The Crossed Rose - GoT - R.S.

I swear it

Most of the ride had been done in silence. Brienne, Catelyn and Dahlia had found some horses for themselves and, soon enough, they were riding as far and as fast as they could from Renly's camp. Dahlia was pretty sure they would have been ambushed if more of Renly's soldiers had followed them. Really, only Baratheon soldiers had followed them. Four of them and Lady Brienne had managed to slay them all rather quickly in her horse before guiding Dahlia and Catelyn further into the woods. Dahlia had noticed the absence of Tyrell soldiers or any bannermen of theirs and she was fairly sure Margaery had something to do with that. Unfortunately she would, most likely, never be able to ask her. Or thank her if her suspicions of her friend having held back her own army for Dahlia were correct.

She would probably never see her again. Nevermind seeing Perwyn again.

Her brother... Her oldest brother. The one who had made the biggest effort to reallocate Dahlia home as soon as she was brought back to the Crossing from Highgarden. Dahlia remembered that day. She remembered it as if it had happened just the day before. Lord Mance had lended Dahlia a carriage so she could travel safely back to the Twins. It had been almost a week of long roads and hours of sitting in the carriage in silence, with nothing but her own thoughts to entertain her. And, at that point, those thoughts weren't doing her much good.

What if they don't like me anymore? She would keep asking herself as she traveled. Gods be good, I don't even remember them, why would they remember me? They said in letters they were excited to see me again. Roslin, oh the poor thing... I left before she was even born. How will I connect with a sister I never properly met before? Maybe I should have stayed in Highgarden. Maybe I should have considered marrying Loras. Or even Garlan. Maybe Willas, though he was much older and the heir to Highgarden. His Lord Father would never marry him off to a ward. A Frey, no less.

Though, was she truly a Frey? She knew their words, of course, she bore their colors while living at the Reach, but was she truly a Frey? She didn't know. And she didn't know if she was a Tyrell either. Maybe she was neither. Probably, she was neither. But, in that moment, when the carriage finally came to a stop and one of the towers of the Twins could be seen by her though the window, all she could do was push her doubts away and hope - pray, even - that, at least her brothers would be kind to her.

"My Lady." One of the soldiers from the Reach that had been assigned to her for her travel called, as pulled open the door of the carriage. "We have arrived."

And, with that, Dahlia had grabbed his extended hand in hers as she picked up the ends of her dress as not to stumble on her way out and, soon enough, she was standing on solid ground again, just outside the door of the Twins were three boys - some of them almost men already - and a little girl stood. As Dahlia made her way closer, now playing with her hands in front of her as the soldier walked beside her, he could see the little girl rushing over to the older of the boys. He leaned down a bit when she tugged in his hand and smiled at something she whispered at him. Dahlia could tell they were talking about her and that made her nervous. She felt like vomiting, almost. She could feel herself tremble, from head to toe, but she could almost hear Lady Olenna reprimanding her in her head.

"Don't show them your emotions, dear." She would have said. "That shows them weakness."

So she had breathed in deeply, stopping in front of the group that had been sent to welcome her as she bowed just slightly.

"My Lords." She said as she straightened up her back again. "My Lady."

At the title, the little girl perked up, but, before she could do much else, the older boy grabbed her hand to keep her in place.

"My Lady." He said. "It pleases me to see you finally. I trust you had a safe travel."

"I did, my Lord." Dahlia nodded. "The roads aren't very busy this time of the year."