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Lysa Tully II
Outskirts of King's Landing, Crownlands, Year 284 AC
"Faster Edmure or we will be late!" Lysa hissed at her brother as the two of them strode to make it to the stands. She was panting and grabbing her light blue gown so that she could walk faster, a problem her brother obviously did not have.
Edmure had slept until late because that fool Brandon Stark had tired him up on the courtyard and Lysa who stayed behind to take care of him had been so deeply worried about her Elbie, her uncle and Catelyn that she did not even notice the time going by and before she knew they were late and her brother had to get dressed quickly and it was a bloody mess.
"I'm tired Lysa!" he hissed back. "I should be resting not running!"
"But you were the one that wished to see the jousts!"
"That is true, I do want to see uncle win but I would much rather have someone carry me!"
"Of course, you would, you lazy trout!" she chided. "We are nearly there."
"Thank the Seven for that!"
The wooden structure was right in front of them and they climbed the stairs behind it. On the very top Lysa noticed a Kingsguard knight standing vigilant though she could not see who he was. They entered the lower stands, more specifically the one where the Riverlanders were. So many lords and ladies she recognized glanced at the two of them with raised eyebrows or with faint smiles and the two of them walked embarrassed to Edmure's seat which was slightly larger than the others due to his position as Lord Paramount. They nodded and greeted everyone as they did and her brother took his seat sighing and panting.
Noticing a free seat next to her brother and knowing that most Valemen were either boring or intimidating not to mention she would struggle to speak with them, she decided to just watch the jousts next to her brother. Lord Arryn was kind and caring and she hoped he would understand her decision to stay with her fellow Riverlanders.
Edmure was certainly caught off-guard by her decision. "You are staying here today, Lysa?"
"I am." she nodded as she sat down, fixing her light blue dress that luckily was not dirtied. "I have no breath or legs to go to the Valemen stands."
"Well, I'm sure Lord Arryn will not make it a problem...I can intercede on your behalf should you require it." Edmure proclaimed in a lordly tone that brought a giggle to her. He was trying so hard... "Just do not choke me when your Elbie gets beaten down by uncle...
"Edmure!" Lysa hissed embarrassed as some nearby lords and ladies chuckled at both the conversation and her reaction which left her even more embarrassed.
"I'm joking." Her brother said with a smirk. "If anything they will fight in the finals, they still have two opponents to beat."
Lysa scoffed embarrassed and eyed the fields to see everyone still preparing for the matches. "Cousin Lysa, it has been a while has it not?"
Lysa turned to the feminine voice that addressed her and saw a nearly identical copy of Catelyn except that the hair was light brown rather than auburn. It was Melissa Whent, her only female cousin from her mother's family. She looked as she remembered her to look at Harrenhal. "Cousin Melissa...it has been a while."
Their relationship was never especially warm but it was a bit above what one would consider cordial. The reason was that her cousin always preferred Catelyn's company over Lysa's as pretty much everyone else. To make matters worse, they barely interact on Melissa's tourney because of all much attention her cousin got and after it, they ended on opposite sides of the war as the Whents fought for House Targaryen to the bitter end until Rhaegar Targaryen was killed in combat. She knew her uncle was wary of them.
"I heard you got married during the war..." Melissa pressed forward. "They said the Rebels sieged Riverrun because your father caught Lord Stark and Arryn but then your uncle led the Rebels in, your father was sent to the wall and you married..."
Though Lysa was a bit confused by her cousin's phrases, she nodded. "That is basically it...father got greedy and..."
"My father was a bit greedy too, even when mother wanted to back down after Stoney Sept he convinced her to continue and now...they barely speak with each other..." Melissa said sadly. "But I see you found yourself quite the husband! I'm happy for you."
"Thank you," Lysa replied with a smile. "Elbert is my dear husband and we are very happy together."
"You have grown a bit bolder since I last saw you at Harrenhal," Melissa admitted. "It was pitiful to see you sulk at the wedding feast with no one to dance with, I suppose it had to do with your shyness."
"I suppose too..." Lysa admitted though she still remembered how Elbie danced with her and warmed her heart.
"And Cat is getting married too I hear...Lord Baratheon, right?"
"Yes."
