Hey Guys! Thanks for all the reviews, faves and follows so far:) I could really use some more reviews if you have a minute, though. Your words and opinions would really help, so let me know if you like what I'm writing so far. Let me know what I could work on, that's always good to know too :)

I tried to make the chappie a bit longer this time since the last few were short. Hope you all like!

A Tale of Magic and Monsters and Lords

Chapter 7. Who Am I, Really?

Mari

The morning after being welcomed into the Red Keep by Lord Eddard Stark, I awoken early in the morn by a persistent birdie chirping just outside my window. It is the same birdcall I heard in my dream last night, one in which I saw Ashlin running through the castle courtyard. I leap out of bed and throw open the shutters covering the window. I grip the edges of the wooden windowsill with both hands and lean out the window as far as I can without falling. There aren't many people roaming the grounds outside the castle walls at this hour, but I strain my eyes for a honey-gold head streaking across the grounds. I see her nowhere.

I wait for as long as I dare, but I must resign myself to the knowledge that my dreams are false. For some unknown reason, the prophetic dreams I thought I was having are not actually future-telling. They're just dreams, and I have no idea where Ashlin might really be.

I pull closed the window shutters and return to my bed to straighten the beddings and pillows. Then, I change from my nightclothes into the simple handmaiden's shift that Lord Stark provided for me. It is light blue with white trim on the collar and bodice. It isn't fancy, but it was made here in the king's city, so it is of nice quality. I fashion my hair in a simple Southern style which most of the common ladies wear; two braids, split at the center, which twist around the hair into a low bun.

I check my reflection in the small mirror hung on the wall, taking a deep breath. I have another persona to adopt now. I must behave as a handmaiden to Sansa Stark. I am grateful to Lord Stark, but it does make matters harder, having to pretend to be someone else I am not. How am I to ever know who I am really, if i am always pretending to be somebody else?

I knock on the door which leads to Sansa's, for courtesy purposes, and then annnounce as I let myself in, "Goodmorning, my lady. It is time to wake up now."

Sansa Stark is a very pretty girl. I notice this even before she begins to stir. She lays like a princess in her bed; flat on her back, her hands folded neatly on her chest, and her beautiful red hair splayed across her pillow all neat-like. She rubs her eyes before opening them, looking at me in confusion. The scowl that soon follows detracts from her prettiness, however.

"Who are you?" Sansa demands.

"Pardon, my lady," I say, pausing in the middle of the room to curtsy, as is proper, "I am Mari, your new handmaiden."

Sansa sits up slowly, her eyes narrowed, but unable to hide her curiosity she asks, "Did my father find you for me?"

"Yes, he did," I nod curtly. I move to the windows and open the shutters to let some light and fresh air inside the room. I can feel the young Stark lady's blue eyes on my back as she watches me move about her room, preparing her undergarments for the day and tidying up things as I go. I turn to face her when it is time, and ask, "Have you a dress in mind for this day, my lady?"

Sansa turns up her nose and refuses to meet my eyes, folding her arms across her chest like a petulant child. She stares at the far wall. "I do not want your help," Sansa speaks quietly but clearly, "My father will not win me over with a new handmaiden. I am still angry. I'll never speak to him again. You can tell him I said so." Her eyes dart to mine for only a moment, but then they skitter back to the wall.

I find myself unable to think of anything to say in return. What has Lord Stark gotten me into? His teenage daughter is not speaking with him, and yet I am to act as her handmaiden in order to stay in the king's castle, but the girl doesn't wish to speak to me either because I'm associated with her father. I do wish the Hand to the King had warned me of the situation. What am I to do now?

I shrug my shoulders and start for the door, calling behind me to the stubborn red-head from the North, "As you wish, my lady. If you should change your mind, I'll be at breakfast. My stomach is calling, and I am going to answer."

As soon as my fingers wrap around the doorknob, Sansa is retracting her previous statement, "Oh...wait!" I pause, still facing the door. She continues, "Fine. Fine, I'll allow you to be my handmaiden." I turn around to face her, my eyebrows raised expectantly. "Bring me the dark blue dress from the closet...if you please, Mari." She remembered my name.

I nod my head and walk to the closet, hoping my shoulder hides the smirk that has snuck onto my lips. I did not know for sure if the young lady would take my bait, but my plan worked. If it hadn't, I would have marched straight to Lord Stark and asked him what in seven hells he did to his daughter to cause her to be so angry with him. Maybe now that she is speaking to me she'll tell me herself.

"This one here?" I ask Sansa, holding out the gown for her to examine, "With the gold embroidery?"

