Part II: The Bride of Ice that conquered Ash and Fire

Princess Lyanna Stark of Winterfell had tried to be the highborn lady she was supposed to be but, in time, she only managed to be less of herself, and nothing she did could stop the blizzard raging in her bones. Oberyn of House Martell saw the frozen anger she carried in her heart, the ice she carried in her veins and for the first time in her long immortal life Lyanna felt seen for who she was.

When they ran away together, many claimed the Viper Prince had mercilessly stolen away the Princess of Winter, when in truth it had been the She-Wolf of the North who had taken her dornish prince and run to freedom, willingly and without hesitation.

Winter had come. Winter had left. And Eddard Stark was happy to have spring upon them at last. He was even happier to have the lady he loved at his side.

Ashara had ridden with him back to Winterfell as soon as the tension in Harrenhal became too much for him to bear. And once he grew tired of everyone gossiping and spreading stories about his sister. He had even gotten into an argument with Robert because of it, since his friend claimed that Oberyn had kidnapped Lyanna, and no matter what Ned said he didn't seem keen to change his mind.

If it hadn't been for Ashara, Eddard was sure he would have ended up punching half of the royals in the castle. And if he had dared to set such a precedent, he was certain Maege Mormont would have gladly followed it and the whole situation would have been a mess.

Having the dornish lady at his side filled him with joy, pride and strength, especially when they finally reached his family home and he found himself confronted by his brothers and father, who by then had heard myriads of rumours about Lyanna Stark and Oberyn Martell. And the Gods knew placating Brandon's wrath had not been easy, for he already thought the dornish prince had disgraced their sister and taken her against her will. Ned was quick to explain that Oberyn hadn't done such a thing, even if he didn't know the male well, and that Lya and him had become acquainted at Harrenhal and had decided to leave court life to travel.

King Rickard Stark asked for details, of course, and Ned offered as many as he could, somehow forgetting to mention that his sister and the viper where indeed lovers as the rumours suggested, but explaining that they had become really good friends and she had been the one to propose leaving. He didn't know that for sure, of course, but he knew Lyanna enough to guess.

"If anything happens to her," his father had warned then.

"Nothing will happen," Eddard assured him. Because if anything happened to Lyanna because of Oberyn or because of his lack of power to protect her if she ever was in danger he knew he would be the one to claim the prince's head.

The tension that Lyanna's departure had caused was relieved ever so slightly by the presence of Ashara, who seemed to charm both his brothers and his lord father as soon as they met her. And she loved the North, even if it took her time to adjust to the weather, seeing as she had never seen snow before.

Eddard had found her one morning, wearing one of his heavy fur cloaks closed tightly over her nightgown and dancing under the snow on the courtyard, laughing like a child. He had observed her in silence for a while, smiling without being able to help him, and didn't notice Benjen throwing a snowball at him until it hit his face. As his brother laughed, Ashara threw one at him in retaliation, and she looked as happy as Ned had ever seen her. He had taken her back to his chambers after that, and to the warmth they provided, taken his cloak and her nightgown away from her body and loved her until a servant came knocking to say King Rickard requested their presence for lunch. Neither of them had remembered they hadn't had breakfast.

It hadn't been until months later that he had received news from Lyanna.

His sister begged him not to tell the rest of the family where she currently was, because she feared Brandon would take a horse to White Harbor and then a ship to go after her, and Ned couldn't say he didn't understand. As soon as he finished reading what Lya had to say about Dorne, he moved to ask Ashara about some of the people his sister had mentioned. She kindly explained, and smirked up at him.

"I must admit I'm surprised," she said. "I don't think many of Oberyn's lovers have ever met his little Snakes. He really must trust your sister."

Ned had raised an eyebrow at that, because he knew her enough to understand the double meaning of her words. And the way Lyanna spoke of the Sand Snakes and Oberyn's family showed him his sister's feelings for the viper where much deeper than he had imagined.

Still he told himself not to worry, and life at Winterfell kept going even if the she-wolf was no longer there.

The second letter came a year after the first one and, in it, Lyanna spoke of Braavos and its canals, of the High Valyrian and the Old Rhoynish that the prince was helping her learn. The next one came months after, while she travelled through Lys and Myr and then Norvos. The last one arrived a year after that, telling him of the luxury and the opulence of the palaces inside the Black Wall of Volantis.

After that, she didn't write again, but by then Eddard had understood he didn't need to worry for her as much as he once had. His little sister was, after all, not so little anymore.

