Hello! So, here's the next chapter all sparkly and new. (Throws glitter on it.) Anyways, I just wanted to say how thankful I am to have such amazing reviewers. I got 24, when I only asked for 22, and it just made my day! Also 21 favorites and 24 follows! You guys are amazing. :D So, recently I've been feeling a bit under the weather. I got a tonsillectomy on the 15th and it was my first surgery. My throat has been killing me, but I've been fortunate enough to have access to something as wonderful as ice-pops and Fanfiction. Oh, and also I was wondering as to who you (as readers) would like to see Ophelia eventually pair up with. Lol, it could be anyone at this point in in time, and I'd love to see who you predict she'd fall for. I know based on the comments that the top three ships are: Theon, Robb, and Jon. But hey, if you think there's some other character (ha-ha at this point it could even be Pod or Gendry) she'd get on with, let me know in the reviews why you think that. If you let me know who you ship her with, I'll give you the song that inspires me to write about Ophelia/whoever's interactions. Anyway, let's get on with the story!
1st P.O.V. Winterfell
Sweet buns.
Hot, fresh, just-came-out-of-the-oven sweet buns were the first thing that I smelled when I awoke from sleeping on my stomach.
My head felt groggy and my eyes were blurry. I groaned as I shook my head so my eyes could clear up.
I closed them again, shook my head, and opened them.
Everything was still a bit blurry, but I could see a bit better.
I was on a bed, I knew that much, but I didn't know where. All that was in front of me was the headboard to my bed and the stone wall behind my bed. Judging by my lack of foreboding feeling in my stomach and risen hair on my arms, I could tell I was somewhere safe, most likely Winterfell.
But where in Winterfell was I? This wasn't my room, because my room was small. It had three beds, all filled with variations of straw and feathers, and it only had one window with no fireplace.
This room though, felt much like the room that I occupied in my youth before I was told I needed to start working. The one with the four-poster bed, small fireplace, and a window with a seat.
I knew that by seeing my arms right beside my head, I was in my nightgown but by the air settled on my posterior, I knew the cloth of my nightgown had been cut and my back was exposed. I shifted to my right side a bit, only for me to hiss in pain.
"Well, that was a bad idea." I murmured lowly to myself. I put my face into my pillow and groaned. I was confused. What had happened, and where exactly was I?
"Ophelia, don't move if it hurts too badly. Your wounds are just barely beginning to scab." I lifted my head and turned it left to see Maester Luwin standing in front of me, holding a corked bottle filled with a thick paste. Behind him was My Lady, looking a bit haggard in her nightclothes, and sleeping in a chair with a book in her hands. I squinted my eyes and barely made out the gold metallic title, 'The Seven Pointed Star'. My heart fell a little. Did something happen? My Lady only read that holy book until she fell asleep if something bad happened to somebody she loved. Then my mind went back to what Maester Luwin previously said.
"Wounds? What do you mean, wounds?" I asked him, my voice a bit hoarse from not using it.
The old balding man cocked his head to the side in confusion. He walked over to the table next to My Lady, and set down the bottle next to a plate of piping hot sweet buns. Ahh, so that's where the smell came from. Luwin then sat in the spare chair next to My Lady and scooched it closer to me.
"Ophelia, what is the last thing you remember?"
I closed my eyes in concentration and tried to think back to my most recent memory. I shifted through my last remembered day, then I gasped.
"I went to the market with Theon and Jon!" I said, surprised that I even forgot in the first place.
Maester Luwin nodded then gestured a 'go forth' signal with his right hand. "What do you remember from the market?"
I furrowed my eyebrows in concertation. "Theon left to go with a whore, I think her name was Rose or Ros, something like that. Jon was a bit hungry from not eating breakfast, so we got some fruit, and were going to get some sweet buns but ended up forgetting about them. After eating, Jon and I went to go get Theon so we could go pick up some fabric for Lady Sansa, but he wouldn't come. He and Jon got into a bit of an argument…" I retraced slowly, trying to remember what came after Jon and Theon's fight.
