Chapter 6: The Wilde Wolf

Immediately after hearing what happened on the tourney ground earlier that day between the crown prince and Robert, Rickard headed straight to Jon Arryn's Chambers looking behind him at times, making sure he wasn't being followed as he neared the door noticing two guards standing outside the door.

Entering, he saw Jon sitting around the long wooden table with Lord Tully next to him, across from them some other important lords from the Stormlands though they were few. He would need to speak with Robert once he was free to make amends with those who he had wronged.

"Lord Stark," greeted him the Lord of the Eyrie.

"Lord Arryn," Rickard greeted making his way towards the table, taking the free seat next to Lord Tully. "I heard what happened to Robert, what are we going to do?"

"We were just discussing such matters, and I thought it would be best if we all signed this petition to present before the king tomorrow at court. I have already collected the signatures of a few lords from the Riverlands, the Stormlands, and some Lords from the Vale."

Rickard took the petition looking over the names already there, it wasn't a lot, but with the signatures of three liege lords who knew Robert personally, it could work out in their favor. "You have the support of the North in this, Lord Arryn." Placing his name along with his seal, Rickard handed the parchment back.

"We will free him, Lord Stark. And If the Mad King will still want to kill him, we will rise in rebellion." Arryn responded, knowing everyone present here could lose their heads for talking treason.

Rickard nodded eagerly. He couldn't wait to destroy the damn Targaryens.

"Lord Stark, can I have a moment of your time?"

Getting up both Rickard and Hoster walked over towards a corner of the room where no one could hear them. "My Lord. I'm deeply sorry for your loss. Lady Catelyn was a sweet and good girl, and she and Brandon would have made the perfect match if she had lived to fulfill their union." It was a lie, but Hoster need not know how long it took just to convince Brandon on the match.

"Yes, a pity indeed, I know Cat was looking forward to being Brandon's wife, that's another reason why I wanted to speak with you in private. I wanted to ask if you would agree to a betrothal between Lysa and Brandon."

"I would need to speak with Brandon first on such matters of the heart, it's not easy to go from being betrothed from one sister to the next. These things take time, the heart needs to heal, I am sure you understand. It's the same reason neither of us has remarried." Rickard offered, trying to find a way out of this conversation so they could get back to Jon and finalize their next move.

Next day...

The hall of a hundred hearths was packed that morning for court to hear the faith of what would become of Robert Baratheon.

Rhaegar stood next to where his father sat on the dais flanked by Ser Gerold and Barristan, four other Kingsguards stood below their hands on the hilt of their swords after his father gave the order to kill anyone who got too close. While the doors were guarded by Dragonkeepers, who were ordered to take note of those who left early. His father was on a mission to bring every lord, there to heel one way or the other.

At the corner of his eyes, he saw the lord of the Eyrie step forward with a parchment in his hand. "Your grace." The lord bowed; "we are here to ask for mercy for Lord Robert Baratheon. He is young and impetuous your grace, seeing his betrothed dance with the crown prince in an improper way, made him lose his temper."

"It wasn't improper, my lord," Rhaegar retorted, feeling his dragon's blood boil because of his statement. It wasn't enough that lord Stark had been glaring at him with his cold grey eyes the entire time.

"Do tell me, Lord Arryn, if a minor lord tried to kill your son, would you forgive him?" His father asked causing the lord to rethink in approach.

"I have no children your grace, yet I consider Robert my own flesh. For this reason, I stand before you and beg you for mercy before the court this day. We know that you are a great king, good and just, and that is why your loyal Lords beg you to spare lord Baratheon's life, your grace."

Rhaegar looked at his father, who still remained unmoved, before waiving for the parchment to be given to him. He unfolded it, reading quickly, and Rhaegar, staring at the parchment, his father held, recognizing some of the lord's names presently signed. Arryn, Royce, Tully, Stark, and a few more. Yet what happened next shouldn't have stunned him, yet it did.

His father tore the parchment, his words colder than and winter's day. "A list of traitors that's what I take from all these signatures. Do tell me lord Arryn, are you a traitor?"

The lord seemed taken aback by his father's words.

"Baratheon will die the day this tourney will end, and his head will be sent to every castle of Westeros."

There were gasps all around, the majority were in agreement, while some were displeased.

"Your grace-"

"You are all dismissed," the King interrupted them, and the Lords left without even bowing. This will be a great problem, Rhaegar realized, before looking at his father, he needed to fix this. "Please father, you don't have to free Robert, but you could have him sent to the wall, otherwise, we will face a rebellion."

"That is what I want," the King replied, getting up and heading towards the door, followed by the Kingsguard, leaving him stunned for a moment before shaking his head, following in the king's steps.

