Chapter 30

Harry Potter + A song of Ice and Fire Crossover

Chapter 30

Needless to say, the next few weeks in the capital were a bloody nightmare.

Though Lily had not been there to see Lord Tywin's rather public resignation, Ashara had described it for them in meticulous detail. No sooner had the words left the king's mouth had Lord Lannister removed his Hand of the King pin and thrown it on the floor of the throne room.

He had fairly taken his daughter by the arm and stalked back through the halls of the red keep until he reached the Tower of the Hand and immediately directed the servants to begin packing up their belongings.

They were gone by morning and Lily didn't even witness it.

What she felt however was the gaping vacuum the man had left behind.

Though she didn't trust him, Lily's faith in Lord Tywin's ability to run the realm had been sound and now that he was gone, there was no buffer, nothing to stop the king form spiralling into madness of a different sort.

There was an eerie sort of stillness around the Red Keep in those days after he left, where Lily felt constantly on edge, waiting for the other shoe to drop and trying to predict as many awful scenarios as she could.

She knew as soon as things went bad, she would ferry herself, Ashara and Elia away from the capital along with Rhaella, Viserys and the girls but the prospect of their circumstances in the capital coming to such a head was a singularly unpleasant one.

In the meantime, Elia had chosen to lay lower than ever, keeping as far away from the king as possible and keeping the girls away from him.

Rhaella had become something of a hermit in the last few weeks as well, sequestering herself in her rooms and ensuring that Viserys was constantly under guard.

The constant tension in the air was enough to make Lily want to scream. She had always fancied herself a person of action, and the total inaction of many in the capital was grating on her nerves.

Another source of her nerves was the strange new individual that had been added to their situation in the form of Jaime Lannister.

Surprisingly enough, Aerys had assigned him to be Elia's personal protector for reasons unknown to all and so the weeks since his father's departure had seen him trailing behind the princess and her daughters and Lily as they strolled through the gardens and took in the sunshine.

Lily didn't know what to make of him.

Like his father, she didn't trust him, but at the same time she almost felt sorry for him. His life had essentially been bartered by two men who didn't really care about him and he was merely expected to nod and go along with it.

Perhaps being a man in this world wasn't as easy as she had thought.

Then she had wanted to kick herself for her own foolishness. Being a human being at any point at any period in history was difficult.

It would be asinine to think otherwise.

A part of Lily wanted to talk to the Lannister boy, see if there was a way she could bring him to their side.

Though what side they were on, she still wasn't sure.

She was considering the merits of this very thing one afternoon in the gardens while she and Elia were sitting on a bench, watching Rhaenys and Visenya play.

Her friend had been quite distant lately and the only thing that got her to engage in conversation was getting her outside.

Lily knew it had something to do with Rhaegar's frequent disappearances. He had barely spent a week in the keep in the last few months since the incident at Harrenhal and the red head knew the separation was wearing on her friend.

The prince's reason for his constant vacancies was conveniently explained away as going on "missions of diplomacy and secrecy" for his father.

If Aerys were involved, Lily knew for a fact that the outcome would be bad.

Sweet Merlin, when had things gotten so complicated?

She hadn't realized that she had placed her head in her hands until she felt something touch her knee, forcing her to look up.

When she did so, she came face to face with sweet little Visenya, her golden girls bobbing and her violet eyes sparkling with laughter.

Looking at the child, it was impossible not to smile and Lily did so before pulling the little girl onto her lap where she promptly squealed with laughter.

Elia looked up at the sound from where she was sitting near Visenya and fixed the red head with a smile.

There was fatigue behind the gesture however which caused Lily's own grin to be dampened.

"She likes you a great deal," the princess said gesturing to her youngest daughter. "I knew I made the right choice for her godmother."

Lily absently smoothed back Visenya's curls and handed the princess one of the wooden rattles that had somehow made its way onto the bench beside her. "Time will only tell in that regard your grace."

