"Are you ready for your departure tomorrow, your grace?" Roslin spoke softly. The two were sitting on the balcony together drinking tea. It had been over two weeks since the feast where Lyarra tried to fix the Lady's relationship with her uncle and had yet to see if it had worked.
"I believe so yes, I am quite excited to see this Mother of dragons," She admitted and the girl smiled with a shake of her head.
"Are you not afraid of her dragons burning you?" She asked, only half joking and Lyarra shrugged with a grin.
"I would be a crisp in moments, I won't mind," She told the Frey who laughed. The tone quietened down then and they both glanced over to the courtyard as they heard Edmure yelling to a few riverlanders. Roslin looked with sad hazel eyes, the young Brandon in her arms sleeping, his eyes hidden beneath small eyelids. Lyarra looked longing at the mother and child with a sad smile. "How is he?" She asked the girl knew she was talking about her uncle and not the baby-cousin. Roslin cradled the boy closer to her.
"Better," She admitted softly and Lyarra nodded hopefully. "He still doesn't talk to me. He can bear to look at me now but that's just about it. He comes and sees Brandon though, takes him out to walk the courtyard every few evenings. It's hard for him," The girl said with a sad smile and the Stark cringed out how sweet the girl was being despite her uncle's unfavorable behavior.
"I know, it is. He might be like a horrible man right now but the reason it hurts so much for him was that he really loved my mother. He truly did," The Queen told the girl and she nodded, touching Brandon's hair lightly.
"Hence the boy's name," She noted softly and Lyarra nodded. He named his child after the first man her mother ever loved. "I understand, I don't think he's horrible. I want to be close to him, I want to help him but I can't, I'm afraid," Lyarra was taken back by the girl's kindness and honesty. She wanted to tell the girl she had no reason to be afraid, but she had seen when her uncle had slapped her hand away, the way he spoke to her, she would have been afraid as well.
"I'm sorry you are afraid of him," Lady Stark spoke back honestly, not sure what else there was she could say. There was a sudden increase of sound from down in the courtyard and Lyarra got up quickly only to see familiar blond hair. His face was angry as he stared down his brother, their eyes locked in a dangerous look.
"What the fuck did you just say to me?" Daryn asked Larence getting closer and Lyarra's eyes went wide knowing this wasn't going to end well. The Snow was still smiling as he spoke, like taunting, words back. The Queen ran into the castle and down the stairs as quick as she could, her dress trailing behind her. She swung the door open only to see the final moments before the Hornwood threw a punch at his brother's face. Larence's head snapped sideways but he saw the hit coming and had stepped back, his half-brother's hand only collided with the edge of his face, not nearly as strong as instead.
"Afraid of the truth, dear brother?" He grinned back just as Daryn jumped him, both of their bodies tumbling to the ground. She had never seen the Hornwood looked so wild, so aggressive, as he attacked his high-born bastard brother. The Snow blocked the hard punches and threw a good one into the Lord's face, hearing a resounding crack Lyarra did what the man around her wouldn't and she wrapped her hand tightly around Daryn's shoulder pulling back as hard as she could. She had miscalculated and when the Hornwood pulled back his right arm once more his elbow went straight into her nose making her cry out in shock. She fell back a few steps grabbing at her nose as it throbbed in pain. Suddenly Daryn was in front of her, his face already swelling from the impact of his brother's fist into his cheek.
"Oh gods, Lyarra are you alright?" He asked quickly, placing his hand over hers to pull her hands away only to see blood. She flipped her head back feeling the pain set in as she held her nose. She could see men pulling the Snow up by the arms letting him stand up by himself.
"Look what you did brother," Larence hissed from behind him and Daryn turned angrily, hands shaking. Lyarra grabbed his lower arm with her hand, pulling him back to her disapprovingly. He dropped his anger, taking a breath.
"Come on, let's get you to a nurse," Daryn spoke softly to his Queen and she nodded. She didn't move away as he put his hand on her lower back watching her green-eyed brother give him a smirk. The two walked into Riverrun, calling over a nurse who helped clean Lyarra's nose. "Is it true?" He asked worriedly looking at Lyarra and she looked back with confused Tully eyes at what he was talking about. Just then the door of Riverrun swung open to reveal a stern looking Jon Snow, Lyarra couldn't really turn her head to meet her brother's look.
