Chapter 2: Questions & Answers

Ten days passed quickly. Ailith recovered well from her days in bed and the first days of Autumn had just arrived. Castle Winterfell had been prepared for the coming of the Queen of the Reach with her sons and daughter. Ailith had pained her brains thinking why they would visit, but gave up after she walked around with a severe headache for a day. She had avoided Gunnora as much as she could and spend most of the time reading in the Godswood. Right now, there was no escaping. Ailith sat on her chair in the throne room. Her King father and Queen Gunnora sat in the middle. Benjen and Eddard sat by her fathers side, while Harlan and Ailith sat beside Gunnora. Thorne stood where he was aught to stand, halfway the throne room behind a pillar. The throne room was decorated with the banners of the houses sworn to the Northern Kingdom, like the fist of Glover, or the armed merman of Manderly or the flaming silver sun of Karstark – her mothers house. But most of all the Stark Sigil. Ailith was proud of her sigil, even though she had never seen a direwolf in real life, only the ones before the tombs. Yet, now was not the time to think of tombs and direwolves. Ailith was reminded of that when the horns began to blow: the guests had arrived. The soldiers, household and important people in the throne room stretched their backs and waited for the Queen, princes and princess of the Reach to enter. Ailith looked to her right. Her father might have been a silent and to some even bitter man, but she could read all the emotions right of his face.
'Queen Amelia, Lady of Highgarden -' was all that Ailith heard, than the noise overwhelmed the voice who announced all the guests. A wave movement was visible through the throne room, for people bend and rose when the Queen and her children passed. Queen Amelia walked over the stone floor, her heels clicking as a rhythm. Her chin was lifted high and her long golden hair waved on her back. She was a typical pride Lannister. She was the niece of King Terry and would let everyone know that she was also a Lannister. Her children walked behind her, from old to young. Rowan, fully in armor, with his sign the golden rose on a green field on his chest. His golden locks and fierce brown eyes made him look like a conqueror. His cheeks showed stubbles, but they were barely visible because the hairs were blond. He had the blond hair of his mother, but the strong jaw, muscular body and fierce eyes of his father, Alexander IV. After him came Wardell, only two years younger than Rowan. He also had blond hair and brown eyes, but he had the soft jaw line of his mother. Alec, twenty-one , came after him. He had the brown hair of his father and the green eyes of his mother. Just as Ailith he had always loved reading. Standis, nineteen, came after Alec. He looked a lot like Wardell, only younger. Alyna, fifteen, came last. She looked so much like Rowan, only female and a lot younger. Ailith had to swallow the tears when she saw little Alyna, although she had the mean character of her mother and Ailith had never liked her. Ailith realized that Amelia was also a mother with feelings, how would she feel if Alyna died of the White Fever? But there was no time to think of that. The Queen and her children of the Reach had reached the throne and King Benjen rose to his feet, his second wife and children followed him. Queen Amelia was the first one to bend, but only lightly, her children following her. After that, King Benjan, his wife and his children bend lightly to the Tyrell's. Ailith bend like her grandmother had taught her, the way women used to bend when they were still allowed to wield a sword. You know the way men bend, straight forward, with their right arm in front of them? Her grandmother would say. Women used to bend a lot like that. You bend your head lightly and lower through your knees, only you turn your right shoulder a bit towards the one who stands across you. Her mother had bend like that as well, and Ailith had decided that her daughters would bend like that too. Whether her lord husband – who ever he might be – would agree on it, or not.
'Welcome, my Queen,' King Benjen said solemnly, 'My castle is yours for as long as you are with us.'
'Thank you, my King,' Queen Amelia replied respectfully, even though everyone in the room knew she hated the cold North, 'I beg forgive me, Your Grace, for I did not know of your terrible loss but a few days ago.'
'You could not have known,' King Benjen answered calm, 'You and your children are most welcome nonetheless. For how long will you delight us with your presence?'
'Eight days, Your Grace, than I fear we must return again,' Queen Amelia replied. Ailith noticed that she and Rowan had been looking at each other for quiet a while now, quickly she turned her head and looked at her father. Eight days was a very short visit, even more for such a distant.
'Only so shortly?' Gunnora said, frowning her head in disappointment. She had always been a friend of Amelia.
'I fear so, Your Grace,' Amelia said, faking a sigh.
'Stanley, escort the Queen to her room, so she can refresh herself. After that we shall dine together,' King Benjen said. He never liked it when those formalities endured an eternity.
'Thank you, Your Grace,' Queen Amelia said with a small nod and followed the servant Stanley.

'Old Nan,' Ailith could not resist herself but to ask the old woman something while she was braiding her hair. Old Nan had been living with them for years and years, she even saw Ailiths father as a babe.
'Yes, child,' the old woman replied calm.
'Why is the Queen here do you think?' Old Nan gently pushed Ailiths head forward so she could braid on easily.
'I don't know, child. A Queen's business, is a Queen business, and not one of mine. Its not mine to interfere with.'
'I guess so,' Ailith murmured, not satisfied with the answer. But she knew better than to question Old Nan on and on. Instead she stroke her blue gown, it was so light blue it almost looked grey. She loved the dress. It had wide butterfly sleeves and small flowers a decoration on the edges.

