The two young women had talked, but had not come to any real plan. So they decided to just wait, because that would be the most inconspicuous.

Soon the maester who was treating Edith came back into the room. In his hands he held another cup with the disgusting liquid inside. "You must drink this so you will be well soon, Princess." Said the old man sternly when he saw the full cup from last night sitting on the nightstand.

"I haven't seen it." Lied Edith.

She could not think of a better excuse at that moment. She had deliberately not touched the drink.

"Drink." The maester didn't seem interested in her excuse and pressed the new cup into her hand, then put his now free hands to Edith's forehead and checked her temperature. Then he took her arm and checked her heartbeat.

"Princess." He sternly admonished the girl.

"I'm already feeling better, maester. I don't need this." She replied defiantly and wanted to give him back the cup, but he pushed it back in her direction.

Helaena was still sitting on the bed, watching the scene carefully. She wasn't comfortable with it and was afraid that it might be another attack, only this time on Edith. "What's in the tea?" she therefore wanted to know.

"Only the best herbs from the castle garden. You've been drinking the tea since you were a babe when you weren't feeling well, Princess Helaena." Reminded the old man as if she did not remember.

Helaena didn't want to let it affect her and Edith certainly didn't. These teas and the remedies almost always looked the same. Nevertheless, Edith lifted the cup and drank this nasty potion in one go, then shook herself in disgust.

With wide eyes Helaena eyed her friend, but did not dare to say anything in the presence of the old man.

"You'll see, you'll get better quickly." Said he taking the empty cup, as well as the old cup, in his hands.

"We dare to hope so, Maester Ludwig." Aemond entered the room, moving so quietly that his footsteps were not heard at all. "How are you wife?"

"Much better." She answered him honestly.

"Good." He commented, gesturing with his head to the door as he looked at Maester Ludwig. Together they then left the room and closed the heavy doors of Helaena's chamber.

"Why did you drink that?" asked Helaena immediately in a shaky voice.

"I wish I didn't have to, but it's the only way to find out if our fears are true." The younger girl explained herself with drooping shoulders. She didn't feel comfortable with the thought, but she hadn't had any other choice at that moment.

"The attack yesterday was directed at me." Helaena reminded her, shaking her head in disbelief.

"Then it really will have been just a harmless health potion now, Hel. An attack on two princesses within a few hours doesn't seem very smart to me." Edith sighed after she had spoken. The words were meant to reassure not only Helaena, but herself as well. "Everything will be all right. I promised you."

"And I trust your word, Edda." Helaena forced herself to smile, then nodded. "Yes, yes you're right. That wouldn't be very smart. Everything will be fine." She said, but her words were not as convincing as Edith's.

The two immediately fell silent as Aemond came back into the room. The maester was no longer with him. "Are you ready?" he asked his wife.

"For what?" she asked cluelessly.

He would have liked to curse her for this question, but he quickly remembered her current state as he eyed her and forbade himself.

Aemond had been really worried about her last night and had hardly slept, as had his siblings. He was beginning to fear the worst about his wife, but like Edith and Helaena, he was not thinking of an assassin, but of his sanity and his heart. The more time he spent with Edith, the more he seemed to enjoy her closeness and hate her a little less each day.

Caring for her only confirmed that and he desperately wanted her back with him so he could support her.

A thought which would never have occurred to him a few weeks ago.

"I want you to come back to our chambers." He explained to her in a calm voice and went to the chair next to the bed to take her dress in his hand. "And for Helaena to get her chambers back." He added quickly. As long as he wasn't clear about everything himself, he didn't want anyone to overhear his doubts.

"I don't mind. I like company." Dreamily, Helaena smiled first at her younger brother and then at her friend.

"Thank you for letting me be here, Hel." Edith returned Helaena's smile and then squeezed her hand briefly before standing up with Aemond's help.

Aemond helped her back into her dress from yesterday and carefully fastened it at the back. He had never done this before and you could see the surprise on Edith's face, but no one said anything.

