It had been a month since Elena had left Harrenhal. Left everything actually except for Loki. The journey had passed rather peacefully, nobody ever dared to even say anything to Elena. Maybe it was because the whole time she had a frown on her face. They had just arrived in Kings Landing, riding through the streets towards the Red Keep.

Elena was tired and had a hard time not falling off her horse. The journey had tired her, every night she was awoken by either a nightmare or some random soldier that was being too drunk to care about anyone. She'd just leave the tent, lift Loki into her arms and sit somewhere outside, looking at the stars. She'd imagine Robb doing the same, just staring out there and at the stars. Wondering where the other was and how he/she was doing.

Loki was walking right beside her, he had grown a lot but he was still a pup. Which meant that he also was still very active every night. Usually though when Elena was really tired, he'd somehow know that and lay beside her, snuggled against her belly and fall asleep there.

Even though he was still small he seemed to warm Elena through the night.

Elena grasped the reins tighter in her hands when the crowd seemed to dense. They were all looking at her, probably remembering her from the last time she had come here. Back then she wasn't exactly friendly with the Lannisters but now she was going to marry one. It was quite the contrast. Last time she'd flown right into the throne room with her armour and weapons ready but now she was riding on a horse with her weapons and armour taken, with only a dress covering her body.

Elena looked at his back. Jaime was riding in front of the group, his golden armour shining in the burning sun. In the last month he hadn't said a word to her, not that she cared. He would usually only stare at her, taking her in and then riding towards the front of the group, never to be seen again.

Something was wrong in Kings Landing, something was growing in the shadows unseen yet seen. Elena could feel it, the accusing eyes of the citizens following their every move. Most seemed rather poor. Their clothes were torn, their bodies covered in dirt and what not. There was an huge difference between the poor and the rich in King's Landing, maybe that was what was causing all the trouble.

Elena had heard about the high sparrow and his followers, about the uprising of the faith. She also heard about Cersei's atonement and couldn't help but feel revenged. Within a week her trial would take place and as would Loras's.

"Are you going to stay there all day or are you coming off your horse?" Jaime spoke to her.

"What?" Elena snapped back to reality, suddenly realizing that they were already in the Red Keep's stables. Jaime stood there, looking at her and seemed rather annoyed.

"King Tommen wants to see you." Jaime rolled his eyes and watched as Elena dismounted her horse and picked up her wolf. His eyes fixated on the tiny pup for a moment. "I'd suggest you kill that beast now before we'll have to take the necessary precautions."

"He's just a pup, he won't hurt anyone unless you give him reason to." Elena snapped and held Loki tighter against her chest. The wolf felt her defensive attitude and immediately began to growl at Jaime, baring his teeth.

"You know what happened to the last wolf that passed us, right?" Jaime raised his eyebrows at her attitude. He wasn't really accustomed to people talking back to him like that.

"And you know what happened to the last person that threatened someone I cared about?" Elena narrowed her eyes but Jaime didn't seem faced. "Loki's the only thing I've got left from my family. I will raise him well." She reasoned.

"We'll see about that." Jaime turned around and walked towards the entrance of the keep, leading Elena to the Throne Room. On the way there Elena looked around at the courtyard of the red keep. She could feel someone's eyes on her but when she looked around she didn't see anyone but guards standing there. So she looked up and there she saw her, Cersei, staring down at her from her balcony. Cersei didn't do anything, just stared down at Elena with a threatening glare.

Elena was walking right into the lion's den, she knew that. She knew she was in danger every moment she was there. But she didn't care. If they'd attack her she would fight back. She won't go down easily, she knew that, Elena knew that she'd take many with her if they'd decide to kill her.

When they walked inside Elena couldn't help but marvel at the sight. It was enormous, everything was. The pillars, the windows, the throne. It was build out of a thousand swords she heard. Even from afar Elena could feel the coldness of the throne, the power radiating from it. It wasn't just a throne, it was much more than that.

"Lady Elena." Tommen spoke which made her head shoot up at the sound. "I have been expecting your arrival."

Elena opened her mouth, frowning at the boy before her when she came to a halt. He was small and young with a kind look on his face, unlike his father. She could feel Jaime's glare on her face, warning her to address Tommen as he should be addressed.

