PROLOGUE II
Princess Shaena of House Targaryen and Lord Brandon of House Stark married in secret at the beginning of the year 276AL, only two months after the birth of Prince Viserys. Their union was witnessed by Lord Brandon's brother, Lord Eddard, and the princess' loyal lady-in-waiting, Lady Janna of House Tyrell, and the ceremony was performed by a nameless drunken septon.
The inn they would consummate their marriage in was by no means a suitable place for any highborn lady, let alone a princess, to stay. Yet Shaena found herself oddly satisfied with the inn's... humbleness. No one would think to look for a princess of the blood in an inn like this.
Shaena and Brandon had not let go of each other since they stepped inside the lowly inn. Their arms were wrapped around one another, their lips locked... Shaena would describe it as bliss. Better Brandon than Rhaegar. Better Brandon than any other man in Westeros. She giggled into her new husband's lips.
"What is it?" Brandon asked, surprised at the sudden giggle.
"We are married," she declared, face brightened with a very large smile. "We are wed, my love, and no one may ever part us."
Brandon began to laugh with her before he kissed her again. He undid the laces of her dress while she pulled open the laces of his doublet, and then his breaches. They parted to look at one another. Her eyes trailed up and down Brandon's body, admiring every muscle (and gods, were they many) and every scar and every little detail. She did not feel insecure as Brandon looked at her naked body as well. It felt right.
They kissed again and Brandon led her to the bed. He climbed on top of her, hands trailing down her body. He touched her breast, his finger rubbing her nipple, an action that made Shaena moan wantonly. He smirked at her and brought his hand between her legs. Shaena's moans grew louder. Chuckling at her eagerness, he continued to rub the spot between her legs. Shaena clenched her legs around his hand just as she brought his face closer to hers so she could kiss him again.
"Don't stop," she told him as Brandon inserted his finger inside of her. The sensation was an odd one, but became pleasurable very quickly. "Oh, oh," she moaned against his shoulder.
"I love you," Brandon whispered against her neck, peppering short kisses against her skin. "I love you, my wife."
Shaena would have said the words back to him, for they were certainly true, but her thoughts were interrupted by a sudden burst of pleasure as her cunt throbbed. "I need you. I need you inside of me. Oh, Brandon!"
Brandon obliged her, smirking, and eased himself inside. He was slow at first, allowing his new wife to get used to feel of him inside of her. Shaena felt uncomfortable. It was a feeling she would describe as an intrusion, yet after a few minutes of gentle thrusting, Shaena found herself wishing he would allow himself further inside of her. She began to meet his thrusts, which spurred Brandon on. Brandon's grunts were met by Shaena's moans that eventually became cries of pleasure.
"Does it hurt still?" Brandon asked her breathlessly, groaning with pleasure.
"Does it sound like it hurts?" Shaena responded, grinning up at him. "Faster, Brandon. Yes, yes, that's it." She was cut off by her own moan as Brandon's thrusts became hard and quick. Shaena met his thrusts with her hips. His thrusts soon became erratic as they both dissolved into moaning messes. Shaena clamped her teeth on Brandon's shoulder, though it did nothing to make her moans any quieter and only left her husband with a large bite.
With one last groan, Brandon released himself inside of her. Shaena climaxed not too long after. He stayed inside of her for a while, trying to catch his breath as they both became a panting mess. Finally, Brandon took his cock out of her and rolled onto the bed beside her. Smiling, Shaena turned her head to grin at him and kissed him before nestling herself in his arms.
"If only we could stay in this inn and never leave," Shaena mused.
"Hmm," Brandon said thoughtfully.
"My father will be angry," she added. "It is best you don't come with me when I tell him."
Brandon objected immediately. "Not a chance. What kind of man would I be if I left my wife to deal with a mad man on her own?" Realising his words were harsh, he quickly corrected himself. "I'm sorry. I know he is your father."
"And a mad man. You were right. But he is my father and I his daughter. He cannot severely harm me without ruining his reputation beyond repair," Shaena pointed out. She turned her head to look up him, worry in her eyes. "Please, my love. Let me handle him. You are not of his blood. You don't have that protection." Brandon did not respond, a scowl on his handsome face. Shaena kissed his nose. "I beg you. For my sake, let me handle this."