Now, almost a decade later, he only knew of Lyanna and Oberyn due to whispers and gossip, and knew better than to trust those. But since the Princess Elia was on her way to the North for the wedding, he'd decided to ask her if she knew anything about her errant brother.

Making his way to the chambers he shared with the woman that would soon be his wife, Prince Eddard Stark of Winterfell smiled as if he were a little child on his name day, still not being able to believe Lady Ashara Dayne had agreed to be his wife for eternity.

She was still lying on their bed, covered by the furs despite the warmth, but smiled back at him when he entered the room and walked toward her.

"You were gone when I woke up," she complained and pouted.

"Father needed me at the council this morning." He sat next to her on the bed and leaned in to kiss her.

Allowing Ashara to pull him down by the collar of his shirt, Ned happily deepened the kiss, shivering from head to toe when she moaned into his mouth. Never mind how many times he kissed her, touched her, loved her and worshiped her, the effect she had on him never seemed to diminish. And he was sure it never would.

"Have they started to arrive yet?" she asked when they pulled apart and he settled on the bed next to her.

"No," Eddard answered, his fingers lazily drawing patters on her arm, her skin shivering beneath his touch. "The snows have taken over The King's Road and father has sent Benjen to help our guest cross them. He's the best of us when it comes to snow, after all, but it might still take them a while. Maybe a couple of weeks."

"That means they'd still arrive in time," she pointed out. "I must admit, though, that the only retinue I care about is the one coming from King's Landing."

Ned leaned to kiss her bare shoulder.

"You have missed Elia, haven't you?"

Ashara shrugged and yawned. "She's the closest thing I have to a sister, and my brother is coming with her, so it'll be a real family reunion."

He couldn't stop frowning, remembering that Lya's letter to him the night she'd run away compelled him not to marry without her present. But he hadn't been able to reach her, because he hadn't known where in the world she currently was.

"Something is bothering you," Ashara said matter-of-factly.

Ned smiled lovingly down at her. She had always known how to read him like an open book, even back when they didn't even know each other's name and exchanged furtive looks at The Vale, half fearful the other wasn't truly interested and half hoping it was.

He had known then, deep down in his heart of hearts, that he was already in love with her, if such a thing was possible.

"Is it about Lyanna?" she asked, leaning into his touch when his frozen fingertips caressed her cheek. Her skin was warm against his and she bit her lip at the sensation.

Eddard kissed her again before answering.

"I just wondered if maybe the Princess Elia knew where they are," the prince confessed.

Ashara seemed to consider for a moment, her beautiful violet eyes staring at him while her hands cradled his jaw, lost in thought. "I'm not sure," she said after a moment. "She never mentioned it in her letters, but then again, she has been living in King's Landing for years. I think that she might know more about the time they stayed in Dorne than I do, though, and maybe King Doran told her where Oberyn and Lyanna are."

"You think she'll talk to me?"

Ned had never talked to Princess Elia Nymeros Martell, even if he had seen her at Harrenhal and had seen his sister deep in conversation with her the night she'd left, and even if he had learnt enough of how the courts worked to benefit the North, facing someone he knew nothing about to ask for help was not something he was comfortable with.

"As I said, she's the closest thing I have to a sister, and you are the man I love and soon enough will be my husband." She smiled happily at him. "Besides, your sister did run away with her brother, and if I know them well enough, and I think I do, I'm sure they aren't just using their time to go sightseeing and exploring, so it's safe to say you are almost family already."

He made a face, because while he knew that his little sister was not just friends with Oberyn Martell but something else, the idea of them together made his stomach turn. Ashara must have noticed his discomfort, because she laughed at him with a wicked glimmer dancing in her eyes.

"You think they haven't done all the things that we have, my love?" She was teasing him, he knew, but he couldn't stop falling into her trap. "Knowing Oberyn, they've probably done much more."

More? Was there more. And here he was, thinking he had loved his bride-to-be in every way possible.

She laughed again. "Gods, you should have seen your face."

Shaking his head to put all thought of Lyanna and the Red Viper away, Ned kissed her before reaching to pinch at her sides, tickling her and making her laugh and smile and kiss him again.

The retinue from King's Landing arrived a fortnight later, with Benjen leading them and Crown Prince Rhaegar Targaryen complaining about the weather not allowing him to fly. Brandon had dared mutter under his breath that if Rhaegar wasn't such a show-off the weather wouldn't have mattered that much to him but, luckily for everyone, only Eddard had heard him. It wouldn't have been good for any of them to have the Crown Prince of Dragonstone and the Crown Prince of Winterfell getting in a fight over some snow.

His wife didn't seem bothered by the weather at all, and neither did his children.