"You hit my sister?" He growled quickly and Lyarra presumed he must have heard from the men outside what just went on. Daryn shifted uncomfortably clearly not sure what to say. Lyarra could see Roslin looking in from the hall, Brandon now awake in her arms.
"He didn't hit me, Jon, he elbowed me. I was trying to break them up fighting," She told him with a wince. Jon's eyes looked to his sister worriedly but back to the Hornwood with anger.
"Fighting? With Larence Snow? Why does it seem every time you have it in with your brother you end up hurting your Queen?" He growled back accusingly. Daryn looked down guilty, having no defense to that. "You're alright, Ly?" Jon asked softly and the girl nodded back to her bastard-brother. Lyarra hissed as the girl moved her nose seeing if it was broken before concluding it was.
"Gods, I am so sorry," Daryn told her leaning down in front of her. His face was swollen, the purple of a bruise setting in, Lyarra could just imagine what her own face looked like.
"Come with me, my lady, I am sure the other brother will need your services," Jon spoke with an annoyed looked to Daryn before leaving him with his elder sister. When Jon was gone Roslin asked if she was alright before disappearing as well, certain the two wanted to be alone. Lyarra took Daryn's hand, trying to soothe his guilty look.
"It was my fault, I tried to pull you off," She reminded him gently and Daryn huffed knowing that wasn't true, it was most definitely his fault.
"Is it true, what he said?" He asked then squeezing her hand and she looked back with a shrug.
"I have no idea what he said," She reminded the Hornwood gently and he furrowed his eyebrows. He looked deeply disturbing, opening his mouth like a fish trying to breathe out of the water.
He didn't meet her eye when he spoke then, his fingers running patterns along the back of her hand. "I heard you both, the other week after the feast. I came to apologize for asking to leave, I didn't mean it. But Clegane stopped me and told me that my brother was with you," He let out a breath as he refused to look up at her. He remembered what he had heard clearly, you do have very nice eyes, Lord Larence. "He said he slept with you and that you were so drunk you thought he was me. He said horrific things about what you sounded like and how you had tried to push him away…" Lyarra's mouth hung open in shock.
"He said that?" She growled once she realized what the Snow had said and Daryn nodded bring his blue eyes up to meet her.
"He told me you didn't even want it and that he took it from you anyway, I was beyond furious,"
"That's not what happened!" She exclaimed her voice shrill with anger, pulling her hand out of his "He came to see me and I turned him away. I told him he wasn't you and I wouldn't sleep with him," She spoke back sharply and the Lord visibly relaxed, relieved that his bastard brother's words weren't true. He was terrified his brother had hurt her and violated her. She stood up then storming towards the door.
"Wait! Where are you going?" He asked warily and she looked back with an angered smile.
"Get Storm for me," Daryn grinned and nodded before running off the retrieve the wolf. Lyarra started towards the Glover section of the camp, trying to find her brother. She heard his voice before she saw him, his angered growls.
"I don't care! What happens with Daryn is the Queen's business, you, on the other hand, are not under her protection,"
"He attacked me. You know that" Larence argued calmly to her half-brother.
"He isn't wrong, my lord, Lord Hornwood attacked him," Lord Galbert told the second Snow. Lyarra rounded the corner and Lord Glover bowed and Jon looked worriedly at her bruised and swollen nose.
"Your grace, I hope your nose is alright, my half-brother is quite savage," The boy spoke apologetically, his cheek cut and swollen, a black eye forming around his left eye. His attractive face marred by Daryn.
"Don't play innocent, Snow. I heard what you said," She sniped to him and he feigned innocence.
"You only heard what Lord Daryn chose to tell you, my Queen. He is hardly the most—,"
"Shut up," She hissed back and Lord Glover looked shocked, Jon watching his lady-sister carefully. She stepped closer to the tall, green-eyed bastard boy. "You told Daryn that you had raped me so I suggest you choose your next words very carefully," She warned with a sharp tone and Jon grit his teeth at the bastard.
"I never said that," He spoke back, she had to give him credit, his acting was superb. Lord Glover looked lost on who to believe, his Queen or the boy he raised in Deepwood Motte. Jon knew Daryn Hornwood wouldn't lie to Lyarra and that was a reasonable reason for why he had attacked his half-brother.
"You said that I was so drunk that night at the feast that I thought you were Daryn and I slept with you and that I had pushed you away but you did it anyway," She accused him clearly, the boy shook his head slowly. Jon crossed his arms then, knowing exactly which brother would tell the truth and which would have lied.
