Game of Thrones: StormBorn

Arianne sighed as she sipped the sweet and flavorful wine. It tasted like home.

It was funny, she had always hated it before she left Dorne. Even as a young girl she had always preferred more mature and subdued wines, but, compared to Arthur's rather prudish tastes she found it liberating.

She could hardly live without him, but her betrothed wouldn't know fun if it kissed him on the lips and shoved honey into his mouth.

Well, she hadn't gone quite that far just yet, but she was half tempted to, at least when she wasn't in his immediate presence.

Indeed, Her cousins had taken to pressing the matter whenever they met, which was far too rarely these days.

It seemed tonight as well, that her sisters in all but name were unwilling to let the issue drop.

"You're getting married in two days anyway." The eldest sand snake smiled "and if he doesn't bed you properly then, well, you should just tie him to the bed and-"

"Obara please" Tyene chuckled, "I don't think physically overpowering him would work out anymore, maybe two years ago, but he's taller than you now."

"Fah, I'd still best his hand."

"I somehow don't think that's what Arriane has in mind." Nymeria smiled lightly, and Arianne felt herself nodding along. "It's not a question of getting him to agree I think."

"That's true." She agreed slightly, continuing to sip at her wine. "It's just, well, I don't want him to think less of me if I come on top strong. I must have marched into his chambers thinking I was going to demand he lay with me a dozen times only to catch sight of him and find my stomach falling away beneath me. He calls me his perfect princess..."

"And you don't think he wants his perfect princess in his bed?" Obara burst out laughing, and she found herself rolling her eyes at her crude sister.

"It's not that simple, Obara."

She felt a tender hand come down on her shoulder and turned to see that Tyene next to her had reached up, giving her an angelic smile that scared her a great deal more than anything Obara might get up to.

"I understand" her closest sister smiled, giving her a gentle look. "It must have been hard for you, but I'm sure you're wedding will be everything you want of it."

She smiled at her blond sister, nodding. "Thank you Tyene."

"Want us to have him hard for you by the bedding? We get to fondle him on the way in right?"

Arianne swiveled to face her eldest cousin in a heartbeat. "Out."

"Aww, c'mon what's the point of the bedding if we don't-"

"OUT," she said a second time, this the actually achieving the intended effect as Obara shrugged and left the room, shortly followed by a mischievously grinning Nymeria who waved gently as she went.

"See you in the morning, Arianne."

As she shut the door behind her Arianne sat back down, pressing her hand under her chin, "Stupid little-"

"They won't do anything, don't worry," Tyene said comfortingly, placing her hand back on her bare shoulder. "Just like with the men, there are typically enough sensible old matrons around to keep the groping to a minimum."

"I know" Arianne nodded, "it's just…"

"Ouch" Tyene yelped all of a sudden drawing her hand back and waving it as if she had been stung, "what in the-?"

Arianne didn't hear her finish the exclamation as a peal of thunder boomed across the sky and she felt her heart beginning to beat faster suddenly. Something scratching at the back of her mind told her something was wrong, she should be angry, she should be-

"Arthur." She knew at once the source of her feeling as her eyes shot out the window towards the Red Keep, up past uncountable battlements to the quarters he was staying in. "Something is wrong."

"I can tell." Tyene said plainly, "do you normally have lightning running up and down your spine? It's very pretty but I can't imagine it's-"

"Find me a cloak" she cut her sister off. "He wouldn't be this angry unless something terrible has happened."

"And let you go out alone at midnight in King's Landing of all places?" Tyene asked, raising an eyebrow, "I'll call up a guard, a guard, and two cloaks."

"You're coming with me?"

"Of course" Tyene smiled, "All of this magic is ever so fascinating after all."

Arianne managed to tear herself away from the clothing dread in her stomach long enough to grin at her sister. "Fine, one guard and then we go."

Tyene smirked, before grabbing hold of her hand and pulling her off towards the small barracks at the front of the estate.

All the while, Arianne felt it hard to tear her eyes away from the silhouetted form of the Red Keep against that black sea of clouds broken only by occasional lightning.

Whatever was happening, Arthur needed her there. Indeed, she needed to be there.

At times like this, that was all there was to it.