Rhaenys Targaryen, at four-and-ten, was a younger version of her mother, with dark eyes and hair, and threw her arm around her little brother as they walked, pointing here and there, excited to be in the North. Her ten year old brother Aegon, with violet eyes and silver hair and dark wings at his back, seemed as bewitched by his surroundings as she was.

Their mother, Elia Martell walked into the courtyard of Winterfell as if she owned the place, a heavy cloak of fur around her shoulders. It took Eddard Stark a moment to recognise the cloak as Lyanna's, and he shared a look with his brothers as their father officially welcomed their guests to the North. As if she had guessed his trail of thought, the Martell princess offered him a kind smile before moving past him to hug Ashara, who shrieked with happiness and hugged her back.

Much to his dismay, Eddard didn't manage to get a moment alone with the princess, not after her arrival, and not later at the feast King Rickard held for her and Prince Rhaegar.

It was several days later, after Brandon left south to greet the party arriving from Riverrun and Rickard took Rhaegar out of the castle grounds to show him more of their land, that Ned found Elia Martell next to the Heart Tree in the Godswood. Ashara and the princess' children were not far from her, splashing each other with the lake's waters as Ned and his siblings had done more than once during all their years.

"Prince Eddard," Elia smiled without looking at him, her dark eyes fixed on her children.

"Aunt Ashara!" Aegon was complaining, as Ashara splashed more water at him and his sister laughed.

And being young as he was, he made a face a face at Rhaenys and flapped his wings. The little princess didn't have time to move away before the air and the water moved and went after her. Completely drenched now, she laughed with her brother.

For a moment, Ned's eyes found Ashara's and she smiled. How she could read him so well, he might never know, but there and then he found he could read her too, and knew they were both thinking the same. It would really be so sweet to have children with her. The image of little wolf pubs with laughing violet eyes made him grin.

He turned to Elia again, knowing if he kept looking at Ashara he would cross the distance between them and the lake that separated them and kiss her and kiss her until his lungs gave in. To his surprise, the dornish princess was smirking knowingly at him.

"You make her happy," she told him. "I thank you for that."

"We make each other happy," he replied. Whatever he was for her, after all, he knew for certain she was his sun, his moon, and his stars. His whole universe.

"And yet it is not Ashara you want to ask me about, is it?"

Above them, the clouds broke, and the sun shone upon the Godswood. Looking back at Elia's children, it took Ned a moment to understand it had been Rhaenys' doing. The strength of the line of Nymeria must have been powerful on her to be able to summon the sun at such a young age.

"Oberyn was the same," Princess Elia offered. "By the time he was twenty our mother didn't know what to do with him. Such a wilful spirit, but I've always loved him."

"I've heard my sister does too." He tried to phrase it casually, he truly did, but it came out bitterly. Knowing there was no way to fix it now, he added, "You don't happen to know where she is, do you, my lady? You have her cloak, after all."

Elia shook her head.

"Oberyn stopped telling us where he was going a while ago. From the moment they left I knew I wouldn't be getting any letters telling me of their journey." Putting a hand on his arm, she added, "But I wouldn't worry." Then she said, "As for her cloak, it was sent to me at King's Landing with a note in which she said it was a gift for me. She would have had no use for it in Essos, anyway."

Eddard nodded in understanding.

"I'm not worried." The moment the words left his mouth, Ned knew them to be true. "Lyanna trusted your brother and I know she wouldn't have left if she hadn't known she'd be fine. But…" Words failed him.

"You miss her," Elia finished for him. "You wish she were here with you when you marry Ashara."

In silence, Eddard nodded, his mind wandering back to the note he had found on his sister's chamber at Harrenhal the morning after her departure.

He would lie if he said he hadn't suspect that she was up to something, that those looks of complicity and those smiles Oberyn was giving her during the feast were more than just the stares of two secret lovers who couldn't wait to be alone.

And he had been happy for her when he had read her note. An adventure, she had called it, and Ned hadn't been able to stop smiling, half fearing for the world now that Lya and Oberyn were of the same mind. The man, after all, had a fearsome reputation, and the prince was sure he was also half mad, and Lya had a wilful heart and iron in her veins.

"Lya wrote to me soon after they left. Said she was in Dorne. Do you anything about that?"

"I know my nieces adore her." There was nothing but honesty in her voice. "I'm not sure about her relationship with Obara, but Nymeria, Doran told me, gifted her one of her daggers, which she never lets anyone touch. Tyene wouldn't stop telling about how beautiful and funny and amazing she was. Sarella asked her for stories of the North and kept her awake discussing everything and anything. I'm sure Lyanna would be able to tell you more once my brother deigns to let go of her." Her tone half implied that wouldn't be happening any time soon and Eddard frowned. "But every friend from Dorne I've talked to seems to be enchanted by your sister."

