Lyanna hadn't thought the Prince meant that he would teach her himself when he'd said she needed archery lessons. But apparently that was what he'd meant for, instead of Rhaegar coming to bed her, he came just before sunrise, shaking her awake. If at first she'd thought to pull the covers back and make way for him, the instinct was dismissed when the Prince told her to dress for training.
Yawning and rubbing her eyes, Lyanna had done just as she was told. Food and drink already awaited them. No complaint would pass her lips about the food, however as soon as she tasted the ale, Lyanna spat the thing out and coughed.
"Vile stuff," she complained softly, half afraid that the whole keep would descend upon them if she spoke too loud.
"It'll keep you warm," was the only reply she got, so Lyanna forced herself to swallow a mouthful. Grudgingly she had to admit that it did make her feel warm. Rhaegar took the cup from her hands and downed the rest. She could but watch him in silent wonder.
Her father liked wine if he did drink and her brothers preferred it too. Lyanna was allowed watered wine at times, but she much preferred clear water if it could be helped. She continued to look at Rhaegar as he put both cups on a low table. The drink didn't seem to affect him.
"Come, lady," he said, holding out his arm for her to take. With a small shrug, Lyanna did just that, allowing herself to be dragged all the way to the stables.
She mounted her horse with care and followed the Prince down the path. For some reason she did not feel ill at ease in his presence. It was not a feeling of comfortable intimacy either, but being with him then, as they made their way to the spot where she usually trained, Lyanna had the certainty that he meant her no harm.
Archery proved to be a bit more difficult than Brandon had made it out to be when she was but a child. Her brother had made light of the art of wielding a bow and shooting arrows. Lyanna would have to have some words with him when they met again. Until then she would do well to build her endurance.
Rhaegar was a hard taskmaster but fair, she found. He would show her what he wanted her to do, and his voice held patience as he instructed her, but if her mind wandered away from the task at hand he would not hesitate in reminding her the reason for which they were there. As he positioned himself behind her, guiding her through the motions, Lyanna could not help feeling a strange pressure within her. She shook the sensation away and tried to concentrate on what Rhaegar was saying.
The first arrow didn't even sail through the air. The second neither. Her third shot fared better in that it managed to fly a few feet. Lyanna, however, was not pleased with that. She would shoot properly by the end of the day, she told herself. Gripping the bow just a little tighter, she nocked an arrow into place and released it in one fluid motion. That one embedded itself into the target, touching the edge of it.
Letting out a breath of relief, Lyanna beamed a smile towards Rhaegar. The result was far from perfect, but she had touched the mark nonetheless and that was reason enough for her to be pleased with. Lyanna waited to hear what the Prince would say.
"Good," Rhaegar confirmed with a small nod. He took the bow from her. "Watch me." He fitted an arrow in the bow and shot it. The steel tip implanted itself onto the target, right in the middle of it.
She reclaimed the bow and tried again. Not all of her attempts were met with success, but some arrows did make it to the target. Lyanna, of course, hadn't been expecting some miracle. Like all good things, learning took time. The knowledge however, didn't do much to ease her frustration. She made to grab another arrow when the Prince's hand touched her shoulder gently, eliciting a hiss from her. It was only then that she noticed her limbs were trembling.
"That should do, my lady," he said. Lyanna looked over her shoulder at his face. For a brief moment she thought she saw tenderness in his gaze.
"But–" the protest slid past her lips yet never made it to the end for she was cut off.
"What you need is time." Rhaegar pried the weapon from her hands. He gripped her by the shoulders after, fingers pressing into the slightly sore flesh. Lyanna made a small sound of discomfort, but she found that the way his fingers moved against her helped.
It seemed they were done for the day. Since the chill had thawed and Lyanna did not quite wish to return yet, the Prince allowed that they might sit under one of the trees for some time. Happy with that, Lyanna wasted no time in arranging herself comfortably on the ground. Rhaegar sat next to her, though he kept between them a small distance.
"Your Grace, I am grateful for the help," Lyanna found herself saying after a few short moments of silence.
"And I am pleased with such a student," came the reply. It hadn't been just words. Lyanna was certain he'd meant them.
But that was the extent of their conversation, for Rhaegar did not seem inclined to say more and Lyanna could not bring herself to ask him much else. She would have liked to know why he hadn't joined with her again these past few days, but embarrassment sealed her lips against such a question. That brazen she wasn't, at least not quite yet. And in the Prince enjoyed the silence, Lyanna could keep to herself until they reached the keep.
For indeed they would soon have to return. Her father was willing to close his eyes to her early absences, so long as he though she aided Rhaegar. That the situation was not rightly that, well, he needn't know. Would Rhaegar's presence always bring upon her such a mood, she wondered, eyeing the clouds that rolled by lazily.