Chapter Text
Chapter I : The Newborn Princess
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302 AC
The scream of pain and agony was echoing through the air, reaching rooms and hallways outside the consort’s chamber. Such a scream could be said to have woken up half of Maidenvault’s residents. It was the second labour Consort Lynesse had in her life, yet the pain would always be unbearable to any lady.
Even when all her family was there to support her, even when all the septons and septas were there to pray for her, only fate would decide.
“My dear, be strong. The Mother above is with you,” Lady Alerie Tyrell whispered at her little sister’s ear while gripping her palm tightly.
“Aaaargh!” the consort kept screaming in agony. “It has to be a boy, it has to be a boy” she kept chanting between her pain.
“OH Seven!” The maester exclaimed while pulling the babe out of its mother’s lower lips.
And soon the loud baby cry filled the room, eliciting sighs of relief from most of the people inside the room.
Most, for its mother was frantic with worry.
“Please, please, please, tell me it’s a boy, please…” She kept crying, trying to sit in her bed.
The midwives and maester fell silent. Their initial relief expression over the babe’s birth was quickly changed into a confused one. They looked at one another, and no one dared to break the supposedly happy avowal.
“Lynesse…” her older sister said, “You need to calm down.”
“Please bring me my son” She ignored her sister and kept muttering frantically.
“Oh, dear sister, even if it’s a girl, I am sure everything is alright” Lady Alerie caressed his sister’s damp hair.
“No!” She shook her head and stared at her older sister. “No! You don’t understand, Alerie…” She began to sob. “The king only gave me two chances…” she whispered so quietly, barely anyone heard it.
The midwife was cleaning the newborn babe at the other side of the room and wrapping it in an opulent red blanket. The scared maester was now hesitantly approaching the concubine, as it was his duty to announce the gender of the babe.
“HIS GRACE, THE KING, HAS ARRIVED!” the herald’s voice stopped everyone’s activity.
All the servants were quickly bowing down low, save for the midwife who was holding the newly born royal.
King Rhaegar was walking into the room, followed by Consort Lynesse’s father, Lord Leyton Hightower. He was looking around the room, and his gaze fell to his newly born child. Smiling, he was walking towards the midwife, all while the concubine looked at her father fearfully.
“Your Grace…” The concubine muttered quietly.
The king took the wrapped crying babe from the midwife, and his smile was no more. His lips fell and formed an unkind curve. Looking straight at his concubine, he glared sharply as if it could hurt her. And it did, albeit not physically.
“Your Grace, please, I’d like to see our son, yes?” She was trembling.
He walked leisurely, approaching the bed, and unceremoniously put the babe down on the bed. The concubine and her sister looked into the blanket and found a red-faced babe crying its heart out.
“A girl” the king said coldly.
Without waiting for any answer, he walked away towards the door, leaving everyone in silence. He stopped by beside Lord Leyton and tapped his shoulder gently.
“Congratulations on another granddaughter, My Lord” he said sarcastically.
“NO! YOUR GRACE, PLEASE” The consort was crawling out of her bed, earning a worried look from everyone in the room. “NEXT TIME IT’S GOING TO BE A BOY, PLEASE!”
The blood was still seeping through her legs while she was crawling on the floor towards the departing king. Her father was quickly going to her side, preventing his daughter from hurting herself more.
“PLEASE, GIVE ME ONE MORE CHANCE! IT’S GOING TO BE BOY, I PROMISE!” Concubine Lynesse kept screaming at the top of her lungs.
Her cry only grew more and more loud as the king got completely out of her quarter, and the loud sound of her door being closed echoed through the air.
--
While the lower-rank consorts resided at the main building of the Maidenvault, the high-rank ones were granted a separate compound of their own. They had lush greenery surrounding the building, a garden, a servant’s quarter, a kitchen, a pool, and a bathchamber.
The sound of crickets outside The Diamond Pavilion and the rare flower scent coming from the burning incense made the air always filled with refreshing sweetness. Some attendants were busy warming the bed with iron and dabbed the blanket with perfume. Some were readying their mistress’s sleeping robe, and some were busy attending the consort.
“And then the princess was climbing the wall through a passage at the edge of the compound. She saw the moon getting bigger within her gaze, so close that she felt like it was coming to her” The consort retold the lines from the book in her hand.
