Harenhall, Late 281 AC.
Ned
The music was playing loudly in his ears. Great men were sited all around him. Gerold Hightower with his white hair and purple eyes so similar to the features of Arthur Dayne that some may have thought them brothers. If truth be told, they were brothers, brothers of the Kings guard, the order that protected the King with their life. Oswell Whent was with them as well; he was the brother of Walter Whent, heir to Harenhall and the one organising the tourney. The gifts of the tourney were lavish. Money, titles, lands….
Benjen had been jumping up and down his sit at the mention of titles, and Lyanna had had to put a restraining arm on his shoulders to calm him down.
At last, Ned spotted at the back, Jamie Lannister. He was wearing the crimson red and gold of his house but when King Aerys signaled, dead silence fell in the great room and the young knight walked forward, in front of the king.
Arthur Dayne stepped forward and unsheathed his sword. For a second, he heard young Benjen holding his breath, but the Sword of the Morning had simply given Jamie Lannister, the honour of becoming a member of the Kinsguard. Shouts were heard from throughout the room.
"He is the youngest knight to have served in the Kingsguard" Robert whispered in his ear, while clapping. He was regarding him curiously, while, already in his fifth cup of wine and ale.
Ned studied the newest member of the Kingsguard yet he saw nothing special about him. He was tall, very handsome and had a mane of blond hair that reached his shoulders. Maybe he was indeed an exceptionally good fighter. He ought to tell Benjen that. His brother longed to be a knight but everyone was saying that he was still too young. He had begged to participate in the tourney as well yet Ned had tried to explain to him that only older men in Brandon's age were allowed to do so.
When the clapping finished, Ned saw the Lord of Casterly Rock, Jaime's father, walking out of the Hall, fuming. As soon as the clapping was done a young, slender girl with long, blonde hair approached the knight and hugged him. Ned squinted his eyes because apart from the fact that she was female there was barely any other difference between them.
"They are twins" his brother Benjen said for him, pointing at the couple.
Lyanna smiled. "Indeed. Close twins"
The way she said it made Ned wonder if there was a hidden meaning behind it.
Despite all her threats of wearing chainmail and appearing in Harrenhal like a knight, Lyanna had done the opposite. She was wearing a long flowing white-grey gown with embedded heads of wolves and a wolf fur covering her naked shoulders. Her shiny, dark, long hair had been brushed and it shone under the deem lightening of the candles in the Hall. Half of it was braided and the other half flew carelessly to her shoulders and her lower, naked back.
She looked lovely and so like a Lady. His sister was behaving as such as well. Lyanna was only laughing on que with everyone else, small laughs, she was eating small bites of food, sipping wine ever so graciously…
Ned had to wonder whether she was going to surprise them soon, though this did not seem likely. His father, Rickard Stark had bid him to take good care of her and prohibit her from acting foolishly. He and Brandon had visited Riverrun to finalise the Tully-Stark betrothal while Ned was to oversee the Stark-Baratheon betrothal.
So far, everything was going according to plan and his friend could not take his eyes from his sister. He had made quite a few attempts of speaking to her, mostly asking her questions concerning the weather, or a song she had heard, or whether she liked jewels and what type of jewels. Lyanna had answered each one of his questions with courtesy and asked him no more.
When at last Ned had started another conversation, Robert leaned forward.
"When I was told that I was to marry Ned's sister, I was afraid she was going to look like him. Long face, no humour and ice running through her veins instead of blood. Yet, my expectations have been surpassed. You are the loveliest woman in all of the Seven Kingdoms"
Lyanna regarded him carefully and Ned sensed a trap. He was not insulted by his friend's words. He knew he was not as handsome or comely as his elder brother or even Robert Baratheon, yet he was certain that at some point he would have a good marriage with a good woman. Who that would be remained to be seen.
"Oh? You must have seen a lot of women then to say this" his sister said pleasantly, yet Ned prayed she would not mention his bastards.
Robert cleared his throat, seeming at a loss of words. "I have seen, yes. You are as lovely as the rising sun"
His comment made Lyanna look bored. She turned her spoon to the other side. "I thank you, good Sir. Tell me, then. If I am the fair maiden then you must be the brave knight. Tell me of the wars you have fought, the battles?"