Ned couldn't stop the smile that spread across his face.

"Yes," he said, "Lyanna often has that effect on people."

The princess squished his arm ever so slightly, probably trying to comfort him, and Ned offered her a crooked smile, before she stood and called for her bickering children to follow her back to the castle.

As they walked away and disappeared in the woods, Ashara approached him. And her smile replaced the sun that has just hidden behind clouds again.

"I told you she was nice," she said and straddled him.

"That you did." He moved a rogue strand of wet dark hair behind her ear and kissed her.

She answered to the kiss eagerly, her hands on his shoulders and her mouth opening to his. When Ned made her angle her head away to get better access to her neck and draw a trail of kisses down the oh so very sensitive skin there, she moaned.

"How long do we have before someone misses us?" Ashara asked, hips rocking against him.

Ned groaned. "A while."

"Let's use it then." Her hands moved his head back from her neck and she captured his lips again.

Locking his arms around her waist, Ned smiled through the kiss.

By the time they made it back to the castle, Brandon had come back with the retinue from the Riverlands. King Hoster Tully hadn't been able to make the journey, Ned knew, and his daughter, the Princess Catelyn of Riverrun, whom Ned had met briefly a decade before at Harrenhal, was attending the wedding in his stead.

Or that was what everyone thought.

In truth, Catelyn Tully was at Winterfell to be courted by Brandon, who had taken an interest in her some years before during a diplomatic visit.

While Brandon got her and her entourage settled Ned and Ashara slid back to their chamber to get changed, because, as she pointed out to him with a smirk and a wink, it wouldn't be appropriate to join his family for dinner while looking like they had been rolling around on the grass. Which they kind of had.

Knowing they had time, he took a while to comb Ashara's hair and braid her hair.

He had learnt a while ago that she loved it when he played with her hair, and since he had grown up learning to do myriads of different hairstyles for Lyanna, he was more than glad too to work on her hair now and them.

Once they were done they walked hand in hand toward the dining room where Father, Benjen and Brandon would be waiting, and Eddard couldn't take his eyes from her.

"You are staring again, my love." She smiled without looking at him.

"Can you blame me?" He kissed her temple. "You are the most beautiful creature in this world."

She looked up at him then, her bright violet eyes wide open. It was the look she got when she didn't, or couldn't, believe something he was telling her. For some reason, Ashara Dayne always had trouble believing in his love for her, not because she thought he was being dishonest, but because the truth of it overwhelmed her. She had confessed once that she couldn't believe her luck. And Ned had smiled at her, because he was the one who couldn't believe his luck.

Made for each other indeed.

Brandon stood as soon as they walked into the dining room and was quick to introduce them both to Catelyn, who looked at their joined hands with a frown Ned didn't like a bit but decided to ignore, and then they all sat to eat.

Eddard didn't pay much attention to the conversation, as his father and Benjen discussed something about the Night Watch and Brandon asked Catelyn about her journey to the North and about her home, that he had visited but once. As their other royal guests had, Catelyn Tully complained about the weather.

They were half way through their dinner when Ned felt something sift around them, though he couldn't quite place it. But before he could say anything to anyone, the doors opened pushed by a freezing phantom wind.

When Eddard looked up, half fearing what he'd find at the doorstep, his heart skipped a beat.

Standing before the threshold to the dining room and grinning like a wolf, stood Lyanna Stark of Winterfell.

Her long dark hair fell loose down her shoulders and back, and her grey eyes scanned the room as if she wasn't sure what she'd find. She wore a light blue myrish dress with a skirt that floated around her as she walked into the room, and lace sleeves that covered her arms to her elbows.

For a moment, the room was a silent. And then Benjen stood.

"You always did have a flare for the dramatic, big sister."

"Well," she replied and gods had he missed her voice, "if you are going to surprise someone it's better to do it with style, is it not?"

Both Benjen and Ned moved at the same time and crossed the distance to pull her into a tight three way hug. Suddenly the three of them were laughing.

"I was wondering where you might be, Viper." Brandon's voice came from behind them, and his chair scratched the floor painfully.

Ned raised his eyes in time to see Oberyn Martell walk into the room, as he heard Rickard Stark stand from his chair.

The dornish prince wore light brown breeches, leather boots, and a yellow tunic. And his dark eyes promised trouble as he stood next to Lyanna and put his arm around her waist, almost possessively.

