Chapter 12: Roars & Howls

'My Queen, my King, you have to see this,' maester Cestron burst into the room. Rowan and Ailith both sat on the carpet on the floor, letting Tristan crawl from one to the other. Both stood up and Rowan handed Tristan to Ailith. The little boy had grown a lot the past few weeks. Even though Rowan had been sad about his mothers death, everything turned back to normal within a week. Yet, that was about to change, judging by the face of the old maester. Rowan read it, looked at Ailith and read it again.
'What does it say?' she asked and handed Tristan to Saya. Rowan swallowed and looked at his wife.
'Here by I, King Terry, First of my Name, of the House Lannister, declare war with the North and every Stark, for killing my niece: Princess Amelia-'
'What!' Ailith said amazed.
'I will revenge my niece and punish the one who murdered her-' Rowan stopped and looked at Ailith, 'Queen Ailith, daughter of the North, Queen of the Reach.'
'He did not,' Ailith gasped.
'My Queen,' the old maester said and got to one knee, 'you will always be my Queen, and innocent. You did not kill the princess.'
'I agree,' a soldier said and also got to his knee.
'As do I,' Inger said and got to one knee.
'And I,' Saya said, kneeling with Tristan in her hands.
'And so do I,' Rowan said, 'but how do we explain this to …well, everyone else.'
'I was not even near her! I was with you the entire night!'
'I know, I know,' Rowan said and laid his hands on her shoulders, 'but you can't expect others just to believe that.'
'They have to! I won't lie about such a thing.'
'The Lion only believes what he wished, my Queen,' the old maester said as he stood up.
'If this is how the Lion roars,' Ailith spat, 'he better prepares to hear the Howl or the North.'
'I don't want a war, Ailith,' Rowan told her.
'If he attacks my family-'
'I will first try to prevent that.'
'My dear, King Terry expects you to take his side,' Ailith said stroking his cheek, 'His niece was your mother.'
'I know,' he sighed, 'and that fact does not makes this any easier.'
'What are your orders, your Grace?' the old maester asked.
'Call the counsel, my officers and send a raven to King Terry telling him that it is not possible Ailith killed my mother,' he turned to the old maester, 'Use some nice words and all.'
'As you wish,' maester Cestron smiled.

Rowan looked around the throne room. He softly stroked his small beard as he was lost in thought. Ailith sat beside him, trying to stay calm. The room was filled with advisors, officers, councilors and high lords. After the first raven a second had followed. King Terry had declared war to the North and asked King Rowan to join him in battle. Even more, her demanded Rowan to hand out Ailith. The raven had come two days ago and hardly a word had been said.
'My King, I see no other option,' the Bear said, he was the general of the Reach's army. A gigantic bald man with a graying brown beard. Ailith had a deep respect for him, mostly because he had such a kind and just heart.
'We must join King Benjen,' he continued, 'We cannot do nothing.'
'But King Terry is family,' an 'advisor' objected.
'True, but he accused our Queen, while she has no blood on her hands,' he explained, 'Besides, King Benjen is the father of our Queen, while King Terry – with all due respect – is the uncle of our late Queen.'
'So you say war,' Rowan said looking at the Bear.
'I fear I am,' he nodded.
'Do you have a better idea?' Rowan asked the advisor.
'I fear not, your Grace,' he sighed. Rowan massaged his forehead and through long and deep. Ailith could feel her hands shake.
'What do you think?' he asked as he looked at her.
'I fear I agree with our general,' she said, looking at the Bear. He gave a small yet thankful nod. Rowan looked around the room. There were hardly any options to choose from. Ailith had already volunteered to go to King Terry and to talk to him, but that was not an option. All knew that was a suicide action.
'Then we shall ride to the North, to support King Benjen in six days,' Rowan announced, no-one objected, 'Send a raven.'

