Chapter 2
Lyanna tried to nap before the feast, but she was still reeling from the events of the day. She had actually donned armor and jousted! It was thrilling beyond belief. And best of all was the way Howland looked when he saw his two bullies beaten and humiliated. Think how much more humiliation they would have suffered if they knew they were beaten by a girl? She laughed thinking about it.
"My Lady? Do you wish to dress for the feast?" her ladies' maid, Sarna, asked as she peeked into the room from the door.
Lyanna sprung from the bed with too much energy and said, "Yes." She chose a soft, pale blue gown with silver trim.
After she finished dressing, she sat down in front of the mirror while Sarna arranged her hair. She had thick, long chestnut brown hair with a little natural wave to it. She wondered if Rhaegar Targaryen liked hair like hers. Or did he like the long, dark curls of his wife, Elia.
"My lady, Lord Robert is sure to be pleased. You look most beautiful," Sarna said, putting the finishing touches to her hair.
Robert? Oh, yes, her betrothed. "I believe he will," she replied, turning her head about to see it better in the mirror.
When she stepped out of the room, Robert was waiting for her in the solar. He always had a look of wonderment on his face when they were alone, almost like he couldn't believe she was his. He knew how to treat a lady, with kindness and respect, but that wasn't the part that bothered Lyanna. What bothered her was how he treated his 'other' women. She shouldn't have ever known about them, but with three brothers one could not help but overhear too much. The worst thing was that she had to pretend she didn't know these things about him.
When her father and mother had first sat her down and told her of the betrothal, she did protest. Her mind was full of the memories of Robert when he had come for a visit with Ned from the Eyrie, where they were fostering with Lord Arryn. He had snuck off many times to a brothel in the nearby village, and flirted endlessly with the household servants at Winterfell. When she told her parents this, they blamed his youth and told her that Robert would have better behavior when he took full responsibility as Lord of Storm's End. They thought it a strong match because Robert would be a lord of a great house, and not one of a lesser house.
"Lady Lyanna," he finally spoke. He took her hand and placed it in the crook of his arm. "Come, I wish to show the realm my beautiful bride. I will be the envy of all."
"You flatter me, my Lord," she replied, as they began walking.
"I tell the truth. I ask myself everyday when I wake up if this is all a dream or if it is real. To have captured the lady of my heart… my life is complete."
"Captured? Like one of your boars you like to hunt?" she grinned.
He stepped in front of her, his hands taking hers. "Lyanna," he said, growing serious, "I do not jest. Not about this. I love you. I'm going to spend the rest of my life proving it to you. You will be the Lady of Storm's End and I will give to you all that it is in my power to give to you. I want you to be happy. You have to believe that."
She reached up and touched his face, a light caress, as she smiled into his eyes. "I do believe it. Thank you." It was all she could give him at the moment. She stepped to the side. "We should go."
"Of course."
OOOOO
"My prince," Lady Whent trilled, a bit too happily after a few glasses of wine, "will the king be joining us tonight?"
Rhaegar had entered just a short while ago with his wife, whom he had sat at the head table as she had been feeling a bit weak as usual. Elia had never quite fully recovered after the birth of their last child, pale and wan, she needed to rest frequently. Even the best maesters they could find could not figure out what was wrong. She had always been a bit aloof towards Rhaegar, though he felt she was a loving mother to their two children. A sort of friendship had formed between the two of them over the years and she did listen and offer advise to him.
It was an arranged marriage of course, neither of them having a choice in the matter. Rhaegar often wondered if she left a love behind in Dorne. She would never say, though he had caught her staring out the window in the direction of Dorne often enough. He supposed that he should be glad that they never raised their voices with one another at the least. Unlike his father, Rhaegar did not shout and bully. And perhaps it was because of his distaste for his father's temperament, that he vowed to be different.
"My Lady Whent, the king will be dining in private tonight. But you'll be sure to see him at the joust tomorrow."
"Ah, well then, you'll have to sit in his chair tonight and preside over the evening," she smiled, flirtatiously.
