Saint River: Thank you for my first review! I appreciate the feedback, I really do. I will try my hardest not to cause any confusion when dealing with Arianne Martell and Arianna. And I will admit that her sword is a bit elaborate, but I wanted something powerful to symbolize the relationship between herself and her father, something physical that she can keep with her forever.
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The young Baratheon princess could barely contain her excitement as she rode her horse through the towering stone walls of Winterfell. When she had grown a bit older, her father had started to share stories about the rebellion. Alliances he had forged, battles he had won, people he had slain. Arianna had retained every single tale her father or Uncle Stannis had shared over the crushing of the Targaryen dynasty. The young woman had wanted to meet the Warden of the North ever since her royal father had mentioned his substantial role in the war. To hear the king tell it, the only reason he was even alive was because of the man that she was currently heading to meet.
She had a lot to be thankful to him for.
When the Warden of the North and his family came into view, the young princess took a moment to examine them. It was obvious to Arianna which one was Lord Eddard Stark. He stood proud and tall with his wife and children, dark hair, pale skin, and solemn expression all visibly northern. It was also apparent which was his lady wife, Catelyn Stark, and not just because she stood next to him. Her long auburn hair and bright blue eyes were discernibly southern. Their children stood around them and each one of their expressions were noticeably different. Who Arianna assumed was Robb Stark, the oldest son, stood tall and proud, a pleasant mixture of genetics from both the Stark and Tully sides of his family. While his hair was dark and wavy and his skin pale like his father, he had his mother's eyes. It was also easy to discern Sansa Stark from the others, for Arianna had heard rumors that she was the spitting image of her mother, and she truly was. Because of her southern appearance, Sansa seemed to stand out from her siblings. The other young girl, who could only be Arya Stark, seemed bored, like there were a million things that she would rather be doing with her day than standing in greeting. Bran and Rickon stood curious and quiet, their eyes flitting to the different faces of every knight or soldier that rode in.
Robert dismounted with the help of one of his Kingsguard, before meeting Lord Eddard Stark in the middle of the courtyard to receive his greeting. Arianna herself dismounted, thanking the stablehand that grabbed her reins, and headed to the wagon to help her mother and siblings out. It was obvious that her mother had certainly had a rough ride north, for when the wagon door swung open, the usually golden appearance that the queen sported gave way for a messy braid, wrinkled clothing, and bags under her eyes. Arianna could not very well judge her too harshly, for she was sure she looked similar herself. Cersei smiled slightly and grasped her daughter's hand before stepping down onto the damp ground. Her Uncle Jaime helped Tommen and Myrcella out of the wagon as Arianna glanced over just in time to see her father and Lord Stark sharing a smile and a hug. It warmed the young princess to know that friendships like the one her father and Lord Stark shared even existed and she was lucky to be witness to it.
The Queen soon left her children to greet their hosts. Arianna was not really surprised when she glanced around to find that her Uncle Tyrion was no where to be found. What she did see, however, was her older brother and Sansa Stark sharing a look and a smile.
Arianna blushed deeply when the booming voice of her father echoed throughout the courtyard, summoning her to him. She tucked a strand of her dark hair behind her ear before walking across the muddy ground to stand before the Starks in all their glory. The King placed a comforting arm around his daughter's shoulder, before addressing the Warden of the North. "She looks like I popped her out, doesn't it?"
Several people standing around seemed amused by this, including Lord Stark himself, who nodded in agreement, before kissing the top of her hand. "Princess Arianna."
"Pleasure, Lord Stark."
King Robert turned to Ned's wife who stood directly next to him. "Anna, this is Lady Catelyn Stark." The woman in question was even more beautiful up close. She was a little older, but her age did not diminish her beauty in the slightest. One of Arianna's handmaiden's, Celene, a blonde haired, blue eyed girl from Lys who was Arianna's own age had once whispered a rumor about the master of coin, Lord Petyr Baelish being in love with Lady Catelyn and losing a duel against the man she had been betrothed to before Lord Stark. She didn't know if the rumor had basis in fact, however. Arianna was introduced to Robb Stark next, who gave her a charming smile before kissing her hand. Sansa curtsied when the princess got to her, and smiled politely. At that moment, Arianna knew that Sansa would do especially well in King's Landing. Arya didn't curtsy, but she did give her name. Arianna could see her eyeing Dragon's Tooth with envy, and she wondered if there was some of herself in the girl. Bran and Rickon were quiet but polite introducing themselves, the former sporting a slight blush as he kissed the princess's hand.
