The Stag Lives
Disclaimer: I own nothing that belongs to the world that George R.R. Martin created!
So I have been hanging onto the fan fic for a while (much like the others I have published just recently) and figured I would put it out there to see what type of reactions it got. Please review to let me know!
Chapter One
Ana Baratheon
"It is un-nerving, is it not?" Ana's Mother's voice cut through the continuous drone of the carriage wheels as it rocked back and forth along the King's Road. They had been traveling for nearly three weeks now, and would be traveling for yet another before reaching the destination.
"What is, Mother?" Ana asked, her voice ever soft, as she glanced over towards her two younger, golden haired siblings. Ana smiled as she took them in, both looking exhausted as they sat to either side of her Mother. Tommen, though, had initially been ecstatic about traveling to the North, and had asked our Father countless questions about The Wall, Winterfell, and the Wildlings that lived there. It got to a point where Father had to gently request that Tommen stop with the questions, as in his excitement one would flow past his lips and another would start before he could get an answer.
"The North." Cersei replied, disdain clear in her voice. Ana shrugged her shoulders slightly, looking back out the carriage window to the rolling hills.
"It has a wild beauty to it that could appear un-nerving till one becomes accustomed." Ana agree with her Mother as she pressed out the wrinkles in the skirt of her dress absentmindedly.
"I do not see who would want to become accustomed." Cersei replied and Ana looked back to her.
"Catelyn Stark, Lord Stark's wife, was she not from the South?" Ana asked lightly then. "She no doubt has become accustomed, and from what Father says about the family, rather well."
"Catelyn Stark was also a Tully. She was not all that Southern in truth."
"She prays to the same Gods that we do, still does from what I've heard. Lord Stark had a Septon built specially for her in Winterfell. She can't be entirely Northern if that is the case." Ana replied, and her Mother smiled a little in concession.
"Forgive me, Ana. I fear this trip has not worn on me well and I am a little ill tempered as a result." She sighed, and Ana nodded, reaching across and taking her hand, squeezing it gently.
"We will be there soon, then leaving back to King's Landing before you know it." Ana replied easily. "Once Father gets what he wants from Lord Stark this will all be over."
"I don't think your Father gives enough thought to this matter." Cersei replied as she squeezed Ana's hand back. "Starks don't do well in the South, nor do they appreciate King's Landing as we do. They enjoy their cold, bitter fortress in the North."
"I know there is some bad blood between the Lannisters and Starks, Mother." Ana replied evenly then, slowly drawing back and giving her a comforting smile. "But perhaps this is the time that can all be put behind?"
"A Lannister always pays their debts, child, you know this." Mother replied evenly, and Ana nodded in agreement.
"I remember Grandpa sitting me on his knee when I was only a babe and teaching me those exact words." Ana smiled a little at the memory, and noticed that her Mother smiled fondly too at the thought.
"It has been a long time since you have seen your Grandfather, or Casterly Rock." She murmured. "Do you miss it?"
"Grandpa and Casterly Rock, yes." Ana replied easily as she thought about the sea, and the cliffs and the beaches. So much cleaner than the ones in King's Landing.
"Don't let your Father hear you admitting to that, he's likely to think I plot to have you shipped back off there." Cersei murmured sarcastically, and Ana smiled a little.
"Perhaps after this journey Father might allow me to go and visit, though?" Ana asked hopefully. "If Grandpa would have me, that is?"
"Oh he would take you in, in a heartbeat, darling." Cersei replied as she laughed some. "Even though he claims to not have favourites among his grandchildren, I think we all know it's you. That is not an easy feat accomplished when it comes to your Grandfather." She added the last bit dryly. Ana smiled a little and nodded in understanding. Tywin Lannister was not known for being a soft, loving man, much less a gentle and spoiling Grandfather.
"Mother, I'm hungry." Myrcella's small voice spoke up after the moment of silence, and Ana glanced over to her younger sister, frowning a little in sympathy at her pale features. She didn't do well in carriages at all.
"We will be stopping to eat soon, little love." Mother cooed to her, brushing her blond curls tenderly from her face. Sometimes Ana wished she were that small once more, to have Mother doting on her like that. It was a selfish thought, and a silly one. She tucked some of her own darker hair behind her ear, her green eyes looking back out the window of the carriage to see a small village coming up in the distance.
"We're almost to a village, 'Cella." Ana smiled encouragingly to her. "No doubt we'll stop and eat at an Inn, might even stay the night to get some good rest." She sighed at the thought of having an actual bed to sleep in for the first time in a few nights.
"Do you think so?" Tommen asked hopefully, and Ana nodded in return. Cersei smiled at her, before leaning down and kissing both of their foreheads sweetly to continue to sooth them.
It felt like an eternity before the party came to a stop, and Ana sighed in relief when the door was opened by their Uncle Jaime.
"You all look like you could use some fresh air." He spoke up, eying the four of them with concern. No doubt they looked tired and entirely too pale from fatigue for his liking. Ana allowed her Mother to get off first with the younger ones, before following. She stumbled slightly, the feeling of walking foreign to her legs. Uncle Jaime quickly reached out and steadied his niece by her elbow, and she looked up to him gratefully.
"Thank you, I guess I have to teach myself how to walk again."
"Your Father has been impatient to make better time, or we would have stopped earlier." Jaime frowned a little as he let go of her elbow, and Ana nodded in understanding.
"Where is he now?"
"Already in the Inn." Jaime replied dryly and Ana winced slightly, knowing what that meant.
"I see." She murmured, even after all these years unsure of what to say to her Father's openly public indiscretions. "Is there any way that we could have the food brought out here? So Mother and my younger siblings don't have to be…" She gestured towards the Inn, her Mother and siblings still huddled together by the carriage as she fussed over Joffrey, clearly complaining that he should be able to ride in the carriage instead of being forced to ride horse alongside Father.
