Jon felt his sleep leaving his body and with it his wondrous dream of marriage, but his eyes snapped open fully when he felt light breathing on his chest. He quickly glanced down to see a mass of black hair and small tan arms wrapped around his torso. He then noticed other body parts against his own flesh and he blushed. He also noticed his own arm was wrapped around her body with his hand dangerously lower than it should be. His blushed increased ten fold, but instead of removing his hand he pulled Myria's sleeping form closer to his own body as his mind flashed back to the apparent night before.
He smiled at the night's highlights and let every tantalizing image sear into his mind so he would never forget any of it for a moment. He felt his new wife shuffle in the sheets as eyelids fluttered against his chest. Myria tensed before she relaxed in his arms.
"Hmmm, Jon?" He could hear Myria's smile.
"Yes Myria?"
Her head lifted to meet his heated gaze, "Could we perhaps have a repeat of last night?" Jon chuckled at her question and watched a blush cover her own face.
"As much as I would enjoy that so much, my father wanted to speak with us before he heads off to King's Landing." Myria nodded her head and started to roll off of Jon when she groaned and curled in on her stomach. "Myria, are you alright?"
She slowly uncurled and tried once again to climb out of the bed, "Yes, just a little pain from last night."
Jon flooded with guilt, "I didn't mean to hurt you." She shook her head at his sorrowful tone.
"I wasn't in pain Jon, believe me. It's just because it was my first time. My body just is not used to all of this yet." He shuffled over to where she was sitting on the edge of the bed and hugged her from behind.
"I'll be more gentle next time then, until you're used to it." She smiled at his sweet words. She turned her head to catch his lips, the both of them becoming vastly invested in each other. Jon pulled her back underneath him as he kissed down her jaw and started to nibble on her neck, until there was a knock on the door. Jon and Myria broke apart quickly and Jon threw the bed covers over himself and his wife.
The person on the other side of the door knocked once again, "M'lady, M'lord? Are you awake yet?" Myria's ears perked up at Willow's voice coming through the door.
"Yes Willow, you may come in." The door creaked open while Jon gave Myria a surprised look, and she simply shrugged her shoulders at him. Willow quickly entered the room and shut the door behind her. She spared a glance at her Lady and her new husband on the bed before averting her eyes and moving to lay out an outfit for Myria.
While she was laying out a pale orange dress with white accents she spoke up, "This dress is from Lord Dayne, Myria," She held up the dress for her to observe. "There's no corset for it so you can simply dress yourself today." She laid the dress back on the chair she had placed it on, gave a small curtsy while keeping her eyes on the floor, and left the room without any other words. Myria rolled out of the covers and stepped over to put on her slip and the dress her cousin left for her.
"Thoughtful of your cousin," Jon spoke.
Myria nodded her head, "He must of known a corset would have killed my aching body today." Jon once again let a simmer of guilt pass through his mind, but quickly disregarded it and got out of bed himself to retrieve some of his own clothes. While he was lacing up his britches he felt a tap on his back, and turned to see Myria's own back to him. "Can you button up the back of the dress? I am having trouble reaching some of them." Jon slowly brought his hands up and deftly secured each small button of the dress. He personally wished he could be unbuttoning this beautiful dress for her, but he knew they could not hide in the room all day.
"Thank you Jon," He gave her a small grunt of acknowledgement before throwing his brown tunic over his head along with his black jerkin, afterwards he secured his wolf skinned cloak around his back and walked over to his wife. He watched her throw her own cloak of light brown deer pelt over her back and clasp it around her dress. He then held out his arm for her and together they left their safe hide-away to face the rest of the day. As they walked through the halls people would stop to congratulate the pair, giving blessings of good health and many children.
They reached the Feast Hall far quicker than they expected and were greeted with the sight of the rest of the Stark family breaking their fast along with Edric. Lady Catelyn and Lord Eddard sat at the front of the long table together with Robb and Theon on Catelyn's right, all four immersed in a conversation over their food. On Theon's right was Edric who was being barraged with questions from Arya sitting across from him and Bran on her left. To Ayra's right Sansa quietly ate her eggs and fish while rolling her eyes at her sister's childish inquiries. Little Rickon was placed next to Edric, but he could hardly keep his eyes open to the Dornish's fascinating stories and was swaying in his seat. Myria and Jon strode over to the two seats between Sansa and Ned which were unoccupied and placed themselves in them before picking food to eat from the middle of the table. While they began to break their own fast Theon ruined their small chance of being ignored.
"Well, well. The happy couple emerges from their den at last," Robb shoved Theon's shoulder to get him to shut up, but it was a fruitless effort. "Did you have fun? Wish you would have let us carry Myria up for you, Jon." Jon glared at his friend and clutched his fork in his hand to prevent himself from slapping him.