Ned galped. She was taunting him, yet Robert did not realise. "I have yet to participate in any wars, which most think is a good thing. If it is my strength and power you want me to prove, however, my fair maiden, I shall start wars for you"
Lyanna raised an eyebrow, looking unimpressed. The five or more cups of wine must have gotten to Robert's head.
"Interesting. No doubt you must be a great warrior, a great swordman"
Robert went to reply but Ned replied instead. "The Lord of Storm's End prefers to use a battle axe, instead. He channels his power and ferocity better through this chosen weapon"
"A bull has ferocity as well. To wield a sword requires grace, balance…" Lyanna added.
Robert laughed and clapped Ned on the shoulder. "Eddard, you had not told me your sister knew so much of swords and fighting"
"Oh, yes she does!" Benjen said excited before Ned had time to shut him up. His sister smiled gently but Robert was laughing hysterically.
"A woman? With a sword? Surely as acting. In a real battlefield, women would stand no chance, my lady. It is better to let us, men, do the job. We are born to fight and kill men for sport" he said and Ned pressed his lips together.
He feared for the worst, yet Lyanna remained calm. "What would you say if I asked you to train me, then? Even as acting? Would that not be fun just out of curiosity to play with swords?"
"Swords are not for playing. Swords are dangerous" Robert said, his brown creased.
"Yet boys first learn how to wield a sword by picking a wooden sword, would you not agree?" Lyanna asked.
Robert drunk another cup of wine "They are boys"
"Children" Lyanna intersected.
"If you say so, my Lady" he finally said, giving in.
For a time there was silence apart from Benjen who kept pointing at men around the room and asking either Robert or Ned who they were.
"Where is the Prince?" Benjen suddenly asked out loud and Ned had to squint his eyes but he could not see him.
"The Prince is said to have taken an early night. His wife has just given him an heir and he spends most nights with her. Childbirth has left her weak, though, she did give him a son, proving somewhat useful"
Ned could feel Lyanna's anger flaring up as she held a knife tightly in her hands. He had to gently press both of her hands down, though she still would not release the instrument. Robert seemed to pay no mind to that.
"And do you have many sons, my Lord?" his sister asked in her sweetest and kindest voice.
Robert blinked. "No trueborn heirs. I am not married. Not yet"
He smiled to her at that and his sister gave him a weak smile in response. "What about other sons? Or children? Surely you have tested the waters, like a Captain first sails a ship in a stormy sea. My brother, Bran, has had the pleasure of knowing many women. It is quite admirable"
Robert cleared his throat. "I have known women, if that is what you ask. They come willingly to me. I know much and more when it comes to pleasuring the ladies"
Ned turned a bright shade of red while his brother's jaw dropped to the floor.
His sister took a deep breath. "That, at least is good to know"
The irony was plain in her tone, yet Ned hoped Robert would not see it. He did not. His friend had passed the stage of being merely drunk.
"Though if we are to get married I would like to think that you would pleasure only me" Lyanna said and Ned wished he could cover his ears with wax and not hear such talk.
It was obvious that Lyanna was toying with Robert but he so wished he had not been present in their conversation.
"To be sure, my Lady. Why would I look at any other women when I have the star in front of me?" he asked her.
His sister laughed. "Even stars fall eventually. Surely at some point I shall grow old, my breasts will fall, my hair will turn grey…"
"I would love…. You…" Robert said in a slurred tone.
When the feast came to an end, Ned escorted Robert to his room. His friend was drunk though he was still able to walk and he had not puked.
"I love her, Ned" he whispered.
Ned said nothing to that, only wished his friend goodnight and then returned to the gigantic tents that had been given to him and the rest of the Starks. There were tents for Rickard and Brandon as well, though, at the moment, they were unoccupied. They were to arrive in the next two days. When Ned entered his tent, he found Lyanna pacing up and down.
She had exchanged her lovely gown for her usual breeches and linen shirt, her hair in a ponytail. She was holding a wooden stick, not even a proper sword and she was attacking his bed. When one of her strong blows broke the right wooden hand side of the bed, she turned around and smiled to him.
"That's for telling our Father that Robert was an honourable man" she said and then with another movement hit Ned in the ribs until he fell to the ground.
Lyanna was holding the edge of the stick to this chin. "And that is for betrothing me to a drunken fool"
And with this, she stormed back to her own establishments. As Eddard watched his sister leave, he finally came to terms with the fact that he had made a terrible mistake, one which he would regret for the rest of his life.
