Author's Note: Here is the next chapter! Thank you for all the follows and favorites ^.^ I hope you all like this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Game of Thrones or anything you recognize from it. I own Lyrina.
Chapter 15: Family.
Lyrina's P.O.V
She hated Joffrey more with each passing hour, but she knew soon she would be gone from him. Once she was with Robb the bastard could never touch her, never hurt her again and that was what she held on to. She had saved Robb's father, and now his sister was saved as well. She knew she could not tell Robb the truth, not yet, she would have to wait until she was sure her brother couldn't steal her back. But she knew she would tell him his father was alive. She would just need to wait for the right moment, and hope in the mean time he didn't look at her like it was her fault.
When Lyrina returned back to her chambers she could not help but smile, the room was almost empty. All her books were packed away, all the dresses she wished to keep were gone, everything she wanted to bring home was ready to go. Her trunk would no doubt be loaded onto the cart, along with Sansa's things ready for them to leave in the morning. As she stood in her room she began to laugh, Joffrey thought he had won, he did not know how wrong he was. She was not broken, he hurt her yes, but she was still strong. She did what she had to do to ensure what she wanted, she played the game and she won. He would not realize until she was long gone that he had been played, and she had won. Sure she would have scars, and the fear of him will live in her forever but she had won. Winning always came at a price.
She stripped herself, and began to apply the stuff her brother had given her for the cuts. She did not know how he had gotten from the maesters but she did not care. The ointment felt cooling on her body, and as she applied it the stinging subsided greatly. She was thankful most of the cuts were not deep, and would fade soon. The deep ones, the ones that would scar were easily hidden under her dress. She knew she would have to explain them to Robb, but she would come up with something. After applying the ointment to the deep cuts on her thighs, Lyrina took cloth and wrapped the wounds. She did not know much of medicine but she knew she should wrap the wounds. It did not take long for her to wrap them, and soon she was in her night dress ready to close her eyes in Kings Landing for the last time.
"Hello Princess." Lyrina turned to face her balcony as a voice spoke to her.
"Who are you?" She was strong, her voice was rigid and she was standing her ground.
"I am a friend of your family." Lyrina did not like the tone in the mans voice and as he stepped in from her balcony the light in her room illuminated the dagger in his hand.
"How did you get in here?" She was sure her room was empty when she entered it. She had not checked, and she did not have a guard outside her door.
He didn't answer her he just kept coming into her room, causing Lyrina to panic. She did not know this man, and he had a dagger.
"Look, if you don't leave I am going to scream."
"Go ahead your guard isn't there." She knew he was right, but she could run out of her room. She was closer to the door than the man was.
So without a second thought Lyrina ran for the door, opening it and running straight into someone else. On instinct Lyrina screamed and went to punch the person in front of her but she was thrown out of the way into the hallway. When she looked back at the door she heard a grunt and a thud but all she could see was the back of the hound.
"Are you alright, girl?" The hound turned to where Lyrina was standing in the hallway, she was shaken. She looked at the man who was holding a bloody sword.
"Did you.. Did you kill him?" She felt as if she was going to be sick.
"He was going to kill you." He sounded so certain, and Lyrina knew he was right.
"Who was he?" She tried to look anywhere but toward her chambers, she did not want to see the body.
"I do not know, one moment." She heard the hound shuffling around, and she could only imagine what he was doing. "He is carrying a letter, my guess he was going to put on your dead body."
"Who is it from? Give me it." Lyrina needed to know who wanted her dead. The person said they were a friend of her family. Could that have meant her mother, her uncle, her grandfather, the Lannisters were not below hiring assassins to do their bidding.
"No." The hound continued to read of the letter and Lyrina tried to grab it from the man but he pulled away. He was much taller than her, making it very difficult for her to grab the letter. "It says it is from your uncle Renly, but I do not believe he was the one who sent the man."
"What..?" Lyrina could not believe her uncle would send someone to kill her. She had not seen him since the death of her father but still, the man had been kind to her. "No..he wouldn't do that. He was my father's brother, we spoke, he was kind."