Instead of answering right away, Elia cast a sideways glance at Jaime Lannister before patting Rhaenys on the head and making her way over to her friend.

Lily frowned as Elia seated herself on the bench and was about to ask if something was wrong when the princess turned to the blonde knight standing across the clearing. "Ser Jaime, if you wouldn't mind walking to the end of the path, I think Rhaenys' ball rolled down there."

If the knight thought the request odd, he didn't say as much but Lily thought she saw a flash of amusement in those green eyes. "As you wish your grace."

Only when he had gone did Elia turn back to her friend. "I forgot to give this to you this morning, but I thought you should see this."

From within the folds of her dress, Elia withdrew a small sealed letter.

The moment Lily saw it, her pulse spiked and her mouth was suddenly dry. "Is it from Dorne?"

"It is," Elia whispered back. "And its not from Doran, I recognize my brother's handwriting and this isn't it."

Gingerly Lily took the letter and slipped it into her own pocket. She would read it later when the coast was clear.

Over the last few weeks she had thought about her sister often and wanted to write but Elia assured her it would be better to wait until Lysa contacted them.

Fortunately Doran had written to his sister in the weeks since Lysa had fled the capital and he had assured both women that Lysa had arrived and was doing well.

The letter from Lysa was all Lily needed to truly relax.

"Thank you," she said softly to her friend. "I needed to see this today."

Elia smiled. "Just today?"

Lily frowned. "I don't think I understand your meaning."

The Dornish woman sighed and ducked her head a little. "You've been on edge for weeks, even before Lysa got here. You're always tense, you barely smile. Sometimes I need to ask you questions twice before you even hear me. What's going on in that head of yours?"

Lily flinched and felt her cheeks flame likely as red as her hair. She had no idea that she had been so obvious.

Then again, James had told her once that it was impossible for her to hide her emotions, they were constantly on her sleeve.

Elia must have taken her silence for a bad sign. "You don't need to explain yourself my friend. We've all been troubled these last few weeks, myself especially. Things have been far too quiet for my liking."

"You feel it too then," Lily said with a sigh. "There's been too much that is, "business as usual," around here. "It almost feels as if the capital, nay the whole realm is taking a deep breath."

"It's the calm before the storm," Elia whispered. "We just don't know when that storm will hit. But it will hit my friend. It will hit."

Ω

Lysa couldn't remember a time when she had felt so relaxed.

The first few weeks in Dorne had been the equivalent of a tall cup of water sipped by a parched man who had crawled in from the desert.

Maybe the metaphor was a bit melodramatic but with the need to constantly look over her shoulder gone for good, Lysa felt as if she had been given the tools for freedom, safety and success.

In those weeks she had spent much time with Prince Oberyn's paramour and discovered that despite their very different starts in life, the two had a few things in common.

They were both overlooked daughters who were fiercely devoted to their families, despite everything that had happened to them.

Unfortunately though, that was where the similarities ended.

In fact, Ellaria was everything Lysa wished she could be. She was bastard but it was a mantel that she wore with pride and the fact that she was the consort of Dorne's youngest prince was certainly an accomplishment for someone of her station.

Then there was the fact that she lived a life so different to the one Lysa had known.

In Dorne, it seemed as if many things were acceptable which would have been forbidden or downright taboo anywhere else in the realm.

There were things she still wasn't sure that she understood.

How it was possible for a prince to sire three bastards and keep all of them close to him for example, was difficult to wrap her mind around.

Granted, Tyene, Obara and Nym were delightful children that Lysa enjoyed being around immensely, but there were times when Lysa privately wondered what others would think of them, her older sister and father respectively.

She didn't like that her thoughts wandered in that direction, but her nurturing made it difficult. So when thoughts like that peaked, she would often substitute her father or sister's thoughts for that of Lily and Uncle Brynden.

There was no way they would have turned children like this away.

And given her position, Lysa knew there was no way that she would either.

