CHAPTER FOURTEEN

THE ROOM WAS WARM AND STUFFY, CHOKED WITH DISTANT MURMURS. Alys tried to open her eyes but they felt so heavy, like the sun wanting to drown her in light. Focusing harder, she managed to open one, wincing at the light and colors. With more effort; the second one opened as well. She had to blink several times, to adjust her eyes to the colors that seemed to cut like glass. She had forgotten where she was at first. In that awful, stiff bed. It took a few moments for the reasons to register...she had fainted

Alys tried to speak but her throat was raw and dry. It felt painful to even swallow. Alys noted the air of the room, it was too warm, too stuffy. The distant murmurs grew sounded like foreign sounds to her, and Alys tried to sit up but the effort reduced her to a coughing fit, so she laid back again.

All Alys's  could do was lean back into the stiff bed and breathe, for she was in terrible pain. Her head was aching with possibilities, her limbs were tired and clumsy, heavy like logs when she tried to move them. And there was a pain in her lower abdomen, it seemed to strike each time she attempted to move— pain so fierce it almost reduced her to tears.

Just as the Queen wondered of how long she had been here at, the door to the chambers opened. Alys lacked the strength to sit up and see who it was, for she already knew it would either be the king, Maester Pycelle, Lord Arryn or them all. Therefore, she kept her eyes closed, until a warm kiss touched her temple, and a gentle hand stroked her cheek. Opening her eyes, they were met with crystal blue eyes, like looking at the sky.

They were the eyes of Robert Baratheon.

And for a moment,

only a moment.

Alys felt something flicker inside her heart. But that was what it was. Just a moment. And it left as fast as it came. Her tired blue eyes studied his face. He had a sullen look on his face–something that surprised Alys. She noted that his beard had become nearly as big as a wildling, something Alys knew Jon Arryn would be aggravated over. But it was not that, that made Alys bothered. It was his eyes–his troubled and dejected eyes.
What had made him so sorrowful?

"What are you doing here, Robert? I heard about the Greyjoy's and I had thought that you were going to make an army and march over there–" Alys began but was quickly shut down by the feeling of lips on her chapped and dry ones. Alys widened her eyes and pushed Robert's face off of her. It was not because of disgust but more of shock. Robert had never even dared kissing me out of his own will. But even so, that only made Alys smile.

Robert only now seemed to realize what he had done and a pink blush crept on his cheeks. He turned his head to the side to block Alys from the–dare she say; adorable sight.

"I am sorry"

That made Alys freeze. Not once had Robert apologized, not meant it at least. She turned her head the other way, face facing the dull grey walls.

"For what?" She wanted to hear it. She wanted to listen to him say it. To watch as the words fall out of his mouth. It seemed impossible for him to do that, as she could see his struggle. But she could see how pained Robert was. No matter what he had done, there was no reason for her to push him even further to the ground. After all, A happy King makes a good one.

He let out a chuckle of disbelief, his head shaking. Only them did Alys notice the tears in his eyes.

"For everything.....for the way I have been treating you. Not as my companion and friend and certainly not my wife," he face was now dangerously close to her. "I deserve what I get. I know the Gods will and must punish me." His eyes darkened. "But I will be dammed if the thing they take away from me is my child or wife"

Alys didn't know how to reply. It all seemed like a big jest. A jest that would haunt her forever. Her mouth was open, and she was certain she looked like a fool but in this moment. She did not care nor think about anything else rather then her husbands fiercely eyes. She did not get the chance to reply as the sound of the door bursting open was heard.

They both swiftly turned to the shaken guard. Alys started in annoyance while Robert stared at him with murder in his eyes. Alys noticed and put a hand on Robert's arm, and she sensed the act calmed him.

"We must leave now, Your Grace. The Greyjoy's are rumored to be weeks away from the North"

Alys felt her hand tighten on Robert's arm. Her body was betraying her. Her mind telling her to let go of him– to wish him misfortune and doom. Her body and heart telling her to forgive him while there is still a chance.

Robert put his hand on her cheek, softly caressing her not looking quite at her eyes but rather her face. It looked like he wanted to memorize her–to never forget her.

Once in her youth, she had dreamed of a life with her love. They would flee to Pentos, abandoning all duties and responsibilities. Though, the image she concocted had been beautiful. They would live humbly, but beautifully, and each morn, they'd wake in each other's arms, feeling the sun on their skin and the breeze of the leaves on the swaying trees. Westeros was to become a mere memory for them. How young she had been, for now she knew that, that, was only the sad truth. She knew the ways, and she so happened to be much more intelligent and bright then Lyanna ever was.

She got a fate that Alys wound never let herself have. People thought Lyanna as the strongest, as the fiercest, but they did not know the child underneath. They did not notice as she daydreamed of her knight in shining armor, they did not notice her listening to songs filled with love and romance. Lyanna was naive while, Alys was clever and had wit, something that Lyanna never had.

For the first time, Alys had found herself grow hatred towards her dead sister.

But so it was, only the sad truth.

Alys catched Robert's eyes with her cold eyes. "I pray for your return and pray to the gods of an heir"

Robert's face fell before moments, he was gone.

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