Under the dress Edith kept on the borrowed nightgown from Helaena. She was sure she would never give her the nightgown back and not just because it was sweaty through.

"You don't have to go." Helaena said disappointedly. She had slept the night not in her own bed with Edith, but with Aegon, but she didn't want her to leave just yet.

"Yes, you did, sister. It was very generous of you to let Edith have your chamber, but now it is time to go back to our own." Replied the prince, almost caringly extending his arm to Edith so that she could lean on him as she walked. "Have you got everything?"

"Yes I have. Thank you very much, Helaena. I'll see you again soon." Edith promised the princess with a smile and followed her husband out of the room. She would have liked to stay with Helaena and spend the whole day with her, but she couldn't forget her reputation, because she would still need it here. Edith needed a good presence and if she avoided her husband to spend time with his sister, it would not reflect well on her.

The girl was still weakened from the night and the strains of the tea and every step was getting harder for her. "Can we take a break?" asked Edith out of breath, grabbing her hip with her free hand.

She had never been out of breath so quickly as she was now. The two of them had only walked a few yards and somehow she could already barely take a step.

"What's wrong?" asked Aemond, not hiding his concern as he turned to her and put his arm firmly around her for support.

"I don't feel well..." Edith grabbed her head and leaned against her husband's body. It was just like yesterday that she suddenly felt so bad again and she realized why. It had to be because of Maester Ludwig's tea. "Before I drank the tea, I felt fine again." She voiced her suspicion.

She had promised Helaena not to say anything, but with her statement she revealed nothing or not much.

"What kind of tea?" the man wanted to know.

"I don't know. A health potion." She answered him with a shake of her head. "I just want to go to my bed, Aemond." Edith looked at him pleadingly. She wanted too much to go back to her old room, especially she had to finally pack up her things, so a maid wouldn't do it and find her hidden dragon egg.

"Of course." Unthinkingly, the young man let go of her for a moment and put one arm around her while he put the other arm under her knees and lifted her up bridal style.

Edith would have liked to protest, to grant, to scream at him, or anything else, but she remained silent and leaned her head against his shoulder. "Aemond?" she asked softly as he continued on his way with her in his arms.

"Yes?" Aemond eyed her almost worriedly, for he was afraid he had hurt her when he lifted her up. Inside, it tore him apart how much she already had him under control and what he would do for Edith.

He had tried to tell himself other things many times, not just last night. Tried not to feel the way he felt towards her at the moment. She was, after all, only his wife through a forced and arranged marriage. He should continue to resist her and not think the way he did now, but he found it very difficult.

"I want to go to my old room so I don't infect you. And so I can get my things together myself to finally move all the way in with you, dear." She tried to persuade him, having to concentrate hard as she felt dizzy.

"No." Aemond looked stubbornly straight. "I want you with me." He confessed.

Edith lifted her head from his shoulder and eyed his side profile. Her heart suddenly beat faster and it was not because of her physical condition. To be honest, she even enjoyed being carried by him a bit. She actually enjoyed his closeness and his words touched her.

She had never thought it possible that he could ever have positive feelings towards her. Edith had always believed it was as much a game for him as it was for her, that they were trying to keep up the pretense of a happy marriage.

But his confession puzzled her.

"Give me a few days to get everything ready and get some rest." She asked him again, putting her hand to his cheek so he would turn his head to look at her, then for a brief moment she put her lips to his. "I would never forgive myself if you fell ill as well, my dear."

Aemond sighed inwardly, annoyed with himself. She already had such power over him and could influence him. He really hated it.

All his attempts to resist her had been to no avail and now he was actually giving in and granting her a wish. Aemond turned to the stairs and went down to her old chamber with her in his arms.

Once there, he helped her out of her dress and supported her as she lay down in bed, then tucked her in and closed the curtains on the windows so the sun wouldn't disturb her.

"Thank you, Aemond." Edith reached out and grabbed his hand as he walked past the bed.

