Lyanna held her daughter tightly as the litter stopped within the gates of the Red Keep. She had never been to King's Landing and she didn't want to stay, but she had not choice in the matter. It was a feeling she had become far too familiar with the last few years. First her brothel to Robert Baratheon - bless his soul - and then her rape and imprisonment in Dorne. But Rhaegar wanted their daughter with under his eye and Lyanna could not stand to be parted from her. Besides, Ned was here, under the keep in the black cells no doubt, and she had find a way to save him.
She stiffened as Rhaegar approached, already wearing his father's crown. So Aerys was dead then. Good riddance of the man that had murdered Father and Brandon. What a twisted web poor Sorcha Snow had found herself in. Her grandfather had killed her other grandfather, along with an uncle; her father had sired her by raping her mother and brought them both home to his wife and trueborn children. If Lyanna could run to Winterfell and never been seen again, she would have.
"I hope you are well my lady," Rhaegar said. Empty words. He looked keenly at the bundle in her arms. "Is Visenya in good health?"
"Her name is Sorcha Snow," Lyanna replied curtly, "and she is well, merely tired from our journey."
Rhaegar looked surprised, "I told you she was to be named Visenya Targaryen."
"Aye, but I brought her into the world and I chose the name Sorcha. She's not a Targaryen; she's a bastard."
"You do not have that authority." Rhaegar said flatly. "Her name is Visenya and I will suffer no argument regarding it. Ser Arthur, escort Lady Lyanna and Princess Visenya to their chambers. I will send for a wetnurse."
Arthur Dayne had been one of her jailers while she was in Dorne, along with Gerold Hightower and Oswell Whent. He had always been gentle toward her, but she didn't trust him. He was too loyal to his king. Ser Arthur took her to that tallest tower in Maegor's Holdfast. She was growing quite tired of towers. Her chambers were grand and richly furnished, but it was a prison all the same.
As she laid on the bed with Sorcha in her arms, Lyanna said, "Ser Arthur, will you leave me alone with my daughter?" The knight did as she asked without a word. Once alone, Lyanna could relax slightly. She watched her daughter rest and tried not to cry. Her daughter was a year of age, a babe of great loveliness. Sorcha's hair was silver-gold, like that of a Targaryen. Her eyes had been bright blue at birth, but quickly settled into a dark shade of gray.
"My lady," a woman whispered. Lyanna looked up to see a woman standing before her. "My apologizes for disturbing you. My name is Elly. I am the wet-nurse his grace has sent." The woman was soft-looking, with curling honey-colored hair and pink rolls of flesh.
"My daughter doesn't need a wet-nurse." she said softly.
Elly frowned, worried, "Um, well" she stammered, "His grace insists upon it. He said you might be stubborn."
"I am," Lyanna admitted, "I've nursed her since she born. We are fine together." Seeing the discomfort in Elly's eyes, Lyanna aquienced, "Will you be nursing her here?"
"In the nursery," Elly said, "With her brother and aunt. It's not far and you may visit her whenever you wish."
"Aunt?" The was the strangest words anyone could have added.
Elly answered, "Queen Rhaella had a daughter while on Dragonstone. The little princess is named Daenerys."
With great reluctance, Lyanna handed the woman her child. "Her name is Sorcha." she said. Elly said goodbye and took the sleeping babe with her.
Now, Lyanna cried. She threw her face onto the pillowed and wailed. She didn't know if anyone would hear her and she didn't care. She didn't stop until her throat was raw and sore, and felt into a fitful sleep. Her dreams were full of terror and pain. Lyanna woke halfway though the night, unable bear her confinement any longer. She donned riding clothes and sturdy boots and ran out the door. No soon than she flew out the door, large, strong hands grabbed her and pulled her back.
"Lady Lyanna, I didn't know you were in such a hurry to get yourself beheaded." Ser Oswell joked.
Her shoulders slumped, "I can't sleep. I just wanted a quick ride, that's all. I haven't been on a horse in almost two years." She could feel herself starting to cry again, a fact that shamed her.