Reluctantly, Brandon sighed and nodded. "Fine. If that's what you wish." He looked away from her, becoming pensive. Shaena peppered kisses along his chest and shoulders, admiring his muscles. "I don't want to go back for a long time."
"We must eventually," Shaena insisted.
"I know. Of course," Brandon agreed. "But let us have a few days of peace. Just the two of us."
Shaena smiled at him. "I have no problem with that."
They spent two days in the inn, away from the rest of the world. Their days were filled with happiness and lovemaking. No doubt people were looking for them, yet Shaena could not find it in her to care. She was experiencing bliss – sheer, wonderful bliss.
Their marital bliss was soon destroyed on the third day when Brandon's younger brother came knocking on the door to their room. Clad in only her nightgown, Shaena opened the door to a frantic Ned. He ignored propriety and barged in, ignoring Brandon's questions.
"Everyone is looking for you both," Ned told them. "The entirety of Lannisport. I couldn't even find you- why weren't you staying where you said you'd be?"
"We thought we'd be found quicker in a high-class inn, so we came to this dump," Brandon replied immediately. "If the entirety of Lannisport was looking for us, then they sure make a piss-poor search party. How many inns are there in Lannisport, truly?"
"How can you be so nonchalant, Brandon?" Ned asked his brother. "The king knows you've married his daughter. He's calling for your head!"
"What a pity. I have such a handsome head, don't you think, my love?"
Shaena whacked him on the arm and gave him a stern look. "Be serious, Brandon. How does he know? You didn't..."
"I would never!" Ned declared, appalled at the thought of betraying his brother. He sat down on the chair by the hearth and let out a heavy sigh. "It was your lady, the one that witnessed the wedding with me."
"Janna," Shaena stated, having to sit down as well. She shook her head and scoffed, a bitter look on her face. "Of course. I should have known better. She is a wimp."
She remembered how Janna shook with fear throughout the entire ceremony. Once the wedding was over, she broke down in tears. No doubt the guilt became too much for her and she squealed to the king. Shaena didn't have it in her to be mad. If she was mad at anyone, it was herself. How could she be so foolish to as to trust Janna with anything?
"We have to go back," Shaena said after a long silence. Brandon and Ned turned to look at her. "Now. We must go back. The longer we keep my father waiting, the more enraged he will get. Come, Brandon, help me pull the sheet off the bed."
"What?" her husband replied.
Shaena rolled her eyes. "Proof of the consummation, so no one can have our marriage annulled. Come on. Help."
Together, they pulled the sheet off the bed. Shaena packed it into her small bag of clothes. Along with Brandon and Ned, Shaena made her way back to the castle on horseback. The area between her legs still ached somewhat and horse-riding only served to make the pain worse. Nevertheless, they made it to Lannisport Keep within a few hours.
Ser Arthur Dayne and Ser Barristan greeted her outside the keep. The Sword of the Morning had a sorrowful look on his face, one that his sworn brother Ser Barristan the Bold shared. "The king awaits you in the Great Hall, my lady."
Swallowing her fear, Shaena nodded and thanked him. They led her towards the Great Hall. She turned to Brandon who stood by her side, a stubborn look on his face. "Be gone, my love. My father will not harm me. But have no doubt, he will harm you if he sees you. Go."
"I will not be so craven. If my wife is brave enough to face the king, then I must join her," Brandon insisted. "Do not ask me to leave your side. Not now."
"The princess is right," Ser Barristan interceded. "The king's punishment for his daughter will not be half as bad as what he has in store for you. Seeing you will only ignite his ire. Trust me, son, as a man who has guarded the king and knows him well, he will not take your disobedience lightly."
Brandon stared at the older man for some time, his indecision evident by the look on his face. He sighed. "You will protect her, sers?"
Another pair of sorrowful looks. "We will do our best."
Shaena gave him a reassuring smile and squeezed his hand. "Go," she encouraged him. "Pack our things. We'll leave as soon as we can." Brandon looked reluctant and glanced between the three of them. Reluctantly, he tore himself away from his wife and walked away. Shaena looked at the two kingsguard and nodded at them, giving them both a similar reassuring smile as she had given Brandon. She knew that if the king wanted to hurt her, there would be no way they could intervene. They swore to protect the king above anyone else, even his wife and children.
