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Lyanna Stark I
Winterfell, North, Year 284 AC
Lyanna was laying down on her bed, covered in sheets awaiting for her brother and Ashara to end their night of pleasure…Truth be told they chose a weird hour for coupling…it was neither too early to have lots of servants around but neither was it too late to bother people trying to sleep with their noise…it was an in-between hour…
She wondered if she married Robert would their nights be like this? He certainly had the lust for it given that he laid with whores and servants and also had that bastard daughter of his in the Vale if not more scattered around…Lyanna reached for her silver pendant and looked at it…the silver wolf with emerald eyes…I'm sorry Robert…
The moaning ended and after waiting a bit more, she was sure the pair of lovers finished so now she was free to sleep. Luckily for her, they never exceeded half an hour and their usual was just a quarter of an hour at most so it wasn't like they were preventing her from sleeping but she always seemed to use this time to think about life…wondering what the mysteries she had to solve could be…She fell asleep a couple of minutes later after failing to come up with any new possibility then the failed ones she already had…
And then a weird dream came…
A fish was waiting by a river shore but it seemed what it was waiting for did not come…there was a wolf…circled by two lions who stood equally from the wolf, they roared and the scene changed to a bunch of lions encircling another as if they were judging it…the lion in the middle crawled and two others roared around it…giant squids pulled trees from the shores…in a cave, a dragon watched as an egg hatched and a little dragon came of it…a bunch of men encircled a candle…their words which she could not decipher frightened her…they were vile even if she did not understand them…like those men…suddenly they all looked as if they were seeing her in her dream and she woke up…screaming…sweating…panting…frightened…
"What was this?" she murmured worriedly, as she cleaned the sweat from her face. Lyanna looked at her window and noticed it had dawned already. She stood up, searched for one of her gowns, undressed her nightgown, got dressed in a grey dress, brushed her long hair, and exited to the Great Hall to get something to eat. As expected, the lovely pair was not present yet, courtesy of their loving nights…she smiled and wondered how long would it take for little Jon to have a sibling…He could have had one now if her baby lived…her child…
"Good morning!" Ashara's voice and bright smile made sure that Lyanna did not weep tears that morning and she was of course thankful for that. Her sister-in-law was wearing a blue gown in the Northern fashion, her hair loose around her waist…. Kisses in the cheeks were exchanged with Ashara and Lyanna also kissed her nephew in the forehead and cupped his cheek.
Next, it was Ned's turn, her brother embraced her as if he knew something had happened with her… "Is everything alright?" he asked.
Lyanna wanted to say yes but her mother's words about her needing her brothers' help echoed in her head. "I had a weird dream…"
"Yes? What was it about?" Ashara asked as she sat down and began preparing her loved toasts.
"I don't know…there were fishes, rivers, wolves, dragons, squids, lions, a bunch of lions to exact, and then some evil-looking people around candlelight who looked at me…I was scared of them…"
Both Ashara and Ned looked pensive, glancing at each other with worried expressions. "Might there be some hidden meaning in them? Like a message of sorts?" The Dornishwoman proposed.
"If so, what can it be?" Lyanna asked.
"A whole lot of things…it can be anything really…" Ashara said. "We do not know the nature of those dreams…are they allegories? Are they prophetic? Are they just a bunch of nonsense? And if they are prophetic…are they something that is happening now, later this day, in two days? A year? And is it something that is to happen to you or someone else?"
Clearly, Ashara had it all well thought…they didn't know anything about those dreams…but one thing she knew… "This one is nothing like my previous dream with the crow or with my mother. I'm sure of it."
"Fair enough…" Ashara avowed. "Nothing talked with you so…yes…you are more than right…" Yes! No one talked with her in this dream so she wasn't wrong as Ashara just said. "Still…it doesn't really give us any clues…" All three of them sighed... "Anyway…I was hoping we could all go to Winter Town…I want to make some drawings and plans of the town…"
"I'm deeply sorry Ash but I have some documents that need sighing and pleads to answer…" Ned said sadly. "I also need to send a message to Jon Umber to see if he is willing to come here so we can discuss somethings and hopefully mend our relations…"
"Like you are going to do with the Glovers?" Lyanna asked.
