Hello hello hello! Thank you to the kind people who keep reading / following / favoriting this story, thank you for giving me a chance.
I hope you will like this chapter: we will get further into the story and we will get to witness more of Lyara's "human" side.
So... enjoy the chapter and please, I would appreciate it if you let me know what you think of it.
Enjoy :)
Their small party had been riding for twelve days straight, when they finally reached the Northerners' camp. She could tell by the change in scenery, as well as from the banners she saw from a nearby hill.
Their group had slightly changed as well, since departing Kings Landing. Somewhere along the way, they had found a small group of boys, who had escaped the Night's Watch riding north when they had been attacked by the Kingsguard.
There were three boys, named Gendry, Hotpie and Lommy, who took with them a small girl who appeared to be about three years old.
The days spent riding had been tough, she had to admit, no matter how much her father had prepared her for this since she was a little girl.
She could only guess how hard it must have been for her cousins, her poor cousins still horrified and scared from everything they had witnessed in the Capital.
She silently thanked the Gods for Sandor Clegane, whose help had turned out to be essential more than once, along the way. She also thanked the Gods that her father had decided to leave a dozen of Dornish knights in the city and that Lord Varys directed them to their Princess.
She looked behind her to see Clegane riding close to her cousins, silently protecting them, while she rode in front of them with one of the knights Varys had given to her.
She was suddenly shaken from her thoughts when she saw a group of about twenty men riding towards them. One of them approached her.
"Who are you?" the man rudely asked.
Sandor and her knights made a move toward the man, but Lyara stilled him with a hand. Bloodshed wouldn't make a good first impression, after all. "I am Princess Lyara of House Martell, I am escorting Lady Sansa and Lady Arya of House Stark back to their family"
The man didn't look impressed, only suspicious. "Why would a snake help the North?"
She could sense her Dornish knights' growing impatience at the man who was insulting their Princess, but she knew they wouldn't attack without her command. Once again, she stopped Sandor with her hand. "I will not discuss this wih you" she simply replied.
The soldier nodded, deciding to keep his mouth shut. Smart decision, Lyara thought to herself.
The Northerners soldiers made them dismount their horses and escorted them through the camp. Her knights, as well as Sandor Clegane, were separated from her, while she and her cousins were taken to a tent. She didn't worry at being separated from her trusted knights. Robb Stark was not only her blood, he was also a smart man. He wouldn't hurt her. He wouldn't risk a war with Dorne, while he was already fighting one. Her blood would keep her safe, one way or another.
Inside the tent, there were only a woman and a young man, perhaps slightly younger than her.
She knew that the woman was Lady Catelyn Stark when her cousins left her side to run towards her and she hugged them to her, crying in relief. They were then hugged by the man, who she supposed must have been Robb Stark. The King in the North. The Young Wolf.
She gave the family some time, pretending to look elsewhere, when they seemed to remember about her. King Robb and Lady Stark walked in front of her, while her young cousins stayed behind, Sansa smiling at her. She returned the smile and looked at her Aunt and cousin.
"Thank you for returning my daughters to me" started Lady Stark.
"It was my duty as family, Your Grace, my Lady"
"You are family, you mut address us as such" intervened the King "No need for formalities"
Lyara smirked, then much more relaxed. "I was hoping you would say that, cousin. We have much work to do, we have no time for formalities and small-talk" she replied, earning a laugh from Sansa and Arya, who had learnt to know her and her humour during their traveling days. She could also see her Aunt smiling, as well as Robb.
"Much work, you say?" he inquired.
She nodded, turning serious. "Yes. I would love to have some family time, especially considering I have never met my mother's family, but we have much to do and no time to waste"
Her cousin Robb escorted her to a secluded area of the camp, near the woods, both his guards and hers keeping watch a few feet away.
Robb looked at her, expectantly. Taking a deep breath, she looked him in the eye. "You will not win this war by yourself" she quietly whispered.
If he was surprised, he didn't show it, so she continued. "This war has been planned for years. When a few men started to see how... unfit Robert Baratheon was as a King, they started to work for a common goal. It started when I was still a child. Over the years, our cause enlisted smart, clever, capable men who could help. Now, the time has come"
"Why are you telling me this?"
"Because you and I need eachother and because to me and my father, you are family"
"What is this common goal you are working for?"
"We will bring the Targaryen back to Westeros, back on the Iron Throne" she admitted, waiting for her cousin's reaction. It didn't take long, she suddenly found the tip of his sword against her throat. She didn't blink an eye, she simply held up her hand to still her knights from coming to her aid.
"Are you mad? My father fought against them! What do you think they will do when they come back? They will kill us all!" he exclaimed, enraged.