Huh….what did happen after Jon punched Theon?
I closed my eyes. Jon helping up the prostitute. Jon leaving and I going out to see where he went. There was people running…..the mob! Villagers were trying to escape the deranged horse. I was caught up in all the action when…..
"Holy Maiden!" I exclaimed pushing my torso up with my forearms. I ignored the screams of pain from my back as I came to remember what happened.
"He had me whipped. That spice merchant had me whipped! He thought I had a master or something and he blamed me for his product being lost. The soldiers wouldn't take me to Lord Stark, and whipped me under false charges that the Warden of the North did not approve. They were already whipping me by the time Jon and Theon found me. They tried to stop them, but I don't remember what else happened." I lied about the last part. I do know what happened. That whore came over and gave me Milk of the Poppy. Her eyes held sympathy and she did me a kindness, allowing me to pass out after all that pain. No, I wouldn't let anyone know of her good deed. I decided to find her and thank her myself.
Maester Luwin looked at me in sadness. He clasped his hands together and glanced over me.
"The boys ended up getting into a scuffle with the soldiers on duty after you passed out. What I was told is that Jon mostly did the fighting, whereas Theon managed to break you out of your chains, well according to him, but I believe he actually just swiped the key from one of the soldiers. Finally, the tavern owner came out and vouched for the identity of the two of them. More soldiers came after hearing about the fight that was going on and some who have been to Winterfell, acknowledged Jon's identity as Lord Stark's bastard. During all of this the merchant who caused this mess left.
Theon managed to borrow a cart from the tavern owner and put you in it. He drove you to Winterfell. Jon managed to ride ahead and alert me, as well as Lord and Lady Stark about what occurred at the market. When you arrived, Lady Stark helped me get you up to this bedroom and we worked to heal your back. You lost a huge amount of blood, but managed to keep breathing. After we stopped the bleeding, we got you bandaged up. Lady Stark has refused to leave your side. Meanwhile, after hearing what happened Lord Stark took off with Robb and Jon. He interrogated everybody involved, with Jon helping him identify who was responsible for hurting you. He arrested the soldiers responsible for whipping you on the grounds of false accusations under the impersonation of the Warden of the North, as well as battery and assault of a Lady. Robb was told to go after the spice merchant with several of the House Guard, but after a couple days of searching, it is believed that he has already left the North."
I laid my head on my pillow as I took in all this new information. Jon and Theon got into a fight…for me? Theon drove me all the way to Winterfell in a cart, because a horse probably would have made my injuries a whole lot worse. My Lady personally helped oversee my wounds being attended to, and she never left my side. Jon and Lord Stark arrested the men who did this to me. And Robb…I mean Lord Robb, he went out for the merchant who caused all of this in the first place, although he did not catch him, it's the thought that counts.
Tears stung my eyes as I turned my head the other way so Maester Luwin would not see me cry. I was grateful to be in a house of people who could actually care for someone like me. Then another thought struck me. My eyes widened as I turned my head back to Maester Luwin.
"Did you say that Lord Rob searched for the merchant for several days?" I asked slowly, making sure I got this out right.
The Maester nodded. "Yes. I'm guessing this comes as a shock to you?" He asked, a smile forming on his lips.
"I've been out for several days?! How many, to be exact?" I asked, my heart pumping with anxiety.
"Five, to be precise. This includes that day you went out to the market."
My palms started to get clammy and beads of sweat dotted across my forehead.
"Am I in trouble?" I questioned.
"Pardon?" Luwin asked, confusion written all across his face.
"Am I in trouble?" I repeated, making sure he understood every word.
He shook his head and chuckled a little bit. "No, the Starks are aware about the mob and that it was not your direct doing for the merchant's lost property."
"No, not about that. I've been in bed for several days! Is Lord Stark going to get mad at me for ignoring on my chores? I haven't been able to do them because I've been asleep."
