First of all, yes, my character is based on Reign's Mary. She's just so beautiful and I believe that she and Robb would be pretty awesome together. Okay, a little info; so I totally made up house Tenshi, and everything including them, they are totally my imagination. Mary is fifteen years old, and I plan to make Robb seventeen. Ehm, I'm not sure about this story though, this idea just popped into my mind and a day later I had this chapter on my computer. So reviews would be lovely, and tell me what you think of this :D So, enjoy lovely people!

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She was swirling through the room, her eyes closed and a big smile playing on her face. Her arms were struck out and her stomach was filled with happiness as she danced across the floor. The joyful music that the smiling people played on their lutes created such a magical hymn over every man, women or child who had attended the feast. As Mary closed her hazy green eyes, she focused on the laughter and the happy shouts that came from those around her. She had for the first time really felt connected with her homeland, The Raym. It was a good land, she knew that, and she was proud to be a part of it in a time like this. She had always dreamt of travelling to King's Landing, or maybe even the North, but here was where she truly belonged - with laughing and infinite people. She was dizzy due to all of the swaying she had kept up, but the way everything seemed to dance around her only made her giddier and she giggled at the way she almost tripped on her long dress.

She was warm and she could feel herself softly panting regardless of the thin silk dress she was wearing that night. Before she knew it, someone's cold hand made their way into hers and she was swirled around and only moments after that hand swirled her around again. It was a partner dance, one of those that Mary loved. Any man, woman or child could join. No one was left out because of their looks or their titles. This dance was for all who belonged. She still had her eyes closed so she had no idea of who she danced with or who not, she only concentrated on the music and moving her body. It felt as she was swirled around at least a hundred times, and she didn't mind at all. The beautiful song ended all too soon and it wasn't before she heard her father's loud laughter echoing through the large room that she coped with the fact.

It was troubling to open her eyes, and when she did she had to close them quickly again. Everything was blurry and seemed to move around. She supposed that she should have felt nausea but that feeling was replaced by joy once again. Her green eyes opened and her vision was once again sharp as she saw that everyone previously dancing had quickly crept into their honorable places again by their tables or just talking with one another. Still, the echoing laughter of the man she trusted more than anything never departed and she turned her head and smiled up at her father who was sitting in his seat above everyone. His dark hair was shoulder-length and had a shaggy look of it, matching his beard which had grown awfully long. He had a long face and brown eyes hardened by war. He wore a light smile as he looked at his oldest daughter, and Mary could see that he was proud of her. She had always been close to her father as a little girl but nowadays she almost never saw him.

Because of the clash of the five kings who were fighting for the Iron Throne, her father had been riding into battle for the Lannisters - because of their sworn loyalty to the one and true king, Joffrey Baratheon. The Tenshis had also been fighting for the Lannisters as their oath was spoken and couldn't be broken without pain and death. Mary understood what her father had to do and that he stood accountable for his uttered words of promises; but she was still a girl of ten and five who missed her father most dearly and wanted him to be tucked safely and soundly within the thick castle walls of The Raym where no stags, krakens or wolves could hurt him. Four moons ago her father had travelled towards King's Landing where he had spoken with Tywin Lannister, her father's close friend and Mary's liege Lord, he was also the man she had heard stories of since she was a little girl. Her father had returned after only a week into the visit to the battlefield and fought with both stags and krakens and Mary knew that he had won because the Gods were on his side. Mary had stayed up most nights, praying for her father's safe return. She also prayed that he wouldn't stumble upon the King of the North and his large beast who she had heard horrifying stories of. But returned her father had, and her mother had arranged a feast in his honor as well as that of his brave men.

