Wife of the Wolf, Husband of the Sun
Chapter Eight.
Elia blinked her eyes open when she felt the warm sun landing on her skin, she was surprised by how warm it actually felt in the room given how she know how could it was outside of the castle, but the large fur covers provided more than enough protection against the cold, the morning sun was warm enough if not quite as warm as she was used to and the man who shared her bed gave off more than enough heat on his own.
Ned's stern face had relaxed in sleep and Elia took another moment to realise how truly handsome he actually was, she wondered if all those who said he was plain or that his brother was more handsome by far would feel the same if they could see him like this or when he was locked in passion.
He was breathing steadily at first but he seemed to have sensed the movement in the bed, all that warrior's training no doubt, as he opened his eyes slowly and sat up in bed and smiled at her bashfully. "Good morning my lady, did you sleep well?" His voice was rough with sleep and it somehow just made him even more attractive to her.
"I think that I can safely say that it has been a very long time since I have had such a satisfying rest." Elia said with a grin that only grew wider as her husband blushed a deep red. Who knew that the fierce, cold barbarian could not only blush but would look adorable doing so?
"I...I hope that I did not hurt you My lady." Ned said quietly, he had enjoyed last night a great deal but looking back on it he realised that he may have been a little too rough, his beautiful wife was a fragile looking thing, like a statue made of marble that would break into a thousand pieces if it fell on to the floor.
"You did not Ned, and I told you can call me Elia. I am far stronger than I look I can assure you." Elia leaned in and pressed a kiss to his lips, smiling inwardly as she felt him kiss her back.
They stayed their for a while, simply enjoying one another before there was a quick knock at the door. "Elia? Lord Eddard? Might I come in?" Ashara asked from the other side of the door.
Ned and Elia pulled apart and Elia couldn't help but sigh in disappointment. "Yes Ashara, come in." She called as Ned used some of the blanket to cover himself with as Ashara walked in, a folded up dress in her hands.
"Lord Rickard has asked that you both come down to breakfast, I said that I would fetch you both." Ashara said, keeping her eyes firmly on Elia.
"Yes of course, ah, pardon me Lady Ashara." Ned said bashfully as he stood out of bed and quickly grabbed some clothes from a chest and threw them on, Ashara risked a glance and saw his muscled back before she turned her head back to her friend and smiled in approval.
Once Ned was fully dressed he turned to his face his wife and her lady-in-waiting. "I shall see you both at breakfast, Lady Ashara, My La-Elia." He caught himself and smiled when he saw Elia smiled and then left the room, closing the door after he left.
"Well, certainly not bad to look at." Ashara said with a grin before she turned to look at her best friend. "So, how was it? How was he? Is he wielding a dagger or a greatsword?"
"Ashara!" Elia shouted, trying to sound offend but she couldn't keep the smile off her face or stop herself from laughing. "You are utterly terrible, even by my standards!"
"You still haven't answered my question and I am not dressing you until you do." Ashara said with a smirk as she held the folded up dress close to her chest, as if she was holding it hostage.
Elia sighed and shook her head. "He was fine, I enjoyed it a very great deal and...everything is well in proportion to everything else! May I please get dressed now?"
"Of course." Ashara said as Elia got out of bed, she unfolded the dress out on to the bed. It was a more subtle affair compared to her wedding dress, it was a pale yellow with billowing sleeves and green embroidery around the sleeves and the bottom of it's skirt.
As Ashara helped her to put it on she spoke. "So, what are the sleeping arrangements going to be? Will you be sleeping with your Lord Husband every night because I must say that I did not hate how roomy our chamber was when it was just me and Lauryn in there."
Elia shook her head and rolled her eyes. "I think that, most likely, I will be sleeping in my husband's chambers most nights. So, yes you basically have that chamber all to yourself."
Ashara could not hide her grin nor did she try to. "This breakfast should be interesting, I know that Lord Robert and Lady Catelyn, as well as Lady Lysa, have been invited to attend it and considering Lord Robert's reputation and knowing Lord Brandon I think you should be prepared for a few tasteless jokes."
"I am more than prepared." Elia said as Ashara finished dressing her. Elia sat on the bed and Ashara climbed on behind her and began to style her hair.
As Ashara ran her fingers through Elia's hair something came to Elia, she knew that it wasn't any of her business but she had to know. "Ashara, how do you know Lord Brandon exactly?"
Ashara's fingers stilled for a moment before they resume moving through her hair. "I've seen him at various tourneys and feasts and we have spoken once or twice, why Elia?" She asked as she picked up a dozen or so strands of hair and began to twist them together.
Elia closed her eyes and sighed, she had to ask. "Is there something I should know about you and Lord Brandon...and Lauryn?"
For a moment Ashara was silent and Elia was worried that she had offended her but then she felt something wet dripping down on to the top of her head. She turned her head to look over her shoulder and saw that Ashara had tears running down her face and her shoulders were shaking widely.
Elia turned around and gently pulled her friend into a hug, as soon as Ashara was in her arms she broke down sobbing. She rubbed her back and gently hushed her to try and calm her down. She knew the truth now and her heart broke for her friend, how it must hurt to watch the man you loved marrying some one else.
Even now it still hurt to think of Rhaegar marring someone else and Ashara had it even worse, being forced to watch as the man she loved had to spend time with his soon to be wife.