Shaena inhaled deeply, trying to calm her nerves. Gods save me. She had to force her legs to move, her steps were slow and unsure as she walked into the Great Hall, well aware of the judging eyes on the back of her head and the glares of her king. Beside her enraged father, sat her brother, a pitiful look on his face. You will not miss me either, brother. I will bear the punishment for breaking our union, yet we will both reap the rewards. A lifetime apart – what a gift!
"You came to Lannisport the daughter of a king," the king began to speak, "and you leave a whore. You disgrace me. You disgrace your house. What will your beloved mother think when I tell her that her daughter is now a Stark whore?" Shaena pressed her lips together in a thin line, trying to keep her temper in check, although her fear was doing a fine job of that. "Where is your husband, whore? Is he not brave enough to face me? Has he left you already?" Her father started cackling. The sound made Shaena bristle.
"He loves me, Father, and I him." The king stopped his cackling and glared at her. "We married for love. I am happy with him." She prayed for her father to see reason. For once in his life, to think of his children's happiness. What a fool she was.
"And what of your brother? Your duty? Rhaegar, left without a wife of the blood of Old Valyria? You would condemn him to mix his blood with scum?" the king raised his voice at her and stood up to further intimidate her.
"I could not marry Rhaegar. I regret that there is no one else to take my place as his wife, but Rhaegar and I would have never been happy together. We would have never loved each other," Shaena told him. Surprised that her father was giving her the chance to speak, Shaena took his silence as a chance to say her piece. "Now we both have a chance at happiness. I have married the man I love and Rhaegar may find a woman he loves."
"Your selfishness – your recklessness has condemned House Targaryen. Our line will mix with the blood of the unworthy, because of your love for the wolf man," her father spat at her. Shaena flinched. "Do you think I loved your mother? She was plain and timid. I despised her, yet I did my duty and so did she. What makes you any better?"
"Nothing," Shaena insisted. "Please, Father-"
"Your Grace. You are no daughter of mine."
Shaena swallowed, tears in her eyes. "Your Grace. My king, I beg of you. Love has blinded me and made me stupid, yes, and I beg for your forgiveness." She lowered herself onto her knees and looked pleadingly at her lord father.
The king looked at her blankly before he was overcome by a fit of laughter. He threw back his head and looked to his subjects to join in. They all did. Except for the noble kingsguard, Lord Tywin and her beloved brother Rhaegar. The king walked towards her and bid her to rise. Shaena rose to her feet and watched her father gingerly.
"I will never forgive you." Without any sign of warning, the king back-handed her. The old man had a surprising amount of strength in him, but Shaena still thought that if she tried, she would be able to overpower him. But no one would dare strike against the king. Shaena laid feebly on the floor. Her father started to kick her – her ribs cracked, her fingers snapped as her father's boot stepped on them, crushing the bones inside.
Many tried to intervene. Shaena heard Ser Barristan and Ser Arthur's protests and the protests of Rhaegar. She started to sob as the pain became worse and worse. "Father, stop, please!" she begged him, but her pleads fell on deaf ears. Her father was panting and his blows were becoming weaker, but her body could not bear much more.
"Lord Father, please. She has suffered enough!" Shaena heard Rhaegar cry.
"That is for me to decide, Rhaegar!" the king yelled at his son. "She has insulted you and your manhood and the honour of House Targaryen! Her insolence ought to be punished!"
"There are other ways to punish her, Your Grace," Ser Barristan insisted feebly.
"Oh, like what? What would you have me do?"
Shaena looked at the two kingsguard through eyes blurred by tears. Ser Barristan looked between the king and his daughter helplessly, unable to think of anything. Aerys laughed and turned around to his daughter again, about to continue beating her. "Please, Father! No more!" she begged. "No more," she sobbed.
Rhaegar stepped in just as the king was about to kick her again. "Banish her, Father," he said. "From the South. She will never see her family again. She chose Brandon Stark. Let her have Brandon Stark."