"I told you I do not think it was him. Your uncle is thriving for the crown, he wants the glory of it, but he would not kill you to get it." She felt sick.
"Than who? Why would someone put his name on it if it wasn't him?"
"It is rumored he is working with the Tyrells. They are more glory and power hungry than your own family." She had not met any of them other than Ser Loras briefly. She knew her uncle was kind though.
"I just don't understand."
"I will get rid of the body, you go sit down. I will bring you some water,girl."
She stepped over the pool of blood on her floor and found her way to her table. Why would someone want to kill her? Her uncle had no claim to the throne and neither did she. They would gain nothing by trying to kill her, Lyrina was just the sister of the king, and future wife of the warden in the north. Even if they believed the rumors of her mother and uncle, Renly had no claim to throne. Even if they killed Lyrina, Renly still would have no place as king. She could not imagine that someone would just want to kill her, she was glad she was leaving.
"Here you are, girl." The hound placed a pitcher with water on her table before he went to clean up the blood.
"Thank you, for saving my life twice today." Lyrina would have been dead two times over if he had not stepped in. She could admit the first one would have been her own doing, but she had to stop Joffrey somehow.
"It is what I was asked to do." When the hound was done with the floor, Lyrina watched him get ready to leave.
"Can you stay for a moment?" She wanted to talk to him.
"I too have to get ready for the morning, princess."
"You're coming with us? Why?" Lyrina could not imagine the man would be received well at the Stark camp. She knew Robb would not be pleased in the least.
"Your mother bid me to go with you, and I am protecting you."
"I know your loyalty is to the Lannisters, to my Grandfather. I don't need your protection where I am going." She didn't, she would have Robb. He would have his family back and the war would end. He would take her back home to Winterfell and everything would be as it should be.
"My loyalty is to you now. My loyalty was to your mother's family but your father made a better offer. I also do not care for your brother." Her father could not offer the man anything, not anything the Lannister's could not give him.
"I don't know what my father promised you, but he is dead and I know my mother's family could pay you better. I will not risk you harming anyone in that camp." She could not risk him harming Sansa, or Lady Catelyn.
"You do not have a say in if I go, princess. If they wish to forbid me then they may, but I will be by your side until then." She watched him leave, she still was skeptical of him but he did save her life.
After calming down from the attack Lyrina made her way into bed, finally ready to get some sleep. She had dreaded sleeping for the last month, her dreams that were once filled with Robb were replaced with horrid images of her brother. She would not let him win, she would not let her fear of him control her. She had gotten exactly what she wanted, he could not hurt her anymore. Lyrina laid in her bed, her eyes slowly drifting closed when the door to her chamber was opened and closed. She felt her body stiffen, afraid that Joffrey had come to exact more torture on her or someone had come to kill her again. Lyrina tried to steady her breathing and fake sleep, maybe who ever was there would go away.
"My sweet child, I am sorry." It was her mother's voice that fell upon her ears, and for a moment she thought of opening her eyes. Lyrina was sure her mother knew what Joffrey was doing to her, she was sure that her mother didn't care. "I won't be at your wedding, and I wish I could be. I never wanted you to marry that man, the northern man. You deserve someone better, you are my child, you deserve everything."
Her mother touched her hand and Lyrina kept herself still. She was curious as to what her mother had to say to her while she slept, she knew they were the words she would not say in a normal conversation.
"I never wanted any of this to happen to you, then again I never wanted you. You knew that though, you saw it in the way I acted, in the whispers people spoke about me. I am sorry. I was your mother I should of tried harder. I pray to the seven you are taken care of until the time comes for you to return home." Her brother had told her mother of the plan. He must have, there was no way her mother would agree to the marriage, and the comment about her coming home sealed the notion in her mind.
"Goodbye my sweet child." Lyrina felt her mother kiss her head before hearing her leave. The relationship with her mother was fake, they both kept up appearances but she knew what her mother said was real.