"I still remember the infamous Lord Robert," Melissa said dreamily. "Duncan said he almost got killed by him at the Battle of Bells until Ser Jacaerys Velaryon and Lord Connington pushed him away...Cat's husband-to-be did not partake in the lists did he?"
"No, I think he dislikes it but I'm not sure."
"I heard he withstood multiple assaults made by the Reachners at Storm's End and that he ended up eating rats and leather during their siege...is it true?"
"I...I never heard of such things..." Lysa admitted though she did not find it...impossible given the little she knew of Lord Stannis. If uncle did not intervene during the brief Siege of Riverrun...would they have been forced to eat rats and leather too? "But I imagine he had a bad time as I remember him quite skinny the first time I glanced at him...he has gotten a little more fat but..."
"I have not seen him though...he is handsome? His brother was...I remember dancing with many handsome men at my nameday tourney, which was the best present I ever received and will receive, but he was not one of these men..." Melissa said with a hint of sadness. "Not that it would matter much...none of these men even asked for my hand and I doubt Lord Robert would, given the ruckus he made about Lady Stark...I still cannot believe Prince Rhaegar did such a vile thing to her...he was so handsome and kind...what a deep shame."
Melissa likely had been a bit shy when she first addressed Lysa but she was gaining her confidence back and she did, Lysa remembered that Petyr always called her Melissa the Babbler, and for a good reason...
Thinking about Petyr, she wondered how he was doing...she loved Elbie but Petyr was her first love, the man she first gave herself to and the father of...her miscarriage child...she would never forgive her father for that and she prayed Petyr was alright. She would invite him to meet her when she arrived at the Vale, she had to. He deserved a position, he was very smart and she wanted to see him as happy as she was with Elbie.
"He is not as handsome as my husband and indeed it was a shame the Crown Prince did that but I guess he got what he deserved in the end." Lysa ended up speaking.
"That is true..."
"So this is how women talk amongst themselves?" Edmure asked suddenly, his head resting on his right hand, his expression of pure boredom. "You just talk about husbands and men and preferably from someone who is not even close to being able to defend themselves? Seven take me."
Both Lysa and Melissa laughed at that almost at the same time. "As if you men do not speak of women in all sorts of marital status, cousin Edmure."
"And of fighting." Lysa added.
"And drinking."
"And horses."
"And swords."
"Ok, I get your point, ladies." Edmure sighed. "Still we have a code of honor, we do not speak of someone if he is not with us."
"How gallant of you, cousin Edmure." Down in the fields, the steward made his way to the center. "It's beginning!" Melissa proclaimed excitedly.
The remaining jousters were following the steward on their horses. Three of them, the favorites were wearing white armors and cloaks, her Elbie rode his beige Charger Windcutter, both of them wearing light blue cloaks and banners with the light blue falcon of House Arryn. Uncle Brynden wore dark blue and red with a blackfish, Lord Mallister rode his eagle feathered helmet and indigo cloak, Ser Meryn Trant rode in dark blue and Lord Royce Coldwater rode with a red cloak over his armor. "LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, I PRESENT YOU THE EIGHT BEST JOUSTERS OF THIS TOURNEY!" Cheers were heard throughout the fields, the people were definitely excited. "TODAY WE WILL HAVE THE ROUND OF EIGHT AND THE SEMIFINALS! THE FIRST MATCH WILL BE BETWEEN SER BARRISTAN SELMY AND SER JAIME LANNISTER, BOTH OF THE KINGSGUARD!"
Both trotted forward on their horses after the announcement and made their way to their respective sides while the other jousters retreated to the sidelines. Lysa remembered the handsome Lannister well, he had once visited Riverrun and her father told her to court him but she failed miserably to the point Ser Jaime was more interested in her uncle. The event scarred her but she was doing her best to forget it.
"It's a shame he is sworn to celibacy..." Melissa sighed dreamily. "He is so handsome...Gods...what a waste..."
"I'm more curious about whose favor he is carrying..." Edmure said and Lysa immediately looked to the knight's right arm which was on the side she could not see well. It was blue. "Brandon tried to get something out of him multiple times but Ser Jaime just won't say anything."
"I have been wondering too...does he...have a mistress?" Melissa proposed. "That would explain the secrecy." That would indeed explain plenty of things.
"No." Edmure dismissed. "Jaime is cool but he is too honorable to get a mistress."