"I hope that my men and uncle haven't mistreated you during your journey." Tommen stood up from the throne and walked towards her with his hands clasped together behind his back and the crown wobbling on the top of his little head.

"They haven't." Elena said. When she looked at Jaime and saw that his glare became more intense she quickly added: "your Grace."

"Good." Tommen smiled at her. "Since our last meeting wasn't exactly friendly I believe we should make a new start." He wobbled on his feet for a bit. "All I want is peace between the North and the South and I believe our alliance could accomplish that."

Elena was dumbfounded, such a young boy was already speaking those wise words. Maybe someone told him exactly what he had to say but that wasn't how it seemed. "A marriage only won't suffice." Elena said truthfully. "It will take more to convince us that you mean us no harm after you beheaded Ned Stark."

Tommen looked at the ground, biting his lip. "My brother was many things but he wasn't exactly forgiving." He looked back up at Elena. "I promise you I will forgive Robb Stark and the rest for everything they've done."

"Forgive us? For what we've done?" Elena scoffed. "I don't think we really want or need your forgiveness." She bit, losing her temper. She didn't care about Jaime grasping for the handle of his sword, she didn't care about Tommen who was slightly shaken by her outburst.

"What we want is our loved ones back. Ned Stark, Gillian Karstark, Talisa Stark, our men and our guardians. The ones that you killed!" Elena took a few steps towards Tommen and without noticing her wings unwrapped behind her back. "The only thing that I could possibly want from you is the safety of who I've got left."

Tommen remained silent for a while, staring at the marble beneath his boots. "I'm sorry for your loss." Tommen looked up at her.

"Tommen-" Jaime didn't want him to apologize, didn't want his son to even give in for the slightest of moments.

"No, uncle." Tommen raised his hand. "She's right. The war has taken a lot from everyone and a simple marriage won't end that. In a war there isn't a good or a bad side, everyone makes mistakes." He looked straight at her. "And because of that I want you to be in my counsel from now on to guide us through this tough time, to let us see what mistakes we made and to prevent us from making the same ones again."

"Tommen you can't do that, she's a guardian and a northerner, not to say she's our ene-"

"I can and I will." Tommen interrupted Jaime again. "Lady Elena." He walked down the steps and stood before her. "I want nothing but peace. I promise you that no harm will come to you or your loved ones. "

Elena remained silent for a while, contemplating her choices. She could kill him right there, end the reign of Tommen but she won't be quick enough to save herself from Jaime's sword. But if he died either Jaime or Cersei would continue his rule which wouldn't make things any better.
She could also accept his offer and maybe have a chance at peace and the safety of Robb. "If you keep your promise, I will keep mine."

"Good." Tommen let out a breath in relief. "I made sure you get everything you need here, your new home. That's why I have hired a few handmaidens and a sguire for you." Tommen clapped his hands and the door on his left side immediately opened to reveal 2 girls and a tall man.

"This is Felicity Falwell and Angelina Kyndall." He introduced the handmaidens who all bowed with a rather fearful look on their faces.

"And I'm Sam Westerling."Sam extended his arm towards Elena with a kind smile on his face. He, contrary to the girls, didn't seem the least afraid.

"Elena Snow." She shook his hand and hesitantly looked up at him. He was very tall and had a broad chest, he had dark brown midlength hair and hazel eyes.

"I heard that you were quite different from all the ladies of the court, that you preferred the sword above dresses and all that." Tommen said. "So I thought that maybe you might need a sguire."

"You're most kind." Elena stuttered and frowned at Tommen. He wasn't exactly what she had expected. Not at all, actually. He was kinder than she had anticipated.

"Is that a wolf pup?" Sam reached out towards Loki slowly, letting it sniff his hands before touching his fur. To Elena's surprise Loki let him.

"Yes, Robb Stark gave it to me when I left." A lump grew in her throat only by speaking his name. She looked up at Sam's eyes and saw the same fierce yet kind look in them as it did in Robb's.

"Can I hold him?" Sam asked and Elena obliged. Loki seemed to like the sguire.

