Elaena Targaryen playfully shoved Robb Stark away from her as they began fighting with their swords. Her long silvery blonde hair flowed gently in waves as the cold breeze of the oncoming winter blew past it, her violet eyes shining with pure joy. Elaena swung her sword at Robb once again, managing to dodge all of his attacks. Theon Greyjoy and Jon Snow watched the scene with rather amused eyes. Robb was very good with a sword in hands, but so was Elaena. After all, she grew up surrounded by these boys, and she was forced to learn something from them.
Theon loved to tease her. There hadn't been a day that Theon Greyjoy and Elaena Targaryen hadn't almost murdered one another. Still, there was a certain fondness noticeable in each pair of eyes whenever they fought each other. The boy had grown to love her as if she were his younger sister. "Come on, Robb! Are you going to let a girl beat you?"
"She is not just any girl, Theon." Jon Snow pointed out with an amused smirk, gesturing towards Robb's swift opponent. "It's Elaena. You have to admit she is pretty good with a sword in hands."
"Yeah, she is pretty good… for a girl." Theon drilled, a mischievous smile playing on his lips.
Robb glanced back at his half-brother and close friend and casted them the ghost of a smile before nearly being knocked to the ground by the Targaryen girl. No one knew about her true origins, except for the Starks and Theon Greyjoy. If anyone else suspected that Elaena Targaryen was even alive, word would spread across Westeros and the girl would be sent to die. In the eyes of the Northern men, she was just the beautiful ward under the protection of the Starks. Yet, that silvery blonde hair and those violet eyes of hers would always raise a few questions from visitors. Fortunately, Eddard Stark came up with the story that Elaena had been found in the woods during a confrontation between Northern men and Wildlings. Ned would always say that the girl was merely a babe when he found her, a babe trapped inside the embrace of her dead mother. Thanks to this story, Elaena had earned quite a reputation, one she particularly didn't enjoy.
The people of Winterfell liked her well enough, though. Of course, they would never let her anywhere near their children, but still they thought she was quite pleasant and appealing. Most of them even said that Catelyn Stark feared that the Wildling ward had become even more beautiful than her own daughters. Elaena had stopped listening to their careless whispers a long time ago, and so did the rest of the Starks.
Robb and Elaena's battling came to a sudden end when the boy finally rested the sword's pointy tip against the girl's abdomen. She dropped her own weapon rather dramatically and laughed at him. "Well done, Robb, well done! You managed to outsmart me, again."
"You always put up a fight, but you still let him win you every time." Jon countered with a small smile, preparing himself to replace the girl on the field.
"That is right, Jon. I let Robb win." Elaena emphasized the last part and glared challengingly at Robb, hoping to get him to look at her with those icy blue eyes that she enjoyed having glaring at her ever so often. She heard him chuckling and found herself enjoying the sound of it quite a lot.
Theon cackled a very obnoxious laugh at her comment, shaking his head at her. "You didn't let him win, Elaena. He won you, plain and simple."
The Targaryen girl narrowed her eyes at the iron born boy. "Perhaps I could win you, if you had the courage to fight a girl." She paused, a provocative smirk gleaming on her red lips. "But you don't do well with sword fighting, do you? You prefer a bow and arrows. I have been told that those are weapons designed more for women, isn't that right?"
Theon sent her a nasty glare. The fight could become distasteful any minute now. "Don't you have some lessons to attend to? Go learn something with Maester Luwin or sew a dress with Septa Mordane. Isn't that what every other lady in the realm should be doing instead of fighting with swords?"
"And who said I haven't done that already?" Elaena snapped right back at him, turning on the spot to place her weapon back in its required place. This time, Elaena had to lie to him. She hadn't visited Maester Luwin yet this week and she hadn't seen Septa Mordane in a long while.
"Come on, now, Theon. Stop tantalizing her. Are you that afraid that she will beat you with a sword?" Robb remarked, sharing a laugh with Jon. Theon glanced at his friends with an irritated expression on his young features and rolled his eyes at them.
"You know damn well she could do it." Jon quipped, making Robb laugh again.
"If I keep challenging you and you keep refusing, I will just assume you are afraid of getting beaten by a girl." Elaena pressed further, trying to make him feel frustrated and irritated. Theon was always poking fun at her; now it was her turn to do the same thing.
