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Myrcella Baratheon I
Winterfell, North, Year 298 AC
Myrcella was pleasantly surprised with everything in the North…It was all so different from the tales she heard about barbarians and cannibals…People here were nice and kind…their smiles looked different as well…there was also a sense of unity that you clearly were not able to see in the capital and this made her curious.
"If My Princess was to move the needle a little more to the left…there we go." The woman who spoke was called Ros and it was her who thought the girls at Winterfell how to sew and behave like ladies… "A stag from House Baratheon." Mother would certainly have given it more thought to it had she knew that it was a baseborn woman who instructed the womanly arts to Stark girls but for Myrcella it mattered not, the woman was nice, kind, and funny, unlike the many Septas who gave her the very same lessons at King's Landing and that was what mattered.
"It's pretty," Myrcella admitted as she picked the piece up and gave it a proper glance…it was definitely her best piece to that date…she had help but she made it herself. She smiled at the woman. "Thank you Lady…hum...what may I call you?" she asked confused, baseborn women held no titles but Ros was older than her so she definitely needed to be treated with some sort of respect…
"Ros is enough, My Princess." The older woman assured smiling. "It will make fewer problems for you and me this way."
"Thank you, Ros."
"Your welcome, My Princess," Ros said as she looked towards Arya Stark, the middle Stark daughter who Myrcella saw as somewhat...unique... "Arya…have you done your stitches?"
"I did…" The girl replied though she looked not so secure with her work…
"Let me see…" Ros demanded with an expressionless face and Arya got up from her seat and brought her stitches to the woman, failing to meet the older woman's eyes in the process. "Ah Arya, I already showed you how to do it properly!" Ros remarked disappointed with how bad the stitches looked.
"I hate embroidery!" Arya hissed. Myrcella never once heard a girl say such a thing so she was quite surprised but definitely not against it, there were plenty of things better than sewing in her opinion. "I want to go practice sword fighting or ride!" A girl that fought with swords and rode horses? Now Myrcella did not like weapons but she would love to ride a horse…she liked horses. When younger she begged her mother for one but she refused and convinced her father to do the same so there was nothing else to do about it...
Ros sighed as she glanced at the stitches once more. "We will do it like this, you will try to fix these stitches as I taught you and we may go see the boys fight for a while."
"Why can't I practice with them?" Arya insisted.
"Your mother told you why Arya Stark," Ros said in a louder tone. "I'm putting my neck on the line here so please be nice to me."
Arya looked towards the older woman with a disappointed look. "Fine…" she then returned to her seat and stood there for a while, trying her best to fix her stitches like she was told.
Myrcella picked some more sewing threads from the nearby basket and began to make another piece. Ros was watching her, making sure everything was going smoothly. The woman did a better job than the Septas at that. "What is it going to be now Princess? A lion?"
"Do you know how to do one Ros?" she asked curiously.
"Can't be so different from a wolf…let us see what we can do…"
"What are you talking about?" Arya asked suddenly and Myrcella could not but be startled by it, she looked towards the Stark girl wondering who she was talking to and found out that Arya was speaking to her sister and friends. One of her sister's friends was giggling, the other was blushing and Elianna was smiling. "Tell me!" Arya insisted.
"We were talking about the Prince." Elianna confessed, her voice so melodic like Lady Stark's voice. The older Stark girl looked every bit like her beautiful mother and Myrcella wanted to be like her or like the Targaryen girl...They looked like true Princesses so it was only fair she did the same.
"Joffrey likes your sister." The one called Jeyne Poole whispered. I do not think Joffrey likes anyone but himself though… "He told her she was very beautiful."
"He's going to marry her!" The little one, Beth Cassel said all dreamily, hugging herself and Myrcella felt pity for the three of them…they did not know Joffrey as well as her. He was nothing but mean. "Then Elianna will be Queen of the Seven Kingdoms."
Elianna blushed a little bit as she focused her gaze on the floor, clearly smitten by Joffrey's good looks which he had. "Beth nothing is decided yet and my parents have not told me anything about any potential marriage. I do not wish to raise my hopes only for them to be crushed. Besides...the only thing I know of the Prince is that is courteous and...handsome..." Myrcella noticed a smile forming on Ros' lips as these words were spoken.
