I Just Pray For Your Fall ||| Cregan Stark

ten

King's Landing was not what Amara expected it to be. She'd never been to the Crownlands. At least, not when she could remember. Amara was told she'd accompanied her father to King's Landing once when she was but a child but that memory evaded her. Instead, it was all new smells, sights, and sounds when her journey from Highgarden neared its end. It was bearable, more bearable than the tour had been simply because the journey was shorter.

In Amara's opinion, the city was repugnant compared to Highgarden. King's Landing was the most populous city in Westeros, but unsightly and dirty compared to other cities. Poorer smallfolk seemed to build shanty settlements outside the city, of which Amara spotted on the way into the city. The stench of the city's waste could be smelled far beyond its walls. Amara turned her nose up at it when they first arrived.

The city's mass could only be compared to Oldtown but the population of King's Landing far surpassed it. Amara would have taken Oldtown any day, however, for it was much cleaner and perhaps safer than King's Landing. There was more mystery to King's Landing, though, and that was in the form of the three tall hills inside the city.

Aegon's High Hill, which was surmounted by the Red Keep, the royal castle located in the south-eastern corner of the city. It overlooked Blackwater Bay directly, whilst Visenya's Hill to the west was crowned by the marble-walled Great Sept of Baelor and its seven crystal towers. Or was one of the most beautiful and extensive Septs in the Kingdom.

The most intriguing thing to an outsider was definitely what found its home on the Hill of Rhaenys: the Dragonpit. That was what made the Targaryens legends, how Aegon conquered the Seven Kingdoms and came to rule over them from King's Landing. Their dragons made them unrivalled when it came to combat. Not a single House could amass enough manpower to defeat the many dragons Targaryens rode. Through all of the history Amara studied as part of her upbringing, dragons had been the most intriguing. She'd always wanted to see one in person and experience what it would be like to ride one.

A privilege only afforded to Targaryens, of course. But Amara could dream. And maybe, maybe, her children by the second son would be afforded the same luxury of being able to ride dragons.

By the time Amara's wheelhouse approached the Red Keep, she was going over everything in her head. Manners, customs, respect. She likely wouldn't see the boy she was betrothed to right away, she had chambers to inhabit, people to meet, and things to do to settle in what would be her new home. Amara would formally be introduced to court and hopefully, they would allow her to meet the boy before that point.

She would play the part they wanted her to play. Amara just wanted a little bit of respect afforded back to her. She'd chosen a very specific dress for the occasion of arriving; a red and black dress with beautiful detailing along the bodice. Amara knew the colours of House Targaryen were black and red so she thought they might appreciate her attempt to associate herself with their house.

The Red Keep was busier than Amara thought it would be. There were many members of the keep bustling about when the gates opened and Amara's wheelhouse entered. Heads automatically turned to look at the flags of the arriving wheelhouse. The Tyrell sigil flew proudly.

As soon as the wheelhouse slowed to a stop in the courtyard, Amara closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She could endure. For the good of her House, she would do her duty.

"Lady Amara of House Tyrell."

With that, Amara picked up the bottom of her dress and left her wheelhouse. She was careful on the stairs down, as falling flat on her face in front of members of the royal household was the very last thing Amara needed. At the bottom, she made sure her dress was smoothed out, procured a big smile, and faced the entrance to the Holdfast. She was thankful that the Holdfast was below the serpentine steps up to the Great Hall and Throne room.