𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 𝐍 𝐆𝐎.

﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌﹌
act one ━━ 𝗼𝗻𝗲.
· 。ﾟ୧ ⋆. 𝗔 𝗧𝗬𝗥𝗘𝗟𝗟 𝗪𝗘𝗟𝗖𝗢𝗠𝗜𝗡𝗚. ₊˚.༄
━━━ A NEW BEGINNING,
❝ i wish to find love like yours one day ❞

𝓣he smell of salt water mixed with freshly grown roses hit the brunette's senses as she ran through the large garden. Tall hedges stood nearly nine feet above her petite figure as she leant against one of the hedges breathlessly. A grin on her lips as she tried to steady her breathing.

She pressed her lips down into a thin line to stop herself from giggling as she could faintly see her brother jumping out across from her thinking she was behind one of the shrubs only for his dismay to see there was no one there.

"Aelina, I give up." Loras called out looking around him, trying to spot the girl in the baby pink gown.

Tip toeing around the hedges she made her way behind him.

Loras' lips twitched into a smirk hearing the shifting of the girl's dress against the stone floor.

"Boo!" She placed her hands on the back of his flimsy shirt. He turned and rose a brow at her. "Not even a little scared?" She asked her bottom lip stuck out into a pout.

Loras shrugged, "A little." He lied earning an eye roll from the brunette who shoved him playfully. "We must meet father and the others for the fight."

Aelina rolled her eyes, "I hate the fights, they're barbaric." She sighed.

"Sweetheart, what do you suppose everyone do during their free time? Not everyone can paint and dance in a garden." He teased her as they walked down the stone steps outside of their home towards the beach.

"No, but, perhaps something less feral." She shrugged.

"When you think of something, let me know, dear sister."

"What about eating contests? I'm sure the men would get a kick out of that, no?" She questioned.

"I'm afraid you've gotten what men enjoy vastly different in your head."

Aelina thought to herself, tilting her head. "Other than drinking, and sleeping with women in the village; I'm not sure having an eating contest is farfetched."

Loras nodded, "That's true."

"What does Renly like? He seems to enjoy what you do." She asked glancing around them making sure no one could overhear the two, granted half of their people had gone to the beach and only a few women and children resided in the main village.

Loras shrugged, "Perhaps that is why he likes me best."

Aelina rolled her eyes, "It is no secret he enjoys your company more than others, Loras." She teased with a smirk on her lips, Loras' cheeks tinted pink. "I wish to find love like yours one day." She said looking off to the side, a dreamy look in her eyes and a smile on her lips.

Loras nearly scoffed, "I don't think sneaking off and being a man who enjoys the company of other men, especially one who is wed, is considered the best to look up to when it comes to love." He said almost in a bitter tone.

Aelina nodded, "I know, but it's something I hope to experience. I don't want to marry some Lord and be forced into having children with him. Considering I'll have to marry the Stark boy."

"Bran is quite a cute lad, I don't see the issue."

"The issue is I'll be bending down to kiss him in front of our people. Not that it matters but, he's not the one." She murmured.

"When you're born into a family of Lords and Lady's your choices do not matter, I'm afraid sister. You'll have to learn to accept sooner rather than later." He said in a sorrowful tone, she frowned.

With a huff from the petite girl Loras threw his arm around her shoulder and dragged her to where their seating laid ahead. She could faintly see her sister's long chocolate curls in the distance as they approached their respected seats.

A large circle was formed as knights, and civilians stood around cheering on whomever was in the fighting ring.

Margaery rose brow seeing both her siblings sliding into their seats trying to be discreet.

Aelina avoided her sister's eyes knowing she had caught them red handed. Renly glanced over seeing Loras and Aelina had taken their seats, he shook his head in amusement as his wife too had taken notice.

"You've missed half of the fight." Margaery said to her sister who glanced over between the couple. "Father won't be too pleased." She said nodding to where their father stood cheering on one of the men.

"He knows how I feel about these matches." She said simply, "And I was busy . . ."

"Hmm, frolicking in the gardens?" She mused earning a glare from the shorter brunette. "Just be here on time, please." She pleaded earning a sigh from the girl.

She watched boredly as the knights fought, suddenly finding the emerald ribbon around her waist much more intriguing.

"Highgarden!" Margaery exclaimed for her knight startling her sister who looked up seeing their knight in the lead.

"Yield! I yield." The knight raised his hands in defence.

"Well fought. Approach" Renly nodded to the larger knight who had won the fight. "Rise. Remove your helm." He ordered.

As ordered the knight removed their helmet, revealing it to be a woman. The crowd let out sounds of surprise. "You are all your father promised and more, My Lady. I've seen Ser Loras bested once or twice, but never quite in that fashion."

"Now, now, my love. Our men fought valiantly for you." Margaery chimed in.

"That he did, my queen. But there can only be one champion. Brienne of Tarth, you may ask anything of me you desire. If it is within my power, it is yours." Renly informed the blonde who knelt before them.

"Your Grace, I ask the honour of a place in your Kingsguard." She asked peering up at him.

Loras looked at the woman in shock, "What?" As everyone in the crowd gasped at her request.

"I like her." Aelina smirked looking to Brienne who looked up at the brunette with a look of gratitude.

"I will be one of your seven, pledge my life to yours, and keep you safe from all harm." Brienne further explained her reasoning.

Loras stared at Renly in question.

"Done. Rise, Brienne of the Kingsguard." Renly nodded.