She was sitting sideways on the lounge chair, with a mountain of pillows to support her side while reading the book. Behind her, a girl was taking a bit of her hair, combing it leisurely. At the end of the chair, an attendant was kneeling in front of her legs, massaging them with great care. She dabbed the perfumed oil into the consort’s legs, making them shiny and taste sweet.
One of the attendants smiled. “Will the princess ever reach the moon, my lady?” she asked.
“The chapter ends there. All of you will need to wait for tomorrow,” the consort replied cheekily.
There was a spontaneous groan from the girls, wishing their mistress would read more to them. The consort was giggling, closing the book and giving it to one of her attendants.
THUD!
The heavy door of the pavilion’s entrance on the lower floor was heard from her bedroom. Soon, another attendant was seen at the entryway of her bedchamber. She curtsied before she walked into the room and approached her with haste.
“My Lady Lyanna” she greeted her.
The consort quickly fixed her position and sat up straight. “How is it?” she asked the maid.
“It’s a princess” the maid replied. And before anyone could react, she continued. “And the king is coming here”.
“Pardon?” Lady Lyanna was startled by the words.
Her attendants, however, moved quickly to tidy her up. Two of them were rushing behind her to put the sleeping robe on her and securing the belt around her stomach. They were lining up neatly at the side of the room, and Lyanna was walking towards the centre of the chamber when she heard another sound of her pavilion’s door being opened and closed.
The light and quick steps of the king was heard clearly while he climbed the stairs towards her bedchamber.
“Good evening, Your Grace!” The servants greeted him and bowed lowly in unison when he walked into the room.
Lyanna too was curtseying low when he stood right in front of her. “It’s an honour to receive your visit, My King”
“Leave!” The King commanded loudly, ignoring the consort’s words.
The consort’s lined-up attendants were quick to follow the order, and soon, she was alone with her king.
He offered both of his hands towards her, and she received them with grace, standing up slowly while locking her gaze with him. The king then kissed the side of her face, her forehead, and her lips, as he usually did when they met. His lady would usually smile and give him a peck as a reply.
However, she didn’t have such patience at the moment.
Lyanna punched the king’s arm lightly. “What are you doing here?!” She broke the act.
Rhaegar Targaryen groaned and chuckled, walking towards the bed while discarding his own robe. “Why shouldn’t I be here, My Love? I love this place the most” he said.
Frustrated by his antics, she was tailing him towards her bed. “You should be with Lynesse!”
“And blow out my astonishing theatrical show?” He asked, removing his shoes, and climbed on the bed.
She frowned. “What did you do?”.
“Lots of thing…” he murmured, making himself comfortable under the warm blanket.
Lyanna exhaled tiredly and sat at the edge of the bed. “I don’t want to make enemies of the Hightower, Rhaegar. You should have known that”.
He scooted over and approached her. “I know.” He rubbed her shoulder and kissed her exposed neck tenderly. “Though you don’t have to worry, My Love. I will finally be able to sack Lord Leyton from the council”.
“Huh? How will you be able to do that?”.
“I gambled on Lynesse’s pregnancy” he said. “After Alyssa’s birth, Lord Leyton rambled on and on about how the next child would be a boy, and Lynesse herself seemed to be very spirited about it. He said that the realm would finally have a prince who can lead the people and is blessed by the right gods, the right blood”
“And so, every time I visited her chamber, I said that it has to be a boy no matter what. The heaven was on my side this time,” he ended his story.
Lyanna frowned hearing the story. “So you come here to prove your stand? To continue your mummer?”
“Where should I go if not here?” he asked. “You are a perfect decoy”.
“I don’t know… Cersei?” she suggested half-heartedly. “She is the mother of your crown prince”.
Rhaegar shook his head. “She gave me one prince, while you give me three” he replied and took her hands into one of his own and used the other to caress her hair. “Do you want to know the other reason?”
“Another?”
“Your brother was there” he said. “Ned was present when Lord Leyton said it. And you know how I hate an attack, whether it’s direct or indirect, towards my children, towards Aemon and all his brothers”.
“Does Ned know about your plan?” she asked in a whisper.