"Of course," he nodded. "And where will the Starks be sitting tonight?"
"The Starks?" she turned her head about. "Over there, my prince, the high table to the right."
"Pardon me, my lady," he bowed his head slightly and turned toward his servant standing behind him. "Bring my harp to face the right high table."
"Immediately, my prince," the servant bowed and hurried off.
It was then his lady knight arrived, Ser Laughing Tree, dressed in a blue gown which complemented her beautiful eyes. She was on the arm of Robert Baratheon as they entered under a trellis of pink and yellow flowers. Her eyes swept the room and she paused when she saw the prince looking at her. He smiled and nodded slowly in greeting. Her eyes swept down bashfully, a smile on her lips, as she coyly turned to greet the people around her.
Rhaegar glanced around the room, noticing the effect she had on many of the men in attendance. She was very beautiful, but it was more than that. She had an innocence about her, a freshness. He wondered if they knew the Lyanna Stark he saw today. Did they know of her bravery and her fearlessness?
"I see the Starks have arrived," Ser Arthur Dayne said, as he moved next to the prince. Arthur was his guard and also his closest friend. "You seem particularly interested in them tonight?"
"I'm I?" Rhaegar grinned. "Perhaps one of them more than the others."
"The beautiful one?" Arthur surmised. "The frosty maiden of Winterfell."
Rhaegar turned to look at his friend in curiosity. "Frosty? Why would say that?"
Arthur chuckled and shrugged. "No reason, my prince. Only that she is from the land of ice and snow, far to the north."
Rhaegar's face turned contemplative. "Ice and snow…" he pondered out loud. "Fire and ice…"
"My prince?" Arthur inquired.
"It's old prophecy I read about as child." He put his hand on Arthur's arm. "Do you know, that prophecy changed my life? After I studied it, I put down the books and started learning to fight. I trained night and day. I felt that I had to, in order fulfill this prophecy."
"What was this prophecy?" Arthur asked.
A bell started ringing and people began heading to their proper tables for the feast. "I'll tell you another time," Rhaegar replied, as Lady Whent came sweeping up next to him.
"My prince," she said, clasping her hands in front of her torso. "When would you like to play for us, before or after the feasting?"
His eyes swept up where Lyanna was taking her seat with her family. "One song now, to open the festivities."
"Oh lovely," she gushed and turned to rush to her husband's side.
Lord Whent made his welcome speech and introduced Rhaegar with all his accompanying titles as the prince made his way over to his harp and sat.
The lords and ladies grew quiet with anticipation as Rhaegar waited for silence. Then he said, "My dear lords and ladies, I wrote this song just this afternoon, after a most interesting morning. A story began to form in my mind, a story about a beautiful maiden with very special qualities. I hope you enjoy it."
His eyes lifted to Lyanna's and he could tell she was apprehensive about what he might reveal. There was only one way to ease her mind.
He began softly playing a melody on the strings, and humming before the words began.
There secrets to be told and secrets to withhold,
And promises made in good faith.
But I cannot resist the telling of a story such as this,
Of a maiden so brave, true and fair.
She was raised in castle of noble renown,
An obedient daughter was she.
But her heart was great and her honor so strong,
She defended the young and the weak.
She was skilled with needle and skilled with sword,
She could ride like the wind on her horse.
She could shoot a straight arrow and outsmart
Any boy, though she was maiden fair.
But her childhood had ended and a woman must
She become, and a man she was given to wed.
A dutiful wife to her Lord, she graced his hearth
And his bed.
"Wife, you give up your boyish ways,"
Her husband commanded of her.
"Put down your sword, and obey your
Lord, as any good wife will do."
It was then that she hid, her true
Nature as bid, and secret she lived her true life.
She would don a disguise and in the night she
Would ride to the rescue of the young and the weak.
Her justice was swift like the steed that she rode,
Through the villages her sword shown sharp.
And the villains all fled from the Lady of Dread,
Who would come for the lawbreakers neck.