All thoughts of the breakfast left her head, for now all that mattered was that her friend was upset.
Lyanna was incredibly bored and hungry as well, her father made it clear that could not eat until her brother's new wife and her friend arrived at the table. She wouldn't mind too much if the food wasn't already on the table! Just a few inches away from her...
Bacon burnt black. Freshly baked bread straight from the oven that it was still hot to the touch. Fresh beans and baked fish that had been caught just this morning and tender sausages and eggs that had the yokes still runny and dark ale and oatcakes and suddenly her dislike of her goodsister grew even more.
The others at the table didn't seem to care or even notice that she was hungry and fidgeting, even Benjen who was younger than her was sitting still but that was probably because he was in direct view of their father while she was sitting next to Robert which was not helping her mood at all.
Ned had just turned up and he seemed happy enough, from the moment he sat down Brandon and Robert began to grill them for details about the night before and Lady Catelyn and Lady Lysa both blushed at every dirty word like the perfect little southern ladies that they were, it was pathetic.
Ned thankfully spared her from having to hear anything by simply ignoring his brother and best friend's questions and he simply asked Lady Catelyn and Lady Lysa if they were enjoying Winterfell.
At that moment Elia and Ashara walked in and Lyanna realised that she had probably kept them waiting on purpose, she was a princess after all and technically out ranked them all, what better way to make sure they remembered that by keeping them waiting?
"Pardon us for being late, we couldn't get this dress tied up no matter how much we tried." Elia said as she sat down at the table next to Ned and Ashara sat down next to her.
Lyanna was the first to put food on her plate as soon as they sat down, she was certain that she could feel her father's eyes staring into her with disapproval but at the moment she was too hungry to care, everyone else began to pile up their plates and soon they were tucking in.
"Tell me, Princess. Have you written to your brother to tell him that you are have arrived?" Rickard asked as he looked at his new gooddaughter.
"I did goodfather, I wrote a letter to my eldest brother and sent it via a rider, he was specifically attached to my host to send back word that I've arrived but I imagine that it will be a while until the letter arrives." Elia said as she quickly and cleanly cut through a sausage with her knife.
Rickard nodded before turning to his eldest son. "Earlier this morning I received a letter from Hoster Tully, Lady Lysa, you are to return to Riverrun however Lady Catelyn, you're father wishes for you to stay here for a few moons."
"Why?" Brandon asked. "Not that I am complaining of course my lady." He said quickly to Catelyn before she reached the obvious conclusion.
"Because he believes, and I am inclined to agree with him, that it would be better for the two of you to get to know one another before you actually marry one another." Rickard said firmly. "Now, if you will all excuse me." He said before he stood up from the table and left the hall, his breakfast left half finished on his plate.
Lyanna stood up from her plate and grabbed her last rasher of bacon. "I am going to go riding." She said as she popped the bacon into her mouth and began to walk away from the table.
"Perhaps I could join you Lya!" Robert said happily as he stood up from the table and Lyanna had to resist sighing in annoyance, she knew that it wasn't really fair but she had heard all of the stories about Robert Baratheon and all of his bastards and she was not interested in marrying anyone anyway, least of all him.
"Forgive me Lord Robert, but I prefer to ride on my own, please excuse me." Lyanna quickly left the room before Robert could say anything.
Robert looked more surprised by how quickly Lyanna left then by anything else, Ned once again couldn't help but feel sorry for his friend but even so he couldn't blame his sister too harshly, she was just afraid that Robert would continue his whoreing ways even though Ned knew that he wouldn't once he married Lyanna.
"Ned! Why don't we go and spar for a bit!?" Robert shouted and clapped his friend on the back harshly, so hard in fact that the bit of bacon that was in his mouth went flying across the hall, causing Brandon and Benjen to laugh.
Ned wiped at his mouth and then nodded before standing up, he could do with a good fight. He was good at fighting, better than politics and ruling, fighting was simpler and easier everything was obvious, you know what you had to do to keep on top of it and you didn't have to worry about watching what you say or worry about offending some random lord.
"Would you and Lady Dayne like to come and watch Elia?" Ned asked, knowing it was the polite thing to do and that Dornish women often had more interest in combat than even northern woman.
"I would Ned, but I think I shall refuse this time. I started some needle work in the wheelhouse that I would quite like to get finished." Elia explained and Ned nodded.
"I think I'll come with you." Brandon said as he stood up, he turned his head to look at Catelyn. "Another time my lady." He said with his charming smile before he followed his younger brother and his friend out of the room.
Benjen stood up from his chair. "Can I come with you!?" He shouted excitedly.
"No Benjen, you have your lessons with the Maester and you don't want father yelling at you because you missed them, do you?" Brandon called over his shoulder and Benjen sighed before leaving the room to go to his lessons.
"Cat, would you mind helping me with packing? Cleary I'm not going to get to stay as long as I would've liked." Lysa said with a sigh as she stood up, Catelyn nodded and the two sisters left the room.
In a matter of moments the two Dornish women were alone, Ashara raised an eyebrow. "I get the feeling my dear friend, that living here is going to make us appreciate our families back home a lot more."
Elia sighed heavily and shook her head as she realised how right her friend probably was.
End of Chapter Eight
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