Honor & Fealty chapter 13
A/n: This chapter is one I have looked forward to since it would give Sansa a woman figure to look up to and emulate apart from her mother, Catelyn Stark. I also thought it would be a good opportunity to give Alysane more depth in her backstory. I never thought to make the Mormont women perfect. They are far from that. The only primary objective is to make the Starks a bit smarter and stronger so that they will not end up the way they did. If you don't agree with my agenda, that's your own thing to deal with. If they seem perfect, this chapter might go a long way to change that. As strong and well intent as they are, even the Mormonts have their flaws.
While Sarea played with Lady, Alysane sat with Sansa at the base of the weirwood tree in the godswood.
"Lady Alysane, if it's not too forward, how did your children come to be named as Mormonts? Would you have had to take the name of your husband?" Sansa asked.
"You need not worry about being too forward, Sansa." Taking a moment to gather her thoughts, Alysane answered Sansa's question. "If the man is of a lesser house or name, a Mormont woman gets the privilege of bestowing the name of her house onto her children. Jeron was the son of an ordinary fisherman. He didn't come from a great house. Jeron was of the smallfolk and I still loved him."
"Did he have to prove himself to you?" Sansa asked.
"He was a kind and good man but his hands were more accustomed to the fish nets and the rod as opposed to the sword and shield. He was a quicker study than most though. When I brought him to my mother, she asked me the same thing you did. If I told her the truth, she would have killed Jeron."
"Why would she kill him?"
"Dacey, Lyra, Jorelle and Lyanna were raised the same way I was. Somehow, I am the only one of my sisters who bested someone in battle and chose to wed him instead of cutting him down."
"You loved him. There could not be anything wrong with that." Sansa said.
"Sansa, you are in the flair of your youth. I was once like that years ago. Love is a splendor in and of itself; more precious than gold and rare as Valyrian steel. He was loving and caring but his face was spotless."
"Spotless?" Sansa asked.
"He smelt of salt water, sweat and fish. My sisters and I smelt of blood; blood spilled from what we hunted to the blood of our enemies. My mother gave me grief about how I was foolishly led to Jeron by my heart when I wed him and took him into my bed. She loves her grandchildren dearly but that does not stop her from reminding me how love makes fools of us all. When he was killed, I mourned for Jeron but my mother continued to remind me what a fool I was to marry for love."
"Have your sisters ever tried to do what you did? Marry someone for love?"
"Dacey has her dedication, whether it is to the North, her fellow Northmen, her family. She was the first born and the first my mother trained. She has always been dedicated to her training and becoming a great bannerwoman for House Stark. Her aggressive nature and approach scared off many would-be suitors. Her prejudices against the South did not help much. Lyra is an impulsive girl who takes her pleasures in besting the sons of fishermen, crofters and loggers. The fight always seemed to lean in her favor when those boys never held a weapon in their lives. Jorelle and Lyanna are both still children. They seem to share the same attitude Arya has about love or at least the love I had with Jeron."
"Will finding love hurt me as it hurt you?"
"Sansa, it broke my heart to bury Jeron. All the same, I would not give back a moment I had with him. He gave me a daughter and a son; he gave me something to live for. I miss him terribly but he was my love for the time we had. I may be a widow but I was happy and you will be happy too. Maybe more so than I ever was."
With a glance to Lady, Alysane chose to bring up the most pressing matter. "Sansa, call your wolf over to you. There's something you must know."
Once Lady was at Sansa's side, Alysane told her exactly what was to come. Before Sansa could ask what madness had touched Alysane, Lady's head suddenly shot up. The scent of sweat and blood filled both her nose and Sansa's, surprising her since it was coming from afar..
In the blink of an eye, Lady took off to the courtyard. Alysane, Sarea and Sansa followed the direwolf to the courtyards.
Lyra thought no one was watching her spar with Jon Snow. She was wrong.
Ser Brynden Tully watched it all silently. He saw everything, including Lyra's arrogance which degraded Jon's ego and practically stroked her own ego. Even as she took Jon into the bell tower to mend his body, there was no modesty or humility to be found upon her visage.
When she emerged from the Bell Tower with her favored spear in hand, Lyra was met by Brynden Tully, who gave her an earful. "I knew your mother many years ago. She was a child of ten when I and Barristan Selmy were young knights in our prime. Your mother and uncle would never have approved of your behavior then or now, especially when you get your pleasures from beating boys who never wrapped their hands around a sword a day in their lives."
"You do not know me or what I find pleasing. I can say that I don't need to be criticized by a Southern for my behavior or what I do in my own time."
"I'm only curious if you count Jon Snow among those boys you put on their knees."