Rhaegar nodded as an answer. At such a moment, Lyanna was reminded that she was in a cage, a champion played by others. Even how opulent Rhaegar made her cage, she was never her own person.
Royal Noble Consort was the title given to her as a high-ranking concubine to her king. She shared the title with Cersei Lannister, who gave birth to the crown prince. Even with more concubines Rhaegar was forced to take, the two of them remain the only women who gave him princes.
“My love, don’t you worry about anything that has not yet come,” he whispered while caressing her cheek with his own, kissing the side of her face in every spot. “Now say what your desired price is for helping my mummer tonight”.
Usually, she would be amenable whenever Rhaegar asked that question. Rarest of diamonds to ever be found, softest fabrics to ever be woven, little manses or lands or ships – he had said yes to anything she ever said.
But tonight, she wished no ill towards Lynesse or her newborn daughter. She wanted no part in Rhaegar’s games. Yet, he would always find a way to drag him to his side.
“I want nothing…” she muttered.
“Ummm” Rhaegar was humming to himself while untying her robe.
Wheeeeee! Tshhh! Badoom!
Lyanna was rushing towards the window to check what was going on outside. “Lya, come back! It could be dangerous!” her king yelled while keeping sitting on her bed.
Wheeeeee! Tshhh! Badoom!
She ignored him and unlocked the window, only to find multiple fireworks shot into the air. It was coming from her lovely neighbour, The Emerald Pavilion.
“Ugg…” she groaned in defeat. “Cersei is lighting up fireworks” she said rather loudly, making sure Rhaegar heard her.
“AAHAHAHAHA!” Her king was laughing aloud as if his other consort's antic was amusing. “She truly has a knack for confronting and irritating people.”
That, she could agree with. There was no doubt that Cersei did it to celebrate the birth of the new princess. At least with a princess, there was no addition that would challenge her son’s claim to the throne. Her own sons – Aemon, Maekar, and Jaeherys – their existences were enough to irritate the Lannister.
And she would be lying if she wasn’t happy with the removal of Lyeton Hightower from the council. The Master of Laws was often challenging Ned’s decision as Hand of The King. Anything that weakened her family was a threat to her children.
Wheeeeee! Tshhh! Badoom!
“My Love, come here” Rhaegar called her.
‘The queen is not going to be happy with Cersei’s mishap’ she thought.
Wheeeeee! Tshhh! Badoom!
“Lya…” her king called again.
She turned her body around and walked towards her bed, where Rhaegar had made himself comfortable.
“I refute my words, Your Grace” she said while looking down at him.
“Really? Then, what do you want?” he asked with an amused grin.
Wheeeeee! Tshhh! Badoom!
“I want a new pavilion. I want a brand-new living quarter, away from her!” She said with a greeted tooth. “I cannot live like this anymore”.
Wheeeeee! Tshhh! Badoom!
Rhaegar was laughing loudly again and pulling her towards him, quickly flipping their position and making her lie under his looming figure.
While Cersei’s fireworks party continued, Rhaegar was busy kissing and sucking her chest, biting her nipples and sucking them like a babe. While Lynesse was crying and refused to look at her newborn daughter, their husband was discarding every piece of clothes on her and fondled her rear cheeks while kissing her hard. While the Queen was watching the fireworks with great irritation from her quarter at Maegor’s Holdfast, their king was pounding mercilessly into her, swearing and roaring that he would put another babe in her womb.
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After a month of confinement, the new princess was ready to be presented to the ladies in the Full Moon ceremony. The quarter where Consort Lynesse lived had been decorated so lovingly by her attendants, befitting her taste.
Families and ladies-in-waiting were packing her small reception hall, ready to receive guests who would wish many good things for the newborn princess.
The princess’s mother, Consort Lynesse, was styled the Noble Consort as a middle-ranking concubine of the king. After giving birth to her first daughter, Princess Alyssa, she had been quite excited to be promoted to the rank from her previous one, the Royal Concubine.
However, she had been a Noble Consort for five years now, and without a son, she would remain as one.
Bess Braken and Ysilla Royce were both lower-ranking consorts styled as the Royal Concubine. Several years ago, Lynesse was pitying them for never seeming to catch the king’s attention. Both ladies were sent to the court as political pawns by their families, who were angry that The Riverlands and The Vale didn’t have any representatives at the ladies’ court.