Maester Luwin looked at me slack-jawed and gave me an incredulous look. "Ophelia, you've been injured. Do you honestly believe Lord Stark, out of all people, would not understand why you haven't been working?" He asked me this in a slight disbelief, then he quickly grabbed the bottle he set down earlier and looked it over, as if to see if it were the reason I asked such an idiotic question.
My cheeks burned as I realized my own stupidity.
"I suppose that was a bit foolish of me to ask." There was a pause then I said, "When will I be able to get back to work?"
Luwin looked at me, and sighed as he uncorked the bottle. "I don't know about you working, but you have been healing rather nicely, so you should be up and about in at least a couple more days."
I felt him go to the side of the bed and unwrap my previous dressing. I bit my lip in worry then asked him, "Will it scar?"
There was another pause before he answered, "Yes, it will."
I placed my face in my pillow and moaned in despair. Well, at least no one will see my back… no one but Katherine and Emily, the girls who share my room. I couldn't wait to hear what they had to say about everything, especially Emily who's had snarky remarks waiting for me ever since I moved in with the two of them.
I felt the bandages being removed, and air hit my lashings making me hiss slightly. Maester Luwin applied some of his soothing paste on me, and I sighed in contentment. I closed my eyes. Only a couple more days until I could get back to the normality of my schedule. He soon finished applying his sticky, sweet smelling paste on me and put on some clean bandages.
Maester Luwin talked to me a bit, just about random things, before he left. He told me that if I was comfortable enough I could sleep on my sides, and tomorrow I could try getting up, though warned me not to over exert myself.
About an hour after he left, My Lady moved a bit, her eyes were still closed when she put her hands on the arms of her chair, and sat herself up from her slumped down position she was sleeping in. Her book fell down onto the floor, making a loud THUD in the process. She shook her head and sleepily bent down to pick it up. As she lifted up her torso to sit back upright in her chair, her Tully blue eyes opened and blinked several times before they made contact with my dark crimson ones that had been watching her.
Her mouth opened into a small 'O' and she dropped her book, putting her right hand over her mouth in shock at seeing me awake. Her eyes started to water in relief as she dropped to her knees and reached for my hand, cradling it against her cheek, something she often did when I was sick during the time I was a little girl.
I spoke softly. "Hello, My Lady. I'm sorry about all of the worry I've caused you. I hope you can forgive me."
She smiled at me, a single tear slipping down her face. I scooched to the right side of my bed and shifted to lay on my left side, so My Lady would have room to sit with me on the bed.
"I was so worried about you, Little Bird. I thought I was going to lose you. But you are okay, Gods be good." She laid down next to me, her back against the headboard. I put my head on her lap as she stroked my brown-red hair.
"I'm so thankful I didn't lose you." She said softly.
"Me too."
Well, the next two days passed. My Lady continued to stay with me until 'I was fit to handle going about on my own.' She helped me use the chamber pot (something we both agreed not to speak about once I was better), helped me eat, helped me bathe, she even helped Maester Luwin with my bandages.
My Lady helped me get up and held my arm as she had me pace about the room in my nightgown. My back was sore and didn't want to walk, but my legs needed to the excursion after not moving for a long time.
She even entertained me by reading to me. She mostly read poetry, but on the second night she read to me some history, which was fine by me considering how Lord Stark usually allows me to skip my lessons in the subject matter. It was about Aegon the Conqueror, and his loyal servant Nuri.
My Lady began reading.
House Targaryen was one of the forty ancient houses from Valyria who ruled the Freehold, though they were not the wealthiest nor the most powerful. It was there they stayed until Daenys the Dreamer foretold of the circumstances that would cause those who resided in Valyria to perish a terrible death. Fearful for his life and that of his family, Aenar Targaryen sold all of his estates and moved his wives, children, other relatives, slaves, wealth, and five dragons to Dragonstone, an island at the entrance of Blackwater Bay as well as a castle of the same name. Twelve years after fleeing, the Targaryen's heard news of the Doom that descended upon the city of Valyria leading to the collapse of the Freehold and countless of lives lost.
