Wife of the Wolf, Husband of the Sun
Chapter Thirty-Seven
The snows had come again, through thankfully it was nothing compared to the snow storms that had been battering Winterfell before now. Still, it had been falling steadily and it had covered the godswood like a blanket, the noise of the castle beyond the wood had faded like an echo.
Ned wasn't cold, due to the fact that he was wearing two very thick furs and had a torch clasped in his hand, it's burning flame a beacon through the snow. He had decided to get a head start, with the pretext that he wanted to make sure that the servants had all of the torches set up, but the truth of it was that he simply wanted to be alone.
It was for the best, he wasn't the best of company at the moment. The castle and the great hall were places of joy and he did not want to sup any of that, he did not think he would be able too. If he was to be honest then at the moment any joy he might feel felt like it would be something of a betrayal.
How could he be happy when his wife was so far away? Trapped and pregnant with his child. He couldn't be, that was the truth of it. It was a melancholy thought but as of late they seemed to be the only thoughts that he ever had anymore.
His family had not been blind to his poor mood as of late, Brandon had said that if he had silver hair and purple eyes then all he would need was a harp and a pout on his face and everyone would think that he was Rhaegar Targaryen. Ned loved his brother but at that moment in time it took everything he had to stop him from punching him in the face, he was certain that a good punch in the face might actually improve his attitude.
He hadn't done that of course, Brandon was a pain in his side and even more of a headache than Lyanna was but he was still his brother. Ned still loved him.
It was partly due to that love that had taken on this willing exile into the godswood, it was Brandon and Catelyn's night and he did not wish to spoil it for them. It had been agreed that the marriage would be held off out of kindness for Ned and Elia's plight, in truth Ned hadn't quite seen the point of it at the time, the kind gesture wouldn't get Elia back. He wasn't sure what could do that.
Still, he had appreciated the gesture for what it was while it had lasted. It had not lasted long however as soon enough a letter arrived from Riverrun, Hoster Tully was getting anxious about the fact that his daughter had not yet been married but was still living with her betrothed, gossip was beginning to spread around the Riverlands, Brandon's reputation was well known, much to their father's ire and the nature of the gossip had not been kind to Lady Catelyn.
And thus the last Raven from the Riverlands came with a demand that the wedding go ahead or he would send men to have Catelyn brought back to Riverrun and have the entire betrothal called off. That had been the end of it and the wedding was put back on.
Lady Catelyn had apologized for her father's harsh words but Ned could tell that she was glad that her marriage was to proceed, Ned did not begrudged her that. She had only come this far to marry Brandon and now she had been forced to wait simply out of sympathy for him and Elia.
At least she waited out of actual sympathy, it had been Brandon who had insisted on holding the marriage off and while Ned loved his brother he doubted that he had done it for altruistic reasons. His brother did not want to marry, it wasn't a flaw that he found in Lady Catelyn he just didn't want to marry at all.
It hadn't taken Ned long to figure that out and when he had he wanted to punch his dear older brother in the face, he had used his and Elia's misfortune for his own benefit. For the first time in his life Ned could truly say that he hated his brother. Ned didn't think that he had hated anyone before in his entire life.
But then as soon as he had thought that he remembered that the entire reason was happening was because of Jaime Lannister and then he remembered that he did indeed hate someone before he hated Brandon. His thoughts had been drifting quite a bit Jaime Lannister of late.
He had been dreaming about that moment when Jaime had placed that damn flower crown on top of Elia's head, he had wanted to reach out take it from her head and burn it to ashes but something stopped him from reaching out and taking it from her, it felt like his arms were being pinned to his sides by some sort of force.
From then on the dreams always turned out differently, sometimes the stands would empty and it would just be him and Elia in them with Ser Jaime sitting on his horse in his armour made of gilded steel. Then he would laugh in her face and draw back his lance and shove it through her heart.
Other dreams would have all the men and women in the stands burst into flames and Ned would lose sight of Elia in the smoke and while all of them were terrifying the one which struck a deep chord in him was when Jaime placed the crown on her head he would then lean down and press a kiss to her lips, and Elia would place her hand on the back of his head and drew him into a deeper kiss.
Before Ned knew what was happening, Elia was on the back of Jaime's horse with her arms wrapped around his middle and her eyes closed in bliss as they rode off into the distance. He would try to follow them, he would always try and follow them but no matter how hard he tried it seemed that he was never able to reach them.
When he had been a boy Old Nan had always used to tell him that all dreams were portents of the future, in one way or another. He had never used to believe her, he doubted that his dream about the moon turning into a giant wolf head was an omen of the future nor the one about fighting a knight with a fish tale where his legs should be.