"Aye." Ned nodded as he looked at his wife with a sad look.
"Do not be so sad my love, I understand," Ashara assured as she cupped her brother's cheek. "Lyanna and I can do it ourselves, it will be a good way to spend some time together, that is if she doesn't have plans of her own already…"
She had none…she was still following her brothers' advice of waiting a while longer for her back and womb to fully recover so she could ride horses with no hesitation. Lyanna and Ashara had already sent a raven to Willam asking for the best horses for them to buy, one for her and one for Ned, for his nameday. She had no doubt they would be receiving the best ones, after all, Willam was a great friend of the family and Brandon's best friend too and he would surely join their scheming. "I have no plans and I will gladly go with you, it's been a while since I walked in Winter Town."
"Wonderful," Ashara said. "We cannot stay all our time in the castle, we might go mad at some point."
"No opposition from me in that regard." Lyanna nodded smiling.
"Take some guards with you," Ned commanded. "You never know what can happen…"
"We both know how to defend ourselves, Lyanna is good jouster and I'm good with daggers." Ashara proclaimed. This was something which caught Lyanna by surprise…she did not know that Ashara could use daggers…
"I know but it never hurts to go that extra mile…" And Ned knew about that?
"You use daggers?" Lyanna asked her sister-in-law beaming with the prospect of having someone else enjoyed some of the things she did.
Ashara smiled. "How about I tell you everything about while we go around the town?"
"I would very much like that Ashara."
Ashara Dayne II
Winter Town, North, Year 284 AC
Ashara and Lyanna had walked through the dirty and muddy streets of Winter Town, inspecting every building and every house from the outside to aid her in her drawings and maps. There were more houses than people by now as it was spring and the town's inhabitants left to make revenue by working in the land as most of the peasants did.
The houses were built of low quality stone and wood and they were small, big enough for just one family and that was it. They could be improved a little and likely some of them would need to be demolished at some point to make way for the new streets…
At the moment both ladies of Winterfell were seated on a bench in the cobbled main square of the town, four guards, two in each side, guarded them as they drew maps of the town and talked of what they could do to improve everything or just random topics. They were no city planners, those had been called for, but they had the right, as Ladies of Winterfell, to make their own plans.
From where they were seated, they could see and smell the merchant stalls selling mostly food and pottery, nothing exotic like some of the products you could find in King's Landing or Dorne but if everything went according to her plans, everything was to change for the better. All the houses would be occupied and more would be built if need be. The streets would be paved and modern so that people would not ruin their clothes in the mud or stumble upon each other. This was especially important considering that the smallfolk struggled to get their share of clothes and a serious injury usually meant no revenue for a family and this would help them no doubt. The numerous greenhouses would assure that everyone was fed and had a place to work even in winter.
Perhaps the town could grow into a city someday…no one could know but Ashara would be happy by just keeping the population of winter years all seasons long and creating some economic dynamism there. Perhaps some orphans could be brought from Sunshine Orphanage to settle the area…that would be good but the religion could be a problem…she would need to put some more thoughts into it…talk with Ned and Lyanna and perhaps Brandon and Benjen too.
"We can open a street here and another one there so that a total of ten streets exit from the main square like so." Ashara finished her improved town map. "This should in theory give a lot of space for further improvements will also keep everything properly organized like a modern city on the other side of the Narrow Sea."
"I agree, the town square and the path to Winterfell and the Kingsroad should be the center of the town as they are the most important parts of it already." Lyanna nodded. Ashara was still wondering what her sister-in-law's dream meant. Somehow she felt it was a prophetic dream of sorts but she did not know its true nature yet so she did not wish to throw anything out yet.
"Smashing!" Ashara said and Lyanna giggled. "What is the matter?"
"Is smashing a Dornish expression?" The Northerner asked with a raised eyebrow and smile on her lips.
"I do not know…I just say it sometimes…" Ashara confessed. "I heard it when I was younger…and found fancy in it…"
"Smashing then." Both chuckled and when Ashara composed herself, she found a peculiar sight that immediately caught her attention. At the entrance of the Cold Leg…which by the looks of it, was a brothel as a red-colored lantern hung on the ceiling of the entrance despite not being lit yet, a pretty red-haired girl was cleaning the stairs that led to the entrance door with an old broom. Once the girl in question finished her service, she took notice of Ashara's gaze and spared a smile before entering the brothel.