Theon grumbled something under his breath and turned to look at the Targaryen girl, a determined look on his young face. "Get your sword then." Elaena lifted her delicate eyebrows in surprise but a small smirk played on her lips. Theon was the easiest one to rile up, and she would always take advantage of that. She pulled out her sword once again and positioned herself, watching as Theon copied her actions. They eyed each other for a couple of seconds before the girl lunged at him, swinging her sword at the iron born boy. This time, she failed to strike him and nearly got thrown to the ground, but she quickly recovered as she was clever and fast. Theon lunged at her and attempted to bring her down, but fell unsuccessful. Robb and Jon stood on the sidelines, watching the scene unfold with amused expressions. It was obvious to them that Elaena was more skilled with the sword than Theon was, but still he insisted on the contrary. The fighting stretched on for a few more minutes until Theon nearly defeated Elaena. Just as he thought he had won, the Stormborn girl turned the game upside down and pushed him to the mud, pointing her sword at his neck.
She had defeated Theon, of course. Robb and Jon laughed mockingly at the iron born boy's sour expression as he jumped up from the ground. Elaena silently placed the sword back in its place and realized she had hurt his man pride. She smiled to herself and began walking away from the three males, only to be stopped by a very well known voice calling out her name.
"Elaena! What are you doing? Where are you going?" Robb Stark inquired, causing her to whirl around to glare at him.
"I am going to do things that the proper ladies of my age should be doing." Elaena replied sharply, casting a nasty glare towards Theon's way. She then smiled directly at Robb, adding: "Do not worry, Robb. I will come back later to get my revenge."
"I am looking forward to that!"
"Oh, I am sure you are!" Elaena shot back, a huge grin gracing her young and beautiful features.
That same day, Maester Luwin and Elaena sat by the fireplace of the library tower, watching the resplendent flames. Elaena's violet eyes were locked on the blazing fire, and yet she felt the old man shivering beside her. It hadn't started snowing yet, but the air was already turning cold, and therefore it felt rather comforting to be near the warmth of fire. It was time for Elaena's weekly lesson, but she knew that she didn't need them anymore. She just wanted to skip it and go back to the courtyard to spend more time with her friends. Maester Luwin had promised her that it wouldn't take too long, though.
"After we review about what you know, you can go and rejoin Robb, Jon and Theon in the courtyard." The Maester had told her, attempting to convince the girl.
She nodded once, her violet eyes still gazing at the hot fire. Elaena couldn't quite explain why or how, but she felt drawn to those flames. She wanted to feel them on her fair skin, she wanted to touch them so desperately. It was as if it was calling out her name, telling her to come closer to it. She was beginning to lose herself in her own thoughts when Maester Luwin's voice prevented her from diving deeper. With an open book on his lap, the old man began his questioning. "We are reviewing about the House Targaryen today." Elaena sent the old man a warning glare, but he was not frightened by it. "Do not give me that look, Princess. We will start with the basics." Her sour expression softened mildly, and she glanced down at her pale hands. "What is their sigil?"
"A red three-headed dragon on a black field."
"And their words?"
"Fire and blood."
"Who was the last ruler of the House Targaryen?"
"The mad king. He was also referred to as King Scab." Elaena responded with pure disdain, her purple eyes once again gluing themselves to the mesmerizing fire. Maester Luwin sent her a cold glare, and she sighed deeply. "Fine. Aerys Targaryen, the Second of His Name. Deceased. He was backstabbed by Jaime Lannister, who is now also known as the Kingslayer."
"And his wife?"
"Sister, and wife." Elaena corrected. "Rhaella Targaryen. Deceased. Died after giving birth to the twins Elaena and Daenerys Targaryen."
"How many children did Aerys and Rhaella have?"
"Four. One deceased." Elaena's heart tightened a little when she remembered another piece of information. "Actually, it is said that Queen Rhaella had three miscarriages, two stillborns and three babes that died shortly after being born. All of that happened before Viserys was born."
"Out of the four children that survived long after birth, how many were boys and how many were girls?"
"Rhaella gave birth to two boys and two girls."
"And what are their names?"
"Rhaegar and Viserys are the boys. Elaena and Daenerys are the girls."