However, now, she was terrified of her own fate at the court.
“Lynesse,” her sister Alerie was calling her, holding the red baby blanket with the House Targaryen sigil embroidered onto it. “Come, hold her. The guests will arrive soon,” she whispered beside her.
The newly born princess was still nameless even after almost a moon turn. Such differences happen in life. It was said that when Princess Visenya was born, the king declared her name seconds later. Though of course, being born out of Lyanna Stark’s womb had given a king’s child a default favouritism.
Lynesse sighed when her sister put the child in her arms. She stared forward, never once looking down at the sleeping princess.
“The Royal Concubine Bess has arrived,” the herald announced.
Bess Bracken was walking into the room with four attendants. They were each holding an opulent chest to contain gifts for the Noble Consort and the princess.
While the event at Consort Lynesse continued, some were still heading towards the building.
Such was the case with the king’s favourite consort, Lady Lyanna. She was walking with ten attendants, each holding several chests with various gifts for the newly born princess. The most important chest was held by the head of her lady-in-waiting, Sybelle Glover. The chest contained an amulet with an amethyst stone. Rhaegar gave it to her to be given to his newborn daughter. As part of his mummer, he continued to ignore the babe.
Though it was apparent that his act hurt him deeply. This month, he often visited the princess’s nursery pavilion to play with their only daughter, Visenya, and his other daughters born from Lynesse and Cersei, Alyssa and Elena.
He even went as far as considering inviting his eldest child, Princess Rhaenys, to court, forgetting that it needed at least a fortnight for her to travel from Storm’s End.
“Lady Lyanna!” a familiar voice caught her attention.
From another side of the cloister walk, her good-sister Ashara was coming towards her with an attendant.
She was a legendary beauty who caught the eyes of two monarchs and a great lord, or so the story said. At a young age, she was unfortunate enough to catch the late King Aerys’s attention. Against her will, she became his concubine. Only two months after that, the late king died. With no fortune given by the king to support her, she was sent to the monastery.
At the request of the Queen Dowager Rhaella and her brother Arthur, Rheagar took her as a concubine. Never once did he bed her, only treated her as a friend and sister. Though his decision still created a small rift between Ashara and her once childhood friend, Queen Elia. Lady Ashara wished no ill will towards her or anyone, only wanted to live in peace.
A strange thing happened when Rhaegar asked Lyanna's brother, Eddard Stark, to be his Hand and solved an epidemic problem in a small town near Tumbleton. When Lord Eddard succeeded in doing so, Rhaegar asked him what rewards he wanted.
At almost thirty years of age, Ned had never been married. Not when Brandon and Catelyn had met their worst and best marriage, not when she was sent to court and the king clutched her tightly, not when Benjen had changed his Stark robe into Mormont.
‘As Your Grace holds fast in pursuit of my sister’s heart, so too have I long waited, yearning for mine to start’ he said and bowed in front of their king. ‘I want the heart of Lady Ashara’.
The court was in turmoil after that. Though it quickly became even more scandalous when Ashara was asked of her thoughts. She curtsied to Rhaegar as concubine one last time and accepted the order with grace.
‘I shall accept, for I have longed his soul in so many days, so many nights. A thousand apologies, as I've waited for his heart's courage, Your Grace’.
And even though Ned was granted the Tower of the Hand as a residence, they lived outside of the Red Keep, in a beautiful manse overlooking the Blackwater Bay.
Ashara curtsied to her, and they hugged briefly. “I thought that I’d gotten late for the princess’s Full Moon ceremony” she said.
“Take a breath, sister,” she replied while guiding Ashara to walk beside her. “You will not miss a single thing whilst you are with me. Though I have to say that it’s unusual for you to be almost late”.
Ashara smiled. “Rickon is in his difficult phase. It took me almost two hours to lull him to sleep”.
This time, Lyanna was giggling. “Ah, he is such a menace. He will grow to be a wild wolf like Brandon, I am afraid”.
“Oh, what a terrifying thought, My Lady” her good-sister chuckled.
“Lyanna!”
The two of them were turning their heads towards the voice to another cloister walk across the field. Cersei Lannister was walking regally, clad in an opulent maroon dress and black shawl. She had a matching headpiece to complement her attire, with rubies and black diamond jewellery all over her body.