But ever since he had the dream he had been worried, most of his bad dreams would plague his nights for weeks and weeks to come but the one had only occurred the once. That had thrown him and dread had been a constant companion as of late, he tried his hardest to cling on to memories of Elia so that he wouldn't forget her but it had been so long since he had seen her face.
He was beginning to worry that he would never be able to get her back. His father had promised that she had not been forgotten about but until his father was ready to make his move then Ned was forced to wait and with each day that passed he grew less and less certain that he would ever see Elia again.
He shook his head and took in a deep breath of the cool night air, trying to clear his mind of all his thoughts. The godswood was empty now as he had ordered the few servants that were still working to get everything ready back to the castle once they had finished, it had helped that he had tempted them with the idea of some spiced wine to warm them on this coldest of nights.
Ned slowly approached the weirwood tree, the light of his touch was reflected by the snow flakes as they fell, coating Ned in a comforting orange blanket. He knelt in front the weirwood, sticking his torch firmly in the snow. Once he was certain that it would not fall over he turned to stare at the carved face, the shadows cast by his torch danced across the weirwood's face.
He closed his eyes and listened, the wind blowing gently around him. He began to pray, he prayed for Elia's safe return and for her health and the health of their babe. He prayed for his to think clearly and act as soon as he was ready, he prayed this his mother was at rest, he prayed that Brandon would finally grow up and he would have a happy union, if only for Lady Catelyn's sake and he prayed because he thought that it might make him feel better.
Sadly, it didn't seem to and Ned let out a sigh as he opened his eyes and stared deep into the weirwood's eyes as it wept it's red tears. It was odd, he found the sight somewhat comforting. A weirwood only wept because it was alive and that thought cheered Ned, he was hurt but he wasn't dead and Elia was lost but she wasn't dead either. There was always hope.
It was odd but as he knelt silently in front of the weirwood, the wind almost seemed to sound like Elia. Delicate, but with a hidden strength that only a fool would underestimate and he could almost swear that he could catch a hint of her scent in the air, oranges and warm spices and the sun.
"I thought that you were already married? At any rate I thought that this was my wedding day." Ned breathed heavily before he picked up his touch and stood before turning to face his brother and the rest of his family.
Brandon was dressed in a black doublet and pale grey trousers and black boots with a grey cloak on his back that would soon take the place of Catelyn's bridal cloak, his brother's beard had been trimmed but was still large and more present than Ned's and as always looked handsome as ever.
Their father stood next to him and was dress in similar clothes to Brandon but his black doublet was fringed with grey and his hair had been pulled back into a tight bun. Ned would never say it out loud but he was somewhat concerned about his father being out in the cold, while most of his strength had returned to him since his heart attack the Maester was concerned that he could suffer another one due to the many stressful events as of late.
Still, his father was as stubborn as a mule and Ned didn't now wish to add to his stress by making a fight of it. He seemed better and now that he was finally getting Brandon married he actually seemed to be happy and he didn't want to ruin that for him.
Lyanna was standing behind her father and brother was wearing a dress of night black and adorned her neck with a simple silver chain with a small sapphire set into it, her black hair pulled back into a simple bun with two strands of dark hair falling down past her neck. She also was wearing a thick fur around her.
Benjen was standing next to Lyanna and was dress in basically the same that their father was wearing, he seemed to have little interest in what was happening as he kept his gaze low to his feet as his hand played with the hilt of his new sword, their father having finally allowed him to carry real steel instead of a practice sword. Ned tried to stop himself from smirking when he noticed Lyanna giving Benjen an envious glare.
"Brandon. Leave your brother alone." Their father ordered and Ned hated how he could so easily make him feel like he was a boy again, desperate for his approval. Lord Rickard glanced around the godswood, taking in all of the torches and other adornments before he gave a satisfied nod. "Excellent, just as a wedding should be."
"I don't remember Elia and Ned's wedding being the fancy, I mean yes we invited the banners and we had a feast but we didn't see the need to do up the godswood and the ceremony was private." Lyanna said as she knelt down and began to scoop up some snow and started to form it in to a ball. "Why are we going all in for this one?"
"Brandon is my first born, a certain sense of ceremony is required." Rickard plucked the finish snowball out of her hands and dropped it to the ground, with a glare he silenced her complaint before he turned to focus on Brandon. He reached out with both his hands and cupped his face as he stared into his eyes. "You are my son and I love you, and there aren't words for how proud I am of you. I know you don't want this but this is the way it's meant to be, you'll understand one day."
Brandon had turned pale and his eyes had gone wide and Ned could understand why, he didn't think he had ever seen his father act like this before in his entire life. Rickard Stark had never been open with his affection before so to see him like this was beyond odd, and while it was childish Ned couldn't stop a fire of envy from starting in his gut as his father had never acted like this when it had been his wedding.