"Very well." Maester Luwin closed the big book, placing his aged hands over the cover. His expression changed into a startled one, but Elaena didn't even notice that, as her eyes were once again fixed on the dancing fire. "A raven has arrived today, Princess Elaena. It concerns your siblings." The Maester withdrew a small parchment from his pocket and unrolled it, handing it to the silver-haired beauty. Her violet eyes analyzed the paper and, after a few moments, she pressed her lips into a thin line.
Silence filled the entire place. Elaena rose up from the chair and began pacing around the library room, still not finding the right words to pronounce. Viserys, her older brother, had arranged a wedding between Daenerys and the leader of a Dothraki tribe. Daenerys was to become Khal Drogo's wife and a Khaleesi. Obviously, Viserys did not just decide to marry his sister off to that man for no reason at all. In exchange, Khal Drogo would help him reclaim his crown and the Iron Throne. After assimilating that information, Elaena whirled around to face Maester Luwin. "My brother wants my sister to marry this man, Khal Drogo, so he can help him take back the throne." Elaena gazed one last time at that piece of parchment before throwing it to the fire. "Is this true?"
"I believe it is, Princess Elaena. It was Illyrio Mopatis who sent the letter." Maester Luwin explained, his eyes following Elaena's unnerved movements. She hadn't heard news of her siblings for months, almost a year, and now she received the information that her twin sister Daenerys was about to get married to a Dothraki leader. Viserys was practically selling their sister to get what he so much desired; the Iron Throne. "Viserys and Daenerys trusted the man well enough to tell him your location, it seems. The letter was sent here with the intent to inform you about their current plans. Illyrio is smart enough; he will not let slip any information related to your placement. You mustn't worry, child."
"It is not that particular part that is worrying me, Maester Luwin." Elaena paused, once again gazing at that alluring fire. "My twin sister is to be married soon and I won't even be able to witness it. My brother may or may not take back the Iron Throne – if he is clever and has a very large army behind him – but there is still that possibility, that great possibility, that I may never come to know them in person, or see them. I have spent my entire life away from my remaining family and, for all that I know, I might spend the rest of it that way."
Maester Luwin gave her a sympathetic, comprehensive smile. "I understand your anxiety, child, but think of it this way: whether you ever come to meet your siblings or not, you already have a family here. It may not be by blood, but Lord Stark and Lady Catelyn would put their lives at risk to protect you; that is what they have been doing this entire time by hiding you here. They have raised you as one of their own children; they love you as if you were one of their own children. You may not have your siblings by your side, but you are not alone in this place, Princess Elaena." She smiled genuinely at the old man, unable to form words. Maester Luwin sighed and the purple eyed Targaryen turned to face the fire one last time. It was still calling out her name, just like a mermaid that lured men to their final doom. Even so, Elaena knew that the fire would not bring her any sort of disgrace; it was quite the contrary, it seemed. Fire and blood, she recalled.
"Thank you, Maester Luwin." Elaena said at last.
"There is no need to thank me, Princess." Maester Luwin stated, a small smile gracing his touched by time features. "Now, you must go. I understand that Robb Stark and Jon Snow are waiting for you in the courtyard. Go to them."
"Indeed they are." Elaena remembered, approaching the door to leave. She threw one last glance at the Maester and nodded once at him, exiting the library.
The Targaryen girl almost tumbled down the stairs with all the hurry to be with her friends once again. The thoughts related to her family would never abandon her mind, but she should not let it affect her so much. She sprinted through the courtyard until she finally found them. Elaena's lips quirked into a half smile when, as if he had felt her nearing presence, Robb glanced back at the purple eyed beauty with those icy blue eyes that transmitted Elaena a sort of feeling she had never dealt with before. Her heart sped up quite a bit, and she thanked the Gods that no one was able to hear it. Robb went to stand by her side, his eyes lingering on her silhouette for longer than usual.
Before Maester Luwin found her and almost dragged her to the library tower, Elaena had changed into a long violet gown that seemed to bring out her bright eyes. The beauty raised her delicate eyebrows at Robb as she noticed that the Stark boy couldn't bring himself to look away from her. Even though he didn't say a word to her, she could see right through those big blue eyes of his. Bran's sudden groan of despair brought the couple out of their trance, and Robb let out a deep laugh when the poor boy couldn't even hit the target with his arrow. Rickon and Jon snickered as well, causing Elaena to look away, attempting to suppress the smile that insisted on creeping out of her lips.