Remembering her mother, Mary slowly looked at her lady mother who sat beside her father with a tight smile on her beautiful heart-shaped face. Her long dark hair, so much like Mary's, was delicately pinned up in a southern style with two braids tucked together in the back of her head and two long strands of dark hair hanging down on either side of her shoulders. She wasn't looking at Mary with the proud willfulness that her lord father was; but with a silent frown on her thin lips that was telling her to be a lady and sit down on her chair without dancing like that in front of everyone important watching. Her mother wore a beautiful blue dress with the Tenshi's sigil showing on her dress in a darker blue - a beautiful bird flying with its wings spread out as if to escape the world and its nightmares. It was indeed a beautiful sigil which presented house Tenshi in the most pretty of ways. Above the dark blue, was their motto and Mary almost wanted to laugh in humour as she watched her mother give her a strict look - thinking to herself that her mother was more like a stubborn bull than a free, willful bird.

She watched as her father raised his hands up into the air towards her as he silently motioned for her to come up to him, his chest still moving with the force of his chuckles. She obeyed with a light smile, quickly dusting her light-blue dress off as if to smooth away the wrinkles that she had created while dancing. She walked with easy steps; careful to smile to everyone she passed in a friendly greeting. She tried to keep her hair at bay but failed strongly as it were now a mess of tangled knots and torn ribbons. When she had mounted the small steps up to the where her family was seated - as well as her own chair that she hadn't spent more than a couple of minutes on - she smiled brightly at her father, showing all her teeth in the process.

''Father,'' Mary greeted lightly as she stood before him, only smiling brighter when her father's warm hands took her own.

''Mary, my beautiful daughter,'' Marken Tenshi smiled. ''It brings me such happiness when I see you dancing.''

Mary's dark eyebrows raised in a questing manner, a smirk playing on her lips. ''Is that so? I who thought that you once said I was clumsy?''

''After swirling that many times in that big dress it's a miracle that you can even stand on your feet, my dear.'' Her father laughed, his dark hair falling into his brown eyes. ''I guess it's true; you women truly are a wonder to the world.''

Mary laughed, as well as any other person who over-heard Marken Tenshi's conversation with his young daughter. Her father had always had a good sense of humour, something her lady mother didn't appreciate nearly as much as Mary herself. But Mary knew that her mother and father hadn't married out of love but duty and alliance. Even though, she sometimes like to imagine that they loved each other, that they were a loving family. But her mother never looked at her father the way women in the shops and such looks at their husbands who they married by choice. Neither could Mary say that her father looked at her mother that way either, but he would sometimes try to make them look like such a family but quickly stopped when her mother frowned in disagreement.

Mary was pulled from her thoughts as she felt a small tug on her dress, making her look down with a smile as she quickly understood exactly who it was. As she looked down, she was met by a pair of big brown eyes and the most innocent little frown she had ever seen. Mary looked at her younger sister who had only had her fifth nameday during the last moon. Her brown hair was nowhere near as long as Mary and their mother's, a fact she knew her younger sister hated more than anything. Her sister was a beauty with a rounder head, there was no doubt about it. Even though, Mary knew that Lara envied her above everyone she had ever met. Even the beauty of Queen Cersei didn't matter to that stubborn little thing. She kneeled down to her sister's short level and softly traced her fingers through her hair. Lara tilted her head slightly to the side and looked at Mary curiously with a tired smile on her rosy lips.

''Tired, sweet?'' Mary asked as she saw her sister's brown eyes almost closing. She noticed that her mother had done a well job in dressing Lara beautifully for the feast, and she felt pity for her sister that she had to go in such tight dresses at such young age. She herself remembered what a torment it was. Mary guessed it had become easier in time to look and act like a doll.

''Mmmh,'' Lara mumbled through half-closed eyes. ''A little.''

''I think it's time for you to go to bed.'' Mary smiled, her eyes travelling to her mother and father. ''Am I allowed to take her?''

''I think it's for the best.'' Marken announced. ''I think she has already begun to fall asleep, the poor thing.''