The king considered the prince's proposition. He bid Shaena to rise. "An interesting suggestion, Rhaegar." He allowed Shaena to rise to her feet unsteadily, only to hit her again, causing another bruise to form on her face. He grabbed at the area between her legs. "You are Stark's whore now. Far be it from me to separate the two of you." He cackled and stepped away from Shaena. Rhaegar rushed to her side, noticing how her body swayed with weakness. "Get her out of my sight. You will leave Lannisport this night and will never come south again, on pain of death. I cannot bear the sight of you. LEAVE!"
Shaena jumped at his harsh voice and sobbed harder. Rhaegar led her out of the Hall quickly. Once they were far enough from the Great Hall, Shaena collapsed onto her knees and started to cry. Her father's hands had touched her in places she had never wished to be touched by her father – of all people! Rhaegar knelt beside her and wrapped her in his arms, allowing his sister to cry into his chest.
Once she had calmed, Rhaegar offered her his hand to help her up. Shaena looked up at him shamefully. "I cannot stand."
Rhaegar sighed and picked her up gingerly, though Shaena still felt a lot of pain. Rhaegar carried her to her husband's rooms, his sister almost falling asleep in his arms. "What were you thinking, Shaena? Going against Father?"
"Don't act so innocent, brother," Shaena replied. She may have been in pain, but her wit had not abated one bit. "You must be secretly delighted. A marriage between us would have been disastrous. If I have to bear a few scars and never visit south again, then I shall happily do so."
They spoke no further after that, Rhaegar brought his sister to Brandon Stark's chambers and laid her down on the bed. Her new husband rushed towards her and comforted her. "What did he do to you?"
Shaena summoned a smile for him, though it was a strained one. "It is only a few scratches. They will heal, Brandon."
Brandon Stark kissed her forehead. "We will wait for you to recover before we leave."
"That would be unwise," Rhaegar said. They turned to look at him. "My father has decided to let you both live. I would not chance your luck."
"The princess cannot hope to travel in her condition," Ned Stark objected. "It could prove fatal."
"Staying here will prove fatal. I can assure you of that."
"Is that a threat?" Brandon asked him.
"It is a warning. A certainty. There is no love lost between us, Lord Brandon, I am aware of that, but for the sake of my sister, get her out of Lannisport and to Winterfell. You'll all be safer for it. Your father is negotiating with mine. Do not ruin his efforts by acting rash." With that, Rhaegar left Shaena with the two Stark boys.
Shaena spoke the words she never thought she'd get the chance to say. "Rhaegar is right. We must leave today."
"Nonsense," Brandon refused. "You have to rest and get better before we leave. That monstrous man – I swear to all the gods, I will punish him for what he has done to you."
"He is the king, Brandon. Don't be foolish," Shaena told him. Her eyes were heavy and sleep was only moments from taking her. Her bones ached.
Ned examined her hand. Shaena winced. "The bones are broken. I'm going to get the maester."
"Very well. But we leave once the maester has finished bandaging my hand. Are we clear?" Shaena asked her husband. Brandon looked reluctant. "Brandon..."
"Fine. We are clear. We leave once the maester has tended to your injuries," Brandon said, looking at the bruises on her body and the shattered fingers on her right hand. He scoffed. "What a king we have. He deserves to be dragged off his throne and ripped to pieces."
"I may agree with you," Shaena told him, "but I will not encourage you to do anything about it. Brandon, promise me that you won't do anything rash. You're all I have now. I cannot risk losing you."
Tears formed in Shaena's eyes as she looked desperately at her husband. Brandon sighed and leaned down to kiss her cheek. He pressed his forehead against hers and swore, "I promise. I will not seek justice today."
Realising that was the extent of what her husband was going to promise her, Shaena sighed and said no more.
"Lord Stark," the king greeted the Warden of the North coldly. "Have you come to grovel on your son's behalf?"
Rickard bit his tongue and inclined his head respectfully. "I have, Your Grace. My son's actions has shamed House Stark. On his behalf, I beg you to accept my apology."