"Lyrina, please wake up." Lyrina rolled over groaning, she did not sleep well at all. Her sleep was filled with nightmares, nightmares of being locked in the torture chambers buried deep in the dungeons. Nightmares of never seeing the light of day again, of never seeing Robb or his family again. "We are leaving now."
"I am up Sansa, please." Lyrina opened her eyes to see the red head sitting on the edge of her bed overly excited.
In the month since she had first asked her brother to let her marry Robb, Lyrina had convinced Sansa to come with her. She knew the girl did not want to marry Joffrey, she was just blinded by some kind of sick love she felt for the prince. Lyrina broke her away from that, and now that Joffrey was willing to let her come with her, Sansa was excited.
Lyrina tried to shoo the girl from her chambers so she could change in peace but Sansa refused to leave. She just kept rambling on about how she was looking forward to seeing her family but Lyrina could hear the sadness in her tone. She was sad over her father and Lyrina wished she could tell her the truth, but she knew Joffrey would find out somehow.
"What are those?" Lyrina had tried to get dressed as quickly as she could, and with her back to Sansa but the girl still caught a glimpse of the cuts on her sides and calves.
"Nothing." Lyrina pulled on her riding pants and tunic before turning back to Sansa.
"Lyrina.." She heard the worry in the younger girl's voice but she just smiled.
"I am alright Sansa, don't worry." Lyrina picked up the necklace from which was still sitting on her now empty bookshelf. She knew she could once again wear it. "Help me with this?"
Once Sansa helped her put the necklace back where it belonged both girls shared a hug. They were going home, well they would be soon. First they would go to Robb's camp and Lyrina would convince him to return to winterfell. He could stop fighting in the war, he would have no need to fight any longer. Soon Lyrina would be back with Bran, Rickon and Arya, it would be like nothing every happened. Except Bran couldn't walk and Lord Stark was believed dead all because of her family. Nothing was the same, but Lyrina could wish it was.
"Lady Sansa, would mind if I had a moment alone with my sister. I will make sure she meets you down by the cart soon." Lyrina felt her body grow cold when his voice filled the room. She did not show her fear, she did not want Sansa to sense it.
"Yes, my king." She watched Sansa go to leave but Joffrey stopped the girl. He placed a small innocent kiss upon her lips.
"I will miss you, my sweetling. I am sure it will not be long before you come back for our wedding." Lyrina felt her skin crawl, she did not want them to marry. "Enjoy your visit with your family."
"Of course." Sansa gave Lyrina a worried glance before shutting the door behind her.
Lyrina found herself alone with her tormentor once again, but he would not gain the upper hand this time. She was leaving and there was nothing he could do to stop her now. Joffrey did not move toward her, and she did not move toward him. It felt like they were playing a game, seeing which one of them would give up control first.
"What was that with Sansa? We had a deal brother, she is coming with me, she is going home." Lyrina was not going to let him play his sick game, but she knew how to remain calm.
"I said she could go with you, yes, but I did not say she could stay. Mother and I both agree that I will still marry her, she is still of use to us."
"She is not an object you can move as you please, brother." She was standing her ground, but she knew it would backfire soon.
"Sister, you have become awfully bold, maybe we should have a repeat of last night." She felt sick,she did not want him to touch her again. She could take him cutting into her skin, but when he kissed her or just touched her bare body it made her hate herself.
"No, I am sorry brother. I didn't sleep well. I need to finish getting a few things together before I go so if you would be so kind as to leave." She kept her voice docile, passive but she did not see him move toward the door.
"I will wait."
She hated him, she really did. She was leaving in minutes and he still could not give her any peace. She felt like since the moment she was reconnected with her brother he made sure she knew he was there, lurking. She gathered up the last of her belongings, her cloak and the medical supplies she had left. She knew she would run out along the way, she would only hope she could find more once they got to the camp, if not before.
"Sister." His voice was sickening as he came close to her.
"I am ready to go now." Lyrina tried to move around and toward the door but he grabbed her hand. He was not forceful but she knew he wanted her to stop moving.