"This weather is not good for riding, nor is this area-" Cersei began.
"Mother, Father wants me to be and appear as more of a man-" Joffrey began to whine.
"You are a man, and perfect the way you are, there is no need for you to prove yourself by becoming deathly ill in this weather!"
Ana chewed some on her lower lip, looking back to Uncle Jaime then.
"We can get a fire started and some tables brought out along with chairs." Jaime replied, and Ana smiled in thanks.
"I'll let Mother know." She replied. "Thank you, Uncle." He nodded before setting off to give orders to some of our servants. Ana, meanwhile, did as promised.
"Mother, perhaps we should eat and rest out here. Uncle Jaime has asked some servants to bring tables and chairs out here along with food and a fire to warm us." Ana murmured to her quietly, glancing between her siblings as she did. "Father is already…" She trailed off, not wanting to say too much in front of Tommen and Myrcella. Joffrey already knew of their Father's deplorable habits and the state of their parent's marriage, but she meant not to allow Tommen and Myrcella's ideals of a loving marriage be ruined by the realities. Not yet.
"Perhaps you are right, Ana." Cersei replied, her face falling, but staying strong. Lannister women were strong women, something that her Mother had instilled in Ana, and she hoped is passed down to Myrcella. Ana was always infinitely proud to call her, her Mother, and hoped she could be as strong as her in Ana's own marriage some day. Ana squeezed her arm gently then.
"Why? I don't want to eat out here with the beasts! I am a Prince! I wish to eat where it is civilized!"
"Mother has spoken, Joffrey. It would be respectable and wise for you to listen." Ana replied evenly to him then, lifting an eyebrow in challenge. HIs face grew red with indignation, but he said no more. Joffrey was a little beast to those who wouldn't stand up to him, she learned that lesson long ago. Since then Ana had little to no issues with him as long as she remained the one in control between the two of them. She was always having to stand her ground, especially when it came to how he bullied their younger brother.
"The fresh air will do us all some good, I would think." Ana added, looking over and noticing that they had set up the tables and chairs a distance away, along with starting what looked to be the beginning of a very warm fire. "And it isn't too cold just yet to worry about it. We won't be able to say that for much longer."
"True enough." Cersei replied as she gently urged her children over to the table. "I fear the days are only going to get colder." She added quietly, cryptically.
Robb Stark
"I don't see why your Mother is so set on having us all pretty for the King?" Jon spoke up, obviously disgruntled as Robb grinned the little he dared while Tommy was shaving his chin.
"It's for the queen, I bet." Theon spoke up slyly in answer. "Sleek as a minx, they say." He added lightly as he sniggered, his look ever lewd.
"I hear the Prince is a royal prick." Robb spoke up then, sighing some as he was finally done, feeling the closeness of the shave for himself with his hand.
"The Princess is about our age, is she not?" Theon spoke up then with a quirked eyebrow. "Don't hear too much about her."
"Probably because there isn't much to say about her then." Robb replied evenly as he stood, making way for Jon.
"But with a Mother like the Queen, she can't be all that bad."
"Maybe she takes more after her Father then." Jon shrugged as he sent Robb a slight glare when he clapped him on the shoulder, before using that hand to shove him into the chair.
"Go on and shave him good, Tommy. Hasn't met a girl he's liked better than his own hair." Robb chided jokingly then, smirking at the glare he got in return as Tommy set to it. Robb sighed heavily then, going over and grabbing his tunic and slipping it back over his head. Robb had been troubled since the moment he had learned that the King was coming with his family. It didn't take much thinking to realize that Father and the King were close friends, and that the King's eldest daughter was the same age as him. It was a very real possibility that this could all end in some sort of arrangement that Robb was not at all enthused about. For one, he wanted to marry for love, something that Robb knew he was lucky to even have the chance at. Secondly, he had never seen the Princess, and it didn't help that there weren't many stories of her being beautiful like her Mother, or the stories foretelling the beauty that her youngest sister was going to be. That never seemed to bode well when it came to the physical attributes of high born ladies or nobility.
"You're afraid she's going to be ugly, aren't you?" Theon spoke up abruptly, jolting Robb out of his thoughts.
"What?" He asked, slightly confused and slightly put off with his bluntness. It sounded like such a juvenile concern now that Theon said it.
"Robb, it doesn't take a smart man to figure it out. Lord Stark and the King fought side by side in the Rebellion, and the King was meant to marry your Aunt before she died. Doesn't seem completely out of the question that he might still try and tie your two houses together using his daughter, who is of marrying age." He lifted an eyebrow at him, as if daring him to argue.
"When did you get so smart?" Robb deflected then, shaking his head.
"Don't let my handsome face fool you." He replied dryly, and Robb couldn't help chuckling. "Who cares if she's ugly, Robb, she's the Queen's daughter. That means power and position. Any man would bed the ugliest wench around if it meant money and power."
"Well, I'm not any man. I'm honour bound to do as my Father wishes and as the King wishes. If they wish for the arrangement, then I will follow through." He sighed heavily, heading for the door. "Doesn't mean I will like it, or her." He added with finality, before exiting the room.
Ana Baratheon
Ana could see Winterfell looming in the distance, looking regal, yet lonely and forlorn at the same time. The wind had taken on a chill that settled in the bones and refused to leave, adding to the sensation that they were perhaps somewhere where they were not entirely welcomed.
"It's magnificent." Ana murmured as she took in the multiple towers and high walls. It looked odd, in the vastness of nothing, a great fortress rising, but it held a majesty so different than King's Landing.
"I wouldn't refer to it as such." Cersei replied easily, looking distastefully upon Winterfell.
"It has a charm to it." Ana tried to defend, albeit a little weakly. It was true, Winterfell could not hold a candle to King's Landing, but she always liked to think all places had their own merits. Ana took a deep breath of the crisp air that came through the window as she still held the skins to the side to see.
