Gara
-ooo-
The day of King Robert's arrival had finally come. Gara watched with wide eyes as Gifu stormed around the divider, struggling with the laces on her bodice; her face was flushed and she was uncharacteristically hysterical. Gifu was usually very prepared for big functions, but Gara could see her forehead glistening with sweat as she fumbled with the lace. It was a few more pants later when Gifu turned her flinty eyes to Gara and snapped,
"Are you just going to sit there like that with a face like a whipped arse all day, or are you going to help me with these damnable laces?!"
With a sigh Gara got up causing Gifu to click her tongue in annoyance at her sister's lack of excitement. Throwing Gifu's thick hair over to one side, Gara began to lace up her bodice more tightly at the back. She frowned when Gifu's sharp intake of breath made her lose her grip on the lace.
"You must have put on a bit of weight from all the supping we've been doing." Commented Gara. Gifu said nothing but Gara saw her shoulders rise and fall, trembling slightly. "Gifu?" Said Gara, turning her,
"Are you alright?"
She asked worried. Flashing her bright and absurdly fake smile, Gifu shook her head and flicked her long curls back. "I am perfect, don't concern yourself." Gara's throat contracted and she nodded as Gifu turned back around and walked over to the mirror while Gara sat herself on the window sill and peered out – hoping to catch a glimpse of King Robert's huge Entourage. They were dressed in their blood red gowns, both of them. The rubies that were sewn into the bodice were scratchy and the seed pearls that decorated the cuffs made Gara's arms feel heavy. Gifu had wanted more jewels, but the septas had managed to talk her round by chiding that 'less was more' and so she relented.
When Gara was finally able to tear her eyes from the grey brightness of outside, she gazed over to Gifu who was combing her long locks for what must have been the seventh time in one morning. Gara guessed that she was nervous about seeing her betrothed for the first time and she just didn't want to let on how much so she was. It was Gifu who spoke first and Gara wished she hadn't;
"So, is it over between you and young Lord Stark?"
Gara looked away and felt Gifu's eyes boring into her from the mirror. Gara shrugged and looked down at her hands that she had been wringing all day,
"I don't know...There's no point in us being together if we can't," She looked at Gifu – who had turned around on the stool and was now facing her, "Is there?" She asked her sister and Gifu shrugged,
"You brought it on yourself, Gara. Really, you're too naive when it comes to courting and love. It's all a facade, d'you really think I flirt with Theon Greyjoy because I want to?" Gara shook her head, her eyes big as Gifu schooled, "No, I do it because even a Pyke castoff like Theon has his uses and when people see me courting him and he laughs they all know who has the wit at the table."
Gara's brows twitched as Gifu got to her feet and strolled over to the window sill and sat opposite her sister and looked at her, "It's all about appearances, and you're so ready for the pleasures of his flesh and the enjoyment of his company. He needs to think about what you can give to him, which – let's face it, Gara – is not much."
To Gara's surprise Gifu reached out and touched her face, pushing away her hair. "A lord is simply too high for you – especially the next Lord of Winterfell. Robb will be Warden of the North one day and his father and mother will find him someone who has connections – not a childhood sweetheart." There was silence and Gara could feel her eyes growing wet at these harsh truths, uttered by her sister. It was Gifu who wiped her sister's tears away and looked at her sympathetically. Suddenly Gara's temper flared and she slapped Gifu's hand away making the older twin gasp in fury. Gara was too quick and got to her feet; her hands were clenched into fists as she rasped,
"You're loving this, aren't you?! You love seeing me miserable and you always have, Gifu!"
Gifu was on her feet too, "Yes, I like seeing you miserable, but not heartbroken. So why don't you stop being a whining little bitch and just get on with it! He's only a boy, Seven Hells, you'd think you'd been married twenty years and he's just got up and left the way you go on!" Gara didn't bother replying and instead threw herself away from Gifu and started to leave. Gifu gripped her sister's arm brutally and hissed,
"What did I tell you about walking behind me?!" Gara wrenched free her hand and bellowed, "You don't master me, Gifu! Now, get off!" Gifu's eyes were rueful as she watched her sister stomp from the room and slam the chamber door shut as she left. Alone and more than raging, Gifu threw the brush she still had in her hand and watched as the fine glass handle smashed upon contact with the wall. The noise attracted the attention of Jory, who was on guard outside,
"Is everything all right, young lady? I just saw your sister storm out of here-"
"Yes! Everything is fine, Jory. My sister is just a lustful slut who won't listen to reason. Can you send someone up to clean this mess?"
