Lydia

She sat before the Heart Tree, giving her respects to the Old as best as she could. Two days had passed since her wedding, and today she would be leaving the North to live in the South, permanently. Watch over my family when I cannot. Keep my siblings safe and my father and mother healthy. Lydia touched the pale wood of the Heart Tree, and bowed her head. She was suddenly aware of the stillness of the Godswood, and her skin prickled in fear. Raising her head, she glanced past the Heart Tree and met with dark eyes. Lydia's breath caught in her throat, her hand slowly lowering to her lap.

Two men stood a fair distance from where she sat, watching her with daggers in their hands. They were clothed in boiled leather, and stained fur, with unkempt hair and one of them had a thick, knotted beard. Wildings, Lydia thought as she shifted to her feet. She knew she could not out run them, but she had to risk it.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you, girl," the one with the beard barked. His dark hair was knotted into a thick, curly ponytail that fell past his broad shoulders. He raised his dagger and gestured for her to stand. "You're gonna come here and you're gonna keep that mouth of yours shut."

Lydia held her ground. They would have to come to her, for neither had a bow that she could see. "And why should I do that?" The smaller, lankier one twirled his dagger. "Who are you?"

"Shut it!" The first one barked. "We're not important, you are. Your Stark's brat, and that's all that matters. Now shut your fucking mouth and get over here or I'll cut that tongue out of your pretty mouth."

Lydia bristled. "Are you threatening me?" She stood then, her head held high and her shoulders lowered with murder in her eyes. "If you know who I am, than you know threatening me is the stupidest decision you have ever made." She brought her fingers to her lips and whistled, the sound cutting through the forest like a knife. The larger man cursed and rushed at her. Lydia cried out in surprise and turned to run, but she was not quick enough. He grabbed her by the collar of her coat and forcefully spun her back, spittle flying from his mouth as he shouted at her.

"Who'd you fucking call?!" Lydia growled and spat in his face. "You fucking bitch!" He threw her down hard, knocking the breath from her lungs, and pinned her down with his knees. "I'll fucking teach you." Lydia screamed in rage, hands flying to the wilding man's face. She dug her nails into his brow, dragging them across his forehead and cheeks before jabbing him in the eyes with her thumbs. The man yelled in pain, shoving one of her hands away. His eyes were bloodshot and brimming with tears when he looked at her. He said nothing as he slapped Lydia across the face. Lydia cried out in pain, but her cry soon warped into another scream of rage. She lurched forward, intending to head-butt the wilding. He laughed and slammed her back into the ground. "I'm going to cut your fucking hands off and fuck that mouth of yours before I bring ya to Mance." Lydia bucked her hips, trying to throw the man off.

Fuck, fuck, fuck. A low, menacing, growl echoed through the forest. Lydia heard the second man swear. Looking past the wilding on top of her, Lydia began to laugh. "Good girl!" The wilding looked behind and swore. He threw himself off of Lydia, and crawled backwards, his eyes trained on the slow approaching direwolf. Bluebell growled again, her ears pressed firmly against her head while the hair of the scruff of her neck rose with every step. She snapped her teeth at the wilding, letting out a viscous snarl.

"Shoot it! Fucking shoot it!" An arrow flew from a nearby tree, embedding itself into the ground near Bluebell's feet. Bluebell jumped, her attention torn from her Mistress for a moment. It was all the wilding need, and he grabbed Lydia by the arm. "Fucking kill the beast, I've got th-" The wilding screamed suddenly, letting go to Lydia's arm to grabbed at his wrist. A sword was embedded into his hand, cleaving it in half. "Son of a fucking bitch!"

"How dare you," her husband said. "My mother was a wonderful woman. Do you even know what a woman is? Probably not." He withdrew his sword and kicked the man away. "You look more like a pig fucker." The man made to curse at Jaime, but a sword through his throat stopped him. "I take your silence as a yes." He withdrew his sword, and glanced down at Lydia. "Are you alright?"

"There's a wilding in one of the trees," Lydia exclaimed.