"Charm? I hardly think so. The fortress looks as cold as it's surroundings." Cersei sniffed. "Now close the window, your little brother and sister are getting chilled." She ordered and Ana instantly obeyed, allowing the skins to drop over the window once more. Ana hugged the recently acquired furs closer to her body to warm up as well, her cramping legs just itching to be able to get out and walk. Ana couldn't wait to be done with the carriage, and was already loathing the month long journey back to King's Landing. It was times like this that she really wished she was a man, not confined to a carriage, but able to ride and be free. Her Father might have allowed her to ride, but her Mother would have most certainly not. She could almost hear her argument now.
It wouldn't be proper for a Princess to be seen riding along like some Wildling of the North.
Who was Ana supposed to be impressing though? They were so far away from King's Landing and all those suitors that her Mother obsessed about. Nobody had the right to judge her here, nobody needed to judge her here, and she didn't need to worry even if they were.
"I wonder if the stories are true?" Tommen spoke up then as he looked over to Ana, and she tilted her head curiously.
"What stories?"
"The ones about The Wall and the White Walkers." Tommen replied with an excited grin. "Wouldn't it be exciting to be a man of the Night's Watch?" He added in wonder. "Wouldn't it be an adventure?"
"You would be a legend at The Wall. I could see it now," Ana grinned then, leaning forward, "Tommen the Triumphant, Slayer of White Walkers." Tommen laughed as she reached forward and tickled his neck playfully.
"Don't put such ideas into his head." Cersei replied, her tone firm but warm as she wasn't able to hold back the small smile at her youngest's giggles of delight. "He's going to be a Knight in the King's Guard in King's Landing; noble, handsome, and proud, just like his Uncle Jaime." She murmured, kissing the top of his head sweetly.
"Either place would be lucky to have such a fine warrior." Ana agreed as she smiled at him, before noticing the carriage slowing. They came to a stop, and Ana could hear the gates being raised as their party was let through. She felt the nervousness she always did when about ready to set foot someplace different and meeting different people. Ana was never a very social person, some might even call her a recluse. She mainly spent time with her family or her handmaidens, and rarely spent time with people who weren't servants or in some form of direct service to her family. Being a Princess did not give much opportunity for naturally made friends.
"I heard all the Stark boys are handsome." Myrcella spoke up, an innocent blush to her cheeks as she did. Ana smiled a little hearing her.
"You planning on getting betrothed, little one?" Ana asked lightly watching the blush further along her cheeks. "I hear they have a handsome son close to your age, Bran Stark, I believe?" Ana added slyly.
"I should think not." Her Mother replied a little more sharply this time, giving her a look. "I won't be leaving either of my Southern flowers in the North to wither." She added as she rubbed her hand against Myrcella's back, holding her a bit closer.
"Mother is right, you're too beautiful to stay in a place so cold and with little sun." Ana amended then, not wanting to upset Mother any further. Ana knew she was always very protective of them, and losing any of her children was not something to tease her about. Ana gave her a reassuring smile then, before holding onto the seat slightly as the carriage lurched to a halt once more.
"I'm nervous." Myrcella frowned then as she glanced towards the doors of the carriage.
"Just follow me, little one, I won't let anything bad happen." Ana smiled reassuringly at her. "And they are going to love you, so you've nothing to worry about." She added gently to her, before glancing towards her Mother as she gave me a small smile of her own.
"One day, when you have children of your own, I know you'll be the Mother I raised you to be." She murmured softly in compliment and Ana flushed a little at the praise.
"Hopefully soon." Ana agreed with her then, before fixing her skirts as her Mother stands, fixing herself as well, and our carriage door is opened.
Robb Stark
"You've gotten fat." It takes Robb a minute to get over the initial greeting the King gives his Father, his eyes no doubt showing the shock before he can stop himself. That certainly wasn't the greeting he had been expecting. Robb look to his Father, unsure, seeing him looking the King up and down himself. With that look the tension was easily broken, and both his Father and the King started to laugh with one and other. That helped Robb to relax slightly, his own chuckles of relief, more than humour, leaving him.
"Cat!" The King goes on to greet Catelyn warmly.
"Your Grace." She replied in a calm and reserved manner; it's in this moment Robb can see where Sansa gets her grace from.
"Nine years! Why haven't I seen you? Where the hell have you been?" King Robert asks, sounding half serious as he does.
"Guarding the North for you, Your Grace. Winterfell remains yours." Ned replied evenly then, and Robert gave a wave of his hand, dismissing the conversation all together. Robb could feel his back straighten out of instinct when the King's eyes fall upon him, his heart beating a little faster being under the direct scrutiny of the King himself.
"You must be Robb." He grinned at Robb, and he nodded in affirmation, his voice for some reason caught in his throat. Robb felt like suddenly he was Bran's age again, all thumbs and no fingers, as he was surveyed by King Robert once more.
He wasn't exactly the man that Robb had envisioned after the stories Father would tell him as a child. This didn't look like the man that could cave a man's chest in with a single blow of his hammer. He didn't look like the brave warrior that had usurped the Mad King, and claimed the Iron Throne. This man in front of him looked fat and uninspiring, and after watching how he had dismounted the horse, held half the strength and grace that his Father had fed him stories of. Overall, the King was a disappointment to his boyhood imagination.
Robb felt someone from behind nudge at his shoulder, frowning and glancing over to see Theon looking pointedly ahead of him. Robb followed his gaze then to watch as the Queen exited from the carriage, followed by her two youngest. He looked for the older boy, Joffrey, and saw him atop his horse, leering at something. Robb's stomach dropped as he followed his gaze to his sister beside him, frowning deeply and looking between them once more. Joffrey's look had not changed, and Sansa's was alarmingly flushed from his attention. This didn't settle well with Robb at all, and he could feel his fists clenching at his sides.