The century that followed was one that flowed with rivers of blood. Aegon the first, rider of Balerion, formed an alliance with Tyrosh and Pentos, to rebel against Volantis who had seized power after Valyria had been destroyed. Aegon, met with the prince of Pentos, and soon with the help of his dragon, set the Volantene fleet aflame in Lys. He soon returned home, as he had his sights set on the rest of the lands that occupied Westeros. In 2 B.C., Aegon along with Visenya and Rhaenys, his sister-wives, started his conquest with the help from their dragons. While Aegon was a great military commander, he did not entirely know the stretch of land that was Westeros. Before he invaded, he sent one of his servants to analyze the people and the land, giving the servant one year to map it out.
The servant came from a family that were part of the original group of slaves that Aenar had brought with him before the Doom. His family were among the few that were thankful to be rescued from such a terrible fate, even if it involved his family still being submissive. The servant's name was Nuri. Nuri began his travels in Lannisport, and made it all around the seven kingdoms nearly undetected. He would talk to the Maesters' that resided in any of the kingdoms, telling them that he was moving there to start a business as a fish merchant. He would ask about any customs he should be aware of, how the people were like in their day to day business, and would ask for a map of the kingdom so that he would not be lost whilst traveling to and from different villages to sell his goods. The Maesters would comply after Nuri made his case, as it was told he was a very good liar and was very charismatic. Any information about the kingdoms he visited, Nuri would send to Aegon under the guise of it being letters to his mother.
During one of his travels up in the North, Nuri was walking through the Wolfswood, when he heard the cries of a woman. Not really knowing what to do, he followed the noise only to discover a woman being attacked by a man, who was ready to slay her with his ax. Drawing his only weapon, a tiny dagger, he gouged the man's eye out and warned him to stay away. The man left, but not before telling Nuri that he should not help this woman for she was the Witch in the Wood, a rumored sorceress who put curses on men.
After the man left, Nuri saw that this woman had no boil on her nose, no crooked blackened teeth, nor any other sign that might have indicated she might have been a witch. Instead, she was a beautiful woman, who was his own young age and was breathless from her recent attack. With her directions, Nuri carried her to her home, a hovel in a hill. The woman was like none he had ever seen. She was more beautiful than his own mother, someone her loved with all of his heart, and was more radiant that any woman who had Targaryen blood.
The woman had never been shown the kindness of a man in her entire life, and just as he was with her, became smitten with the Targaryen servant. That night, they made love in her home with only the moon and stars watching. When the sun rose, Nuri woke to find the woman gone. For several days he searched the Wolfswood, never finding her. Before Nuri went on his way, he left a note, telling her that should she ever need him to go to Dragonstone for that is where he would be.
Nuri went about his usual routine, gathering information on the North before returning home to Dragonstone where a grateful Aegon awaited him. Pleased with his servant's detailed accounts on the people and places he visited, Aegon promised Nuri one wish, anything within reason. Knowing that his Lord would never be able to get back the one woman he loved, he asked for the freedom of him and his family. Aegon relented with much hesitation, due to him being apprehensive of losing such a helpful domestic. However, he was pleasantly surprised to find that Nuri chose to stay by Aegon's side when he began conquering. Aegon was not an extremely trustful man, the only friend he possessed was Orys Baratheon, but the loyalty of his former servant allowed him to trust Nuri. When his invasion began, Nuri proved more useful than the maps or readings he sent to Aegon, as he had an excellent memory and managed to memorize all the mountains, roads, and hills of the kingdom. Due to this influx of knowledge, Aegon made Nuri a commander for his army. Nuri used this newly-found position as a means of distraction from the beautiful woman he loved for a night in the North.
One night, whilst camping before the invasion of House Gardner of the Reach, Nuri saw a flash of red coming from a nearby cave. After dismissing it a couple times, his curiosity became the better of him and he went up to the cave to see what it was. There in the middle of the cave was a chunk of rock (perhaps a piece that fell from the roof after the three Dragons made their landing) and under it was the tail of ginormous majestic bird, twice the size of an eagle. Its colors were red, gold, and orange. After spotting Nuri, the bird squawked loudly, flapping its wings so that it could fly away, but only managing to fly in circles above the boulder that caught its tail.
