The Lion, The Wolf, and The Falcon

Chapter One

Tommen did not want to go.

He still didn't understand why he had to go, he wanted to stay here with his mama and Cella and even Joffy but the king had said that he had to go and Tommen did not know how to change his mind. He had cried where no one else would see him, he knew that Joffy would have laughed at him if he had seen his tears and the king might have yelled at him.

He was hiding under his bed, clutching his kitten doll to his chest and hoping that when they couldn't find him they would give up trying to send him north and he could come out when they forget about him.

He would need to go to the kitchens for food, he hoped that there were apple cakes. Apple cakes were his favorite, and cream cakes as well and a cup of honey and milk as well.

He wasn't sure how he would get to sleep without mama or one of the women she had got to take care of him reading him a story, he liked the ones with knights the best and the ones with cats in them almost as much, he wished that someone had written a story about a knight that had a cat, he would have loved that story the best out of all of them.

The door to his room opened then and Tommen held his breath, he had learned how to hold his breath when he was hiding whenever the King had too much to drink and got too angry and scared him, which was often.

The footsteps didn't sound like father though, they weren't heavy enough and he didn't think that it was his mother either as whenever she walked into a room Tommen could always hear the sound of her skirts brushing gently against the floor and it was one of his favorite sounds in the world but even that would not make him give up his hiding place.

He saw a pair of feet step in front of his bed but only for a moment as Myrcella knelt in front of the bed and looked at him. "Tommen, you have to come out now." His sister told him.

Tommen shirked away from her and clutched his doll tighter to his chest. "I don't want to."

Myrcella crawled under the bed next to him and hugged him, his older sister's hugs always made Tommen feel safe and when he felt her arms wrapping around him he buried his face into the crook of her neck and wrapped his arms around her. "I know, I don't want you to go either."

"Maybe we can both hide?" He said into her shoulder, shutting his eyes and pretending that the rest of the world had gone away. "Your trunk is really big, maybe we can hide in there?"

Myrcella didn't answer him, but Tommen felt her bury her nose into his curls and he wanted to stay there with her forever and ever but Myrcella pushed him away slightly. "That won't work Tommen, and if you don't come then our royal father is going to be angry with you."

Tommen whimpered and pushed himself back from his sister and crawled out from underneath the bed, he got to his feet and rubbed at his eyes to push his tears back and when he pulled his hands away from his eyes Myrcella was standing in front of him, she smiled at him but Tommen had never seen a smile so sad before. She reached down to his face and Tommen didn't know that he was crying until Cella was wiping his tears away.

"I can be brave," Tommen said, he wished that he believed it.

"I know you can," Myrcella said and hugged him again before pressing a kiss to his forehead before she stepped back and took his hand, and lead him over to the door and out into the corridor, Tommen made sure to drop his kitten doll as if father or Joff saw him with it then neither of them would be happy.

They did not make it to the courtyard before Septa Eglantine found them, their septa panting as she came running up to them. "Princess Myrcella, Prince Tommen. You must come now. Your father is growing very wroth indeed," their septa took both of their hands when she stood in between them and lead them out of Maegor's Holdfast to the courtyard.

As soon as Tommen saw his father he tried to make himself smaller, hoping he wouldn't notice him but he knew that was not going to happen as the King strode over to him and clapped a hand down onto his shoulder so hard that a jolt of pain ran through him. He bit his bottom lip so that he wouldn't make a noise, he didn't want his father to be angry with him.

"Head up lad, you're a prince of the realm and a Baratheon," Tommen frowned but did as he was told and when he tilted his head up to look up at his father the big man put his hand on the top of his head and patted down his curls. "You'll like it up North lad, you always wanted to see snow haven't you? And Lord Stark is one of my greatest friends when I was your age, he's got a boy about your age as well. You'll be great friends with him, just like Ned and I were."