"My Queen." Ned greeted as the Queen stood in front of them, offering her hand to kiss. Ned bowed and did so, but Robb could clearly see the distaste in the action for both parties.
"My Queen." His Mother curtseyed and did the same as his Father, a pleasant smile on her face.
"Take me to your crypts" King Robert suddenly ordered of his Father. "I wish to make my respects."
"We have been riding for a month, my love." Queen Cersei spoke up, her voice chilled. "Surely the dead can wait?"
"Ned." Robert clearly ignored her, walking around her, not bothering to wait for Father to catch up to him before he was off. Robb frowned then, seeing the Queen's discomfort and seeing the discomfort on his Mother's face as well for being witness to such a public display of rejection and humiliation from the King to the Queen.
"Why do we not get your family settled?" Robb's Mother spoke up kindly then. "I'm sure your children could all do with a bath and some rest after your long journey."
"Yes, we all could, thank you." Cersei spoke up, any warmth devoid in her voice. "Children, come. I want to introduce you to our gracious hosts." She spoke over her shoulder, gesturing for her children to come to her. Joffrey made a show of dismounting, though nearly got his foot caught in the stirrup and fell from his mount. He caught himself, just barely, and Robb did his best to hold back a smug smirk and laugh at his expense. Everyone knew of Prince Joffrey's temper, and it wasn't one to incite.
"This is my youngest, Tommen." Cersei introduced the young boy, no older than Rickon. "And my youngest daughter Myrcella." She introduced next. This young girl looked around Aya's age. "My eldest son and heir to the Iron Throne, Joffrey." She took some obvious pride in introducing her son as such, and judging by the way he looked directly at Sansa as he puffed his little chest out showed that he took the same arrogant pride in it. Looking to the flush in Sansa's cheeks, though, Robb saw it was unfortunately working. "And finally, my eldest daughter, Ana." She finished, and it was only then that he noticed the fourth and oldest child of the King and Queen.
She looked absolutely nothing like her Mother, that much was very apparent upon first glance. Her hair was dark, though maybe not as dark as Robert's, but definitely not the golden hair of the rest of her family. Her skin was pale, like her Mother's, but her face was blemished with freckles dusted all over her nose and cheeks. Her stature was more like her Father's, sturdy and not femininely smooth like her Mother's. Her curves were almost too pronounced to look entirely the sleek feminine. The one striking feature she did have that she inherited from her Mother were her eyes, a beautiful shade of green that Robb could see even from where he stood. Overall she was fairly average, not the beauty you would expect of a Princess.
"-Robb." Robb snapped back out of his thoughts once more as his Mother's voice cut in, glancing towards her then and trying not to look too confused. "And this is my daughter Sansa…" Oh, she was just introducing everyone. Robb glanced back towards the royal family to see if anyone had noticed his drifting, but it appeared that no one had thankfully. He swallowed thickly then, itching to get away, and glancing back towards the Princess, dreading what this visit might bring.
Ned and Robert
"Tell me about Jon Arryn." Ned spoke up finally then, wanting to hear the true story of his friend's death, not the rumours that had been spreading like wildfire from King's Landing.
"One minute he was fine, and then…burned right through him, whatever it was." Robert sighed heavily. "I loved that man." He murmured regretfully as the men made their way further into the crypts.
"We both did." Ned replied as he frowned, not really getting the answers he was hoping.
"He never had to teach you much." Robert chuckled. "But me? You remember me at 16? All I wanted to do was crack skulls and fuck girls. He showed me what was what." He grinned then, shaking his head.
"Aye." Ned agreed, knowing the truth to Roberts words only too well.
"Don't look at me like that. Not his fault I didn't listen" Ned and Robert laughed together for a moment, before Robert sighed and continued. "I need you, Ned. Down at Kings Landing. Not up here, where you're no damn use to anybody." He told him firmly then as he frowned at him. "Lord Eddard Stark, I would name you the Hand of the King." Though Ned had been expecting it, it still came as a shock to hear it. He knelt quickly, trying to figure out the words to say in that moment.
"I'm not worthy of the honour." Ned replied with the first thing that came to his mind, but Robert scoffed at him.
"I'm not trying to honour you! I'm trying to get you to run my kingdom while I eat, drink, and whore my way to an early grave." He sighed in annoyance when Ned didn't stand up. "Damn it, Ned, stand up. You helped me win the Iron Throne, now help me keep the damn thing. We ere meant to rule together." He frowned sadly then. "If your sister had lived, we would have been bound by blood." He paused for a moment."Well, it's not too late. I have a daughter of marrying age, you have a son. We'll join our Houses." He stated, clapping Ned on the shoulder as he did.
"And if your daughter and my son don't agree?" He asked, knowing that Robb would not like this at all.
"Then we always have your daughter and my son as well." Robert replied easily. "Either way, our Houses will be bound together, just as they should have been all those years ago."
"As you say, Your Grace." Ned frowned, his stomach only sinking further as they continued further on till they came upon where his sister was buried. He watched as Robert laid a feather onto her crypt, the mood dampening quickly.
"Did you have to bury her in a place like this? She should be on a hill somewhere with the sun and the clouds above her." Robert murmured wistfully, clearly becoming more upset by the minute as he sat there before her grave.
"She was my sister. This is where she belongs." Ned gently reminded him.
"She belonged with me!" Robert growled out, before reaching up and touching the statue's face, Lyanna's face. "In my dreams, I kill him every night." He admitted.
"It's done, Your Grace. The Targaryens are gone." Ned replied as he watched Robert carefully.
"Not all of them."
Ana Baratheon
Ana sighed softly as she finally was able to let her aching arms rest, Myrcella's hair done to her expectations. "There, little flower, beautiful." Ana smiled at her then, leaning around and kissing her sweet, chubby cheek. "You excited to go to the feast?" She asked, before moving around the bedroom to tidy up a little.