"Jon and Bran say he looks like a girl." Arya Stark said much to the dismay of the others in the room. "I think so too."
Elianna looked towards her younger sister aghast. "Arya! Princess Myrcella is here! Have some decency!"
"I'm only stating the truth." Arya insisted as if it was nothing. "Father told us we should tell the truth."
"And mother told us to omit it when we risk hurting people or ourselves." Elianna countered. "You were there when she said this!"
"So you admit he looks like a girl!" Arya pressured with a smirk on her lips. "Because if you said the truth, you would hurt the Princess and yourself."
"No, I did not!" The older sister hissed. "You know what I mean Arya!"
"Girls," Ros called the sisters as she led Myrcella's hands in the stitches. "You ought to stop bickering, you are both shaming us in the presence of the Princess." Then she stopped for a few seconds. "And have decency in the way you speak of the Prince, Arya."
"Sorry…" Arya sighed defeated but then it looked like she got some idea as she glanced at Myrcella and Ros stitching which somehow sent shivers down the blonde girl's spine. "My Princess, what can you tell us of your brother? You know him better than us so who better to speak of him, right?
Elianna's glance befell on her as well, just as the other girls who looked way too hopeful. "Yes, My Princess, can you tell us more about him?" The older Stark begged, curious about Joffrey. "It would help me very much."
Myrcella did not quite know what to tell them though…there was not much about Joffrey that would make them marveled besides his looks…he was not smart even if he thought he was…he could barely count to ten and he was twelve…and the worse of all was that he was very cruel. "Joffrey is…Joffrey is…Joffrey is handsome…" she managed to squeal in a stutter, she then embarrassed herself in trying to come up with something else but she could not so she blushed heavily.
Ros stopped Myrcella's movements gently. "Girls, I think we could use a pause for the time being, let us go see the boys fight for a little bit."
"Yes!" Arya shouted happily. "Finally!"
"Oh, I wish to see the Prince fight, is he good?" Elianna proclaimed and asked at the same time and her two friends nodded and clapped in excitement. "Take us there Ros, please!" They seemed to have forgotten about their question…Thanks to Ros...
"Calm down girls." Ros smiled at the impatient girls. "Go fetch your pups, and keep them controlled." Pups?
Myrcella had expected dog pups but these were way better. They seemed to be Direwolves and were quite big already but nice because they demanded to be petted by all girls, especially Arya's. Ros led them to some benches in the courtyard, away from the fights but with a good sight to see them. The young Princess set beside Arya and her pup, Nymeria, who lay on top of their feet which was cute so Myrcella kept patting the soft and comfy fur which the pup seemed to enjoy.
In the courtyard, her brother Tommen was fighting Arthur Stark amidst a loud crowd of men shouting. "They have been fighting for a while," Arya stated. "They are panting already."
"It seems so." Ros agreed. "A little more exhausting than needlework, right Arya?"
"Much more fun than needlework!" Arya retorted and Ros laughed as she wrapped her arm around the Stark girl, bringing her closer and doing the same to Myrcella. "And you, My Princess? Are you bored or are you enjoying?" The older woman asked. "Please do tell me your honest opinion, I'm tasked with keeping you entertained."
"It's quite alright." Myrcella dismissed the older woman's concern. "I have seen jousts but not duels so I'm quite excited to see them."
"Are jousts like my father says? A waste of time?" Arya inquired. "A stupid and dangerous game?"
"I cannot say it so…" she confessed saddened. "I do not understand much of it other than the objective is to send the opponent to the floor…I do not find much amusement in it though, nor does my mother but we are expected to watch and sometimes my father let me and Tommen sit on his lap and watch it from there." It was always good when father spent time with them, it was always funny. Both her younger brother and she wished that he would do more often though.
"Then I guess my father is right in his words." The Stark girl admitted. "A southron fancy."
"I bet you would not say that if you could partake in it..." Elianna murmured.
"You know me well, dear sister..." Arya smirked. "But I do not think neither father nor mother would allow it..."
"That is indeed going way too far, young lady," Ros said. "Stick to practicing with wooden swords and consider yourself lucky."
