Lord Rickard Stark

His daughter was gone, missing, disappeared in the middle of the night without a word or a note. One of her maids had gone to wake her one morning five moons ago and found her bed empty, her room devoid of a few clothes and the room tidy, as if Lyanna had not been in it at all. The whole of Winterfell had been in uproar searching high and low for his daughter, and it had been Benjen who had found the rose, a blue winter rose that was Lyanna's favourite attached to a cloak, a cloak of red and black and that was when Rickard put two and two together.

He had not gone to Harrenhal, there had been some matter of import that he had needed to deal with but his children had gone, Brandon had travelled from Riverrun, Lyanna and Benjen had left from Winterfell and Eddard had come down from the Vale. Though he had not been there he had heard all about the tourney. Word of Rhaegar's crowning his daughter as Queen of Love and Beauty had reached his ears from a raven Brandon had sent him from Harrenhal itself, and there and then he had had some unsettling feelings about it all.

He could still remember the words he had read in his father's journal all those years ago. The Dragon shall take the wolf, and the realm shall bleed because of it. Back then he had not taken the words seriously, why would the Targaryens try and kidnap one of his children or relatives? They were on good terms, now though he realised he had mistaken the words for the King's family, when in fact he should have been looking at Summerhall and the family of Aerys Targaryen. Rhaegar Targaryen it was said was a great dreamer someone who spent more time in his books than in the practice yard, still Rickard had a suspicion as to why Rhaegar had chosen his daughter, that damnable prophecy again.

Brandon had returned from scouring for Lyanna, in a deep seated rage and had wanted to ride to the Red Keep with all haste and demand Rhaegar come out and answer for what he had done. Rickard had quelled that notion with a look and had merely said. "That will do nothing but get you killed son. Aerys will not take that lying down no matter you are the king's best friend." It was true Aemon Targaryen had not so far been able to remove Aerys from his power as regent and so the realm continued on in awkward limbo, something made worse by what Rhaegar had done.

Thankfully the King had the sense to write to them and tell them that he had sent Ser Gerold Hightower and Ser Oswell Whent south to look for Rhaegar and Lyanna, though whether or not they would be found was another matter. It was evident that Rhaegar would not take his daughter to Summerhall nor to King's Landing, that would be too obvious the question was where would they go and what would they do once they go there.

Some part of Rickard was deeply frustrated that his daughter had decided to shrink her duty and run away with Rhaegar, for he knew that Lyanna would never allow herself to be forcefully taken somewhere against her will, even with a blade pressed to her throat she'd fight until the bitter end. The fact that there had been no sign of a struggle suggested to Rickard that his daughter had left willingly with Rhaegar Targaryen. And Rickard did think he knew why, she had been against her betrothal to Robert Baratheon the heir to Storm's End, saying to him that the lad was a drunken sot who would never be faithful to her, she had continued voicing her protests and yet Rickard had not listened. His ambition was more important than what his daughter wanted, besides he had met the storm lord once and had thought that perhaps Robert Baratheon would be a good potion for Lyanna's own brand of wildness, though the more he thought of it now, the more he came to regret ever having her betrothed. He would be happy just to have his little girl back, regardless of what she had done, she was still the little girl who had come to him for a story and had come to him when she had hurt herself playing, she was his flesh and blood and he loved her.

Prince Rhaegar however, had his full anger. The prince was a grown man who was already married with two children, he should have known better than to run away from his own responsibilities to his family and to the realm. The man he knew was book obsessed but this, this was not something even his father could forgive such a dereliction of duty, and if it were for that blasted prophecy, Rickard swore to the old gods he would carve our Rhaegar's heart and offer it to the gods as a sacrifice. The man should have known better, thank the gods the king had the sense to send Princess Elia to Summerhall where she would be protected.

Rickard had written to Jon Arryn and had asked for Eddard to come home, it was time for the pack to join together and end the separation that he had enforced on them. Eddard had always been a solemn boy, now he was a solemn lad who Rickard knew was consumed with worry for Lyanna, though he did not vocalise it like Brandon did, he was still deeply troubled and worried. Brandon fumed and rode and fumed and disappeared for long periods of time only to come back angrier than when he had left, Rickard knew not what to do about his eldest son other than ensure that he did nothing rash or something that could get him killed.

"My lord," maester Walys' voice returned him to the present.

"Yes maester?" Rickard asked.

"You wished to see me?" the maester replied.

"Yes, yes I did."Rickard said bringing his thoughts closer together. "I want you to send a raven to Storm's End."

"Storm's End my lord?" the maester asked.

