Lyanna Stark
Harrenhal, Riverlands, Year 281 AC
The day was ending and it was finally time for Lyanna to go joust. She couldn't deny she was more than nervous since she had never jousted before…but she would prove her worth, she would prove that she could do it even if she was a woman.
Benjen was helping her dress the armor set they chose. Luckily for her, Ned was too entranced with Lady Ashara and Brandon had been jousting, so a little lie such as «I'm not feeling well due to my moon blood» worked pretty well to avoid any of her brother's suspicions on what she was about to do…so only Benjen and Howland knew.
"There, all equipped." Ben finally said as he patted her armor.
"Alright…I'm ready…" she said as she put on her helmet. "Let's do this."
"Be careful Lya, Ned and Bran will fall on me if something happens to you…" he confessed worried. But she dismissed his worries, she knew she could do it.
"I'm going to kick their arses," she said as she mounted Winterstorm, her charger. "Wish me luck Ben."
"I already did." Ben said.
"Good." she commanded Winterstorm to move and there she went, to her challenge.
She arrived at the betting joust fields since the official matches of the day had ended long ago. She wondered if Brandon had made it to the finals…If he did or if he didn't she couldn't care less at the moment, she had three targets in mind to defeat: Ser Harys Haigh, Ser Hosteen Frey, and Ser Boros Blount.
As she made her way to the fields, she saw many eyes staring at her, she had expected as much since she was arriving late and dressed as a mysterious knight. She was also able to see her brother staring at back her and as she passed on by him she heard:
"Look Ethan, another cunt who thinks he is Ser Barristan the Bold."
Did that stupid just called me cunt? No, she had no time for this now, she would take her sweet revenge later, but not now.
The steward made his way to her, worried of course. "Ser? What is that you wish?"
She tried her best to sound as manly as she could. "I'm the Knight of the Laughing Tree and I wish to fight three men present in this ground."
Laughs began to be heard and she turned around to see Brandon laughing the loudest. "OH GODS…THE KNIGHT OF THE FUCKING LAUGHING TREE!" he said as he couldn't hold himself anymore. "Where did this kid came from?"
BRANDON FUCKING STARK…You are going to pay dearly for this, I swear on the damned tree I have painted in this stupid shield Benjen stole somewhere.
"And who do you wish to joust against?" Asked the steward, liberating her from her thoughts of revenge.
"First, I wish to joust against Ser Harys Haigh." she replied loudly and confidently. She had seen them joust yesterday and concluded that Ser Harys was the weakest of the three.
The steward turned to Ser Harys, like many of those present. "Ser Harys do you accept this knight's challenge?"
"I do!" The man said without blinking. "And I shall have that horse afterward!"
She wondered if her brothers would find out about Winterstorm…Brandon didn't seem to notice but Ned…Did her middle brother found out it's her already? If he did, he couldn't stop her without making a bigger turmoil than what she was doing… Focus Lya! You can do this!
Both her and Ser Harys made their way to the jousting field, a boy she didn't know was placed as her «squire» because they figured she didn't have any, said kid gave her a tourney lance and she got herself in position. Please Gods, give me the strength to kick this man's arse.
"FIGHT!" The steward shouted.
And so she went, commanding Winterstorm at full speed, she positioned her lance a bit lower than normal in hopes to surprise the opposing knight, while she placed her shield in the line of his lance. When they hit each other the Haigh knight went on flying and she was still on her horse…she had won…
"THE KNIGHT OF THE LAUGHING TREE WON!" Shouted the steward and she heard cheers from the crowds after her performance, she felt so happy…but there was still work to do…
"Next, I challenge Ser Boros Blount!" she shouted with more confidence now that she had actually defeated someone.
"Ser Boros, do you accept the knight's challenge?" The steward inquired.
The man seemed hesitant but finally said. "I do!"
Like against Ser Harys, she made her way to her side of the field and got the lance from the boy. The steward called for them to begin fighting not long after.