Tommen fell to the floor and by the looks of it could not stand up anymore. Myrcella sighed as her brother was not made to fight but she still clapped at his effort. "I could do just as well as Artie, he never defeated me." Arya said with disappointment on her face.
"Perhaps some other time Arya, you know what your mother told you, no boyish things while the King is here." Ros insisted.
"But it's not fair!"
"Life is not fair I'm afraid…" Myrcella found herself saying. "No matter how good we are or do, we will always be disappointed." she said this while remembering that her mother forgave Joffrey for everything he did, even killing poor and innocents animals while she and Tommen were simply forgotten unless they were not present or made a simple mistake...Myrcella was enjoying her time with Ros and the Northern girls more than with her mother and that saddened her of course but it was the reality, they were nice and genuine and did not seem to want anything in return, unlike the other girls the young Princess met that always tried to get something out of her.
"Indeed My Princess." Ros smiled a proud smile. "Life is nothing but unfair, the sooner we all learn that the better. But another good lesson to take is that always after something bad comes something good." Somehow these words were struck on her mind...
"This is a game for children, Ser Rodrik." The loud shout from Joffrey woke them from their talk. "I am the Crown Prince and I grow tired of swatting at Starks with a play sword."
"I'd say My Prince is afraid of getting a beating..." The handsome Brandon Stark taunted.
Joffrey glanced at the handsome Stark. "Oh, terrified!" he said in sarcasm. "I do not fear Starks since you are all a bunch of weak children playing with wooden swords." Some Lannister men that her brother surrounded himself with began laughing and smirking. "I will prove you so with a steel sword."
Did Joffrey who barely knew which part of the sword he was meant to attack with believed that he stood a chance against one of the Starks? If Arya played with swords and she was of age with Myrcella, then it was more than likely that the handsome Starks all knew how to fight. "If that is your wish, My Prince, then who am I to disagree?" Brandon Stark said with a confident look. "Just do not come and cry about it afterward."
"Showoff..." Elianna murmured without her twin brother noticing because they were so far away from each other. "But why is the Prince being so...so..." Mean? Because it's Joffrey.
"Brandon." The handsome Jon Stark placed his hand on his brother's shoulder and shook his head. "Take it easy."
"Live steel is too dangerous." The Master-at-Arms proclaimed. "I will permit tourney swords with blunted edges if it pleases you."
Joffrey said nothing but Sandor stepped up. "This is your Prince, who are you to tell him he may not have an edge on his sword, Ser?"
"I'm the Master-at-Arms of Winterfell, Clegane, and you would do well not to forget it."
"Are you training women here?" Sandor inquired yet somehow she thought he wanted to see Joffrey get beaten...She always thought that the giant sworn shield of her brother hated to be called a dog because who did? He was experienced and knew very well that Joffrey stood no chance.
"I am training competent warriors." Ser Rodrik plainly stated. "They will have steel when they are ready."
Sandor looked towards Brandon Stark. "How old are you, boy?"
"Thirteen."
"I killed a man at twelve," he said smirking and with pride. The thought alone made Myrcella shudder, killing someone...how could you do it? "You can be sure it was not with a blunt sword."
"It's not me who is forbidding this fight, Ser." The Stark retorted. "I will gladly put the Prince to the dust with a steel sword…"
"Enough!" Ser Rodrik shouted. "You may fight with tourney blades but not live steel! End of the discussion. If any of you wishes to contradict me, go complain to Lord Stark, otherwise, we are following my rules."
Joffrey shrugged. "Come and see me when you are older, Stark. If you are not too old already…" There was laughter from the Lannister men following and Brandon began cursing vile words at Joffrey as Jon Stark and the Greyjoy held him by the arms to stop him from doing something he could regret later. Her brother simply feigned a yawn, the amusement in his face seemed like fuel to torment people. "Come Tommen, the hour of play is done. Leave the children to their frolics." The line brought more laughter from the Lannisters and more curses. Even the Master-at-Arms seemed angry with it all…
At least now Elianna Stark had a small glimpse of Joffrey... "What a twat!" Arya hissed.
"Arya! Watch your language!" Ros scolded. "Don't curse around other people, it's not proper!"