"I must apologize beforehand, my lady." Tommen stepped towards her after he had waved Sam, who was still holding Loki, and the handmaidens away. "The wedding won't take place within a week. My mother's trial is next Wednesday and I fear we do not have time left to plan a royal wedding."

"That's all right-"

"You mustn't apologize, Tommen." Elena's head shot up at the sound of her voice, her eyes soon meeting Cersei's blue ones. "She doesn't care that the wedding is delayed. If it's up to her it'd be cancelled for good."

"And if it was up to you, Cersei Lannister, I think it'd be the same." Elena faked a smile and turned towards Cersei, eyeing her dress that was slightly reinforced with steel plates. It seemed like she was trying to put on armour but without anyone really noticing. Cersei was readying herself for war.

"Elena Snow, the wolf's guardian." Cersei narrowed her eyes slightly. "Quite an accomplishment, for a bastard to marry a Lannister. Especially a guardian like you."

"Well, some of us have to fight to earn what they want. Others just get it handed over to them at birth." Elena countered. Her hand was itching to grasp a sword but her weapons were taken from her. Cersei chuckled but her eyes were deprived of any humour.

"Must be strange for you, to come here all alone." Cersei stepped closer also while Jaime did the same on Elena's other side. They were surrounding her, their eyes watching Elena like she were their prey. "Without your king of the north, without your brother Damon to protect you. Without anyone, really."

"That's where you're wrong." Elena's eyes narrowed too but she didn't move an inch even though there were 2 lions circling around her. "I'm not alone."

"Of course you're not. Uncle, why don't you search where Sam has gone?" Tommen chuckled nervously and stepped towards Elena quickly to stop his parents from threatening her. He took in a deep breath and exhaled slowly when his parents didn't stop glaring at his guest. Until Jaime finally turned around and left through one of the doors. "Sam will show you to your room."

Elena nodded and only then broke her eye contact with Cersei, walking after Tommen when he showed her the way. That was until she felt a hand glasp around her wrist and jerk her back. Elena saw how Tommen left the throne room, oblivious to the fact that she was no longer following him.

She felt Cersei pull her closer, her head near her ear as she began to whisper. "Do not think I will ever let you marry my brother." She hissed. "I could order anyone to kill you while you sleep. I could even order the army to march to Winterfell, if I wanted to." Cersei threatened and tightened her grasp around Elena's wrist and pulled her closer. "You'll feel my claws sinking into your body if you even dare to do anything against me, my son or my brother. I'll kill you, slowly, torture you until you can't even speak anymore. And when you've finally given up I'll kill your king before your eyes and watch you scream till your heart stops beating."

Elena stood there still for a moment, her eyes looking at the marble of the throne room. Then she slowly turned to look at Cersei, her eyes staring into hers without any sign of emotion left in them. They were empty. "You won't." Elena said.

Cersei chuckled. "Why won't I?"

"Because you won't be able to." Elena continued and turned her body towards Cersei. "You know why?" Her eyes narrowed slightly. "Because when the mere thought crosses your mind, when you even think about hurting either Robb or any other men or women I love, I will know. I will know your plan, how you will do it and when you will do it. And when I do, I will hunt you down personally. No matter how many guards you will have assigned to protect you, no matter how many men you've made into a monster, I will get through them. You know why?"

Elena remained silent for a while and watched as she saw a slight sign of fear rushing through Cersei's eyes. "Because I'm the guardian of the north. I've conquered greater foes than you'll ever dream of becoming. I've defeated a whole army by myself, I've come back from the dead, I've fought beside the young wolf during the greatest of battles and never lost a single one. I won't even hesitate to kill those who stand in my way or dare to threaten the ones I care about." Fire began to ignite around Elena's fingers and Cersei's eyes darted to them quickly. "You know who my brother is, you know what Ethan can do and what he's capable of. Believe me when I tell you that he and I don't differ that much when it comes to fighting or revenge."

Cersei's eyes darted back to Elena's and noticed the darkness that was clouding over her green eyes. Cersei still didn't back down though, no, she stood there, facing Elena.

"Next time, think about who you're trying to threaten. "Elena extinguished the fire around her fingers. She glared at Cersei for another few moments until she turned around to follow Tommen. "Have a nice day, Cersei Lannister. For I'm sure I will."

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