Once again she commanded Winterstorm to ride at full speed and she did exactly as she had done with Ser Harys but this time, she didn't manage to send Ser Boros flying, they both broke their lances instead. She returned to her improvised squire and asked for another one.
She had two options…find a new strategy or do the same and surprise Ser Boros with it as most likely he was not expecting her to the same thing twice. She decided on doing this last option.
They clashed once again, but her gamble proved the right thing to do, as she managed to hit Ser Boros' shoulder and make him lose his balance and fall off his horse.
Once again the crowds cheered for her but with even more intensity than before. She was providing them with a spectacle and she was proud of it. One more to go…
"My final challenge is to Ser Hosteen Frey!" The most intimidating of the three…a lesser version of Robert…uglier though, but like Robert very muscular and certainly with a lot of strength…
"I accept the challenge." Ser Hosteen said confidently as he grabbed his helmet from the boldest of the squires as she remembered it. Okay Lyanna, only this one remains…focus….
They were soon clashing and she quickly understood she couldn't compete with his strength at all, she never cursed her skinny body more than in that moment. They clashed and clashed because even though Ser Hosteen had superhuman strength, in her eyes anyway, he lacked the skill and horsemanship.
After breaking seven lances, her confidence was running away as fast as it came…she tried different strategies like aiming higher, aiming lower, focus all of her strength at a specific point, but she wasn't going anywhere and worst, she was now very, very tired. She needed something and fast or Ser Hosteen would defeat her at that pace and let all of her work go to waste.
On her eight lance she decided to aim for the only the thing she hadn't yet, his head, she was betting everything on that move, if it failed she would lose all of her strength and be an easy prey…
She gave Winterstorm the order to ride as fast as it could and when she was close to Ser Hosteen she moved the lance to his neck area, giving the man no time to react and consequently, he hit the lance with such force that he almost looked like he was floating before hitting the floor because there was no horse below him.
She had won…despite the tremendous difficulty she faced against the Frey knight, she won…Not only that but she was receiving cheers from the crowds, it was like a dream come true, at that moment, she was a true knight. She decided to wave at the crowds and thank the support they were giving her.
"Excuse me Ser…" Ser Harys said to her. "My father won't forgive me if I don't bring the horse back home and I need it to continue competing, so please Ser, is there a way I can ransom it back? For a fair price, of course, I don't have much money with me…"
She had been practicing this since she decided to compete. "You can have your armor and your horse back, Ser, if you teach your squire honor."
The knight was surprised by her conditions. "Teach him about honor?"
"Yes, good Ser." she insisted. "Your squire, Ser Boros' squire and Ser Harys' squire lack any real condition to be knights, but most of all, they lack honor."
"Does that mean you will give us our things if we teach them about honor?" Ser Boros asked.
"I will." she replied.
"Kean come here now!" Ser Hosteen shouted at his squire, even if still in pain from the impact he received.
"Yes Milord…" the squire asked scared and she had to contain herself from laughing at the sight.
Ser Hosteen then proceeded to hit the squire and she almost felt pity for the latter…almost… "Apologize for whatever you have done, now!" Ser Hosteen demanded.
"What for Milord? I don't know what I did!"
"All the same! Apologize so I can have my horse back."
"I'm sorry Ser for whatever I did…"
"That's enough, Ser Hosteen the armor and horse are yours." she concluded.
"Thank you Ser, I'm sorry for whatever he did as well." Ser Hosteen apologized too.
"As you should be." she boldly said.
"Ser…" Ser Boros said. "My squire Larris has something to say as well."
"I'm sorry Ser…"
"There, can I have my things back now?" Ser Boros asked impatiently, she could see the wonderful example that squires were learning from.
"Yes, and I hope this doesn't happen again, Ser Boros." she said.
"It won't, I can assure that much Ser." Ser Boros remarked but she didn't know what he truly meant by it…
"Ser, me and Elden…we are sorry for whatever trouble he caused…" Ser Harys apologized in a polite nod.
"Truly, Ser…I'm sorry…Ser…" The squire agreed stammering.
"I hope this doesn't repeat itself," she said. "The horse and armor are yours, Ser Harys."
