283 A.C.

Livia swallowed the last drop of Dornish red from her goblet as she tried to gather all of her courage. Her fingers shook as she watched from her window.

All the carnage. All the deaths. She shouldn't be surprised though, considering it was all her fault. It was her decision to protect her father, to protect her family.

She did not regret it. Or did she?

After all, she was the one who went before the king, on her knees to let the destruction in.

Livia shook her head once more before pouring herself another goblet. The wine helped numb everything, aided her in forgetting.

For a moment, she could even pretend that everything was alright, that there wasn't an army causing destruction outside, and that she and Jaime were not hostages.

They were the safeguard. Lord Tywin would not risk the lives of his first-born daughter and son. King Aerys may be mad but he wasn't an idiot.

Just as Livia was about to sit on her bed, a knock sounded. "Come in."

A messenger enters the room. "Lady Livia, the king summons you to the throne room."

She shook her head in reply, laughing mockingly. Perhaps the wine had already infected her brain after all.

She nodded at the messenger as she tucked something in her skirts. For protection.

Livia followed the messenger to the throne room, through the empty hallways and silent rooms.

It was as if the Red Keep was empty. All the soldiers were in battle or dead. Many had already fled and among all the Kingsguard, only her brother remained.

The doors to the throne room opened and Livia saw Lord Rossart, the new Hand of the King, King Aerys, and Jaime, all in deep conversation.

Upon her arrival, the king turned to her with a smile on his face as she bowed.

"Lady Livia."

With a swallow, she knew what she had to do. "My king, forgive me, I did not know of what was goi-"

The king approached her, clutching her shoulders tightly as Livia tried not to cringe. "My dear, you have nothing to apologize for. Your father has betrayed both of us."

She frowned. King Aerys had been so delusional. How could he be so entrapped by her that he does not see her betrayal?

Livia only nodded. "Yes, it seems so."

King Aerys took her by the hand and led her to a seat beside the throne. "Come sit, my dear. We shall talk more when I have finished with business."

He walked back to her brother and to Lord Rossart as if she was just a mere doll to witness what was to happen.

"Your Grace. Send me with a message. Perhaps we can come to terms with my father." Jaime spoke up.

King Aerys immediately frowned, snapping. "No, I will not! He is a traitor. He must face fire."

Livia winced. This was exactly what she was trying to prevent. However, her thoughts were interrupted by the king's next words.

"Kill him, Ser Jaime. Bring me his head."

"Your Grace, surely you do not ask me to-"

"I'm not asking. I command you to kill Tywin Lannister, your father in the name of the king and of the Crown." The king announced with a fierce look in his eyes.

The delusional king was now bloodthirsty and cruel. It was almost funny to her wine-induced mind.

"Your Gr-" Jaime attempted to say.

With a growl, King Aerys backhands Jaime.

Livia stood up from her seat with a gasp. The king had just hit her brother. Her little brother.

All thoughts slipped from her head and everything suddenly seemed sharper. The wine seemingly left her system as it was replaced by anger and helplessness.

Jaime turned to look at her hopelessly. "Livvy."

Livia took a step towards them when the king turned to her with a warning look, forcing her to halt in her steps.

"Will you go against your king, Ser Jaime?" The king asked, his glare heated.

Suddenly, she couldn't help it anymore. She couldn't bear to see her brother hurt.

"Jaime, go." Livia commanded.

Jaime's eyes widened. "Livvy pl-"

Surely she did not mean it. He would not leave her here with this madman. He would not kill their father.

"Jaime go now," Livia begged. "Brother, I command you to go."

Their eyes met across the room. From their gazes, they showed all their fear and vulnerability. All their weaknesses and wishes.

Jaime understood what she was trying to tell him. She was telling him to go, to go to their father. But he would not do it, he was her knight. He was supposed to protect her. They were supposed to protect each other.

What had happened to them?

'I'm sorry. For everything.'

'Go, for both our sakes.'

Jaime inclined his head and bowed to the king, before hesitantly leaving the throne room.

As the door slammed shut with a loud noise, Livia couldn't help her heart slowly breaking.

She was alone. Complete and utterly alone. Her only hope was for Jaime and for her father to reach the Red Keep. From the conversation the king had with Lord Rossart, they were the only hope left for King's Landing.

King Aerys was truly mad. He was going to burn them all. He is going to burn us all. So sure that he would be reborn as a dragon.

Livia realized that her troubles were far from over as the king turned to her once Lord Rossart left to carry out the command.