"Not anymore!" Theon called. He pulled his arrow from the wilding's shoulder, whose neck had broken from the fall. "Poor bastard. Didn't even see me before he fell out of the tree. Quick death though." Theon wiped the head of his arrow across the dead man's fur and slid it back into his quiver. "Have you've got the other one, Robb?"

"Yes," Robb called back, hauling the small one to his feet. "I'm bringing her to father. He'll want to know how wildings got past the Night's Watch, and into Winterfell."

"This one mentioned Mance Ryder," Lydia yelled as Jaime helped her to her feet. "Be sure to mention that to father."

"Aye," Robb said as he pushed the wilding woman along.

Lydia looked at the wilding as she passed. With her wild hair and loose clothing she really did look like a man at a distance. Hopefully father is a bit merciful, she thought. Bluebell growled at the wilding before retreating to her Mistress's side. Whining, she pushed her head against Lydia's thigh. "I'm alright, Blue."

"Not quite," Jaime said, gently touching where the wilding man had struck her. Lydia hissed and slapped his hand away. "Hey now, I'm just trying to see if there's any broken skin." Lydia sighed, and turned her injured cheek towards him. She flinched as his fingers skimmed over the injured area. "There's no cut, but you'll have a nasty bruise later. Though," Jaime glanced at the dead man and smirked. "Considering what you did to him, it could have been a lot worse for you." Lydia glanced at the dead man. Blood had formed from where she scratched him, and she smiled bitterly.

"Are you going to tell me that I should have just laid there?"

"No," Jaime said, staring at her sharply. "I would have done the same." He withdrew a handkerchief from his coat and dipped it into the pond. Wringing it, he pressed it gently to the side of her face. The coolness of the cloth felt wonderful against her heated cheek, causing her to moan softly and lean against Jaime's hand.

"Thank you for saving me, my lord," Lydia whispered after a moment.

"Thank your little wolf," Jaime said. He withdrew the cloth, and dipped it into the pond once more. "She barked at your brother and I until we followed. Never heard a bark quite as loud and demanding. I believe she scared poor Tommen." Bluebell yipped and pushed her head against Jaime's leg, her bushy tail wagging happily. Jaime chuckled and handed Lydia the cool, damp cloth. "Come, my lady. We have a long trip ahead of us."

Her mother had fretted over her, insisting that Maester Luwin examined her before they left. Luwin had come to the same conclusions as Jaime, and handed her a small container of paste to speed up the healing process. Her father had told her that he would send a letter if the wilding women told them anything of interest. "And after?" Lydia had asked.

"If she is not an immediate danger, I will put her to work," her father had stated. "She has crossed the Wall for a better life, and I will not end hers because she was associated with less than noble characters."

Lydia's goodbyes had been bittersweet. She had hugged her siblings tightly, and promised to write as soon as she could. Arya had held on the longest, asking Lydia to visit as soon as she could with tears brimming on the edges of her eyes. Her mother embraced her and whispered how proud she was, while her father had kissed her on the forehead. "Be brave, pup." Her girlhood nickname had struck deeper than it should have, and Lydia forced herself to smile, despite the ache in her jaw.

"I will, Father."

She had ridden out, with Nora on her right and Bluebell at her left. Lydia kept her head held high, and her face even. She was the eldest daughter of Lord Eddard and Lady Catelyn Stark, and now the Lady of Casterly Rock. It would not be appropriate for her to cry. "I've never been to Casterly Rock, my lady," Nora said, drawing her mare as close as she could. "Do you think it's similar to the Highgarden?"

"Casterly Rock is on top of a cliff, I believe," Lydia replied. "If I'm correct, there are more mountain ranges than in the Reach."

"You would be correct, my lady," Tyrion commented as he approached Nora's mare.

"Lord Tyrion, just the man I was hoping to speak too," Lydia said. "Nora, this is Lord Tyrion, my new good-brother. Lord Tyrion, this is Nora my dear friend and handmaiden."

"Pleased to meet you, my lord," Nora greeted, bowing her head slightly.