"More nervous." Myrcella replied as she chewed on her lower lip. "I haven't been to any feasts outside of King's Landing." She added nervously.
"Don't be frightened, 'Cella. You've been to one you've been to them all. Soon enough you'll have handsome young men lining up to ask you to dance." Ana smiled at her, walking back over and looking at herself in the mirror, making sure her own appearance was alright still.
"Do you think any men will dance with you tonight?" Myrcella asked as she watched her sister fixing herself up. Ana laughed a little, shrugging her shoulders.
"I'm sure that the Lord and Lady Stark's eldest son will dance with me out of obligation of being their guest, but other than that, I can't say." She replied easily with a small smile. "Why?"
"Their eldest boy is handsome, and he was staring at you in the courtyard earlier." Myrcella explained with an innocent smile. Ana shook her head at her childish innocence, smiling all the more.
"I don't think it was what you think, dear one." Ana replied easily then, remembering the moment herself.
Seeing Robb Stark for the first time was a bit of a shock. Ana was told how handsome Northern men could be, but she wasn't really prepared for the Lord's eldest son to be so handsome. Yes, he had been staring for a while, but that didn't give rise to think he was attracted to her. Especially because he hardly glanced at her after that initial stare. He was most likely assessing Ana, like any other man, and like any other man, probably found her to be fairly ordinary when it came to Princesses. Ana didn't have a problem with that, she was used to it, and she knew that her looks would matter little to any man that eventually wed her. It was her family and the power and money that came with it that would help with the shortcomings of her looks.
"He looked like he was enchanted." Myrcella argued. Ana couldn't stop the loud and unladylike snort that left her.
"I love how you see things 'Cella, but unfortunately I believe you are wrong in this account, and for that I need you to trust me." Ana smiled down at her. "Please stay as innocent as you are." She sighed heavily then, before turning as the door opened. Ana's eyes widened as both their Mother and Father came into Myrcella's bedroom. It was unusual to say the least.
"Mother, Father." Ana smiled as both Myrcella and she stood and curtseyed in greeting. Cersei had a frown on her face, looking deeply troubled, while Robert had a look of business about him.
"You girls look nice." Their Father stated gruffly as he moved forward then to sit on the bed. "Ana, we need to talk." He added as he patted the spot beside him, and she could instantly feel her stomach drop.
"Father?" Ana questioned, nervous now as she sat down slowly beside him.
"I've made an arrangement with Ned. It would please me greatly if you would agree to a betrothal between yourself and their eldest boy, Robb." He explained, and Ana could feel her mouth drop open, despite the fact that for the past three years she had been preparing herself for the moment her Father struck a betrothal to some Lord's son. Ana had always knew it would happen eventually, she just never thought he would arrange a marriage for her that took her so far from home.
"I..I don't know what to say?" Ana finished then, feeling like her throat was closing in on her.
"Say no." Her Mother spoke up sharply then as she stepped forward, looking like she was barely containing her fury. "Just say no." If only it were that easy.
"Woman, this isn't your decision to be made." Ana's Father growled at her Mother, and she looked between the two of them, feeling the tension thick in the air. Myrcella looked absolutely terrified.
"Myrcella, why don't you see if the Septa can take you to where our families are meeting before the feast?" Ana spoke up then, and finally both parents took notice of her trembling form.
"No need, I'll take her." Cersei replied stiffly as she kept glaring at Robert. Ana watched them both leave, her heart still in her throat as she turned once more to look at her Father.
"I know your Mother doesn't want to leave you up here. She feels that you would feel abandoned, and that you belong in King's Landing with us." He explained, sighing some. "Truth be told, I think your Mother would keep all of you in King's Landing if she could, which she can't, and will have to come to terms with." He added firmly as he reached out, resting a meaty hand on Ana's shoulder. Where once that might have caused some comfort, now it felt like a detached gesture. Her Father might have been asking, but it was not a request that she accept this betrothal, it was an order.
"I'm sure I'll be most happy here." Ana replied, though even she could notice the hollowness in her voice as she did so. To be married to a man of the North was something Ana would have never anticipated, nor wanted for herself. She belonged in the South, in the warmth and comforts of King's Landing. Though regal, Winterfell was cold, and it's people felt distant even in the short time she had been here. Ana didn't want this, she didn't want this at all. Feeling her throat closing up and tears burning in her eyes, Ana mustered up enough strength to speak. "Is that all Father?" She asked, her hands clenching tightly to her skirts. "I must ready myself for the welcoming feast."
Robert looked at Ana, a little uncertain, clearing his throat roughly. "Yes, that is all." He murmured, hesitating for a moment, before in a surprising gesture of comfort, leaning in and kissing Ana's forehead. She looked at him strangely; it had been years since he had done that for her. "I'm proud of you. I know I don't show it or say it enough. You have turned into a lovely young woman, and I know you are doing our family a great honour marrying young Robb Stark. You may not want him right now, and he may not want you, but I honestly hope that your marriage turns out more like Cat's and Ned's, than mine and your Mother's." He frowned. "I wouldn't wish you harm, girl, and I'm not doing this to hurt you."
"No, I know that." Ana replied shakily. You are doing this because you couldn't have Lyanna, and now you want to have a piece of her through my marriage to the Starks. You're doing this for you, not me. Ana held those thoughts at bay, feeling bitterness welling in her chest.
"I'll leave you to it then. Don't be much longer. The Stark boy is going to escort you in." Her Father patted her shoulder, heaving his body up off of the bed, and silently making his way to the door. He paused for a moment, turning to glance at Ana, acting as if he wanted to say something, before shaking his head and changing his mind. The door made a dull 'thud' sound as it closed.
