Chapter VI

                                    

                                          

                            

                                
                            
                              
                                  
                              
                              
                                
                                  
                                  
                                
                              
                             
                            
                            
                          
                          
VI. By the End of the Night
Livia screamed into her captor's hand, feeling light-headed. This night was not going well for her.
She was just about to give her captor a piece of her mind or maybe another slap could well be on its way when she saw who it was. She pushed him away before slapping him on the chest.
"Ow!"
"Oberyn Nymeros Martell! What on earth possessed you to do that?" Livia asked, repeatedly hitting him as she did so. "You almost stopped my heart."
Laughing, Oberyn only caught her hand, pressing a small kiss upon her tightly-clenched fist.
She rolled her eyes at him, trying to hold back a smile but he already caught sight of it. 
"That was the last thing I would ever want to do." He said, finally letting go of her hand. "Forgive me. Please."
Livia pretended to think about it for a while as she walked deeper into the halls, wanting to get as far away from the ballroom as possible.
She turned to Oberyn with a small smile before ducking into a small pathway to the gardens. "Only because you said please." 
He let out a small laugh at her playfulness. "You've changed quite a lot since the last time I saw you, Livvy. Where was this carefree girl during the ceremony?"
At that, she turned serious and the wine seemed to have seeped out of her system. "Ceasing to exist." Livia said as they strolled through the gardens.
The paths were lit by torches and guards were lined in every corner but they felt as if they were the only two people there as the moon lit everything in an eerie glow.
"I don't understand." Oberyn confessed as he tried to understand.
But he didn't, he never could for how could he? He grew up as the second son in Dorne. He had no responsibilities to uphold or marriage alliances to go through and he was born a man.
Oberyn was free whilst she was far from it.
Livia was the first-born of Lord Tywin Lannister. She was born a girl and the only way for her to uphold her duty is by marrying. She couldn't even do that right.
"Oberyn," She started, not knowing how or what to say to him. "I'm sure you've noticed I'm not the same girl you met seven years ago."
He frowned as he turned to look at her. "Yes, you've grown more beautiful since the last time I sa-"
"That's not at all what I meant. Now's not the time for your flattery, please. I want you to understand." She pleaded with him.
"Then help me. Help me understand because right now, I don't have a clue why you're so different." Oberyn answered, holding her by the shoulders so she could focus on him and nothing else. 
"I've grown up. I have had to. With my house depending on me, I cannot afford to be anything less." Livia defended.
"Are you hearing yourself? You're starting to sound just like your father." He replied, taking a step back.
"As if that's such a bad thing?" She said, sounding quite insulted.
He was quiet for a while, not knowing what to say. When he finally found the words, he spoke. "I don't want to insult you or mock you. It's just-I missed you. I have missed the girl I met."
Livia sighed, the anger melting from her body. Instead of replying, she only hugged Oberyn, burying her head into the warmth of his neck and inhaling his scent of mint and wine.
Silently, she found herself missing the girl she used to be as well. 
•°•°•°•°•°
"Livvy. Livia. Wake up." 
Livia opened her eyes, groggily. At first, she only saw a blurry figure with golden hair. 
"Livia, dear sister." The figure said, sounding amused. 
Blinking the sleep out of her eyes, she saw Jaime looking down at her with an amused smile on his face.
"Jaime?" Livia said, confused as to why he was in her chambers, prim and proper whilst she was still in her bed clothes with messy hair.
"Good, I was worried that you'd forgotten who I was." He smirked, looking down at her with an amused gaze. "I guess someone had too much fun in the celebrations." 
She stood up, her vision slightly blurred before stumbling to her side table where there was a pitcher of water and a goblet for her. 
"W-what happened? The last thing I remembered was being in the gardens with-" 
"Prince Oberyn, yes. The both of you were drinking in the gardens however he holds his alcohol better than you. You fainted after the fourth goblet." Jaime said, laughing as he sat at her sitting room.
Livia winced, sitting beside him and grabbing a piece of bread. "I'm almost afraid to ask what happened next."
"Nothing interesting. Prince Oberyn carried you and found me. We brought you to the room then hours later, you wake up." He paused for a moment before laughing. "Fascinating really."
"As much as I love you, Jaime, your laugh is quite loud this morning." She said, covering her ears.
"Not really. It's just your headache dear sister. Imagine if father knew about all of this." He joked, handing her a wet piece of cloth to wake her up even more.
"Whatever you do, don't tell father or I swear Jaime Lannister, you will not make it back to the Rock in one piece." She threatened however he just laughed.
"Actually, that is why I'm here. I am to return to Casterly Rock today and I wanted to say goodbye." Jaime replied, standing up.
"You're leaving? So soon? Have you already said goodbye to Cersei?" Livia questions, surprised to know that her brother was leaving. 
"I have. Father wants us to return as soon as possible but don't fret dear sister. I have a feeling we will see each other soon." He smiled, wrapping his arms around his older sister.
"I hope so too. I know that you have a calling far from here but me and Cersei will surely miss you." She said, pressing a kiss upon the golden crown of her younger brother.
As he left King's Landing that day and as Livia spent the day by the queen's side, she prayed silently to any gods that could be listening to permit Jaime to be a knight sooner so that the three of them could be reunited once more.
However sincere and innocent that prayer may be, it is one of the chains that will cause the beginning of the end.
For Livia did not know what were to happen in the events that would follow nor the responsibility that would befall her.