Her attendants were at least fourteen maids, each of them carrying a stack of cases that almost delayed their walk.
Ashara curtsied from her place, while Lyanna only nodded her head.
“Make haste! We cannot be late for the princess!” Cersei said happily.
She looked at both of them briefly before resuming her walk without making any eye contact with them. Lyanna and Ashara waited until Cersei and all her attendants disappeared to the Maidenvault’s entrance.
“She is such a spirited consort” Ashara mumbled. “Among the blessings of my departure from this court is freedom from the shadow she left in her wake”
Lyanna sighed heavily. “If only I have such freedom” she whispered so faintly.
“The Royal Noble Consort, Lady Lyanna!” the herald announced her appearance.
“Lady Ashara of House Stark!”.
The consort walked in first, while her good-sister and lady-in-waiting followed three steps behind her.
“Good day, Lady Lyanna” All the ladies inside the room curtsied and greeted her in unison.
Lyanna stood a foot away from Lynesse and looked down at the tiny princess nestled in a thick blanket in her mother’s arms. She had soft brown hair on top of her perfect little head, unlike Visenya and Alyssa, who favoured Rhaegar’s silver hair.
“I am glad both of you are healthy” Lyanna said and bent down to kiss Lynesse’s forehead.
Healthy didn’t mean happy, as it showed how miserable Lynesse had become.
She wanted to sympathise with the younger woman – her old self would. However, she would always remember how Lynesse happily announced her pregnancy with Alyssa when she was still mourning the death of her little Daena.
Lyanna signalled Lady Sybelle to approach her and opened the chest for her. She took the tiny pendant fit for a babe and put it around the princess’s arm.
“May the heaven always bring her joy for the days to come” she said.
“Thank you, My Lady” Lynesse replied with hollowness in her words, clearly only saying it as propriety demanded her to.
While Lyanna was guided to an honorary seat next to the grand chair, Ashara wished Lynesse and the princess good wishes. On another honorary seat, Cersei was talking in a low voice, surrounded by her ladies. Looking at the empty grand chair, she wondered when Elia would arrive.
“Her Grace! The Queen!”
Everyone except Lynesse was standing up when Elia walked into the room and immediately curtsying low. “Good Day, Your Grace” everyone said in unison.
Lyanna was glancing up and flattened her lips when she saw Elia's appearance. Unlike her usual self, where she was clad in yellow or a neutral tone, she chose to wear her black regalia.
Dress colour was strict at court ever since the time of Queen Black Betha. Only the king and queen were allowed to wear all-black attire, symbolising power and dominance over the court. Royal Noble Consorts like Lyanna and Cersei, as well as all the royal children, were allowed to wear black attire as well, each with their own measure.
Elia was slightly glancing at Cersei, and both of them turned their faces to the other side. Lyanna almost rolled her eyes when she saw her sisters’ antics – that was, if they could be called as such.
Unlike many of them and even Lyanna herself, Elia and Cersei had known each other for many years before. When Rhaegar was still a crown prince, they were the most likely candidates to be the crown princess during the selection. All the noble ladies of prominent houses were required to attend the selection, though everyone knew there were a lot of things going on behind the doors.
Elia and Cersei were among the three ladies advancing to the final stage, and Elia won the race. The third girl on that final stage was none other than Lynesse herself.
When Rhaegar ascended the throne, most people were sure that Cersei and Lynesse would be called to court as his concubines. However, only Cersei was called to court on the day of the enthronement, disappointing the Hightowers and the whole Reach. Then, after eleven moons passed, the king announced that he would take another concubine. To everyone’s disbelief and confusion, it wasn’t Lynesse. It was Lyanna Stark, who only advanced to the third phase of the selection.
“Rise” Elia commanded, to which everyone stood up after that.
She approached Lynesse and kissed her forehead. Slowly, Lynesse handed the babe to their queen. Elia smiled a little while looking at the princess, walking slowly to the grand chair beside Lyanna.