Ana stood quickly then, going to the mirror and breathing deeply as she stared at herself. Ana's hands gripped the edge of the vanity as her watery green eyes stared back at her.
No, no tears. She thought then as she fought them back, till her eyes were no longer glassy and filled. "Lannister women are not weak, Baratheon women are not weak. I am not weak." Ana murmured to herself then as sheI took a deep breath. Ana would get through this, survive this. She was getting married, it wasn't the end of the world.
Though at this time, it felt like it.
Robb Stark
"Father, no, please, I beg of you." Robb frowned deeply as he paced the room, his Mother and Father both looking on him with sympathy and understanding. "You cannot allow this to happen. I don't want to marry her!"
"Robb, it's time for you to face the realities of your station in life." Ned frowned regretfully as he watched his eldest son pace. "You are a Lord, and Lords don't get a chance to choose whom they wed more often than not." He stated as he glance towards Cat, who was frowning in concern. "Indeed, Cat and I did not choose for ourselves, but we allowed ourselves to give each other a chance. Thank goodness we did, or else there wouldn't have been a Robb, or Sansa, or Aya, or Bran, or Rickon. We fell in love well after you were born, but it happened nonetheless, and the same could be said for you and Princess Ana."
"But what if it doesn't happen?" Robb argued then as he turned to face his parents. "What if I can't love her? Or she can't love me?"
"Robb…" Cat spoke up then as she stood, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. "Your Father and I…if we could have you marry for love, we would. You have to know that." She pleaded with him then. "But the world we live in doesn't work like that."
"So you would marry me off on the whim of another man?" He asked angrily, and Ned frowned all the more.
"On the order of my King, yes." Ned emphasized. "If Robert had been another Lord, then I wouldn't allow such a marriage unless it suited you." He agreed. "But unfortunately that isn't the case."
"Robb…if you do not marry Princess Ana, then Robert will have your sister Sansa marry Prince Joffrey." Cat spoke up then and Robb looked to his Mother sharply.
"Never. You wouldn't ever allow her to be married to that little beast!" Robb growled out then, his hands clenching into fists for the first time. "You've heard the stories! We all have! She wouldn't be happy, she wouldn't be cared for! Look at the way the King treats his Queen!"
"It isn't for us to judge the King and Queen's relationship." Cat chided gently, because she wholeheartedly agreed. "But yes, we all hear the stories of the Prince. Robert is going to have his marriage into our house, one way or another. It's either you and the Princess, or Sansa and the Prince."
"So in the end, I still don't have a choice." Robb murmured, feeling utterly defeated. Even though he could still say no, he really couldn't, not at the risk of having Sansa being tied to that damn prick of a Prince.
"No, son, I'm afraid not." Ned murmured regretfully as he watched him, his arm going around Catelyn's shoulders as he held her to him, feeling her trembling with remorse. "This is the path being laid out to you. Princess Ana may not be as stunning as her Mother, or her siblings, but she seems kind and level headed, both qualities which would make a fine Lady of Winterfell one day."
"I want it known that just because I am agreeing to this betrothal, does not mean that I am going to act as if I like it. At least, not in private." Robb replied bitterly then, and Ned stood a little straighter.
"As long as you treat the Princess with the kindness and respect that she is due. We raised you better than to wish ill and do ill to others. You need to remember that she must have her reservations as well. She will be far from everything she has ever known, from her family. You, at least, have us here with you for the years to come. She will be lucky if she gets to see any of her family for years at a time. She is sacrificing much more than you by accepting this marriage." He advised his son strictly then. "Always put the shoe on the other foot before you start to make assumptions."
Robb said nothing, feeling properly chastised by his Father for the first time in a long time…because he was right. Robb didn't like it, but he was.
This whole betrothal would have been easier to bare if he didn't have to feel pity or sympathy for her.
The Welcoming Feast
Ana chewed on her lower lip nervously as her fingers picked at her green skirts while waiting outside the large wooden doors that lead to the dining chambers. She could hear the crowds in there already, rowdy and laughing, as they waited for their hosts and guests of honour to enter. She was used to this, this was familiar to her in most ways, but altogether different at the same time.
"Princess Ana." A low voice spoke to her left, and she looked over to see Robb Stark standing beside her, bowing in respect. Ana was momentarily stunned, before quickly regaining her senses and curtseying, although it was much sloppier than normal due to her surprise.
"Lord Stark." She greeted formally, her heart feeling like it was bouncing and pounding up into her throat. This was the man she was to marry, the man looking at her so distant and cold right now. So formal. No warmth. She felt her chest constrict in anxiety, dread filling her. Was this to be her life now?
"Please, you should call me Robb." Robb replied, the words no doubt meant to be warm and pleasant, but falling dead in the coldness of his voice. "I hear we're to be wed."
"I hear the same." She replied shakily. "So you should call me Ana." She added, her shaking hands once again gripping onto her skirts. If her Mother was watching she would have slapped her hands away and told her she was creating unseemly creases in her dress.
"Where do you get your name from?" Robb asked easily as he stood next to her then, looking forward now and not at her.
"From my Father's Mother, my Grandmother, Cassana." She replied. "Also from my Grandmother on my Mother's side, Joanna. My parents agreed when I was born that it fit for both and honoured both." Ana replied, feeling a little silly going on and explaining as she did. He probably wasn't looking for that much detail.
"I see." Was Robb's only reply as Ana felt an embarrassed flush on her cheeks at his obvious disinterest. He was only asking to be polite, not because he wanted to know, that much was obvious.
It was times like this that she wondered how different things might have been if her twin brother, Steffon, had lived and not died as a baby. For reasons that only the Gods knew, they took him with fever, and not her. Often times she wondered if Mother ever resented her for it, though she knew in the end that it wasn't the case. Things would be so different, though, if Steffon was the heir to the Iron Throne, and not Joffrey. She had this feeling that Steffon would have been just, respectful, and honourable, where Joffrey has yet to show many of this attributes. Perhaps, too, with Steffon here, she might not have been handed off to the Starks for marriage. Perhaps Sansa and Steffon would have eventually wed, and she would have been left to wed someone of the South.