"Thank you, Ser." Ser Harys and the squired nodded.
Now for as she much as she wanted to keep jousting, she had to go away and disappear, perhaps the Knight of the Laughing Tree could return some other day…in some other tourney…
"Ser." The steward called. "His Grace, King Aerys wants to speak to you." Oh Gods…what does that ugly man want with me?
As the steward led her to royal stands, which were above the Great Lords ones, she glanced at the Stark stands…Ben and Howland were worried and so was Ned who wasn't in Lady Ashara's company like she predicted he would be…Ned surely knew who she was judging by his expression of fear…Did Benjen tell him? She was into so much trouble now…
"Good knight!" The King shouted from his stands all joyful as she stood in front of him. "What a magnificent spectacle you present us with this afternoon!"
"Thank you Your Grace." she shouted as well, to be heard, less to make the man angry.
"Please do remove the helmet so we can see the face of the Knight of the Laughing Tree!" The King commanded, and now she was fucked…she couldn't remove the helmet because if she did, she would bring trouble to her family and to Howland…
"I'm afraid I cannot do what Your Grace requests." she politely said, hoping the King would somehow understand but…she knew he wouldn't…
The King lost his smiles and began to look at her in a weary way as he began shaking. "NO? YOU DARE TO DISOBEY YOUR KING?" he screamed. "I'M YOUR KING AND WHAT I SAY, YOU DO! YOU HEAR ME?"
"Your Grace I seriously can't take off my helmet, please forgive me…"
"LIAR! I KNOW WHAT YOU ARE, A TRAITOR!"
"Your Grace I assure you, I'm no traitor!" she now was desperate as her worst thoughts were slowly becoming a reality…
"LIES AND MORE LIES! THAT STUPID TREE YOU HAVE IN YOUR SHIELD IS MAKING FUN OF ME! I KNOW IT IS! AND YOU WANT TO KILL ME!" The King continued his shouts. "SER GEROLD, SER JONOTHOR FETCH ME THIS TRAITOR!"
She had no other option, she had to escape… so she commanded Winterstorm to ride away at full speed, away from everyone's eyes, to the Godswood she went, as she planned with Ben and Howland…even if the conditions were different than planned…
As she arrived in the Godswood, she commanded Winterstorm to run away back to her camp as her horse was smart enough to do so or to at least give her position to Ben and Howland.
On foot now, she dropped off her shield and took refuge behind the heart tree, a massive tree, scarred by the Dance of Dragons and with a very ugly face, which resembled despair…just as she was feeling…
I just need to wait for Ben and Howland to rescue me…I will wait, they won't be too far away, I'm sure…
But she waited and waited, and no sign of them, her despair was getting unbearable, tears were flowing down from her eyes at the thought of someone other than them finding her and she being killed…Oh Gods…I'm done for…Ben, Howland…Ned…Bran...please…save me…
Suddenly she heard steps and voices coming in her way…
"Little Clarissa said she saw a knight run into the Godswood in a horse and judging by the sigil on his shield, this seems like the logical place to look…" a woman's voice remarked with far too much accuracy. She took a glance to see who the bitch was and…Ashara Dayne?
"What if little Clarissa lied?" a knight of the Kingsguard asked, the black bat of his helmet betrayed him as Ser Oswell.
"Why would she lie to me, Oswell?" Ashara asked. "I brought her along to keep me informed about things, not to lie to me."
Wait…Ashara has spies? What in Seven Hells is happening here?
"Spying isn't something very honorable for someone who values honor so much, Ser…"
A manly voice remarked behind her and as she quickly turned to it, scared, she saw the Crown Prince and another Kingsguard right beside her, she was cornered…nowhere to go…desperate, she tried to make a run for it, but the knight was expecting it and placed his feet to make her trip to the floor and quickly immobilized her…
She tried her best to get free of the knight's grip but to no avail…she didn't have enough strength and he had blocked her arms and legs…she was done for…
"You caught him?" Ser Oswell asked as he and Ashara approached.