"Even the honorable people can have mistresses..." Melissa insisted. "Some say Aemon the Dragonknight was Queen Naerys' paramour..."
"Yes but..." Edmure winced as Ser Jaime almost lost balance from his horse. They had broken two lances already. "No...I doubt it, it must have been a friend or his sister..."
"Cersei?!" Melissa asked surprised by the suggestion. "I have talked with her a few times and she is just too proud. If it was her, you can be sure the handkerchief would be scarlet red, not blue. Lannisters are very proud."
"Might she had no scarlet handkerchief at hand?" Edmure proposed.
"You can be sure she would have a scarlet handkerchief." It looked as if Melissa going to say something else but refrained from doing so.
The two knights clashed once more and then again. It was an even match, even Lysa could see it although Ser Barristan seemed to be on top due to his experience. After much emotion and seventeen lances broken by each of them, Ser Jaime unhorsed his sworn brother with an erratic movement that caught the older man off guard. Cheers echoed through the field and it seemed Ser Jaime was still surprised with his victory as he took a little bit before he unhorsed to help his sworn brother who muttered something and then they hugged a brotherly hug and shake hands before both exited the fields with cheers.
"That was epic!" Edmure said. "I need to copy their tactics..."
Lysa felt a hand touch lightly on her shoulder, it was Melissa who wished to speak in an usher tone. "He wants to partake in the jousts?"
"It's a long story," Lysa admitted. "One that involves a...girl..."
Melissa's eyes gleamed with mirth as she heard it. "Really?! Who is she? Do I know her? Where is she from?" Came the bombardment of questions.
"Lady Lynesse Hightower," Lysa whispered to her cousin. "You should have seen how he looked like a trout out of water when he first glanced at her."
"Oh, she is very pretty alright."
"He put it in his mind he wants to crown her Queen of Love and Beauty but everyone thinks he will just get injured. Not even Brandon Stark would allow him." Lysa added.
"Oh yes, he would just get himself injured maybe even fatally injured I do not wish to attend another funeral..."
"Did anyone you held dear die during the war?" Lysa questioned curiously. She hardly knew who died but she expected a whole great deal of people. Looking around the stands she could see that there were various small groups rather than one. Even among the Valemen there seemed to be a slight prejudice to House Corbray, House Grafton and a few others but was nothing compared to what was happening with the Riverlanders who were never united in the first place.
"Yes...Elmar and Triston did..." Melissa said sadden as expected from someone who lost her brothers. "Elmar died at the Trident and Triston at Stoney Sept...Duncan also lost an arm at the Trident...he and Elmar were mauled by that brute northerner Umber...Duncan said he felt like he was attacked by a bear even if he never saw one before."
"I'm sorry about hearing about their parting..." Lysa said with pity.
"You did not kill them," Melissa said. "And the brute did it because he had to. I hate him but I understand him. My brothers and father killed a whole deal of people too."
"SER ELBERT ARRYN AGAINST LORD JASON MALLISTER!"
The steward's announcement made Lysa forget everything and watch her husband with a great deal of worry. "There he is!" Edmure said proudly. "Lysa's Elbie!"
"Edmure!"
"Elbie?!" Melissa asked with a smirk and a raised eyebrow. Lysa just blushed in shame. Why did they find pleasure in bringing it up for the whole world to hear?
"I..."
"Lysa, Lysa...you have changed so much indeed..." Melissa giggled. "Lord Mallister is going to be a tough opponent though."
"Elbert promised he will win." she avowed.
"That he did." Edmure confirmed.
"I hope so too." Melissa nodded. "For my cousin's sake."
Her precious Elbie's joust was less epic than the previous one but it was beautiful and enjoyable nevertheless. And very stressful...She trembled, she shrieked and she jumped from her seat more times than she could count when Elbie got hit but in end, he prevailed and won bringing her much joy. After helping Lord Mallister stand up and shake hands with him, he searched for her, no doubt looking in the Vale area first but finding her next to her brother. He waved at her and she almost fainted again.
"Seriously Lysa, no one would think you are married..." Edmure said bored. "You are even worse than those maids in the songs."
"Shut up." Lysa hissed as Melissa laughed.
"SER BRYNDEN TULLY AND SER MERYN TRANT, PLEASE MAKE WAY TO YOUR SPOTS!"