"Sister, I want to say something to you first."
"Of course." She smiled at him, she knew it would be something about her marrying Robb, about the plan the two had in place.
"I am going to miss having you here." He stepped close to her, their bodies only inches apart. Lyrina held her breath. "You will be good while your gone, won't you? You will do as we discussed,and you will make sure out secret about the traitor remains between us?"
"Yes, brother."
"Good. Do to tell the wolf I said hello." Lyrina winced as her brother reached out and rubbed his fingers against her thigh. The cuts from the night before began to sting, and Lyrina felt tears prick in her eyes. "Goodbye,sister."
Joffrey leaned down and kissed Lyrina once more on the lips before she practically ran out of the room. Lyrina would not feel safe until she was in the camp with her love beside her.
Each day closer to the Stark camp, was a day closer to their freedom. Sansa would get more excited with each passing day, but Lyrina found herself apprehensive. Robb would know his father was dead, that would be all he knew, and she couldn't tell him otherwise. He would surely be unable to look upon her with anything other than disgust.
"You haven't written anyone in some time,Lyrina. I got ravens from Arya, and others at Winterfell claiming they have not heard from you in over a month." The girls were hours away from the camp when they took a break beside a river. Lyrina needed it.
"I know, I was busy and Joffrey would not allow me to contact Robb." Truly her brother forbid her from sending any ravens, it was part of their deal.
"Well I am sure when we get to the camp you can send ravens to them, Bran misses you a lot and the boy Gendry keeps asking Arya about you. She thinks he has a crush on you." Lyrina would vomit.
"He is believed to be my brother, so please I pray not." Both girls shared a laugh but Lyrina tried to fight back the pain in her thigh.
She had run out of her ointment a day earlier, and all the other cuts were fine except for one. Lyrina reopened one of the deep cuts in her sleep by scratching at it, and now she feared an infection. The cut burned, and itched something wicked but she could not do anything about it, not with Sansa constantly hovering over her. She did not want the young girl to see the horrors Joffrey placed upon her just for their freedom.
"Lyrina, how did you get over it? How did you deal with your father passing so easily?" They were laying in the grass and Lyrina looked over at the girl. Lyrina felt bad for her, her father was still alive.
"I didn't, I just had to pretend I did." I've had to a lot of pretending.
"Why? He was your father, you don't have to pretend it didn't hurt." But she did, so many other things happened soon after, Lyrina didn't get the proper chance to mourn her father.
"I had to Sansa, I had to focus on getting us out of there, on keeping you safe." She reached over and took the girl's hand in her own.
"Do you think it will ever get easier? Missing our fathers?"
"I would like to think so, but I don't have the answers for you. It's been months since my father passed, and I still can't help but want to cry at the thought of him." Lyrina didn't let herself mourn his loss truly, she never let herself break down and grieve. "But we will get through it, we are strong."
"We have each other." Lyrina looked at the girl, there was sadness in her eyes but a fire behind them.
"We do."
Lyrina laid there with her feet in the grass just enjoying the feel of it. She felt free for the first time since leaving Winterfell,she felt truly free. She felt Sansa let go of her hand and Lyrina looked over to see Lady, the direwolf,come up to them. Her brother had kept the wolf locked away, far away from Sansa, but he had continued to let the wolf live. Lyrina believed he had done it because their father demanded it, and her brother was always seeking his father's approval even in his death. She was glad he had kept the wolf safe, it kept Sansa happy as well. Maybe Joffrey kept the wolf not out of kindness but because he would plan to use it to torment the young girl one day.
" I can't wait to see my mother, and brother. I have missed them so much." Lyrina was glad to see Sansa had given up on the wicked dream of marrying her brother. She knew that Joffrey would try to take her back, but she knew the Starks would never allow the crown to take anyone from them again.
"Do you think they are going to be mad at me?" Lyrina could not contain her worry any further. She had been holding back her fears since they had left the capitol. She ran the risk of the family she cared for not even wanting to see her.
