Title Quote:
"Love is sweet, dearest Ned, but it cannot change a man's nature."
Lyanna Stark, A Game of Thrones
It had all spectacularly gone to shit.
That was not really surprising to Oswell, he had been cautioning against such a development from the moment the prince had revealed his plan. If you could have called whatever that crazy 'dragon in need of two additional heads'-thing was a plan.
However, this progression of events was something no one could have expected, not even Oswell at his most sarcastic moments.
Casual insanity was not surprising to Oswell anymore, actually. After all, guarding a pyromaniac lunatic was Oswell's job. However, it was sad to see the slated successor for Aerys' royal position was just as crazy as the current king, even if that insanity was of a different kind.
Really, to spirit away the only Stark daughter because she longed for freedom from her betrothal, what was Rhaegar thinking? And that was already bad enough, but promising Lyanna Stark princely intervention with her marital problems only to slowly start putting the moves on the girl to have a half-bred mutt down the line was ridiculous.
Lyanna Stark wasn't even that pretty and, by the Seven, the girl was 15. Prophecy, my ass. Rhaegar's cravings just did not lie with his adult wife.
Hah, lie with his wife, Rhaegar, what a joke.
Why could there not be a sensible royal in Oswell's generation? But no, Oswell had to pull the short straw with his pick of Targaryens. Any of the five kings before Aerys II were at least untainted by their blood's madness and now it happened twice in a row.
Well, come to think of it, Jaehaerys II restarted the whole incest thing and in doing so broke marriage contracts with the Tyrells and the Tullys. And Aegon V burned most of his family at Summerhall. Seven be damned, seems like King Maekar was the last really good king. Wait, didn't Maekar become a kinslayer by killing his brother? ...Fucking inbred lizards.
Still, not since the reign of the Unworthy were the ruling Targaryens this bad. Mad king Aerys with a boner for burnings and now crown prince Rhaegar showed his stiffy for smoke and mirrors. And children, apparently, depraved ephebophile that Rhaegar was. Lyanna Stark had even smaller tits than princess Elia.
Luckily the prince was not used to wooing the fairer sex and had not managed to bed the child since they whisked Lyanna away from her guards, even if Oswell expected it would take much longer until prince Rhaegar managed to bed the fool girl.
Well, that was before the rider from Blackhaven had come in, at least. Oswell only had to read the letter the rider carried only once to know that Rhaegar was going to have a harder time getting into Lyanna Stark's pants now. Hah, pants, because the lady hated dresses.
With Gerold's letter in hand Oswell interrupted one of Rhaegar's and Lyanna's many rendezvous under the blackened roofs of Summerhall. When he told the Stark maid of her father's and brother's close brush with death the girl just wanted to go home to Winterfell.
Finally! At least one of the fools that Oswell was guarding finally understood that their actions had consequences. It was to the shame of the prince that it was not him that understood, but lady Lyanna. The 15-year-old girl was evidently quicker on the draw then the 23-year-old prince trying to seduce her. Before Oswell had even finished reading out the letter Lyanna Stark went to saddle her horse
And then prince Rhaegar ordered Oswell to restrain Lyanna by force. How romantic. Rhaegar's words were nauseating.
"I had wanted to do this without force, my she-wolf, but I need a third dragon and Elia cannot give me a Visenya. Oswell, hold lady Lyanna down. I'll tell Arthur to guard us while I save this realm.
"You are my ice, Lyanna, in time you will understand the necessity of this."
And oh, how the screaming had started. Poor little girl, escaping from a whoremonger into the arms of a rapist. Lucky for her that Oswell read out the rest of the letter Gerold sent instead of following the prince's orders. The rest about the threat of the crown prince's disinheritance if Lyanna Stark was harmed.
And suddenly Rhaegar was not sure about Lyanna being his ice anymore. Whatever that meant.
However, there had obviously not been mending any bridges after between the wolf and the dragon. Prince Rhaegar tried to gloss over his very recent and very casual threat of rape and smooth things over, but Lyanna Stark was having none of that. Even Arthur, drawn in by the girl's screams, had been aghast with his best friend Rhaegar.
The Stark daughter sought Oswell's and Arthur's protection now. Ironic, in a way. If Lyanna knew of queen Rhaella's daily fate under the Kingsguard's watch... Well, Lyanna Stark would definitely not look at Oswell and Arthur the way she was now.
Sometimes Oswell wondered, was their order of Kingsguards even an order of knights, still? But every time Oswell stopped himself from following that thought, that line of thinking only led to remorse and regret.
