It was late evening. Yarrow had seen the dark look Grandfather gave the letter. To their sorrow, they had a good idea what this had been about. Alannon - Father – had left for the tourney at Harrenhall. It might have been six years, yet they had not forgotten that piece of information and what it meant. War.

Last night Yarrow had woken up, drenched in sweat and mind full images of getting roasted alive by a big dragon. The night before, green flames, the Reach burning. Father, Uncle Andrew and Mathis, the Crane Cousins, their various distant kin, all of them could die. Only the Florents, if they remembered right, wouldn't involve themselves.

Mother had the children, all three of them, sitting by her side. She had kept them close after father left. Three pairs of pale eyes looked up at her with wide, tear filled eyes. "Please", they begged, "Another story!" Briar's lip started to quiver, Yarrow gave their best puppy eyes and Aspen sniffled. Their mother's resolve was broken by three adorable children.

"Many years before our time, a maiden sweet as summer and yet wilder than wildfolk rode through

the Reach. A swarm of bird flew overhead, their call calling her, her heart. So wild and free, she yearned. She rode after the flutter of wings and bird calls, she rode and rode, across the fields of autumn wheat and golden roses, beyond the shore of the lake, blue and clear in sunshine. And there awaits a crane with feathers of gold. He awaits she, she who is of green blood.

The Crane called out to her. 'Come with me', he sung, 'Fly far far away with me, so high you can touch the stars'. The green daughter stood at the shore. 'No,' she denied him, 'I cannot for winter is coming and those of my blood have need of me.' So she rode away, with a yearning heart, but as dutiful daughter.

Winter came and passed. She heard the bird sing, singing of their return. And her heart yearned. On the shore a crane with feathers of gold, the lake blue as her eyes. 'Come,' he asked, 'Let the wind carry us and sing our song'. The green daughter denied him once more. 'No,' she said, 'I cannot for war has come to my lands and those of my blood have need of me.' So she rode away, with a yearning heart, but as dutiful sister.

War came and passed. She watched red blood spill until blue turned red. And her heart yearned. The green daughter stood on the shore of a red lake, pale roses the colour of her eyes in full bloom and waited. There was no Crane with feathers of gold. Fear gripped her hart – and – then a lone bird sung and so she followed, deep into the godswood. 'Come', he sung, 'And be my bride'. Beneath the heart tree, a man with golden hair awaited her. She fell into his arms and he into hers. They spoke the words and so he cloaked her with his feathers."

"Was that Rose?" Briar frowned. She had fallen in love with Rose of Red Lake since she first heard of her. It was adorable.

"Some say so.", answered Mother "We have many different stories from the beginning of our house. They are not always clear."

Briar tilted her head. "Why?"

"Because people wrote them down many years after the events happened. They are fairytales and legends. We don't know if any of those stories truly happened. Our house has passed down those stories to us, but could you retell this story word for word tomorrow? No.", explained Elowyn.

Aspen and Briar agreed.

To House Crane, knowing the many legends of their and other Reach Houses was important. Everyone took a certain pride in their mythical beginnings, no matter how much magic had faded from memory. Of course, some stories had been rewritten – there was one that said the Maiden gave Rose the Gift of Shapeshifting to hide from her many suitors. Yarrow doubted it was true, yet they did not know, not truly.

The door opened. Father and Grandfather were standing there. Alannon looked bad, to put it simply. Deep shadows were under his eye, his beard was longer than usual and his tunic was dripping wet.

"Father! Uncle!" The three children ran up to greet him. He grinned, "Hello sweetlings." He kneeled to hug them, then stood up and greeted his wife with a kiss.

"What happened?", asked Yarrow.

"Just a bit of rain.", Alannon forced himself to smile, "How have you been, my dears? Did you behave for your mothers?"

"We totally behaved!" protested Briar. Yarrow and Aspen nodded along.

Alannon gave them a sceptical look. "Are you suuure?" He winked.

"Yes!"

He laughed at them. "Good. You will be getting your gifts tomorrow, alright?"

Briar looked ready to complain, but Yarrow nudged her and shook his head. She pouted, but did not say anything.

"Elowyn, darling, will you please bring them to bed?"

She looked surprised at that, for a second. "Of course." She ushered to three of them out of her chambers.

The moment the door closed behind them, Alannon started to pace. "The prince crowned Lady Stark", he exclaimed, "I saw it with mine own eyes!"

"Yes, son, you wrote me of this.", Lord Crane sighed, "Now, what does that mean for our house?"

"Hopefully nothing." He laughed. "Hopefully." He shook his head. "No – You should have their eyes. You should have seen the Princess' eyes. She hid it well, oh, so well, but she had that look in her eyes, it spoke of murder."

Alannon paused for along moment, expecting his father to voice his opinion.

"If everything goes perfect, it will stay with eyes. If anyone does anything stupid, I will pray it stays with hidden blades."

Lord Crane agreed. "It does not concern our house."

The two exchanged a silent look. Let's hope, it said, it will stay this way.