Hey!
One shot featuring Brandon Stark and Ashara Dayne, prompted by a request from AO3 user Nerdwriter5 (They wanted a Brandon/OC but after researching Brandon Stark I got interested in Ashara Dayne and her connections to the North … so here you go!)
Chapter 1: Fate
Great Hall of Harrenhal
Brandon watched as his little brother danced with Ashara Dayne in the throng of the couples celebrating the beginning of Lord Whent's Tourney at Harrenhal. The event promised to be an occasion to remember and was easily the largest Tourney hosted in living memory.
"Are you ready for tomorrow?" a serious voice interrupted the young Northman's thoughts.
Brandon turned to see Ser Barristan holding out a cup of ale.
"Hoping to get me too drunk to fight properly tomorrow?" Brandon teased, knowing Barristan's honour was beyond reproach.
"Just offering a friendly drink to a fellow participant," Barristan replied evenly back, knowing the Wild Wolf was just jesting with him.
Brandon accepted the offered cup, "I am ready and excited to claim the prize money. What of you?"
"As a Kingsguard if I win the prize money will go to my family," Barristan looked into his cup, "but the real prize is naming the Queen of Love and Beauty."
"Oh, and who do you have in mind for that position if you win?" Brandon pried in good humour.
The Kingsguard replied without hesitation, "Lady Ashara Dayne."
Both men's' eyes flicked to the mentioned lady as she smiled in Eddard's soft embrace.
She is beautiful, Brandon mused and he felt the familiar urge to accept the challenge put before him and claim the heart of the purple eyed maiden.
"Well Ser Barristan, it will be hard to proclaim her Queen of Love and Beauty if I win the tourney and do it first," Brandon said cheekily as he slapped the Kingsguard on his shoulder as the elder man was taking a sip from his cup before entering the dancing fray and taking Ashara off Eddard's arm with a few words.
"I think your brother would have liked another dance with me," Ashara said seeing Eddard's downcast face as he talked to a stony-faced Ser Barristan.
"I think most men here would like to be dancing with you right now but you are dancing with me. How lucky you are," Brandon grinned at her as they began to twirl around the floor in beat with the music echoing around the walls of Harrenhal's Great Hall.
"You are very sure of yourself," Ashara commented pointedly but glided along with Brandon to the rhythm of the tune the band were piping out.
"I have a lot to be confident about," Brandon winked back.
Ashara held back her disingenuous laugh at the arrogance on display, "You think you will win the tournament?"
"Of course."
"You didn't win the Lannisport tourney," Ashara said trying to dampen Brandon's confidence.
"I wasn't there to win it," Brandon replied smugly.
"If you weren't at Lannisport why are you here at this tourney?" Ashara responded not sure if Brandon's bravado was annoying or entertaining her.
"Same reason you are here. This is the largest Tourney the Seven Kingdoms has ever seen, puts Tywin Lannister's one to shame really."
"I imagine that was the point," Brandon gave Ashara a questioning glance, "You think Old Lord Whent could afford all this on his own? No, there is no one rival to the gold mines in the West."
"So, you aren't just a pretty face," Brandon said not taking the time to truly think on Ashara's words but seizing the opportunity to give a compliment.
"No but it appears that is all you are," Ashara shot back while disengaging from him with a playful smile on her lovely tanned face.
"The dance isn't over my Lady?" Brandon questioned with genuine shock at Ashara brushing him off, he wasn't used to this type of treatment from the fairer sex.
"No," Ashara's purple eyes were twinkling, "but as you cut into Eddard's time with me so is my brother cutting into yours."
Brandon felt a sturdy hand clap onto his shoulder, he immediately spun around to be confronted by Arthur Dayne, the Sword of the Morning.
"I think my sister has spent enough time with Northmen," the handsome Kingsguard said as his pale blond hair shifted around his face to reveal the same stunning purple eyes that Ashara had.
"You cannot spend enough time with a Northman, it isn't possible," Brandon jested back with a gleeful smile appearing on his face as he looked slightly up at the taller man, "but you clearly want to dance with your sister so I shall leave you."
"I look forward to facing you tomorrow if you make it far enough in the tournament to face me," Arthur called out to the heir of Winterfell as he retreated towards his little brother and his father who had replaced Ser Barristan at Eddard's side.
"What?" Arthur grinned at Ashara as she tried to stifle a laugh at the protective nature of her brother, "You are my little sister and Brandon Stark has a reputation."
"Father," Brandon greeted as settled on the other side of the current Lord of Winterfell from his little brother.
"Enjoying the festivities, I see," Rickard Stark all but chuckled out with all three dull grey eyes focused on the two Dayne's graceful steps in front of them.
"There is much to enjoy here," Brandon replied trying to pass off his dance with Ashara as nothing out of the ordinary.
"The King looks so weak," Rickard said drawing his son's attention to the seated King Aerys who was conversing with his eldest son in whispered tones.
The music faded into the background a few moments later it was announced that a song would be sung next by the Crowned Prince. All the nobles seated themselves once more as Prince Rheagar took to the stage with a harp in his hand and a kind smile on his lips that was captivating the entirety of the female audience and earning the young Prince the scorn of his fellow Lords and Knights.
Brandon had to physically stop himself from huffing or rolling his eyes as even his little sister Lyanna seemed to be caught in the Targaryen's Prince's thrall as the warm tones of the heir to the Iron Throne singing began to bounce around the dark walls of Harrenhal.
The only saving grace of the performance was that he noticed that Ashara's eyes were not on the singing Prince but on him.
This evening might turn out to be some fun after all, Brandon thought to himself as Rheagar's beautiful tones floated around the crowded Great Hall.
A few hours later ..
"It appears you prefer men of action, rather than men of music."
Ashara smiled from the doorway as she hastily put her dress back on, "Actions are all that matter, not sweet words no matter how beautifully spoken or sung."
"Let me help you then," Brandon said as he sauntered out of his bed, completely naked and placed the straps of Ashara's thin lilac dress back on her shoulders before planting a few lingering kisses on the back of her neck trying to entice her back to bed and allow him to undress her again.
"I have to go before someone notices that we are both missing and puts two and two together," Ashara insisted but giggled at Brandon's advances before lightly pushing his wandering hands away and pushing the door open.
"Shame, I thought we could have spent the entire evening together, enjoying each other's company further," Brandon said suggestively, knowing she had enjoyed their recent activities just as much as he had.
"I wish you luck in the jousting tomorrow but I fear my brother will end your hopes of winning," Ashara teased as she disappeared through the door out of Brandon's eyeline.
"When I win, I will name you Queen of Love and Beauty," Brandon called out but heard another door close before he added in a softer tone, "and I will ask for your hand in marriage."
Author's Notes:
If only Brandon had won and asked for Ashara's hand in marriage, things would have been very different. As events played out, Brandon didn't win and with his pride broken he didn't ask Ashara to marry him, eventually getting betrothed to Catelyn Tully while Ashara endured a miscarriage (Brandon's) but always held a flame for Brandon so with his death at the hands of Aerys weighing heavy on her coupled with Eddard being the one to kill her brother and brining news of his death to her she jumped from the Palestone Sword of Starfall (a tower) into the Summer Sea never to be seen again …
This was prompted by a request I took a fancy to from an AO3 user called Nerdwriter5 and a little test to stretch out from the characters I normally write about so let me know how I did :)