After the two families had dinned together, King Benjen lead them to the Small Hall. Whereas the Great Hall was for dining, the Small Hall was used for personal visit and talks. Formal meetings were held in the Council Hall, also called 'Hall' because of the large size of the room. The King and Queens took the highest seats opposite of each other. The children took their lower places. No-one spoke. It was clear that Queen Amelia had come to Winterfell with a special purpose. She had brought very rare and special gifts and she only stayed for a few days.
'Now,' King Benjen said after he had a sip of his wine, 'may I ask you what brings you here, Your Grace?'
'I would rather discuss this with you in private,' she said, 'but since it involves one of your children, I will tell my reason of visit and then we will discuss it in private. If it pleases you.'
'Alright,' King Benjen said, putting his wine on the table. He was both worried as curious. His children, especially the two oldest, were notorious for all their pranks.
'I am here, on behalf of my husband, King Alexander the fourth of his name, and the people of the Reach, to ask the hand of your daughter, for her to marry my oldest son, Prince Rowan and one day become Queen of the Reach,' she said. For a moment Ailith forgot all her courtesies and her mouth fell open as she gasped at Queen Amelia. She has got to be kidding me, was the only thing she could think.
'Children, leave us,' Queen Amelia said, after a short moment. Rowan, Wardell, Alec, Standis and Alyna stood up.
'Children,' King Benjen said, still a bit amazed. Immediately Benjan, Eddard, Harlan and Ailith stood up and led their guests out. When they closed the door behind them, Thorne immediately ran up to them. Ailith was in no mood to talk and just sat down on the bench on the opposite of the door. Eddard immediately told Thorne what Queen Amelia had said.
'You don't look so well, my lady,' one of the soldiers who guarded the doors said, but Ailith raised her hand as a sign that she was fine.
'This is great!' Thorne said and lifted Ailith by her arm, 'My little sister, Queen of the Reach.'
'Who ever thought that, we'll have a Queen as sister,' Eddard laughed.
'Well, you better know what you're doing,' Benjan sighed as a warning to Rowan.
'I think I do,' Rowan said smiling.
'Trust me,' Harlan said, laying his hands on Rowan's shoulder, they were almost as tall. Which mend that Ailith reached to their shoulders. 'You have no idea what she is like.'
'Can I talk to you for a moment,' Ailith said, suddenly awaking. Her hands had changed into fists and she was clinching her teeth to each other.
'Of course,' Rowan said and followed her. Ailith her some giggles behind her, but ignored them. When they turned around the corner, she took Rowan by the hand and pulled him along. Down two stairs and through three doors, until they ended in a small empty room. Suddenly she turned around and slapped Rowan in the face.

'How dare you!' she yelled. Rowan looked surprised and raised his hand to his burning cheek. Ailith walked beside him, closed the door and walked towards him again.
'I'm sorry if-'
'No, you're not sorry! You planned it all, didn't you?' she yelled.
'Excuse me?' Rowan said, raising his eyebrows.
'The finding, the bed, everything!'
'Why yes, I knew you would be in that godswood crying your heart out so I thought: let's misuse that, so I can fall asleep in her bed and almost have my mother slit my throat! You know me better, Ailith!' he yelled back. Ailith now realized what she had said. She took a deep breath, raised her hand to her hair and look to the wall.
'I'm sorry,' she said and saw Rowan calm down, 'it's just-'
'-unexpected, I know,' he said, nodding.
'Why didn't you tell me?' she asked.
'Because I was not supposed to be there, in the first place,' he said with a small smile, 'My mother was furious when she found out that I had left the camp that night. And now she at least saw your reaction, so she thinks that we were not together that night.'
'She thinks you were with another woman, doesn't she?' Ailith said after a moment, pinching her eyes.
'Probably,' Rowan said shrugging.
'Have you?' she asked, he looked at her with an unknowing look on his face, 'Been with another woman before.'
'Yes,' he said. Of course he had, there was almost no shame in it, nowadays. Ailith hated it.
'If we are to marry, and that's still a big 'if', I won't have you sleeping around with other woman,' she told him, 'Not before our marriage and most certainly not in our marriage.'
'Alright,' he said.
'Look at me, Rowan, I mean it,' she said, stepping closer to force him to look in her eyes, 'I will not allow any other woman in our bed. I will not share my husband, I will share my lord King, but never my lord husband… That of course is, if we get married.'
'I promise,' he said, and added with a little smile, 'That is, 'if' we get married.'
'Gods,' Ailith sighed and stepped back as she sighed, 'why me? Why, of all women, me? Why not a Lannister Princes, or-'
'Lannister women, are much like my mother: beautiful, yes, but mean and dumb,' Rowan said as he walked towards her. Ailith smiled, she had never liked Queen Amelia either. Slowly Ailith backed off a bit too, but she quickly reached the wall.
'And any other girl or woman,' Rowan said slow, as he came even closer to Ailith, placing his hand on the wall, 'was just not good enough. I guess, that's the answer.'
'I guess,' she whispered and looked in his eyes. Gently he stroked her face with his index and middle finger, giving her chills all over.
'You know,' he whispered, they were now so close they both had their eyes shut as their noses touched each other, 'I always liked you.'
'I thought you were fine,' Ailith said and she could almost feel him smile. Then gently Rowan leaned just a bit forward and touched her lips with his. He laid his hand against her cheek and kissed her. Suddenly Ailith turned her head away. Rowan frowned and looked at her. Ailith looked to the floor and had her shoulder pulled up a bit
'I- I'm sorry, it's just, I- this-'
'I'm sorry, I thought we had something,' Rowan sighed and wanted to step back, but Ailith immediately reached forward and grabbed his deep green tunic.
'No, I mean yes, we have something. It's just, the first time I kissed someone I was ten. The last time I kissed someone I was twelve. Both times, it was you,' only with the last three words she looked at him. Rowan stepped closer again, laying his hands on her waist. He could feel the small tingle it gave her. He knew she had vowed to stay pure until her marriage, but he realized now that she had succeeded and she had only been kissed by him. Ailith moved her hands from his chest to his neck as he kissed her. This time, she kissed him back.

I know its not possible for Old Nan to be alive already, but I thought; lets do something wicked….
I thought, lets put some loooove in it already (:
Please let me know what you think of it