When sun would rise, she was back in her
Bed, her husband still fast asleep.
And never would he know why his lands were
So safe and his people so happy and free.
There secrets to be told and secrets to withhold,
And promises made in good faith.
But I cannot resist the telling of a story such as this,
Of a maiden so brave, true and fair.
Lyanna couldn't help the tears that began falling down her cheeks as Rhaegar sang. He had a made a story about her, but mostly about how she'd have to live her life, being a dutiful daughter and wife. She would spend her life hiding who she really was, just as she did this morning. The prince had figured out her greatest fear. It wasn't that she would have to wed a man like Robert, but that she would have to be someone she was not. How had he seen this in her?
As everyone clapped, she sniffled a bit and Robert turned to her. "Lyanna? Are you all right?" he asked, concerned.
She dried her eyes and said, "Yes, I… I'm fine. I found the song a bit sad."
"It was a bit foolish, if you asked me. A woman chopping off heads in the night?" He shook his head. "Targaryens are a strange bunch."
Robert would never understand the deeper meaning of the song. She knew that now. And in that way, he would never understand her. Not like Rhaegar did.
Lyanna looked over to the prince who was on his way to the dais to sit next to his princess. His head turned in the moment and he looked directly at her. She looked away quickly and spent the rest of the meal trying to avoid his gaze. But looking at Robert wasn't much better as he was drinking his wine far too quickly and she suspected it wouldn't be long until he became loud and obnoxious.
At the end of the meal, she was feeling like she needed to get some air, away from Robert's belligerent conversations with her brothers and their talk of tomorrow's joust. "I shall return shortly," she said to Robert as she rose from the table. He nodded and went back to his conversation.
She made her way through the lords and ladies and out into the garden walkway. Looking up at the stars and feeling the cool air on her cheeks was refreshing after all the food, wine and noise.
"Did you enjoy the song, my lady?"
Lyanna turned to see Rhaegar Targaryen standing behind her, his hands clasped casually behind his back.
She curtsied and bowed her head. "My prince. Yes, I did enjoy the song."
"You wept. Did it sadden you?"
"You noticed?" she said with a bit of embarrassment. "I did not think you saw."
"I see everything," he replied, softly, his eyes sweeping her from head to foot. "You look lovely in the starlight."
She took a step to go back into the hall. "I should return…"
"Walk with me," he said, his hand gently grasping her arm.
"I shouldn't leave my family so long…"
"There is something I wish to show you. Please, my lady, walk with me."
He was the crown prince, and she hoped a man of honor. But she wasn't afraid of him or what he might do. She was afraid of how he was making her feel. His hand on her arm was sending shivers through her and all her senses were alive and alert. What were his intentions? He was a married man and she was betrothed to another. But what excuse could she give him? He was only asking to walk with her.
"Of course, my prince," she replied, allowing him to thread his arm through hers as they began strolling down the garden path. Torches lit the way, casting a dancing glow on the foliage around them.
The silence was too much for her as he seemed perfectly happy to be next to her, lost in his own thoughts. She had to break the silence for the sake of her nerves.
"Are you entering the lists tomorrow?" she asked.
"Will you let me wear your favor if I do?" he replied, a sly smile on his lips.
How did he manage to send her neutral question into a conversation about the two of them? There was no avoiding it with the prince.
"You must wear the favor of your wife," she replied, hoping he didn't forget he had one.
"Must I?" he smiled.
"Of course. She would be hurt if you wore mine and Robert would not be pleased as well."
"I see. You really are the dutiful maiden," the prince replied.
"Is that so wrong?"
"No," he smiled, "I'd expect nothing less from you, my honorable Ser Laughing Tree."
"You are poking fun at me."
He stopped and stepped in front of her. "No, I'm enjoying my moments with you. I wish you to be yourself with me."
"You find me humorous?"
He took her hand and placed it on his heart, holding his hand over hers. "My lady, I find you inspiring. So inspiring, I sent a man out this day to learn everything he could about you."
She felt somewhat mollified. "For your song?"
