Heir Apparent

1

She sighed and mat back in the uncomfortable leather seated carriage. She would much rather be riding up the front with her father, on he horse, but instead she was stuck in a carriage, sitting across from her smirking younger brother Joffrey, who would kick her shins every so often.

However, with a sleeping Tommen on her lap, Myrcella leaning on her shoulder and her mother glaring at her, she couldn't kick him back and break one of his bones, no matter how funny it would be to see her mother panic over the precious heir.

"Sweetling, don't lean your head back, you'll ruin your hair. You must look your best to meet your fiance and the Starks."

The dreaded fiance. Alayne remembered the exact moment that Robb Stark had been mensioned. Cersei had a fit, and practically had to be held up by Lancel, who had suffocated under her vince like grip.

The maester had to be called for some smelling salts, and Alayne walked with Lancel to his chambers, a pot of salve in her hands, ready for the purple and yellow bruises.

"Mother, I don't want to get married, not to a Stark, or a Tyrell, or a Martell. I want to marry for love. Is that too much to ask?"

The look on her mother's face told her enough. Sighing again her instead leaned her head on Tommen's, making sure that her light brown curls were still perfect in her half up half down hairstyle her mother had spent ages on.

Her hair wasn't the only thing that set her apart from her sibilings; her skin was darker from many hours spent outdoors hunting, sword fighting and shooting with their father. It was no secret that she was much his favourite, for her enthusiasm, kind heart and sporting personality.

Many at court said that she was his favourite because her personality reminded him of Lyanna Stark, the girl he was still in love with, even though she was long dead and he was re-married.

Because of this, she had a very rocky relationship with her mother and other siblings other than Tommen, whom was by far her favourite of her true-born siblings.

The looks that she'd inherited from her mother were her emerald green eyes, stature and height, as well as the neat curls at the ends of her hair. The people loved her for being the perfect image of the two monarchs, whereas the other three, Joffrey, Myrcella and Tommen, only showed the Lannister side of the union.

"Sit up."

The words were spoken in a sharp, direct tone, but this time not towards Alayne, but towards Tommen, who had just woken up and streched in her lap. He flinched and his eyes began to water, so Alayne cupped his face in her hands and looked, smiling, into his big green eyes that mirrored hers. They were each other's favourite sibiling and Tommen always came to her if their mother had shouted at him for not being like Joffrey, or Joffrey had tormented him about Sir Pounce, his cat. Alayne would not tell Tommen about her issues with their mother, but when she went to him, they would always sit in the garden in a comfortable silence, with him in her lap and them just holding each other together.

Lately, this had become a dayly occurance, with Joffrey becoming more vindictive with age. Once, the torture had gotten so bad, when Tommen came to her in tears, she had run past the Kings guard, past her maids, pushing past her mother, running all the way to where Joffrey was in the yard, and given him a real tongue lashing. Laughter had rung about the yard, as their father looked on from above, love filling his eyes as he saw the wild girl that reminded him so of his lost love.

Tommen's tears dried immediately and they both went to staring out of the window. Presently Myrcella awoke and pushed herself off of Alayne's shoulder. She sat next to their mother, who started fussing over her hair and gown that was slightly rumpled. She then looked smuggly over at Alayne, trying to make her jealous at all the attention she was getting, but Alayne and Tommen were still looking out of the window at the increasing snow on the road.

"We'll be there soon Mother," she said presently, "there was a sign that said Winterfell, 30 miles."

"Thank you my dear. Now, you see I was right. The journey was not to bad in this carriage. Much better than out there in all that horrible, cold wet snow."

Joffrey smirked again and kicked Alayne's ankle to get her attention.

"Soon you'll have to live in all that snow with savages and wildlings and dire wolves. You'll be lady of a disgusting castle that is full of stupid Starks."

Cersei laughted at what her son had said, but Alayne meerly scowled at them. Then Tommen piped up:

"Actually Alayne said that the Lord and Lady Stark were friends of father's and father wouldn't be friends with stupid people. Dire wolves also haven't been seen this side of the wall in over 100 years, and the wall keeps wildlings out. Stupid."

Alayne giggled at Cersei, Joffrey and Myrcella's shocked faces. She pressed a kiss to his head and whispered 'Well done' in his ear. The rest of the journey was continued in silence as the other three fumed and Tommen and Alayne looking out the window and occasionaly pointing out markers or houses to each other.

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[a/n : she doesn't know about the incest]

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