"Arthur don't be so aggressive with him!" Ashara demanded at what was certainly Ser Arthur Dayne, her brother. "You will make him more scared than what he already is!"
"If I give him room, he will run away, Ash." Ser Arthur said and he couldn't be more right, she would escape if given the chance…she had to, she didn't want to die…
"Well my friends, I don't know about you all but I'm going to unmask this one!" Ser Oswell said as his hands approached her helmet, she gave it her all in one more final struggle to get free, but she failed…Ser Oswell took off her helmet…
"By the Mother…" Ashara said as if she had seen a ghost. "Lyanna?"
Lyanna didn't reply and kept struggling with all her might, trying to gather strength she didn't even have…
"Lyanna?" Ser Oswell inquired aghast as well. "As in Lyanna Stark? So the Knight of the Laughing Tree is a bloody northerner woman?"
"Leave my sister alone!"
At the shout, they all turned to her left side, there, were Ben, Howland and Ned as well, her brothers with swords in hand and Howland with his three-pronged spear. While Ben and Howland were nervous, Ned was not. If two days ago he had been afraid of Ser Arthur Dayne chasing him because he was seeing the latter's sister, now any trace of fear had evaporated from him…
"Watch it, buddy, you should hide that sword away before you get yourself killed." Ser Oswell said as he led his hand to the hilt of his sword. "Do you have any idea on who you are talking to?"
"I said, leave my sister alone!" Ned shouted again ignoring Ser Oswell's threats, he wasn't backing down, she feared the worst…
"If it's a fight you want, you will have it!" Ser Oswell shouted back as he unleashed his sword and began to move towards Ned…
"STOP THIS NONSENSE!" Ashara was the one shouting now, desperate as she was. "We weren't going to harm the Knight or rather your sister Ned, we wanted to find him or rather her before other people could. I swear it to you by the Old Gods and the New."
"Oswell back off." The Prince commanded.
"But Rhaegar…"
"Back off!" The Prince repeated and this time Ser Oswell obeyed. "Arthur, let her go to her brother."
"As you wish." Ser Arthur said as he let her free.
She didn't even wait a second, she got up and ran straight into Ned's arms and she immediately felt safer. "I'm so sorry Ned, I…" she felt more tears run down her cheeks as she hugged her brother harder, not wanting to leave him.
"It's okay Lya, you are safe now," Ned cued with a shy smile and hugged her back. "I won't let them harm you."
"I urge you all to leave the Godswood as fast as you can, Lord Stark." The Prince said. "Lady Ashara shall help you in that regard."
"Aren't you going to do escort her back to your father?" Ned asked, forgetting the etiquette he was supposed to have with the Prince.
"So he can burn her?" The Prince asked. "No, I never had that intention in mind, Lord Stark, my intentions were what Lady Ashara said they were and nothing else."
"I'm sure it will cause you problems with your father, the King, My Prince..." she remarked worriedly.
"It might cause him some fits of anger, but nothing too extreme, I can assure you that, My Lady." The Prince explained.
"Come with me Ned," Ashara said as she approached them. "All of you, we ought to get rid of that armor."
The Prince, Ser Arthur, and Ser Oswell left and several minutes later she was finally free of the cursed armor…
"Okay, let us go." Ashara commanded and they all followed her, but Lyanna was weary of Ned's crush now, she freaking had spies!
Speaking of Ned… "Ned, how did you find out it was me?" Lyanna asked curiously.
"House Haigh, Blount, and Frey…these were the Houses to whom the squires who bullied Howland were squiring to weren't they?" Ned asked without expecting an answer. "Besides, the horse looked like yours and Benjen confirmed my suspicions when I asked him."
She turned to Benjen with a pissed look. "Don't look at me like that!" Benjen muttered. "He already knew most of it, I just told him he was right…"
"Still, you were supposed to keep it a secret, you stupid!" she hissed wanting to strangle her younger brother.
"You were reckless Lya!" Ned ranted, having now calmed down. "You could have injured yourself or worse, the King called for your head! You can be killed if he catches you! What the fuck were you thinking?"