"And you. I thought we were done with the formalities, Lydia. You are my brother's wife now, which means you're family," Tyrion said. "And I don't believe family addresses each other as lord and lady."

Lydia smiled at that, though her aching cheek protested at the action. "Forgive me, Tyrion. I must have forgotten after my rough morning."

"I had heard about that. How are you feeling?"

"As well as anyone who was slapped." Lydia touched the bruise that had formed in the past hour. "Though my vanity would tell you I am feeling rather horrid."

Tyrion chuckled. "Well Lydia, perhaps stories of the Rock will improve your well-being."

Almost three weeks had passed by the time the royal company reached the Forks. The Queen's carriage had gotten stuck in the mud one too many times for Lydia's likening, but she had bit her tongue. If the Queen was happy, everyone was happy. However, as they approached the Forks, Lydia had noticed that the Queen had become more irritable, as did Ser Jaime. Lydia had seen them exchange heated words before Queen Cersei walked away. Lydia had mentioned the twins rising temperaments to Tyrion, who simply shrugged and stated the journey was making everyone a bit temperamental.

That was a lie though. The only ones who seemed content with the journey were Sweet Boy and Bluebell, who were getting along wonderfully. The other horses had shied away from the growing wolf, but Sweet Boy had simply sniffed and huffed at Bluebell. The two beasts had formed a friendship of sorts, with Bluebell splitting her time between Lydia's bed and Sweet Boy's side. The whole situation was quite queer to Lydia, but stranger events had happened.

"My Lady Lannister," a man a few years her senior greeted. "The King and Queen would like you to join them for supper."

The man was handsome, though his face still had the softness of youth. From his light brown hair and green eyes, Lydia knew him to be from the Rock. "Thank you, ser…"

"Rodrick of House Clifton, my lady. I am, no knight however."

Closing her sketch book, Lydia straightened her dress as she stood. "Nonetheless, I thank you, Rodrick." Lydia smiled prettily, and felt a little joy when Rodrick's face began to redden. He nodded stiffly, and gestured her to follow.

The King and Queen, and their children had taken all the available rooms in the inn, leaving the rest of the company to stake tents. Lydia did not mind. She knew the King would most likely have company during the evening, and hearing the grunts and groans of Robert along with the cries and moans of some whore was less than appealing to her. She much preferred the gently huffing of the horses, and frequent chirps of crickets. "My King, my Queen. The Lady Lydia," Rodrick announced. He bowed sharply and left, leaving Lydia to take in the scene.

The King sat at the head of the table, with Queen Cersei to his right and Ser Jaime to his left. Beside Queen Cersei were Prince Joffrey and Princess Myrcella, with Prince Tommen sitting across from the Princess and to the left of Tyrion. Smiling, Lydia took her place between Jaime and Tyrion. "We were wondering where you were, girl," King Robert said. Serving girls appeared and began to lay food throughout the table. Nearby was a scrawny blonde boy holding a pitcher of wine.

"Forgive me, Your Grace, I was drawing and did not realise that supper was approaching," Lydia replied, while placing her napkin in her lap.

"Heh, drawing! And what were you drawing?"

"My direwolf, Your Grace. She won't be a pup for long, and I would like a reminder of when she was small."

The Queen shook her head. "A direwolf for a pet. What was Ned Stark thinking?"

"Oh shut it, woman. It's none of your damn business what Ned gives or doesn't give to his children," Robert snapped. He took a swig of his wine before holding out to the wine bearer, who quickly refilled it. "If anything, it should make our children jealous. What say you Tommen? You want a direwolf or a lion for a pet?"

"Not really, Father," Prince Tommen replied. "Lady Lydia's direwolf frightens me."

"The beast is barely bigger than a dog," Prince Joffrey stated. "Quite being such a craven."

Prince Tommen shrunk a little, and Lydia felt pity for the young boy. He was a timid lad, who was probably content to read and daydream, rather than sword fight, unlike his older brother. "Bluebell is merely an oversized kitten, my prince," Lydia said. "Perhaps, after supper, you would like to meet her? I'm positive you'll love her once you officially meet her."