When her father took his leave with Lord Stark to visit the underground Winterfell crypts (and Arianna had made a mental note to visit these herself at a later date), everyone in the courtyard soon dispersed and she was gathered by an older woman who had introduced herself as Septa Mordane. The woman had been given orders to show their honored guests to their rooms so that they may prepare themselves for the welcoming feast that the Starks would be holding for their arrival a few hours hence.
When they stepped foot in the large castle, the young princess was astonished at how warm it was inside. When she had vocalized her surprise, the Septa sated the young woman's curiosity by informing her that as well as keeping a fire lit in every room at all hours of the day and night, Winterfell had also been built on top of a group of hot springs, so the walls naturally radiated heat.
After Arianna had been dropped off at the room she would be using for the duration of their stay in Winterfell, she immediately strode in and collapsed on top of the large bed in a heap of exhaustion. She had hardly noticed how tired she was, from the experience of being in a place that was both completely foreign and completely wonderful at the same time. The curtains in her room stood open, allowing her a view of the famous Godswood she had heard so much about. While she wanted nothing more than to visit it herself, she was afraid that it would be strange of her to do so. She had been born in the light of the Seven, but that didn't diminish her curiosity in the slightest.
Arianna hadn't even realized she had dozed off until a knock on the door startled her awake. Rubbing the sleepiness out of her eyes, she stood up from the bed and headed to the door. When she opened it, the handmaidens that stood on the other side smiled and tried to curtesy as well as they could with their hands occupied with buckets full of steaming water. Arianna realized the buckets of water were for her bath when the handmaidens made their way to the other side of the room to pour the water in a tub that was hidden from her view by a black screen. For the first time since she had walked in, Arianna noticed that her belongings had already been brought to her room. Convenient.
When the handmaidens that had brought the water to her room, introduced as Varana and Natalia, began to help her prepare for her bath, Arianna wished that Celene had been brought to Winterfell with her. Whenever the princess had returned to her room for the night after a hard day, Celene would sneak into the Grand Maester's quarters when he was out and steal a handful of crushed lavender for Arianna's bath. The scent did amazing things to help her relax, and while she soaked in the fragrant water, Celene would wash her hair. While she didn't have lavender on hand for her bath, the handmaidens generously provided lemon slices, and curtsied before leaving the room to give Arianna the few minutes of privacy she craved.
Arianna groaned in pleasure when her body was finally submerged in the pleasantly warm water. The ride to Winterfell had been long and hard with barely any breaks besides to make camp for the night, and with no break, it was inevitable that the princess receive a few aches and pains in return. Arianna was glad the water was so warm, for it would help sooth her sore muscles.
Once again, the young princess was startled awake by the arrival of the handmaidens. They informed the princess that time before the feast was running short, so the three young women worked together to ready the princess for the night. One of the handmaidens worked to scrub through the wavy locks of Arianna's hair with soap and an oil for maintaining softness and shine, while the other laid out the dress and shoes that Arianna had chosen for the night, a silver gown with lace sleeves and a corset, as well as shoes crafted from soft blue silk and jewels that had been a gift from her mother. Arianna would have preferred to get dressed on her own, preferably in a linen shirt and breeches, but she could only push her mother so far and the gown that she was wearing required assistance to lace up.
By the time Arianna was dressed, her hair was mostly dry and fell in soft waves around her shoulders. After adding her silver chain and earrings to her person, Arianna was ready for the feast. Because she was the eldest Baratheon daughter, Robb was set to be her escort for the night as the eldest Stark son. She waited for him to arrive, anxiously pacing her now empty room, for the handmaidens had taken their leave after ensuring the princess was ready to be presented.
When the knock on the door told her that Robb was there to escort her to the feast, Arianna took a deep breath. Time to get the night started.
She prayed all would end well.
A/N: I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! Again, if you have any questions, ideas, or input, let me know. The next chapter will be out soon!