"I could be convinced to forgive you and your son for your insubordination..." the king said thoughtfully. A grin came upon his face. "But of course, reparations must be paid. Your son has cost me a daughter – a most valuable asset for any father. You must agree, Lord Stark. After all, you have one yourself."
"What kind of reparations, my king?" Rickard asked through gritted teeth. He could see the king's hand become frustrated. Rickard did not envy Lord Tywin Lannister for his position. Who would want to serve such a king?
"Gold, you fool. How much is a princess worth, Lord Tywin?" Aerys asked his hand.
"I should imagine three hundred dragons would be a fair price, Your Grace, considering that the princess was also the crown prince's betrothed," Tywin informed the king, fixing Aerys with a steely stare.
The king threw back his head and cackled. "Yes, a fair price for a princess and my son's betrothed, but my daughter is also one of the most beautiful women in the realm. Wouldn't you say, Lord Stark?"
"Yes, Your Grace," Rickard gritted out again.
"So shall we say... four hundred dragons?"
Rickard startled. "Four hundred?" he repeated, surprised. No woman was worth such a hefty price. Stupid Brandon.
"Why, of course. Or am I being too generous, Lord Stark, is that the problem?" King Aerys asked.
"No. There is no problem, Your Grace. I thank you for your generosity."
"When will you have the gold for me?" Aerys questioned, smirking. Greedy bastard.
"As soon as I return home, I will send a group of my most loyal men to King's Landing with the gold. You have my word," Rickard promised.
"Your word means nothing to me," Aerys snarled, his mood having changed in a mere second. "Your word is the word of a northern savage. If you do not keep your promise to me, Lord Stark, I send an army south to take your lands as well as your gold."
"That won't be necessary, my king." Rickard bowed to King Aerys, his insides writhing with rage. "If that is all."
The king dismissed with an uncaring wave and turned to speak to Lord Tywin. Rickard left without another word and went to his son's chambers. Inside, he found his sons and the princess, beaten and bruised, lying on his son's bed asleep. She was a sorry sight. The most beautiful woman in Westeros, bruised to the point of being unrecognisable by her own father.
"How is she?" Rickard asked Brandon quietly, as to not wake the princess.
"She could be better. We had a maester check her injuries. He said that she can travel, so long as we make a slow pace."
"Good news," Rickard commented. He was suddenly reminded of the fact that his son had gotten them in that situation and, anger taking over him, he slapped Brandon on the head. His son looked at him, shocked. "What were you thinking?"
"Father!" Brandon exclaimed.
"You weren't thinking, that's the problem," Rickard chastised. "You never think. I have grown weary of having to fix your mistakes, Brandon. Every time you act rashly, I am the one who has to pick up the pieces. The king has demanded I pay four hundred to the crown as compensation for you marrying the princess."
"That's ridiculous," Brandon pointed out.
"It is, and yet I must pay it, lest the king name us traitors and raise the realm against us." Rickard scoffed and shook his head. "You stupid, rash fool. Sometimes I wish Ned was my firstborn. At least he would not run the North to ground with his lusts and impulses."
Brandon glared at him. "Perhaps not. But the entire North would die of boredom before his reign was over."
"Shut up, Brandon," Ned responded, rolling his eyes at his brother's silliness. Brandon chuckled.
"Oh, son," Rickard said tiredly, sitting himself down at the chair by the fire. "If you had to fall into the arms of a woman that was not your betrothed, a Targaryen princess was not the most practical of options. Even a rash fool like you must see that."
"I do, Father." Surprisingly, his son had the gall to smile. "Yet love makes fools out of us all. I love her, Father, truly. The thought of not making her my wife almost destroyed me."
"And seeing her like that?" Rickard nodded towards the bruised, sleeping princess. "Does that not destroy you?"
"Of course it does," Brandon replies. "And someday I will get my revenge. I never thought... I didn't think the king would be so cruel."
"He's not called the Mad King for being a pushover, Brandon," Rickard deadpanned.
"Lord Stark," he heard a woman's voice say. Rickard looked to the princess, now awake and propped up in bed by her elbows. "My father, he has..."
"He has been agreeable," Rickard told her, offering her a kind smile. The princess is no doubt as silly as Brandon, but I can forgive them both. Youth are often rash and whimsical. It is up to their elders to pick up the pieces. "Don't worry about it, my dear. I sorted out our affairs with the king."