It started with one lunge with the spear. She thought it would be an easy win but Brynden caught the spear, disarmed her and smacked her across the back with her own weapon. "Give that back, old man." Lyra ordered only to have Brynden spin the spear between his hands. "If you want it back, all you have to do is take it from me."
Brynden walked over to the training grounds and the fight began with the members of House Stark watching. Jon had arrived halfway into the fight only to be held back by Dacey and Robb.
Every time Lyra thought she was close enough to grab the spear, Brynden pulled it far from her reach and knocked her straight down to the ground. The first few times, it was on her back. The other times, she fell face first to the dirt.
Arya, Bran and Rickon were more than mortified that a Mormont was being bested in a battle by their great uncle Brynden, who did not seem to even break a sweat over it. "I'm rather bored by your piss poor attempts, bear cub. I could drink a mug of ale and throw you a beating without fear of spilling a drop. Either improve your approach or admit defeat."
Lyra could not fathom how she was being beaten in a fight against a Southron within the stronghold of Winterfell in the presence of House Stark. It did not lessen the severity of the situation that Lord and Lady Stark were watching this as well from up above.
Theon was perhaps the only person enjoying the spectacle unfolding before him. It felt like poetic justice that a Mormont got dealt the same schooling he got.
Lyra's rapid breathing and growls was a blatant sign of frustration and irritation. Her temper caused every movement she made hasty and reckless.
In contrast, Ser Brynden's breathing was steady and controlled. Every move he made was precise and methodical. Upon flooring Lyra one last time, Brynden stuck the spear into the ground before picking Lyra up off the ground by the hair with one hand and twisting her arm behind her back with the other.
Lyra started yelling at Brynden until the old knight released her hair only to smacked her on the head while holding her at his mercy.
Alysane sent a signal to Jorelle and Lyanna, which they caught instantly. Faster than a heartbeat, the two youngest Mormonts herded Sarea, Beron, Arya, Bran and Rickon together and got them to the Great Hall before the banter between Brynden and Lyra became more explicit.
"How many boys on Bear Island did you put on their knees after you bested them in battle?"
When she didn't answer, Brynden twisted his hand once and she yelped, "Twenty! Twenty, you shriveled up Southron shit!"
"Such a mouth like that will only get you into more trouble." Brynden said before twisting her arms so painfully that he goaded Lyra into saying two words she never thought she could or would ever say in a duel or a fight.
"I YIELD!"
Releasing Lyra from his grip, Brynden walked over to Dacey Mormont, Robb Stark and Jon Snow while Lyra ran away to the Guest House. "I'm sorry you had to see that, Lady Dacey."
"Don't be. That beating was long overdue." Dacey replied.
"Very well then." Brynden said as he walked towards Lord and Lady Stark.
"Robb, I am so sorry that this happened. Are my sisters and I about to be expelled from Winterfell?" Dacey asked.
"We are about to find out." Robb said as he saw his father talk with Brynden for a moment before walking over to them. Dacey was about to plead for clemency on behalf of her sisters and profess that it was never her intent to bring strife into Winterfell.
With a raised hand, Lord Stark silenced Dacey before she could utter one word. "You are not at fault, Lady Dacey, and I have no reason to punish you and your sisters. Ser Brynden told me everything."
Lord Stark looked her over before waving over Alysane. "Lady Alysane, if it does not put you out of the way, I invite your daughter and son to dine with Arya, Bran and Rickon for supper tonight in the Great Hall. I imagine you and your sisters will need to sort out your issues."
"Thank you, Lord Stark. My children will be honored to join you and your family in the Great Hall for supper. I'll see to it that they behave better than their Aunt Lyra." Alysane said humbly.
When the time came for supper, the Starks and the Blackfish were joined by Sarea and Beron Mormont. Though they had watched the fight between the old Southron knight and their aunt Lyra, neither of them chose to bring up such a rough topic for discussion.
Instead, Sarea asked Arya about life in Winterfell, which then led to them trading ideas of pranks to pull on Septa Mordane.
Bran and Rickon was fast friends with Beron, who told them of once going with his sister and aunt Dacey to the Gift. It was the closest he ever got to see the Wall even from such a distance.
Sansa looked to Robb and whispered to him something that caught his attention immediately.
"Are you certain that is what she told you?"
Sansa nodded. "Has Dacey talked to you about it?"
"No."
"Is something the matter? You're whispering as if you were part of the King's Small Council." Brynden asked. The clandestine conversations were not missed by Ned and Catelyn, who also were wondering what was going on with their children.
"Robb? Sansa? Is something wrong?" Catelyn asked as her suspicions began to rise.
Robb and Sansa shook their heads. "Nothing's wrong. If there is, we will tell you right away." Sansa said on behalf of herself and Robb.