"Yes," Sansa confirms, finally rising from her bed and approaching the vanity, where I laid out her underclothes, "Thank you. I would like my hair to look like the Queen's today. Do you know the style?"

"I do, my lady," I reply as I stand nearby with her dress, awaiting her signal. "I know it well. Which style of Queen Cersei is your preference?"

Once Sansa has donned her dark blue dress with gold accents, which she made herself, so she told me proudly, I stand behind her to fix up her hair. It is already so beautiful, it does not need much styling. I do as the young lady wishes though, and part her hair at the top, twisting one strand of hair into a braid on one side and the other strand into a braid on the other side. The two braids meet at the middle, in the center of her head, nearly at the nape of her neck, and then they are wrapped around each other and piled on top of the head. Some hair is left loose at the bottom, and split in the center so that it may cascade down the front of her shoulders.

"There we are," I announce as I pin the last strand of hair in place at the top of Sansa's head, "Just as beautiful as the Queen, even more so, my lady, if you promise not to tell."

Sansa's blue eyes widen for a moment, and I hope I haven't made a mistake in joking with her in this way. She then meets my eyes in the mirror and smiles sweetly. "You don't mean that," She insists, "But thank you, Mari. I won't tell Queen Cersei you said so."

"Are you ready for breakfast?" I ask once she has slipped into her shoes and I have straightened her bed. She nods, and I open the door, motioning for her to step out into the hall first, "Let's go, then. We don't want to miss it."

On our walk down to the dining hall, Sansa asks me many questions. "Where are you from, Mari?" She asks first.

"I am from the Reach," I tell her, deciding to answer truthfully. I won't tell her who I am, of course, but I trust her father, so I wouldn't feel right lying completely. "I was born not too far from Highgarden."

"Were you a handmaiden there?" Sansa wonders, "Did you serve Lord and Lady Tyrell?"

"No," I reply, "But I have been to Highgarden. I served the Lady Olenna Tyrell once."

"You did?" Sansa seems enthralled, "When? What was she like? Have you met Margaery Tyrell? I heard she's absolutely gorgeous; the most beautiful Lady in all of the Reach."

Ah, yes, my cousin Margaery. She certainly is pretty; also pretty conceited and spoiled, if you ask me. I don't say this to Sansa though. I simply answer all of her questions as shortly as I can, "Well, it was some years ago; when I was fourteen. I served Lady Olenna Tyrell here at the Red Keep, when she visited for a summer festival. We were here only a week." This is all true, as well. I have been here only once before, and I did act as Grandmother's handmaiden. It was in hopes of marrying me off to some lowly lord living in King's Landing, but it did not work out. I can't say that I was too disappointed. "I have seen the Lady Margaery as well. She is beautiful, but that is all I know of her."

"I wonder if Prince Joffrey has met her," Sansa states absently, worry written across her features, "I wonder if he would prefer to marry her over me. Do you think that he would change his mind?"

Sansa is betrothed to Prince Joffrey Baratheon? I was not aware of this either! Why would Lord Stark allow his daughter to be married to such a worm? He is insufferable!

"Do not worry your pretty head with such nonsense," I suggest, "Lady Sansa, you are beautiful and lovely and should not think such things."

"Thank you, Mari," Sansa sighs in relief, "I don't know what I was thinking sending you away earlier. I think you will be much nicer company to have than simply my Septa's...or Arya's. It will be nice to have you around as well."

I smile in return as this makes me very happy. I am so very glad to hear that Sansa does not mind my company and will keep me as her handmaiden. "I am glad to hear it. I find you good company as well, Sansa." I suppose I should have said 'my lady', but Sansa doesn't correct me.

"Do you have any brothers or sisters, Mari?"

Sansa is back to the questions now. How far is this dining hall?

"I do. I have one sister. She is exactly one year younger than me, and I miss her very much." I can see her face now if I close my eyes; in fact, even when they are open. I think I see her everywhere, and I expect to find her any moment, but it is only my eyes playing tricks on me. She remains elusive, and if she is here, she has not revealed herself to me yet.

"What happened to her?" Sansa asks, staring at me intensely with blue eyes, as though she can see on my face I am not simply missing my sister because of long distance.

"She..." I hesitate, scrambling for an answer that is appropriate to tell Sansa, but doesn't reveal me for who I truly am, "She was lost, years ago. She was stolen from my family in the night, and we've never seen her since."

"Oh, Mari," Sansa gasps, covering my hand with her own and squeezing comfortingly, "That's awful. I am so sorry."