The crowd applauds. Renly gives Brienne a small wink. Loras continues to stare at Renly, clearly irritated.

Brienne stands as Ser Colen makes his way across the sand towards where Renly is seated. Catelyn from house Stark follows.

Aelina and her sister noted the red headed woman and sat up.

"Your Grace, I have the honour to bring you Lady Catelyn Stark, sent as an envoy by her son Robb, Lord of Winterfell." Colen introduces the woman.

"Lord of Winterfell and King in the North." Catelyn corrected, clearly on the opposing side of the current king in Kingslanding.

"Lady Catelyn. I'm pleased to see you. May I present my wife, Margaery of House Tyrell?" Renly introduced the brunette who nodded her way.

"You are very welcome here, Lady Stark. I'm so sorry for your loss." She apologized for the loss of Catelyn's late husband.

Catelyn nodded, "You are most kind."

"My lady, I swear to you I will see the Lannisters answer for your husband's murder. When I take King's landing, I'll bring you Joffrey's head." He promised with a stern tone.

The crowd roars at their leader's words. Loras glances around as well as his sister, both ill at ease. Catelyn closes her eyes as she takes a breath before continuing.

"It will be enough to know that justice was done, my lord."

"Your Grace." She corrected the lady of the North. "And you should kneel when you approach the King." Brienne informs the woman.

"There's no need for that. Lady Stark is an honoured guest." Renly shakes his head as Brienne steps back.

"Has your son marched against Tywin Lannister yet?" Loras questions the woman who looked down at the name of their enemy.

Disdainfully she says, "I do not sit on my son's war councils. And if I did, I would not share his strategies with you." She retorted.

"If Robb Stark wants a pact with us, he should come himself, not hide behind his mother's skirts." Loras remarked.

Aelina sparred a glanced to her sister who kept her eyes on the woman, she looked over to Loras who clearly was annoyed with their current situation.

"My son is fighting a war, not playing at one." Catelyn remarked referring to the Tyrells little spat they held moments prior to her arrival.

Aelina rose a brow at this, she was not wrong.

Renly chuckles and stands, walking down the steps away from the dais and to Catelyn. "Don't worry, my lady. Our war is just beginning." He says before he and Catelyn leave together to speak in a more secluded area.

Margaery wore a look of annoyance watching her husband walk away.

"And this is why an eating contest would suit them best." Aelina hummed standing from her seat and walking down the dais away from the rowdy crowd.

"𝓦hy so glum, love?" A voice asked, their tone held mischief as he took a seat next to the girl on the rocks looking off towards the ocean. She sparred him a glance a look of annoyance was worn on her face, he smiled, his dimples on display for the girl. "Not in the fighting spirit?" He asked grabbing a rock and tossing it. "Or is it the visitor we got?"

"They're going to war." She said, "You'll be gone." She frowned fiddling with the tule of her dress.

Henriq nodded looking down below them, "And you'll be off marrying a Lord in no time." He added, glancing to the brunette.

Aelina scoffed, "Not exactly on my mind at the moment, Henriq." She uttered. "Don't remind me."

"Sorry, my lady." He teased jumping off the rock's ledge and peering up at the girl who wore a glare, a smirk on his lips.

"I hate when you call me that." She whined.

"Well, you are. Are you not?" He asked swinging his arms back and forth.

Aelina looked ahead of them, "Do you ever wonder what it would be like if we were just normal people living across the sea, selling fish for a living and bread, fruits." She listed off, "Art." She smiled dreamily.

Henriq smiled, "One of us is doing that."

Aelina sent him a sharp look, "No, you're supposed to stay and do that but if Renly agrees to Catelyn's proposition, you'll be half way across the land fighting alongside Robb Stark and those - filthy Lannisters." Henriq rose a brow at her choice of words. "You know what I mean."

Henriq walked over to the brunette and placed his hands on either sides of her she looked down with a frown. "Everything will be fine. We'll be okay." He assured her.

"You don't know that." She murmured.

Henriq raised his hand and moved her hair from the side of her face and over her shoulder. "When we win the war, we can have all the eating contests in the world."

Aelina giggled, "Loras told you, didn't he?"

Henriq nodded, "Seriously? A bloody eating contest?" Aelina sheepishly smiled pushing him back and hopping down onto the sand, "Those oafs are large enough with the amount of booze they take in every night, now you want to add an eating contest into the mix." He mused as she shoved his arms away, he smiled down at her.

She let out a sigh as his smile faltered slightly. "We'll survive this. I promise you." He said starring down into her eyes, she nodded at his words.

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐒𝐒 𝐖𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐒 ! ┊
↷. ❪ 𝙰𝚄𝚃𝙷𝙾𝚁'𝚂 𝙽𝙾𝚃𝙴 ❫ 🌸☁️🧺

❪ 𝖺𝖾𝗅𝗂𝗇𝖺'𝗌 𝖽𝗋𝖾𝗌𝗌 ❫

HARRY STYLES as HENRIQ MALKRIE

i wanted harry to be apart of this fic and originally he was gonna be Loras but i decided to make him aelina's best friend ♡ hope you enjoyed the first chapter loves

i also changed somethings up, like loras isn't fighting this time around. wanted to showcase his relationship with his sister first and i prefer how i wrote it and also again a reminder things will be changed to fit my narrative so things will be somewhat different than the show and books please be aware of that !

𝗐𝗈𝗋𝖽 𝖼𝗈𝗎𝗇𝗍, 𝟤𝟢𝟣𝟢