Tommen didn't know Lord Stark though, he knew that his father had been friends with him when they were little but Tommen had never met him. Mama had said that he had still been a baby the last time that Lord Eddard had come down to King's Landing, Joffy had said that the man was cold and cruel and that everyone from the North were brutal savages who would hurt him if he was bad.

Any son had to be like him, didn't he?

But he was too scared to say anything and so he just nodded when his father finished talking, the King nodded and then walked away and it was his mama who came up to him next and she knelt down to press a kiss to his cheek before holding him tightly to her, her grip was so tight that it started to hurt him. "Mama, you're hurting me," Tommen complained.

His mother sighed but she loosened her grip and held him at arm's length, "Be brave. You are my son and you must be brave." She cupped his chin and stared into his eyes, they were the same color. "Septa Eglantine will be going north with you, be a good boy for her and do nothing to bring shame to me, do you understand?"

"Yes, mother," Tommen said and the Queen nodded before she rose and beckoned one of her maids close and Tommen could not hold in the gasp of shock and delight when he saw the little ball of black fur that was in the maid's arms, the feeling that bloomed in his chest when the maid handed the tiny kitten to him was the happiest that he had felt since father had told him that he was going North.

"He is yours to name," His mother said as she reached out and ran her fingers through his hair. "I love you Tommen, never doubt it."

"I won't mother," Tommen said, even though his gaze was on the little kitten in his arms and he pressed a kiss to the top of his head. He felt a little better now, and like he could be braver as well. This was just a kitten, after all, a baby that would be away from his home and all that had loved him. Tommen would be brave for him.

Joffy had gotten bored and had made his way back into Maegor's Holdfast with only a ruffle of Tommen's hair that left the top of his head sore but considering what Joffy could be like on a bad day Tommen knew that he should be happy that was all that he got. Uncle Jaime ruffled his hair as well, but his touch was gentler than his brother had been.

Tommen climbed into the wheelhouse alongside Septa Eglantine and once the door was shut he let a few tears fall, Tommen knew that Septa Eglantine wouldn't tell anyone, she never did when he cried. The kitten in his arms lapped at his cheek and that turned his whimpers into laughter and he remembered his promise to be brave for the kitten. He could do it.

"Have you thought of a name yet my prince?" Septa Eglantine asked as she pulled out her copy of her holy book and opened it, Tommen liked hearing stories from it and his septa had such a nice voice, it was often her voice that he had fallen asleep to at night.

Tommen watched as the kitten used his paws to pat down his trousers and curled up for a nap, as he reached to scratch behind the kitten's ears a story that his Uncle Jaime had told him when he was little of a sword that had gotten lost along with his uncle a very long time ago before Tommen was even born.

"I'm going to call him Brightroar."


Jon had hoped that Lysa would be in a stable enough frame of mind this morning to see their son off but his hopes had been misplaced as his wife had suffered a turn this morning, becoming hysterical as she refused to allow Robert to leave and had tried to barricade herself and Robert within the nursery of the Gates of the Moon, Jon had no choice but to have his guards break the door down to retrieve his heir.

The lord of House Arryn sighed and rubbed at his eyes, he had not been a young man when he had married Lysa but he felt a thousand years older than he should. He knew that sending Robert away from her would not please her but he had hoped that as they got closer to the day when the boy she would have calmed herself down and understood his reasons but he had been wrong about that as well.

It was not all his fault in having that hope, of course, Lysa seemed to switch her opinion on the matter with very little rhyme or reason. The very night before she had seemed quite calm, even happy. She had been smiling and laughing, had been eating healthily again and it had warmed his heart to see. He knew that he was hardly the match of a young woman's dreams but he had always wanted to make Lysa happy.

She had even brought their boy a gift, a fat little baby robin in a silver cage. "A sweet robin for my sweet robin."

Now Lysa had been taken to her bedchambers and given enough sweetsleep to send her into a deep and dreamless sleep, it was considered the best thing for all of them if he was to send Robert on his way without any incident.

