Clara Cailin, Lady Of The Moat, The Kingsroad to Winterfell 296.
It had been 7 years since the Greyjoys rebelled and her father was killed. In that time she had changed significantly. She used to be a joyful child full of life and laughter, but now she was more like her father had been. Prone to a joke now and again but serious and calm most of the time. She had continued her studies and martial training and had excelled at all of them, She was now just as good as her father had been with a weapon in hand if not better and was as good at tactics as him. She also managed to expand Cailin City to hold 100,000 people where previously it held only 70,000. They could now easily field 25,000 elite warriors by themselves. Her people loved her and were as loyal to her as any Cailin before her. The north itself had continued to prosper and a navy had been built on both sides of the Kingdom. They had a total of 280 ships, 140 on each side, one group stationed at white harbour and the other at Bear Island. The north could field a total of 90,000 men. Life was good for Clara, there was only one problem, Marriage, she had gotten many offers, most from southerners trying to rule the Moat while others were from northern lords trying to gain more power. Tywin Lannister had even offered his dwarf son, which was promptly rejected. She had narrowed it down to Brandon Dusin, second son of Lord was a good man, a brilliant warrior and was only 5 months younger than her.
She was currently on her way to swear her oaths to Lord Stark due to her regency ending a moon ago. A week later Winterfell came into view and it was as breathtaking as ever. She rode into the courtyard with 20 of her household guards, handpicked men and women who were loyal to the bone, and was greeted by Lord Stark and his family. Robb was a handsome boy who took after his mother more than father but for anyone who spent more than 5minutes with him it was clear he was as northern as any Stark before. Sansa was a carbon copy of her mother, but Clara found her too naive for her taste. Arya was more her style, Wild and northern but would definitely be just as beautiful as her aunt when she was older, she had a spear strapped to her back and Clara would never forget the day that a year old Arya managed to convince her father to let her become a warrior like "Cousin Clara" as she was called by the stark children. Lord Eddard had been like a second father to her and his children were like cousins to her. Bran, Rickon and Jon Snow, the king's son, were also there.
"Clara, It's good to see you." Said Lord Eddard
"Thank you my lord, It's lovely to see you and your family again." She said and smiled at them, they all smiled back except Catelyn who wore a strained smile. She didn't like Clara, She thought she overstepped a woman's role and should be a southern lady. She also disliked her because she encouraged Aryra to learn to fight.
"Now let's get inside. I'm sure you have much to talk about." Said Lord Eddard.
When we went inside Lord Eddard asked me, Jon and Robb to follow him to his solar. After get comfortable and chatting for a few minutes I swore my vows and Eddards asked me
"Now I promised Martyn that I would let you choose who you marry but I would advise you do it soon, you are the last of the oldest houses in Westeros."
"I have decided on Brandon Dustin, I've known him since we were babe's and he is a good man and a good warrior and I think I could grow to love him." She said. Robb and Jon nodded their agreement and Eddard also agreed.
"Now onto another matter, King Rhaegar has summoned you to swear your oaths directly to him" he said with a bit of anger. Most Northern lords hated the King and all Targaryans, there was even mummering of rebelling again for independence. Clara certainly supported it but would wait until the gods presented them with a Opportunity.
"Then I shall go to him." She said. "Did he say why?"
"He said your house was a great house in its own right and deserved the honour." He said.
"More like he wants to get a gauge of the Lady of the Moat himself." sneered Jon. He hated his father and his fathers side of the family and everyone in the north knew it, there was no doubt who he was loyal to.
"I must accept then I suppose, but I won't give him anything to work with" she said and all of them nodded. "Now I promised Arya I would train her for the remainder of my stay."
Her and Brandon were now officially engaged and would be married upon her return north from Kings Landing. She travelled with 50 warriors through the Riverlands, the trip was uneventful except for the Twins where Lord frey tried to betroth one of her sons to her. They made good time to king's landing and arrived to find the city much the same as was described by Lord Eddard. It stank but a lot of the people came out of their homes to watch them ride in. It was not everyday they saw northerners and even rarer still to see such elite ones.
Household Guard.
They were greeted by Lord Arryn and some Targaryan guardsmen who looked suitably intimidated by her men. Lord Arryn was made hand of the king after Tywin resigned after Cersies death.
"Lady Cailin, Welcome to king's landing, the court awaits you in the throne room."
"My thanks my Lord" she said to Lord Aryyn, she turned to her captain "Halys, get the men settled in the Stark mansion, I will join you soon enough."
"Not keen on the city my lady?" he asked with a small smile.
