Chapter 1
Family is all that matters. Family is everything. Family before everyone and everything. No matter how you feel about each other you are family. Tywin's voice became the mantra in the back of Allyria's mind as she and her escorts rode straight towards the war camp that sprawled across her vision ahead of them.
Family is all that matters.
She came to a stop just before the entrance where two men, one much older and one about her age, stood watch.
Very carefully she slid off her horse and stepped towards the guards.
Family is everything.
"I am here to see the King." Ally spoke to seemingly no one in particular, with her eyes straight ahead. She strolled past them, her crimson skirts playing along the blades of grass beneath her feet and her fire tinged blonde hair wrestling its bindings in the wind.
Family before everyone and everything.
Looking around she spotted the only guarded tent flap and made her way that direction, her heart beating a cadence that threatened to burst her chest and her breath changing rapidly to uneven and nervous caused her to slow almost to a stop. She had to be composed before she planted herself in front of the King. The pause gave her guards, the ones from the gate, and a few men that were around her time to become a barricade around her, barring her way to the tent and the King. Northmen really wouldn't allow a lion amongst them, woman or man. How interestingly...stubborn.
No matter how you feel about each other...
"An escort would be lovely boys, but I doubt that there will be room for our entourage to all fit in the war tent." Again she relied on their honorable unwillingness to harm a woman and pushed her way through them and forward, letting them follow her if they wished directly to her goal. Her guard pulled aside the flap and she stepped inside. Permission was a courtesy she wouldn't be afforded if she were to ask and she would not afford them if given the chance.
You are family.
Her eyes locked onto the young man, barely older than herself if at all, sitting casually at the head of the strategy table and set her determination on him. Which got her four steps forward before a tall, red-haired, and angry looking woman placed herself between the two.
"How dare you just march in here?" the older woman said her word practically dripping with contempt and condescension.
"Please forgive me, my Lady Catelyn. My manners seem to be lacking from my urgency. I am Lady Allyria Brax, wife of Lord Tytos Brax, Lady of Hornvale." Ally gave a deep curtsey, trying to hide her own brand of contempt for the Lady Stark.
"You forgot daughter of Lord Tywin Lannister, the Lord of Casterly Rock, Shield of Lannisport, and Warden of the West. Enemy to my son and family. What are you doing here, Cunning Lion?" the Lady was sure to keep Ally away from the King, but Ally could be resourceful or at least more so than this woman.
"Wouldn't you, my King, benefit from an alliance with a large portion of his enemies forces?" this was her push in the door, and she directed her words past Lady Catelyn even though her eyes never left the old mother's face. The words came easily, probably too easily considering the gravity of the lie, but now all she had to do was follow through.
"Help from a Lannister would only put a knife in my sons back." Catelyn motioned for Ally to be removed as she spoke.
"I would much prefer that knife to be in Tywin's back, or the bastard king Joffrey's." she loaded every word with anger and resentment, hoping against hope that a mother would see pain and give her one chance.
"Let her through, mother"
Ally had never heard that voice in her life, but she knew it belonged Robb Stark, the King in the North. They called him the Young Wolf, the undefeated champion of the North, coming to avenge the death of his father and free the realms from the reign of the tyrant Joffrey. He was still a boy but an entire people rested their hopes on his shoulders, she still wasn't sure that he could live up to their expectations or not.
One foot in front of the other she thought to herself as she stepped up to the map strewn table, eyes set on the King. Ally curtsied to him, his near black eyes seemed to shine with the promise of a storm and they held onto hers as if her ethereal emerald depths would never see anything else again. She had seen them before, but she couldn't place where.
"So Lady Lannister, what is this I heard about a knife in Tywin's back?" Northmen didn't understand that station and family gave a person the right to respect, nothing else. It took her a moment too long to realize that the words had come from just to the left of the man she had assumed to be the King. Instead a bulkier, auburn haired boy stood with near decent posture, leaning over the table. Under closer study she could see his mother revealing herself in his features and felt a small twinge of embarrassment. She had heard that the boy-King more resembled the Tully's of Riverrun than the Stark's of Winterfell, and had still looked right past him.
"It is Lady Brax, my King. I no longer have my father's name. I am here to delegate an alliance between yourself and Lord Brax, giving you the pledge of his forces to help you win this war." Ally knew how this worked, she knew that being a woman would count against her to the Northern King, but lucky for her she had been well trained.
"If your husband wishes an alliance, when shall we expect him to arrive, my Lady?" such a predictable response from the boy-King.
"My husband is by my Lord father's side, holding up our good standing with him in case you, dear King, don't accept our help. You cannot expect us to simply walk away from Tywin Lannister unscathed."
"Then how can you prove his investment in this potential acquaintanceship you are proposing?"
"What man would send his own beloved wife into the center of a King's war camp without being fully prepared to invest wholeheartedly in the endeavor. Tytos wishes Tywin and the bastard King Joffrey taken from power and from this world more than you could imagine, King Robb."
"You will keep contact with him regarding our proceedings via raven and travel with us until this is settled." Robb stated instead of questioned, an infraction she chose to overlook. "Do you have your own supplies?"
"Yes, my King." Ally curtsied, recognizing the imminent dismissal.
As she began turning a voice called her attention back. "Be careful not to be alone among these men. Not many of them will see your honor for its value."
Once again her eyes fell into the murky depths of the other man, who was now leaning on the table in the same way the King had.
"My lord," Ally gave him a sweet smile, "I have no cause to fear a man."