"I will have some food brought to you, and I will send Ser Colin here." He said instead, without responding to her words. Then he released his hand from hers and walked to the door, leaving the room without another word.

Aemond could be really mysterious with his silence and at the same time he could upset Edith quite a bit with it.

But now, at that moment, they were both glad to be spatially separated from each other. Maybe it would do them good and each could finally sort out their confusing thoughts.

Edith had a lot of confusing thoughts at the moment and most of them were about the three of the queen's four children, almost forgetting her real task here. She finally had to concentrate and not get so distracted.

~~~

Almost a week had passed since her sudden illness and Edith was still lying in bed in her old room. Maester Ludwig had just disappeared from the chamber when Ser Colin came in to see her.

"Well?" he asked curiously, quickly closing the door so no one could overhear the two.

"My condition is unchanged. A real mystery." Whined Edith, but quickly started laughing. She quickly pushed the bedspread off her body and stood up. "He believed it, Colin!"

"Well done, Princess." Ser Colin couldn't help but laugh, shaking his head as he leaned against the door to the room.

Edith took the cup the maester had brought and tipped the contents into a flowerpot. She had been doing this since Aemond had brought her here a few days ago. It broke her heart to see the flower die a little more each day, but it was better for the flower to drop its leaves before Edith lost her life.

In front of Maester Ludwig or Aemond she still played the sick princess and when Ludwig brought her tea, she pretended to be too weak and would sleep until he left the chamber again. By now she had seen through the game and was sure that someone wanted to poison her. But whether it was really the old maester, she did not know yet.

What she did know were the times when he came to check on her, and so she could manage her free time and make a plan.

Ser Colin knew about her plan and promised not to say a word to anyone. He liked the young princess and did not want to see her suffer, so he supported her in what she was doing. For appearances, the two had even packed up some of her things so that they could soon be taken to Aemond's chambers.

The girl pulled a cloak over her nightgown and pulled it tightly around her body. She quickly brushed her hair and then hid her head under the large hood. "Did you bring everything?" she asked her sworn knight.

Colin nodded with a grin and patted his chest, "As always, Princess." He replied proudly.

Together they walked to the large dresser and pushed it aside a bit. Packing up her things and avoiding Ludwig's potions had not only made her healthy and fit again, they had also found that secret door behind the old dresser.

Edith went ahead and Colin quickly followed her after closing the hidden door again. Together they walked through the cold stone corridors. It was an old secret passage, which Edith and Colin had explored in the last few days. Many of the narrow corridors led to a dead end, but one led to a special place. At least, it was a special place for Edith, because that was where an ally waited eagerly for her each day.

"Hello, my noble knight." She greeted him with a smile and took off her hood as she stood in front of his cell.

Ser Harwin Strong immediately stood up and walked to the cold bars. "Hello Edith." A smile could be seen on his face as well.

The two of them had come to keep the former commander of the City Watch company almost daily, and Edith would almost say that a friendship had formed between the three of them.

"Hello, Colin. Nice to see you too." Colin said in a disguised voice when Harwin did not immediately greet him.

"Hello, Colin. Good to see you, too." Harwin laughingly repeated the younger knight's words and reached through the bars to pat him on the shoulder.

"Oh no, it's too late for that." Colin joked, playfully offended, and took a bag of rolls from the breast pocket of his uniform, which he handed to Harwin through the bars. "Here."

Edith could only shake her head laughingly at the two of them. The men hadn't been looking for each other, but they had definitely found each other. She could hardly wait until it was all over and they were all free. She would only love to reunite Harwin with his family and watch the friendship develop between the two men.

"Thank you." With his warm eyes, he looked at both of them gratefully. Harwin was really glad that the two of them had found him and were taking such good care of him. Either Edith and Colin came together or Ser Colin came down here alone to provide Harwin with food and beverages.

Within a very short time, Harwin was feeling much better. He was still in a bad condition, living here in the cold and wet under the Red Keep and getting only the bare necessities, but he was doing better than in the last years together.