"But he…"
"He is the Prince still. You don't want your father to have problems with the King do you?"
Arya scoffed and said nothing more while Elianna and her friends were surprised with it all…their vision of Joffrey being the ideal Prince just shattered because Joffrey did not notice them there because if he did he would certainly not act that way. Or maybe he would...no one could read his mind anyway...
"Jon, Theon want to have a go at it? While Brandon calms down a bit?" Ser Rodrik inquired the elder boys who went to their respective end of the courtyard with blunt swords though they probably fought with steel, after all, the Greyjoy was a man grown. Arya forgot her newfound anger for a while and began cheering from her brother and Myrcella was certainly curious as to see two handsome boys fight and better yet, without her brother there to spoil it all.
Ashara Dayne IV
Winterfell, North, Year 298 AC
"So you are telling us that Joffrey was mocking not just our boys but also Ser Rodrik?" Ashara asked, disgust in her tone, as she heard Ros' report about how the girls' day went. "It's even worse than what I thought then!" It truly was if that Prince was not afraid of mocking an old and respectable knight then he was self-absorbed in the power his position conferred him which made him dangerous...
"I also found it weird when Arya asked the Princess, which by the way is a wonderful little thing, about the Prince. She hesitated for way too long and ended up saying he was just handsome before returning to silence and glancing at the girls hoping they would not ask for more." Ros elaborated and Ashara got even more worried...had the Prince inherited his maternal grandfather and his mother's cruelty too? It seemed so...
"I get that the kid is a bully which is wrong and worrisome but...what problem is there with what the Princess said?" Ned questioned confused.
"Ned, you simply do not just say your brother is handsome without giving him more qualities such as kind, smart or funny," Ashara explained. "Something is not right with the Prince, the looks of disdain, the mocking, and his sister merely saying he is handsome just make me uncomfortable."
"I share the same opinion, Milord!" Ros came in Ashara's defense. "The boy just gives me a feeling of foreboding…I simply don't like his presence…I feel like I need to be as far away from him as I can." To send this feeling of unease on the red-haired woman that Ashara considered a daughter was not an easy job which only served to increase the worry on the Lady of the castle.
"Feminine intuition is powerful Ned!" Ashara insisted. "We know what we are speaking of, we can feel it!"
"I cannot simply tell Robert that the betrothal cannot happen because of female intuition nor because the boy lacks restraint when talking with older people," Ned said. "Not with all the troubles we are facing with him. We either need something concrete or just say nothing for now and in a few months we give him the news, what do you two think of it?"
Despite her husband having improved his political ability through the years he was still naive. He did have a strong knack for politics through the use of improvisation. Often he would find competent solutions to problems that rose but often there were even better ones. Not this time though, his plan was sound and in Ashara's mind, there was none better. "I think that is the best approach for the time being."
"Might we put someone spying on the Prince?" Ros questioned.
"Elianna seemed smitten by him so the best option is to have her spend time with him and you and the rest of the girls keep a watch on them." Ashara proposed. "I trust my daughter's ability to find a bad person in the wild, I'm just worried that she might be too smitten and thus clouded from her rational judgment as I was when I was her age."
"Worry not Milady, I will keep a watch on her and take my own conclusions as you asked. I won't let my girls be harmed by some southern Prince." Ros assured. "Have I told you both that I think Arya is fancying the Princess as a friend perhaps?"
"My little and rebellious Arya is striking a friendship with a girl and to top it off the Princess?" Ashara asked amazed. Arya had always been a problem because she did not enjoy much of the female company so if she was making female friends... "That is wonderful!"
"It's about time too," Ned said proudly. "Let us hope that skinny girl does not end up like Lyanna..."
"She will not. We shall not let history repeat itself." Ashara assured him as she patted his back and kissed his cheek. Then they were startled by a knock on the door. They exchanged looks between each other before Ros stood up and opened the door.
More startled they became when they found out it was Robert who knocked. "Your Grace." Ros bowed before Robert still affected by the surprise.
"I need a word with you and your wife, Ned." Robert proclaimed, his expression somber.