With that, Jory nodded and left the room quickly, his expression confused and leaving Gifu to simmer alone in the wake of her sister's anger.
-ooo-
The whole castle was buzzing with the intended arrival of the King. Catelyn was marching around with maester Luwin reciting to herself, "Candles, we need lots of candles for Lord Tyrion's room. I'm told he reads all night." Maester Luwin nodded and added as his chains chinked, "Aye and ale, I've heard he can drink a fair bit of ale." Catelyn turned and looked at the maester,
"Really? Well how much could he need, a man of his...size, surely?"
At that the maester chuckled and ducked his head, "Aye, well we've brought up four barrels from the cellar in any case." Catelyn nodded as she watched the huge metal chandelier being hefted back up to the ceiling. "Alright, thank you, maester Luwin." He bowed and left her in the middle of the hubbub. With her hands on her hips, Catelyn watched the servants go about their business when she spotted Gara wandering through the hall.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready?" The redheaded woman asked the redheaded girl with a smile. Gara shrugged and said, "If I brush my hair anymore it'll fall out," Catelyn laughed at that and jerked her head to the girl and Gara followed her over to the tables were many of the wenches were folding large silken table cloths.
"You take one edge and I'll do the other." Cat instructed and Gara obeyed and began to walk towards her with the edges of the cloth between her fingers. "Aren't you excited to see the King? He'll not have seen you girls since before the Rebellion." Gara looked down and nodded, "Yes, my father said it was King Robert who gave us our first little bangles of silver." At that Cat nodded and eyed her carefully, "Is your sister still getting ready?" Gara nodded her head and didn't say anything,
"Your father tells me that she is to be married off to one of the Lannisters." Gara's eyes locked with Cat's. She was afraid the former Tully would be insulted that her father had not looked for a husband for Gifu in a Tully or even one of Cat's own children. The Tullys and Bloodhelm's blood was so mingled that Cat was by all accounts Gara and Gifu's distant aunt or distant cousin. But Cat was smiling and folded down the now-smaller table cloth and flicked her eyes over to Gara,
"She must be careful of them and so should you." Was all she said and Gara nodded her agreement, "I told her that, but my sister's a magpie. I think she'd marry a giant if it meant a mountain of gold." Catelyn's face was stern as it often was, but there was something else in there too; worry. Finally all the table cloths were folded and stacked neatly on the tables and Cat turned to Gara and said,
"Come, we should head out into the yard. It won't be long now."
Cat was right; the yard was congested with visiting lords from the holdfasts from all over the North. Lords like Father did not rule over holdfasts but owned a large house which had been built up by his Family and he ruled over the town surrounding it. In Whykeham's case, he ruled over a small town, a little Lord of a little hill, but the Bloodhelms had watched over that part of the North for centuries, just as the Starks had ruled Winterfell for as long as anybody could recall. Cat's steps were as stern as her face as she walked briskly through the yard. Gara was beside her and followed the woman's gaze as she eyed the rooftops,
"Bran!"
Called Lady Stark exasperated, maester Luwin had come up alongside them and was smiling faintly at the boy as he climbed down from the roof with ease. Gara smiled at this; Bran had always been a little climber. He'd climb anything that had a bloody foothold.
"I saw them! The King's on his way now!"
Shouted Bran with a smile, but Cat would not be put off from her impending telling-off and bent down to look in Bran's big brown eyes,
"How many times do I have to tell you; no climbing!" Bran's face was a picture; very contritely he looked down at his feet and stood meekly before his mother,
"I want you to promise me, no more climbing." Said Cat and Bran looked up at her. Gara and maester Luwin watched the interplay with the faintest of chuckles as Bran's gaze flicked down to his boots and then back to his mother.
