!