Prince Tommen looked at his plate, pushing a pile of peas away from his beets. "I do like kittens," he said after a moment.

Lydia smiled. "Excellent! Prince Joffrey, Princess Myrcella, would you care to join us?"

"No, thank you," Prince Joffrey stated, not bothering to spare a glance at Lydia.

"I would love too!" Princess Myrcella replied with a lovely smile. "Is it alright, Mother?"

The Queen glanced at her daughter, and then turned her eyes towards Lydia. Queen Cersei's green eyes were heated, and for a moment Lydia thought she was going to deny her daughter's request. "As long as your Uncle Jaime escorts you back," she said after a moment. Princess Myrcella and Prince Tommen exchanged happy looks, but Lydia was more interested in the look that passed between the Queen and her twin.

Curious, Lydia thought. She filed the tidbit of information way, a small voice telling her it would be come useful later.

Ser Barristan had to escort the King to his room after supper. King Robert had drank throughout the entire meal, and gotten progressively louder with each cup. By the end, Lydia was surprised the King had not fallen asleep at the table. Prince Joffrey and the Queen had retired for the evening, with the Queen telling her youngest to not stay up late playing with the wolf.

"Lady Lydia, may we call you Aunt?" Princess Myrcella asked as she followed Lydia. "We only have one other aunt, and that's Aunt Selyse. We rarely see her though."

"If it would please you, princess," Lydia replied.

"I think it would, Aunt Lydia." The Princess was quite adorable. She had all her mother's beauty, but the innocence one only had as a child made her that more radiant. Lydia had smiled than, causing the Princess to giggle. "You have such a pretty smile, Aunt Lydia."

"I was just about to say the same to you!"

"What about my smile?" Prince Tommen asked. He grinned, causing Lydia to giggle.

"Wonderful, my prince. You'll grow to be a handsome man, like your father."

Jaime lifted the tent flap, allowing the trio into their temporary bedroom. Bluebell was lying across the fur on the end of the bed. She perked up as they entered, tongue lolling to the side as her tail began to thump against the furs. Prince Tommen whimpered, ducking behind his sister who stood as still as a statue. "There, there. Bluebell, come here." Bluebell stood, and stretched, giving herself a small shake before padding over to them. "Sit. Good girl. Just hold out your fist so she can sniff you." Princess Myrcella held out her fist confidently, while her brother watched in awe.

Bluebell sniffed it and huffed. She pushed her snout against the Princess's head, expecting to be petted. Myrcella giggled, and scratched the direwolf's chin. "That's right," Lydia encouraged. "She loves being scratched behind the ear. Prince Tommen, would you like to pet her?"

Prince Tommen looked at Lydia hesitantly, but nodded. He hesitantly extended his hand to be sniffed. Bluebell sniffed it and licked it, making the young prince laugh. "Her tongue's so soft."

"So is her fur, Tommen," Myrcella exclaimed. Bluebell's tail began to wag, and soon she was on her back while the royal children rubbed her belly. The laughed every time Bluebell sneezed, and Lydia could not help but smile.

"Alright, time for bed. There's still a long while until you reach King's Landing. You'll need your rest," Jaime said after a while. The children had reluctantly agreed and given Lydia their good night's before following their uncle back to the inn. Bluebell whined as they left, and Lydia rubbed her belly with her foot in comfort.

Changing into her nightgown, Lydia waited for her husband's return. Since their wedding night, Jaime had not bedded her, and Lydia was beginning to worry. They had slept in the same bed, but Jaime had shown no interest in her. He barely looked at her before crawling into bed, and did not even touch her throughout the night. It was nearly impossible to give him an heir if he did not fuck her.

Lydia waited. And waited. And waited.

Bluebell had dozed off and begun to snore by the time Lydia snuffed out her candle. Perhaps he does not want others to hear, Lydia thought as fatigue took over her. She hoped that his attitude would change when they reached Casterly Rock. She did not want to shamed.