Rhaella was sitting in her husband's chamber, waiting for him and Rhaegar, to learn what he decided to do with Robert Baratheon when she heard the door open, immediately getting up, seeing her husband enter first, with a pleased look on his face, followed immediately by Rhaegar, and Ser Gerold.

"Father, you can't do this, if you kill him, war will break out in the Seven Kingdoms." Aerys sat in his chair pouring himself a drink hardly paying their son any mind until he had his fill.

"War will break my prince, whether you want it or not," Hightower retorted, standing next to the king.

Rhaella approached her husband's side with caution, "what is happening? Who is dying?"

"Robert Baratheon."

"Good," she replied, earning a confused look from her son which she quickly waved off, he was young and could be naive at times. "He attacked you, Rhaegar. And the grudge he has against you now because of Lyanna Stark has already made you an enemy of his can you not see it?"

"I'm not a fool mother, or naive for that matter, but killing him will only start a rebellion with the North, the Vale, and the Riverlands who would attack us from the North." He paused running a hand through his tresses, "Robert may not have all the support of the Stormlands because of laying with so many of his lord's daughters but there are still a few who remain loyal. He is well-loved by those lords."

"Until he fucks one of their daughters," Aerys said before taking another sip of his summer wine.

Rhaella looked at Aerys, waiting to see what else he will say, but the only thing he did was gaze in the void of his wine.

"Father?"

"War is coming anyway. It's time to show Westeros that even if we lost our dragons, we still are dragons. The Stag will die at the end of this tourney. With fire and blood." He was done with this conversation and would sooner have Ser Gerold throw his son out of his chamber to give him peace with his inner thoughts, missing the smell of burnt flesh whilst thinking if he should wait and burn Robert at the Red Keep.

"Father, please if war breaks out, we would be surrounded by enemies." He looked at his mother pleading to her, she was always the voice of reason, the only other person who could convince his father into having second thoughts. "Mother?"

"He is right, Rhaegar. We cannot show mercy towards someone who attacked the crown prince, even if Robert is family."

"But -"

"Enough. Leave now. All of you," the king said without looking up." Rhaegar was the first out the door followed by Ser Gerold. Yet Rhaella stayed behind, she had nothing to lose in trying to find out more of his plans. "Are you deaf? I said to leave."

"We need to talk," she said, sitting down in front of him.

"Talk, talk, and talk. I would say you should put that mouth of yours to better use than talking."

Rhaella ignored his words, she had already surrendered her body to him earlier that day and the night before. "Robert Baratheon needs to die. I agree with you, your grace. But I would say we should decide how and the best moment to do it." She circled behind him, running her delicate hand on his chest, "maybe more enemies will be revealed, plus we could always find future allies from those willing to sell their lords out for gold or more power."

"I have a Thousand Eyes, and One to watch my enemies, why should I listen to what you have to say about this situation?" He asked looking behind straight into her indigo eyes.

"When you found out that Tywin Lannister was behind our children's death and my suffering, you asked for my forgiveness for how you treated me in the past twenty years. Do you remember what I told you, dear husband? I told you only if we ruled the seven Kingdoms together as equals."

"And? Have I not kept most of my promise?"

No, you have not, she wanted to retort, but that was a discussion for another day. "Any decision regarding the future of our family isn't only yours."

"You are overstepping, sweet sister."

"Maybe. But you agreed to that. After all, when Steffon died, you said that there was no one else that could be trusted in Kings Landing, except me, as we were the last Dragons should something happen to our sons."

He looked at the side for a moment, "speak freely."

After leaving his parents alone, Rhaegar needed some time away from Harrenhal, to clear his head least he punches a hole into the wall of his chamber. Sitting in the Godswood under a Weirwood tree seemed to calm him down, made him think clearly while he plucked a few strings of the small harp he took everywhere with him when he needed peace, always returning with a new song after.

"Too many thoughts, my prince?"

Looking up, he saw the She-wolf of Winterfell, standing a few feet in front of him. Letting his eyes roam over her freely noticing how beautiful she looked in a grey and blue dress, a dark cloak over her shoulder, while her hair was free of any braids, flowing freely in the soft breeze.

Rhaegar smiled, putting the harp aside as she drew closer towards him. "You would be thinking hard also if you had a father like mine who preferred plunging the kingdom into war."

Lyanna grimaced at his words, knowing her father was doing the same for his ambitions.

"Where is your swornshield?" Rhaegar asked, not seeing lady Mormont with her.

"A few steps away, I would say she is probably trying to get the sword of the morning right now into her bed later," Lyanna teased causing Rhaegar to chuckle imagining how flushed red Arthur must be at this very moment.

Lyanna picked up the prince's golden harp, running her hand over the three small dragons with red eyes before turning once more to him. "Were you writing a new song, why you were so deep in thought? Or were your thoughts filled only with your father's royal decree?"