“The realm was blessed with a beautiful princess once more. It should be a joyful celebration for all, with genuine sincerity to everyone’s soul,” she began her sermon. “This little one was born on a clear night with a soft breeze and sweetness. The gods intended such benediction to her-”
Elia loved religious sermons more than anyone Lyanna had ever known. She often arranged for septons, monks, and preachers to give the conduct sermons for all the ladies. Even more so after her only child, Princess Rhaenys, was married off to Renly Baratheon. Elia didn’t agree with the match, as she saw Renly beneath her daughter’s station. Unfortunately, even as queen, she had to face the reality that no ladies had a voice on the matters.
It was such a cruel world where they all lived.
“And so, with His Grace’s generosity and blessing, this little one should be called Princess Aleora” Elia announced.
“May Princess Aleora have a beautiful and joyful life for the days to come” All the ladies chanting the prayer in unison.
The room erupted with hand clapping from all the attendants.
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284 AC
The letter from the capital came to Winterfell during a dark day filled with strong winds and grey clouds. Soon, there would be a storm, and everyone in the castle was rushing to go inside.
Eddard Stark had the bad luck to be near the rookery when the raven arrived and was curious enough to take the letter out of the bird’s claw. The maester nodded to him, letting him bring the tiding to his parents. The look in his father’s eyes when he broke the sigil and opened the letter alerted Ned that whatever was written was not good.
“Is everything alright, Father?” Ned asked warily.
Rickard Stark stared blankly at the floor and fell silent for a while.
“Is there anyone outside?” he shouted.
A guard opened the door and bowed to him. “Is there anything you need, My Lord?”.
“Call Lady Stark and Lady Lyanna here”.
Ned raised his hand a little bit. “Lyanna is riding with Benjen, Father” he informed his father.
Lord Rickard nodded. “If you ever see her after she comes home, tell her to come to me at once”.
While her father was worrying and her older brother got confused, Lyanna was having a lot of fun racing her little brother through the woods. Her mare, Moonlight, dashed so smoothly, making it feel like she was flying.
“I AM WINNING THIS RACE, BEN!” She yelled happily.
Her brother Benjen was ten yards behind her, trying his best to rush to his sister’s side. “NOT FAIR!” he shouted back.
His little brother’s frustration only amplified her happiness, pulling the rein and dashing even faster. When the end of the woods came into view, she yelled in absolute happiness once again.
“I WIN!” She threw her hands into the air for a split second and quickly grabbed the rein once again.
She was slowing down until her Moonlight was trotting leisurely, finally caught up by her brother Benjen. Along the way home, she was teasing him, making Benjen vow to win on the next race.
Throughout the paved street of Wintertown, people were smiling at them as they passed. Some were waving at them, wishing them well with good words. Lyanna always loved to look over the mighty walls of Winterfell as they approached its gate. The looming power of her home radiating safety and the unending steadfastness of her bloodline.
Arriving at the courtyard, their horses were taken by the stableboys after they dismounted. Benjen was pushing her to the ground, earning a surprise squeal, then quickly running inside the keep.
“Race to the dining hall!” He yelled.
She stood up while grunting and tried to catch her little brother. While they were running down the hallways, a voice stopped them.
“Lyanna!”
Ned was standing in the middle of the grand staircase, looking down at them with unreadable eyes.
“Good day, brother” she greeted him.
“Come, Father called you into his study” He motioned her to follow him.
Lyanna and Benjen looked at each other with worry and quickly caught up to their brother.
“Is Lyanna in trouble, Ned?” Benjen asked.
Ned was humming, “I am not sure what to say”.
“What? What did I do?” Lyanna asked in frustration. “I vow I have been well-behaved this past month. I even took my place among the ladies to lend an ear to their tidings and talks!”.
The two of them kept bombarding Ned with questions that he couldn’t answer. It wasn’t his place to break the tiding to Lyanna. Strangely, the guards in front of their father’s study were dismissed, leaving the wide hallways in silence, safe for their parents’ voice inside.
Inside the lord’s study, the tension was palpable between Lord and Lady Stark. Even with the sharp watery glare that his wife threw at him, Rickard Stark still fixed his eyes on the piece of parchment in front of him. Every word he wrote on the parchment contained a tremendous weight inside his hardened heart.
“My lord, I beseech you, only say our daughter is ill. Nobody will raise question”,Lyarra almost yelled at her husband.
“My lady, that would bid me veil the truth” he said. “I cannot go against the King’s will”.
