It wasn't Lyanna fighting with swords in the library tower that shocked him, he had discovered her the week before. She had her hair in a mess while charging at their younger brother. He didn't want to spoil his sister's joy then but he did want to warn her about the dangers of what she was doing. She wasn't hurting anyone, but it still had the potential to affect her reputation.
Ned tried to think about what his father would do if he found her. He would most likely lecture her on how dangerous it was to be participating in such activities and compare it to the horse situation. Rickard had been ranting about it a little while after Cersei had just arrived. He'd said if Lyanna wasn't careful she'd earn a lot more than a broken leg from her boyish endeavours.
Ned had to look at the scene before him for a short while before he noticed the head of blonde curls in front of him. She was wearing a woollen day dress and had her hair down. Her back was straight as she appeared to be watching his younger siblings. Ned felt his cheeks flame when he recalled what he'd seen in the godswood, the image of her back arched with her head thrown back and her mouth forming an 'O' shape. He cursed himself for thinking such things, for remembering such detail.
His sister's expression shifted from focused and enraged to worried when she saw Cersei and confused when she noticed Ned. Her mouth dropped open and her sword clattered to the ground. She exclaimed that it wasn't what it looked like. She looked over at Ned with slight confusion, he guessed it was because he promised not to come again when he'd caught her the first time.
The Lannister girl turned then, her eyes carefully regarding him as he stood in the doorway. He avoided her stern gaze, looking only at his siblings. "Ben, you're late for training."
Cersei shuffled on the spot and moved her arms to cross over her chest, her chin high, "Lord Eddard, you look as if you've seen a ghost."
He refused to look at her. He could feel his cheeks hot with embarrassment as he thought about what he'd really seen. He answered simply, "I've seen much worse,"
He met her eyes then and her brows met in the centre of her forehead in a knot. Her lips parted slightly as her arms started to unfold and then she looked back to Lyanna. Lyanna was looking at him with an expression of slight rage on her face. She stepped forward in his direction and pleaded, "Please Ned! Let him stay… I want to practise for longer…" Her voice was wary and unsure, her hands fidgeting in front of her.
With wide eyes, she turned to Cersei and took a step towards her. "Please don't tell Father… he would be angry with us. He said he didn't want me to participate in anything like this after the accident…"
Cersei looked as if she was fighting a smirk. "I won't, I'm just surprised about you doing this in a library."
Lyanna flushed, "It's the only place father wouldn't see… I always come here before the Maester wakes."
Cersei nodded and said, "I see."
All was silent for a while. Ned saw Benjen get up behind the girls, rubbing his lower back as if to alleviate the pain he'd received from fighting Lyanna. Lyanna's hands stopped fighting before her and instead she tucked them behind her back. "Would you… like to stay and watch?" she asked politely, tilting her head to the tables next to the bookshelves.
Ned nodded, "Of course."
He made his way over the table and sat on it, the wooden surface firm and flat beneath him. Cersei looked confused at first but walked over to the table too eventually. She didn't sit on the table, instead she sat in one of the chairs. Ned cursed himself as he realised how improper it was to sit so informally in front of a lady. He didn't move though, it would be no use now.
Lyanna smiled over at them and then nodded to Benjen to make sure he was ready. She picked up the practice sword that had fallen to the ground earlier and held it firm, her knuckles white around the handle. She gracefully moved on her feet as she swung the wooden weapon. Ben raised his and the two swords met in the air with a thudding kiss.
He smiled at his sister's attempts, she was learning well. He looked at the girl on the chair beside him and she seemed to be watching the fight but not with interest. Her eyes were focused on Lyanna's bad leg. Ned watched that leg too, Lyanna was putting all her weight on her left one as she moved swiftly. He didn't worry, not too much. After all, the Maester had said it would be okay to go without the cane from now on and that the bone was healing nicely.
"She's good," the voice beside him muttered.
He was surprised by that and he turned to face her. "Do you think so, my lady?"
Cersei gave a simple nod. Her posture was straight, her neck delicate and graceful like a cat. No, a lioness. Her hands were folded neatly in her lap as she continued to watch Lyanna and Benjen. Her eyes seemed to have a hint of concern in them as they followed Lyanna's feet.
"She knows her footwork, our Lyanna. You mustn't worry," Ned commented, hoping to be reassuring to Cersei.
"I see," Cersei said.
Ned continued to narrate Lyanna's moves as she sparred with their brother. He spoke of the things he had learned from his father, Brandon and books. He stopped talking when he realised she did not care. Her eyes briefly flicked in his direction when he stopped, as if she was wishing for something but did not say. Instead, she folded her arms over her chest and leaned back in her seat, ridding of her proper posture.
Ned cursed himself, his confidence waning. Of course she would not care for something such as swordfighting. She was from the south, ladies in the south did not care for such things. His knowledge and skills on the subject would not be significant. He felt like a fool, a blubbering idiot.
The fight seemed to come to an end when Lyanna struck one of Benjen's legs, sending him to the ground.
—
As they walked towards the great hall Ned spoke to his younger brother, trying to educate him about what failed him in the fight. It was still dark but not as dark as it was when he had gone to fetch Benjen. The sun rising above the towers of Winterfell coloured the sky purple.
Benjen nodded along to Ned's advice. When Ned had finished speaking, Ben ran to catch up to the girls. Cersei and Lyanna swayed away from each other, making room for Benjen in the middle. Lyanna seemed to laugh at something he'd said and Cersei looked back at Ned. Her eyes drifted away once more as she wrapped her cloak tighter around her shoulders.
They entered The Great Hall and Brandon was sitting at the table, looking up at them with a confused expression across his face. "Where were you?" He asked, tearing off a bit of sausage from his fork with his teeth and his eyes flickering from Ned to Ben.
