The Rogue Stag
A/n- Enjoy, my lovelies...
Chapter 3- Winterfell...
"Robert, I wish to ride Nelia! Feel the wind in my hair and taste it on my lips... I plead you, I wish not to sit with Cercei and her dreadfully dull handmaidens" Aliviah complained and clung to Robert's arm as he sighed and shook his head in tiredness and frustration.
After the fight they had a moon ago; Robert treated her like a princess. What she asked, he gave but that didn't mean that Aliviah forgot what happened. Blood is blood. She had to at least acknowledge him.
"It is expected of you to ride with the Queen, you are my sister and a lady. Whether you like it or not." Robert spoke sadly and Aliviah looked down, perfecting the look that he never before said no to, he rolled his eyes and sighed once more.
"Gods damn you to the deepest lengths of hell. So be it, I permit it..." Robert said, cracking a grin before he glanced back at her and left promptly with annoyance written on his face from falling for Aliviah's old trick.
"I am glad" Aliviah whispered in relief and broke out in a grin, squealing in a high pitch, excited way. She couldn't wait to be in Winterfell, breathing the cold, crisp air that she came to love and miss more so than ever.
"My lady!?" Rosa shouted in panic as she pushed into her chamber with concern but immediately raised an eyebrow at the awkward scene: Aliviah, laying on her bed with a pillow covering her head as she screamed into it in excitement.
"My lady, we are leaving soon" Rosa whispered and took the pillow away from Aliviah's face, slowly as if scared of pursuing her, she gave her a loving pat on the cheek and a little smile as well to pair.
"Then, let us go!" Aliviah exclaimed and pulled a concerned but at the same moment amused Rosa away from her chambers.
"Lannister... Is there a reason that you decide to bless me with your handsome presence?" Aliviah tried to keep a straight face as she spoke in a slow and slurred fashion but a few tugs on her lips finally revealed a smirk on her smooth face.
"Handsome? You think I'm handsome?" Jaime grinned at her as if he didn't hear any other word come out of Aliviah's mouth and she tried hard not to let out a pitiful chuckle at the man.
"Leave, Lannister..." Aliviah suddenly ordered him with an eye roll, she could not afford to be seen with this man. Her reputation was already impure enough; she didn't want it to get worse. Aliviah heard him scoff but not ride away as she ordered him to and with a huff she sped up Nelia and decided not to turn to look at him.
"No, I don't think I will." Jaime's voice rose as she sped up but he soon caught up with her and Aliviah heard his manly chuckle. Forcing herself not to face him she just rolled her eyes and ignored him.
For those painful minutes which felt like hours, Aliviah could feel his gaze on the back of her neck and with a final huff she turned to him and glared, speeding up her mare once more.
"You do not have a choice, Lannister. You either move or I will tell Robert about this." Aliviah's lips pulled into a teasing grin which finally got a reaction from the infuriating man who rolled his eyes but did as she ordered him with plain distaste.
As Jaime rode back to his sister's carriage, Aliviah smiled and her mind pondered upon the words not said between them. She was the only one to believe him when he told his story and was also one of the people who wanted him dead. For reasons only known to her.
Throughout their journey to Winterfell, Aliviah didn't see Jaime Lannister since that occurring.
"How much longer?" Aliviah complained again as she passed the icy bushes, trees and any other forest made plant. It dawned on her that Winterfell was a beauty in it's own beautiful way; even though it was so cold, somehow, everything breathed its own life and lived in its own harmony. Aliviah waited for his reply as she rode along with him, her aching behind now sore.
After a few minutes of not getting a reply, Aliviah took matters into her own hands and started asking; "Rob? Robert? Rob?" Aliviah's voice grew louder with each sound of his name and when he finally turned on her, Aliviah silenced herself quickly.
"Seven hells, woman, do you ever stop!? We are nearing Winterfell now, can you not see?" Robert yelled and stopped his horse to look at Aliviah with a blood red face with anger.
Aliviah paid no heed as she grinned broadly at him like a child who discovered a new cave. "Robert! Winterfell is near" Aliviah excitedly exclaimed as she sped up her mare and rode ahead of anyone else in their grand King's Landing venture.
"Aliviah!" Robert yelled as Aliviah rode a little too far away but she once again payed no heed and instead turned to face him with a wide grin on her beautiful face
"I can see it! Winterfell!" Aliviah let out a breath she was holding as her eyes turned moist and her grin showed on her face like the most obvious thing in the world. In that moment; she felt more than alive, she felt like she could fly and see the sky. Nothing could explain the excitement that either of the siblings were experiencing.