He searched her face, as if he wanted to say something yet stopped himself. Instead, he took her hand in his and began to pull her along. "Come."
She began to worry that he had taken her too far from the safety of the hall. What if someone should see them together out here? What would they think? Suddenly he stopped, and she halted in her steps.
"We are here."
She looked about at the lit torches surrounding a very huge and very old Godswood tree, surrounded by garlands of flowers around it's trunk and hanging on its limbs, it contrast with it's frightening face carved into the trunk in ancient times.
Rhaegar let go of her hand and walked slowly to the face of the tree. "It was surrounded by overgrowth this morning, lonely and forgotten. But I had my men work on clearing it and making it presentable." He turned and looked for her reaction. "You follow the old Gods, do you not?"
"Yes," she nodded. "Do you?"
"No," he replied. "My ways are of old Valeria. Though I'm not adverse to old Gods or new."
She took in the sight of the huge branches strung with beautiful flowers. "Why? Why then would you do all this?"
"I would think that would be obvious," he replied, taking a step toward her.
"Lyanna!" a voice barked at her from the dark.
She turned to find her older brother Brandon striding toward them. He stopped and bowed before Rhaegar, "My prince."
"Lord Stark," Rhaegar replied with a nod of his head.
Then Brandon turned a disapproving glare at his sister. "We have been searching for you."
"I was walking with the prince," she replied. "He wanted to show me how he repaired the Godswood tree here at Harrenhal. Look Brandon, did you even know there was a Godswood here?" she turned about in wonder.
"I must return you to your betrothed," Brandon said, with emphasis on betrothed and a glance at the prince.
Lyanna did not appreciate her brother's coldness. "Is he still on his feet?"
Rhaegar wanted to chuckle, but knew it would only add to Brandon Stark's ire. "Come now, my friends. Let us return the Lady Lyanna safely to the feast." He took Lyanna's arm and Brandon had no choice but to take her other one, though he was still unhappy with his wayward sister tonight. If he wasn't the crown prince, he was almost certain Brandon Stark would come to blows with him. There were some advantages to being a prince.
They walked back with very little conversation and when they reached the hall, Rhaegar barely had time to say farewell to Lyanna before she was pulled into the crowd by her brother.
Ser Arthur Dayne had been standing in the doorway, watching the last bit of interaction with a look of interest. Rhaegar stepped up to his friend and pushed his shoulder playfully. "Do not look at me like that, Dayne."
"Forgive me, my prince, but you are overstepping the bounds of propriety. The girl is a highborn maiden and a Stark. The only man in her bed will be her husband," Arthur said.
"Why do you assume I only want to bed her?"
"What else is there between a man and a woman?"
Rhaegar studied his friend's face. "It is a good thing you are in the King's Guard, never to have a wife, if that is your belief."
Arthur only shrugged. "Nonetheless, have a care, my prince. The seven kingdoms are at peace right now. Such a pursuit would be ill fated."
"You worry overmuch," the prince grinned.
"You worry not enough," Arthur replied.
OOOOO
Brandon brought Lyanna straight before her father and mother, the later seeming relieved to see her daughter.
"There you are, my dear," her mother said. "Robert was searching for you."
"I only went for some air. It is much too warm in here," she replied, glancing at her brother and daring him to say more. Happily, he didn't.
"These southern climes are much too warm for us northerners," her father agreed. "It seems your Robert is still out searching for you."
Lyanna spotted Howland at the entrance of the hall, looking as if he needed to speak with her.
"I am much too tired to wait, father. Tell Robert that Howland will see me safely back to my rooms and I will see him on the morrow."
"Very well," he replied. "Sleep well, daughter."
"And you," she replied, kissing his cheek.
Brandon followed behind her as she approached Howland. "You will go straight to your room, or I will tell father who you were out walking alone with tonight."
"It is too bad you did not join the lists tomorrow, brother. I'd love to see you knocked off your horse right about now."
"Don't be so sure about that." He turned to Howland. "Take her straight back to her room. No detours."