"Uncle is going now!" Edmure said beaming. "Come on, uncle, kick his arse!"
"Edmure!" Lysa hissed. "Don't be a prude!"
"Oh...shit...I mean...buggers!"
"Who has been keeping you in line these past days?" Lysa questioned with a stern look.
"Umm...no one?"
She had half expected it. "That ought to change then!"
"Since when are you so domineering?" he asked bitterly.
"Since father was stupid and you had to take his place." she countered. "You are the Lord Paramount now."
Edmure scoffed. "Uncle tells me all the time! I do not ask for this! I was not ready for it! I'm still not a man grown."
"But we are helping you be," Lysa said as she grabbed his hand. Though he at first wanted to pull said hand away, he relented. Anger leaving him. "But no prude language."
"Yes My Lady Elbertina!" he said with a serious look that quickly broke into laughter.
"Edmure!"
She would have scolded him some more if not for how stressed she got with uncle jousting. Once more she trembled, shrieked, and jumped for her seat when she saw him get hit. Lysa was worried for him, he was after all, always there for her and she did not want to lose him. He did not give her that unpleasure, he won his match after nine tilts, four less than Elbie's match and eight less than Ser Jaime's match. She was happy that her husband and uncle had reached the semi-finals and perhaps one of them could actually win the jousts...she secretly or not so secretly wanted her Elbie to win but she would not be disappointed if it was her uncle.
"LORD ROYCE COLDWATER AND SER ARTHUR DAYNE, PLEASE MAKE WAY TO YOUR SPOTS!"
This next match was less demanding on Lysa's emotions as she was not attached to any of them. Still, because she would reside in the Vale after the tourney she hoped the Valemen won. Lord Coldwater was very good but so was Ser Arthur Dayne who seemed like an invincible individual. After nine tilts, the Dornishman won.
"Uff...Elbert and uncle will face those Kingsguard monsters on the field..." Edmure said with a disappointed expression. "I had hoped Jaime and Ser Arthur would fall but it seems like they did not."
"Elbert and uncle will win!" Lysa said decidedly. "I know they will."
"Honestly, I'm cheering for them to win. Your cheering for them has captivated me, cousin Lysa." Melissa proclaimed. "But if they do not, they reach so far."
"NOW WE GOT TO THE MUCH-AWAITED SEMI-FINALS!" The steward announced. "SER JAIME LANNISTER AND SER ELBERT ARRYN PLEASE MAKE WAY TO YOUR SPOTS!"
"So they are not even allowing us to have a proper conversation? How rude!" Melissa protested.
"They should give more time for them to recover!" Edmure protested and he was not the only one doing so.
Lysa herself had almost forgotten the semi-finals would happen that day too. She agreed that the jousters, not just Elbie and her uncle, should be able to rest more, these jousts were far harder than the preliminary rounds, even she could tell that much. They could have made the semi-finals in the noon. Resigned that it would not happen, she prayed that Elbie would be fine and win. But his fight was very hard.
The two blond knights clashed and clashed as it seemed to go on forever. Lysa felt some awful sensation, her heartbeat was going very fast, her hands were shaking, she felt sweat fall over her body and the area around her breasts was especially sweaty. She should have chosen a gown that showed her cleavage, after all, it was summer and very hot, not the time for conservative cuts. When Ser Jaime struck Elbert in the shoulder and he almost fell she shrieked so loudly that all eyes shifted to her.
Her brother and her cousin seemed especially worried about her. "Lysa, calm down, Elbert is fine." Edmure tried in vain to assure her.
"I can't...I don't want him gone...no..." And at that moment Elbert was unhorsed and something in her heart almost made it explode. "ELBERT!" And she remembered nothing more than everything becoming black...
When she next woke up, Lysa had her vision blurry for a little bit before she recognized that she was inside a wheelhouse, House Tully's. She looked around and saw Melissa and Catelyn talking with each other in murmurs. "Where...am I?"
Both women stopped their conversation immediately and smiled in relief. "Oh, Lysa you got us all so worried!" Melissa proclaimed. "You fainted when your husband was unhorsed..."
When she heard this she remembered Elbert being projected to the floor and thus she panicked. "Elbie?! Where is he?! Is he alright?! Please tell me he is!"