Nuri moved to the bird and whispered sweet nothing to it, in order for him to calm the bird down. When the bird flew down, he held its body as he pushed the boulder with his back. With the tail free, Nuri held onto the bird. He looked the bird in the eye and asked if it was alright. The bird just stared at him, and when Nuri let the bird go, the bird flew. It flew in a circle, around Nuri. A swirl of colors formed a vortex around him, with sudden winds from all four directions making up the rest of this vortex. Nuri was too frightened to move out of this vortex, but alas, it did not last long. The colors suddenly disappeared along with the winds, but Nuri and the bird remained. The bird flew to Nuri's shoulder and resided there, unwilling to move.
Nuri, accepting his new companion, went down to the camp yet as he approached more people, the bird got scared and flew away. Soon, after the battle on the Field of Fire, Aegon and his company marched to Highgarden only to find it in the hands of its steward, Harlen Tyrell, who yielded the castle without cause for a fight and he pledged his support to Aegon. Initially, Aegon was going to give Highgarden to the Tyrell's but acknowledging everything his former servant has done for him, he gave the castle to Nuri and pronounced him Warden of the South and Lord Paramount of the Mander. He made the Tyrell's a noble family, though they felt slighted not to have been given Highgarden. Nuri, did not want the castle nor the title but felt it was rude to reject such a generous offer.
After the rest of the conquests, Nuri resided in his castle with his family for a little while. Aegon famously would tease his friend over being the only Lord without a sigil or words for his house, but Nuri took these jests lightly. When the First Dornish War started, Aegon once again made Nuri one of his commanders. Dorne, the only kingdom unwilling to submit to the might of the Targaryen power was invaded by the forces of the Iron Throne. Nuri, having visited Dorne before, was key in telling Aegon where the most valuable places for attack was. Aegon, though, wanted to be sure that some of these places would be fit to attack so, occasionally he would send Nuri ahead as a scout. Soon, Nuri proved that there was more to him than just his knowledge of the land. And this occurred because of an error on Aegon's part.
Aegon, not realizing that his sister, Queen Rhaenys was about to strike, asked Nuri to scout ahead and to take the fastest route to Sunspear. Knowing that the fast route was through Planky Town, Nuri went through there unaware that Queen Rhaenys was poised to burn down the town with her dragon. After hearing the screech of a dragon, and seeing the panic of people, Nuri knew a dragon was going to attack.
Nuri stole a horse and raced it to the largest hill outside of town, yet the flames still reached him burning him to nothing but ash. Queen Rhaenys watched on in horror as her dragon's fire accidentally killed one of her brother's closest friends, as well as his top commander. She flew back to her brother and told him of her mistake. Aegon, in disbelief, raced to the hill to see that it was true indeed. There was nothing but a great pile of ash that used to be his friend. For one whole day, the heavens looked down as Aegon refused to move from his knees as he mourned for his friend, whose death he felt was not his own fault, but was Aegon's. As the dawn broke, Aegon was about to leave when he noticed something strange. The wind started to blow, but only towards Nuri's remains. The wind formed the pile of ash into an outline of a body. All of a sudden, the winds from all four directions blew creating a vortex around the ash pile. Colors from every shade danced in the cyclone, then they all blew away, the colors, the wind, and the ash. Laying in place where the ash used to be, was Nuri. Naked and covered with soot, was Nuri alive and sleeping. His former blond hair becoming a burnt blue-black color. Aegon stood with his Dragon, Balerion, both in disbelief that his friend was resurrected right in front of him. Even more disbelieving was that his dragon went to Nuri and nudged him with its snout so he could wake up.
And wake up is what Nuri did, opening his now different colored eyes at his friend. Aegon gave Nuri his cloak and took him back to camp, where after regaling the events he had witnessed to everybody, he told Nuri to go home and rest.