"Thank you, Lord Stark." The princess smiled gratefully at him.
He nodded. "Welcome to the family, my dear, though I wished you could have joined us on better terms."
"As do I, Lord Stark," the princess responded, though they both knew that so long as King Aerys lived, any mixing of the blood of Old Valyria with that of 'common blood' would bring conflict with it.
Northerners were not quick to trust a southern girl, Shaena learned that lesson rather quickly. Even if she was liked by the Stark family, their household and their bannermen were still distrusting of the Targaryen princess that made Lord Stark raise taxes and reduce imports. Shaena had not asked Lord Stark to 'buy' her from her father, though she supposed that in order to keep the peace between House Stark and the crown, Lord Stark did not have much of a choice.
The servants at Winterfell grew warmer with her once it was announced that she was pregnant with their beloved Brandon's heir. Lord Stark's bannermen warmed up to her as well as her stomach grew with child. Some still distrusted her. Those were the lords who knew the extent of Lord Stark's payment to the crown. Shaena tried to brush off their disapproval. After all, she had won over most of the important people in the North, what was a few adversaries?
Winterfell hadn't had a lady to run the keep since the death of Lyarra Stark four years ago. Shaena quickly fell into the role and even though she had always found her lessons on managing a household boring and refused to listen, Shaena quickly adapted to the tasks of the lady of Winterfell. Not only that, but she enjoyed having an important job.
However, her days of work were coming to an end soon. She sat with the steward, finishing off the final accounts before she retired from her duties until the baby was born. When she was finished the accounts, she retired to the bedroom she shared with Brandon and nestled in beside him, her head resting on his chest as he wrapped his strong arms around her.
Brandon kissed the top of her head. "You are so beautiful, my love. Pregnancy becomes you."
"You tell me that every night," Shaena replied fondly, gazing up at her husband.
"Yet I feel as though I don't tell you enough," Brandon told her, pressing his lips to hers.
He began to pepper her skin with kisses, starting with her neck and then her chest and then pregnant stomach. Brandon glanced up at her cheekily before pressing a kiss to the bush of hair between her legs and then her actual cunt, making her womanhood throb for him.
Shaena giggled at his boldness. Lust made her want him inside of her, but she forced herself to see reason.
"No, Brandon," she told him, sitting up in the bed so Brandon's lips could no longer touch her sex. She cupped his face in her hands. "It's not good for the baby. You heard what Maester Luwin said."
"Damn him," Brandon replied, grinning. He kissed her again. "I need you, Shaena. I need to be inside of you." He pulled up her nightgown and touched her cunt, rubbing at her most sensation spot. Shaena moaned against his lips. It took all she had in her to grab his hand and move his hand away from between her legs.
"We cannot," Shaena stressed. "I will not risk the health of our child. Maester Luwin said it's time we stop lying together." Brandon groaned in frustration and got up from the bed. Shaena raised her voice, "And I intend to do all I can to make sure our baby is healthy! Is that so wrong of me?"
"No. Of course. You can do no wrong, as always," Brandon snapped back. Shaena became wide-eyed at his sudden outburst. "Do you not want me, is that it?"
"What? No! Of course not!" Shaena insisted. "I am wet for you as it is. I refuse you because my sense outweighs my lust. Please, my love. Calm down." Brandon huffed. "Come to bed, my love," she urged him.
Brandon sighed and lay down beside her. Just as Shaena was about to snuggle into him again, he turned his back to her, his body tense as he tried to prove some sort of point. Shaena sighed and faced the other way. It was the first time she had slept in Winterfell without being in her husband's arms and she hated it. She felt cold and lonely.
He is all I have, she thought to herself, tears forming in her eyes. If I do not have Brandon, then I am all alone.
The next two months were filled with tension and, on Shaena's part, sadness. She spent most of her time with young Lyanna, a girl of twelve, listening to poetry and music. Her thoughts would often wander off during these activities, often they contained suspicions and fears that she dared not speak aloud. Her heart broke when she even thought about her Brandon, the love of her life, betraying her. To know that he was bedding other women would most certainly destroy her.