Lyara took a step towards her cousin, feeling the sharp blade press harder against her skin, forcing Robb to slowly lower the sword. She smiled to herself, he wouldn't hurt her. "Your father fought against Rhaegar Targaryen and the Mad King, with reason, I must say, even if my family fought with the loyalists. Daenerys Targaryen could be different, she could prove to be the ruler Westeros needs... one day"
"One day?"
"Yes. One day. My colleagues are shaping her, day after day, but she is not ready and nor is Westeros. I can promise you, on my honour as a Martell and as a Stark, the North will be free and independent, as much as Dorne is"
"How can you promise me this?" asked Robb, still suspicious.
Lyara smiled. "If a group of men places a King or a Queen on the Throne, to whom does the true power belong, in your opinion?" she asked him.
He sighed and turned around to walk in the woods. When she followed him, he gave her his arm. "I have never liked plots, lies and cunning games" he stated.
She nodded, understanding. "Neither do I and neither do most of my colleagues, but think about it: plots can sometimes spare a lot of lives"
"We're at war, no lives are being spared"
"Our plot didn't cause this war, you have to trust me on that. Our enemies' plots, on the other hand... they started all this"
"You are talking about the Lannisters"
"Yes, but they are not the only ones. Every man in this war now wants thr Iron Throne for himself and this does nothing but cause more bloodshed. Except you. You have never claimed the Throne and this, Robb, tells me something. We can trust you... and we need you. Will you help us?" she finally asked, stopping and turning to look at him.
He studied her for a long moment. He looked her in the eye. Then he nodded. "As long as the North will be free... you have my help"
"And you have mine" she promised. "Dorne can't be involved in this war, but this doesn't mean we will not find ways to help you. I will help you in this war. I am not an expert at war and battles, but I know many things. I see many things. I hear many things. My spies, though... they hear and see even more" she concluded with a full smile.
Her smile died on her lips when she saw a direwolf approaching them, stopping at Robb's side and looking at her. She took a few steps back, until she felt the trunk of a tree behind her back.
Robb had to smile at that. "This is Grey Wind, Lyara, my direwolf. He will not attack you, you don't need to be afraid. Besides, aren't you half a wolf?" he asked, caressing the wolf's fur.
She sighed. "I've never liked big animals... and I have always felt more snake than wolf, anyway" she replied. He simply laughed at that.
Later that night, she was sitting by a fire, alone. The Starks were together, her Aunt constantly fussing over her daughters while Robb looked on amused. The men were all drinking and chanting by the fires and a few of her knights took part in it, while others kept to themselves. She kept to herself, as well. No matter how much Northern blood ran in her veins, no matter how her family made her feel welcome, she didn't feel completely at ease. She felt out of place. She missed Dorne, she missed her family and she missed the sun. The warmth. Feeling another shiver through her spine, she wrapped herself tighter in her furs. Yes, she was not suited at all for cold – she could only guess how cold muct have been in Winterfell. If her mother's ice ran through her veins as well as her father's fire, shouldn't she have been capable of enduring coldness?
Yet she still felt cold, no matter how close to the fire she sat. She could do nothing but think about her days spent in Sunspear, playing and running around with her half-siblings and cousins under her Uncle Doran's watchful eye.
She yearned to be in Dorne again, yet here she was. Would she succeed? Only time would tell.
"You are not used to the cold" came a voice, interrupting her thoughts. She hadn't noticed Robb had joined her.
She shook her head yes, but didn't say aything.
They spent a few minutes in silence, before she found her voice again. "I was supposed to visit Winterfell once, years ago. I wonder if I could have managed to endure the cold or if I would have turned into a frosty viper" she tried to joke. Her cousin laughed at that and she had to admit, she liked his laugh. She liked how carefree it sounded. She wanted to hear that carefree laugh more, she found herself thinking, just as she found herself noticing how it made his eyes light up.
She stood up, suddenly, trying to let her mind wash those thoughts away. When he looked at her surprised, she tried to smile. "Let's go join your family. While on the road, Sansa promised to teach me a few Northern dances, if I would teach her a few Dornish ones. I would also like to see Ser Sandor dance as well, that would be quite amusing" she stated, nodding to the man keeping watch behind the two sisters and their mother.
Robb stood up as well, once again offering her his arm. "It would be, though the Hound is no knight" he replied, carefully.
She nodded, turning to look at him. "Yes, that is in fact another thing I wanted to talk to you about. I ask you, please name him knight. I would do so myself, if I could, but I can't. He deserves it, Robb. Your sisters wouldn't be here, if he hadn't protected us"
Her cousin remained silent for a while, before looking at her as well. "I will name him Ser Sandor Clegane... for protecting all three of you" he decided.
That was the end of the matter.