Mary nodded before picking up her sister who felt almost as light as a feather in her hands, making her wonder exactly how much food her sister had eaten over the years. She was far too light for a little girl of five namedays. As she turned to retire for tonight she heard her mother spit out her name, making her freeze in her movements. She turned around again to see her mother already coming towards her, the blue dress trailing behind beautifully. Her mother's green eyes bore into hers as she came closer, Lara safely tucked between them, fast sleep.

''I would like to speak with you after you take Lara to bed,'' Her mother announced as she gently traced her fingers through Lara's short brown hair before her eyes caught Mary's again. ''Come to the garden before you go to your own chamber.'' Her mother then smiled shortly, ''Will you, beautiful?''

Mary hesitated for a second, unspoken questions traveling through her mind. But then her mother's green eyes hardened just the slightest and she nodded her head with a small, forced smile on her lips. ''Of course, mother.''

When her mother nodded and returned to her father to sit down beside him once again, Mary got the cue and turned around too. She walked with quick steps out from the room of the feast and into the stone-hall. The music from the feast was muffled by the thick door and she was somehow grateful that the only sounds were the wind outside, her footsteps echoing through the halls and her sister's steady breathing against her neck. It didn't take long before they arrived at Lara's chamber, too quick for Mary's liking. She gently assured the grip she had on her sister's small frame before gently, and as quietly as she could master, opened the wood-door to the chamber, cringing when the familiar crack was heard and she felt her sister twitch as she woke up. As she walked into the room she looked around her sister's small chamber, smiling at the mess the younger girl had made with her namedays gifts that were splayed all over the floor.

She walked to the bed and carefully laid Lara down upon the silks. She watched Lara's brown eyes open and as they caught Mary's green ones and a small smile was born on her face. Mary returned the innocent favor and she took the purple silk-sheet and tucked Lara down under it. Purple, Mary smiled as she fiddled with the colored silk. It had always been her sister's favorite color and she doubted that she would ever change her mind. She was almost as stubborn as their lady mother, almost.

''Will you stay with me tonight?'' Lara asked into the dark room, her brown eyes shining in the darkness. Lara always had awful nightmares and she always said herself that she had never dreamt a scary dream when Mary slept beside her. Mary couldn't deny that own her nightmares always seemed to go away when her Lara's smaller hand was safely intertwined with her own. She wanted nothing more than to accept her sister's offer, but her mother's request still played on her mind and she knew that she wouldn't want to meet her mother's fury, which was what would happen if she didn't do as she was told.

''I think I will have to sleep in my own chamber tonight, sweet.'' She smiled sadly, her heart hurting as she watched the hope in Lara's brown eyes fade.

''You told me so the night before also,'' Lara pouted sadly.

It was true, the day before Mary had cried herself to sleep in her own chamber because her father was at war, and she didn't want Lara to see her like that.

''I had a dream yesterday,'' she continued. ''I couldn't sleep after that.''

''I am sorry,'' Mary said sadly. ''What did you dream of?''

''There was a pair of yellow eyes in the dark looking at you,'' Lara said quietly.

Mary's eyes widened. ''Me?''

''Yes, you. They followed you everywhere and then you noticed and I screamed at you to not go to it, but you did anyway and then…'' Lara said with tears streaming down her small cheeks. Mary frowned as she carefully sat down on the bed and captured her in a tight hug as she combed her fingers through her short hair. ''…then he ate you.''

''It was only but a dream, little sister.'' Mary said lightly. ''You should not think about it too much. I'm here aren't I?'' When she saw Lara looking doubtful she raised her eyebrows in playfulness. ''You know me; I always listen to you, don't I? And you know that I'm smarter than walking towards something frightening. I would probably run away as I screamed, not looking back once.'' Mary laughed, jokingly dotting her sister's nose as she chuckled. ''You're forgetting that you're dreaming about the girl who ran away crying when she saw a spider last week.''

''You're right.'' Lara laughed lightly, her innocent, small voice in a joking tone. ''It was a scary spider though.''