The Dondarrion rider had departed the moment he had delivered his letter to Oswell and now Oswell was finally about to leave this blasted ruin as well. Good riddance, the place gave Oswell shivers. Why Rhaegar always wanted to return to the halls of his family's doom was a mystery to Oswell, but then again, he wasn't really that curious about it. There was no reason to be found in the head of a Targaryen, it seemed.
All was fine with Oswell if they could just leave Summerhall a second earlier. Looking at Arthur's grim face the man agreed. Lyanna, while not opposed to the location, was now decidedly averse to the company of Rhaegar and she looked itching to get on the road home again.
Still, before their little group of four could finally be gone, the last resident of Summerhall had to step them into their horse's path to block them. Of course. Fucking dwarf woman.
No matter how much Rhaegar lent his ear to the witch's mummery, Oswell did not buy it. By now Oswell had passed Gerold's letter to Arthur and taken the reins of Lyanna Stark's horse. They had specific instructions to bring the girl to King's Landing unharmed and Oswell preferred to have the Sword of the Morning on exactly the same page as Oswell.
Lyanna was likely to bolt the minute she had a chance to and Rhaegar had proved himself erratic. Oswell was not going to risk either of his charges hurting themselves in their stupidity.
When the white-haired crone with her blood red eyes stood in their path Oswell thought to ride the woman down, to kill this blasted twisted thing that haunted Summerhall since her Jenny died. Rhaegar always sang to the ancient woman, and the prince listened as spellbound as his grandfather Jaehaerys had. Mad fools, both of them, to listen to a woods witch speak of royal destiny.
But before Oswell could spur on his horse prince Rhaegar commanded Oswell and Arthur to stop in their tracks. As the Ghost of Summerhall spun her story of destiny again, Oswell wished he had simply ignored the prince's order to halt his horse, that Oswell had just followed his first impulses. Because the crone's words were a poison the prince did not need.
"Stay, prince of smoke. I dreamt it. I dreamt a bed of blue roses, drenched in fire and blood. The child you need, not the child you seek will come forth there. There would be grief in the birthing bed of your child, just like you were born in grief, prince Rhaegar. The wolves pack reduced down to two members, the dragon brood as well, and one child more to combine both lines, born of ice and fire and salt and smoke. I dreamt it.
"But if you abandon your path now, prince Rhaegar, the future becomes uncertain. All I know is that the last vestiges of magic may wain. The oldest monster in the North chafes under his bindings. If he is not delivered his promised foe, old signs may become worthless and Winter may come early.
"Do not abandon your course, prince Rhaegar, or the future will unwrite itself. The promised prince will vanish, dormant to come another day perhaps. But some promises cannot be broken, prince Rhaegar, and your destiny will be of pain still. Beget the girl with child, prince, and your suffering will not be worthless. You have entered into this world mired in grief, Rhaegar Targaryen, and mired in grief you shall leave it. That is the only thing that will not change."
And just like that, the prince was wavering again. A few words from a charlatan, and all Rhaegar saw was a confirmation of his dreams. Fucking mad Targaryens.
Oswell let go of the reins to Lyanna's horse in his hand and spurred on his own charger, but before Oswell could reach the little woman to chase her away, the ghost of Summerhall collapsed into herself. Right in the middle of her right eye there was an arrow shaft poking out, fletched of sentinel pine with raven feathers to steady it. Oswell turned to look at the perpetrator; and there Oswell saw that Lyanna Stark had levelled her bow on prince Rhaegar, her eyes like ice and another arrow primed.
"No more blue roses for me."
Lyanna Stark's voice was as cold as her stare.
Arthur was too far to intercede. Oswell's horse was away from the prince as well, and it was facing a wrong direction besides. Oswell knew the prince would be dead if lady Lyanna so wished it. They all had seen her hunt and she was a surer hand with the bow than either Oswell, Arthur or Rhaegar. Yet the lady did not fire her arrow at the prince immediately. A single tear ran down her cheek; but Lyanna Stark's hands did not tremble for a second as she spoke on.
"Tell me, Rhaegar. Was that what all this was about? You needed a broodmare, and I seemed easy and highborn enough? Was anything real since you promised me freedom from Robert, and to help mediate with my father to break my betrothal?"
Silent tears flowed faster while steady hands did not move an inch. These were the moments that Lyanna Stark shined radiant. Arthur had seen it, Oswell as well. The Northern lady was not yet a beauty, but she would grow into one. Lyanna Stark would be more than just beautiful, though, she already had iron and fire and ice within her, strength and passion and will. Rhaegar was silent for a second before he answered.
"Not all was a lie. You are not easy, Lyanna, and together with Elia you two can be my queens. I will love you and I will be true to you."