Ana was brought back from her thoughts when the doors suddenly swung open, not having noticed that everyone else had lined up at the ready to enter. She felt Robb take her arm, glancing up at him then curiously, but finding that his eyes were still concentrated ahead of them. When they began to move, she turned forward as well, moving with him and allowing him to lead her to her seat with the other Stark children. She was slightly discouraged when she found she was seated between Robb and his sister Sansa, her own siblings on the other side of the table, and her Father and Mother seated with the Lord and Lady Stark above them.
"Princess Ana." Sansa grinned at her then, and Ana looked over quickly, smiling at the genuine smile that looked back at her. For the first time she felt like she was experiencing some kind of warmth in this cold North. "You must be exhausted from your long journey." She looked at her sympathetically.
"It was a beautiful journey though." Ana replied genuinely as she turned my body more to properly converse with her. She was happy for the distraction from the loneliness and anxiety she was feeling. "The North may be cold as they say, but it's lands are some of the most beautiful places I have seen in a long while."
"It can't be nearly as thrilling as the South, though." Sansa gushed excitedly, and Ana laughed a little.
"No, forgive me, but you are right. I will always be partial to the South, but that is where I grew." Ana conceded to her then. "I'm sure you feel the same about the North? This is your home after all."
"Yes and no." Sansa replied, shrugging her shoulders. "I mean, yes, it's where I grew up and I do love it to some degree, but when I think of the South I become excited." She grinned, easily showing that excitement. "To see the Black Sea! Or the fields and gardens of High Garden? Or the cliffs of Casterly Rock? Oh, I wish to see it all!"
"I am sure you shall." Ana replied as she placed her hand over Sansa's own, patting it gently. She was so young and innocent, much like Myrcella. She had no idea yet what exactly she wants, but sadly she'll soon realize how much Winterfell means to her when she is taken away from it for too long. "Perhaps, if your Father allows you to travel with him to King's Landing, I shall give you some direction on what to see there?"
"I would love that! Thank you!" Sansa replied eagerly and Ana laughed, removing her hand from Sansa's as the food arrived. Where she had been starving before, now she felt that she had no appetite. She chanced a glance back towards Robb, who was once again not looking in her direction, but staring down at his own food, not eating. Ana took some comfort in seeing that the betrothal was causing him this kind of distress as well. She chewed her lower lip, wondering if she should say something, but before she could, music began to play loudly in the hall.
"Oh, the dances are starting!" Sansa gushed as she looked towards where the dance floor was quickly being filled. "Robb, you should ask Princess Ana to dance!" She shouted over to him then, and Ana watched as the man instantly stiffened. She didn't know whether to allow herself to feel offended or to try and be understanding in that moment. Robb finally looked at her, his eyes clearly showing his reluctance as he offered her his hand. Ana took it, her own shaking slightly, glancing towards the head table where her Mother sat. Both she and Lady Stark were watching them intently, her Mother with a look of displeasure, his with a look of encouragement. Robb had glanced in that direction as well, before standing with Ana and guiding her to the dance floor.
"Have you ever danced a Northern dance before?" Robb asked bluntly, and Ana, again trying not to feel offended by his clear dislike of her, nodded.
"I was trained in all the dances growing up." She replied confidently, the song in the background familiar to her. "I promise not to embarrass you." She added, her tone a little more barbed, and Robb visible flinched.
"I'm sorry, that's not what I intended to mean." He replied then, looking honest for the first time this night. Ana relaxed a little, nodding in acceptance of his apology and allowing him to lead her into the dance. When the jump came, she helped him by jumping herself, instead of allowing him to take her full weight and lift her. She was not a small girl, and understood and accepted this.
"I know I'm not what you probably envisioned for your future." Ana spoke up after her thoughts. Now that they were close she could finally speak to him plainly. "To be frank, you weren't what I envisioned either." She replied, before blushing when he raised his eyebrow at her. "Don't get me wrong. You are handsome, but I never thought I would have to leave everything I knew so far behind and be a Lady of the North." She clarified then, not wishing to insult him. "I thought I would spend all my days with, or at least somewhere near, my family, in King's Landing." She felt her chest constrict once again as she acknowledged that she'd never be returning home now, or at least, not for a very long time. "I just…wish for you to know that you aren't alone in feeling like you are. Feeling disappointed, angry, and even…a little sad maybe?" She looked up to him, and could see those eyes of his, so ice cold at the start of the night, beginning to melt a little.
"I apologize for my behaviour." He finally stated after lifting her once more in the air. "I promised my parents that I would be respectable, kind, and honourable to you, and I have done a poor job so far." He sighed heavily. "But you're right, it's not what I wanted. I wanted to marry for love, as I am sure you did too."
"I was never under the impression that I would ever be allowed to." Ana replied a little sadly. "I'm a Princess after all, meant to help further my Father's connections and power through marriage. Love, I fear, was never on the table for me. I accepted that long ago." Robb looked surprised at her statement, and even a little sad.
"That's…depressing." Robb replied, clearly unsure of what exactly to say.
"It's reality." Ana shrugged her shoulders as she continued to follow him in the dance, once again jumping to help him lift her when it came time. She chewed on her lower lip, an action that caught Robb's attention, before she spoke. "I know that you may never come to love me, nor I you, but I hope that we can at least be kind to one and other, respect one and other, and raise our children with love. I don't want…" Ana's gaze left Robb's at that moment as she looked over to the tables, seeing her Father grasping onto one of the servants and handing her in a very perverse manner, in front of the Queen no less. His Mother looked equally uncomfortable as she sat next to the Queen, watching the spectacle as well.