Mary smiled as she lighted the candle that stood on the nightstand by her sister's bed. She looked at her sister as she held the burning stick in her hand. ''Indeed it was.'' She kissed her sister lightly on the chin. ''But it was you who picked it up and ran after me with it.''

Lara chuckled innocently. ''It was as cute as it was scary,'' she shrugged.

''Only you, Lara Tenshi, can be as sweet as you are annoying.''

Mary laughed lightly, but Mary could hear that she was beginning to get tired again, therefore telling Mary that she should be going now. ''Is there something more you want to talk about before I leave?''

She watched as Lara thought about it, her face turned into a serious expression. ''Could you get Ser Wyllam? He's in the cabinet.''

Mary only nodded before she stood up and made her way to the cabinet before opening and immediately catching sight of the little purple dove which Mary herself had stitched for her sister's fifth name day. She hadn't expected her sister to get be so happy and become so attached to the small bird, but she had even begun crying as she gave it to her. After that, she was never seen without it. Their mother though had forced her to leave it in the cabinet as it wasn't suitable to take with her to their father's feast. Mary took the soft dove into her hands, looking down at it with a small smile playing on her lips. Her thumbs lightly traced the engraved words that she had stitched into the right wing:

''Do not be afraid, my sweet sister. I'm always here.''

The memory of Lara naming the dove 'Ser Wyllam' made her chuckle to herself and also got her sister's attention.

''Mary, bring him here. He has to sleep.''

Mary walked back to the bed once again, this time not sitting down. Lara's arms were already stretched out in a desperate way to get Ser Wyllam and she made a cute noise when Mary finally let her take him.

''I was so angry at mother when she said that Ser Wyllam couldn't attend the feast,'' She said stubbornly as she inspected him like the cabinet had somehow hurt him. She was so unbelievably cute and innocent that Mary wanted to laugh. Lara's brown eyes showed fury as she talked of their mother. ''She told me that ladies don't play with toys and that this was an important feast but Ser Wyllam is important to me too!''

Mary tried to do anything not to laugh but it was too hard as she watched Lara being adorably angry. ''I'm sure that Ser Wyllam didn't mind. He wouldn't have thought that it was that funny either way. I believe that he had a greater time in the cabinet.''

''You're right,'' Lara said with a sigh. ''Next time though, I will ask mother if I too can stay in the cabinet with Ser Wyllam; so he's not alone.''

This time though, Mary couldn't stop the light chuckle that escaped her mouth. The image of innocent Lara sitting alone in a dark, cold cabinet with Ser Wyllam all alone made her giggly. She soon shook it away and looked at her sister's humored face through the light cast by the burning candle. She took her hand and intertwined them again. Mary then gently placed a light kiss on her sister's forehead and turned around. ''Do you want me to blow out the candle?''

Lara had closed her brown eyes and Mary could see that she was at the brink of sleep, Ser Wyllam safely tucked in her small arms.

''No,'' she mumbled tiredly. ''You may change your mind, I don't want you to trip in the dark then.''

''Fine then,'' Mary smiled. ''I love you, sleep soundly.''

''I love you too.'' Lara whispered drowsily, her voice thick with sleep.

She stood by the door and watched her little sister until she could hear her heavy breathing that told the dark-haired girl that her sister had fallen asleep. Mary stood there until she didn't have any more excuses to not go to the garden and speak with her mother on a matter she didn't know. Questions were burning through her mind and she wanted nothing more than to know what her mother was so desperate to talk with her about. Mary and her mother almost never spoke about matters except for the ordinary ''How was your day?'' and sometimes about Lara. But the way her mother's green eyes had bored into hers so intensely had her curious and frightened at the same time.

