A/N: It was cool and a little frightening to see if my story would do well on the FF. But I'm happy with the result and will keep going. Two quick things, I got a review the first day that asked why a Stark girl. It was a fair question and so to be honest I like strong female leads. In Westeros, most of the females are cunning and manipulative. Most but not all. Second, I am working off of a keyboard that has no space bar, so if I'm a little slow on posting these I do apologize. My first goal will be to post a chapter once a week, if I can do more I'll feel great. So with that said enjoy.
Chapter 2
Get back as soon as possible. The King is coming. Lyanna read the small note again for the 6th time hoping that somehow more information would suddenly appear on the parcel. Lord Forrester had welcomed her into his home and thanked her for the gift. Luckily Maester Ortengryn waited until after dinner to deliver her father's note. It was several weeks old by the time she got it. It would take another week to get from Ironrath to Winterfell, which is why she was leaving in the morning.
A soft bark brought her out of her musings and she looked down at Shadow. Three weeks ago she could hold Shadow in her arms with ease, now she had grown to almost up to her knees. She smiled down at the direwolf and scratched her head.
"I guess it's time for us to go home huh?" Shadow just tilled her head to the side. Lyanna just chuckled softly and left to make sure Little Warrior had enough grass and straw for the night. She had a long week ahead of her of hard riding, Gods save her if she was late, then she would never hear the end of it from her mother.
Lyanna sighed in quiet contentment while she leaned back against Little Warrior and Shadow curled up against her side. It was a rare clear night sky with all the stars above shining down, a warm fire, and good meat. If she could choose how to spend her life, this was close to perfection for her. Her father and mother expected her to marry soon. It would be her duty to bear little Lords and Ladies into the world.
"Screw that." Lyanna said aloud by mistake causing Shadow to lift up her head. "My duty to lie on my back and give a man everything he wants. To serve and submit and give up everything I am and have. HA!" She exclaimed to no one in particular, throwing a piece of bark into the fire. To be honest she had found no one, man or woman, who she would willingly want to start a life with. Eventually she would want a family, she was sure of it. But first she would go out into the world and see what it had to offer. No Kingsguard or Night's Watch for her, not that they would take her. Maybe she could go and visit Dorne, apparently it was nice.
"Hello at the camp, might we share it with you?" A voice called out in the night. Lyanna pulled a dagger out and searched for the voice. She was so lost in thought that she forgot to pay attention. That was careless of her, she was a Stark, but some people would not be dissuaded by a name only by force. Her camp was only a few yards from the main road, regularly traveled, what it lost in privacy it made up for in safety of Stark loyalist travelling along it. She heard the horses before she saw them. Difficult to make out in the dark, but slowly a sigil made itself known. A golden…lion, her shoulders slumped in realization.
"Lannister, lovely." Lyanna muttered under her breath "Yea, I have enough food to share, but you'll have to bring your own wine." She called out to the riders.
"Oh, I wouldn't worry about the wine, my dear Lady. It's the company I want most of all, being stuck on the road with these two always necessitates a lot of wine." A voice said back as he got off his horse and stepped into the firelight. Tyrion Lannister was not an unhandsome man. If not for an unfortunate birth defect he would be the envy of most of the world. He had the right last name and the charisma to match. Lyanna looked behind him at the two Lannister guards that escorted him. She didn't recognize either of them, but then again how was she supposed to remember every person with the last name Lannister.
"Lord Tyrion, what an unexpected surprise. I would have expected you to be in Winterfell or any other place then the side of the road. Surely Lord Tywin hasn't cut you off from Casterly Rock and you're not taking the Black, are you? Mock surprise and concern on Lyanna face.
"Lady Lyanna Stark, you're a long way from home." Tyrion said in surprise, "Surely you could point us in the right direction to Winterfell. I had hoped to beat my sister there so I could sample the North as only I could. Don't worry I'm preventing a greater evil by never taking the Black. Think of the whores who would rebel and riot."