"You shouldn't be mocking him, you know? Bran might actually be better than me at archery." Elaena countered with a playful smirk. "And that is not something difficult to accomplish, I'm afraid."
"Don't offend yourself." Robb replied. The silver-haired girl chuckled softly. "I wouldn't go that far and say that Bran is better than you at archery." His lips brushing so lightly against her ear were enough to have her entire body shivering and tingling. What he was doing to her she was not entirely sure, but Robb had some sort of power over her that no other boy could ever possess. "Though I do have to say, Ella, you are terrible."
Before she could respond, Bran fired yet another arrow and, once again, he failed to hit the target. This time, Elaena couldn't stop herself from barking a laugh along with the boys.
"And which one of you was a marksman at ten?" Eddard Stark's voice caused their laughter to cease in the blink of an eye. Elaena glanced up at the balcony where the Lord and Lady of Winterfell stood and noticed the amused smile tugged on Ned's lips. "Keep practicing, Bran. Go on."
"Don't think too much, Bran." Jon advised, sounding quite serious this time.
"Relax your bow arm." Robb instructed.
Bran pulled the arrow back, trying to focus on hitting the target for once. Just as he was about to let loose the string, another arrow hit the center of his target. Everyone immediately turned in surprise to find Arya standing there as she curtsied after her perfect shot. She took off running, knowing that Bran would be right on her heels. "Quick, Bran! Faster!" Robb and Jon shouted at their younger brother, laughing to themselves as they watched the youngsters disappearing through the courtyard.
Rodrick Cassel and Theon Greyjoy approached Lord Stark and Lady Catelyn on the balcony, instantly ripping their attention away from the children and the other ward. Robb, Jon and Rickon began picking up all the arrows fired by Bran, and Elaena decided to help as well.
"I haven't seen you since you battled with Robb and Theon this morning. Where have you been all day?" Jon directed his question to Elaena, who turned on her heel to return three arrows to its required place.
"I have been hiding away, but Maester Luwin still found me." Elaena responded dryly, picking up two more arrows. "He insisted on reviewing what I knew about some of the Houses he taught us."
"Which Houses did you review about this time?" Robb inquired, nodding at Rickon as he brought him some more arrows.
"Just the Targaryens."
Robb and Jon eyed each other for a few moments, clearly taken aback by her response. Elaena kept an emotionless expression, feeling their eyes now lingering on her. They had never really discussed this specific matter with her. Robb thought it to be a very delicate subject to bring up in a conversation. Jon simply didn't want to bring up her past. Both of them respected her, and she was grateful for that. The trio remained silent, until Lord Stark sauntered over to them.
"Brace yourselves, lads." Eddard said. "A deserter from the Night's Watch has been captured. You are both coming with me, and so is Bran." Elaena widened her violet eyes but said nothing, preparing herself to leave their company. "Where are you going, Elaena? You are coming too." Robb and the girl shared a concerned look, but still she nodded to the older man with vigor and might.
"Yes, my lord."
Lady Catelyn descended the stairs of the balcony that led to the courtyard. She decided it was time to intervene. "Ned, I am not letting you take Elaena with you. A young lady is not meant to see such things. Please, let her stay here with me and the girls." The older woman moved to stand right in front of her husband, her piercing gaze searching for his greenish eyes.
"Cat, she must come. The girl needs to see things for what they truly are." Eddard explained. Catelyn sent him a disapproving look. "There is no softness in this world, but there is justice. The sooner she realizes that, the better."
Lady Catelyn became quiet at her husband's argument. The woman wanted nothing more than to protect those she loved most, and that included Elaena. Unfortunately, she couldn't shield her from something like this. She needed to witness what the world was truly like; cowardice needed to be met with justice.
"Ready yourself, my child."
Robb offered his hand to help Elaena off her horse, and she accepted it without a second thought. They were now standing in the middle of an immense field of green. Her heart was pounding wildly, as she had never witnessed someone dying before. She knew that it wasn't the first time for Robb or Jon, but for her… she had never been more nervous in her entire life. Catelyn had been right, but so had Eddard. She needed to endure this.