"Daryn is a liar, I never said that,"
"My Queen, it is hard to know which boy is lying," Lord Glover protested and Lyarra scoffed staring down the faux green eyes.
"I know exactly which boy is lying," She growled back and Larence tilted his head. A large growl was heard and the two men's head whipped around rapidly to see Storm circling the four of them, her blue eye narrowed and teeth bared. Daryn stepped up behind his Queen, the wolf not looking at him, only at Larence Snow with her single eyes. "My wolf seems to know who is lying," She stated as the creature sat down beside the Hornwood and the Stark, teeth bared.
"It is just a beast, it knows nothing," Glover argued and Larence stayed quiet, being smarter now than before. "Please, your grace, Lord Daryn is your lover but that does not mean he cannot lie,"
"I didn't lie," Daryn spoke between clenched teeth. Storm stepped towards the Snow, her stance furious.
"I think I know who to believe, Lord Glover. What other reason would Lord Hornwood have to attack his brother?" They both mumbled half-brother underneath their breaths.
"He's jealous of me, I've always been better looking and better with the women" Lyarra laughed cruelly, placing a hand on Daryn's chest as he stood beside her.
"Why would he be jealous of you? He is the true-born son of Halys Hornwood, Lord of Hornwood, just as attractive, and best not forget he sleeps with the Queen of Winter. I trust he has little reason to be jealous of you," She could feel Daryn's chest filled with her compliments and a deep anger set in Larence's green eyes. He was insulted and humiliated in front of the Lords.
"My Queen, this is inappropriate," Lord Galbert warned and the Stark's river eyes shot to his, he retracted as she looked at him with utter contempt.
"What's inappropriate is your ward telling men he raped me. That would be classed under slander towards his own Queen. I suggest you remain silent, Lord," She snipped at him and he pursed his lips and nodded, shifting awkwardly.
"What are you going to do?" Larence asked and the slight tremble gave away his fear as he glanced at the growling direwolf.
"Well, I have already had a terrible experience with rebel Bastards in the North so you remain here. While I am away at Dragonstone you shall remain under Daryn's command, he will have his men watch you as he pleases. You dare speak such slanderous words against me again and I will have you beheaded," She warned him with murderous eyes, he looked back with a rebellious gaze. She snapped her fingers and Storm barked sharply before jumping onto him, pinning him to the ground, teeth inches from his face. He squealed with fear and Lord Glover looked torn on what to do. Jon only crossed his arms, watching the Snow suffer in terror for long seconds before Lyarra whistled to her wolf, walking away and letting the beast trot after her triumphantly. Daryn and Jon followed her out, both smiling at the trembling bastard boy. She pushed the door of Riverrun open, letting her wolf trot over to where the fire was lit. She rolled up near it and the Queen let her stay.
"Lyarra?" Daryn asked after her softly and she turned to meet him, a soft expression on her face, her head tilted slightly. The Hornwood looked from Jon to her and she gestured for them to go upstairs.
"Thank you, Jon," She called to her younger brother that waved her off with a wary look to the Lord beside her. The two ventured upstairs to her chamber before she closed to behind her. She turned to look at him, his light blue eyes looking at her, saying nothing. "Can you handle him, when I am gone?" She inquired of the Lord who nodded simply as she moved further into the room.
"How have you been?" He asked her then, not daring to step any closer to her small frame. She bit her lip and sighed, knowing how she had been was not good.
"I miss you," She whispered, barely over the sound of the crackling fire. His eyebrows furrowed as he looked at her, waiting. Lyarra thought about it for long seconds before she took the final steps and pushed into his body, letting his arms wrap around her and hold her closer. She breathed in his scent, feeling the warmth of his body on her once again. His breath slow rise and falls. She felt a calm like she hadn't felt over the several weeks.
"I'm so sorry. My half-brother isn't an excuse to do what I did," He whispered to her and she nodded through her growing emotions. She understood why she had to step away, she knew he was aware that what he did was wrong but that wasn't the only reason. Being away from him showed her what she was afraid. She was afraid of losing him, she needed him and that terrified her. She took deep breaths as he held her, his embrace grounding her.
"I'm terrified," She whimpered to him and his hand stroking her hair stilled.
"What are you afraid of?" He asked something then, his eyebrows furrowed where she could not see them. Her face was pressed against his chest, cheek to his heart.