The curiosity seemed to be taking the best of Ashara… "That is the brothel correct?" she asked Lyanna whose glance befell on the Cold Leg.
"Aye." The Northerner nodded. "That is the Cold Leg, Brandon's former favorite place."
"A girl was cleaning the stairs just now…" Ashara explained. "Do they put girls at sale here?" The mere thought of such vile thing made her sick but she knew that putting little girls at sale was not uncommon, especially in the Free Cities and beyond.
"I have been inside a…few times and never saw a child selling herself…" Lyanna said. "None of the whores were bad folk to try that so I seriously doubt it."
"Let us visit it then and check it up," Ashara said as she enrolled her maps and stood up. "Just because they are whores does not mean we should not care for them."
Her sister-in-law stood up and rolled up her maps. "Well…you are right…"
"Besides…you have been there before have you not?" Ashara inquired with a raised eyebrow.
"Yes…I learned the womanly things there…" Lyanna confessed shyly.
"Didn't…" Ashara was going to say Septa but quickly slapped her forehead internally. "Never mind…"
"There were things a girl could not ask her father…" The Northerner said shyly. "Luckily everyone there did no say a word about my visits and did not get angry when I did not buy their conventional services…they were pretty cool about it all and told me about the coupling and pregnancies and all that…"
"They seem like good folk indeed," Ashara concluded as they stood by the entrance and entered. If they explained all that to Lyanna they could not be the monsters that her mind was trying to make. "Alright, let us enter."
Inside she found a simple yet spacious room neatly arranged, everything was properly lit with just enough light to set the mood… A woman quickly strode towards Ashara and Lyanna and by the looks of it, she did not see who entered at all… "Hello honey, welc…Oh Gods…"
"Hello there," Ashara said chuckling. The woman was brown-haired and eyed with lots of freckles around her face, shoulders, and cleavage which was almost at display, she seemed slightly older than Ashara but not by a large margin.
The brown-haired woman looked to the floor embarrassed before she had a weird realization, as if she had seen something, and looked straight at Lyanna. A big smile and a big hug followed. "Milady Lyanna is so good to see ya again! We heard ya were safe and sound but it's good to see that you are."
"It's good to see you too Melanie, it has been quite some time has it not?" Lyanna said with a smile of her own. They knew each other indeed…
"A few years indeed…none of ya Starks visited after Eli's death…" Who was Eli?
"She was dear to us all…especially to Brandon…" Interesting… "I should have come more times but I already knew what I need to know about being a woman and..." Lyanna said with a sad expression. "She did not deserve to die…"
"Eli was a very good friend to everyone here...she was kind to us all, always willing to help...she died at twenty and two of age...Ros inherited all of her kindness though…"
"Who is Ros?" Lyanna asked confused. "Is she the baby Eli carried?"
"Aye, Milady." Melanie nodded. "She's our darling…We have been raising ourselves the best of our abilities…we all have been saving some money for a dowry so that she doesn't need to live our lives but…"
"But what?" Ashara pressured a little bit too much given Melanie's reaction. She also noticed colorful eyes up the stairs to her right…more women…
"Milady is…the new Lady Stark they speak about?" The brown-haired woman asked shyly. "None of ya are here to…close the brothel…are ya?"
"I'm not closing someone's livelihood, you have nothing to worry about from my part." Ashara assured with a smile. Nothing better than nice words that expressed the truth to gain trust, especially when Melanie was so frightened.
Melanie smiled a bright smile. "Thank you milady, I'm glad milady won't close it…" If this brothel was to close than many women would be penniless and she would never do such a thing to someone. These thoughts made her come up with a possible follow up to Melanie's but…
"How well did the Cold Leg withstand the previous winter?" Ashara questioned curiously. "Did you all have trouble with food or something similar?"
"We…" At this Melanie hesitated a little…she did not wish to answer…she was likely ashamed of it and likely still overwhelmed by their presence. Ashara noticed the girl from before going around cleaning the floor by the windows but occasionally glancing them too.