One by one they arrived through the gates of Winterfell and into the courtyard. As Joffrey and Sandor Clegane rode through the gates, it became Aliviah's turn to arrive. Aliviah immediately saw Ned with Catelyn Stark and their 5 children but not only them; she noticed everyone. Jon Snow, the bastard of Winterfell she heard so much about was in the second line and looked like a beat dog, Maester Luwin who she remembered from her days of recklessness and bravery and Theon Greyjoy who she heard was quite the uncontrollable ladies man.
As Aliviah stayed atop her mare, she heard Cercei's grand carriage creaking and couldn't help but snicker under her breath as she waited for her brother to arrive and unsaddle.
Robb was a handsome young man and it looked like he would be a strong Lord of Winterfell, Jon Snow was a quiet lad, she didn't have too much to say about the lad but she saw his eyes and knew she would have to fix this sadness she saw inside of him. Sansa was a very well spoken young lass but her naïve nature would be her downfall in King's Landing.
Next came, Arya, she was a... Well, her. She reminded Aliviah of herself when she was a child and that wasn't a good thing... Not at all. Brandon Stark was a strong boy with dreams, those dreams would be his downfall. Lastly, Rickon, a small boy whose emotions would kill- his future was a rocky one and she could not and would not interpret anything. She refused to mess with the future of the youngest boy.
Aliviah finally snapped out of her dream like state with a small deep breath in to see that her brother rose and was now heading towards Winterfell's 'royal family'.
Ned looked shocked at the sight of his old friend, now fat and red-faced. Aliviah would not blame him; she felt the exact same when she looked at her now ruined brother. Robert signaled for all to rise and looked at Ned with laughing eyes, he was not one for embarrassments.
"You've got fat." Robert stated when he stood in front of his old friend and his face showed no trace of happiness about it but just plain truthfulness which Robert was known for.
Ned looked at Aliviah's brother and shifted his eyes up and down his form with a 'look at yourself' look, before breaking out into a grin and bursting out with laughter which Aliviah could not help but share with a joint quiet chuckle of her own.
Robert turned around after the embrace they shared ended and called upon her to greet herself. "Aliviah! Hasn't he gotten fat?" Robert shouted over to her as she dismounted her horse with no help from anyone and slowly walked towards them with her lips pursed.
"Yes... Yes he has. Ned." Aliviah curtsied with a small smile on her face as her eyes stayed on her old friend and only him. Time seemed to stop because as soon as they shared their greetings everything seemed to be like they never grew up and she was that brave little girl who no lad wanted to pursue.
"Al..." Ned trailed off as Aliviah smiled and her eyes sparkled, Ned regarded her with a look as she rolled her eyes with a big grin on her face and he kissed her hand in respect. She obviously did not pay attention as Robert nudged her to proceed with her greetings when he finished with Catelyn.
"Cat" Aliviah smiled at her dear friend and embraced her with as equal passion as she did. Perhaps all of their letters helped their relations as companions grow because Aliviah felt like she could trust Catelyn with her life.
"Your youngest, Rickon Stark" Aliviah stated to Catelyn which she received a nod as a reply and the little blond/ginger boy looked up at her with young, innocent eyes and then looked down again which made Aliviah chuckle softly and kiss his head. As she kissed his head, she gave him her small blessing for extra strength for his future years.
"Robb, you are your father and your mother mixed, aren't you?..." Aliviah whispered in wonder and touched his cheek as it became his turn to be introduced. Aliviah quickly kissed his head in blessing as he sprouted some blush on his cheeks.
"Sansa, you are a lady, that's for sure." Aliviah kissed her head and stroked her fiery, fire coloured hair with affection. Sansa's blessing was for strength of mind.
"Arya... You are going to be a knight, aren't you?" Aliviah exclaimed in a whisper near Arya's ear as she grinned and curtsied with a very happy nod for an answer. Aliviah giggled under her breath and kissed her head with a blessing for patience.
"Now... I see a knight?" Aliviah asked the small boy in front of her which she knew as Brandon Stark. He nodded and smiled a little before looking down and bowing, Aliviah gave him a quick kiss on the head and a blessing for courage. Something felt wrong in that moment but Aliviah took a deep breath and instead smiled as she walked towards her mare, not paying any attention to anyone or anything.
Aliviah was soon left alone in the courtyard apart from one certain black haired boy, she whistled to herself before patting her mare's neck in affection.
"Jon Snow?" Aliviah's voice was sharp and cold as she called him over but inside, she felt warm and wanted to share the feeling with the boy. "I haven't given you my blessing yet, have I?" Aliviah beckoned him over and gestured for him to kneel as he did what she asked, Aliviah gave him a kiss on the head and a quick blessing that made her smile against his hair.
"Winter is Coming, Jon Snow." Aliviah stated and did not miss the look she received from the boy. She didn't blame him; he didn't yet understand.