"White Walkers… I saw the White Walkers. White Walkers. The White Walkers, I saw them…" Two guards dragged the murmuring crow to the block and forced him to bend down. The deserter directed his almost crazed eyes to Lord Eddard, who gazed at the man with pity. "I know I broke my oath, and I know I'm a deserter. I should have gone back to the Wall and warned them." He paused, his eyes searching the area until they found the silver-haired beauty standing right by Robb's side. His eyes remained on her for longer than desired, until he forced himself to look away, paling at the sight. Robb noticed that, and quickly made sure to grasp Elaena's fair hand. "But I saw what I saw. I saw the White Walkers. People need to know! If you can get word to my family, tell them I'm no coward. Tell them I'm sorry." A deadly silence filled the air around them.
"Whatever you do, don't look away." Robb warned Elaena, who sent him a puzzled look. "My Father will know if you do."
The Targaryen girl nodded once, her violet eyes darting away for a moment.
She had many times wielded a sword, and she had become quite skilled with it, but never once in her life did she hurt someone with that weapon. Now, she was about to witness Lord Stark take a life away with his own sword. The crow glanced up once again, his eyes finding Elaena's purple orbs. Though she had never seen his face in her entire life, the deserter seemed to recognize her, which wasn't a particularly good thing.
"Lady Elaena…" The crow suddenly called out to her. How did he know her name? Her eyes widened considerably, and her hand nearly crushed Robb's. "Lady Elaena, is that you? Maester Aemon, he often spoke to me about a nearly white haired girl with purple eyes that lived with the Starks in the North. Is that you, my lady? Your hair looks almost like his. Lady Elaena…"
"That is enough. You will not address her anymore." Lord Eddard said, shooting the girl a concerned look. She returned it, and then looked down at the crow. His expression was a mixture of pain and shame. Whatever Aemon told him will die with him, Elaena thought bitterly.
"Forgive me, lord…" The crow whispered, looking down at the green grass. His neck was now placed on the curve of the tree limb, and his lips continued whispering innumerous words until he heard the weapon that would put an end to his life being pulled out of its scabbard.
Holding his sword, Ned began the speech. "In the name of Robert of the House Baratheon, First of His Name, King of the Andals and the First Men, Lord of the Seven Kingdoms and Protector of the Realm, I, Eddard of the House Stark, Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North, sentence you to die."
As Eddard swung his sword, the oxygen in Elaena's throat and lungs became trapped. The crow's head fell to the ground, and his thick blood spilled out. Never once did the girl look away from him.
Robb let out a deep breath he didn't realize he had been sustaining and pulled Elaena with him towards the horses. Jon and Bran joined the pair while Lord Eddard stood back with his men. The silver-haired beauty felt numb, absolutely numb. She wanted to be sick, she wanted to throw up, and yet she couldn't. She couldn't even speak.
"You did well." Jon told Bran, who had the same paralyzed expression on his face.
"Are you alright?" Robb asked Elaena, his worry for her becoming quite evident.
The girl gulped thickly, nodding. Her eyes never left the ground as they approached the horses. "You know, for a girl, you did quite well." Elaena heard Theon Greyjoy snorting behind her. She rolled her eyes and whirled around to cast him the dirtiest look she could muster up. "I was expecting you to scream and vomit, but no. I have to say, you surprised me."
"Shut up, Theon." Elaena growled at him. "Now is definitely not the time."
Theon was about to make another snarky comment, but Robb threw him a withering look. A few moments later, the iron born boy backed away from the pair, muttering something under his breath. Elaena groaned impatiently; she loved Theon like a brother, but the damn boy always knew how to get on her damn nerves.
Images of the crow getting his head chopped off crossed Elaena's mind once again, and she cursed internally. She never thought of herself as an easy girl to scare, but truth be told, she had never witnessed anything like that before. Elaena was forcefully pulled out of her own thoughts when they came across a dead stag with its innards all pulled out. Her heart tightened a little as she saw the poor deer laying there, his lifeless corpse already rotting. All the men jumped off of their horses to study the dead creature, and she was forced to do the same thing.