So instead, when the children sought her out in those few weeks, curious about the new guest in the Water Gardens, she sat and talked with them, sometimes played games with them, and more often then not would go down to the shore with them and Ellaria to watch them play in the waves.

On one such afternoon, they were doing this very thing when Lysa felt a burning question on her tongue, one she wanted to know the answer too but at the same time, wasn't sure that she was ready to here.

But before she could stop herself, she had turned to Ellaria and voiced it.

"Has….Has Prince Oberyn mentioned what he thinks….that the girls will do when they are older?"

Ellaria cocked her head to one side as she turned to the red head. Her short dark curls whipped about her face, hiding her expression, though Lysa had a feeling that she was amused.

"Always planning for the future my friend," the paramour said with a breathy chuckle. "I don't understand that about you northerners. Take each day as it comes, your life will be a lot less worry filled."

Lysa huffed a bit and looked back out to sea where the three daughters of Oberyn were splashing about in the waves and squealing as they threw water at each other.

"It's hard not to," she said and smiled as Tyene's soaked blonde head leapt out of the waves. "Especially when plans were the reason I got here in the first place."

"That is true," Ellaria amended. She pushed the hair out of her face from where the wind had once more blown it. "But now that you are here, you don't need to make any more plans. Has Doran not said that you are welcome for as long as you wish?"

Lysa shook her head slightly. She had a feeling her new friend wouldn't understand. "Aye, he has but its difficult to explain. I do not want to be a burden. It's beautiful here and I love it but a small part of me cannot forget that I am here because of the grace of others. It's difficult not to plan for the future when I am about to become a mother and so many things have been decided already for me."

Ellaria's smile slipped into a contemplative frown. "I think I understand now. You wish for more control in your life. You feel as if things have simply been happening to you for a long time and maybe that you've been tossed this way and that like a wave on the sea."

Lysa released a slow breath when the things she had been feeling for months were framed in perfect words.

Somehow Ellaria had given voice to all of her insecurities since she was a child.

She didn't even realize that her eyes were stinging until a hand reached out and tilted her chin up.

"Sweetling," Ellaria's voice was warm and Lysa closed her eyes as the older woman gently tucked a piece of hair behind her ear. "Why is your fear so great?"

"How can it not be?" the red head whispered. "My father tried to kill my child and harm me in the process. The only person in the world who showed that she cared about me was my sister and then the princess. And now I am here and it's the safest I've felt for a long time, but it's still hard to lower those shields."

If it were possible, Ellaria's face turned almost as warm as the sun they were sitting in. "Then that is something that you will need to learn to do with time my friend. No one can take those barriers down for you. That is your journey."

Lysa nodded choppily and swallowed back the harsh tears, once more hating herself for crying. Her sisters never cried and she hated how doing so made her feel weak.

Ah well, she could blame it as a symptom of her pregnancy.

Suddenly, a piercing scream rent the quiet in two and both of their heads shot up to face an alarming sight.

As they had been chatting a wave had come in and snatched the legs out from under Tyene and was now towing the little blonde out to sea.

"No!" Lysa shouted, on her feet immediately.

Oberyn's youngest daughter was barely visible between the swells and her sisters stood in the shallows, stunned. Nym was crying and Obara looked as if she had been turned into a statue.

Fortunately Ellaria took action immediately and tore out for the shore with Lysa close behind her.

"Can you swim?" Ellaria barked at her as they ran and it was the harshest the Dornishwoman had sounded.

Lysa swallowed hard, "A little."

Ellaria didn't spare her another glance. "Stay with the girls then."

Lysa didn't even have a chance to respond before the paramour dove into the waves. Already Tyene's blonde head was getting harder to sea.

Somehow the red head managed to shake off her anxiety and hurried up to Nym and Obara who were still standing in the waves. "Come away girls. It's alright, come up out of the water."