Her sister and cousin smiled though there was a clear hint of worry in their looks. "Relax Lysa, Elbert stood up not even ten seconds after he fell," Cat said and Lysa sighed in relief. "He just got minor bruises."
"But he was scared senseless when he learn you fainted," Melissa added. "He came running immediately with his armor still on. Suffice to say he was completely exhausted after doing so."
"He is alright." Lysa sighed once more. "What about uncle? Has he jousted?"
Cat grimaced. "Uncle lost after twelve tilts. He is fine as well. Well...he is as fine as one can be considering what happened to you..."
"Thank the Seven for that." Lysa sighed in relief yet again until she registered her sister's last words. "I mean, thank the Seven he is well, not worried! Seems like I just frightened everyone..."
"We should tell the wheelhouse to stop?" Melissa suggested. "They will want to know she is fine."
"Good idea." Catelyn nodded as Melissa called the man to stop. "And it's normal that we are worried about you, Lysa. We care about you." Lysa smiled at her sister's kind words but she felt bad for worrying them and for her previous jealousy towards her sister which Lysa could still not forgive herself for having had.
"Did the Queen and Princess allow you to come here?" she asked curiously, hoping she did not leave her sister in trouble.
"What do you think?" Cat asked as she rolled her eyes. "They too were worried and gave me permission to come and see you before I even asked."
The door opened and Elbert peeked inside with a very worried expression. "Lysa! Are you alright?!"
"I am," she said as she immediately went for a hug. "I was so worried...I thought you..."
"Lysa I'm tough and I trained since a boy to ride," Elbert assured. "You did not need to go so desperate for me, you scared the shit out of me when they told me you fainted."
"I'm sorry...I..."
He kissed her lips and eased her with it. "Everything is alright now. I deeply appreciate your concern."
"Oh..." Melissa coed. "I'm melting."
"It's a hot day indeed," Edmure said as he peeked inside too. "Not because of these two though."
Lysa blushed as she heard these words. "I'm sorry I scared you, little brother."
"You should!" he barked. "I knew not what to do, thankfully Lord Blackwood and Lord Vypren helped out."
"You have a great deal of people to thank." The rough voice of her uncle echoed through the wheelhouse. "And I'm afraid we cannot let you see jousts anymore." Lysa looked to the floor of the wheelhouse in shame. She did want to see jousts but she did not want to faint nor make people worried about her because of them so she just accepted the decision even if her uncle did not really have the authority to tell her anything now that she was married. "But it's good to see you well, Lysa."
"Thank you uncle," she said with a smile. "I'm sorry I did not watch your match..."
"It was not a very good match..."
"You lasted twelve tilts against Ser Arthur Dayne uncle!" Edmure protested. "Surely you gave him a run for his money."
"I might have. Though I did not win and that's what matters in the end." Uncle countered. "Anyway, I would have not wanted my niece to faint because I fell to the ground thinking I'm still a young lad and some old fart." Lysa yet again looked to the floor in shame. "Now, I think we should resume the traveling, I see a bunch of peasants angry that we are occupying the whole road." And with that, he left the wheelhouse without allowing any of them to say he was not an old fart.
Edmure followed suit but Elbert stayed for a little bit more. "Are you really alright, Lysa?"
"I am," she assured. "I'm sorry I scared you..."
"I couldn't crown you..." he said disappointed. "Damn Lannister was better."
"Being alive and with only a few scratches is enough for me." Lysa said truthfully, after this stunt, she did not want him or her uncle in the jousts.
He smiled. "All the same, I will crown you one day." he pecked her lips and exited the wheelhouse. "Now rest, my wife."
"I guess I will tell him later that this was the last joust he partook in," she murmured as she returned to her seat only to find Catelyn and Melissa with smirks. "Oh, shush with you. I'm not risking my husband in foolish games anymore." she barked embarrassed as the wheelhouse began moving once more. Her two companions made the gesture of closing their mouths with lockets but the smirks did not disappear...
We are nearing the end of the tourney. Just one or two more chapters to go, the last one is already written in its "beta" form.
As for this chapter in specific, I wanted to show that while Lysa is happier, she has things that are still troubling her and she has some mental problems that justify the way she ended in canon. I also tried to show that both Tully sisters resemble Sansa in a lot of ways.
Anyway, thank you for sparing time reading and I hope everyone has a nice day and stays safe.