She was still seated when the king approached her. She forced herself to stay silent, to stay numb to everything.

Perhaps she was truly going to die. In a few moments, she would be nothing but ash. A lion reduced to nothing.

"Oh, my darling. It's just us now." King Aerys spoke in a tone he thought must be soothing.

Livia looked up at him, so many insults at the tip of her tongue but she held it in.

"Do not worry, after this, everything will be alright." He attempted to comfort her.

The emotions finally spilling, she stood up. "Alright? Your Grace, you will be murdering thousands of innocent people!" Livia protested.

"Watch your tone! I am the dragon! What is a few people to my majestic being?" King Aerys pulled her up by her hair as she cried out.

She grabbed the hand pulling her strands before looking the king in the eye. "Dragon? I only see a madman attempting to play god."

He struck her down, the blow so hard that she could taste blood in her mouth. Finally, all traces of Joanna Lannister faded away as King Aerys saw the side of Livia that she inherited from her father.

"You and your father are the same. Too damn proud to know what's good for you!" He shouted angrily, kicking her in the ribs.

She cried out in pain before laughing. "My father acted more of a king than you ever did. Now, he is just waiting for your demise, along with the rest of the realm."

Suddenly the king grabbed her, this time by the shoulders. Livia struggled but it was of no use. His grip on her was strong, permitting no chances of escape.

His hands went from her shoulders to her neck as he pressed her against the Iron Throne.

Livia could not breathe. As she gasped for air, her vision being littered by dots, she could hear the king laughing. She thought that was the last thing she would hear when she heard a voice.

"Your Grace!"

The king loosened his grip around her neck, enough that she was able to breathe again as she slid to the floor.

Panting, she looked up to see Jaime, his hair sticking to his forehead and his sword covered in blood.

"What is the meaning of this?" The king demanded, his voice full of anger.

"I have slain your pyromancer. King's Landing will not burn today."

Livia looked at her brother. When had he grown up? From the little golden baby to a knight, fighting for the people. If she was to die today, she was proud to call him her brother.

King Aerys stuttered, backing towards the throne as Jaime neared. "No! They will burn! You will all burn! The dragon shall-"

Jaime runs the king through with his sword, straight through the heart, interrupting the king's words.

Livia saw the blood on the sword. She saw the horror and shock in Jaime's eyes. The king he had sworn to protect was dying from a wound he has inflicted.

She saw the king move to strangle Jaime and with resolve, she stood from her place. She will not let him hurt Jaime, she will not let him hurt anyone anymore. She pulls the object she hid among her skirts, a golden dagger, and with a cry, stabs the king in the back.

As the king fell, choking on his own blood, the Lannister siblings could hear just how close the carnage was to them and the realization of what they had just done hit them.

They were kingslayers. Both of them. They had saved the people but they had murdered the king. Both of them were guilty as blood coated their hands.

The tears fell unexpectedly from Livia's eyes. Jaime's eyes went from the corpse of the Mad King to his sister.

"Livia. You're alright. We are alright." He spoke as he stepped towards her, using his cape to wipe her hands clean, and pulled her into his arms as she sobbed, though he was clearly in doubt as well. Were they truly alright?

From her sobs, she answered. "It's over. It's over now."

As much as they wished and prayed, their problems were far from over. In fact, it was just the beginning.

°•°•°•°

Eddard Stark reached the Red Keep just before the Lannister army. He and his men under the command of Robert Baratheon all but ran to the massive structure.

He was out of breath as all of them rushed to the throne room, to confront the Mad King.

But the sight that awaited them was not what they expected.

The towering doors opened and upon entering, they see the Mad King on the floor lying in a pool of his own blood. They see a golden knight, his armor tarnished and his sword dirty.

However, the most glorious sight awaited them when they turned to the golden-haired woman sitting on the Iron Throne. Her stance was regal and proud and as sunlight gleaned from the window, it seemed that the sun itself was shining upon her.

She was beautiful, that much they knew. Despite her hair being in a state of disarray and her dress being rumpled, she seemed like an unearthly being.

The woman stood from the throne and approached Ned. All the men seemed to be in shock as they looked on in silence.

She came to a stop before him. "Lord Stark." The woman whispered. "The king is dead. King's Landing is yours."

She uttered those words before collapsing, her legs seeming to have stopped working.

Ned easily caught her in his arms and upon closer inspection, he saw the bruises on her neck and the blood on her lip.

Just what had this woman suffered?

Before she completely lost consciousness, she whispered a few words. Words that would soon be heard from everyone in Westeros.

"Long live the king."

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