Anna

The great hall of the red keep was filled like never before. Even during the tourney there had not been as many knights and ladies in the city. Anna sat to Willas left, who in turn sat to the king's left. It felt strange to have a seat of bigger honor then her father, but that was one of the things she would have to live with now. Willas still had not asked for her hand, but the more the night progressed, the more it became obvious that he planned on doing it soon.
The comments he made about his sisters dress and how silly she and Joffrey looked when they cut the cake together were all just hidden questions directed to Anna. But Anna did not like to think about her wedding. When Willas asked her jokingly if she would wear a coat made of Grey Wind's fur she answered, that she would prefer to be married wearing armor like the Mormont women did. After that he didn't try to start a conversation anymore.
When the feast was ended Willas left immediately for the tower of the hand. Anna sat alone for a while. The hall was almost empty. The only people she knew were the priest Thoros, Lord Renly, the knight Balon Swann and the king,.
"Lady Anna!" he called out. "Come keep us company! Today is no day to be gloomy. Rejoice my son finally has wife!" He laughed, but it was a bitter laugh.
Anna rose and set down in Willas vacant chair.
"Ha! Taking your husbands seat without thinking about it! That's the kind of women they produce in the north!"
"You err your grace. As fond as I am of Lord Tyrell, he is not my husband." She replied as she tried to stay as far away from the king's breath as possible.
"Not your husband, yet, Lady Anna. Heh. Lady Anna. Almost like…" the smile slowly faded from his face. "Yes. He is not your husband. Not even your hand is promised to him. And you rejected the hand of a Baratheon only to run to the next bookish boy who sun you a pretty song." He took another sip from his cup. Tear started to form in his eyes. "I pray that you made the right decision. A man is not always the way he seems. Even the most beloved man can hide a monster. Sometimes it is better to stick with the flawed men you know then to chase the dream of the Dragon knight." His face was now filled with tears and he started to sob. Ser Greenfield who had stood guard behind him stayed Robert's hand when he raised his cup again. "Maybe it is enough for today your grace."
With a roar Robert pushed himself from the table and stood up. His face which had been red from the wine became even redder with rage.
"You want to tell your king when he stops drinking? Why don't you tell me how to rule my kingdom like that little flower boy wants to? You boys are all the same. You n ever saw the reign of the mad king. You should be thankful that I dethroned him and killed his hell spawn. My hand, my guard, everyone forgets that I can still crush you with my hammer anytime I want." He turned to Anna. "Marry your pretty boy if you want to, girl. Just don't complain once he bores you to death." And with that he left the hall.
"Seems like the feast is over." Said a voice to her left. Garlan had appeared almost out of nowhere. "If I may escort you back to your chambers?" Anna took the offered arm and walked besides her friend out of the hall.
"Should you not guard your wife at this hour?" she asked him.
"Oh, Leonette is quite capable of guarding herself." He chuckled though his beard. "But you seemed to need protection against an angry stag."
"The king is a sad and lonely man. He has no friends and a wife that hates him, so he drinks and thinks back to his glory days. I was just at the wrong place at the wrong time. Had I not reminded him of my aunt he might have been tipped off by Thoros talking about wildfire or by Renly talking of Stannis and Dragonstone. I was never in danger, he just likes to remind everyone and himself that he was not always as he is today."
She saw the look he gave her. "I know what you are thinking: Why am I not afraid to say what no man would dare to say? Well, my father told me to name the things as I see them. I am not planning on changing that."
"Actually I was just thinking that my brother could not have found a better bride." Garlan said.
"I am not his bride!" Anna cried then she intended. "He didn't ask me yet."
"I am sorry for assuming anything, but you must know that is only a question of time." She saw him look at her face from the side and turned her head away from him. "Excuse me for asking, but you do feel the same way for my brother as he feels for you, don't you? You must know that every time he talks to me these days it's about how his duties as hand hinder him from seeing you more often. He never talked about any girl that way except you."
Yes, she had noticed the change in Willas since he became hand. Were he used to mock and jab in the past he now was more caring and tender. But still Anna could not shake the nagging feeling that…
"You fear that he will just be like any other man. That he won't honor you and sleep around, is that it? It is understandable. Your mother must have suffered under the fact that your father had a bastard of his living besides you all these years. But I can assure you that Willas has no bastards, nor will he ever dishonor you with being unfaithful."
She almost burst out in laughter at the suggestion of her being worried about bastards of all things. But she knew better then to embarrass Garlan that way. He did not know Jon and it was not right to judge him because of it. Instead she gave no reply, what apparently satisfied Garlan.
"Oh, well it seems we are here." They stopped and Anna noticed that Garlan had lead her to the godswood. "He waits in front of the biggest tree. Sorry for deceiving you." And with that he was gone.
Anna could not remember when her heart had ever beaten so fast as she entered the holy wood. Willas indeed waited for her. He wore the chain of the hand and his green clothes displayed his new personal arms: A hand holding a golden rose.
"My lord." She bowed a little, while looking for the right words for what was about to happen.
Before she even could straighten herself again he had already taken her in his arms.
"Anna, my love. There is no need for formality. Why do you think I wanted to be alone here with you." Slowly, very slowly he went on his knees, while still holding Anna's hand in his. He hissed in pain when his left knee touched the ground.
"I have never met a lady, like you and I don't think I ever will again. These last months have been the best of my life." He made gesture encompassing the entire red keep. "I know I only can offer you this stupid thing as a house, were we will always be close to Joffrey and other people you hate, but please, please, Anna. I beg you on my knees: Will you marry me?"
Anna could see tears forming in his begging eyes, probably from the pain in his knee. She had never seen him so vulnerable and for a moment she wanted to give him the answer he waited for.
Instead she let go of his hand and simply said: "No."
She saw in his face that he expected this answer. "Why? I noticed that you started to become more distant in these past few days. Is it because I am working to much? Then I will resign like your father did. We can go to Highgarden and life there. My grandmother already can't wait to meet you and…" "No" she interrupted him harshly. She touched his tenderly cheek. "I love Willas. And I want to marry you one day. But not now. My father promised me two years of freedom. Two years were I can be my own person. Were there is no one who can tell me what to do. And I cannot give that up. Not even for you." Tears started to form in her eyes. "I understand if you hate me now. Please just stand up and go. I can't stand it to see you just kneeling there in front of me."
"Anna." He reached up and caressed her face like she had done wit his. "I only feared that you didn't love me. Why didn't you just tell me that you wanted me to wait? Silly girl. Did you think that after ten years of waiting for you, that I would give up so easily? If you want me to wait, then I will wait. In two years is the three hundredth anniversary of Aegon's Landing. Why don't we get married on that day?" Anna felt all the tension leaving her and with a sob she threw herself in his arms, the very moment he tried to stand up again. They toppled over and fell right below the heart tree.
"Gods, are you all right?" She asked.
"No worry. My leg can take more abuse then that." He answered.
"Come I'll help you up" she said as she stood up, but she was stopped by him embracing her with his right arm.
"Why don't we stay here a bit. I always loved it to look at the stars at night when I was a child."
Before her eyes flashed Theon Greyjoy's face, only to disappear again. "Yes, I would like that."
They lay there for a long time. They were woken by the rooster's first call.
Anna almost jumped up only to remember that Willas needed her help.
"Well it seems I will have to write to Highgarden to call of the celebrations." Willas joked when they were about to part.
"Please don't make jokes like that. My father will be furious once I come home and…" Willas lips finally silenced her..