"I promise." He said solemnly and Catelyn stood up straight and looked back at Gara and the maester with a smile on her face. Turning back to Bran she said, "D'you know what?" Bran cocked his head,
"What?" Cat could barely keep the amusement from her face, "You always look at your feet before you lie." Gara had to smother a giggle as Bran's little face broke into a grin and Cat shook her head defeated by his sweet face.
"Go and find your father, we'll need to greet the King soon."
-ooo-
Standing next to her father, Gara shivered as her verdant hair trembled in the cold wind. Gifu was at his other side looking green. Her chest kept rising and falling like a shudder. In front of them stood the Starks, Robb was by his father looking handsome in his furs, but his face terribly bare without his beard. To Gara's left side stood Jon, also looking naked with no beard and beside him stood Theon looking as froggy as ever. All of them watched as the King's massive retinue flooded into the castle's yard.
There was King Robert Baratheon, a humongous man. Big rosy cheeks gleamed above a jet black beard and on his head was the same black hair. On a strong destrier he looked gruff and portly, not the fearless, lean rebel Gara had been told of. In a handsome velvet cloak, he brought his horse around and sat on it grandly as the Queen's carriage trundled in; it was more like a manor with wheels in Gara's opinion and she decided she'd take a horse's back to that contraption any day; the constant jostling in a litter was enough to make Gara ill, let alone a mobile manor. Next, in rode the Prince, golden haired and smirking, his blue eyes were fixed on Sansa and Gara saw Robb look from his younger sister to the Prince and felt that he did not like the look of Prince Joffrey. In amongst the lords and ladies of their progress there was the fabled Gold Cloaks, Gara spied Jaime Lannister as he took off his helmet and she heard Arya say to Sansa,
"That's Jaime Lannister, the Queen's twin brother." And Sansa's reply was a curt, "Would you shut up?" Gara had to bite down a smile and then they all sank to their knees for the King and watched as the King was given a small set of steps to unhorse due to his large size. He got down easily enough – his eyes were trained on Lord Stark raptly and he did not look friendly. As he strode over to Lord Eddard, the Queen emerged from her carriage with her other two children, Tommen and Myrcella. They were all golden-haired with strong jaws and calculating eyes, Gara truly found them a distasteful bunch and had been wondering very profusely on why their father was marrying Gifu off to one of them. She kept her eyes trained for the one she would call 'brother' one day; Thegane Lannister. But she saw no trace of the man anywhere and abandoned her search as the last of the King's people dribbled in.
King Robert was before Ned now, eyeing him almost angrily and Gara felt her chest swell with worry. She almost wished she had her bow. With a flick of his wrist he King motioned for Ned to rise, and then the King said to the Lord of Winterfell,
"You've gotten fat."
There was silence and Gara thought to herself, he's joking. Surely he was joking and she saw Ned incline his head at King Robert's own impressive girth and the King burst out laughing. It was a jolly sound and Gara felt the tension dissolve and breathed a sigh of relief as they all rose from their kneeling position and Ned and the King embraced. The Queen came up to the Starks next and Ned kissed her hand, she could barely summon a smile and Gara thought she looked uncomfortable. The whole Northern court watched as Robert appraised the Starks and spoke briefly at and to them all before turning back to Ned and saying,
"Where's your crypt, I want to pay my respects." Ned nodded and was about to show the way when Queen Cersei said quietly, "We've been riding for a month, my love. Surely the dead can wait." The King blatantly ignored his wife's request and with no grace at all said, "Ned." It was a command and Gara saw Ned throw the Queen an apologetic look and stride away with Robert leaving Cat to deal with their company.
"Where's the Imp?" Asked Arya and Gara finally giggled when Sansa snapped, "Would you please just shut up!" Gara's giggling was silenced by Jon's elbow as he jerked it into her side and followed behind the Queen and Lady Catelyn as they led everyone inside the castle. Gara's levity crashed back down to the earth in a burning heap when she saw Robb avoid her eyes and consigned herself to the company of Jon and Theon for the rest of their journey inside.