"What about Tyene?" Obara asked with an uncommonly stubborn look on her serious little face.

"Ellaria has gone for her," Lysa said, trying to inject a soothing tone into her voice, even though she was feeling anything but calm. "Don't worry, they'll be back soon."

Thankfully they both listened to her and even drew near to her as she gestured them out of the water.

Nym was crying softly and feeling a wave of compassion, Lysa dropped to her knees and pulled the little girl close so that her back was to the waves. "Hush now little one. Everything's going to be alright."

Obara remained staring hard at the waves as Ellaria became harder and harder to see. Her dark eyes were narrowed almost into slits as if she had some personal conflict with the ocean itself. It was like she was calling its bluff, daring it to give her Tyene back.

Lysa was therefore surprised when she felt another small hand slip into hers and she recognized it as belonging to Oberyn's most serious daughter.

She gripped the hand tight and pulled the little girl a little closer. Nym had already buried her head in Lysa's shoulder and the red head wrapped an arm about her so that she was completely shielded from the sea.

There were several moments of tense silence in which Lysa wavered back and forth between tense calm and sheer panic as she focused on the waves and looked about for her friend.

The longer she went without seeing either Ellaria or Tyene, the tenser she became and her hold on the girls became less like an embrace and more like a death grip.

Just when she was certain she couldn't bear the wait any longer, there was a surge out there in the water and a sparkling speck of gold appeared.

Lysa nearly sobbed in relief.

Tyene was safe.

Ω

Lily didn't know how long Elia had been feeling poorly but she was more than a little frustrated about the fact.

Her friend had been putting on a very brave face lately…..perhaps too much of a brave face. She increasingly kept to herself and shielded her daughters both from the king and the court gossip.

Thankfully however, the gossip had turned in a different direction since the induction of Jaime Lannister to the Kingsguard.

Everyone was still chattering about the Old Lion's abrupt departure and what it meant for the future of the realm.

Lily would grudgingly admit that any and all economic successes that had been achieved over the last few years were to the credit of Tywin Lannister. She didn't trust the man as far as she could throw him but he certainly did know how to build an empire.

And from what she was now seeing, the king knew how to undermine one.

He had grown increasingly erratic since Lord Lannister had taken his leave, perhaps the sting of having the pin thrown back in his face was too much for his fragile ego.

Either way, Lily feared what would happen in the next few months.

But for the moment, she found herself searching King's Landing's markets in search of a fruit wine that she knew would cheer her friend.

It was a Dornish breed, made only at the southern tip of the territory in a specific vineyard and very expensive.

It only arrived in the capital twice a year by a notary merchant and as time would have it, it was due to arrive in the port that very day.

Lily was more than happy to retrieve the wine for her friend, but when Elia had heard she was going into the city, she insisted on having Ser Jaime accompany her.

Lily had argued, saying that her friend would have need of the protection. But Elia scoffed at this, saying she would just borrow her uncle Lewyn Martell for the afternoon.

This was how Lily found herself walking extremely quietly next to an armored blonde boy about her age and wondering how on earth she had managed to get herself into this position.

It wasn't that she didn't like Jaime Lannister, or trust him for that matter but given what she knew of his situation, he was an anomaly.

One that she wasn't certain she wanted to be around.

Ah well, she would find what she needed to quickly and be done with it.

Taking a short cut through the street of Steel, Lily cringed when she nearly slammed into a larger crowd volume than usual.

"Seven help me, it isn't usually this crowded is it?" she asked to no one in particular.

To her surprise, her inquiry was answered by something of a derisive snort which came from her elbow. "You don't go out into the city very much do you my lady? It's always crowded here."

Lily flinched at the knight's tone and her gaze snapped up to face him.

He wasn't looking at her but rather at the packed street ahead of them. She could see those green orbs of his darting left and right through the helm as he searched for the quickest way through.

It annoyed her a bit about how tall he was. When she had been at Hogwarts, Sirius had used his considerable height advantage to tease her to no end.