Rickard pulled away and went to stand next to Lyanna, as soon as he stood next to her many lords and ladies began to fill into the godswood. Umber, Karstark, Bolton, Mormont, Ryswell, Dustin, Cerwyn, Hornwood, Locke, Manderly and a dozen other lords and ladies from other smaller houses from all over the north and they had all come for Brandon.
Once all the guests had taken their places silence descended on to the godswood and soon the sound of footsteps filled the air, Lady Catelyn strode into the clearing dressed in a white gown with sleeves of Myrish Lace and a white hood pulled over her red hair to shield herself from the snowfall, as she stepped closer to the weirwood she pulled down her hood to reveal her hair which had been done up in a southern style with small white diamonds woven through out her hair.
Hanging from her shoulders was the red and blue Tully cloak that would soon be replaced with the Stark cloak, as Lady Catelyn strode closer and closer to the weirwood Ned was certain that he could hear the muttering of various lords and ladies growing louder.
His father marrying off his three eldest children to southerners had not been a popular decision, Ned was married to a Dornish woman and that was as far south as south could get after all. Benjen was the only one left who was not betrothed and while he was certain that his father was going to marry him to a daughter of a northern house that did little to please the lords.
It didn't help that Lady Catelyn's dress was...clearly expensive, the North was the poorest of the seven kingdoms, right after Dorne, and while a certain amount of leeway was given when it was a wedding no northern house would spend the amount of money that had clearly been spent on that dress.
And soon she was going to be their future lady which Ned doubted would improve their mood at all, he knew that it wasn't fair and Lady Catelyn was a sweet woman who deserved a chance but most Northmen didn't hold any southerners in any high regard and now one of them would be their lady once his father had died.
Catelyn finally came to a stop in front of the weirwood tree and Brandon and Rickard went to stand in front of her. Rickard cleared his throat and soon all eyes were on him but he only had his eyes on Lady Catelyn. "Who is it who comes before the old gods this night?"
"Catelyn, of the House Tully, comes here to be wed. I am a woman grown, trueborn and noble. I have come to beg the blessings of the gods. Who is it who comes to claim me?" Catelyn spoke the words softly but with a certainty as well, Ned didn't think he could possess the sort of woman's courage that she had, Elia had it as well as did his mother.
Ned wished that Brandon knew how lucky he truly was, how blessed. He didn't think that his brother did though.
"Brandon, of the House Stark. Heir to Winterfell and the blood of the kings of winter, does come to claim her." Brandon said as he stepped forward and smiled down at his wife, being nearly a foot taller than her helped with that. "Who is it that gives her?"
"I give myself in the name of my father, at his command. Bitter snows and harsh waters dived us but all I do, I do in his name for the honour of my house." In the glow of the torchlight Ned thought that he could see tears welling in Catelyn's eyes but she did not allow them to fall and Ned felt his heart swelling in pity for her, it could not be easy to be wed so very far away from your home with your family unable to attend.
Elia at least had Ashara and it had been the Dornish noblewoman who had given her to Ned. It was just then that he realised that woman was nowhere to be seen anywhere in the clearing and that made Ned frown, she had not been ordered to attend but he had hoped that she would. At times it felt that she and her daughter were the only other people that cared that Elia was not here even if he knew that wasn't true.
But now that he thought about it was perhaps for the best that she was not here, his ears still rung with the revelation that Brandon had bestowed on to him that he was the father of Lady Ashara's bastard daughter. Ned did not think that the Lady Ashara would do anything foolish but he truly could not say the same for Brandon and the girl had enough northern features that it was possible that their bannermen might begin to ask questions.
Father didn't know but Ned didn't doubt that he suspected, he often spent quite a bit of time with the girl and would often spend it studying her face. The girl had grey eyes and a familiar looking nose but that alone didn't truly mean anything but he got the sense that his father was glad that for the moment Ashara and her daughter had chosen to stay in the castle.
The sound of applause drew Ned out of his thoughts and he realised with a start that he had missed the rest of the ceremony and Catelyn was now standing to her feet with his bridal cloak discard and replaced with the Stark one. A warm smile spread on her face and she reached down to interlock her fingers with Brandon's.
After the applause had died down the wedding party began to make their way back to Winterfell, chatting amongst themselves about anything and everything. It did not take them long to arrive back at Winterfell and once they did they all made their way into the feast hall where Ned and the rest of his family took their place at the high table on the dais.