As the Lord of the Vale made his way into the courtyard it hurt him to see that the boy was still crying and shaking as well. It did not look like a fit and thank all of the gods for that but Jon knew that a gentle tone would be what was needed now.

And so he put a warm smile that he did not feel on his face as he walked over to his son, who was grabbed in a grey-blue doublet and soft lambswool trousers. "Don't you look like a proper lord of the Vale, I'm very proud of you son. You are very brave and I know that your mother would be proud of you as well."

The boy sniffed, his big grey-blue eyes wet with unshed tears as he clutched his doll of the Winged Knight to his chest. "I want mother." He whimpered, tears and snot running down his face.

Jon sighed and knelt before the boy, the sharp twinge that ran through them told him that his hips would not be thanking him for that come the morrow but he pushed the pain aside and reached for a square of silk to wipe the boy's face clean, remembering to be gentle otherwise that would simply cause his son to grow more upset. "I know you do."

"But Robert, I need you to listen to me." He allowed a note of firmness to enter his voice, still gentle but strong all the same. "You are my son, and I love you just as much as your mother does, and all that I do I do for your own good. The North is what is best for you now, you will grow strong there and make firm friends for the rest of your life. I know you will, I love you, my son."

Robert still looked moments away from breaking down into a sobbing fit and he clutched his doll so tightly that for a moment Jon thought that the doll would rip in half. But he didn't start sobbing, he just clenched his eyes shut.

Jon sighed and rose and had one of the servants bring forth the bird within its silver cage and had it placed in front of the boy. "Your mother has a gift for you as well Robert, open your eyes."

The boy obeyed him and his mouth fell open in shock as he watched the plump little robin dance across the silver bar in its cage, for a moment all his sadness and fear were forgotten as he watched the bird with fascination before he turned his gaze on to his father. "Mine?" He asked in a chirp.

"Yes lad, it's yours." It was hardly the pet that Jon would have chosen for the boy, but the lad was too young for a falcon or a hawk so the little robin would do until the boy was older. "Your mother gives it to you because she loves you, and wants you to be brave. Can you try and be brave for her?"

The boy took in a breath, and no little boy should have to struggle to breathe in that much before he nodded. "Brave like the winged knight," the boy said as he held up his doll for Jon to see as if he would not understand who the boy meant without seeing the doll."

"Brave like the winged knight," Jon repeated before he leaned down and picked the boy up, sighing softly as the boy's too thin arms wrapped around his neck, before carrying him over to the wheelhouse where the boy's septa was waiting for them both.

He placed the boy in the septa's lap and pressed a kiss to his forehead before stepping out of the wheelhouse, and tried to pretend that his own eyes were dry as he watched the wheelhouse slowly trundle off until it was completely out of sight.

Jon rubbed at his eyes and turned on his feet and made his way back into the Gates of the Moon, he was Lord of the Vale and Hand of the King and there was work to be done.


He had to wait for the perfect moment, if he was not careful then all of his perfectly laid plains would go to waste and nothing would enrage him more. He would not accept it, so he simply had to be patient.

And soon enough his patience was rewarded as his prey walked beneath him and Bran launched himself forward the railing off the covered bridge. "Winterfell!" He shouted as he rained down snowballs on his sister as he fell to the ground, the breath knocked out of him as he landed on the ground on his side but that was worth it for each shriek he drew from Arya with each direct hit.

Alas, it seemed that his plan had not been so well thought out as he thought it was as he was vulnerable on the ground and his big sister was quick to take advantage of that fact as soon enough Arya was on top of him, dripping wet with a wild grin on her face. "Winterfell!" She roared as well before she shoved Bran's face into the ground, grinding it against the snow and mud.

"I-I yield!" Bran said in between mouthfuls of mud and snow, and Arya jumped off of him with a laugh before she helped him to stand up. Bran frowned down at the state of his clothes. "Mother will be angry at you, she made this shirt for my name day. She said that the silk came all the way from Yi-Ti." Bran didn't know much about Yi-Ti, but he knew that it was very, very far away.