He helped move her hand along the strings, "It helps me to relax and think clearly," he replied sighing. "It's also what I do when I'm visiting Summerhall needing time for myself away from court."

"How is it there?" she asked, placing her head on his shoulder, which surprised him, but a good surprise.

"It's a ruined castle, maybe like Harrhenal but worse. It's sad and haunted. But peaceful. Especially at night. Sometimes I like to sleep there, in those ruined halls, beneath the moon and the stars, dreaming about what it was before the fire that killed so much of my family. I sometimes imagine the balls that were thrown there, all lords and ladies dancing. Then there are times I dream of dragons. I dream of flying on the back of a red dragon towards the sun."

"And the Ladies? What do they look like?" Rhaegar didn't know if she was feigning jealousy or only curiosity.

"Well, I would say that they are lovely like the southern flowers," Rhaegar replied, feeling her lift her head from his shoulder, "but none of them are as wild as winter roses." She had such a wide and beautiful smile right then, that he was sure would have melted the coldest of hearts.

Seeing her grey steel eyes turn glossy with fresh unshed tears, made Rhaegar lowered his head down to kiss her, trying to not overstep, keeping his primordial instinct to devour her at bay. He knew to what end a deflowered lady went through with their family and didn't want that for his She-wolf.

However, he needed to ask something of her that weighed heavily on his heart. "The feelings you feel for me, do you feel them for the man or the Prince and the crown he wears?"

That question made her immediately withdraw a few inches away, causing him to miss the closeness of her touch. "How can you ask me something like that?"

Rhaegar hated himself for upsetting her, yet when she tried to get up and leave her, he stopped her, wrapping his arms around her small waist, and bringing her onto his lap, clashing her against his chest. "I'm sorry for saying that," he whispered against her ear. "But it's just that all my life the women, high born or low born, only saw and wanted one thing in me, a crown. It was difficult for me to believe that there was someone who loved only the man behind the crown, which is a mask."

Lyanna didn't reply, staying in silence for a while and looking down, but in the end, he heard her say in a low voice, barely a whisper, "it's not with the prince that I fell in love with that day, but with the man that saved my life, that examined my wound, that kept my identity in secret. When I was dancing that night at the feast it was with the man that I did, not the prince, despite telling myself otherwise." She stopped to take some air, and he could feel her heartbeat fast as a quick charging riding pace towards a battle. "But I understand if your feelings changed because of that."

"Sweet Lyanna," he said, closing his eyes, tightening her body to his chest, and taking a sniff of her pleasant scent of winter and wildness. "I would rather lose my crown before my feelings for you change or fade. Because in all my life I never met a girl like you."

"We are doomed, aren't we?" she said, tilting her head so she could look at him, her lips were a few inches from his. "Just as the mighty Valyria was destroyed by a cataclysm, our love will soon be destroyed by another cataclysm."

"Only if we allow it," Rhaegar said, before bending down and kissing her slowly, with one hand holding her back and the other resting on her belly.

"What in the seven Hells are you doing with my sister, bastard?" Immediately breaking apart with widened eyes, at seeing who was in front of them.

"Lord Brandon. It's not what you think," Rhaegar replied, getting up, where was Arthur?

"What I think? What I think is that you seduced my sister and took her maidenhead! You dishonored my sister!" He shouted, unsheathing his sword. "The people already call her the whore of the dragon prince behind her back and this situation only confirms it.

"Nothing happened!" Lyanna said with snarled her hackles raised, stepping between them. "I'm still a virgin, unlike you."

"Put your sword down Stark or I will open you up from your cock to your throat," came the warning voice of the Sword of the Morning.

"Your prince will be dead before you even strike."

"Try me if you dare, Stark. Let's see whose hand is faster," Arthur said, with confidence and without even blinking at the treat.

"I'm here for my sister. Come Lyanna," the heir of Winterfell said, stretching his arm, but never lowering his sword.

Lyanna turned in her spot, stood up on her toes, giving Rhaegar a passionate kiss pouring all her affection into it.

Rhaegar glanced at Brandon for a quick moment, seeing him turn red in rage, before wrapping his she-wolf up into his arms, enjoying the last moments of their kiss.

Lyanna moved away from him licking the lower part of her lips, savoring his taste, as Brandon grabbed her hand, backing away with his sword still pointing towards him as they left the Godswood.

"Well, it seems you love to dance with wolves, my friend," Arthur said, placing Dawn back on his back, approaching his friend.

"And you to dance with the bears." He replied never taking his eyes from the She-wolf in the distance. He hoped that her father would not be cruel towards her once he got wind of what transpired here.

Cersei searched for Prince Rhaegar all over Harrhenal for almost half a day, but could not find him until she was informed that Brandon Stark was dragging his sister Lyanna Stark towards the Keep, in rage, and she realised where her prince was. That northern bitch for sure seduced her silver-haired Prince, and Cersei was furious. Rhaegar was hers, hers, and no one else.