Ned was going to say something, make up an excuse but Cersei beat him to it. "Lyanna treated us to a bit of a show," she said as she sat down at the table, resting her elbows on the wood.
Brandon looked even more confused at Cersei's statements and then looked to Ned. Ned shot Lyanna an apologetic glance in case she may be upset but she did not look it. "Lyanna and Benjen were sparring."
His brother's face went blank, processing the information slowly in his mind, then his face broke out into a laugh. His siblings sat down at the table, Lyanna beside Cersei and Benjen beside Lyanna. "Father will not be pleased," Brandon commented, his tone rather amused.
"Indeed," Ned agreed and sighed. He did not want to think about his father's reaction to Lyanna's activities, especially so soon after her accident and while her leg was still healing. He sat down too, beside Cersei. He was surprised that she did not shift away from him. She seemed quite content sitting next to him, her cruel gaze seemed almost nonexistant.
Soon, Brandon rose from his seat after he'd cleared his plate. "I must take my leave, unfortunately. I have business with Father," he nodded to the group then walked over to Cersei. He took her hand and kissed it, earning a grimace from Benjen and a look of interest from Lyanna, before leaving.
Lyanna and Benjen talked while they ate, thick as thieves, although Cersei seemed to be idly poking at her food. She put her fork down and turned to Ned. He was embarrassed of her catching him staring, but she still asked, "Your father will not be happy? I heard it was normal in these parts of the country for ladies to fight with swords?"
"Normal?" Ned chuckled softly, looking down at his food and then back at Cersei. Her eyes were purposeful and confident, staring back at him, "I wouldn't say it's er... normal. The North still has roles we fit into as men and women… just more carefree than the south, I would think."
"I see. Your father and Lyanna seem quite close," Cersei nodded, her voice dropping to a whisper. He could barely hear her over the sound of the obnoxious sniggering coming from the other side of the table. She took another bite of her breakfast and added,, "I doubt he will be angry. My father… I do not want to think about what he would do if he caught me doing something like that."
"Oh. You and Lord Tywin are not close?" Ned asked. He knew the answer, he didn't expect a man who slaughtered an entire house would have much affection for his family.
"No. We were, when I was little after my mother died. Jaime was always his favourite, his heir…" Cersei looked longfully into space and then said, "It does not matter. What is your relationship like with your father? Did your knowledge of swords and such come from him?"
Ned worried that what she had said was a trick at first. It was unseemingly out of character for Cersei to be interested in other people, let alone him. The second son. Then again, it was likely Cersei was merely trying to change the subject from her own problems. Nevertheless, he laughed in response and shook his head which seemed to confuse Cersei, "No. I was raised in the vale with Robert Baratheon. I learned everything from Jon Arryn, although Brandon has shared everything he has learned with me. I also learn from reading."
"And does that upset you, being a second son and learning through your elder brother?"
"No." Ned answered assuredly, "No. It's his birthright. I could never take that from him."
"I was not asking if you would like to be the heir, Eddard. I was asking if it upsets you."
"Oh, I apologise for the misunderstanding," he said quietly, "Mayhaps. Father treats me well enough but… sometimes I wish he hadn't sent me away…"
Cersei looked at him with pitying emerald eyes and he felt a sudden rush of warm blood in his face. "Forgive me, my lady. I did not wish to overshare," he shook his head.
"It's fine," Cersei stated matter-of-factly, placing a hand on his arm. His body began to get tingly at her touch, his heart squeezing in a tight way as if it was cowering in a cage. Cersei stood up and announced to Lyanna and Benjen that she was returning to her bedchamber.
"I shall see you out," Ned offered and Cersei narrowed her eyes at him but nodded.
—
Ned walked with his brother's golden headed bride towards the old doors of The Great Hall. "I did not think you liked me in the beginning, my lord," she commented, her voice smug. Ned was not sure what to say to that so he just nodded.
"What are your interests? I've told you mine." He asked, trying to make conversation. He rather enjoyed speaking to her, "I hear ladies of the south enjoy needlework? … do you?"
"Gods no," Cersei laughed sharply and Ned was unsure what was funny. She continued, "I do not like needwork. At the Rock I used to falcon."
"Falcon?"
"Yes. You were raised in the Eyrie, surely you know of the hobby?"
"Aye, I know about it. I did not expect you to enjoy falconry, you do not seem to enjoy horses or horse riding very much."
Cersei smiled at his observation, "I enjoy smaller animals."
"Dogs?"
"No. I do like cats though, there must have been hundreds of fat lazy cats at court." She seemed fond of King's Landing, her eyes lit up when she spoke of it.
Ned opened the door and the cold air hit them. It was snowing, piling up flake by flake on the ground. Cersei stepped back from the door, "It's freezing."
"Do you think you will make it back to your chambers alright?" he asked her.
"Not like this," she answered, gesturing to her outfit. She was only wearing a simple woolen day dress.
"Come here," he said, his tone somewhat authoritative. She narrowed her eyes at him but he shot her a soft apologetic look and she walked towards him.
He untied his cloak from around his neck and, as if on instinct, Cersei turned her back to him. He shrugged the cloak off and wrapped it around her shoulders. He could not keep his hands from shaking as he draped the black winter cloak around her. He smoothed it out and Cersei tossed her long hair to her other shoulder. He reached around to tie the cloak around her neck which seemed to tense and relax as Cersei took inhales of breath.
She turned to him when he was done and thanked him. "I will return this to you in the morning. Goodbye Eddard," she nodded, her voice unusually quiet. He said his goodbyes and she left, a spot of black vanishing into the white of Winterfell.