Arya shrugged, kicking at a lump of snow that had been mixed with mud in their tussle. "This dress was a gift from Grandfather Hoster," Arya said as she nodded down at the dark green dress that she was wearing, which was wet and even more dirty than Brandon's shirt. "And you're the one that started the great war of snow, I simply fought for my life and my honor. You should have known better."

"You're older than me, you should have known better!"

"You shouldn't have such a stupid face!"

"Your face is stupid! And you look like a horse!"

Arya was quiet after that, then she pushed him down again and ran off. Bran pouted and pushed himself up to his feet and brushed down his shirt, maybe he could change into a different shirt and hide this one so that mother would not find it.

"Bran," The boy looked up and smiled when he saw his big brother striding towards him, he knew that he had to call Jon his bastard brother when mother was close by but that was never what his heart called him.

He was about to go and hug Jon but his brother cuffed him on the back of the head. "Ow!" Bran shouted and rubbed the back of his head before he looked up at Jon. "That hurt! Why did you do that!?"

Jon frowned, and he looked so much like father at that moment that for a moment Bran thought that he was about to be sent to his room without any supper. "What you said to Arya was very unkind, and it wasn't worthy of you at all."

"She started it."

"Not the fight," Jon said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "What you said about her face, you said that because you know that it would hurt her. Arya might be older than you but you are still her brother, you have to protect her and not make her cry. She's a girl Bran, no girl wants to be called ugly. Now, go and say sorry to her or I'll have to go and tell father."

Bran frowned but ran after Arya all the same, it did not take him all that long to find her as if she didn't run to Jon or father when she was upset then there was only one place where she would go. He found her in the godswood, sitting in front of the heart tree. As he stepped closer Arya turned to look at him and he was shocked to see that there were tears on her cheeks.

I made her cry.

"Go away!" Arya shouted at him and got to her feet and started to walk away Bran ran in front of her, but Arya pushed him down again. "I said go!"

"I wanted to say I'm sorry!" Bran shouted as he got back up to his feet. "I didn't mean to call you horse face," He knew that Sansa and Jeyne Poole called her that sometimes, and he knew that it made her cry. He knew that it hurt her, he knew that and he said it anyway. Why did he do that?

"I don't care," Arya muttered and picked up a stone and skipped it over the steaming surface of the black pond within the godswood, Arya could always skip stones further than him.

"I do," Bran said as he picked up another stone and threw it as well, it only made it half as far as Arya's. "I don't want you to cry and I don't want to upset you, you're my sister and you're pretty."

Their mother had been the one to tell him that when he was old enough to have a wife that he should always tell her that she was pretty. "Every woman likes to be told that she is pretty Brandon." Lady Catelyn had whispered to him as she had put him to bed for the knight and told him stories of the knights in the south with their painted armor. "When you take a wife Brandon, be kind and gentle with her. Promise me."

Arya scoffed before he picked up another stone. "I don't care." She said again and threw it across the water, this time it reached the other side of the pond.

"Well...you are, anyway. You're so pretty in fact that I bet when Prince Tommen comes to stay he'll fall in love with you at first sight and want to marry you, you'd be a princess!" Arya looked at him then like she smelled something really bad. "It would make Sansa jealous."

That made her laugh and Brandon laughed as well and at some point, they ended up hugging and sitting down next to one another back in front of the heart tree. "So, when Robert Arryn and Tommen Baratheon come, will still have snowball fights, won't we?" Arya asked him.

"Of course." Bran hugged his sister again and he smiled into her shoulder as she hugged him back.

They stayed together till it was time to come in for supper, and they were both right, their mother was angry at both of them for the state that they were in.

End of Chapter One


The next chapter will see Robert and Tommen arriving at Winterfell, I'm tempted to have that be from Septa Mordane's perspective but we shall see.

Anywho, hope that you enjoyed it.

With warmest regards,

DiscordantSymphony