"That I love you," Silence. His breath shuddered under her and he pulled her away, his hands on her shoulders. He leaned down so his eyes were on her, his beautiful, clear blue eyes.
"Say it again," He whispered in awe and her breath shuddered as she said it again, not taking the way he was looking at her. He kissed her, hands light on her as her lips parted for his like they were home. "I love you, Lyarra. I have known I have for over a year since I was in that swamp. When I heard you were dead it was crushing, I never thought I would be able to love like I do you," He told her, his lips leaving kissed on her face.
"Why didn't you say anything?" She asked and he let out a breath with a smile.
"I was afraid too," She nodded as he pulled her into an embrace, his arms tight.
She didn't want to think about tomorrow when she would be gone, she just wanted to be here. He picked her up easily into his arms and moved to her bed, sitting down and pulling her on top of him. She buried her head between his shoulder and his neck, hands wrapped around his shirt. They stayed like that for long minutes, neither daring to move to break the moment but Lyarra knew she had to. She unraveled herself despite Daryn's disappointed look, his eyes heavy like he had almost slept like that. "I need to leave at dawn for Dragonstone, you'll keep the place together?" She asked him softly as she stood next to the bed holding his hand and he laughed before nodding.
"Don't get burned," He told her then and she smiled, suddenly realizing down that she was leaving. She bit her lip as her hand slipped out of his and he's lip upturned at the edges. "You'll be back, don't worry. I never seem to be able to get rid of you, my she-wolf," He spoke and she nodded before leaving the chamber and leaving him there, nothing else to say. She ventured back to the balcony only to see that Roslin was there once more but now across from her was Edmure. The Queen spied quietly only to see they weren't speaking and Edmure held the child in his arms rocking the boy back and forth. Lyarra stepped towards the couple and Roslin smiled, cringing at the state of her nose.
"Does it hurt, your grace?" The lady asked worriedly and the Stark shrugged her question off. Edmure looked at her with worried blue eyes before noting that she was alright. Brandon appeared to be sleeping and Lyarra looked at the baby-cousin with her uncle and jealousy shot through her.
"Daryn?" The Tully asked simply and the Queen blushed slightly. The uncle chuckled in response, knowing what that meant. "Just get married, Lyarra," He urged her softly, rocking the baby slowly. The Stark-Tully sat down in a seat with a sigh, running her hands through her hair.
"What is the point, Uncle?" She asked then sadly, looking pointed at the baby in his arms and he breath in understandingly.
"That is not the only reason to get married," He reminded her and she shook her head with a devastated look. Roslin looked to her, not having known her infertility but now painfully aware.
"Of course it is,"
"It's not," The lady countered firmly and Lyarra look to her dejected her blue eyes wide as the Frey looked back with a kind hazel.
"I can't conceive, what uses is a woman—,"
"Don't say that!" Her tone made the Queen visible retract. Edmure looked on with curiosity at the sudden outburst of his small wife. The lady leaned down in front of Lyarra with a round, rosy face. "You're the Queen of the North, you've done so much more than thousands of men and women ever have. You have proven yourself tenfold over, you don't need a child to prove to anyway," Roslin told her and Lyarra frown, touching her injured hand miserably.
"They don't want a Queen with no heir," She let out softly and Roslin scoffed and Edmure watched with an inquisitive look as his wife went to speak again.
"You have an heir, you have Eddard. And if you don't have him then Jon will have a child or Sansa. They are all the princes and princesses of House Stark," The lady told her firmly with a soft smile struggling to understand why Lyarra could think such things. "I'm sorry you can't have a child, I can't imagine the pain but that's not all there is to life," The sound of the river in the distance overshadowed Lyarra's soft tears as she nodded at the Frey. Her uncle watching his niece battle with something he could not understand but he was listening to Roslin's words carefully. That was all they had together, Brandon. If having a child didn't mean that much to the girl what did their marriage have. "Marry Lord Daryn, if you want. You love him, that's better than any marriage alliance," Lyarra looked to her uncle who awkwardly held the baby in his arms. Marriage alliance was all they were.
"Don't forget, my lady, my mother and father were a marriage alliance in a time of rebellion and they were the purest love I had ever known," Lyarra told the elder girl with a touch on her hand and Roslin looked down with a blush realizing what she had in front of her husband. She turned to look back at Edmure with a hopeful look and Lyarra's young uncle bounced his foot as he rocked their son, nothing to say.