Lord Eddard was the first man to crouch down beside the ravaged animal. "What is it?" Jon Snow asked, approaching his father.
"Mountain lion?" Theon suggested.
"There are no mountain lions in these woods."
Without any other word, Ned pulled out his sword and ventured into the forest. Robb, Jon, Bran, Theon and Elaena followed after Eddard along with the rest of his men. A few moments later, they were met with yet another corpse. This time, it was an enormous wolf. The poor creature had an antler driven through its throat, and her pups were whimpering desperately around her. The sight broke Elaena's heart; she had always had a soft spot for animals.
"It's a freak." Theon said after a moment of silence.
"It's a direwolf." Lord Eddard corrected, glancing sharply at his other ward. He proceeded to remove the antler from the creature's throat and threw it away. "Tough old beast."
"There are no direwolves south of the wall." Robb countered.
"Now there are five." Jon piped up. The bastard boy picked up one of the pups and offered it to Bran. "You want to hold it?"
Jon nearly shoved the pup in the young boy's arms, but he didn't mind it one bit. "Where will they go? Their mother's dead."
"They don't belong down here." Rodrick Cassel pointed out, sharing a hard look with Lord Stark.
"Better a quick death. They won't last without their mother." Ned declared, a suddenly sad look appearing in his eyes.
Theon immediately pulled out a blade, ripping the pup out of Bran's tight embrace. "Right, give it here."
"No!" Bran shouted, struggling to get the pup back in his arms.
"Put away your blade!" Robb ordered, pure disgust evident in his tone.
"I take orders from your father, not you." Theon responded with disdain, preparing himself to murder the little pup.
"Lord Stark, please! Do not let him do this." Elaena intervened, drawing the Lord's attention to herself. "Surely there must be some other way. Do not kill them, please. They are just harmless pups."
"They are harmless now. Imagine when they grow bigger." Theon argued. Elaena sent him an unpleasant glare but then turned to look at Eddard Stark almost pleadingly.
"Elaena, the pups will not last long without their mother." Ned repeated softly.
"How do you know that?" Elaena insisted, clearly not ready to give up on this. "They could be trained, fed and educated. They could have a chance."
"Please, father!" Bran pleaded as well.
"I'm sorry, Bran."
"Lord Stark?" Jon interjected, gesturing towards the remaining pups. "They are five pups. One for each of the Stark children. The direwolf is the sigil of your House. They were meant to have them." This time, Eddard seemed to ponder about his argument. Everyone looked at him with hope evident in their eyes, especially Bran.
The older Stark sighed, finally giving in. "You will train them yourselves. You will feed them yourselves. And if they die, you will bury them yourselves."
Bran nodded eagerly as Theon placed his blade back in its place and returned the pup to the young boy. Jon grabbed hold of two pups and handed them both to Theon, who took them in his arms. Robb grasped two more little wolves and Elaena approached him with a thrilled expression on her beautiful face. "Can I hold one?"
"Of course. There you go." Robb handed her a pup, and she smiled widely at the little creature. She cradled it in her arms while the pup struggled to reach closer to her face, attempting to lick her pale cheeks. She laughed and strived to stop the little wolf from biting at her hair as well. Robb stood still there, completely frozen, observing the girl and her genuine smile and laugh. It was hard to look away from her. The oxygen became trapped inside his lungs and he watched her, nearly breathless, as she played with the little pup. While observing the scene with amused eyes, Theon somehow managed to smack the back of Robb's neck, causing him to snap out of that daze.
"Theon! What was that for?" Robb yelled, rubbing the back of his neck, annoyed.
"You are not as discreet as you think you are, mate." Theon countered, gesturing towards the silver-haired girl. "I'm surprised she hasn't noticed yet. Or perhaps she did notice; maybe she just doesn't care about it." Robb glared at him dangerously and rolled his eyes. Of course Elaena hadn't notice it; her eyes darted away from him when the whimpers of a sixth pup were heard. Jon went to pick it up, and Theon's attention immediately turned towards the bastard. "The runt of the litter. That one's yours, Snow."
It wasn't long enough before they returned to their horses. In the trip back to Winterfell, Elaena had plenty of time to think about the several events of that long day. Winter was coming, oh it certainly was.