"Do not be shy, I do not bite even if I'm a wolf now..." The jape seemed to have a positive effect because the woman smiled when she turned to face Ashara once again.
"We did spend some days without eating…" The woman confessed. "We did have a sizable business but the food…"
That broke Ashara's heart…to think that these nice women starved under her watch was truly making her sad. "I did my very best to conserve it as much as I could and make it last the hard years…" Ashara explained sighing. "But the war took its toll and we had to send supplies to feed the army…I'm sorry…"
Her apologies seemed to surprise Melanie and the colorful eyes upstairs. A smile by the freckled woman followed. "The worst has gone milady, we all here and well and we all know that keeping everyone fed is hard…it was our fault too for not keeping our reserves under control either…we thought that winter would not last as long as it did…so we were careless…"
"I tell you what my friend, whenever you girls have a problem, you go to Winterfell and ask for me or Lyanna and we shall do our best to help you girls out." It was in Ashara's being to help everyone she met and with these women, it was not different. Yet she could receive something from them as well, something very important, information. A brothel was one of the best places one could get information from. Ashara had learned a variety of interesting things from Chataya, who was a good friend of hers at King's Landing and helped Ashara many times. She missed her Summerislander friend and her wit often…
"Truly milady?" The woman asked beaming, the prospect seemed to be of her liking.
"Of course, my dear friend!" Lyanna joined in. "You all helped me before and now it's time to help you all too. It's the least I can do and I know Ashara here loves to help people feel better."
"And there is no reason to lie is there?" Ashara questioned. "We live in a world of men and we must stand together to survive." This was all true, there were few good men in the world...and few good women as well...humans were mostly bad and selfish by nature.
"Aye." Melanie nodded. "Thank you both, we will be greatly in debt."
"There is no debt here, only women staying united." Ashara insisted, fully erasing the last tensions between them. "By the way, I was quite surprised a while ago by someone I saw and prompted me and Lyanna to enter…" Ashara began after seeing that she had the full trust of the woman before her. "Who is that red-haired girl that was cleaning the stairs and now cleans by the windows?"
"That's Ros milady." So that pretty thing was Ros…the mysterious Eli's daughter…it made sense given all the information provided by Melanie earlier…but it also meant that Eli was dead for quite a long time…the girl was about Allyria's age… "She likes to clean everything so that we do not need to do it ourselves."
"So that's Eli's daughter?" Lyanna inquired surprised. "Was it that long ago?"
"She grows quickly by the day…" Melanie said proudly.
"And what else can you tell us about Ros?" For some reason Ashara wanted to know more about the girl…something inside was telling her to do just that and so she did.
"Oh Ros is a very smart girl, she learned how to read, write, and count by herself!" Melanie said, surprising both Stark ladies. "Few of us know these things, I for one can't read or write but I can count the pennies..."
"And how old is Ros exactly?" Ashara asked curiously.
"She is six, milady."
"Six and she learned all that by herself?" Lyanna interjected surprised, Ashara was surprised too…this meant the girl had an above-average intellect…perhaps she was a bright mind…Such a girl would be wasted as a whore because there was no doubt that the life she would be forced to live was that one...either that or married to some peasant if the other whores saved enough for the dowry…
"Would it be a problem if we took her and made her a lady-in-waiting?" Ashara asked suddenly.
Lyanna was surprised but did not seem to oppose… "You wish to…take a whore's daughter as a…lady-in-waiting?" Melanie questioned.
"Is there a problem with it?"
"No…we all love Ros as I said before and we wish for her wellbeing…" Melanie began as she rubbed her hands shyly. "I have no doubt that miladies taking her would mean a better life to her…it would also save her from ending like one of us…and someone losing clients and…"
"I believe I know what you are trying to say…" It meant that Ros would steal part of the clients and with it, their earnings if she remained and did not marry someone. It was to note that Ros was much younger than the rest of them which was likely a factor to consider, especially when she was pretty already. "This means that you accept?"
"Yes…best if milady takes her, no one is going to oppose but we will all cry…" The brown-haired woman admitted, tears forming in the corner of her pretty eyes.
"I know…" Ashara said as she patted the woman's back. "She is truly very special for you all…"
"She is…but she is also a burden…and a threat…Gods I sound awful but…"
"Do not worry, my friend." Ashara hugged the woman. "I know your concerns and rest assured Ros will still be part of your life but without being a burden or a threat. You would like that?"