With that she turned on her heel and motioned to her guards to follow, her heart pounding in her ears. Only after the tent flaps had fallen shut behind her did she allow herself a deep breath of the crisp air, fighting down the rush that had her head spinning. Tomorrow she began her campaign, her true reason to be here amongst the very people she had been raised to see as the enemy. Saving the kingslayer, her elder brother, Jaime Lannister.
You are family.
Atop her barrel she sat, gazing out on the men bustling around. Some were laughing and joking and some were going through the motions in a way that only years of practice could attest to. Young and old they weaved around each other. If the weapons weren't so obvious one could barely tell that this was a war camp. Then again being undefeated can keep spirits high and friendly behavior a much more common occurrence amongst men.
To the left of Ally's attention the flap to the war tent flung open and out marched all of the commanders, two by two and one by one they left in a stiff manner, hardly speaking to one another. There had most likely been a disagreement with the King, or he had dismissed them without warning. Men were fickle beings, letting their feathers be ruffled over such small offenses. Ally scoffed to herself, thinking of all the things she had seen her own father huff and puff about. Her mind wandering off to all the times she was the one who sent his pride down the river.
The next pair to step from the tent brought Ally's attention back to the present abruptly. The King and her assumed King paused just outside and looked out over everyone, giving Ally her first real view at the pair. They both stood tall like Lord's should, but neither were much taller than herself. King Robb was broader and carried himself in a strong way for his age, showing the work he put into himself to look the strong part of his position, then again that could be the Tully blood that swam through his veins. His red-brown hair and river blue eyes attested to his mother's heritage shining through him. Unlike Robb, the other man was built a touch smaller, but you could tell that if matched against the King he would win hands down. He looked the image of the Starks of old, the ones from the stories. With his dark gray brown eyes and long, hardened face, dark hair that curled around his cheeks, he held a spark of something she couldn't quite place behind it all. As if he hid the world behind a sheath of curling locks and stubborn glares. She wondered for a moment if she could guess that he was the bastard son of the late Lord Eddard Stark, but stifled her curiosity as she realized that his gaze was caught in hers and he was striding towards her. Quickly she straightened her skirts and sat up straight, attempting to pull together what was left of her pride at that moment.
As she watched, and prepared a witty defense, he walked right past her and started helping her men put the finishing touches on their camp. She watched in amazement as he lifted her clothes trunk in passing and seemed to ignore that she even existed. Within minutes they had everything finished for her and she found herself taking his outstretched hand, sure that her incredulous look was still covering her face.
"I did not mean to offend you, my Lady. Surely your men need as much of a break that they can get after the long journey here." he gave her a small bow and released her hand. "My name is Jon Snow, I pray you forgive my help."
"So you are Eddard's bastard." Before his words had even sunk in her mouth was already betraying her, and in a most rude way. "I am sorry, my lord. I didn't mean to state that so bluntly, I had just wondered if that is who you were. I thank you for your help and I am sure my men do as well. They are due for a much needed rest, as I am."
Jon just laughed at her attempt to make right her outright insult. Laughed and shook his head, an action which sent his curls jumping uncontrollably.
"Do not worry, my Lady. The word does not bother me as much as it should coming from such a smart mouth. Yes, I am the late Lord's bastard son. The King is my brother and has decided that my place is at his side in this war. If his mother had her way I wouldn't be permitted within the camp, I would have gone south with my father or stayed in Winterfell where I could not bother her so."
"Even in Casterly Rock we know of the Lady Stark's love for you, but of course she must listen to her King. Boy or not. Though, I guess he wasn't her King when you departed from Winterfell, was he?" Ally contemplated the timeline for a moment, seeing much farther into the relationship there than even her father knew. "You must be honored that your brother thinks so highly of you."
"He just didn't want to be in this alone, I think. Lady Stark isn't much for helpful company in a war. One truly shouldn't march with their mother towards men who wish to tear you to pieces." Jon seemed to stop himself, possibly thinking he had said too much to her. "I should bid you goodnight, my lady. It is starting to get dark and I am sure you would like plenty of rest."
He held out his hand, expectant of hers, which she handed him gracefully. A quick peck on her gloved hand and he was off, with barely another glance her way. Which was probably for the best, her mind didn't need clouding. Of course she would befriend him, maybe get more highly useful information about Lady Stark and King Stark to slip forth in casual conversation.
Shaking off her thoughts, Ally stood slowly and made her way into her tent to get some much needed rest.
Storms swirled and raged, hidden behind dark lashes that dripped small seas. All she could do was watch them fall and fall until they splashed on the leaves of a heart tree, causing it to run crimson with its own blood. With that simple image she was drawn into a swirl of lost images, all of which she had seen before. Every night since she gained her sight. Blood and weddings. Ravens and crows circling over a castle. White haired beauty on her knees screaming from a pain unseen, flames quivering around her. Armies falling and men rising. A circle of faceless men formed around her, bowing in reverence. But then at the last moment they lift from their reverence and turn to bow to a dark form off in the distance.
Sharp pains lanced through her eyes and she woke with a start...
Sounds of horns and clanking metal, shouting men and stomping feet circled around her tent. While some deep sarcastic part of her sleep addled mind muttered to her about why women aren't allowed in camps like this, she shook the last dredges of her dream away. Today she would make her next move and would be one step closer to her brother.
Carefully she dressed in grey and white silks, intentionally and very plainly showcasing her support for this King in the way only a woman can manage. Finishing the look with a direwolf head pin as the clasp of a sash. King Stark would have no choice but to keep her by his side, if only to boost morale. A Lannister jewel on his arm. Soon enough she would have her brother on his way home, no matter the personal cost.