The Queen in the North

Chapter Eleven: Destiny and Fortune

Arlenna Lannister daughter of Tytos Lannister and Jayne Marbrand, sister of Tywin, Kevan, Genna and Gerion Lannister, widow of Rolan Tremaine, wife of Euron Greyjoy and mother to Arthur, Sanira and Destone Tremaine had been sentenced to death. 

Her trial had been swift despite the fact that she had refused to recognise the judges authority on the matter; she hadn't even come to court to offer her defence nor hear the verdict when it had been given. 

Instead, Arlenna had stayed in her cell where she had been kept since she had been imprisoned; ladies loyal to House Stark had been put in place to keep tabs on her. 

Every word that Arlenna had spoken had been reported back, her rants about how she would avenge her fallen house, her deranged whispers about how the Gods would not allow it to rain until she was released from her prison. 

Arlenna had been treated well given her station, there was no one that could say that she had been left to rot in the cells especially given her acts of treason against House Stark. 

The evening before she had dined upon the finest of goose, she had drank wines that she had brought with her to Pyke. 

Her confessor had been in that morning to speak with her, she had spoken her truth and she prayed that the Gods would be kind to her; Arlenna still had hoped that she would be exiled for her actions. 

The ladies around her did not speak, for the most part they were here to keep her comfortable and the days dragged on as she awaited her execution. 

Staring out of the window of her cell, Arlenna couldn't help but ponder the life that she had lived and the future that she might have had if she'd not been married to Rolan Tremaine. 

Arlenna always felt that she had been wasted on such a match, she should have been married to a great lord who would have afforded her the greatest luxury in life. 

The door to her cell opened and Arlenna turned away from the window, she was dressed in Lannister red; she was born a Lannister and she would die as one. 

"Madam, the hour approaches. You must make ready," Ser Rodrik stated with a grim look on his face, it had been he that had been charged with looking over Arlenna's care since her imprisonment. 

Arlenna stood from her seat, she clasped her arms before her and her lips pursed as she watched the man that had been her jailer since this mess had started.

It had been Rodrik that had brought her the news that she was a widow once more, that Euron had died on the battlefield when he had mounted his final stand against his niece who had brought the Northern army with her. 

"Acquit yourself of your charge, for I have been long prepared," Arlenna instructed, she was ready to die and had lived a life that she did not regret any of her actions. 

A part of her still didn't believe that this would happen, that at the last moment Sanira would step in to stop her mother being executed; she would be sent to Braavos in disgrace where she could plot her revenge. 

"The Queen asks that you take this purse. It has 20 pounds in it to pay the headsman for his services," Ser Rodrik stated knowing that everything had been arranged, it had been a long time coming but Arlenna would pay for her crimes against the crown. 

How many people had lost their lives because of what she had done, the lives that had been destroyed because she had poisoned her first husband and refused to aid the Northern army in it's time of need. 

Arlenna took the purse feeling the weight of the coins inside, perhaps this was the money that she would be used to pay her way to Braavos.

Arlenna and the ladies followed Ser Rodrik out of the cell, they were followed along the way; the halls were quiet as they walked from the cells and out into the courtyard.