"Yes!" Melanie said, tears falling uncontrollably. "I wouldn't want anything else…"
"I wish to have a word with her…" Ashara concluded as she looked around the brothel finding the girl still cleaning around by the windows she had last seen her. "Thank you for the nice conversation, Melanie. It was a pleasure to meet you and I hope one of these days we can share some more conversations and perhaps all those fine ladies upstairs can join us too…"
"A pleasure milady." Ashara's new friend bowed with a smile as she gestured for the others to come down.
"I will stay here talking with Melanie for a bit…see if I can make her stop crying with some poor japes…if it's ok with you?" Lyanna proclaimed as she patted Melanie's back.
Ashara nodded. "I certainly have no problems with it, enjoy yourselves." Ashara walked towards the girl in question who was so entertained in her work that she did not notice Ashara approach her…or perhaps she did… "Hello there!"
Ros turned around surprised but quickly smiled. "Milady." she bowed. "A pleasure to meet you."
"Why the pleasure is mine," Ashara replied. "I heard your name is Ros."
"It is."
"It's quite a beautiful name I must confess." Ashara proclaimed trying to earn the girl's trust. "Nice to meet you."
"There better ones than mine." The girl replied.
"I'm still fond of it." Ashara insisted. "Do you know who I am by any chance?" she was quite eager to test the girl's intellect.
"Lady Stark I believe." The girl replied quickly. "They said milady had violet eyes and black hair…you very pretty."
"Why thank you, you are pretty too!" Who was trying to gain the other's trust in the end? Ashara or the girl? She was a natural no doubt…
"Am I in trouble milady?" The girl asked.
"Of course not." Ashara dismissed laughing, this proved how young the red-haired girl was, a child still no matter how smart she was. "Melanie told me you learned how to read and count by yourself…is it true?"
"I did." Ros said with a puffy chest, pride emanating from her.
"And how did you do it, may I know?"
"Counting was easy, I have ten fingers and ten toes like everyone said, ten and ten makes twenty, so I repeated the fingers twice and I have twenty fingers which are two and zero, ten is one and zero, thirty is three and zero and..."
"What if I was to ask you how much is four times five?" Ashara challenged. "Could you answer me?"
"Well…a hand has five fingers, two hands have ten, which is two fives, four is two twos, which means…two and two hands…five plus five plus five plus five is…two fives are ten and two tens are twenty? Is it twenty?"
There was no doubt the reasoning was messy, in fact, Ashara found it all confusing but the girl reached the answer no less and that proved that she was smart, with some help she may become smarter than Ashara herself…which could lead to problems…but at the same time Ashara wanted to help this girl so much… "Are you really six namesdays old?"
"I am…"
"And how did you learn to read?"
"I asked Myrielle who knows the letters to teach them to me…Then I looked to a word and read the letters, most of the time I fail to sound right but sometimes I get them right." The girl replied. So she wasn't truly capable of reading yet but this was outstanding.
"Would you like to learn more?" Ashara questioned. "You have a very bright mind and it would be a shame to waste it here…I could…"
"I'm not wasted here milady!" The girl said defiantly and angrily. "I was born here and this no waste, this home."
"I did not mean to phrase it like that…" Ashara had messed up…Gods…
"Ros you should take this chance, honey." Melanie and Lyanna who seemed to be on par with the conversation proclaimed, the other women who had been spying on them from upstairs were encircling them now. "You smart and little and this not a place for you. You will likely become one of us when you flower but if you go with both Ladies Stark you won't need to sell yourself…understand that this not a life you want to live…none of us wanted it."
"But what about y'all?" Ros asked frightened with the prospect of leaving. "Why should it be me when y'all are not? Y'all been here before I was…and you just said you didn't want this life."
"Because you are young honey and we not." Another woman, a blonde said. "And we care for you."
"And because you got the chance." Said another, another brown-haired woman. "Don't waste it darling."
"But…" Ros murmured with teary eyes. "I…"
"You, Lyanna, and I will take care of them, Ros," Ashara assured the girl. "You will be able to protect and take care of them the way they protected and took care of you until now. Is not what you wish?"