The Mormonts were an honorable and loyal bunch but even they had flaws.
Dacey was a die hard devotee to the North and it's culture just as she was devoted to her family and her countrymen. On the other hand, history and the past have only served to make Dacey prejudiced and guarded against the South to where she could not be civil in the presence of one. Her sisters would argue that the purest, undiluted blood of the First Men coursed in her veins.
Alysane was strong minded and her resolve was equally hardened but her emotions were not as controlled as her mother and uncle Jeor. Concealing her emotions was not among her skill sets. Alysane never had the prejudice of the South Dacey had yet she was uneasy to trust Southrons.
Jorelle was very much like Arya in her desire for adventure and action rather than settling down and raising a family. While it kept her focused, disciplined and set on improving her abilities as a warrior, it prevented her from really building relationships with boys.
Lyanna was much different than her elder sisters. Perhaps it was her innocence or that she did not bear the prejudices of Dacey, the suspicions of Alysane, the arrogance of Lyra or the stubbornness of Jorelle but her flaws had yet to be found.
Lyra's attitude and arrogance ranked at the top of her flaws. Her biggest flaw was her lust. Twenty boys were bested by her and forced to sate her sexually between her thirteenth and sixteenth namedays. She reveled in being better than them and bending those boys to her whims.
For a long time, Lyra had seemed to be inadvertently taunting the fates in her antics.
At long last, Lyra was taken down a step or two at the hands of Ser Brynden Tully.
When they retired to the Guest House, Lyra was grilled by her sisters on why it happened. Lyra told them what she did with Jon Snow.
Dacey and Alysane took turns chewing out Lyra for different reasons.
Dacey scolded Lyra for drawing blood out of a Stark on the hallowed grounds of Winterfell. In her eyes, it was as terrible as if a Stark were to be slain on the Wall. It was bordering on a mortal sin.
Alysane scolded Lyra for putting Jon Snow in the same company as all those boys she stepped over. Jon was a kind boy and Lyra took advantage of that.
As if the Old Gods were listening in on this and chose to display their sense of humor, someone knocked on the door. Lyanna answered it, expecting to see servants of Winterfell bringing them their supper.
To her surprise and that of her sisters, Jon Snow and Theon Greyjoy stood there with Ghost. Lyra could not lift her eyes to Jon out of shame. He deserved better than what she did to him.
Their arms were laden with plates while other servants of Winterfell brought the rest.
"We thought to come by and see how you all were." Jon spoke politely.
"That is very thoughtful of you, Jon." Lyanna said as she opened the door to let them in.
Jorelle was sharpening her favorite short sword on a whetstone with a hardened look on her face as she watched Theon, Jon and the servants prepare the table before filling it with food and drink.
Dacey and Alysane approached Jon and hugged him gently. Leaning in, they spoke to him. "Put Ghost at the front of your door tonight and leave it unlocked." Dacey instructed. "Don't argue with us or ask any questions. We need you to help us discipline Lyra." Alysane instructed Jon.
Jon nodded silently.
Alysane turned her attention to Theon and gave him a once over glance. "Why are you serving our food tonight, Greyjoy?"
"Jon needed the extra hands and I wanted to see just how badly your sister got beaten."
"You saw the fight firsthand. You saw enough." Alysane said firmly. "You may be the first Greyjoy I have ever met who ever brought food to us but do not think that gives you leave to make light of my sister being humbled."
"You speak truly though harshly, Lady Mormont." Theon said briefly.
After Theon and Jon left, the five Mormont sisters sat together and ate their food in relative silence until Alysane asked a pertinent question.
"Did you talk to Robb yet?"
"I have not yet." Dacey said.
"Why not?" Jorelle asked.
Dacey did not answer out of the risk of making an excuse. Alysane, being the second to oldest of them, saw right through it all and smiled.
"How long has it been since Robb Stark stole your heart, sister?"
"I don't know." Dacey replied sullenly. "I don't even think he stole it."
Alysane held Dacey's hand. "Did you ask to train him yourself because of duty? Or is it more than that?"
"He loves you too, Dacey." Lyanna said. "I have prayed many times and I was shown what you tried to hide."
"You are in love with Robb Stark?" Jorelle asked. She never imagined her big sister Dacey to be smitten by any man, much less one who was on the cusp of manhood as Robb Stark was.
Dacey's silence said it all. She was in love with Robb Stark of Winterfell.
A/n: In the next chapter, Lyra gets disciplined, Robb learns what is being told to his siblings and the last time the Mormonts would be together for a long while. I'm not versed in relationships or the progression of affection between people so I'm kind of winging it between Robb and Dacey as well as Jon and Lyra.