"I'm afraid I can't allow that my lady." he responded.
Lyanna stood silent for a heartbeat. Ser Oswell's hands fell from her shoulders. "My lady?"
"Does everyone call me a lady, Ser Oswell?"
"I'm afraid I don't understand what you're asking."
"Am I a lady or I am just Prince Rhaegar's whore?"
"King Rhaegar." He corrected.
"That doesn't answer my question." She snapped. Lyanna had her back to him. "Am I a lady or a whore?"
"You are a lady." he said at last, "You're the daughter of House Stark, trueborn and noble."
"But I'm also a whore, aren't I?" She looked at him, "I was to marry Robert Baratheon and bear the next Lord of Storm's End, but Rhaegar kidnapped me and raped me. My bastard is in the royal nursery, sleeping beside a prince and a princess. Does that make me a whore?"
Ser Oswell stroked his beard, contemplating, "I know you didn't chose this, but to some it would appear that you wanted to be with his grace."
"I'm going to see my daughter. Come if you wish, just don't try to stop me." She said.
He followed her. "It's my duty to guard you."
The nursery was large and open plush. In it rested three cribs. The first held a girl much too small to be Sorcha, the second an older boy. Her daughter had been placed furthest from the door. Lyanna quietly pulled up a chair and sat by her daughter's side. I have nothing here but you, she thought. As the sun started to rise, a woman entered the nursery.
"Elly, I -" She choked when she saw the woman she was speaking to, the queen consort, "Your grace, I'm sorry." She stood and curtsied as well as she could in her riding clothes.
Queen Elia was a graceful and willowy. Her black hair was tumbled with sleep, but she looked a great deal more elegant that Lyanna.
"Lady Lyanna," Queen Elia spoke as if she were not really there, "What are you apologizing for?"
"I don't know," Lyanna admitted hoarsely, "I just felt like I should. Someone has too, for all this."
The queen regarded her carefully, "I understand. May I see your daughter?"
"Of course," she moved over so Elia could look into Sorcha's crib. "Her name is Sorcha."
"She's beautiful. Sorcha? Rhaegar said her name was Visenya."
Lyanna suppressed the urge to groan, "He wants to call her Visenya, I want to call her Sorcha. We haven't reached an agreement yet." She shouldn't be discussing names for her daughter with Rhaegar's wife.
"Why do you want to name her Sorcha? Why not a Targaryen name for you a Targaryen girl?" Queen Elia asked softly.
"I made a promised to a friend." The queen seemed to want to hear more, so Lyanna continued. When I was a girl in Winterfell, I had a friend named Sorcha Poole. Her family were Winterfell's stewards. We were as thick as thieves, we did everything together. We promised each other that when we got married, we would name our first daughters after each other. There might have been a Sorcha Baratheon; she would have loved that." Her vision clouded with tears. Lyanna ducked her head to hide her face with her hair.
Queen Elia gently tucked Lyanna's hair over the other shoulder, "You don't have to hide from me Lady Lyanna." She said with remarkable tenderness.
Lyanna felt her heart climb into her throat. She blushed, "I don't know what else to do. I love my daughter, but Rhaegar uses her to tether me here. I want to go home."
"But he will never allow it," Elia finished. "Lyanna, I think we could be friends."
Lyanna became still, "You wish to be my friend? After Rhaegar left you for me?"
"We women have such little power here. It would be a waste to turn it against each other." Elia explained, "My quarrel is with Rhaegar, not with you."
"I didn't want to go with him," Lyanna whispered, "When I refused to leave with him, he took me at sword-point."
"As I imagined. Rhaegar has too much of his father in him."
Daenerys wailed. Her cries woke the other children and the din grew. Instinctively, Lyanna picked up her daughter and began to rock her. Three wet-nurses appeared out of the adjacent chambers to take the children. For the second time, Lyanna gave Sorcha to Elly.
"Come to my solar with me," Elia offered, "We can break fast together." Lyanna accepted.