She stayed at the entrance if the Godswood for half an hour, waiting for him to appear, and then she saw him in all his glory, coming towards the gates, holding the reins of the horse, and looking down, with The Sword of the Morning next to him. He was wearing a black tunic embodied with gold line, and the three headed dragon displayed on his chest. Red and proud. One day her sliver haired Prince will cover her up with his clock, and her before the Seven in the High Temple of Baelor.

"Prince Rhaegar," she greeted him with a curtsey, bringing his attention on her.

"Oh. Lady Cersei. I didn't notice you. Was too immersed in my thoughts," the prince replied, and she smiled shaking her head. "Doesn't matter. I was wondering If we could spend some time together."

"I'm sorry, my lady, but today is not a good day. Another time maybe," said the Prince, resuming his walk, leaving a stunned and speechless Cersei. What just happened? No one has ever said no to there or refused to spend a moment with her. That Stark whore must have bewitched him, otherwise, he would have never been so rude with her.

She will have to have a word with her father regarding this and make sure that the King doesn't change his mind about the marriage.

Lyanna was sitting on her bed, with her father standing, but a few feet away, gazing at her with his grey steel judgmental eyes. The moment Brandon dragged her into her room, her father was informed of what happened, and so was Ned.

"I'm disappointed in you Lyanna. I thought we were clear regarding the prince," her father said with coldness in his voice. He was keeping his anger at bay; she could feel it. "All the things that have happened in the few past days is because of you, it's all your fault, and now a great man and lord will die because of you."

"That fault lies with Robert, not with me, father, it is not my fault his pride was wounded. Because only a madman would attack the crown prince after getting thrown in the dust like a crying little girl," Lyanna retorted hearing Brandon chuckle, she could see Ned also was trying to hide his smile away from their father.

"Quite you foolish girl. Do you think this is a game? Open your eyes daughter, your precious prince will be a madman just like his father."

"You call him a madman and yet I didn't see any madness in him," Lyanna replied, defending the King, even though who she really was defending was her prince. She didn't care about the king. "If he is mad, dear father, then you are madder than him, considering that you don't see what is happening right in front of you."

"I saw enough. You gave your maidenhead to the dragonspawn and now no one will want to marry you, congratulations Lyanna you've won!"

"Father-" Ned tried to intervene but was cut off by their father's glare.

"The prince wants me-"

"The prince will marry Cersei Lannister, living a long and happy life, while you will forever be called the dragon's whore because he deflowered you."

"We have never done that," she said with clenched teeth and looking him straight in the eye. "But if it happened, you should feel lucky in having a royal bastard for a grandchild."

Rage was clearly displayed on his face, as her father raised his hand to hit her, but stopped midway, widening his eyes, breathing fast as he clenched his fist moving away from her mumbling something under his breath, as he bit into his fist, causing Lyanna to wonder what will be her fate now that Robert will die. Who will she be forced to marry next for her father's ambitions?

Elia walked through the hallways of the gloomy fortress many believed cursed, her arms wrapped around her middle, in search of Ashara. She needed her friend's advice on what to do with the constant pressure from her brother Doran wanting her to seduce the Crown Prince one way or another or she'd never set foot in Dorne again.

So lost in her thoughts, not realizing she was bumping into another until she felt strong arms catching her by the waist before she could fall hard against the ground, as steel grey eyes stared into her dark eyes with mischief.

She opened her mouth to speak, yet no word came out. She knew him, how could she not when so many other maidens were fawning over the tall rugged northern lord with the good looks. Even her.

He helped her stand up straight as Elia tried to recover from the situation at hand without feeling like some helpless maid, as she fixed her blue myrish laced dress back into place. "I'm sorry Lord Brandon, I wasn't looking where I was going."

"It is nothing to worry over Princess. It was a pleasure to catch you midway." He smiled a toothy smile, causing her heart to pick up in speed as if she ran here trying to get away from someone, or better yet her brother's scroll.

"Is this how you charm all maidens? Hiding in dark hallways just to be bumped into?"

"Maybe I was waiting for you, to have a chance to hold you again in my arms," Brandon replied, still grinning, causing Elia to roll her eyes, remembering that he was a hot-head, and not shy like his younger brother, Eddard.

"Where are you heading, if you don't mind me asking?"

"I was searching for my lady in waiting."

"Oh, are you referring to that sweet lady with dark hair and violet eyes, who succeeded where many have failed to get my brother out of his shell?"

"Yes, the same one. Have you seen her? Can you point me towards where I can find her? It is of great importance."

"Well, in that case, allow me to accompany you in your quest," Brandon remarked, boldly wrapping his arm around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him, she could just imagine the rumors that would swirl about them once someone saw the two.