“The king’s will? What a laugh!” She finally shouted. “If this be the king’s will, then Cersei Lannister shall be named crown princess. If it be the queen’s will, then Elia Martell shall be chosen. All folk across the Seven Kingdoms know full well how long both their houses have clung to the Targaryen’s skin like leeches on warm flesh”.
“Other houses’ games shall not be our concern. We rule for our people, and we obey for our liege. That’s the way of thing” Rickard replied.
As her patience thinned and her anger thickened, Lyarra snatched the parchment away from the desk.
“My lady!”
Her eyes turned from his, fixed instead upon the grey sky beyond the window, while her hand clenched the letter tight at her side. That same letter bore her daughter’s name for the Crown Princess selection and was meant to be sent at once to the capital. Were it left to her will, the parchment would soon be given to flame.
“Lyanna… our precious Lyanna” she whispered. “Should she ever rise to the final phase, she shall bear the mark of being the prince’s woman till her dying day. All the maidens whose names are put forth in this selection may one day be called to the prince’s bed as his concubines. IS THAT THE FATE YOU WOULD HAVE FOR OUR LYANNA?”
“MY LADY!”
While the lord and lady were arguing over her fate, the young girl who had barely reached her womanhood stood freezing in front of the door. Her older brother looked down on her with sadness in his eyes. Benjen instantly embraced her right side, circling his lean arms around her body. Ned, on the other hand, rubbed her back tenderly, showing how sorry he was for her fate.
Later, Lyarra Stark was spending time in her daughter’s chamber. She watched with unreadable eyes as her daughter practised her greeting and curtsied as gracefully and delicately as any Southern lady would. As a lively maid, Lyanna bore a lithe and shapely form, one that, in time, would be graced in full with all the fairest marks of womanhood.
“No! No, that’s not how you should do it, Lya,” she walked beside her daughter. “You should do it brashly, making your skirt fly a little bit above the ground and bending your legs to the ground quickly”.
Lyarra demonstrated it, creating a hasty curtsy movement. Her daughter followed it and turned her head to her, “How of it?”.
“Aye! That is how it ought to be done!” Lyarra said with firm warmth, taking her daughter’s hands into her own. “When it comes to table manners, you must cleave the beef in big cuts and be sure to sip the broth with sound”.
Her daughter nodded, “Should I make a sound when I chew my food as well?”.
“Aye! You need to show them the true Northern way!” Lyarra agreed enthusiastically. “What’s in there again…” she muttered to herself.
Smiling, Lyanna looked at her mother with an amused face. “If I do all of that during the selection, shall it make me get cast out of the capital like your desire, Mother?”.
“What do you mean? I came to help you win…” Lyarra murmured, letting out a long breath. “You have seen through it too soon, have you not?”.
Her daughter giggled, “Do you think me so little that I wouldn’t notice it?”.
“Of course not.”
There was a momentary silence between them, with only the clacking sound of burning logs in the grand fireplace of the room.
“I want to make Father proud of me” Lyanna whispered, “This could be the only chance”.
“Whatever do you mean, my daughter?” Her mother whispered.
“My whole life, I’ve seen how Father praises Brandon, Ned, and Benjen whenever they are doing good with their sword practices.” She whispered, “I always wonder why I didn’t get the same thing when I thrive at my lessons, and I am not allowed to wield a sword”.
Lyanna then turned her head and looked at her mother with determined, yet also sad eyes. “So, Mother, let me do the best in this selection, even though I will not get chosen. At the very least, I want to show those southern lords and ladies that The North means something. And I hope that will make Father proud of me”.
Lady Stark embraced her daughter and rubbed her back softly. “I am sorry” she whispered. “I am sorry that I gave birth to you in this unfair world. If it’s up to me, I will name you lady of your own castle”.
Lyanna giggled, and they were detangled. “You know, Mother, mayhaps one day the Old Gods will grant me a castle and much more under my own name”.
Even though it was highly unlikely, deep in her heart, Lyarra Stark prayed to the thousand gods above to grant her daughter’s every wish.
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Character Introduction:
THE ROYAL NOBLE CONSORT, CERSEI LANNISTER
Mother of the Crown Prince Aegon and Princess Elena
At the current age of 37, she entered the court as concubine at 18
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