CW: mentions of past sexual assault by a relative
It could have been worse.
She could've been sold to the Imp, Lord Lannister or worse, the Mountain.
A betrothal to Lancel Lannister is not so bad.
He was a foolish boy about her age, not even knighted and a pain in the arse.
He was King Robert's squire, and she was to replace the crown lands lady who eloped with a Frey in the Queen's household.
The queen must be a horrible mistress if a daughter of House Buckwell would take a Frey husband six moons into her service.
They would marry once the boy earned his knighthood and remain at Court until they had an heir. With no wars there is no reason for people to marry before they are a little past their majority.
Some girls were getting married as old as twenty in some parts.
Lyanna prays she can depose of Cersei and her brats before her seven and tenth nameday next year.
"My cousin is quite handsome, is he not?" Cersei asks feigning sweetness. "Almost looks like my brother, Jaime."
And he did, except his hair was sandy not golden and had no charm nor the fine looks. He was still handsome, but more like a pale imitation of someone else.
At least Lyanna was the image of Lyanna Stark but with the blue grey eyes all Dustins had. Her similarity to her dead aunt was always attributed to Lady Rhea Dustin, mother of William Dustin, who had been born a Royce, one of the granddaughters of Rickard Stark's aunt, Lady Jocelyn.
Thank the gods her grandfather married her mother to her first cousin.
"Yes, I suppose I should feel flattered your grace choose me a husband who is both young and handsome. Heiresses often have to lower their expectations to find a man willing to step aside for their wife." Lyanna agreed as they embroidered. "Your cousin must be absolutely flattered to allow his sons to carry my father's name instead of his."
She misliked the way the Queen had been trying to make her fall for her mummer's farce. It wasn't working, but Lyanna had to pretend it was all the same. It was worse than pretending she hadn't already discovered what Wynafryd and Wylla were planning for her last nameday.
"Ah, little filly, once you marry you will be Lady Lannister." the queen hadn't been aware of how inheritances worked in the North, or how the Mormont women got away with having their bastards be recognized as trueborn. "Your children will be lions not axes."
"If the sole heir be a daughter the children of her body must have her name unless their father be of equal or higher rank." The brunette explained. A small victory she gained from several antiquated laws made from the reign of the Barrow Kings. "He may be your kin, your grace, but he has no lands of his own. Unless he were a lord with lands equal to my own, I will remain Lady Dustin and my children will be Dustins in accordance with Northern customs."
"Poor Lancel, he will be so crushed." The queen's lover japed.
Ser Jaime tended to just walk in like he owned the place. Didn't matter if his sister was half dressed or busy. It was as if he wanted them to be caught red handed.
It would make things easier for her, so Lyanna says nothing.
"Does this not happen in the South, Ser Jaime?" Lya asked feigning ignorance.
"No, women take the husband's name, and everything belongs to him afterwards." The queen said bitterly.
"How backwards." The northern girl says too honestly making the golden whore and her brother chuckle.
"Sweetling, will you go fetch your cousins for tea, if we wait any longer, I'm afraid it will interfere with Cella's harp lessons later." The Queen dismissed her like she liked other people.
If Arya came it would be interesting, if it was just Sansa again, well, gods help her.
"Let me send the wolves to Riverrun, lord uncle." Lyanna forced him to listen. "She will order both of them killed, tis better this way."
Her plans never failed.
Not when Lyanna was blessed to never forget anything.
"Is there anyone with your retinue whom the wolves trust?"
And so little Jeyne Poole, some household guards, Walda and Marissa Frey and the little lord Darry were sent to Riverrun on his carriage with Lady and Nymeria. As far as anyone knew, the children were heading for the Twins with Lady Walda.
How odd that the wolves chose Lady Mariya's children to bond with?
Despite everything her idiot husband said about her, Lady Mariya was not a frigid shrew. She was a well-educated woman, with a spine and stuck raising a son who took after his mutton-headed sire, and three daughters who could have been so much more if they were not born Freys.
Its our Darry blood, Ami had whispered over breakfast this morning after they stayed up all night arguing over whether it had been fair for Lord Darry to foot the bill of all the whores his grace kept asking for.
The Darry Frey girls had joined the royal procession from the Twins and would stay at Castle Darry until Amerei married her Pate of Seven Streams.
Amerei was older than her by a year, while she was promiscuous and flighty, she was quite sharp. Too jaded and far more manipulative than Lyanna, but if it hadn't been for her quick thinking and her charms the scheme to save the wolves wouldn't have worked.
Walda was of an age with Lyanna and more than meets the eye. With a few pieces of bacon, she had coaxed the wild wolf into the covered luggage wagon after Arya made her run away. The wild wolf pup was just like any dog, and Walda had quite the knack of making dogs adore her.
Marissa who was at the stage where all she can think of was of how adorable animals are had bonded with the two wolves and refused to let go of them. It hadn't been their plan to use the children as accessories, but where Mari goes little Lyman follows.
The wolves would be kept in Riverrun until they could be taken by ship to White Harbor where a raven should reach them soon enough.
"Walda, can we ask papa if we can foster with the Starks, I don't want to leave Nym by herself." Mari Frey asked. "Who will make sure she gets her belly rubs and scratches with Arya gone?"
Arya was being hidden in Marissa's bedchamber until the carriage was far enough. Arya though Marissa a ninny, but that ninny could keep a secret and gave her one of her brother's wooden swords as a token of friendship.
And now they owed so much to three Frey girls.
What a world they live in.
"Hush, Mari, no one is supposed to know we are here. Do you want Uncle to send us back to father?" Walda warned.
Merrett Frey was not a good man. Too indolent to raise his children, let alone protect them from the predators who live in the Twins.
Here in Castle Darry, they were safe from Black Walder and the other men who didn't care they were kin or little girls. Walda had taken to eating her pain away ever since Black Walder forced himself on her and kept eating when she realized her fatness had become her shield.
Amerei believed that of she made herself enjoy it then it would not hurt her like it used to. The grooms had forced her, but did anyone care to ask the girl that?
Marissa was too young to understand why her sisters and cousins shielded her from the men at the Twins, Lady Mariya was running out of time to convince her husband to accept her brother's invitation to have Mari be his wife's cupbearer.
If it were up to Lyanna, she'd send them north. Unfortunately, they are girls and girls have no say in anything.
"Perhaps I can ask my lady mother to foster you. Maybe even find good, Northman for the three of you to marry." The Freys would jump at the chance. Marissa could be a cupbearer, Ami and Walda could be wed to any of her bannermen.
Her mother would not do allow it. Did not like people much, and Amerei's promiscuity would ruin their name.
Lyanna can hear her complaints already.
Lady Barbrey was as cold as the autumn winds. She'd have no patience for them, and Marissa was a child who thrived from her mother's warm affections.
Lyanna had been Mari's age when she stopped wishing her mother could be like plump and warm Lady Leona Manderly and not the cold statue who told her tears were weakness.
"May the Gods protect you, Lyanna," Walda told her earnestly. "Promise me you won't forget about us."
Promise you won't forget us when you are Queen.