Perhaps that was what was happening now.

Shaking her head slightly, Lily threw off some of the exasperation. Jaime Lannister was nothing like Sirius Black.

"I am aware of how big this city is Ser Jaime," she huffed as she narrowly avoided running into someone. "But given how wide the Street of Steel is, its somewhat odd to find it this full."

The knight shrugged only serving to add to Lily's ire. "Perhaps we are going to war."

The sentence itself was so startling and the way the words were conveyed so nonchalant that Lily stumbled to a halt in the middle of the street. "What?"

Jaime had been walking several paces ahead of her and stopped when he realized she wasn't following him. He turned around and the expression on her face must have been a sight to behold because he began to laugh, breaking Lily from her stupor. "I jest my lady. Surely they tell them in the Riverlands."

Lily bristled and shook off her surprise. "Where I come from Ser Jaime, we don't make idle comments about things that could cost people their lives."

The knight frowned slightly, but if Lily thought he was going to apologize, she was sorely mistaken. "Did not your own Uncle fight in one of Westeros' wars? Surely he's told you about them."

Lily muttered a curse under her breath and sidestepped a particularly large man who was lumbering for one of the smithies with an axe grasped in his hands. "He did, but he doesn't share much of his time from it. I don't press him too much for details because I sense he doesn't like to talk about it."

Surprisingly, that bit of information was enough to sober the blonde. Lily glanced up at him then and caught something that almost look like longing enter his eyes.

Her irritation melted at the unexpected emotion. "Ser Jaime?"

The blonde blinked and instantly the look was gone, replaced one more with the smooth virile look she had grown accustomed to. "Yes my lady?"

Lily eyed him for a moment, wondering where her curiosity was coming from and whether or not she should let it out. Seeing no reason not to, she did so.

"Have you ever met my uncle Ser Jaime?" she asked. "Perhaps at the royal wedding?"

The knight glanced at her with slightly narrowed eyes and she got the feeling he wondered why she was asking.

"Briefly," he said. "My father spoke with him for a time and I happened to be present."

Lily nodded sharply, wondering where was going with this, but unwilling to abandon the conversation further. Something told her that she should keep going."

"And what did you make of him?" she asked.

This time, Ser Jaime's fast pace thankfully slowed even further as he glanced down to evaluate her.

"He is an exceptional warrior," he said slowly. "Some of the stories I have heard have been nothing short of astonishing."

Whatever she had been looking for, Lily did feel something of a secondary glow of praise for her Uncle. He certainly did deserve it after all.

"That is he," she said softly. "I almost wish I could have seen him in action. It must have been a sight to behold."

She could almost feel when Jaime's gaze on her changed, his eyes narrowing even further. She wondered what he thought he was seeing.

"You sound like my sister," he said in a voice so low that the words might have been meant for himself.

Whatever Lily had been expecting him to say that certainly wasn't it. She ducked behind the knight, realizing that his tall frame was far better at cutting through the crowds.

"How do you mean?" she asked when they had made their way through a particularly dense section.

Jaime started slightly but to her surprise, didn't brush her off as she expected. "My sister was always fascinated by war too. I think if she had been allowed, she would have learned how to use a sword."

Interesting…..

"Well, I can't say I blame her," Lily grimaced as the hem of her dress was stepped on for what felt like the fourth time. "Breeches and a sword are far more practical than a dress and a fan."

It might have been her imagination, but a flash of amusement seemed to lighten Jaime's eyes for the briefest of seconds.

It was gone so fast though she was certain it had been a trick of the light.

"They do have their uses," he said, his tone going back to slow and amused. "Unfortunately now is not one of those times."

Lily suppressed a chuckle, and then blinked at herself, surprised that she had been tempted to laugh.

Jaime Lannister was strange.

They continued walking down the Street of Steel in a somewhat amicable silence, Lily becoming content to all but hide in Jaime's tall frame as he cut through the crowds.

