It took a month to reach Winterfell from Eeyrie. They hunted for their food most of the time they rode, trained daily and washed up in creeks, streams and rivers. Reconstruction of the Moat Cailin progressed well since Ned last visited. Four towers were finished and work on other four began, almost half done and framework for the central keep has been raised, once it was finished once again the Moat will turn to one of the most formidable Castles of Westeros, but Autumn was here and the Citadel proclaimed that it will last only a year and they do not have a good enough projection for how long the Winter will last, everywhere the final harvests are happening in a hurry.
As Winterfell drew nearer, Ned could feel a faint pulse at the edge of his senses. Only after entering the East Gate did Ned realise that the pulse he was sensing was coming from the castle itself. I have to investigate that more and Father, Bran and Lya, whether they could sense it too. Ned saw his Father, Brandon and his new wife, whom he recalled seeing at a harvest feast years ago, Ben and Lya waiting to greet him.
As soon as Ned dismounted, he dropped to take a knee before his father as he did years ago and said, " Lord Stark, I have returned home "
Once again his Father bid him rise and drew him into a surprised hug and all his siblings joined them. There were tears in Lya and Ben's eyes, after composing themselves, Ned gestured to Robert and said, " Lord Father let me introduce you to my friend and foster brother, Lord Robert Baratheon, Heir to Strom's End"
To that Robert bowed and said seriously, " Lord Stark, it is an honor to be here "
" Be welcome, Lord Robert, there is bread and salt waiting for us in the great hall, let us be on our way ", Father said softly.
On the way Brandon took over the introductions from Ned, starting with his new wife and introducing Ben and Lya. Robert was charming as all ways. While Bran and Ben seemed quite taken with him already, Lya seemed lost in thought. Brandon's new wife Lady Barbrey remained polite but distant. And soon enough Robert was regaling them with stories of their time at Eeyrie.
Once Ned saw that Robert was settled in his rooms, he washed up and went in search of Lya and found her in front of Godswood.
" How are you, sweet sister? ", Ned asked softly after joining her in silence for awhile.
" I am fine, Ned ", Lya replied with a melancholic note in her voice.
" Lya, I want to know what you think of your betrothal and betrothed ?", Ned asked coming straight to the point.
" Does my opinion matter ?", Lyanna asked, now there is scorn in her voice in place of melancholy.
" How could you ask that, Lya? Of course it matters! I promised mother on her deathbed that I will see you safe and happy, all of you and I am doing everything in my capacity to keep that promise. What was the point of me doing anything if you are unhappy because of me? ", Ned turned towards and demanded, looking Lya in the eye with real fury in his voice.
Lya flinched for a moment, looking as though seeing him for the first time, but it only lasted a moment, anger blazed into fury in her too and she hissed with venom in her voice, " Oh, you promised, did you? And Eddard Stark keeps his word, doesn't he? If you only wanted my happiness, perhaps, I don't know, you could have asked me, about WHAT. I. WANT?!"
As Lya grew angrier Ned mastered his fury and regained his calm, he sighed exasperatedly and replied, " I know what you want, Lya, you want to remain in Winterfell all your life. You want nobody to ever tell you what you are supposed to do. You want to wear britches and ride your horse through Wolfswood without a care in the World. You want to wear your sword and knives out in the open and go to battle alongside your Father and family. You want many things, but maybe I am not right. Tell me if I didn't know my little sisters mind ? Tell me?!"
Lya, who deflated during Neds rant, lowered her head and said in a tiny voice, " No, you are not wrong. Then by your own words, I am safe and happy at Winterfell, so why the politicking, why bargain me as a broodmare?"
To that Ned released another sigh and mussed Lyannas hair before drawing her into a hug, which she half heartedly fought against before returning, " Oh, Lya, sweet child. I would give you the World, if you asked and if I can. But you will have to marry, Father could do nothing else, He has a duty to our House, our Name and the North. I know he loves us dearly, but he has the greater duty, a dynasty of eight thousand years, down to five people, four men and a girl. Can you not understand the burden of Legacy He carries. Our House and Name is one disaster away from being decimated and being lost to history, from being forgotten. We are the best chance for the North's survival. I am not tooting our own horn, Lya, no other House can truly hold the North and survive the winter, they either don't have the temperament for it or the strength. Why aren't there more Starks around Lya, our House is ancient, shouldn't there be more cadet branches than just Karstarks, where are the cousins we should have played with as children, where are our grandparents who should have doted on us and from whose knees we should have heard old bedtime tales. They are dead, Lya. Dead and buried, do you understand me? Either by the hands of enemies or by the cold winds of Winter or by just misfortune. So, no Bran, Ben and me marrying and having children isn't enough, you will have to marry and have children too, because Gods have mercy, if disaster ever strikes House Stark then there will be atleast someone left who could put the pieces together once everything is said and done. So you have marry. Since you have to marry anyway, I choose someone who would respect you for who you are, who is a good man and will make a good husband. Maybe even someone you could love in time and be loved by in return", at this Ned broke the hug but his hands firmly remained on Lya's shoulders and his eyes locked onto hers, " You have always been a good judge of character and you have met him, so tell me did I choose wrong when I convinced Father to betroth you to Rhaegar?"
Lya remained silent for a long time, before answering grudgingly, " No, he is a good man, while the time we spent together was little, I saw that he was a good man, he was respectful to me, while he initially seemed discomforted by the age gap between us, he overcome it with time, he engaged in discussions with me about Northern culture, history and politics, about past wars and possible strategies for next ones and genuinely appreciated my wit and knowledge. He even sparred with me, here in the Godswood, only Ben and See Arthur were there to witness it. He took me seriously in the spar and when I lost, gave me pointers and asked to spar again. So, yes, He is a good man and someone I have come to respect."
" So why resent this betrothal, Lya ? Marrying won't stop you from riding horses, wearing britches or practicing with blades. Yes, you will have to leave Winterfell, but so did I, I did it when I was eight namedays old and I will have to do it again to take up my lordship. So will Ben. But that doesn't mean Winterfell will stop being home, Winterfell will always be home to any Stark and even after you marry, you will always be a Stark. Once you became Queen, you can just as well wear britches and a sword in the open, Queen Visenya certainly did. So why resent a good thing? I know that you have a real chance at happiness with Rhaegar, that love between the two of you is a real possibility, I know it. Just give it a chance Lya, you have years yet before you have to marry, get to know him in the meanwhile. You still have the promise I made you, Lya. If you really want to break this betrothal, just tell me, I will see it done, there will be a price to pay but I will pay it. Think about what I said. "
With those parting words Ned left Lya to her thoughts.