The girl laughed hollow in response. There had not been hope in Lyanna's eyes since Rhaegar casually threatened to rape her, but now Oswell could only see disdain shining in those steel-grey orbs.
"No one is less free than a queen, Rhaegar. The way you talk of me and of love, you are obviously not capable of it. You do not care what I want, you do not care who I am. Love is sweet, Rhaegar, but it cannot change a man's nature. Or a woman's, and all I yearn for is to be free."
There was a forlorn yet wistful look to Lyanna as she said those words. It sounded like something reiterated. The moment did not last long. After it had past Lyanna seemed to remember the arrow she had pointed at Rhaegar's head, and her countenance turned razor-sharp again.
"Tell me; why I should not kill you, Prince Rhaegar."
This was getting decidedly too dangerous for Oswell's taste. A war between the crown and the Northern coalition was not something Oswell could allow to happen, not with Gerold's letter explicitly warning of Rickard Stark. So, Oswell slid out of his saddle and knelt to the ground, facing Lyanna. Oswell pulled his sword and rammed it into the earth in front of him before addressing Rickard Stark's daughter.
"Lady Lyanna. If you will have me, I will swear to be your shield until I can return you to your father. In return please spare the prince's life. If you were to kill him now, I fear you may spark a war between house Targaryen and house Stark, the same war your father just prevented.
"I will safely escort you through King's Landing and back to your home in Winterfell and will die in your defense should any wish to harm you on this journey. Be they my king, my prince or anyone else. So I will swear. But please, do not push all the Seven Kingdoms into civil war with that arrow."
Lyanna did not even look at Oswell. Arthur did, though, and Rhaegar. Arthur understood, Oswell could see it as their eyes met. Rhaegar did not understand. Of course not, the prince was blinded by the principles of the Kingsguard, the sworn shields of the royal family. Rhaegar did not see that Oswell doing his duty in the only way possible in their current circumstances.
Rhaegar's shock only increased as Arthur slid from his horse and knelt to Lyanna Stark as well, mirroring Oswell and also speaking of oaths and honor.
"Lady Lyanna. I stand by Oswell and will also serve as your sworn shield until you are returned to your family if you take the road through King's Landing with us. Please do not kill the prince."
"Arthur, Oswell," Rhaegar's voice was hoarse as he spoke, disbelief leaving his tone raw, "you cannot serve another. You two are sworn shields of my family, you cannot be the sworn shield of someone else."
"Rhaegar, your safety is paramount."
Arthur kept his eyes on Lyanna as he answered the prince's words.
"Oswell and I cannot protect you from that arrow with our swords. But we can protect you from the foolishness you've caused this way, Rhaegar, by ensuring you remain safe. This is the only way I can see Lady Lyanna trusting us.
"And right now, some distance from you would do me good, Rhaegar. I named you my king because I thought you different than your father. I do not want to trade guarding one rapist for guarding another. If I have to betray any of my vows, let it be those of the Kingsguard before those of the knight."
Rhaegar looked stricken at his best friend Arthur's words. Oswell had no sympathy for his prince as he followed with his own statement after Arthur had delivered his first.
"My king Aerys II Targaryen commands me to see Lady Lyanna returned to King's Landing unharmed and unspoiled. The direct order of my king trumps the direct order of my prince. What I am doing right now, Rhaegar, is saving you outside of my direct orders."
"Did you not accept me as your king, Oswell, when you helped me organize the Tourney at Harrenhal?"
Rhaegar asked in return as his eyes were boring into Oswell. But Rhaegar would get no reprieve from Oswell. The Kingsguard's answer that followed only left Rhaegar brooding and melancholic, just like so often.
"Rhaegar, I pledged to follow you as my king after you had ascended to the Iron Throne. After the Great Council you planned on calling at the Tourney of Harrenhal. The tourney I helped you arrange for that express purpose myself, even at the risk of severely insulting my sister-in-law Shella.
"Tell me, my prince, how did that work out? No council was called. Instead you alienated the North and Dorne in one move, your father spurned the lions and now I am banned from my ancestral land on threat of death by my sister-in-law. So, I continue following the king as I have; and you are not that king yet."
And finally, the fool was silent. Defeated as well, probably, but Oswell did not look up to check on Rhaegar once since Oswell had knelt down. Lyanna's voice finally released Oswell and his brother Arthur from their crouch.
"Ser Oswell, Ser Dayne. I agree to your proposals. Say your vows and I will lower my bow and release you once I am home with my family."
Ser Arthur answered in unison with Oswell.