"Ros, could you be a dear and check on the girls, please?" Ashara begged with her kind smile. "See if they are not making a mess somewhere and that they go to sleep."
"Of course Milady." Ros nodded. "With your permission Your Grace."
"Go on." And so Ros did, she gave them the privacy they needed. Robert entered the office and took a seat in the chair he taken the last time he was there. "I…I gave it some thought…on the offer you made…"
"And?" Ned questioned. "What is your decision?"
"I accept it." Ashara knew he would, he needed Ned and wanted Ned by his side so there was no doubt in her mind that he would take any counteroffer. "Perhaps I can make you change your opinion later on…make you Hand for a while longer…" he said with a weak smile. "But I accept it nonetheless."
"I do wish to come back to Winterfell after my term is done, Robert." Ned pointed out. "I can only be melted by my wife, not by the south itself."
With that Robert's spirit warmed up and he broke into laughter, that booming laugh of his. "Gods…I must congratulate you Lady Ashara, you made Ned more than a statue. You actually made him a funny man."
Ashara smiled a genuine smile for once in Robert's company, at least since Elia's death. "Your Grace honors me, but he was like this before we met so I did not do anything."
"He was but you made him looser…a good thing really," Robert added. "I'm sorry for my tantrum the other day Ned…it was ill done by my part. You too, My Lady, my apologies."
"We all get angry sometimes Your Grace." Ashara began. "A lot of injustices are committed to us and to those we hold dear but we ought to remain calm. Everything will work out in the end."
"Indeed…" Robert seemed like he noticed what Ashara really meant with her words but did not reply to them as expected. "I wanted to leave in at most a week's time, is there an inconvenience to you?"
Ned glanced at Ashara to see what she would say. "There is none My King." she smiled. "We will be ready when you are."
"Good." Robert smiled a weak smile as he got up. "I will do my best to enjoy Winterfell while I can, the smell of pine and not shit, no lickspittles...I grow quite fond of it."
"I don't imagine the rest of the Lords would enjoy the capital being changed to here," Ned said. "It's' too cold."
Robert kept smiling. "That is true, I really shudder to think how you live here in Winter. Anyway, I shall retire for the day, a good night to you both." The King left the room and the pair of them remained seated in silence for a little bit.
"You were right," Ned said while glancing at her. "He did accept it…and with no consequences for Daenerys or us."
"I know love." she grinned. "You ought to know by now that this woman has a pinkie finger that tells her things…"
"You could go easier on him though…"
"Not until Elia and her children's murders are not properly answered," she plainly stated. "Justice will come one day, of that I'm sure but until then, Robert gets no love from me."
Ned knew better than to contradict her especially regarding Elia and her children. One of the few things she did not confide to him was her secret plans to avenge her friend, she knew he would disapprove of them even if he also wanted justice for them but now that she was going with him to the capital, she could polish these plans better...but she would also need to pay attention to every single sign and every pawn or it could be the end of them. "Now we will have to go to King's Landing…" Ned sighed.
"Do not worry love…I will be your guide there…" The Lady of Winterfell proclaimed while she began pecking him with kisses. "Perhaps we can make a run for it to Chataya's…rent a room…make the people of King's Landing afraid that a Dothraki horde came to their shores…"
"My Shining Star became a Khaleesi somehow?" Ned questioned amused as she sat on top of him and grabbed his shoulders.
"Yes…" she giggled. "A Dothraki screamer leading a Dothraki horde!"
"I'm sure the rooms we will be provided have a large enough bed…"
"Oh come on Ned! Don't spoil things!" she chided. "I know how to make things more interesting in the capital…I will be able to show you some things you never dreamt of…"
"Well…I guess I have no choice but to let you guide me then…" Ned said as their lips met. "I will follow my Shining Star."
"You will not regret it…" she purred as they joined their lips. "You will have the time of your life. But right now...you will let me guide you to our room."
"Of course..."
Not many changes from the first draft I made of this Chapter on the original run, it was mostly correcting mistakes and whatnot. There is now a "Fancast" of how I think the characters look on Archiveofourown, more will be added as time goes on. Also, I have changed and made some new ones in A Troubled Regency so check it out if you want.
As always thank you for sparing time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day and stays safe.