"I will, my lord," Howland replied, looking from Brandon to Lyanna and wondering what that was all about.
"Come on," Lyanna said impatiently, tugging at Howland's arm. "I don't want Robert to find me before I get to my room."
When they were out of earshot of anyone else, she asked, "How did it go? Did you fetch my armor?"
"Yes, that's all taken care of. Now, what is all this other business? Did you and Robert have a row?"
Howland Reed was Lyanna's best friend and confidant. He had been fostering at Winterfell for the past five years. At first, he had been Ned's shadow, following him around and learning swordplay together. But when Ned went to foster at the Eyrie with Robert, Lyanna and Howland grew close. They had spent countless days riding and exploring the countryside, even training together when her father wasn't looking.
He shared his secrets with her, about his special abilities to see future events, and how it ran in his bloodline. Lyanna was impressed when he would tell her something that would happen on the morrow, or next week, and then see it come true. In return, she shared her thoughts and feelings with him and took him into her confidence.
And though Howland was secretly in love with her, he had known he would never have anything more with her than friendship. A Reed would never be good enough for a Stark, not in the eyes of the realm. But that didn't stop him from admiring her and being there for him, just as he was for her.
"No, Robert and I did not have a row. He's most likely very drunk right now and he might try to kiss me."
"A sloppy drunk kiss," Howland said, making a funny face to imitate the action.
Lyanna laughed and push him away. "Stop, it's not funny. Do you see what I have to look forward to? Why weren't you at the feast?"
"I fell asleep after I retrieved your armor," he replied. "I didn't mean to sleep so long, but a dream came to me, a disturbing one."
"About the future?"
He nodded and they slowed in their steps. "I really hope this future doesn't come."
"Tell me."
"Winter had come and covered all of Westeros. White walkers and the army of the dead were slaughtering everyone they came upon. It was madness."
"White walkers? Like the ones in old Nan's stories?"
"I believe so."
"Do you think they're real, then?"
He looked at her, seriously. "Yes."
Lyanna found that hard to believe, as she had never seen a dead person come back to life. Nor had anyone else she knew. But she did not want to make Howland feel stupid for telling her his dream, so she did not say so. "What if that was the past? What if that was a vision from long ago, like the stories we heard?"
"There was a king in the dream. He was not like any king that we've known so far. He was dark of hair, but strong. And when I saw him the vision, I knew he'd the one to save us all."
Lyanna thought of the royal baby, Rhaegar's son Aegon. He could get the dark hair from his mother, the Princess Elia of Dorne. "Could he be Aegon Targaryen?"
"I saw him standing in the snow. And on one side of him was a dragon, and on the other side was a dire wolf, a white one with red eyes. He held sword that burned with fire."
"A dire wolf? Are you sure?"
Howland glanced covertly at her and nodded. "I'm sure."
Lyanna felt something stir within her and her voice softened. "What do think it means, Howland?" she asked almost breathlessly.
Howland stopped and faced her, leaning to whisper further. "Do not say this to anyone else, but I think House Targaryen will join with House Stark. What other meaning could this have? Ned, or perhaps Benjen, may wed the Princess Rhaenys when she comes of age."
Lyanna stared at him. She did not considered that possibility. "Did you see them?"
Howland shook his head. "No, but who else? Brandon is to wed Lady Catelyn Tully, and you are to wed Robert Baratheon. That leaves Ned or Benjen."
"But Aegon is Rhaegar's heir, not Rhaenys."
"If the child lives."
"Let's not speak of such morbid things," she said quickly. They had reached the quarters assigned to the Stark family while they stayed at Harrenhal. "Goodnight, Howland."
"Goodnight, my lady."
OOOOOO
A/N Thank you for waiting patiently for this chapter. Rhaegar's song is what held me up the most. Ha Ha. I did not think I could write one, but I knew that Lyanna's tears when she heard Rhaegar sing was part of their history. So, I had to make a go of it. I will try to get the next chapter out much sooner.
Thank you for reading and please drop me a review and let me know your thoughts.