The walk to the garden didn't take long enough for her liking, even though she had tried to take as small and slow steps she possibly could without looking too obvious. But without her consent, she had arrived to the green garden. A wind breezed through the air and hit her frigid skin, making coldness creep into her veins. Her hair swayed in the dark and she swallowed thickly as her eyes caught a vision of a dark silhouette by the bench that stood in the middle of the white roses. She got the huge urge to just turn around and run into her chamber again, and then tell her mother in the morning that she forgot about their meeting. But then she saw the dark, slender silhouette turn to face her, and Mary tightened her hands to fists and began moving towards her mother without thinking about anything else.

Her lady mother looked as beautiful and grim as she had at the feast, but there was a new glimpse in her green eyes; almost like a secret unknown to any but her. Mary didn't bother to smile as she stood before her mother in the darkness but quickly nodded her head in greeting. Mary's stomach clenched strangely as she watched her mother smile warmly at her, before sitting down on the white bench and motioning for her to do the same; which she did, of course. Mary didn't know if it was the cold or her mother's chilling look that made her uncomfortably twitch on the bench, but she had a good guess that it had something to do with the woman sitting beside her.

Mary couldn't say that she and her mother didn't like each other, but it had always been something unspoken and cold between them. Her lady mother, Ilana Tenshi, was nothing like her lord father. It was strict, useful and tight smiles with her, not warmth, laughs and lovely hugs as it was with her father. That was why she jumped in surprise as she felt her mother's hand take her own in a light caress. Her green eyes widened and met her mother's - whose were exactly the same color - but there was no surprised or even grim look there, only a sincere smile on her thin rosy lips.

''Daughter,'' she said, her voice strangely glad.

''Mother,'' Mary greeted back with a questioning tone, trying to fight the urge to retract her hand from the grip. She quietly wondered if her mother felt as awkward and clueless as she.

''It is unbelievable that you have turned into this beautiful young woman before me; the thought that you were once the little screaming child that I brought into this world is too strange.'' Ilana said, her eyes twinkling as if she didn't even want to think about it. Mary furrowed her eyebrows as she watched the way her mother quickly shook her head as if the idea was too strange. She felt her mother squeeze her hand, which had begun to get too warm to still be linked, but her mother didn't seem to mind as she picked up a white rose which had beautifully blossomed - with her free hand.

Mary quietly watched as her mother began sadly humming a hymn that only made her more uncomfortable by this sudden change in behavior.

''Mother?'' She finally said when she couldn't take the tension anymore. ''What is this all about?''

Her mother dragged her green eyes from the rose and looked at her, a frown settling on her beautiful face. ''What do you know about this war, Mary?''

Mary's dark eyebrows furrowed. ''This war?''

''As in; who do you think will win this war?''

Mary went quite for a while. ''I thought that-'' she stuttered but closed her mouth and tried again. ''I thought that Joffrey Baratheon was winning the war. He is the only true-born King.''

''There have been awful, poisons lies being spread, my dear child. Rumors started by those usurpers, those disgusting wolves and stags.'' Mary could see that her mother took a tight grip on the rose in her hand, an angry frown marring her features once again. Her face turned slightly red.

''Could I ask what rumors they are spreading?''

''They say that Tywin Lannister's son and daughter is intimate, that Joffrey Baratheon is Jaime Lannister's son instead of Robert's.'' Mary looked down at knees as she processed the news. She looked up once again as she heard her mother laugh almost madly. ''But those are disgusting lies that are completely made up. Tywin Lannister would never accept his children to do so. Never.'' Mary looked up at her mother in confusion as she spoke of the elder Lannister like he was some kind of god to her. Mary had never felt herself actually looking down on her mother before that moment.

''What does this have with me to do, mother?'' She said tightly. ''I don't see the reas-''

''It has everything to do with you, Mary!'' Her mother said sharply, her long nails digging into Mary's pale skin and she was sure that the action would create a bruise for everyone to see the next day. ''Your father did more than play with a sword the months he was gone. He also spoke with Tywin Lannister about important matters, including you.''