"Truly?" The weeping girl looked at her, hopefully. "Will I be able to do that?"
"Truly." Ashara nodded as she patted the girl's cheek.
"Go on Ros." The women encouraged. "Make a better life for yourself."
"I will protect y'all." Ros proclaimed as she went shared a bunch of hugs with the crying women. "I promise…I promise…"
"We know…" Melanie replied. Tears were in the corners of all their colorful eyes…even Ashara and Lyanna were not indifferent to the situation…perhaps it was a mistake to come out of nowhere and take this girl from what was her home…Ashara knew very well the consequences of that…but Ros would not be alone and with just a couple of steps, she could visit everyone unlike her when she was sent away from Starfall. Such a hard life they have…I pity them all…
A quarter of an hour past and they returned to Winterfell with maps and plans and a new face to join them like Maester Yolan, who she still watched carefully trying to find anything as evidence against him but finding nothing...yet…
While they passed by the covered bridge that led to the armory, they saw her Ned standing there with a worried expression. Ashara and Lyanna waved at him before searching for a room for Ros and he waved back. The chosen room was small for Ashara's taste but cozy and warm. "This all for me?" Ros asked amazed. She had been amazed by everything ever since she stepped inside Winterfell's grounds, which was to be expected, the castle was huge and mighty especially for such a tiny child.
"Yes, you have a bed, a small wardrobe, a desk, a chair, and a window that you can open and close at your will but do not get yourself sick by catching too much cold." Ashara warned.
"This so big…" The girl confessed and Ashara and her sister-in-law smiled internally. "Thank you miladies. I promise to keep it shining as it was presented to me."
"You are welcome." They replied.
"I will send another servant to show you the way to the Great Hall once dinner is to begin," Ashara explained further. "I will talk with you later but tomorrow you will have to wake up early."
"It won't be a problem I assure milady."
"We will begin to refine your education and show you what you will do here. I expect highly of you but I know my expectations will be met." Ashara said.
"I will do my best, milady."
Dinner came and she took a seat next to her husband right after she seated the new member of their household, some younger servants seemed to be curious of her and initiated a conversation with the girl and it seemed Ros was winning them over already. "Who is she?" Her husband asked as he watched her gaze the girl.
"Ros," Ashara replied. "She will become my apprentice from now on and a lady-in-waiting to both Lyanna and me."
"Your apprentice?" he asked with a raised eyebrow. "Where did you find her?"
"At the Cold Leg."
"The brothel?" he asked confused. "What were you two doing in the Cold Leg?"
"A secret big brother…" Lyanna teased.
"Yes." Ashara nodded and their giggles seemed to annoy her sweet Quiet Wolf a little…
"If this is what you both wish to do…I will not stop you." Ned said.
"You are not going to regret it, Ros is a little angel I assure you." Ashara avowed.
"I don't know about you lovesick puppies but I'm quite hungry." Lyanna proclaimed. "So excuse me."
"I'm hungry too." Ashara avowed. "Drawing maps left me hungry as well...did your work leave you hungry too, my love?"
"Maybe…"
"If it's just a maybe…you can go about with half a portion perhaps?"
"I'm hungry then…" More giggles followed and laughs erupted. She was sure that she would not regret having Ros around and she would teach the girl everything so that she had a better chance in life for the world was cruel and hard and all allies were much needed.
miguelgiuliano: No sé si es posible una reunión de los tres teniendo en cuenta la animosidad de los Tyrell y los Florent. Brandon, sin duda, dirá en privado lo que realmente le pasó al niño de Lyanna. Rhaegar le contó a Elia lo que pasó y Elia le dijo a Rhaella. Quanto a lo que sucede al otro lado del Muro, teniendo en cuenta las acciones directas o indirectas de Rhaegar, es muy probable que el otro lado del Muro esté en las mientes de más giente que en canon
Yet another POV taken from Scars but improved and with Lyanna in it to fit this. Not much to say about Ros at this point most of the readers now that in my story she is Brandon's bastard albeit there is no way to prove it.
Now Lyanna's POV brings some more mysteries to the table...some easier to guess than others...
Thank you for sparing time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day and stays safe.