Lyanna laughed. "Then 7 blessings on you Lord Tyrion for saving us from such a calamity. And you do know your only half a day's ride from Winterfell, right?" She asked him with a smile.
Tyrion could not have stopped his mouth from dropping even if he wanted to. "You mean to say that I could have slept in a warm bed with a woman on each side. Hear that Torren, your 'shortcut' through the North was only slightly wrong. My sister the Queen may only slightly take your head off if we don't get there before her." He said as he sat down next to the fire and warmed up. Lyanna handed him and his two guardsmen some dried meat and bread that Lady Forrester had kindly given her.
"Interesting traveling companions you keep Lady Lyanna." Tyrion said as he looked at Little Warrior and Shadow.
"Yea, they keep me as much as I keep them," She leaned back against Little Warrior "here is a few months, Shadow here will be as big as Little Warrior. I'll have to see if I can get a matching saddle." Lyanna said with a smile.
"Oh dear, whatever will the Ladies of court think when they see you riding a direwolf through Kings Landing. They will never be able to leave their plush rooms." Tyrion only wished that day would come as soon as possible. Maybe the direwolf would make the Hound relax if he wasn't the only canine in the Red Keep.
Lyanna looked at him quizzically. She had never made any plans to travel that far south. It would be nice to see it once before she died, but something she would not regret if it never happened. When she had first understood that King Robert was her father's friend, she had thought that he meant to arrange her and Prince Joffery. Luckily Sansa appeared to be more likely a choice as she could actually recount dreams of bringing Princes and Princesses into the world. Lyanna shuddered at that thought.
"Since it will probably never happen, I don't think they have too much to worry about. My father and my brother will need me around here for a long time. In the next couple of months I'll be heading back to Ironrath to learn about ironwood and then I have volunteered to take supplies to Castle Black." She explained to him. She didn't know where the idea had popped into his head.
Now it was Tyrion turn to be confused. How had she not heard, the whole 7 Kingdoms knew exactly what King Robert wanted to ask her father. Eddard Stark would refuse outright with his honor, but Robert would not relent. Tyrion could only hope Lord Stark took the appointment, it would annoy Cersei to no end.
"My dear Lady, how long have you been away from Winterfell?" Tyrion asked.
"A few weeks, Winterfell can feel a little cramped after awhile. I only heard that King Robert was heading to Winterfell and I was to make a hasty return." Lyanna responded honestly. Could Tyrion know something that she did not about the whole incident? She leaned forward in hopes that he would elaborate on it.
"Jon Arryn, the Hand of the King, pasted away several weeks ago. It is a very likely possibility that the King intends to ask your father to take over as Hand of the King. Of course, should he choose too, I assumed he would leave Winterfell in your brother Robb's care as the new Lord of Winterfell and Warden of the North? I will say that should your father choose to come to Kings Landing, it will be made brighter by your presence." He told her while getting comfortable with a few more sips of his wine.
Lyanna looked into the fire and thought about what he had just told her. Could her life be taking a turn towards the more 'civilized' life? With all of the Lords and Ladies of Court, not to mention all the Knights of Summer, and the beggars, thieves, cutthroats, and the whores, of course. From the stories that merchants brought with them on their travels, Kings Landing was a fine place to visit, but only the bravest lived there. She was more partial to the 'wild' life, thank you very much.
"Sigh, I guess if father decides to move us and wishes for me to come with him, I will follow. But, I imagine before too long that he will send me back north. If only to allow the Ladies of Court to exit their room's without Shadow bounding after them." She replied with a smile. "I am tired Lord Tyrion, I think I will turn in. You are welcome to join me on my ride to Winterfell in the morning. I am sure my mother still wants something from me before the King and Queen arrive."
"Nothing would please me more than your continued company, my Lady Lyanna. Don't worry, these two are excellent at keeping a watch out." Tyrion said while he laid down a small pillow from his pack and laid down.
"I wouldn't worry about that, these two would hear anything before your guards ever will." Lyanna smirked and scratch both Little Warrior and Shadow on the head before closing her eyes and slowly drifted off to sleep.