In the meantime he could even stand again and only had to support himself a little on the bars. Not much longer and he would be fit enough to escape from the capital.

At his side would be, in the best case, Edith and Colin and hopefully Princess Helaena, which Edith would not leave behind here.

Harwin had already eaten the first roll and almost finished the water when Edith herself pulled something out of her cloak. In her hands she held an old letter, which she now gave to the older man. "The letter was given to me by Jacaerys before he returned to Dragonstone with our family is... It is for me, but I want you to have it. It is your son's words." She explained when she saw his questioning look.

His eyes widened at the mention of his firstborn son and he pushed the bag of rolls into Colin's hand so he could take the letter from Edith. With shaky hands, he took the letter out of the envelope and unfolded it.

"Dear Edith,
it is hard for me to leave you here and know what life has in store for you.
Our lives will never be the same and we all have to fight for our survival.
I am incredibly proud of you and respect your amazing courage. I know that everything will be alright, because I trust you the most.
You will bring us all together again and we can grow old in Dragonstone without bloodshed, without murders and without a war.
I can't wait for that day and I think of it longingly and of course of you.
Stay strong little flower and write whenever you can.
Love, Jace."

Jace's words were full of feeling and full of the love he had for the girl. Edith had realized this when she found the letter while cleaning up.

She had always known that Jace liked her very much, but she had never believed that he loved her - at least he once had. Edith had never seen it or wanted to see it. She hadn't realized it when they shared their first kiss a few years ago, or when he tried to convince her to stay in Dragonstone. Not even when he had apologized for not fighting for a marriage with her.

The princess had really been blind and now that she realized it, she felt guilty.

Harwin read his son's words with tears in his eyes and was moved, as if the letter was for him and not for Edith. It was the first time he could read real sentences from him. After all, Jace had always had trouble with writing when Harwin was still officially alive.

"I can't accept that." He said in a shaky voice, wiping his face.

Edith looked sadly at the man and put her hands through the bars to place them on his once strong shoulders. "I want you to keep the letter and I want you to get fit quickly so you can finally rejoin him and Lucerys and Joffrey." She said urgently with a sad smile.

She didn't like to imagine how hard it must be for him. He was the father of the three, but he was never allowed to say so, and he was so far away from them. Harwin hadn't seen his three children in years and they didn't even know he was alive. Little Joffrey wouldn't even remember his father for as long as he had been gone.

"We'll all get out of here and we'll all live a peaceful life in Dragonstone. All of us together as a family just like Jace wrote and I'll do anything for that, Harwin." She promised him.

Edith made many promises lately. She meant every single one of them and wanted to make them come true, especially this one.

She wanted to finally get back to her family, her parents and her siblings. Edith wanted to finally live in peace again and be happy, but at the same time she was building a life here. She had Aegon and Helaena here, and maybe Aemond and Daeron. But none of them would ever be on her side as much as her family or Ser Colin.

Not even her own Uncle Adrik would be.

"We can do this. I'll burn this damn city to the ground so we can get out of here alive." Harwin promised as well, though you could clearly hear the threat in his words.

The city had tried to let him burn alive until someone brought him down here. Harwin was ready to do anything so that this city with its inhabitants, with the Greens and also with his own brother would finally perish.

"Then you should strengthen yourself." Colin handed him the last three rolls from the bag before hiding the bag back inside his uniform.

"We'll get back to you as soon as we can, Harwin. But now we have to get back upstairs before someone notices our absence." Explained Edith sadly. She didn't know how long they had been here, because down here they had no sense of time. The girl would have liked to stay here longer, but it was too risky.

"Of course, I understand that. Please go and be careful!" he asked the two as he hid the rolls in his clothes. He kept one of them outside to eat.

"I promise." Answered Edith and Ser Colin at the same time before they walked through the secret corridors back into the Red Keep.

***

I hope you enjoyed the new chapter!♡

I have a little writer's block right now and I need your help....
do you have wishes and suggestions what should happen in this story?

I would be very grateful for help!

have a nice day/night :)
see you soon!