"I wanted to avenge Howland's honor…" she confessed.
"Why didn't you ask me or Bran to do it?" Ned asked. "We would do it if you asked…"
"I wanted to prove I am worthy!"
"Worthy of what?"
"Of being equal to a man! That I'm capable of doing it myself!"
"Lya…"
"It's done now Ned," she concluded sadly. "I just hope the Prince keeps his word…"
"He will," Ashara replied. "You don't have to worry about that, you can trust Rhaegar."
As they exited the Godswood, a young boy was waiting for them.
"Go and spread the rumor that the Knight most likely went further south." Ashara commanded the kid.
"Yes Milady." The boy said as he quickly disappeared.
"He was a spy of yours too?" Lyanna asked with a serious look intended to the violet-eyed beauty that her brother was infatuated with.
"What do you mean by a spy?" Ned asked confused.
"She found where I was because of them, Ned!" Lyanna hissed, she didn't trust Ashara anymore. "She has spies!"
"Is it true Ashara?" Ned asked incredulous. "Do you have spies?"
"Yes." she replied with a sad face.
"How many spies do you have around us?" Ned asked getting more serious by the second…
"Around you, I have none." she replied.
"Because you can spy on us yourself?" Ned asked as his anger was getting out of control…
"What? No! Ned, you got it all wrong…" Ashara sounded genuinely desperate at that moment, she kind of felt pity for her…
"Why do you need spies for, Ashara?" Ned asked in shouts, Lyanna had never seen her brother so pissed…
"Because I need to protect those I love!" she confessed in shouts as well. "I told you that King's Landing is a nest of vipers and I meant every word! How am I supposed to protect my loved ones if I don't know who is threatening them?" she signed after calming down a bit. "In King's Landing everyone has spies, everyone finds secrets to screw other people around, I don't do that, but I will never, ever let someone hurt my friends without me knowing about it!"
"So you drop down to their level? You have spies because they also have them?" Ned continued barking and she had to stop her brother for he was the one making the fuss now.
"Ned, calm down!" Lyanna urged. "You are not being yourself!"
"She betrayed my trust!" Ned shouted angrily, now to her as well. "How am I supposed to calm down?"
"I'm sorry you don't understand it then Ned…" Ashara said signing. "I will not say anything else to you today as I believe the best solution is to allow you to calm down and formulate your opinion after what I told you…if you find it in yourself to at least understand me, please meet me tomorrow morning at the stables…"
"The stables?" Ned asked confused. "What do you mean?"
"I will explain you then," she said before turning to Lyanna with a shy smile. "Lyanna…I enjoyed seeing you sending those three men to the dirt, I truly did, but please be more careful, you really pissed the King and I swear to you, it's not something you want to do."
Even if she was distrustful of Ashara, something about the way she was speaking seemed to tell she wasn't lying and she was more than sorry for what she did… "I'm sorry…Lady Ashara…"
"If you have to apologize, please apologize to your brother," she said as she took a last glance at Ned, she looked like she had tears at the corner of her eyes but began walking away. "I…wish you all…to be safe…" she said.
When Ashara was out of their view she noticed Ned shattered. "Do you hate her now?" Lyanna asked worriedly.
"I can't hate her…" Ned confessed. "But she certainly has been hiding far too much from me and was naïve enough to not hide anything from her…love has made me stupid…"
"Ned…" she muttered.
"You know it's true, so don't deny it." Ned said.
"Will you meet her tomorrow?" Ben asked. "Like she asked of you?"
"I don't know…" Ned replied. "Let's just go back to the tents, this was far too much to my head, it's hurting…"
"I'm sorry My Lords…I shouldn't really have come to this tourney…" Howland finally broke the silence he had been this entire time.
"It's not your fault Howland," Ned assured. "You have been a great friend to all of us, I wish I could have done more for you, but Lya beat me to it. Don't worry about it, everything will surely fix itself somehow."
I hope it will…My stupidity led to this…
Thank you for sparing time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day.