"Shae," Lyanna called her good-sister. She laughed at Shaena's lost expression. "You did it again. Were you listening?"
"Of course I was," Shaena insisted.
"I know when you're lying," Lyanna warned her with a stern look.
"You look too like your father when you put on that face," Shaena told the young girl, who merely smirked at her. Shaena smiled back at her. "I'm sorry, Lyanna. Would you read it to me again?"
"Some other time, perhaps. You're too distracted to appreciate my brilliant poetry."
For a girl her age, Lyanna wrote beautifully. Shaena never had a talent for poetry. She could play the flute well enough, and her singing was passable, yet the language of poetry was lost on her. In the months following their formal betrothal, Rhaegar used to write her poems that he performed at feasts. Though she was never fond of her brother, the beautiful language he used brought her to tears. Sometimes she cried because of the poems themselves, and sometimes she cried because she knew that Rhaegar would never love her like his poems described.
"What is the matter, Shae?" Lyanna asked. "Is it my brother?"
"How did you know?" Shaena replied, surprised. Children notice more than they let on, she remembered her mother saying once. Lyanna was certainly letting on now.
"I guessed," she answered sheepishly.
The princess could tell that Lyanna being untruthful. "I know when you're lying," Shaena told the younger girl, mimicking her previous statement.
Lyanna scowled at Shaena. Eventually, she gave in and sighed. "I don't want to hurt you."
"You won't hurt me," Shaena said, as though the thought was preposterous. Realisation dawned on her as she began to think the worst. "What is it? Tell me, Lya. You have me worried."
"I, well... I'm telling you because I think you have a right to know," Lyanna said slowly. "I don't understand it really, but I..." She took a deep breath. "I saw Brandon kissing a kitchen maid a few weeks ago and since then... I've heard things, Shaena. From other kitchen maids. I don't understand what they're talking about most of the time – they're always giggling and using strange words, but I think my brother is doing things he shouldn't be." Shaena got the impression that Lyanna understood more than she was letting on, but didn't have the energy to call her out on it.
She laid back in her chair and rested her hand on her large bump. Her heart felt like it was shattering into tiny pieces. "Thank you, Lya. For telling me."
"I did not hurt you?"
"You could never do such a thing." Your brother on the other hand... he has broken my heart.
Shaena swallowed the lump in her throat and rose to her feet, her sadness having turned to rage in one brief moment. She searched around the keep for Brandon, expecting to find him with some serving girl or kitchen maid. She must have searched the entire keep, yet she found no sign of her husband.
"Ben," she called, seeing her young good-brother in the courtyard. "Have you seen Brandon?"
"I think he's gone to Winter Town," Benjen replied. "He's been gone a few hours now. He'll probably be back soon."
"Did he say why he went?" You know, you naive little fool. You know well why we went. She willed Benjen to give her another answer, so she could pretend at least.
Benjen shrugged. "No. Not a thing." Shaena gave him a small smile and let him run off to play with the other children. Tears blurred her vision, but she did her best to push them back and ignore the sadness, the jealousy, burning inside of her.
She went to their bedroom and waited for him all night. It was pitch black outside by the time she heard his footsteps. Shaena stopped her pacing and stood up straight as she waited for Brandon to open the door. When he did, she fixed him with a glare. He smelt of cheap perfume and ale. It was all the clarification Shaena needed and more than she wanted.
"Where were you?" she asked him hotly, taking in his drunkenness. Brandon groaned at her and covered his ears. "You had me worried all night. You owe me an answer!"
"I was in... in Winter Town," he slurred.
His reply only served to fuel her anger. She placed her hands on her hips and glowered at her drunk husband. "And what were you doing?" Or who, should I ask?
Brandon took a while to reply, but when he came up with a response, he had to chuckle to himself for his own brilliant wit. "Looking at oranges." Hearing himself say it out loud only made him more giddy.
Unamused, Shaena raised an eyebrow at his childishness. "Oranges?"
"Yes, oranges. You know, the spherical, orange fruits that we get from the south-"
"I know very well what oranges are, Brandon," she deadpanned. If he was going to lie to her, she would not let him make her feel like a fool as well. "Do you take me for a fool? What were you doing in Winter Town?"