"Of course not, Lyrina. Why would you think that?" Sansa was sitting up now, facing her with concern.
"Because my family has done nothing but try to destroy yours, Sansa. My uncle may have been the one to push Bran, my other uncle tried to have Bran killed, my brother had your father killed. My family has done nothing but tear yours apart, if my father had never come to Winterfell everything would have been better for your family. My family destroys everything in their path, and I am one of them." Lyrina was breaking, she was losing her composure. The pain of the last month came washing over her. She knew she was alone with Sansa, she knew she was safe to let it out.
"Lyrina, you are not your family. When I look at you I don't see the king's daughter, or Joffrey's sister. I see the girl who had plans of running away with my sister, I see the girl who my older brother slowly fell in love with, the girl my parents helped raise. No one in my family is going to hold you responsible for the acts of people you barley knew." But Lyrina couldn't believe that. Joffrey had told her, he had told her they would hate her. She failed the family who took her in, she had left them and let one of them die.
"I couldn't protect your father."
"Lyrina you almost died for him. I do not know a single other person who would do something like that, except for maybe Jon or Arya."
"My brother did it anyway." Lyrina felt defeated, and she couldn't control it anymore. For almost a year she had started to learn how to act. She learned how to be the good Lannister child in public but now the months of bottling everything up was killing her.
"Your brother is a monster. The day before we left, after he had my father killed he showed me the head. He showed me the head of my dead father, telling me that I would never be free of him. He taunted me, had his men hit me. Lyrina, he told me that he would have Robb's head before the war was over, and that no matter how far we ran he would find us." Lyrina felt sick. She did not know Joffrey had done any of that, she had hid in her room. She thought if Joffrey tortured her, he would leave Sansa alone.
"I didn't know, I am sorry."
"Lyrina it's not your fault, but we can over come this together. I know he hurt you, I know where those cuts came from." Sansa was holding Lyrina's hand, and she just felt so broken. She was supposed to protect Sansa and she failed that too.
"I..I had to." She had to let him do those things to her, she had to. She thought they would keep Sansa safe, she thought they would lead to her freedom. She was wrong, she would never be free of him.
"Just know your not alone." Lyrina was the one who was supposed to protect Sansa, she was supposed to be helping her, yet the young girl was helping her.
"Are you girls ready?" They both turned around to see the hound standing there in the trees. He had given the girls their privacy, and had not been rude the whole way. Lyrina was beginning to believe he was indeed on her side.
"Come on, let's go see our family." Lyrina stood up with Sansa, and began to pull her along. It was going to be her family too, once she let herself fall back into the comfort of them. She had to let go of the last few months and move on forward.
By the time they reached the camp night had begun to fall, and Lyrina's thighs were burning her. Riding a horse did nothing good for her, and she just hoped one of the healers would have something she could use to make the pain stop. Sansa nearly jumped off the horse they shared when they came within sight of the encampment. Lyrina herself felt a small amount of excitement, she was going to see Robb again. Their last encounter had been hard at first but she knew this time would be better, she would not have to let him go.
"Nice to see you again, M'lady." They were stopped by Roose Bolton and Lyrina could feel him staring at her.
"You as well, Lord Bolton." He seemed surprised she knew his name, and it brought Lyrina satisfaction. She looked over at Sansa who was scanning the men she could see, looking for her brother. "Sansa, take Lady and go see if you can find your family. I will be along shortly."
Lyrina did not have to tell the girl twice, because before Lyrina could blink the girl was walking off with the wolf behind her. She smiled to herself before looking back to Lord Bolton.
"I would like to apologize for my behavior last time,M'lady. I was just trying to ensure my Lord's protection, if I had known you were.."
"It is more than alright, Lord Bolton. I just hope we do not have a mix up like that again." Lyrina was surprisingly good at diplomatic speaking. She could make him believe she did not regard him with anything other than respect, which was not that case.