"It's all right, Sansa," I smile delicately, "I still have hope that we will find her someday. Maybe it will be soon."

"Maybe..." Sansa agrees, although I can see that she doesn't mean it. She has no hope for my lost sister, but she doesn't know what I know.

-*-*-*-A-Tale-Of-Magic-And-Monsters-And-Lords-*-*-*-

The Red Keep as well as most of King's Landing has been busy, busy, busy preparing for the Hand's Tournement the past few days. I was unawares there would be a tournement, but that is most likely because I had left the Reach and Grandmother Olenna before news arrived of the tourney. It will take place tomorrow and the day after that. Of course, Sansa is excited to be attending her very first royal tournement, but Ned wants absolutely nothing to do with it. He says it may be called the 'Hand's Tournement', but it is really the King's Tournement.

"Oh, I can't wait!" Sansa squeals as the two of us stroll through the castle gardens on our second day together, "It is sure to be the most exciting two days of my life. I heard one of the Queen's ladies say that Ser Loras Tyrell, the Knight of the Flowers, has just arrived this morning! Do you think he will win? I think he will; he is said to be one of the very best swordsmen in all of the Reach."

"In all of Westeros," I correct, trying very hard not to appear as though I am a fish drowning out of water. Loras, my cousin Loras, is going to be here in King's Landing? He is here in King's Landing? This could be very, very bad for me. Loras knows who I am, that I am his cousin, and that I should be with our Grandmother and not here in King's Landing. "I suppose that means he has a very good chance of winning, my lady."

Sansa tugs on my arm, which she has looped hers around, and chastises gently, "I thought we were past the 'my lady' formality, Mari?"

"I'm sorry. I was distracted," I explain. "It won't happen again. Unless, of course, we're in the company of the King or Queen."

"Good," Sansa states, "Because you are more of a friend than a handmaiden." She smiles at me happily. I don't think Sansa Stark has made a friend yet in the Capital, and I can see that it pleases her to have me at her side.

"As are you, Sansa," I return the compliment. "Your name day is coming up, is it not?"

"It is," Sansa beams brightly, "Only one moon away. Then I'll be fourteen. I wonder if father will let Joffrey and I start planning our wedding after my name day."

"Sansa," I warn, "Fourteen is still very young. There is no need to rush into a marriage with Prince Joffrey. He is young as well. You both need time to grow older before you get married."

"I don't want to wait," Sansa insists stubbornly, "I am ready to be married now. I want to be married."

"What happened to being too angry with your father to speak to him?" I remind her of what she said yesterday. "Hm? Do you think he'll be pleased to marry off a daughter who doesn't wish to speak to him ever again?"

Sansa pulls me to a stop again, looks over her shoulder to ensure we are alone, and then shares dramatically, "He killed Lady."

I blink a few times before shaking my head. "I don't understand. Who's Lady?"

"My direwolf!" Sansa cries, nearly close to tears, "Father killed her because the King found her to be an unfit pet for a princess. Arya's wolf attacked Joffrey, but then she ran off, and so my perfect, sweet Lady was punished in her place. It isn't fair. She did nothing wrong. I want her back!"

I pull the younger girl into my arms for a hug, soothing her with gentle words, "Shush now, Sansa, it's all right." I go over her words in my head once more before concluding, "Your father had no choice; he is the Hand to the King, and he must do what the King tells him to do. Certainly you understand. You are betrothed to Prince Joffrey now, so that means you may have to do or say things that you might not necessarily agree with, but because of the role you play you must obey."

"I know that it is what King Robert ordered," Sansa admits as she sniffles into the shoulder of my dress, "But Father didn't even try and argue with him. I only wish that it didn't have to be my Lady. It was Nymeria's fault. It was Arya's fault." Sansa concludes darkly.

"No, no," I pull away, looking her dead in the eyes, "Stop now, Sansa. It is not your father's fault and it is not Arya's fault. What happened to Lady is unfair and it is very sad, but it was an order by the king, and as a future queen you must learn to support any and all decisions made by your king."

Sansa blinks away the tears threatening to fall from her bright blue eyes before nodding her head. "Yes, Mari. You are right. I am sorry."

"No need to apologize to me," I tell the sweet girl, "But perhaps you could speak to your father after supper? He wants your forgiveness."

"Fine," Sansa agrees, "I suppose I will forgive him." After a long pause, in which we resume our stroll, she adds, "But it won't bring Lady back."