"Aye Storm's End. I will be ending the betrothal between Lyanna and Lord Robert Baratheon." Rickard said.

"Are you sure that is a smart idea my lord? After all the betrothal has been floating around between yourself and Lord Steffon for nearly two years now." Maester Walys asked.

"Aye I am sure. Even if Robert Baratheon wishes to marry Lyanna once this whole fiasco is over, Lord Steffon will no doubt find some pretext with which to break it on, after all he is prickly about his honour and that of his house. I shall not let my houses be humiliated in that manner. No I shall tell Lord Steffon that until I have my daughter back any talk of marriage between our two houses is of the cards." Rickard replied.

"Very well my lord." The maester said. "Would you like me to send anymore letters?"

Rickard was silent for a moment deep in thought before eventually saying. "Yes send one to Lord Hoster. Tell him we should move the wedding forward, after all we live in uncertain times."

"Of course my lord." Maester Walys said bowing, but before he left Rickard said. "If you see my wife and Brandon tell them I wish to see them."

The maester bowed and left and then a few minutes later his with Arya and his eldest son Brandon entered the solar. His wife was still breathtakingly beautiful to him even now, they were both old and he was growing bald, still she looked divine. "You asked for us father?" Brandon asked.

Rickard sighed. "Sit down both of you." Both his wife and his son sat down in the chairs facing him. He sighed again and then said. "I have instructed a raven to be sent to Storm's End, announcing to Lord Steffon that the intended betrothal will no longer happen. I have also asked for your wedding to Catelyn Tully be moved up a few moons. We live in uncertain times and now is not the time for us to dither."

Brandon grinned then, but Arya, oh so perceptive Arya spoke then her voice laced with concern. "Is that the wisest course my love? After all the Baratheon words aren't something less menacing than our own for a reason. Surely it would be best to wait out this whole debacle and then see what the situation is."

Rickard sighed. "Normally, my love I would agree with you. However, I believe that there are certain things that might convince Lyanna to keep running from this marriage until we all are dead. I do not believe Rhaegar kidnapped her rather she went willingly, to avoid marrying Robert Baratheon or even being betrothed to him. She mentioned that she was not happy with the potential match, and I did not take her seriously and thought she would do her duty. But it seems the wolf blood was too strong in her for that. We must preserve ourselves for what is about to come and we cannot do that with our reputation in tatters."

Brandon spoke then his voice heated. "So Lya left home with that silver haired bastard to escape the betrothal? I understand not wishing to wed someone, but surely there were other methods to do it than fleeing with that bastard. We cannot let this stand father; Rhaegar Targaryen took advantage of Lyanna's fears and has used her. She will only get hurt."

Rickard sighed. "What would you have me do Brandon? I will not charge into the Red Keep. Doing that will only get us killed, Aerys Targaryen has a firm hand there and not even King Aemon has as yet been able to remove him. No we shall wait and see what the Kingsguard find, and then once Aerys is removed from power we shall demand justice for what Rhaegar has done."

"That is the most prudent course my love." Arya began. "Has there been any word from King's Landing since the king sent that letter?"

Rickard shook his head. "There has been no news from King's Landing. Though my sister Anna has sent word from Castamere, it appears as though Tywin Lannister has asked about wedding his son Tyrion to one of their daughters."

Brandon laughed then. "The short one? What was his name Tyrion? Lord Tywin must be having a laugh if he thinks Uncle Loren will let one of his daughters wed the imp."

Rickard was about to reprimand his son when Maester Walys entered the room. "My apologies for interrupting my lords and lady, but there has been a letter from King's Landing."

Rickard nodded and took it from the maester, as he read it he had a sinking feeling. "What is it my love?" his wife asked. "What does the letter say?"

Rickard looked up from the letter. "It appears Aerys Targaryen has acted. He staged a coup in King's Landing, the city watch killed Prince Viserys, and King Aemon has either fled or is dead. Aerys demands that we come south to pay him homage and give fealty to him as our rightful king."

Brandon stood up then his voice laced with anger. "Surely you cannot mean to do so father." His son all but shouted. "Aerys Targaryen is a mad man whose son took advantage of Lya. Surely you cannot mean to go south to King's Landing."

"Calm yourself Brandon," Rickard said. "I do mean to go south," Brandon began protesting, and Rickard silence him with a look. "But not alone, Aerys wants me to pay him homage, so be it. Let him face the homage of 20,000 northmen's swords. Maester Walys send the ravens out, we march south, and we march to war." It seemed somethings were destined to be, Rickard looked at his wife then and nodded, it was time.