"I was asked to escort you to your tent, M'lady. I will have some of the men bring in your things shortly." Lyrina wondered why Robb was not there to greet her, but she would wait to ask. She watched Bolton's eyes land on the man behind her.
"This is my personal guard, Sandor Clegane, the hound."
"I know who he is, M'lady." She could hear the coldness in his voice, she was sure everyone knew who he was.
"I would like him to stay as my guard until Lord Stark says other wise. If of course you do not have a problem with that, Lord Bolton." She could see he was taken aback by her authoritative tone.
"M'lady, he has killed many people, including those of Lord Eddard Stark's guard."
"I am aware, I was present in the room when it happened, Lord. I am well aware of what the man has done, but he has also saved my life." She was still weary of him but she did not want to be alone in the camp yet. Not until she was sure she was safe.
"I assure you no harm will come to you in this camp, M'lady. We all know you are here as a friend of Lord Stark, and bringing his sister back was a surprise to us all. He will no doubt be very grateful when he returns." So he wasn't even in the camp. She knew he was aware of her impending arrival. Had he left on purpose?
"I am sure I am safe, but I insist on Sandor staying with me. You can take his sword if you worry for the safety of the men." She held her hand out waiting for Sandor to place his sword in her hand. She didn't know if he actually would, but she was on a roll of being like an actual princess. She heard the hound sigh before she felt the hilt of the sword in her hand. She closed her hand around it and instantly regretted it. The weight of his sword almost pulled her to ground, she had to let go.
"I see. Well let me take you to your tent,Lady Lyrina. I am sure you need rest." Lord Bolton picked up the sword from the ground and Lyrina felt like a child. She had never held a sword a day in her life, and now that evident.
Lyrina followed the man looking around the camp, it had seemed to get larger from her last trip, but then again they had also moved. They had been able to cross the twins,and once more Lyrina wondered what Robb had to bargain in order to cross. No doubt it was more than gold, gold Frey could get from her mother's family. She could hear the men whisper about her and the hound as they made their way through the camp. She could not imagine they were happy to see her, but all the men she locked eyes with smile at her.
"Here is your tent,M'lady. Lord Stark is a few tents over, I am sure when he returns in the next days he will be glad to see you." She smiled at the man, he was still cold to her but she could kill him with kindness.
"Thank you,Lord Bolton. Could you do me a favor, could you find a healer that would have something to clean a knife wound?" The man looked upon her with confusion but she was not going to explain to him.
"Of course, M'lady. I would be careful with bringing the stranger into your tent, there is a guest inside."
Lyrina was confused on who would be in her tent, she had not even been in the camp long enough for anyone to know it was hers. She looked to Sandor, and bid him to stand watch while she entered the tent. She had not gotten a foot into her tent before a wild beast pounced upon her.
"Grey Wind,down." The wolf had gotten much larger than the last time she had seen him. She smiled as the wolf sat staring at her. "So you're my guest."
Lyrina laughed to herself, Robb had left his wolf behind for her to feel comfortable. He had at least thought of her before he left. She found some peace in that fact, but she still wished he had been there for her himself. Lyrina made her way over to the small desk that was placed in the corner of her tent, it was filled with parchment, more than enough for her to write the ravens she would need to. She needed to sit down until someone could bring her something for the cuts, so she would write while she waited.
Lyrina started by writing to Arya, she told the girl all about their trip to the camp, she told her a lot of things. She apologized for her father, and she told her they would see each other soon. She wrote to Bran and Rickon almost saying the exact same things. She told Bran she was proud to hear he was riding, and she was proud of him for not giving up. When Lyrina began her raven to Jon she told him everything, almost everything. She told him about the vile things she had to do to save herself and Sansa, she told him of the plan she and her brother had made. She knew he would not judge her, she knew he would understand her. She gave him her regards about his father, she wanted to tell him the truth, she wanted to tell him to go to Eastwatch, that he would be there but she didn't. She feared what Joffrey would do if he found out. She told Jon she missed him, and that once the war was over she would ride up there and see him, no matter what Robb said.