-*-*-*-A-Tale-Of-Magic-And-Monsters-And-Lords-*-*-*-

Sansa did as I asked and talked with Lord Stark after supper, telling him that while she missed Lady and would always think of her often, she also missed her father and wanted him back. She apologized for giving him the silent treatment, and thanked him for finding her me. Ned is pleased that I have had such an easy time warming up to Sansa, and he asked that I now try and get Arya to forgive Sansa, since it seems the younger Stark girl is angry with her older sister. I wasn't as surprised this time to learn there is more conflict in the Stark family; it seems coming south has caused them more problems than they thought it would.

When it is time to help Sansa ready herself for bed, I try and dig up some dirt on the fight that occurred between Sansa and Arya. "You father tells me that your sister has started dancing lessons," I comment as I loosen her hair from the tight braids I did this morning. "How fun that must be for her."

"Yes, I'm sure she is having a grand time," Sansa replies, her voice full of sarcasm, "At her 'dance lessons'." She exaggerates the word dance as she rolls her eyes around in her head. Then she looks at me sharply and states, "I wasn't supposed to say anything..."

"You haven't," I point out, more confused than anything. I do make a guess though, "Arya isn't actually taking dancing lessons?"

Sansa hangs her head and sighs, "No. She'd never take dancing lessons. Father has her training with a sword, as if she'll grow up to be a knight or something. It is absurd, but that is Arya; she wants to be the exact opposite of me in every way. There's not even a small bit of lady in her." Again, Sansa looks as though she shouldn't have said that, and she pleads, "Don't tell anyone I said that, Mari. It could get my family in quite a bit of trouble here in King's Landing."

"I know," I agree solemnly, "But don't worry, I won't say a word. I swear it."

I bid her a goodnight soon after and retreat to my bedroom to get some rest. Tomorrow is the first day of the Hand's Tournement, and also the day I will have to try and reunite the Stark sisters. Hopefully, it does not prove a difficult task.

As soon as I close my eyes, I begin to dream...

Snow falls all around, swirling around me in circles and making me dizzy.

Up ahead, two figures are walking, both wearing black clothes of the North.

The taller asks the other, "And what of my sisters?" He demands to know, "What happens to them?"

"I don't know," Replies the small one, who is a girl. Her voice sounds so familiar...

"Ashlin?" I whisper and the wind carries away my voice before even I hear it.

"We're not going to make it," The man insists, "There's not enough-"

"Shh!" The girl who I believe to be my sister stops her companion when she shoots out her arm and grabs him. She holds a finger to her lips, I can see from her profile, and then slowly turns her head in my direction. She speaks in a hushed voice, "Someone's there."

The wind starts to pick up, howling all around us like wolves, and causing the snow to fly up into the air. It's a blizzard! I've never been far enough north to experience one before.

Suddenly, there she is; Ashlin! She's right in front of me, inches away, and reaching out for me. She is wearing boys' clothing, and her honey-colored hair is plaited in one thick, long braid that is trailing down her left shoulder. She pauses, her fingertips so close to my cheek I can almost feel it. She frowns.

"Are you really there?" I nod; I can't really believe it myself. "Who are you?"

I reach up for her hand and press it to my cheek, holding it there as I answer, "It's me, Ashlin, it's me. Your sister. Mariene."

-*-*-*-A-Tale-Of-Magic-And-Monsters-And-Lords-*-*-*-

Storm

"I'm not Ashlin. My name is Storm," I tell the girl with the auburn hair, whose dark honey brown eyes - that almost match mine - have filled with tears. "I can't be your sister."

"No," She insists confidently, "You aren't Storm. You're Ashlin, Ashlin Rose of House Tyrell, and you're my baby sister."

She pulls me close and hugs me tightly, promising, "I can't believe I finally found you, Ashlin, I am never letting you out of my sight again. I swear it. I missed you so much."

Then, all of a sudden, she fades away and I'm holding onto nothing but air and snow.

I wake up from the strange dream feeling confused and hopeful at the same time. Could the girl from my dream, Mariene, really be my sister? Could she be right, that my name is Ashlin Rose Tyrell? I don't know if I can believe her though because she was only a dream; it was only a dream.

At least it wasn't a nightmare. I reach down for the wolf laying at my feet and ruffle his ears. Ghost must have kept the bad dreams away for me. He snorts at me for waking him and then stretches his long wolf legs.

"'Morning Ghost," I smile, copying the wolf and stretching my own arms and legs. When I sit up, Ghost sits up. Then he jumps off the bed and walks over to my bedoom door, sitting down and waiting for me to let him out. "All right," I tell him, "Wait a minute."

I almost forgot - Today, Jon and I are leaving for Winterfell!

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