"The bedding ceremony is a barbaric tradition and I am glad Myria did not have to suffer through it."
Ned nodded his head at his son's words, "It is quite humiliating for the bride and I am proud of you, Jon."
"It was so romantic when you stopped those drunk fools from carting off Myria," Sansa's girlish voice cut in. "I hope I will get the same treatment from my darling Joffrey."
Edric nearly choked on his drink when he heard Arya mutter 'Seven hells' at her sister, but quickly covered for the feisty girl, "So how are you feeling cousin?"
"Slightly sore, but nothing out of the usual," Edric nodded his head at her words. "Thank you for the lovely dress, Edric." He smiled at his cousin's thanks and inclined his head towards her. Everyone spent the next few minutes continuing talk of the wedding until Arya's voice cut in on the 'adult' talk.
"So have you really gone to Braavos?" Edric smirked at the young girl's excitement.
"Indeed I have, I saw the Titan of Braavos in the bay and visited the temple of the Faceless Men." Arya's eyes sparkled at his words.
"Faceless Men?!"
Edric laughed, "Well they are not truly faceless, but it is a part of their religion. They believe having a specific 'identity' per-say weakens the soul of a person, at least that's what most people perceive of their beliefs. They are quite a secretive bunch." Arya hung on every spiced word that left Edric's mouth, and Bran was practically shaking in his seat for more stories.
Sansa quirked her brow at her siblings, "Does your wife come with you on your travels Edric?"
Edric shook his head, "Actually I am not married yet," Sansa seemed surprised with the fact. "I am only 23 and in Dorne there is not as much pressure for marriage."
"But are you not the head of your house? Do you not need to get married you secure your house's survival?" Sansa and Edric turned their heads at Theon's interjection. He was looking at Edric with slight intrigue layered with disgust.
"Well," Edric started at Theon, "As head of my house I will get married eventually, but for the moment I am in no need." He glanced at Myria and Jon before turning back to the prickish Ironborn, "My house is secure at this time and if I were to drop dead tomorrow I would not worry at all."
Theon scoffed, "And why's that?"
"I would leave Starfall and house Dayne under the care of my lovely cousin and her new husband." Jon choked on his mouthful of food at Edric's declaration. "And their firstborn son would take the name Dayne and become the new Lord." The table became silent as Edric's words sunk in. Theon glared at Jon and Edric before jumping up from his seat and leaving. Robb watched his friend leave with concern, but his mother's hand on his arm prevented him from leaving the table.
Ned cleared his throat, "Well logically it makes sense, unless you wish to leave Starfall to the hands of the Daynes from High Hermitage."
Edric grimaced at Lord Stark's option, "I would never leave my family's name, much less our ancestral seat and sword, in the hands of the Darkstar," He shook his head while he cut into his food. "Gerold Dayne may be handsome on the outside, but he is a sadistic and dangerous beast who is obsessed with power."
"I never thought anyone in our family would be so cruel." Edric glanced up at his cousin's words.
"He wasn't at first, my father even thought he would become the next Sword of the Morning. Alas when Dawn did not choose him he became enraged and cursed my father, and within the next year my father had passed." Myria cringed at his story. A tense silence washed over the table as many of the family absorbed his words of woe, and while they were contemplating their own worries of his tale Jon was having a panic over the chance of being a high lord of the Realm. He had just been a bastard a week ago for Gods sakes, and now he was married and his wife's cousin would name them his heirs if he bore no children at all?!
Catelyn decided to change the discussion back to more favorable topics, "So how long do you wish to visit, Lord Edric?"
The Dornish man smiled at the Lady Stark, "Well not long actually. I just wanted to speak with Myria in private and then I will have to be on my way soon." She inclined her head at the man and then turned back to her son and husband to continue their previous conversation. Edric lightly leaned over the table to speak with Myria when he felt a small tug on his tunic from the right of his body. He looked over to see little Rickon pulling on his clothing in an attempt to catch his attention.
"How does it choose?"
Edric furrowed his brow in confusion, "How does what choose, Rickon?"
"Dawn." Arya and Bran nodded their heads at their younger brother's inquiry. Myria watched her cousin for an answer as well, barely listening to Sansa's gossip about some servant girl.
Edric sighed at the children, but obliged their imaginative whims, "Dawn, the ancestral sword of my house, is the only sword in all of the lands made from the heart of a fallen star. As such it has some mystical properties to it. It is as light as Valerian steel and even stronger, but it almost has a mind of its own."