"Lady Lyanna Stark, I, Oswell Whent/Arthur Dayne will shield your back and keep your counsel and give my life for yours, if need be. I swear it by the old gods and the new."
"And I vow that you shall always have a place by my hearth and meat and mead at my table, and I pledge to ask no service of you that might bring you into dishonor. I swear it by the old gods and the new. Arise."
Lyanna replied to the two Kingsguard without missing a beat.
The two Kingsguards rose and Lyanna did as she promised. As Oswell's eyes fell on the prince Oswell saw that Rhaegar looked only disappointed and defeated, not angry. Never angry. Just like he always had when things did not go his way. On the other hand, Lyanna still radiated in cold fury, more threatening and more righteous in it than any stag Oswell had ever seen.
"You are lucky, prince, that in contrast to you I love my family. More than I yearn for freedom, more than I dread the fate of being Robert's bride. More than I hate you. But you will never understand that. The part of me that does not hate you pities you for that."
Lyanna rode past the melancholic prince. Behind Rhaegar the diminutive girl stopped shortly, but only to spit at his horse's feet in contempt before spurring on her own horse again. Oswell and Arthur mounted their horses quickly and rode after Lyanna Stark, their prince following suit behind them.
The four of them soon rode due north, setting their course for the Roseroad close by Fawnton. It had been seven days after Rickard's trial when the letter from Gerold had reached them. Neither the prince nor Arthur knew that the letter had come from the White Bull but Oswell had deflected all questions regarding the sender.
Rhaegar still had tried asking a few times. Sometimes Rhaegar just acted as if the norms of conversation did not apply to him. As if privacy was not sacred before royalty.
Oswell still remembered Rhaegar constantly asking why Oswell was more afraid of Shella than his Oswell's own brother, seeing only that Walter was the Lord of Harrenhal. Rhaegar had not been able to perceive that Walter was not the man in charge of Harrenhal.
Growing up with a suppressed mother and not caring about his wife had given the prince a skewed perspective of the power women sometimes held. Power they held even if they were unfit for it, Oswell had to concede, but they held it none the less. Oswell himself could not fathom why a woman cared for power. It did not fit their nature.
Well, Oswell also could not always fathom why Shella had to be such a massive bitch, but such was life.
When they reached the Roseroad after nine days of riding they found an escort waiting for them on the edge of the Kingswood, just as Gerold had written. They were all surprised to see said escort was Connington, except Lyanna. The Stark had been as emotional as a block of ice their whole way back and did not even deign to answer the prince whenever he tried to approach.
Before the Lord of Griffin's Roost joined them Lyanna had at least talked with Arthur and Oswell a little, even if the subject was either knighthood, their travels or Arthur's sister. Gods know what that was about.
Jon changed the dynamic of their troupe for the worse, though, and Oswell was glad the obnoxious Stormlord would part ways with them at the Kingsroad. Having his favorite sycophant around helped Rhaegar regain his usual air of aloofness and superiority but the image of the perfect prince was now forever tarnished even in Arthur's eyes. Maybe the Dornishman's loyalty could be shifted now, a worthy matter to ponder on with Gerold.
The retelling of Rickard's visit to King's Landing had been in parts terrifying and hilarious. Jon seemed convinced the man was a brute straight-forward idiot. Oswell was silently of the opinion that in the Griffin Lord's opinion the straight part of that description was the saddest part of that appellation. Anyways, trusting in Gerold's letter painted the picture of a man that was terrifyingly competent instead. The Lord of Griffin's Roost was not unused to court, tricking him displayed a proficiency in court mummery a Northerner should not possess.
Connington also managed to thoroughly alienate himself from Lyanna Stark within seconds. With a greeting like his that was no big surprise.
"So, that is the wolf bitch that has tried to seduce you since Harrenhal, my prince?"
Really? Just because Connington didn't swing that way makes all women wanton harlots? Smooth.
Still, not even Rhaegar's abysmal choice of friends disappointed Lyanna Stark as much as the prince's utter lack of reaction to the fate of his daughter Rhaenys. When Lyanna told Oswell and Arthur how her own brother Eddard had been fostered away from home for ten years they had come to understand her visceral reaction to the prince's lack of the same. The woman had read the prince exactly right. Rhaegar was incapable of love. It was a sad thing to realize.
They were well rid of the prancing Stormlord five days later at the crossing of the Roseroad and the Kingsroad. The new addition to the party that was waiting for them there, though, was a surprise for all of them. This time, however, it had been a positive surprise for the Northern lady.