"Not exactly my lord." she said. They soon enough reached the red keep and she gave her sword to the guard outside the throne room but kept Sleá na Móra with her as well as her bronze shield, both strapped to her back. She wore her armour as well with the Cailin phoenix on her breast piece. It seemed they really were expecting her, there must have been 100 people in the room but at the top she could see the royal family in all the ellegane and arrogance in the case of two members.
"Lady Cailin it is wonderful to meet you, your father was a great man and I was sorry that he died at Pyke." Said Rhaegar with such a sad tone it could nealy have been real. Nearly.
"Indeed." she said neutrally, she still had not bowed and it didn't go unnoticed by everyone.
"My… Lady" sneered Prince Viserys while leering at her. "It is custom to bow before your betters."
"My apologies, It is rather rare for a northerner to meet her… Betters" she said the last part with a sinister grin that unsettled the royal family.
"It is also custom not to bring weapons when you meet your KIng." said the crown prince Aegon arrogantly while both his older sister and aunt rolled their eyes."
"I would hand my spear over but I don't think you could lift it my prince." she said with a small smile.
"Of course I can, The kingsguard told me stories about how your father wielded that spear, they said he made it look like it weighed nothing, I am the cron prince if he can lift it so can I."
She reached behind her back and took out her spear, the kingsguard grabbed the hilt of their blades but she just smirked at them, she rolled it onto the floor towards him.
"Any man or woman who can lift it can keep it." She said. Most of the court tried, none were abe of course it weighed too much for them. Finally the two princes tried, Viserys fell on his arse and Aegon didn't fare any better.
"What kind of sorcery is this!" Shouted Aegon in anger.
Clara had been looking on in amusement until now, she stepped forward and raised her hand. The spear flew from the ground straight into her waiting hand. The crowd gasped and she triwilled it around while smirking at the pince.
"Impossible." said the king.
"A god's weapon can only be wielded by those chosen. My ancestors were given this weapon by the gods and only my family can pick it up." She said
"I see, Alas, as entertaining as I'm sure you found this, we have more pressing matters." said the king.
"Indeed, I have already sworn my oaths to Lord Stark, I need not swear them to you." She said, the King was shocked as was the crowd, she spoke with such little
respect.
"No you don't but I want them anyway, your's is a great house in its own right and it would not do for you not to swear them directly to the king, that is an insult to you."
Clara scoffed at that but said the words anyway.
"Now, we are done here. I will be going back north." She said and turned and walked towards the door.
"We are not, I have an offer for you." said the king.
"Oh do tell my king." she said with obviously fake enthusiasm
"My brother Viserys is unmarried and so are you, I would have him marry you." He said.
Clara looked at him and burst out laughing. She stopped suddenly and said
"Fuck off." and turned and walked out.
She knew she shouldn't have said that but she honestly didn't care. She and her men left on a ship back north the next day, the crowd actually heeredfor them as they left. It seemed word had spread already of the humiliation of the dragons and apparently they were none too popular with the smallfolk. They reached White harbour a few weeks later and Lord Manderly couldn't stop laughing when he saw me. Apparently it had become a common tale in the North and GreatJon had said "She has balls bigger than any southerner" when he had heard. Apparently Lord Stark had gotten a raven about her 'disrespectful behaviour' from the king and had just king was the laughing stock of the North.
Her wedding was to happen on the moon after she returned and she was very apprehensive. All the Lords of the North would be attending and the Moat was not built for the ceremony. She had given most of the planning and household duties to her aunt Ruth Hornwood while she spent most of her time with Brandon or travelling her lands training with her warriors as most Cailins do throughout history, The smallfolk loved it and fought all the harder for them because of it.
Soon the day of the wedding arrived. She was dressed in a white northern wedding gown with her hair in a crown braid that she was known to wear due to it keeping it out of the way when fighting but today it was done much more neat then normal. She looked breathtaking and many second sons, and indeed first sons were jealous of Brandon that day. They were wed under the weirwood at the Moat where it was said Sleá na Móta was granted to the Cailins and the Moat was built around it.
The ceremony passed without a hitch and it didn't take long for Lord Umber to call the bedding, of course she decked the first man that tried to touch her much to the enjoyment of the crowd. Eventually she made it to her chambers, where she was met by a naked Brandon.
"What type of man are you that you cant even fight off a few horny women?" she asked teasingly.
"Not all of us can deck Smalljon Umber in one punch." He said laughingly as he walked over and unlaced the back of her gown.
"You will never be able to handle me." She said and pulled him into a deep kiss. The gown dropped to the floor and they broke apart.
"No, I definitely won't." Gulped Brandon after taking in her godly figure.
"Come Bran, you're a Cailin now and we never gape." She said laughing.
"My apologies, my wife, but as a Cailin it is now my duty to continue the line, and I can't say I'm not looking forward to it." He said.