Being with a member of the Kingsguard did have its uses and she was certain that she wouldn't overlook them before the day was out.

"What is it that we're looking for again?" the blonde called over his shoulder to her.

"A particular Dornish wine," Lily replied, sending a well placed glare at the man who had inadvertently elbowed her. "It's one that the princess has grown up with and I'm told that she finds it calming."

"Ah. Would it happen to be from Nymeria's Vineyard?"

Lily blinked. "How did you know?"

The knight shrugged as they continued their stride. "My father sometimes bought it for my mother when we were small. But only on the most special of occasions."

"She must have had good taste then," Lily replied. "I'm told it's a very rare selection."

"Yes," Jaime said somewhat quietly. "She did."

They lapsed into silence after that and soon left the Street of Steel behind, heading for the harbor.

Part of Lily wanted to address Jaime's words about his mother but she wasn't sure how to do so without coming off as sounding insincere. Both of her mothers were long dead so it wasn't as if she were unable to sympathize with his plight.

You don't have to say anything Lily, a small voice whispered. You can just finish your walk without worrying about trying to be amiable with Lannister.

Fortunately, the moment the thought flashed through her mind, the street widened out and Lily could see the harbor ahead, always busy and always loud.

A waft of salty air brushed her hair off her shoulders and unconsciously seemed to brush away the tension of the moment.

"Which ship are we looking for my lady?" Jaime asked, breaking into her thoughts.

"It's the one with the yellow Dornish sails," Lily said absently. "It should be a much smaller schooner than any of the other ships. Her grace has told me that it is because the merchant has certain….tastes."

She felt, rather than saw Jaime's amusement as the two of them continued their descent towards the harbor.

The shouting had become progressively louder as they left the city behind and Lily's nose wrinkled as the smell of unwashed bodies became even more acute. She knew that Flea Bottom wasn't too far from here and a part of her was tempted to mutter some spell as a cure for the scent, but she shook it off, not wanting Jaime to take notice.

They finally reached the harbor and located the ship that Elia had indicated without much difficulty.

Locating the merchant himself was much harder, but Lily exchanged a glance with Jaime before the pair of them strode up the gangplank to meet the man that the princess had indicated.

They found him staring over the side of the ship out to the south, hands clasped behind his back lightly.

His garments were a study in the eccentric and Lily had something of a fun time taking in the deep purple jacket that reached his knees, the enormous feathered hat and the black curls that tumbled out from beneath it.

He reminded her of a pirate that she had seen in one of her children's books a long time ago. His answering smile when he turned around to face them was even more comical and whimsical and Lily had to work to keep a straight face when speaking to him.

After they had obtained from him the bottles of Dornish wine that Elia was so fond of, both Lily and Jaime turned to leave when the captain stopped them with a few well placed words.

"Is the princess feeling poorly then?"

Lily blinked and paused, not looking at Jaime as she turned back around to face the black bearded and black eyed man. "I beg your pardon captain?"

The man was also apparently lacking in tact also, for he placed his hands in the pockets of his long purple coat and fixed her with a charming grin that placed one of his gold teeth on full display.

"This is not my first time delivering this wine to the princess my lady. I used to do so in Dorne many a time. His grace, prince Doran always commissioned the drink for his sister when she was feeling poorly."

Just how much did this man know?

"I don't believe so sir," Lily said, her tone as neutral as possible. "The queen to be simply informed me she had a great love of the wine and knew your ship was going to be in the harbor in the next few days. That is all I believe."

"You don't seem like the type to believe in rumors my lady," the captain continued and Lily stiffened. "Rumors sir?"

He shrugged, appearing as if he were enjoying the nature of the conversation. "Forgive me my lady, but I've heard some strange things out of the capital in the last few weeks. Word travels fast in this country."

Lily took a step closer to him, not knowing why she did it but feeling the need to minimize the audibility of this conversation. "So it does. But pray tell me, what have you heard?"