A few others had been invited to sit on the high table with them as guests of honour, Lord Wyman Mannderly was one of them, his father had never liked him and he once called him a southerner who pretended to be a northman but he was also one of the most powerful bannermen as the lord of the only city in the North, besides Lady Catelyn seemed to like him and he entertained her with his ideas of holding a tourney in White Harbor.
Jorah Mormont was another one, as far as Ned could tell the man had been invited to sit at the high table to celebrate his new lordship since his father had gone to the Wall. Ned wasn't sure why but he did not like the man, he couldn't say why exactly but he seemed almost a little too at ease to him.
The first course came soon enough, a rabbit stew that had been thickened with carrots and onions and mushrooms all which swam in a thick brown gravy, served with a loaf of thick black bread. After that had come the fish, brought straight from the fish markets of White Harbour, then came a large pie stuffed with pork and filled with every vegetable that Ned knew the name of, by that point he was full and had put his fork down.
Still food came, another pie which was smaller than the last one and stuffed with beef and laced with bacon came out and Ned knew he had to take at least a view bites of it and once that was gone it came time for the sweet. It was a large cake, the size of a wheel that was filled with warm spices that made the tongue tingle and fruit that filled your mouth with juice as you bit in.
Ned managed to finish half a slice before he was certain that there was no more room in his stomach and he had to push his plate away, Benjen was not far behind him and Lyanna just managed to finish an entire slice before she had to give up as well. Somehow, Lord Wyman was able to go on to second slice and his father barely seemed to notice any food, his attention was on Brandon and Catelyn.
Catelyn's attention was on Brandon as well and while Brandon was speaking to her Ned could tell that his brother's mind was a thousand miles, and wishing that his body was there too. Suddenly it had gotten too hot for Ned inside of the feast hall and he asked his father if he could go outside and get some cool air, his father seemed concerned but with a nod he gave him permission to go and so with that Ned stood and strode out of the hall, as he went he nearly smiled when he heard Lyanna say that she felt warm as well but their father said no as soon as she said that.
Once Ned stepped outside into the cool night air he took in a deep breath and let it fill his lungs, the feast hall had been getting unbearable and this was much better. He always preferred the cold. He thought about going back to the godswood so he could have some time to his self with the quiet but before he could take a step he heard something, a sound that sounded like a mixture between a hiccup and sob.
He turned his head to see Lady Ashara sitting in a small covered area with a goblet in one hand and a pitcher of wine in the other, she was wearing a violet dress with only a thin cloak covering her and Ned didn't know how she was able to stand being out in the cold like that.
He took his own cloak off and covered her with it, it made her jump and spill wine on it but that didn't bother him at the moment. She looked up at him with her own purple eyes wide in surprise. "Eddard? Oh, I'm sorry. I ruined your cloak."
"Don't worry about that, I have plenty of them." Ned said as he sat down next to her and gently took the pitcher out of her hand. "What are you doing out here in the cold, you should come inside where it's warmer."
"Oh, no I can't do that. I don't want to be around them." She swallowed the rest of her wine that was in her goblet before she stood up and walked away as she rubbed at her eyes for a few moments, the goblet slipping out of her hand before she turned to face Ned. Even weeping, she was still one of the most beautiful woman that Ned had ever seen.
"I am a horrible person, do you know why? Because my sister is trapped a thousand miles away and she's pregnant without any friends and I don't care about any of that because I am too busy being bitter about the fact that my friend is getting married to the man that I love." Ned bit his lip, this was difficult and not for the first time to day he wished that he could punch Brandon in the face.
"Brandon told me that you knew about Lauryn, I'm sure that you think I'm a terrible person but it is not like I wanted this. I didn't even want to come here, Prince Doran ordered me to accompany Elia." She sighed heavily and hide her face in her hands for a moment before she looked back up at him. "I'm sorry, you're in a worse position then I am, I just...I wish that I could go home. I wish I could stop loving him."
"I understand, truly I do." Ned stood up and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I wish that Elia was here and I wish that things were different, but they are not. Why don't you go and lie down, things will seem better in the morning. I am sure enough of that."
It was a pathetic platitude and he knew it but he wasn't sure what else to say, he was terrible at comforting people. Ashara sighed heavily and nodded before she turned and made her way back towards the main keep. Ned sighed and made his way back towards the gate that would take him back out into the godswood.
He knelt in front of the weirwood and began to pray, it seemed for now it was all that he could do.
End of Chapter Thirty-Seven
Welp, there we are then. A new chapter, I know this one might seem like filler but it does house an important event and that is the marriage of Brandon and Cat. I promise you that we are getting closer to getting Ned and Elia back together, the next Chapter should by from Tyrion's perspective, the one after that from Elia's and the one after that from Jaime's.
Please review, favourite and follow if you enjoyed.
Love,
Doctorwhofan12345.