"You brought my brother to Dorne!?"

Robert raised his arms in defense as Livia turned to him with a glare. "He wanted to come! Don't blame me!"

When they had reached the bottom of the tower, the heat seemed to have magnified and when Livia's eyes fell on her brother, her temper rose.

Before she could answer, a voice piped up, nervous. "It's um..good to see you, Livia."

Turning around, her eyes fell on Ned and her mouth dropped open, turning to Robert once more. "You brought Ned too? Did you happen to bring the whole Westeros with you?!"

Robert only smiled sheepishly, taking one of her hands and planting a kiss on it. "You're worth it."

Livia was about to smile when she realized his answer to her question. "Wait. You brought the whole Westeros to Dorne!?"

Everyone laughed and Jaime approached his sister, grinning and embracing her. "Do not worry, dear sister. He just brought King's Landing's fleet, Stormsend's and Winterfell's soldiers and of course, Casterly Rock's. So to answer your question no, not the whole Westeros."

She was shocked and at the same time impressed. How did Robert convince the great Lord Tywin? "Casterly Rock? You convinced my father to let you take the fleet?"

"It wasn't easy. To tell you the truth, I almost pissed myself just talking to the man." Robert confessed, making everyone grin but Livia only felt touched. He had gone through all of that just to bring her home.

Livia walked over to Robert, kissing him softly. "I love you." 

"And I love you." Robert answered, cradling her cheek.

They were trapped in their own little world until Ned cleared his throat. "Perhaps we should go. It's better to leave now before it gets dark."

Robert looked all around irritated but Livia just pulled him to the horses. After all, Ned was right and she didn't want to get stuck in the desert at night. Who knew what sort of creatures wandered these parts?

Robert was still pouting when he helped her on the horse and climbed behind her. 

After riding on horseback for a while, the silence and the heat persevered. It was a comfortable silence but still, she felt the need to fill it with words.

Whilst she cannot hope to do anything to solve the problem with the heat, she can fill the silence. She spoke up over the 

"Are you still pouting?" Livia asked, knowing the answer even if she couldn't see his face.

"And if I still I am?" Robert countered, making her laugh softly. "I haven't seen you in three months. It's only natural that I can't help but get lost in your eyes."

"Such a softie." She teased before a question popped into her thoughts. "How did you know I was in the Tower of Joy? And the guards? Where were they when you arrived?"

She felt him tense up behind her before he called over to the men. "We should stop here for water and food."

Robert dismounted from his horse first before carefully helping her down. The others began laying rugs on the sand, pulling out canteens of water and bread.

But Livia only turned to Robert, questioningly. "What is it?"

"I have to talk to you about something, alright?" He replied, his eyes telling her to prepare herself.

She trusted him and what he told her, it had to be important. She was glad he actually stopped them so they could speak face to face instead of him telling her while they were on horseback.

"Alright. Tell me everything."

°•°•°•°•°•°

They were seated on one of the woolen rugs, both of them surrounded by untouched bread and fruits. Each of them were holding a canteen of water but it was untouched as well.

Robert took in a deep breath, his eyes urging Livia to listen. "When I was in Winterfell talking to Ned, I discovered that he never sent the raven."

"He didn't? So who di-" Livia stopped herself, coming to a realization. "Oberyn."

He nodded, closing his eyes as if reliving the memory. "I travelled back as fast as I can and on the road, I got your message from Fendrel and I knew I had to go to Dorne but I couldn't go alone."

"And that's when you gathered the fleets." She confirmed.

Robert opened his eyes, staring at her intently. "We arrived in Dorne where we were met by Prince Doran and Prince Oberyn. One thing led to another and I challenged him to a duel."

Livia looked at his shoulder in concern. "That's why you winced when I touched your shoulder. You're injured."

"We fought and for a moment, I thought I would lose but in some miracle, I pulled through. I almost killed him, Liv. I almost did but I thought of you. I came to Dorne to find you and bring you home, that's all." He answered, taking one of her hands.

