Fifth Month of 277 A.L. : Pink maiden

Brandon Stark

As Brandon watched the southerners joust and compete he wondered not for the first time why he was here exactly. He had only ever attended tourneys if he could compete in them, his first tourney in White Harbour had been a small thing but he had won it nonetheless, though whether that was because he was the heir to Winterfell or because he was actually decent enough he never knew, and so not wanting that to hang over his head he had headed south and attended a tourney at Maidenpool just after his sixteenth nameday some three moons ago. He had made it to the third round before being unhorsed by Ser Tygett Lannister and old veteran and so no shame in that. Now though, now he was here at Pink Maiden not to compete in the tourney but rather to get to know and woo his betrothed, Janna Tyrell. Yes, Janna Tyrell was a very smart lady he would give her that and she was very good conversation and the fact that her breasts were as big as melons also had helped the matter he supposed. All in all he felt that perhaps the betrothal was no bad thing, and yet there was some part of him who still wished that he could have had a saying in who he was to wed. Barbrey Ryswell, a girl he had known since childhood and a girl whose maidenhood he had taken so long ago when they were both fourteen, was a girl he knew and liked. She was smart and charming and good to look at, but more importantly she was familiar, and he knew he could feel safe with her. He might be known as the wild wolf but still ever since his mother had died he had itched for comfort and Barbrey provided that, whether or not his betrothed would, he knew not.

"Are you okay my lord?" said betrothed asked, laying a hand on his arm. Brandon looked at her and saw she looked concerned. "You seemed miles away. Are you not enjoying the jousting?"

Brandon looked out into the field and he could not remember who it was who was jousting he merely shook his head. "I was not born to sit still my lady. I was born to ride and to fight. All this sitting here is driving me mad."

His betrothed smiled slightly and said. "Then perhaps we might speak with Lord Piper in goodtime, after all I am sure he would be more than happy to accommodate you in the lists. It is after all only the first day, and there are two more days to go. And I would very much like to see how good you are in the lists."

Brandon smirked then, oh his betrothed was certainly very clever. Pretending to be hurt, Brandon clutched at his heart and said in mock distress. "My lady you wound me! Do you not think me good as my word? I promise you that I shall be able to unhorse most anyone who comes before me in the lists."

At that Willam Dustin who was sat to his left snorted and said. "Aye, he'll unhorse them after he's rolling on the ground in agony. Who was it you lost to at Maidenpool Brandon? Tygett Lannister an old man?"

Brandon playfully punched Willam on the arm and said. "Aye it was to Ser Tygett, but the man is very ferocious and very good in the lists. There was no shame in that. I have learnt many a lesson since then and will be sure to put them to good use."

He looked at his betrothed and saw she was smiling as well. "Oh that would be very nice. Very nice indeed. After all I have been told that northmen joust slightly differently to how those south of the neck do." At that she looked at him suggestively and Brandon felt a stirring in his trousers.

Giving her his most winning smile he said. "Aye my lady, and I would be more than happy to show you."

With that they sat in silence for the rest of the day, which ended up belonging to Ser Arthur Dayne of the Kingsguard. Later that night in a session of heated kissing in his tent, they broke apart to have a proper conversation, something Brandon found he actually quite enjoyed about his betrothed, the ability to speak with her about more than just sex, something that had been lacking with Barbrey. "Do you truly mean to compete in the lists my lord?" Janna asked. When Brandon did not reply immediately she said. "I do not think it would be wise my lord."

Brandon looked at her surprised and asked her. "What makes you say that my lady? I thought you were eager to see me joust?" At that he made to kiss her again, but she moved away and went to the table pouring them both a glass of wine.

Once she had handed him his she spoke again in a voice that was very soft. "I only said that so that your friends would not think wrong of me. Brandon, I will be honest with you, I know that you cannot joust now when you are here and that you have no intention of doing so. Your father sent you here for the same reason my mother sent me here, so that we can get the gist of one another and assess what we find attractive of one another. Whether we like it or not we shall be wed, and perhaps it would be best if we did that with some honesty?"

Brandon was taken aback by this and then said. "Well that is surprising."

"What is my lord?" Janna asked him. "That a daughter of the Queen of Thorns could be so honest as well as straightforward?"

Brandon shook his head. "No not that, the fact that I was thinking the same thing. SO tell me Janna, what do you make of all of this so far then?"

His betrothed looked at him a moment and then said. "I believe that the match will be good for both of our families and will give our parents the power they so desperately crave. And I also believe that with some time, perhaps we can form a friendship." She said that last word almost tentatively, and Brandon thought he saw the girl she was not the woman she tried to be, it was endearing.

"Aye perhaps we can," he said. "Though I would not have us play games with one another if that is to happen. If we are to truly try and make this work, I would have us be honest with one another, even if we think the other cannot stomach it. It is only fair, would you not say?"

His betrothed nodded and then leaning in for another kiss, she whispered against his lips. "Now enough talking. I will not wait for another three years before I see how good the wild wolf is in bed."

For the rest of the night there was no talking in Brandon Stark's tent only moans could be heard, and his companions knew better than to disturb him. Three days later he departed for Winterfell and his betrothed for Highgarden and he left feeling much better about it all. On the ride back, he, Willam and Martyn Cassel the master at arms in Winterfell stopped off at an inn and began drinking. Once a few beers had been consumed, Willam spoke his voice slurred. "So Brandon, how was your betrothed? Was she as slutty as she appeared?"

Brandon drank deeply and said. "Aye, she was that and more. She's smart, and she knows her way around the bed. It was strange for a maiden."

Willam laughed again then and said. "Well what do you expect of a daughter of the Queen of Thorns. She was probably told to fuck information out of you. So did you give her the same treatment you gave Barbrey then?"

As always talk of Barbrey made him feel uncomfortable, but he had a reputation to live up to and so he said. "Aye I did, might have even done her more than Barbrey. She was screaming so loudly I thought the whole bloody campsite would hear her." At that Willam laughed and Martyn smiled tiredly. Brandon then asked. "And what of you Willam who did you pick up here?"

His friend went silent and then took a long swig of beer and said. "I didn't. I am betrothed."

"Oh, and who is the unlucky lady?" Brandon asked.

His friend went deadly silent for a long time and then eventually said. "Barbrey Ryswell."