A few days passed and the Northern army was preparing to leave their camp and move further south, chasing the Lannisters. Lyara had managed to write to both her father, who was safely back in Dorne and Renly, who was preparing to face his brother Stannis on the battlefield.
Stannis Baratheon. She disliked the fact that he couldn't be involved in their plot, as he was famed to be a great warrior and a good man, but Renly was right: Stannis was pure iron, he would never bend, he would sooner break. He wouldn't accept to support the claim of a woman, most of all, a woman whose family his brother had defeated and woman whose family had in some way caused the death of his parents. No, Stannis wouldn't bend the knee to the dragon.
She felt sad for Renly, she knew despite all appearances he hated the fact of going to battle against his brother. Still, she also knew he would do his best to keep him alive.
She hoped everything would turn out for the best.
While at the Northern camp, Lyara had also managed to get to know her family better. She had spent much time talking, walking or sparring with Robb, who in the beginning had refused to cross swords with a woman. When he saw for himself that she wasn't so good with a blade, she had to convince him to help her improve so that she could defend herself. She didn't feel the need to tell him she was quite capable with a small dagger or with poison.
She also often spent her time with her younger cousins or with her Aunt, who she found to be a very caring and loving woman under that strong surface.
While the soldiers were preparing to leave camp, she was sitting with Sansa, who was teaching her some quite complicated needlework. She had never been skilled with needlework, something that had always amused her father endlessly. Arya was also with them, though she didn't look happy at all. In the short time they had been together, Lyara had learned that Arya liked swords and archery much more than needlework, dresses and hairbrushing. Sansa wanted to be and was a true lady, while Arya was wilder and had no interest in that. The two sisters couldn't be any more different.
Her Aunt Catelyn was talking with a Maester, probably making arrangements.
Robb was talking with a woman, a dark beauty from Volantis named Talisa, that was what her birds told her. She was a Healer. She also seemed to be quite close to the King in the North, she had noticed.
"Lyara, you have to pay attention" her cousin Sansa scolded her.
She gave her an apologetic smile. "I'm sorry, Sansa, you are right... though I couldn't help but notice that Ser Denys has been looking at you for quite some time" she added, suddenly noticing the knight who was in fact looking at her cousin. She couldn't blame him. Sansa was a real beauty with her red hair and blue eyes. A Tully more than a Stark, yes.
Sansa blushed and almost smiled, but that smile almost immediately turned sour. When she didn't say anything, Lyara put a hand over hers. "Have I said something wrong?"
"No, it's just that... I liked Prince Joffrey and he turned out to be a monster. I feel so stupid. Everyone thinks I'm stupid" she said and Lyara's heart broke watching the tears spilling from her eyes. She hated the Lannisters even more, now.
"Gods, Sansa, no! Never think that!" she exlaimed, moving closer to her cousin to hug her. "That monster had us all fooled, my dear. You are not stupid. Nobody thinks you're stupid"
"Joffrey is the only stupid one" intervened Arya, who had been until now silently looking on.
"I know you have both been been subjected to great horrors" continued Lyara "but you made through it, you survived and you are with your family now. You are safe... and most importantly, you will be happy again. You don't need to be afraid" she assured her, wiping her eyes. "Now go to your mother, both of you... I suspect she has been missing you too much to have you out of her sight for more than a few minutes" she joked, trying to bring a smile to her cousins' faces.
They stood up and left.
"I hate the Lannisters for what they did to my family" said a voice and she turned around to find Robb standing behind her. She stood up. "Then it is your duty to make them pay for it"
"Aye, and I will" he nodded, his expression turning feral for a second. "I was expecting you for our walk before we would leave camp?"
"I saw you talking with Lady Talisa, I didn't want to disturb"
Robb sighed and they started to walk towards the woods, as they always did. "Lady Talisa is... different" he tried to explain.
"You don't need to explain to me"
"I feel that I do, though. I thought I felt something for Lady Talisa and I still do. She's foreign, she has no part in all this chaos. She's independent, she's strong, she knows what she wants and she's honest, she calls things as she sees them. She's different... but... so are you" he finished, slowly taking her hand and clutching it.
She resisted the sudden urge to flee. "What do I have to do with this?"
"I think the day you came here changed everything for me and I'm not talking about your plots or your goals. I'm talking about you"
Now it was her turn to sigh. "Robb, I would be a liar if I said I didn't feel anything for you. I do, but, things are complicated. Not only because you have feelings for another woman, but also because of our roles in all of this. Ask yourself about your feelings... and I will do the same, but we will not do it together" she concluded, deciding to let the truth out.
He clasped her hand tighter. "What are you talking about?"
"I heard your mother is leaving to go and negotiate with Renly. I will go with her"