Nuri did not go home though. He needed answers as to why he was alive and different looking. For the duration of the war, he searched all of Westeros for an answer until he finally found one. Nuri found his answer in the form of the woman he loved for a night in the North, several years prior. The woman was sitting on a rock, near a waterfall waiting for him somewhere in the Riverlands. Upon sight of her, Nuri fell to his knees in happiness at seeing his true love again. She saw him and embraced him, confirming that she knew it was him. It was there that she told him that she was indeed someone with magic, but not a sorceress or witch. She was an enchantress of the forest, who lived in Westeros since the First of Men appeared. Yet, she never came across a man who willing to put his life on the line to save hers…..until him. The night she gave him her maidenhood, she also gave him a gift for before leaving. The gift was that the next person or creature whose life he saved, would repay him in a way that was suitable for their kind. He had saved a phoenix that night in the cave, and there a phoenix gave him the powers of its kind.
When Nuri asked why she left, the woman revealed she went on a journey to rid herself of her immortality to be with him. And when she finally succeeded, she would be with him. He coming across her in the Riverlands, however, was by fate. Nuri told her of his new title and the castle he now lived in. He told her that when she completes the task she set out for herself, to go to Highgarden, where they will marry and live together as husband and wife. After making love that night, he journeyed back to Highgarden where he spent the next several years waiting for his love's return. During this time when Aegon was not busy with royal duties, he would visit his friend. Aegon was sad due to Queen Rhaenys dying in the war, yet he delighted himself in the distraction that was Highgarden. On one such visit, Aegon asked Nuri if he has chosen a sigil and words yet. Nuri answered yes, but said he would not reveal them until his love married him. Two more years passed, when one rainy afternoon Nuri looked out from his castle's walls to see a soaked woman standing in the middle of the rose garden, in rags carrying a sack of her belongings. It was the enchantress. She became mortal and when Nuri saw her, he rushed outside in the pouring rain and kissed her. In only a matter of several weeks, Aegon allowed the two to marry in Kings Landing, which was a grand spectacular event. After kissing his new wife, Nuri announced to the woman, Seraphina, that she was now married into House Pyralis, whose sigil was a bright orange phoenix taking flight with the background of green. Their words were ones Aegon himself suggested, which forever became known as 'Risen from Ashes'.
Seraphina and Nuri had many beautiful children, but many took after the Valyrian tradition, as they married their siblings, cousins, or did not marry at all, refusing to mix their bloodline with other houses. It wasn't until Jaehaerys the Conciliator was king that a Pyralis chose to marry outside the family, the first time since Nuri married Seraphina. Urijah Pyralis, the only son of Nuri the second and Oriel, married Princess Viserra Targaryen. The two families then became intertwined. A tradition was born that if you were not to marry within your family, you would marry within the family. The children of the dragon and phoenix would marry every now and then, the most recent being Rowan Pyralis marrying Princess Daella Targaryen, sister to Aegon the Unlikely.
The story of the Dragon and the Phoenix is one that tells of loyalty to family and hope that love prevails, even after it seems like it won't.
My Lady closed the book, and put it on the table. It was night and I was smiling.
"I never heard much about House Pyralis before, My Lady. No one ever talks about them" I yawned and My Lady pulled the covers over me. She gave me a pinched smile and said, "Well…now you know a little bit. Tales of dragons and phoenixes have no place up here in the North" She laid on the side of me and flicked her braided red hair to her back, as she stroked my head.
"Sleep well, Little Bird. For there is a new dawn approaching and surprises that come with it." I chuckled softly falling asleep to the crackling of the fireplace, the humming of My Lady, and the sensation of fingers stroking my hair.
Whelp, there you have. Two birds with one chapter. The aftermath of Ophelia's whipping and a bit of history about her family. Also remember, tell me who you ship Ophelia with! I'd really love to know why lol and I'll give you a song. So anyways read, review, and rest easy. P.S. And if we could get my reviews to 29 reviews, that would make my day! Readers, I know you're out there and I believe in you! Next chapter, THE REVEAL! (Throws glitter your way)