Mary's body went cold as a sick feeling unfurled in her stomach. She wanted to run away from her mother and her unforgiving grip, but it was like she was frozen to the core and was too numb to even think straight. Her mother's green eyes were still boring into hers and she wondered if she looked as angry and carefree as her mother did with those eyes; she wondered how people could even call her beautiful if she had such cold eyes. Finally she could hear herself speaking in a voice, barely above a whisper, her voice shaking with fright for the answer.

''What about me?''

''The Young Wolf is on the move and is sneakily hiding, waiting until he can attack. The wisest of his actions would be to attack us, and we knowthat he will soon because of your father's return. The boy is not stupid, and he is blood thirsty for revenge because of his traitor father and if he takes over The Raym and makes himself our King, he will have the biggest advantage he could possibly get against King's Landing. It would be a very smart move. But what the boy King doesn't know is that we have you, my dear child.''

When Ilana saw that Mary seemed to be elsewhere as she watched the grass with ghosted eyes, not blinking or making any motion of any kind, she continued.

''When the Young Wolf attacks us, we will let him take The Raym without much of a struggle, and we will make it seem as though he has won the battle. We will greet him like we would accept him and his filthy wolves as one of our own and we will call him by the title he wants. After that we will set up a feast in the boy's honor and that is when you come into the picture,'' Ilana smiled dangerously, a crazed spark in her green eyes. ''You will be dressed in the finest of dresses and you will seduce the wolf with what the Gods blessed you with and what every man craves - your youthful body and beauty. It is no lie that we cannot defeat the boy with swords and if we cannot beat him in the battlefield with a sword pierced through his heart, we will make the boy love a girl who will be the death of him.''

Mary felt dizzy, and she could see small lights burst in front of her eyes which was when she realized that she was about to faint from the lack of air and her dress which had never felt tighter against her slender form. She couldn't breathe at all and was sure that she would fall upon the green grass without another thought. But then she felt the cold squeeze of her mother's hand again and was struck back into reality. She blinked a couple of times before her green eyes settled on her mother, praying to the Gods to make her mother laugh and tell her that it was only a sick joke.

''I can't-'' She tried with a strangled voice.

''You can, and you will.'' Illana assured with a hard look. ''If Robb Stark is anything like his father his honour will probably keep him from fucking you even if you would attend naked to the feast - that's why you have to take his heart first. If Robb Stark marries you, he will surely be destroyed and abandoned by any alliance he may have with any house. He is betrothed with one of Lord Frey's daughters, but Tywin Lannister has spoken with Walder Frey and with as much gold as the old, grim man wanted, he finally swore his loyalty to house Lannister and agreed with the terms that he would be willing to kill the Starks and spare your life as a price for your loyalty. And let's not forget that you'll be helping Joffrey Baratheon win this war, finally. If the boy King is gone, the rebellion will fade with him.''

Everything somehow seemed to sway around her again, and this time she wasn't as happy as she had been when she was dancing, but this time she felt as though she would empty her stomach all over her mother's beautiful gown. Her family. Her own family had made plans for her to seduce Robb Stark, The Young Wolf and The King in the North, to win the war. They wanted her to capture his love, they wanted her to give her body to a boy she had never met and only heard battle stories of - and then kill him? Mary wasn't sure if she had actually stayed with Lara and fallen asleep and was now having one of her usual nightmares, only ten time worse. It must be so because this madness could not be reality. She wanted to laugh and cry at the same time.

She hadn't even noticed that tears had begun leaking down her cheeks before she felt her mother's cold hands brushing them away. She wanted to slap her away, but he was still frozen to the bench. Her mother tucked the dark strands of hair falling around her face behind her ears and smiled slightly. ''It is what needs to be done for this family, Mary.''

Anger burst through her whole body and made her so tense and hot that she felt like she would explode if her mother's hands touched her for a second longer. So without anything else she shot up from the bench faster than she herself could register, her knees quaking and her head spinning dangerously. Her face was twisted in disbelief and anger and the tears never seemed to stop. She was cold, so cold. Colder than she had ever been before and she doubted that she ever would be colder.