"Edwyle," she screamed as she dismounted and ran into the man's arms. The man wore the white and grey livery of the Starks. Oswell had not expected ever to see it, but Lyanna Stark started crying. Not just silent tears that ran from stoic eyes. No, Lyanna was bawling her eyes out, crumbled in the embrace of a rough Northerner.
When she had calmed again Lyanna introduced the whole party to Edwyle Snow, the captain of her father's personal guard. The man looked ready to murder the Lord of Griffin's Roost who looked on the smiling and crying lady in Edwyle's arms with disdain. Connington was only lucky that Lady Lyanna's comfort was obviously more important to Edwyle Snow than ending the Stormlord's life. The prince seemed only slightly less high on the shit list of the hardened guard, though Oswell was quite sure that would soon change.
Connington tried to say his goodbyes with a flamboyant fashion, as if he were addressing the royal court still and not just five people of whom four could not stand him. However, the man was finally gone so all was good. Lyanna and Captain Snow rode a little apart from Oswell, Arthur and Rhaegar for the last three days until they reached King's Landing.
Upon entering the city, they were all quickly allowed into the Red Keep. They had made it in time, Rhaegar would not be disinherited. Court was in session when they entered the throne room, but luckily there was no stench of burned flesh in the air. Yet.
Oswell was glad to see that the three Wisdoms that always stood at the feet of the king were truly dead. Their replacement seemed to be not as old and mostly trembling in fear of the king. Aerys himself was cackling his shrill laugh as Oswell's party came before him.
Gerold and Barristan were guarding the king. Oswell shared a brief nod with both of them, locking eyes with his mentor before reaching the start of the throne's dais and kneeling with his companions. Edwyle Snow chose not to stand with them, the Northman instead joined the wider court. After leaving Arthur, Rhaegar, Lyanna and him on their knees for ten seconds longer than usual, Aerys finally talked.
"Girl. Stand."
Lyanna did as told and Aerys continued talking after looking at her for a second.
"We don't know what our foolish son thought running off you, scrawny little thing. Rhaella whispers to us you ran away from your betrothed, our beloved cousin Robert. My Warden of the North and my hand tell us you have been kidnapped and our son violated you. Tell us, Lady Lyanna, did our son kidnap you? Did our son rape you? Or did you just run into his arms like a wanton whore?"
For a second the Northern lady remained quiet. Oswell saw her eye the crowd, as if daunted to speak of her ordeal before the whole court. Oswell also saw Lyanna lock eyes with Captain Snow who gave an almost imperceptible nod. Oswell had a very bad premonition at that. One that proved true as Lady Lyanna Stark answered King Aerys II Targaryen.
"No, your majesty, I was not kidnapped. Your son lured me away from my guards with false promises, lies and mummery. Ser Oswell saved me from being raped by him. I stand before you unspoiled not because of the virtue of your son but because of the honor of your Kingsguards Ser Arthur and Ser Oswell."
That was obviously a prepared line, but already the court was whispering. And Lyanna Stark's words were no lies. Aerys looked at Arthur and Oswell, motioning for them to rise, schadenfreude spilling out of his eyes and smile.
"Tell us, Ser Oswell, Ser Arthur, does Lady Lyanna speak the truth? Did you prevent her from being raped at the hands of Prince Rhaegar? We command you to answer us before the whole court."
Prince Rhaegar. Not Crown Prince Rhaegar. Oswell glanced at Arthur who had noticed the same detail. Most telling was that Rhaegar was still forced to kneel in humiliation. Arthur looked like he did not care about that. The Sword of the Morning would answer truthfully and completely. Oswell would have to as well. Fuck.
Just like when they had sworn themselves to shield Lyanna, Oswell and Arthur spoke in unison. The last time they did it to protect the realm. Their words now would kindle the flames threatening to swallow the realm whole. Arthur's voice was pure steel, Oswell's resigned.
"Yes, your grace, Lady Lyanna speaks the truth."
Around them the court's whispers turned into shouts and the lords and ladies erupted into chaos.
It had all spectacularly gone to shit.
Woooo, update! I told you it would slow down, but even I did not expect it to be this slow.
And finally, the big reveal on Rhaegar and Lyanna.
Now before you all go and bash me because the prince is not a dreamy boyband-type dude and they aren't star-crossed lovers, remember.
There was no force used in this scenario. Neither would it have if Gerold had not sent a letter.
Still, in my opinion, locking Lyanna in at the Tower of Joy without medical supervision is both forceful and grossly negligent.
So as a consequence here you have a mad king and a mad/detached prince. If you are rooting for the Targs, all aboard the Rhaella and Elia train.
No promises on when the next chapter comes up.