"That much I can promise you." Robb finally spoke up, drawing her attention back from the embarrassing scene. "I will never embarrass you like that, publicly or privately. I will respect you and love our future children equally. You have my word on those accounts." He promised her as he looked down at the woman, seeing her in a slightly new light then. Like his Father and Mother insisted, she was intelligent, and realistic, both qualities that he indeed saw being a strength for the future Lady of Winterfell.
"I'm leaning towards believing you, as I have heard you Starks are a rather honourable bunch." Ana smiled some then, the first smile she had been able to have around him all night.
"To a fault some would say." Robb replied, a very small smile on his own lips, and for the first time this night, Ana felt a slight be of comfort.
Perhaps, at the very least, they could be friends after all.
Cersei and Catelyn
"Is this your first time in the North, Your Grace?" Catelyn spoke up finally, wishing desperately to move past the scene that was unfolding before them. She couldn't believe that Robert would be so bold as to publicly humiliate his wife in front of their hosts, let alone their own children. What had happened to the man? Even Cersei Lannister did not deserve this sort of treatment.
"Yes. Lovely country." Cersei replied, though even Catelyn could sense the disinterest. The Queen had her eyes locked on her eldest daughter and Robb, dancing in the far corner.
"I am sure it's very grim, after King's Landing. I remember how scared I was when Ned brought me up here for the first time." Catelyn conceded, before Cersei gave a small smile, and finally looked to her.
"I hear we will be sharing a grandchild someday." Cersei opening up the new conversation, once again with a dis-genuine smile on her face. Catelyn felt a little unnerved, but nonetheless smiled, hopefully looking more genuine in it than the Queen.
"I hear the same." She replied as she sat back against her chair, looking back over the crowds to see Robb escorting the Princess back to her seat. He seemed far more relaxed now, and she only hoped that the dance had given the children time to talk and get to know one and other further. She could not blame her son for his feelings, nor Ana for her's.
"I also hear that your daughters, Sansa and Aya, and your son Bran, will be joining us at the capital along with your husband?" Cersei asked, looking now to the red headed beauty that sat below. She had seen the looks that Joffrey had been giving the pretty girl all night, and knew he had some interest with her. Cersei would have much preferred that match to the one made for her eldest daughter this day. At least then she could keep all her little cubs home with her, instead of losing her oldest to the North.
"That is true." Catelyn nodded, her heart already filling with sorrow. She was losing almost all her children and her husband for who knows how long.
"Sansa will do well in the capital. Such a beauty shouldn't stay hidden up here forever." Cersei replied, and Catelyn looked a little uneasy, but nodded all the same.
"And we will endeavour to make Ana feel as at home here, as she would in King's Landing." Catelyn added, noticing how Cersei's fake smile quickly dropped at her statement.
Clearly, the Queen wasn't ready to let go of her eldest, just as Catelyn was not ready to let go of her own children.
Ana Baratheon
Ana sighed heavily as she finished combing out her hair, having asked the handmaidens to allow her to ready herself for the evening. The rest of the feast had at least been bearable. After Robb had escorted her back to her seat, she was left to her own devices whilst he busied himself with his friends and family. She was then able to go to her own two youngest siblings, which soon after she took the opportunity to leave the feast to put both to bed. There was a knock on the door, and Ana turned on her stool to face it.
"Come in." She called out, before watching as the door opened and her Mother appeared. As soon as Cersei entered the room, it felt like the tears she had been holding back on and off throughout the night came back full force. She no sooner met her Mother halfway across the room, than she was dissolved into tears, clinging to her as if she were a child scared after a nightmare.
"Shh, my darling." Cersei cooed to her, running her fingers through her dark hair. "You need to be strong. You cannot let them see you like this." She murmured to her gently, kissing the top of her head over and over again. Ana could tell by the tone of her Mother's voice that she was near tears too, and that brought on more.
"I don't want to be left here. I want to go home with you." She sobbed then, before Cersei leaned back, cupping her face so Ana would look up to her.
"Listen to me." Her mother stated sternly, and Ana nodded, holding back any more sobs. "You may be a stag, but you have the blood of the ancient lions in you as well. You are stronger than this, stronger than those damn Starks." She told her firmly as she wiped away at her tears. "This may not be what either of us wants." Cersei felt her throat close up slightly, feeling how true those words are. "If I had my way, I would take you back to King's Landing, your Father be damned." She added almost viciously. "But we are women in a world made only for men. We don't have power when it comes to politics such as these. Your Father wishes for their to be a union, and he'll have it." She sighed heavily then. "But I did wear him down to allowing you a year long engagement." My heart leapt hearing her. "Which means that you may return to King's Landing with us for six months, but after six months time, you will return to Winterfell to learn your duties under Lady Catelyn's tutelage, and to wed Robb Stark."
"Oh Mother!" Ana cried happily now as she hugged her tightly, burying her face against her shoulder. "Thank you, thank you!" Ana gasped out, feeling utter relief wash over her body. She would get to see King's Landing once more, spend more time with her family, before being shipped back to the North. At least then there would be some closure for her.
"I just wish I could stop this marriage altogether." Cersei admitted as she held her oldest daughter tightly. "I can't believe it's time already for you to be leaving us. It feels like only yesterday that I birthed you in that storm." She murmured as she stroked her fingers soothingly through her daughter's hair. "I love you, little one." She proclaimed as she gently let her daughter go, helping her to wipe away the remaining tears. "And I am so very proud of you." She added softly as she smiled warmly down at her. Ana smiled back, nodding in thanks as she took a deep breath to calm herself.
Suddenly, a year felt like an eternity, in a good way.
So that's pretty much about it for this chapter! Please let me know what you think so far! I know this has been done before, but I'm hoping (in the end) to put my own special twist on things.
Best!
Tiggs1990