''How can you and father-'' she begun but stopped when the fury inside of her didn't let her finish her sentence. She tried to talk calmly, but had too many things to utter and too many accusations and insults to spit at her mother. She didn't care about her own daughter other than to sell her. No, even worse than to sell - than to make a whore and a murderer of her to a boy she had never even laid eyes upon. Finally her fists clenched at her sides and she opened her mind again to raise her voice like never before.

''How can my own mother and father decide such a horrible and horrifying faith for their own daughter's future!?'' She bellowed in between broken sobs. ''I can't even believe that my own parents could have even thought of those words before this day! Am I supposed to marry this wolf, give him my maidenhead and then watch as Lord Frey kills him right before my eyes? Then what? Will you kill me like you plan to kill Robb Stark?''

''That is ridiculous, Mary.'' Ilana said, watching her daughter carefully and without blinking. She seemed to completely ignore the fact that her own daughter was crying before her. ''We would never kill you, my dear child. What we ask of you is only to make the boy King fall in love with you, let him fuck you and then marry him on his accord - whether that is before the old Gods or something ridiculous like that. Then you will only have to play your part as the ''Queen in the North'', spread your legs for Robb Stark whenever he asks and then one day he will be gone, and you will be free. You will be a saviour in Westeros and lighten our house by far. And who knows? You may even be awarded for your service.''

Mary looked at her mother in disbelief from where she was standing. For the first time - doing what she thought was impossible for a daughter to do to a mother – Mary hated the older woman with everything in her. ''How can you even speak of this like it is normal? How can you command of me to do this when you can't even pretend to love father for a day despite being married for ten and five years?''

Her mother's green eyes hardened. ''If you can't pretend to love the Young Wolf, then do not. Robb Stark is a man, which means that he takes whatever he wants. All you have to do is show off your breasts and dance that ridiculous little dance of yours and then he will do as he pleases.''

''How can I even be sure that father agreed to this madness?'' Mary tried as another tear made its way out from her eye. ''How can I be sure that this is not something only you want?''

Her mother stood up quickly, her green eyes narrowed dangerously with strong fury. ''Young lady, I would recommend that you to think before you open that mouth of yours.'' She walked closer, so close that Mary was surrounded by the familiar scent of her mother which only made her want to suffocate. ''I will only say this one more time, and I would recommend that you listen. This is not a choice, Mary. This is what has to happen if we want Joffrey Baratheon to win this war, and we do want that, more than anything. Tywin Lannister is our liege lord and he desperately needs this boy dead and gone. So, because we have you, a beautiful daughter who is almost the same age as the boy King, we will make this sacrifice for our people, for everything we have always stood for,'' her mother searched for something in Mary's face. ''And for Lara's life and future.''

When Ilana saw a flick of emotion and defeat on Mary's beautiful face she smiled inside, knowing that she had won by talking of Lara. She gently brushed a lock of dark hair which had once again escaped from its position behind Mary's ear and set it straight again.

''You know that the Young Wolf would kill everyonein The Raym if we wouldn't surrender. Our people: your father, me, yourself and even little, innocent Lara. He has killed thousands of innocent children exactly like her before, he wouldn't think twice before killing her as any other.'' She smiled slightly as she saw Mary close her eyes in pain. ''Do you really want such a boy to run around in Westeros? Is that the King you want on the Iron Throne?''

Mary shook her head in defeat, her heart aching as the images of Lara lying dead in the flowers, a large direwolf eating her corpse played through her mind. No. No. No. She would do anything to save Lara's life. She opened her green eyes, more tears running down her cheeks in the process. Her mother watched her with her face set in an emotionless mask.

''I will do it.''

For the first time in Mary's whole life, her mother looked proud of her.

Don't forget to review ;*

Until next time - holdinghisheart