"How does a sword have a mind?" Bran cut into his telling. He chuckled at the boy.
"The sheath for the sword was made out of the shell of the star so it would always be protected, but as such only a person with a pure heart and heroic soul could even remove the sword from the sheath. Much less even wield Dawn."
Bran absorbed the new information, "So to be a Sword of the Morning a person needs to be good and pure of heart always." Edric gave the boy a nod of conformation.
"Yes," He raised his hand to hover over his heart. "But if the wielder ever loses their heart to darkness then they will lose the power of Dawn forever."
The children seemed enamored by the tale and started talking among themselves over whether they could hold the sword or not. Myria smiled at their wondrous imaginations and asked Edric, "So Gerold could not pull Dawn from its sheath because of his obsession with power?" Her cousin twirled his hand to symbolize her answer being correct and the matter was settled for the moment. The family continued to eat and converse with smaller topics as time went on and each person slowly left the table. Robb left first to track down Theon and to work on his swordplay with the Master-at-Arms, Sansa pulled Arya away from the table to join Princess Myrcella and the other girls in their needlepoint lesson with the Septa, Lady Catelyn swept up her two younger sons and led them away to Maester Luwin to begin their morning lessons, and Ned asked to speak privately with Jon. Jon nodded to his father, rose from his seat, kissed Myria's hand and cheek, and bid her and Edric farewell.
The two Daynes were left alone at the now very empty table. Myria shuffled her remaining food around her plate with her utensils while Edric stood from his seat and wandered around to the other side of the table. He came up next to her and extended his hand to help her from her chair. She accepted it and they looped arms much like yesterday and began to stroll through the Keep's many halls.
As they were walking Myria posed a question for her cousin, "Why bring up Dawn in your story about Gerold?"
Edric smirked down at her, "Quite observant my dear," He could read the blanket of displeasure sitting on her face. "I wanted to tell you more about our family sword." She teetered her head in acknowledgement. "Also because I brought Dawn with me on my journey." His words made Myria stop in her tracks pulling him to a sudden stop as well.
"You brought Dawn with you?"
"Yes."
"Because you are the new Sword?" He shook his head 'no'. Before she could continue her surprised inquiries Edric led her into a room flanked with two guards wearing white and purple armor. The two bowed at the nobles as they entered the room. The room was warmly decorated with the fireplace lit and a bowl of oranges sitting on the desk by the wall. Edric walked over, picked up one of the fruits, and began to peel it open.
"I had to bring my own oranges as well. The ones the Northerners offer are always too sour, almost like they have never eaten a true Dornish orange." He offered Myria a piece of the citrus food which she accepted and plopped into her mouth. As she chewed the sweet and tangy treat she glanced to the bed to see a long wooden case set upon it. She tilted her head in curiosity at the box, but Edric swiftly reached it before her and unlatched the box pulling a sheathed sword out from its insides.
The sheath was decorated in extremely small amethysts and dark yellow topazes depicting a star falling from a sapphire laden heavens. The pommel and hilt of the sword were nearly a blinding silver dotted with filigree designs of ivy and rosemallow hibiscuses with their star like shape gently wrapping around to the edge of the hilt. Myria slowly inched closer to the sword and Edric passed it into her hands. To her it weighed lighter than her own water dancing sword, which was only 4 pounds itself, even though this weapon was well over 4 feet in length and around 3 inches in width. She grasped the hilt in her right hand and the sheath in her left and pulled them apart.
The sword slid out of the sheath smoother than hot butter and the blade itself was a sacred sight to behold. The main metal was pure white and there was a streak of pale blue metal running through the middle of the blade that almost pulsed with energy. She gently ran her hand over the streak and could feel a warmth coming from it, but she could not explain the source. Her jaw dropped as she glanced up to see Edric's awed face as he too observed the blade with a sort of holy reverence.
His soft words broke the trance the sword had on her, "It seems we have a new Sword of the Morning, Myria."
She began to stutter, "Edric I can't...I can't be next the Sword of the Morning!"
"Well seeing as you just pulled Dawn from its sheath, you are."
Myria shook her head in disbelief, "This can't be Dawn." She quickly pushed the mystical relic back into its sheath and attempted to give it back to her cousin. He simply moved it back into her arms. "I am not worthy to take my father's place."
Edric pulled his little cousin into a hug, "Because you think that is the very reason you are worthy. This sword has a way of seeing a person's true soul and it has chosen you Myria, whether you think you deserve it or not." He pulled away from her and waited as she stepped closer to the fireplace with a contemplative mask upon her face.
Edric Dayne watched as his cousin sniffled and hugged her father's blade close to her body and in that moment she had never seemed more vulnerable or more powerful.