Jaime's presence was all but forgotten at this point.

The captain still didn't seem to be all that intimidated. "There are whispers of a dragon and a wolf my lady, of a sun that has begun to set and a ruinous keep that will be rebuilt."

A chill raced down Lily's spine as she clamped down on his words mentally. A naïve part of her had hoped that what had happened at Harrenhal would be limited to the company of the people who were actually there.

As usual her idealism had left her out to dry.

Stupid, stupid, stupid, man.

Not for the first time did she allow several liberal curses about the prince flash across her mind.

None of those things would be voiced publicly however.

"Whispers you say?" she said quietly, stepping even closer to the man. Her choice in proximity caused his eyes to narrow in suspicion but Lily found she didn't care. "Captain, I would think someone as world wise as you would know the difference between whispers and truth. Whispers can get people killed after all. It doesn't matter how quietly they are voiced or how gently they are uttered. The people who speak them….are never safe."

And then, without waiting for his response and feeling a bit surprised at herself for her odd….threat, she whirled about and stamped back down the deck, bottles in hand. "Let us go Ser Lannister."

She didn't even wait to see if the blonde knight was following.

Everything was falling apart, everything.

Elia had been disgraced and now everyone from the Southern tip of Dorne to the Wall knew about it.

Ω

Three months later…..

This can't be happening, Lysa thought to herself as she stared down at the Privy in horror and disbelief. She had been certain that everything was well.

She had been seeing Maester Myles regularly and he had confirmed that both and the babe were healthy. Why it was not two days ago that she had had her checkup with him. There had been no tell signs, no reasons to believe that anything was amiss.

Lysa had been looking forward to hearing the baby kick, picking out names for him or her that would suit the child best.

Even though she had been secretly hoping for a boy, she had chosen a name for a girl that she thought would suit well too.

Minisa…..

Her mother had been so strong right up until the end, carrying five children to term and doing so with years between them.

Lysa just knew that if her mother had been around, she wouldn't have had to run and hide, she wouldn't have had to deal with the stress of bearing a pregnancy practically alone without any family.

Though she loved Dorne and felt safe here….it wasn't Riverrun and never would be.

And Lysa was never more aware of that as she stared down at the remnants of what could never be.

Each red drop in the water was a reminder that she had given everything for this life, this child and her reward was a phantom, a tantalizing reminder that she would never be happy.

Because she didn't have Petyr, she didn't have her sisters and now she didn't even have her child.

The Mother had seen it fit to take that from her too.

Lysa was too numb to even cry. An all encompassing coldness had started in her stomach, ironically where the babe should have been and was now spreading out to all her limbs and extremities as she stood in the privy and tried to comprehend what had just happened.

Nothing would ever make sense again.

The only thing that did make sense at the moment was to slide down the wall, bring her knees up to her chest and bury her face in them, trying desperately to keep the shattered pieces of her heart from breaking even further.

But even as she shook from the pain, both physical and emotional, Lysa had a feeling that she would never be whole again.

Ω

So...Lysa has miscarried. Bet you all weren't expecting that huh? Her losing the baby has a very good explanation which you will see in later chapters because its going to force Lily to take action in order to ensure her sister's happiness and sanity. As sad as it is, for the sake of the story I have planned, its necessary. Plus it also moves the timeline along and I am very anxious to get going with the AU portion of this story. I apologize for the insane wait in between updates. I don't keep to an update schedule and never have, when the chapter's done, its done. But I certainly didn't intend for there to be a four month break in between chapters. In between work, and school putting me in a headlock as well as a gargantuan amount of writer's block, I really have not felt like writing. Hopefully now that is all over and I can get back to putting this story up for you guys. I hope you all enjoy the chapter and don't forget to review!

Also, I should note that Jaime is not going to fall for Lily. They are going to have a weird friendship of sorts, but that's all.