"So Oberyn's not...dead?" She asked.

He shook his head once. "No, he isn't. When I spared him, he told me where you were. I-he told me to tell you he's sorry. For everything."

He watched the conflict flicker through her face, the indecision evident in her eyes. 

"He hurt you, Robert. He hurt Jaime. I don't know if I can forgive him. Does that make me cruel?" She asked, unsure of herself.

Robert smiled somberly. "No, it doesn't. But you once told me that once you make peace with the past, there's no more reason to linger in it. Leaving Dorne will help but perhaps, forgiving the man will fix everything. You were close once."

The last thing Robert wanted to do was to let it all go but for her, he would. If she forgave Oberyn, they could leave all of this behind. It would give them the peace they wanted and grant the Dornish prince's his much-desired forgiveness.

He watched Livia come to a decision. Her eyes burning with resolve. 

"Do you think you could get me some parchment, ink and a pen?"

Robert couldn't help but smile at her. There she was again with all her business and seriousness, making his heart beat loudly.

"Anything you need."

°•°•°•°•°•°

Oberyn sat uncomfortably on his seat in the balcony overlooking the docks. 

Robert Baratheon's retinue arrived at Sunspear that very morning but they only stopped to replenish their supply of food and water.

They were to leave soon and Oberyn knew it was wishful thinking but he had hoped to see Livia before she left for good.

He knew he would most likely never see her again after she left. After all, she had told him that she would never forgive him for what he did.

Hurting her beloved brother, imprisoning her in the Tower of Joy, almost killing her husband. Of course he didn't deserve her forgiveness.

At least from the balcony, he could see her. To say goodbye.

"Prince Oberyn." A messenger spoke, holding out a piece of parchment. "A message for you."

"From who?" Oberyn questions, his eyes not moving from the view of the docks.

"Queen Livia, my prince." The messenger answered, surprised when Oberyn grasped the message quickly. 

"You may go." Oberyn dismissed him, looking at the folded parchment.

She hated him. She had to. Perhaps, this message was a letter full of hate but he had to read it. 

Oberyn,

When I met you in Casterly Rock, I knew that our destinies were intertwined with one another, whether we would like it to be or not. Fate brought us together more than once and separated us all the same.

I did not mean to hurt you and I know you did not mean to hurt me but it still happened. Elia loved you and I but it was never supposed to be this way. Elia did not deserve to die, you did not deserve to be hurt this way and I did not deserve to be taken this way. 

Fate has a cruel way of doing things. We cannot deny that these things happened because they did. We cannot take them back but we can hope to redeem ourselves for it. Everyday I try to be worthy of my life, and Robert has helped me forgive myself for making mistakes.

I know you loved me, in that way that you do but I am sorry to say that I am not who you're meant to spend your life with. I pray that you find someone who loves as fiercely as you, who will stand by you through anything.

I may be angry with you, yes but I have learned that making peace with the past is important in order to have a future. I forgive you, Oberyn. I hope you forgive yourself one day, so that you could heal and spend the rest of your days as a happy man. You deserve it.

Livia

Oberyn couldn't help the tears that escaped his eyes. He had done all these things and yet she forgave him.

For that, he was thankful. More than anyone. She gave him the chance to live, so as not to reduce to the hateful life he had been living.

She was right. She always had been.

Elia would have wanted this. This is what she had always hope for.

As if by a mere stroke of luck, Oberyn found himself looking up just in time to see the retinue board the ship one by one, his eyes pausing on a small golden-haired figure.

Almost as if sensing his gaze, Livia turned around before boarding the ship, meeting his eyes. She smiled softly, a silent goodbye.

After she boarded the ship, Oberyn's eyes left her and turned to Robert Baratheon.

The man that she had chosen to love. The lucky, lucky man. The man she deserved. The man who would be to her what he could not be.

Oberyn nodded at him, before he nodded back. A message passing from Oberyn to Robert, the man who had always cared for her to the man who loved her and who always would.

'Take care of her, alright? Take care of her.'

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