It was Lyanna and not Oberyn, though, who answered Brandon. "Well, he's of course at my side, brother. Where else would he be?"

She had known going back home was not going to be easy, especially since Oberyn was determined not to leave her side and she couldn't bring herself to ask him to, because she didn't want him to go anywhere, not for the world.

But she hadn't expected the tension she could feel coming off of Brandon in waves.

"Will you not hug me, brother? I have missed you dearly," she said, and it was true.

Ned and Benjen moved away as Brandon approached; face solemn and full of shadows. But despite his anger, he pulled Lyanna in for a tight hug, pressing his cheek against the top of her head and kissing her hair.

"And I've missed you, little sister." His words were for her, but his eyes were on Oberyn.

"Daughter," her father called, and Brandon moved away. Rickard Stark looked just like the last time she had seen him, and smiled at her with warmth and love and kindness.

Home, she was home.

"So many years since we last saw you, my sweet Lya," he said, changing to the Old Tongue. She almost rolled her eyes. If only he knew Oberyn could understand most, if not all, of what he said. She had taught him, after all. "I'm so happy to have you home again."

Her father moved away from the head of the table and opened his arms. Lyanna all but run forward to embrace him.

"Your home is more impressive than I ever imagined." Lyanna knew Oberyn was being careful as he spoke, still aware of Bran, Ned and Ben standing not far away from him. "But I have heard so many tales of Winterfell that I expected nothing less."

"Prince Oberyn," Rickard said, and Lyanna went back to Oberyn, taking the hand he offered. He lifted it to his lips to kiss it, and fire exploded inside her bones. She bit her lip and he smirked knowingly, even as Rickard continued. "Your sister, I'm sure will be glad to see you again. One of the servants will take you to her." He gestured to a young boy who bowed and nodded at him. "And then you will be taken to your chambers."

Do not fight him, Lyanna warned him with a look and Oberyn nodded.

"His Highness is most kind." He bowed his head as a sign of respect and then cupped Lyanna's cheeks. Despite herself, she smiled, not bothering to remember that four dangerous wolves surrounded them.

Oberyn kissed her forehead and then left to follow the servant boy, a promise lingering between them to see each other later.

Lyanna turned to her family then. Her father looked confused if anything; Brandon, angry; Ned, relieved and happy, though she knew his happiness had surely more to do with Ashara being at their table than with her presence; and Ben looked like he would rather be anywhere else.

"I did tell you not to dare marry while I was away, didn't I?" she asked Ned.

Eddard laughed. "We did try to contact you."

"We are happy you are here," Ashara added, smiling at her. Her candour was refreshing.

The auburn haired girl that had been sitting next to Bran and now stared at them as if she didn't know what to do, seemed eerily familiar, but Lyanna couldn't remember where or when she'd met her. And she couldn't care either.

"And I'm happy to be here."

"You'll stay?" Bran asked.

You meant her, of course, not her and Oberyn. She wondered how long it'd take him to understand she was not going to allow anyone to break them apart.

She was his and he was hers. It was a simple fact she had come to understand a while ago. And now the world would have to learn it to.

"For a while," she nodded and turned to her father. "I'm tired and I'd like to retire to my chambers. I promise to answer every question you have and tell you everything about all the places I've visited tomorrow."

Rickard Stark nodded. "Of course."

Lyanna kissed each of her brothers on the cheek and hugged her father again before walking out of the room and to her own chambers. No matter how long she'd been away, she would always know Winterfell's halls by heart.

When her door opened hours later she was laying lazily on her bed, having discarded her dress for a nightgown.

"How is Elia?"

"Happy," Oberyn answered, taking of his tunic. "She said we can meet Rhaenys and Aegon tomorrow. She also said she's eager to see you again."

He approached the bed after taking off his boots and Lyanna sat to grab his hands and pull him to her.

The prince kissed her, slowly, intimately, in that way that he knew would make her moan and lose her mind. Not wanting him to win so easily, Lyanna used the ice of her blood to gather frost on her fingertips and moved her hands up his arms.

Oberyn pulled away from her at once, closing his eyes and groaning. She just laughed.

"Get in to bed, viper, I want to sleep."

He obliged and pulled her to him. "Do you think your brothers would kill me if they found I decided to sleep here?"

"Not as long as we are sleeping."

"Careful, princess," he purred, his breath caressing her hair as she rested her head on his chest. "I might forget my manners if you look at me like that again."

Lyanna kissed the big scar on his chest. "And I would let you. But not tonight. I'm tired."

Oberyn kissed her hair, and Lyanna drifted to sleep.