That night Rowan woke up from his crying son. Immediately he noticed how cold the bed was. Still, he did not stand up. He was waiting for Ailith to sigh loud, stand up, walk to their son and hush him while she held him in her arms. But there were no whispering soft calming words. Tristans cries filled the night. When rowan sat up in bed with a sigh and took Tristan in his arms, Inger walked in the room to take care of the young prince, but saw her King already had it.
'Where's the Queen?' Rowan asked as he patted his son on his back. Inger raised her shoulders.
'I don't know, your Grace,' she said with her small voice, 'The last time I saw her, she went to pray in the godswood.'
'Alone?' Rowans heartbeat fastened.
'My King,' before Inger could answer, a knight burst into the room, 'the Queen has been kidnapped.'
'What!' he yelled and handed his son to Inger.
'The maid Amai just came back,' the knight swallowed, 'She is severely injured, my liege.'
'Take me to her,' the knight turned around and lead Rowan to Amai. Maester Cestron stood beside her and shook his head. Amai laid on a simple bed, the small room was lid by two candles. She had been stabbed multiple times and had difficulties breathing.
'I'm sorry,' she said in pain, when she saw her King.
'Where is the Queen, Amai?' Rowan asked as he knelt beside her and took her hand.
'Sellswords, Lannister knight,' Amai coughed blood, 'I tried- I tried to stop them.'
'Are you sure it was a Lannister?'
'Crimson cloak, gold – lion,' Amai coughed louder this time.
'Where did they take her?' Rowan asked. Amai coughed some more and tried to breath, but failed. She died, holding her Kings hand.

Together with some hair, the smelly bag pulled from her head. The dark night sky almost seemed bright to her eyes. Lid by moon and stars, the forest looked almost friendly. The grim faces of the men near her, did not. Ailith was bound to a tree, a few feet away from the grim faces around a fire. She counted eight of them, none of them seemed familiar. When Ailith turned her face, she only saw horses and more trees. She had hoped on something – someone, yet there was nothing. On-one to save her. it must be near morning, for they had been riding for hours and hours. It had still been day when they had come for her. Ailith had been praying in the godswood when all of the sudden Amai had started yelling. Four men stood before Amai, yet she stood her ground. Even when other men had already bound Ailiths hands, Amai tried to fight the men off with her bare hands. The last thing Ailith had seen was two men stabbing Amai with their swords. Yet when the horse was Ailith was placed on started running, she could still hear Amaishoud. The poor girl, Ailith prayed to the gods she would be rewarded in the afterlife.
As a chill went down her sine, Ailith heard the men laugh. One dressed in Lannister clothes laughed the loudest. Ailith looked at him and felt a fire burn inside her. she vowed she would not die by any Lannister. She would not grand the Lion that satisfaction. She was from the House of Stark, the blood of the First Men flowed through her veins. She would not be destroyed by an arrogant Lion, not as long as the sun shone by day and the moon lid the nights. Hear me roar were the Lannister words. You better prepare, Lion, Ailith vowed, for you shall hear me howl.

They did not travel in the sunlight, only in the dark of the night. Ailiths head was always covered by the musty old bag. She saw no-one and apparently no one saw them. Ailith had no idea how it was possible that not one soul saw them. She had tried to yell, tried to scream – but she only received smacks in her face for that. She barely got any food and the men scarcely talked to her. Ailith had no idea where she was, the entire time. The only thing she could do, was count time.

At the end of the fifth night, Ailiths bag was removed from her head as she stood inside a stone room. She could hear there were much more men in the room, and when she could see again she knew she was right. She had to blink for the bright daylight. When her eyes had gotten used to the bright light, Ailith swallowed not to show her emotions.
'Welcome, Queen,' King Terry said. His short golden hair flew over in his golden beard.
'Is this how you welcome guests?' Ailith spat, 'Hands bound on their backs, transported like a hostage?'
'Tut-tut-tut,' the aging King said, he stretched his finger and almost touched her nose.
'You cannot do this,' Ailith hissed, 'your Grace.'
'I can,' he smiled and turned around.
'We are related by my husband, your Grace!' yelled after him, 'I thought Lannisters were always true to their family!'
'Family?' the King turned around, his eyes flaming with rage, 'and what would you, a Wolf, know about those
things?'
'Direwolves live in a pact, with their family,' Ailith said narrowing her eyes, 'Unlike the lion, who sometimes even kills his own family!'
'Listen,' King Terry grabbed Ailiths chin and lifted it up, she almost had to stand on her toes, 'you do not offend me in my own castle, Wolf Queen. You will know what happens to enemies of the Westerlands!'
'Your niece had at least the dignity to threaten me with just herself as my enemy,' Ailith said, and immediately learned she had gone to far. King Terry released her chin, only to hit her cheek. Ailiths head rang from the blow and tasted blood in her mouth, but she turned her head and faced her.
'A curious way or roaring, Lion,' she said. Now King Terry laughed out loud.
'Lock her,' he said, 'tell none she's here.'

It took some time, but here it is !

Please let me know what thou thoughts are about it :3