"Lady Lyrina." She looked up from her raven to Jon when she heard Lady Catelyn's voice.
"Lady Catelyn." Lyrina went to stand up the Lady stopped her.
"No, no you rest. Sansa told me the trip was hard on you. Thank you, thank you." Lyrina could hear the tone her voice, the woman was almost in tears. "You brought my daughter back to me when I didn't think I would see her. You saved my daughters."
"I would not have left without her, never. I am sorry about Lord.."
"No, Lyrina it is not you fault. Sansa told me you blame yourself, she told me what you did. You tried to save him Lyrina, that is more than I could have asked of you." I saved him.
"I know, I just, it's my family that has caused you all this grief Lady Stark. My blood, my family." She looked back down at her letter to Jon, it was her family that caused everything.
"They are not your family,Lyrina. Family does not leave their own family away for over a decade, they don't just give up on them. You are part of our family, and that will be more official when you marry my son."
"Of course, Lady Stark." Lyrina did want to believe her but she was still battling her own inner demons.
"Lyrina, I am going to be your mother by law, you do not have to call me Lady Stark. I am Catelyn to you." Lyrina felt herself blush, she was embarrassed. "Are you finally getting around to writing to Arya, I feel she has become impatient."
"I am, Sansa has informed me my ravens have been missed. I am writing to them all, it's been over a month since I sent one." She could not help but smile, maybe it would be okay.
"Arya will not stop writing about the boy you sent her home with, Gendry. She says you two are very similar in looks, I think she may have a small crush on the boy." Lyrina could not help but laugh.
"Lord Stark believed that Gendry was my father's bastard son, swore by it actually. I can see the resemblance looking back I suppose, he is a good boy."
"My son has offered him a spot in his army, if the boy wants it." Lyrina did not see the point of that the war for Robb was over. But she was not going to bring that up, not yet.
"I am sure he will take it if he wishes, I am about to write to him as well. I imagine if he is the true son of my father I should get to know him." She hoped she would have better relationship with him than she had with Joffrey.
"Of course you should. He is enjoying Winterfell, and I hear that Bran finds his company enjoyable. Bran informed me that the boy has all kinds of stories to tell him." Winterfell sounded like it was once again a happy place and Lyrina could not wait to return there.
"I am glad." She finished up her letter to Jon, asking him once more to keep it between them.
"You should get some rest, I think even Sansa is already asleep. I wanted to give you this though, Lord Bolton said you requested it." Catelyn handed Lyrina a small container and she opened it to find an ointment. "It's not as good as something a maester would put together but it will keep it from getting infected."
"Thank you so much." She was thankful she would have something to apply to wounds.
"Have a good night, Lyrina and I will see you in the morning. I do hope Robb returns soon, he misses you."
If he missed her then why was he not there for her? She understood he had a war to fight but he knew she was coming.
Once Lady Stark was gone Lyrina finished up the last of her ravens before sealing them. She would send them in the morning, and she knew they would get them shortly. She could not wait to visit Jon, and see everyone at Winterfell again. She was finally back where she belonged, but she wished she could shake the sinking feeling in her stomach. She had been happy once when she was back in Winterfell and then it was all taken from her. She did not doubt her brother would do something to ruin the new happiness she would find.
Before getting dressed for bed, Lyrina applied the new ointment to her cuts. It was not like what her brother had given her, instead of feeling cool on her skin it began to burn almost causing her to cry out. The pain was almost just as unbearable as before she put the ointment on but she knew she had to handle it. The pain soon faded, and she knew it would not be much longer till the cuts healed and gave way to scars. She could deal with the scars if it meant that she would never have to be in the same room as her brother again.
Just as she was falling asleep Lyrina prayed to the Seven, she prayed they forgive her for the lies she was telling, she prayed they forgive her for the sin she allowed her brother to commit with her. She wanted a clean slate again, she wanted to start over. She was back with her true family, she was back with the people who cared for her without condition, and she prayed it would stay that way.