"Having fun," Brandon told her, grinning. "You ought to try it sometime. You've become an awful bore, Shaena, do you know that?"
"I am not-" she stopped herself and scoffed. She would not fall into his trap and let him rile her up. "What fun were you having?"
Suddenly, Brandon sobered up, guilt etched on his face. "Shaena..." he trailed off, his voice filled with warning. Do not ask, she heard his meaning, yet she ignored it all the same.
Shaena shook her head. "Tell me. I keep thinking the worst. I keep hearing these horrible rumours. Tell me they're wrong. Tell me I'm wrong. You've always loved proving me wrong," she almost begged him. How pitiful she must have sounded. She had to know. She knew she was only hurting herself, but not knowing hurt worse.
"I can't do that," Brandon said.
Tears welled in her purple eyes that she tried to push back. She swallowed and continued to speak. "So I must ask you again, what were you doing in Winter Town?"
"You don't want me to," Brandon insisted. "You don't want to hear it, Shaena. Spare us both the pain."
"I have to... I have to hear you say it," Shaena declared. Brandon pressed his lips together and looked away from her, too filled with shame to even look her in the eye as he broke her heart. Shaena rose her voice and shouted at him, "Say it!"
"I was fucking a whore!" Brandon yelled back, becoming angry himself. "There was two of them actually. I fucked them both."
As soon as she heard the words leave his lips, Shaena regretted ever asking at all. But she had to hear him say it. She could not let him keep such a large secret from her, or allow the weight of his infidelity hang over them like an unspoken sin. She allowed her tears to fall freely down her cheek. Let him see my tears. Every one of them. Let him see what he has done to me. She was glad to see the shame on his face, but it did little to ease her pain. Overwhelmed, Shaena sat down at the end of their bed and touched her stomach, where the product of their love was growing. Love. How can he hurt me like this if he loves me?
"You could not have just waited for me," Shaena asked, her voice breaking. "A few months, Brandon, that's all. I would have had the child and everything would have went back to normal." Her sadness quickly turned to anger and she didn't care to hide it. "Are you such a slave to your urges? To your lust?"
"A man has needs," Brandon replied, a slave to his anger as well. "It is well within my rights to bed other women while my wife is with child. That's a lord's right!"
"And what of my rights?" Shaena questioned. "As your wife? You promised to protect me, to love me. Where are your vows now?"
"And what of yours?" he shouted. "Did you not swear to love and obey?"
He had shocked her into silence. She stared up at her husband, the man she had given up her entire life for. The man she loved so much she risked angering her father for. The man she loved so much she took a beating for. Her voice broke again as she replied, shocked, "I did."
"Then obey me," Brandon snarled. "I will hear no more of this."
"I gave up everything for you!" Shaena shouted back. "My family, my home, my entire life! I suffered a beating by my father, was humiliated by him, because I wanted to be with you! I will never go home again because I married you, because I loved you!"
"That was your choice," her husband said coldly. "It was all your choice. I never forced you to marry me." Seeing the hurt on his wife's face, Brandon sighed and calmed himself down, his tone becoming much softer. "I love you, Shaena. More than I could ever love any other woman. I will continue to love you until the end of my days, as fiercely as I did when I asked you to marry me. But I will do as many men have done before me. I will seek my pleasures elsewhere and if we are to remain as happy as we are now, then you must look the other way."
He had done what Shaena never thought possible. He had broke her. She did not reply, unable to find the words. Brandon pressed a kiss to the crown of her head before leaving her all alone. Shaena began to cry. She had always looked down on women who allowed men to break them. Why give your heart to someone when you know it will be easily shattered? But Shaena had never thought her heart to be fragile and yet here she was, feeling as though her entire world was falling apart.
That night was the first night she had slept alone since her wedding. It was also the night she laboured to give birth to her eldest child.
Author's Note: Firstly, thanks for all the reviews, follows and favourites from the last chapter! This is the second prologue chapter and there will be just one more before we get into the main story. I know Shaena can be frustrating at times and she is going to be a very flawed character, but I hope you like her all the same!
Let me know what you think!
